The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-04-23
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

ASA ~
TOPICS OF THE DAY.
Engineering In China has certainly
achieved a notable triumph in the
bridge at Lagang over an arm of the
China sea. This structure Is five miles
long, built enirely Of stone, has 300
arches. 70 feet high; the roadway is
70 feet wide. and the pillars are rs
feet apart.
The Pacific Medical Journal, refer
ring recent writer who asserts that
Maine lumbermen are free from dys-
pepsia because they are in the habit of
using chewing gum, says that "if he
would add to his suggestion of chew
ing gum that of becoming a lumber
man, the remedy would be very ef-
fective."
Some of the Japanese almost wor-
ship cats. A feline funeral in great
style is reported by correspondent.
The coffin of the defunct pussy was GOV.
cred with white silk pail, and body
of chanting priests followed the cor
tege to the grave. In due course of
time a monument was erected, on which
were inscribed the many virtues of the
cat.
Russia has more soldiers and more
ships Of war than any other country
in the world. In her standing army
there are 10000 men, and she has 550
ships in her navy. 1t costs Sl25, ,000.-
900 year to keep her military estab-
lishment on a peace footing, and her
military authorities say they can place
100000 trained men under arms in
war time.
There are about 125 German recruits
in the Chinese army,all of whom have
been compelled to adopt Chinese names,
such as Wang Ii Triang or the Great
Wall. The pay of these recruits is
very high. ranging from 5000 to $500 a
month; and in addition the Chinese
government has promised to pay to the
representative of any German who
may be killed in action the sum of
$4,000. Recruits are also called for in
The Chinese navy, the inducement be-
.ng an annual salary of $4,000 and a
life policy for a large amount.
Temperance work in Great Britain
IS carried on with great vigor. The
Church of England Temperance So
,iety has branches in thirty Of the
;hirty-two dioceses and membership
of nearly 100000. The Church of
ireland has a strong society, as have
also the Wesleyans, Free Methodists,
Congregationalists and the several rail-
way companies. There are many
Bands of Hope, some of which have a
;otal abstinence membership of 49,
700 and 10000 each. Eleven Of the
eading temperance societies had an
income last year of over s250,000, all
If which was expended in temperance
work.
The London Standard remarks that
rink skating is among the things of
he past in England. A few years ago
he young women of the country, and
% a less extent the young men went
wild over it. 1t was declared the most
delightful exercise. and such was the
,rdor shown that people with money
we're crazy enough to believe that for
,nce the passion was a genuine one,
ind would endure, and so invested
heir cash in the erection of skating
inks all over the country. The fu-
:or was, however, as brief as are other
ragaries of fashion; the enthusiasm
lied away, the rinks were deserted, the
investors lost their money, and roller
.kates disappeared in the land"
Deistarianism is new religion for
nulated by Marvin Fosdick, of Kala-
nazoc, Mich. 1t seems to have struck
,ut new path in its religious vocabu.
ary. Its congregations, when it gets
hem, will be known as "polimons;'
IS preachers are to be called "denzees. v
A church service is a "doktil." do
EN- means to preach; "lokan" is a
,ermon; "Pote' is God; "stian" is g
.hurch building, and the salary of the
'denzee" is known as "valoon." MI
Eosdick has also adopted new chro.
loIogy and new method of spelling
20 go with his religion. As for his re.
igion itself, it is based largely on the
moral law as revealed by the con
science. and repudiates all the distinc-
i've doctrines of Christianity, such a:
baptism, prayer, the Bible and Christ
The author states that the Deistariar
.eligion is the best religion for thi:
ife, and as good as any for the life tt
,ome. He publishes call for "den
,ees," hut none who use tobacco or in
,oxicating liquors, or who gamble, ART
eligible to this office.
The rapidity with which Mormanisn
s spreading over the territory adjacen
% Utah is shown by the reported in
crease of 80 Mormon churches in Col
,rado, 60 in Idaho, and 20 in Arizona