The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1885-03-25
GENERAL ITEMS.

and VIII continue to be gray as long as l live
The hair of that gentleman is black, and will
continue to be black as long as he dyes.
-Bo6bS-"I see the Greek is to be
made optional at Harvard. Will your son make
a change in his studies, will he keep right on
as heretoforeY p NObbS-"O, 'twon't make any
difference in his case. AT least 1 Judge so from
what he said this morning" Bo6bs-"And
what was that2" No6bs-"Why, he said the
whole curriculum was Greek to him"
The estimated population of London
is 4Ol9 S6l. The total number of sittings in all
the church edifces and mission halls is $685.
792. Thus there are accommodations for "a So
per cent of the population.
The Augusta, Ga, Chronicle is res
ponsible for the statement that there was
never a Democratic President who wore a
beard" And brother Laiferty of the Richmond
Christian Advocate comments by saying, Mr.
Cleveland had close shave to get in
-Tennyson's latest American visitor
found the poet with a pipe in his mouth, as
usual and alongside of him on the floor a jar,
two feet high, filed with Virginia tobacco, the
gift of James Russell Lowell. The Baron has
no cancer as yet.
Things don't work very smoothly in
some dissenting quarters in England On one
day no less than four distress sales for extraor-
stone and the whole of tiA> hop-poles of far
mer were seized. In some cases, it is stated, the
extraordinary tithe amonnts to more than the
actual rent of the land itself.
President Cleveland, it is said, is not
pleased with the way his church attendance has
been made the basis for fashionable boom, and
he may yet decide to go to the questionable
Presbyterian church of DR.. Wyncoop. in West
Washington, or to hear DR.. Chester on Capitol
Hill. DR.. Chester is one of Washington's best
preachers.
:" Ministers children" are not all
" bad, as IS proven by the Christian HlteLEiqe,1-
Ger in the following paragraph l." The son Of a
Baptist minister very courteously bowed him
self out OF the White House on Wednesday. the
4th OF March, and bowed the son of a Presby-
teran minister in. The spectacle was very
pleasing one. The ministers sons behaved in
the most decorous and seemly manner. In Dig
nlhed and graceful composure the proceeding
was exemplary from first to last, and was i'm
presslve and memorable"
The fastest train in the world is the
Scotch Express, which leaves London daily at
40 a. nj. Between London and Peterborough it
travels az the rate OF seventy FIVE miles an hour
about hva miles an hour faster than any other
English train, and ten miles an hour faster than
any train in the United States.
The organization of Young Mems
Christian Associations in institutions of learning
has been actively pushed in the last few wears.
There now are Associations in about two hum
dred colleges academies and normal schools.
The College Secretary, Mr.. L. D. Wishard, has
been very successful In his work and now An
additional Secretary has been appointed, Mr.. C.
N Ober. Conventions of delegates of College
Associations like that recently held at Harvard
are among the most interesting incidents of AS.
sociation history.
= The number of Congregational church
es which gave over $4,000 each for benevo-
lence during the past year is twenty-six, and
their aggregate gifts amounted to $48353O
Fifteen of the number are in New England and
gave In the aggregate S26l 1853 four are in New
York city and Brooklyn, and gave S66,559;
seven are In the West, and gave $l55, sos. The
largest amount was given by Plymouth Church.
OF Minneapolis, which gave $43 1O8 the second
largest amount was by the First Church of New
ork city, which gave $26,974, and the third,
the fligrlm Church at st. Louis, giving $24,Sl4.
IMPROVEMENT IN PALEsTINE.-M.
Prerotu resident for twenty years in Pal
estne In various civil and military capacities as
engineer, has recently sent out the prospectus of
a company he proposes to form for deVelopipp
the products and the industries of Palestine
The objects of this company are to be agricul-
tural, industrial, and commercial. He consid-
ers the plain of Sharon an excellent site for the
development of his plan from its known fertili.
ty, aud Its proximity to Mediterranean ports, as
well as Its being highway for caravans from
all important points in the interior Wine and
oil can be produced in large quantities in this
region, and employment which they can under
stand Will thus be given to native laborers. He
proposes to found an establishment on an ex-
tenslve scale, If be can succeed in securing a
sufficient number of stockholders to insure sue
cess. During his residence in Palestine he has
gathered a valuable museum of archie illogical
objects Presbyterian.
According to official reports the
number Of prisoners in the prisons of the Rus
sian Empire-with the exception Of Caucasus
and Sagbaien--on January / 1883. amounted
to above $1,000 The number of convicts sem
fenced to hard labor was II, ,222. Of whom sos
were at Saghalien and OF in gold exploita-
tons of the Iransbaikalan region. the remain
der being in the mines Of Nertchinsk and in ten
special prisons. 1t has, however, been decided
that as soon as possible all the convicts will be
concentrated at Iaghaien and i'm Transatlantic
The exies of all categories in the Governments
OF Iomsk and Ienisesk number 10000. The
resources of the country being inadequate to
their wants, 10000 have departed with tickets
-Oi-ieayo, and 1900 have escaped Itisnot a
regular colonization, but a state Of orpanizsd
vagabondage, and the PenitenGary Admins
tratiou have, IN consequence, declared them
selves suenuouslY against the abuse Of expul-
slons deTeed by the communes or parishes
They are OF opinion that these latter, while exiI-
sure their maintenance for at least two years
The expenses for the transport of che exiIes from
European Russia TO Siberia amount annually Co
i 2JC 600 ruhlog