The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1890-04-17
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

IT seems only the other day that hari-
kari was regarded as the national method
of settling personal differences in Japan.
The man who considered himself insulted
or aggrieved, instead of demanding saGis-
faction of his aggressor, was accustomed
to retire to his house, and deliberately to
rip himself open; not however, without
previously inditing aietter to his friends
and relatives consigning his enemy to
their tender mercies and demanding
vengeance. All this appears to have gene
out of fashion, and the European custom
of pistols for two and coffee for four to
have taken its place. For according to
the most recent dispatches from Japan,
the Mikado has been obliged to issue de-
cree imposing the severcst penalties Ior
duelling. The mere issue of challenge
involves two years. imprisonment, while
if the meeting actually takes place the
punishment is increased to five years
penal servitude. In case Of bloodshed,
both the principals and the seconds will
be held liable for the crime of assault
with intent to KILL" while if death en-
sues they will be punished as if for man
slaughter of the first degree
THE Chinese Government is now con-
templating q revolution in the coinage of
that country, which is now of copper,
ranging in value from abour a mill to
coin worth about 90 cents in face value,
without either gold or silver coins. Bars
of gold and silver bullion, however, are
used in commerce, and the Mexican silver
dollar circulates extensively in the sea-
board cities. It is now proposed by the
Chinese Government to make silver
money metal, ard to issue Il series that
will correspond somewhat to our dollars,
halves, quarters and dimes. The coinage
will be uniform throughout the vast en-
pire, with its 43O, 900, 900 population
at least six and a-half times that of the
United States. This will open a new
market for the silver of the world, and
ought to make silver higher in price and
aid in re-establishing its old-timc ratio
with gold.
THE discovery of lode OF uranium at
the Union mines, Cornwall, was an
nounced several months ago. This is
believed to be the only known lode of
that metal in the world, as it had pre-
viously been found only in isolated
pockets and patches. Since the discovery
was made steps have been taken to de-
velop the lode and to work the mine.
Experimental works for procuring the
metal from the ore were fitted up in
London, and there the ore has been SUBJ
mitted to treatment in order TO determine
the best and most economical method Of
extraction. The market price of the
metal is about ten thousand dollars per
ton. Il is proposed to substitute it for
gold in electro plating, and it is also ex-
pected to prove very useful in electric
lighting.
RECENT excavations in Rome 60 to
show that the short-lived water pipes of
this age are sadly at q discount when
compared with the work Of the old
Roman plumbers. The commission in
charge of the improvement OF the city of
Rome has unearthed great numbers of
lead water pipes, each plainly stamped
with the name of the owner OF the house,
the year of the plumbing, the name of
the consuls for that year, and the name
of the reigning emperor. In opening
eighty-two miles of new streets in that
city, material has been found sufficient to
add to our present knowledge q thousand
details concerning the baths, heating
flues, water pipes and sewage system of
ancient times.
UPWARDS of 1000 tons of cement,
7O7, 900. cubic feet of granite, III, 600
cubic yards of masonry, were employed
in the foundations and piers of the Forth
bridge, and the weight of steel used in
the construction of the superstructure
was $1,000 tons. The rivets employed
in the Forth bridge would, if laid end
to end, cover about $50 miles in length
the number of rivet holes drilled have
been over 5,0O0,0O0; if put together
they would form tunnel 40 miles in
length, while the plates used in the con-
struction of the tubes would extend q
distance of A miles.