The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-02
TIMELY TOPICS.

llMELl lUIlUN
The total annual catch of menhaden in
The United States is about 1000, 900.
This seems to be great number. but
blue fish alone are said to consume about |
3, 900, 600 menhaden every day of the
England alone. AS a matter of fact,
menhaden arc so prolific that they are
inexhaustible.
The proprietor of household article
Informed the publishers of a
we'll known monthly magazine of large
that the insertion of small
twice in the pages of their
had brought in more than eight
inquiries. And yet some peo
pie are still wondering if newspaper and
magazine advertising pays!
The supreme court of Pennsylvania
IS decided that the sale or purchase of
a life insurance policy is illegal and void
even when made in good faith and as
sented to by the insurance company. The
ground stated is that such transactions
amount to gambling on the duration of
human life, and are therefore contrary
to public policy, just as other wager
ing contracts are.
Paris is cleared of rats by her muni-
cipal council Offering premium for their
skins. Two years ago the premium was
three dollars per thousand,- but it has
recently been raised to ten dollars per
thousand in order to get the city cleared
of the pests. The rats are of the Nor
way kind, and breed four times year.
The skins, when collected, are sold to
glovemakers for four cents each, and
1000 skins arc said to have been made
into genuine kid" gloves last year.
People with very large noses may be
interested to learn that an English doc
tor claims to have discovered method
of reducing that organ. The process,
which he calls multiple punctiform
scarifcation," consists in rapidly prick
ing the nose with number of minute
double-edged steel blades fixed in a han
die. From 500 to 5000 punctures are
made at sitting, and the operation is
performed every week or two for some
months; meanwhile the organ is kept
we'll anointed. At first sight the opera
ton does not seem attractive, but the
doctor says it sis not painful"
An Illino law fines every engineer
800 and his railroad company 5000 for
his failure to stop his train not less than
200 feet from railroad crossings, draw
bridges, etc the money going to the
informer. It has been the habit of some
persons to watch the trains and measure
the distance. If the engineer went over
the limit at all complaint would be en-
tered and the informer pocket the cash.
One man is said to have $500, 900 worth
of claims now pending. An amendment
to the law proposes to interfere with this
''home industry, by ordering trains
stopped anywhere within 800 feet, and
turning the fines into the county treas
uries.
Cocaine, the new local anaesthetic
which has suddenly achieved such an
excellent reputation, has been known as
! such for a great many years. but TOR q
long time was found to be too expensive
for general use The great progress now
is the cheapening Of the product. Its
properties are duet substance nearly
| identical with theme, the active prin.
! ciple in tea, and it is, indeed, obtaincd
from one of the tea plants, the mate, ol
Paraguay. This is know botanically as
| erythroxylon coca, cocaine, of course,
being derived from the specific name
This plant has long been known to the
Pataguayans, who chew the leaves, u:
deadening the pangs of hunger.
Mexico has established central ma
tional bank. 1t is chartered for fifty
years, and becomes to the nation sub
stantially an institution like the banks
of England and France. Its notes are
the only ones to be accepted by the gov
ernment, and it has monolopy of Cir
culation through the tax on the circula
ton of other bank notes imposed by the
national banking law. The bank is ex
empt from all taxes except real estate
and stamps only are required in dealing
with the public, business with branches
and agencies being unstamped. 1t takes
the place of the Monte de Piedad as ,
place Of deposit on account of the gov
ernment, pledges of good faith for con
tracts with the government, and OF jul
dicial money to be deposited with bank
ing institutions.
A London doctor has publisheu som'
curious comparative statistics on th
longevity of public and professional
men. He found that the average age a
death of the twenty five American states
men during the last 100 years was sixty
nine. The average of an equal numbe
af English statesmen was seventy year
practically the same. He thought tn
latter did more work at an advanced
age. The difference in favor of Englisl
as compared with American politica
life was brought out by comparing tn
ages at death of members of the Britisl
parliament with those of the United
States Congress who died between 1866
and 1884. OF our Senators, fifty MIN
gave an average of sixty one years; ID
Representatives averaged fifty five years
and the average for both was fifty eight
The 121 members of parliament averaged
sixty eight years at death.
A letter containing draft for SIS, ,OO(
and interest since 1866 has been received
at the United sStates treasury depart
ment, to be added to the conscienc
fund. It comes frcm an unknown man
who says he was telegraph operator il
California in 1866, and that he received
dispatch on the first day of his service
which was from New York postoffic
inspector, warning the San Francisco
police officials to be on the lookout 70
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