The Russellville Democrat., 1889-09-12
FOREIGN GOSSIP.

The Emperor of Russia initiates Mir Gladstone. His Majesty is an amateur wood-chopper and spends an hour day at the exercise.
 When passenger boards or leaves horse-car in Germany the conductor touches his hat and says '.Good-d day" ," And if the passenger gives him "tip" Of one cent he looks happy for the rest of the trip.
 A Hindoo lecturer in England says that the British have degraded India and her people to the level of beasts, and that tens of thousands die yearly of starvation, and all reports are sup pressed.
 -Pricking with a bunch of fresh nettles as cure for anasthesia, neu- ralgia and numerous other diseases, has long been practiced by the Rus sian peasantry, and native doctor speaks highly of its efficacy.
 The population of Norway exhib- its higher percentage (97.25) of light eyes than any other country in Eu rope. Flaxen hair occurs in 57.5 per cent. while absolutely black hair is only found insthe ratiS of per cent.
 Both the Russians and the British, as they push farther and farther into Asia, pay great attention to arbori- culture, planting trees, shrubs and flowers wherever they form settle ment The result is that Central Asia is being reforested.
 The remarkable .'Floating lslandh of Derwentwater, England, the peri odical appearance of which has given rise to so much speculation, has been declared to be the highest part of great blister-like upheaval of peat which here forms the bottom of the lake,
 In Sweden, during some hundred years, military training has been in- troduced in all public schools as part of the daily curriculum. When twenty years old every Swede must serve as soldier for short period during two years in succession.
 The annual report Of the Indian Department of Canada says there are encouraging indications that the Indian element will eventually become anal gamated with the general population of the country. The Indian population of the Dominion is 12i, ,5S9.
 A Japan paper states that since the United States prohibited Chinese i'm. migration there has been very per ceptible increase in the number of Chi nese immigrants to Japan. Recently 4S6 arrived at Yokohama, and most of them are now employed in tea-firing godowns at the rate of remuneration which none but Chinese would accept"
 According to the Oakland Echoes one can scarcely be half an hour in Honolulu, keeping one's eyes and ears tolerably wide open, without arriving at full knowledge of the fact that the Hawaiian kingdom is commercially and socially 'bossed" by the United States of America, and by the State of California in particular.
 It is said that the Emperor of China is anxious to encourage the building of railroads in his kingdom, but he is sur rounded by many obstacles. His priests, astrologers, and advisers of various kinds are afraid of Western civilization. and they employ all man. ner of devices to keep the young potent ate from acting in progressive way. The astrologers never find the stars favorable to the granting of railroad franchise.
 A farm-laborer in China is hired by the year. at from $S to $14, with food, clothing, head-shaving and to- bacco. From s to 10 cents per day, and the noon-day meal, for ordinary days work; but 10 to 20 cents per diem, with five meals, or 30 cents per day without food, for planting and harvesting rice. Food averages little more than $l month for each member of farmers family.
 -Pigeon-hying is growing to be an absorbing amusement in England, par ticularly among the Birmingham la- borers. The spread of the sport has developed quite new branch of rail- way traffic. It is the practice of flyers to send their birds in baskets, ad- dressed to the station-master at par ticular station, with the request that he release them. mark on label the time that they were released, and re- turn the basket. This request is reg ularly granted. The officials rather like the work. In cloudy weather porters have been known to feed birds for three days before setting them free