News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-12-04
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

THE missionary ship Morning Star,
which sailed lately for the South Seas,
was built by the contributions OF Sun
day schools, the shares being held by
the children, an annual assessment OF
ten cents a share paying her running
expenses.
THE fire engines in italian cities are
still the same little hand pumps used in
the beginning of this century; not
single steam fire engine exists on the
peninsula, owing to the rarity OF fires
but movement is now on foot to intro
duce steam engines according to the
American style.
THERE is not single saloon in Mar
tinsviIle, Va, or the county surround
ing, and business men say that the ab-
sence of drinking houses has added
thousands of dollars to their prosperity,
while the quality of farm and other kinds
of labor has vastly improved since the
closing of the dram shops.
A DEALER in cod liver oil in Marseilles
advertises that his fish are caught IN a
safe and quiet harbor, where marine
monsters cannot enter to frighten them
into diseases of the liver. ''They live
there" he says, Gin peace and comfort;
their livers are healthy, and this is why
my cod-hyer oil is the best"
THE returns of the effective strength
of the British army for the last twenty
years prepared by order of the Field
Marshal commanding in chief show
that the lowest total during that period
was reached last year, when it stood at
1s1, ,227, as against ZIG, 791 on Jan. l,
1864, or a decrease of 35, ,564.
THIS beats the lawyers: George Ben
son, Decatur soldier, got mad short
time ago because his pension claim was
not settled and wrote to Uncle Sam tell
ing him he could go to -. with it. He
was going to Iowa. George hadn't
more than got to Pokagon before his
claim was adjusted, allowing him about
81, 100 back pay and Sc per month as
long as be lives.
THE extending destitution in Paris is
attested by the amount of the budget OF
the Public Assistance for next year as
Just submitted to the Paris Municipal
Council. It's total is forty-two millions
of francs, being some three and half
millions more than the budget for this
year. It is calculated that the number
of individuals requiring assistance in
various forms will be 1850
THE Medical Press Oondon) states
that the Commission appointed by the
Government of India to examine into
the cholera question has reported that
DIR. Koch's microbe is not the cause Of
the disease. DR.. Klein, director of the
Commission, is we'll known as thorough
and exact investigator of microscopy,
and go convinced was he of the harm
lessness of the comma bacillus that he
swallowed number of them; they pro-
duced no noticeable effect upon him.
A CURIOUS instance, says the Pal
Mall Gazette, concerning the ex raor-
dinary variety of influences which affect
English trade is afforded by the last
trade report from Sheffield. Owing to
the drought in Queensland, which re-
duced the focks of one great holder
from $1,000 to 5000. large orders for
sheep shears and other hardware had
been cancelled, much to the inconven-
ience of the capital of cutlery. On the
other hand, the success of the 100-ton
gun at Spezzia in smashing the armol
plates supplied by Krupp is likely to
lead to the placing of new italian orders
for compound armor plates with the
Sheffield platemakers.
In one of the English public schools
difficulty arose between teacher and
a scholar concerning certain prescribed
| lessons which were to be learned a
| home. The case was taken before the
Appellate Court, where it was decided
that "home lessons set by teachers Cal
not be enforced" The New Yorl
Gdical Record thinks the practica
| results Ol bLO uCSlolO14 WILL 10 i"A 6SAJ
modified by the fact that teachers vii
continue to give lessons of such length
as to compel home study or result in I
lowering of the scholars standing. Th'
Record asks if the requirements o
home study are not, in general, ''too e1
acting for the proper development OF tn
| health of children"
The London Vegetarian Society gave
a dinner to about 100 ladies and gentle
men at the Health Exhibition the other
day. The object of the dinner. which
is one of a series, was to show how al
ample and varied diet could be procured
without the use of any sort of anima
food. The menu included, among othe
dishes, "Chestnutina de Lyon" soup
pea fritter and fried onions. and barle.
nuddine. After the dinner DR.. Ridg
delivered a short address, in which h
laid stress upon the fact that it had beel
abundantly proved that vegetarian
diet was not only possible but profitable
and expressed his conviction that tn
excessive use of condiments was tn
cause of large proportion of dyspepti
illness. 1t was also believed that vege
tarians lived much longer than the flesh
L.