The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-07

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Every Italian member of parliament
deadheads it all over Italy, and, wonder
full to relate, is entitled to compart-
ment to himself. Consequently, if sew
eral are in train, there is apt to be
difficulty about seats. Italian parliaments
are never prorogued-onlya adjourned.
Telegraph wires have to be renewed
every five or seven years. The Western
Union Telegraph company exchange
about one thousand tons of old wire for
new every year. The new wire costs
from seven to eight cents per pound,
and for the old about one eighth of
cent pound is allowed.
The estate of Schonhausen, presented
tieth birthday, is in a very good condi-
having disappeared. although at the same
time two million marks was large price
to pay for it. Prince B1smarck's total
ninety English square miles, of which
two-thirds are forest land.
Paralysis, collie, goat, rheumatism,
kidney disease, blindness and insanity
may all come, it seems, from drinking
water with lead in it. Under these Cir
cumstances, simple test for discover
ing the presence of lead in water may
we'll be useful. 1t consists of adding a
little tincture of cochineal, which, if
there be the least trace of lead in the
water, will color it blue instead of rose.
A very curious article of export was
recently made to New Zealand. 1t con-
sisted Of consignment of ''bumble
bees" At present clover does not 'seed"
in that country, though it grows readily,
because it is believed there are no bum
BILE bees to ferti!ize the flowers. The
importer hopes to remedy this difficulty
by the introduction of humble bees; but
why this latter instead of the more use
full honey bee, our informant omits to
state.
Qu'Appelle, so often mentioned in the
dispatches in connection with the Rlel
insurrection, owes its name to the fol-
lowing pretty incident: A Metis, pad
| ding his canoe down the river in the
beautiful valley in which Qu'Appelle is
situated, heard the echo of his paddles
reverberating among the surrounding
hills and supposed it to be the voice Of
some one calling him. "Qui appellee"
(who callsO he exclaimed. This ques-
ton, contracted into Qu'Appelle, gave
the place its name.
| It is certain that a great amount of
fetishism prevails in China. Near Pekin,
a few miles from the walls on the east,
is an enormous tree, which fell more
than two centuries ago, and which has
been there ever since. 1t is called the
divine tree. and temple has been erected
for its worship. The people believe a
| spirit lives in or near the tree. and should
be worshiped from motives of prudence.
The immense size of the tree is the re-
suit of the spirits energy. 1t is believed
it could not have grown so large without
divinity.
The mouth of the Mississippi has cost
millions from first to last. 1t is greedy
mouth, and will swallow greenbacks
about as rapidly as they can be printed.
With all the money spent on this great
stream, it appears that there is now i'm
minent danger of the DETECTION of tho
river into Bayou Atchafalaya, by which
it would reach the gulf very much sooner
than at present. This would ruin New
Orleans, leaving her high and dry as an
inland town, and some of the richest
territory of Louisiana would also be per
manently submerged.
Osman Bey, the favorite chamberlain
of the sultan. followed an Ottoman prac
tice of choosing mechanical trade in
early youth, as the sultans do. The
trade Osman Bey took up was that of a
printer, and he acquired such liking
for it that it became a favorite amuse
ment even during his court career. With
the view of encouraging the printing OF
Turkish works, he get up at great cost a
large printing office, with the best ma
chinery and employing two hundred men.
He is now devoting considerable sum
to great paper mill, and, as his attend
ance on the sultan no longer allows him
to give adequate time, he has turned over
the management of the whole concern tC
his grandson. Jevad Bey: who shares his
tastes.
Russia has more soldiers and more
ships of war than any other country ir
the world In her standing army there
are 7SO, 900 men, and she has 358 SHIPS
in her navy. 1t costs 1925, 900. 900 year
to keep her military establishments or
their peace footing, and her military au
thorities say they can place 2, 800, 00t
trained men under arms in war time. The
English standing army is 1872, 900 men
This includes the English regular troops
serving in India. The English war Office
authorities profess to be able to put 624,
900 wel!-drilled and effective British
troops in the field if called upon to do SO
This does not include the Indian auxil
iary forces, which would swell the tota
British forces at home and abroad to over
1000. 900 men. 1t costs England 800,
600, 900 year to keep up its regular
army. In 1853 there were $4,000 Irish
soldiers in the English army; now there
are only 81 900. In 1853 a great number
of Irishmen from the Tipperary, Armagh
Kilkenny, and other Irish militia regi
ments volunteered for active service, and
were sent to the Crimea. The Englist
navy contains 2S3 ships. But while tht
Russian navy contains more vessels thar
the English navy it must be remembered
that England spends three times as much
on her navy as Russia spends on hers.
In a recent issue, the London Spectato,
has an article on the mysterious methods
of conveying news employed by the ma
| tivea. of India J,,st what these methods