Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-03-31
STRAY BITS.


 ducing artificial silk.
 The highest recorded price for Stradiva- rius violin is said to be SS, 900. England uses seventy pounds of sugar per capita; the United States fifty pounds
 Stephen Webb, of San Luis, Colo, has ad- vertised for "a wife who can milk a cow"
 The Australian savages are passing out of existence faster than any other aboriginal race
 A man of Blossburg, Pa., owns nine dogs, seven cats, eight canaries, two white mice and monkey.
 The great storm is said to have caused the postponement of 800 funerals in Brooklyn and New York
 Lumpkin's jail, an old slave pen, and one of the conspicuous memorials of Richmond, is being torn down.
 The largest fish market in the world is Billingsgate, London, where 132, GOO tons of fish are sold a year.
 The citizens of Larkha1l, Scotland, are about to present testimonial to Michael Smith, who is said to have reached the great age of Ill years.
 man who exercises a profound influence over the czar is Ivan of Cronstadt, hermit priest, who is said to perform miracles and whom the czar frequently visits in his aStic cell.
 A petition for the closing of public houses on Sunday in England, presented recently to the home secretary by MT. Phillips, of Liver pool, measured Il ,263 yards in length. It signed by l, 132, GOO women over the age of 16.
 Miss Hemersham, who is featuring in Eng land on nursing, recommends that the sick cbOI11S ntoi in r,,11 oloir IIOno a very comfortable one for the nurse and a very uncomfortable one for visitors who stay too long,"
 A French bachelor advertised for wife. A typographical error changed his age from 37 to S1, but it made no difference, for he re- celved 25O applications from ladies ranging from the age of 16 to 60, and all promising love and devotion to the rest of his existence
 Some of the New York legislators who were on train that was showed in near Schenec- tady, had to pay fancy prices for refresh ments. Pies cost S4 apiece, sandwiches 25 cents, and eggs 25 cents each. A farmer was hired for S20 to transport the edibles six miles to the train.
 The name of Emerald Isle is generally SUD- posed to have been derived from the ever green appearance of it's shores, but an an- tiquary asserts that it arose from the ring which was set with the words "OptimO Smaragdo," and which Pope Adrian sent to King Henry II, as the instrument of his in vestiture with the dominion of Ireland
 Austria has the largest number of public libraries of any European country. They l number 57 and contain 5, ,475,OO0 volumes, exclusive of maps and manuscripts France has 800 public libraries, with ,4,59S, ,00O | volumes. Italy comes next with 493, Ger many with 39S, and Great Britain with only | 200 public libraries.
 Old Philip Winebiddle, the founder of the Winebiddle estate in East Liberty, Pa, | bought 100 acres of land where the city of Erie now stands sixty years ago, and paid | $500 for it. Almost before the ink was dry on the papers he made up his mind that he had been swindled, but thirty years later the land could not be bought for S2O0O,O GOO, and it is now worth $3, ,OO0,000
 Among some articles of rare old Persian art recently sold at auction in Liverpool were some exquisite embroideries, such as a divan cover worked in gold and silver thread on an arabesque pattern on a sky blue ground; an- other showing pale citron ground worked with gold thread; while third was so rich and gorgeous as to have the appearance of being entirely of two shades of gold
 A recent analysis of the population of
 
 contributed almost twice as many people to that commonwealth as any state in the Union Ohio has sent 73, ,633 emigrants to Kansas, while Missouri, which is the only state that exceeds that number furnishes 136, 725 The New Englanders in the state number 1O,7 ,7S2. The total number of per- sons of foreign birth is 6O,218.
 Near a corner of the Part!,cnon, at Athens, a large head of 8 male statue has been brought to light It is made of porous stone exhibits traces of brilliant coloring and is stated to be more ancient than anything yet discovered on the Acropolis, and quite unique. It is believed to be the head of a Triton, and to belong to a serpent like body, ending in the tail of a fish discovered few days since
 Whenever Emperor William went to his study window to acknowledge military s;,- l lute he invariably buttoned his coat To a 1 general, who asked him why he was so core monious, he said: ''The soldiers have never seen me with my coat unbuttoned, and they never shall It is the one button left unbut- toned that Is the ruin of the army" | .-r-~--4>----s.--~,,~