The National tribune., 1885-10-15
PERSONS AND THINGS.

Carrier-pigeons in France are henceforth like
horses and mules, to be registered, to be sub
Ject to military acquisitions when necessary. A
decree issued recently orders owners breeders to
make an annual return to the mayor of the number
of thei pigeons and the Journeys to which they
have been trained. The information IS to- be for
warded TO the military authorities These formal
tiles however, will be confined to certain parishes
a list OF which is to be settled annually, in Novem-
ber
A Sunday-school scholar was asked, apropos of
Solomon, who the great Queen was that Travelled
so many miles to see him. The scholar-in fact, the
whole schoo-looIsed rs if little help would be
liked, and the teacher, therefore, said: The
Queens name began witt an $" I've got it, sir !"
exclaimed the delighted scholar. Well, who was
it," " 1t was the Queen of Spades, sir,"
A rierpgeon started from Montgomery,
Ala, the middle of August, reaching its home in
Fall River, Mass last week in good condition.
- In Ioo5 the potato first brought into Ger
many. The first seed potatoes in Sayony were a
present in 1891 from the Landgrave of Hesse to the
Eiector OF S;axony. In 1917 they were grown as
exotics in gardens at Leipzig. Swedish soldiers
brought them into Western Germany about the
conclusion OF the Thirty Years War. In l7l7 they
were reintroduced into Sayony from Brabant, and
within % years they began to be regularly cuiti-
waited, their use bein, much developed in the
famine period of ITO IL In the year 1852 over
100000 acres sit'en NJ, to the cultivation of
potatoes in Germany1t the produce amounting to
% GO0o00 tons. SIR D
Two bones of the eleehas primogenous, and
others Of some other gigantic animal, have been
found lately in Colorado. One tusk belonged to Il
monster quarter as ldfge again as Jumbo.
sent from this side We're sold in Liverpool recently
at from II to 6 shliings barrel. prices that
profitable compared with those ruling in this
country that heavy shipments will now probably
be made regularly. 1t costs from four to six shi-
lngs to place the fruit in Liverpool
1t is proposed in spain to start fleet of ships,
representing all maritime nations from the little
port of Paios. in Spain, Aug. g. 1872, the 4oOh
anniversary of the sailing of Columbus and to have
the fleet sail to San Salvador over the route taken
by the great discovereT.
-Ofthe various European countries Germany is
stated to be the best taatnished with railways hay
ing according to the report OF the French Ministry
of Public Works, moFe ii,an 22,0G0 miles. Next TO
Germany comes the Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, which possesses aOnt l9O0Dmiles, but adds
to its lines much slowly than any of its rival
nations OH the continent France is third on the
list III regard to the total extent of road having
some 1850 miles. Russia IS next, with about
IL eco miles, while Austro- Hungary has I3 GOO.
Italy, country of skillful engineers, has many
900 miles coursing its restricted territory Spain
has kep! pace almost exactly with the rival penn-
sllas while Greece can boast of n railroad system
of only about IA miles, considerable portion of
which is very recent.
A manufacturer in Breslau has recently built
at his factory chimney over 80 feet in hight
entirely of paper. The blocks used in its consruc-
tion instead of being brick or stone were made of
layers of compressed paper jOinted with silicous
cement The advantages are the fire proof nature
of the material the minimum OF danger from light
ming and great elasticity.