Wichita eagle., 1889-07-23
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

The fashionable world is threatened
| with revival Of hoop skirts.
Gladstone has been offered large sum
to write political romance. He refuses
for want Of time.
California will have the largest grape
crop this year ever grown. and Spain re-
ports the same prospects.
Sullivan made $50, 900 by his fight with
kilrain. The shoes he fought in are on
exhibition in New York City.
Henrik Ibsen, the Norwegian dramat-
list, is the ''fad" in dramatic circles in
England at present. His 1.-The Doll
House," has been successfully given in
the London theatres. There will be an
effort to present "The Ghosts" His
countrymen consider 1bsen the greatest
dramatist since Shakespeare. The plays
are powerful and yet SO simple that one
at first thinks there is nothing in them.
Colonel DENLY. minister to China, de-
scribes the great wall. 1t was finished
204 B. C. Its building occupied ten
years, of which seven were after the
death of the Emperor Tsin Chi Hwang-
ii, who designed it. In straight line its
length is l, 255 miles. 1t is built of earth,
faced with large bricks. 1t is twenty
five feet at the base, and fifteen at the
top. There is crenelated parapet and
all along its length brick towers at vari-
GUS intervals forty feet high. At points
all along the wall on the outside are
brick watch-towers forty feet high. On
these towers beacon fires Of wolf dung
were lighted when the invader APP
preached. In the distance the wall and
the towers appear to be in perfect preser-
walton, bnt nearer approach discloses
dilapidatlon here and there. The wall
goes over and along the crest of the high
est mountains. 1t is beautiful object
and more than any other creation of
man suggests the idea of power. 1t goes
across gorges, detiles, sleeps and cliffs,
making no deviation for any natural OBJ
stacle. 1t served its purpose better than
countless soldiers would have done. For
many centuries it saved China from con-
quest. Since 1913 the wall has become
useless and has never been repaired.
London Letter to the New York Times.
There are three kinds Of pavement in
use in the London streets. The least
used at present is that of stone. Where
it does exist, however, it is much better
than ours in New York. The stones are
long and are set on end, the upper sur
face being much smaller than our Bel
gian blocks. Under these stones is
heavy bed of gravel and stones, the whole
pavement being about eighteen inches in
thickness. The wooden pavements are
also much smaller blocks than those tried
in New York. But the most extensively
used pavement in London is that of con-
crete. l saw one torn up for repairs
day or two ago, and had an opportunity
to discover how it was built. First a
foundation of stone is laid down in good
substantial blocks. That is covered with
tar and gravel, and upon this are
set blocks of wood or end tightly pressed
together. Over these, cementing them
together, and when rolled smooth form
ing the surface of the street, is put on
the concrete. The entire pavement is
over two feet thick and is as solid as
natural rock. 1t is as smooth as bill
lard table, and over it the heavy vehicles
of ali kinds used in London roll smooth
ly and easily. One never sees team of
horses vainly struggling to pull heavy
load out of hole in these streets. The
stream of vehicles moves always
and steadily onward, save
when checked by the silent majesty of
the memorable English law, represented
by the extended arms Of an insignificant
London ''bobby."