The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-04-18
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

1T SENS only the other day that hari-
kari w&lfregarded as the national method
of settlVR personal differences in Japan.
The ma p considered himself insulted
or aggyleved, Instead OF demanding salts
factionpf his aggressor, was accustomed
to retire 20 his house, and deliberately to
rip himesH open; not, however, without
previorstF inditing letter to his friends
and relaHves consigning his enemy to
their tellder mercies and demanding
venasspSe: ALI this appears to have gone
OUT ~. ~ and the European custom
IaaS ~ - lttH0 and coffee foS-fcSr-So
have, tRen\ \topiese. For according to
the nIst red deep Spatches from Japan,
the Mkado hsPf o. obliged to issue de-
cree imposing & stverest penalties for
ducllirg. Tb< 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-
tcmplating revolution in the coinage Of
that country, which is now of copper,
ranging in value from about a mill to a
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. 1t is now proposed by the
Chinese Government to make silver
money metal, and to issue a series that
will correspond sohewhat to our dollars,
halv'S quarters. an 'ufies. IHeco1naSe
will he 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 new
market for the silver of the world, and
ought to make silver higher in price and
aid in establishing its old-time 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, rs it had pre-
viously been found only in isolated
pockets and patches Since the discovery
was made steps have been taken to de-
vclop 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 sub
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. 1t is proposed to substitute it for
gold in electro plating, and it is also en-
pectcd to PfoVe1sEcry useful in electric
lighting.
RECENT excavations in Rome 90 to
show that the short lived water pipes of
this age are sadly at discount when
comp;dci with the work of the cid
Roman plumbers. The commission in
charge d the improvement of the city of
Rome hs uncarthed great numbers of
lead wacr pipes, each plainly stamped
with the name of the owner of the house,
the year # the plumbing, the name of
the cons,is for that year, and the name
of the rigning emperor. I'm opening
cighty-tN miles of new streets in that
city, material has been found sufficient to
add to our present knowledge a thousand
details oncerning the baths, heating
tlucs, wafr pipes and sewage system of
ancient tues.
UrwADs Of 1000 tons of cement,
~! :-!s --Sss-o' ste"l'es II 'o'y
cubic vardRpf masonry, were employed
in the found jtions and piers of the Forth
bridge, and he weight of steel used in
the construction OF the supcrstructure
was 81 ,O0f tons. The rivcts employed
in the Forh bridge would. if laid end
to end. coer about $50 miles in length
the numbef Of rivct holes drilled have
been over 5. .0C0, 900: il put together
they would form tunnel no miles in
length, while th plates used in the con.
struction of the tubes would extend q
distance of IA miles.