The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-28
TIMELY TOPICS.

| 1lM1A 1Ol lOCs
Decoration Day throughout the North
came to be on May 30 from that date
having been first named in presidential
proclamation. There was at first great
diversity of dates, but gradually all the
Northern States came to adopt May 80.
Mississippi may be far behind her sis
ter States of the North in many things.
but she makes better provision for her
i agricultural colleges. There are two in
the State, one of which is for colored
students, and the appropriations for this
year are over $500, 900. !,
Alcoholic intempcrance is stated to be
increasing to an alarming extent among
the women of Australia. In discussing
the matter at meeting of the Melbourne
medical society the physicians present
concurred in attributing the trouble to
close confinement, anxiety and the ia
tigue arising from overwork
Here is a good question for debating
societies: A correspondent of the Scien-
tlHc american asks if the electricity
which produces the electric light is a
manufactured article or is natural ele-
ment simply collected and stored. The
paper says it may be said to be manufac-
tured, as it is produced by the expendi
ture of power in machine. 1t adds,
however, that it is probably condition
or. state of natural elements.
From various cities and towns in the
interior of this and other States, says the
Philadelphia Times, constant advices are
being received indicating the gradual
subsidencc of the rink fever. In few
places, it is true, new rinks are still
being opened; but those places which
have escaped the epidemic thus far will
probably escape it for some time to come,
few persons being so free from Incidence
as to desire so energetic pastimc dur
ing the heated term.
'sPoor Mans Gulch," on Butte Creek,
in California, got its name in this man
ner A miner named Noah Helm toilcd
season after season in the gulch, but
grew poorer every year, and his neigh
bors often advised him to pull up stakes
and leave. He had confidence in the
claim, however, and said he proposed to
starve there or make a strike. One day
Helm struck bonanza in the claim,
moved down into the valley and pur-
chased ranch, built an elegant mansi on,
brought his family from the East, and
is now one of the most prosperous
farmers in the county. Although the
spot finally turned out well, it has al
ways borne the title of "Poor Mans
Gulch," given by the miners.
The young ostriches on big feather
ranch in Southern California were born
with little legs, owing to the lack of
phosphates in egg and feed, and they
kept swapping OF like pipe stems. An
ostrich doctor amputated one of the
broken limbs for trial. and strapped on
wooden leg, and the bird stumped
around in a thrifty way until the leg
broke again above the knee. A remedy
was at last administered in the food to
stiffen up the Osseous economy of the
birds, and now their legs are strong
enough to fling rocks at their pursuers in
the orthodox manner as described in the
school biographies.
Some remarkable photographs of a
pistol bullet in its flight, under the il
been secured by Professor E. Mach, OF
Prague He has also photographed the
air streams which one may see over a
Bunsen burner placed in sunshine. and
has even obtained pictures of waves OF
sound, these last being made visible by
method in which advantage is taken OF
the irregular refraction of light by the
waves set in vibration by sound. AL
though these experiments may not have
any practical value, they are interesting
as showing the great degree of perfection
to which the Photographic art has beer
carried.
To supply the demand for milk and its
products in this country Is, 600, 900 COWS
are required. To furnish food for them
the cultivation of over 60, 600, 900. acres
of land is required. In caring for the
cows and their milk 700, 600 men fine
employment and 1,OOG, 900 horses are
needed. Cows and horses consume an
nually 10000, 900 tons of hay, 80, 900, ,00(
bushels of corn meal and the same
amount of oat- meal, 275, 200, 600 bushels
of oats, 1900, 900 bushels of bran, and
80, 600, 900 bushels of corn, to say moth
ing of the brewery grains and question:
BILE feed of various kinds that is used all
over the country. It costs $4OO, 600, 00(
to feed these COWS and horses.
On the subject of color blindness, !;
correspondent writes to the Pail Nal
Gazette: A very large proportion of the
cases of called color blindness is,
am convinced, due to ignorance, and
in confirmation of this opinion there il
the undoubted fact that it is rarely
found in examination of female candi
dates. If lor-blindness is an organic
defect of the visual apparatus, surely il
ought to exist in somewhere about the
same ratio in the male and female.
don't for a moment deny the existence oi
genuine color blindness; but l do con.
tend that the genuine defect is rare
one My suggestion is that instruction
in colors and their rsmes ought to form
distinct item in the curriculum of al
elementary schools.
Er. Zulinski has published in War
saw medical journal the result of a long
series of experiments made by him on
both human beings and animals, with a
view of verifying the physiological eff
fects of tobacco smoke. He found that
it is a distinct poison. even in small doses.
Upon men its action is very slight, when
! - :ubolod in 1arro Ol,anfitieo hvf -