Morning journal and courier., 1890-05-07

Plate river with his vessel, the St. Marga- rethe. After disposing of miscellaneous cargo, Herr Orth will sail for Chilli, where he will reload his ship with saltpetre. Be- fore starting on his travels Herr Orth spent some time in Hamburg. He succeeded in making arrangements with several large firms for the disposal of many tons of salt petre, which is now extensively used in Ger many, France and Belgium in the manufac- ture of smokeless powder. The ex-archduke has shown considerable commercial enter prise in his undertaking as his profits will be, it is said, enormous. The St. Marga- rethe carries the Austro-Hungarian flag and is under direct command of Captain Sardic, Dalmntian.
 The Hochi Shimbun, leading Japanese newspaper, discussing the progress of Chris" tianity in Japan, says it is slow but sure. There is nothing striking about the number of converts added each year to the roll of the Japanese Christians or about the increase of the propagandists' ministrations. But, on the other hand, the foreign faith advances surely and steadily, planting it's feet firmly as it goes and never retrograding for an in- stant. Opportunities to test the influence it has exercised upon the public mind are, of course, few and far between. It's diligence in the cause of female education and it's un- tiring efforts to improve the status of Japa. nese women are also quoted as easily dis- cernible evidences of the progress it is making. ''In short," the Hochi Shimbun concludes, "that Christianity will ultimately attain to power by gradual and steady accu- mutation of merits is a fact of which we are convinced by long observation. If 1t prog- resses at it's present rate, its future is as- sured.'
 It is not generally known that Abraham Lincoln was something of an inventor. A patent solicitor, who now lives in Kansas City, says: During long residence and practice in Washington, D. O., examined nearly every patent this government has issued, and one day while rumaging over a lot of old-timers I struck one issued to Abraham Lincoln in 1S46. It was issued for device to enable river boat to relieve itself from sandbar whenever 1t should run aground op one. have always been an ad- mirer of Lincoln, and this find had consider able interest for me. I took pains to look the model up, andit was certainly an in- genious contrivance. Abe had evidently made his own model and prepared his own papers. What was the device ikes Well, from the model and description it would be large bellows-like apparatus made of leather and iron, which would be ate tached to the bottom of the guards on either side of the river boat. When not in use 1t was folded and formed part of the guard. His idea was that when @ boat was grounded the pilot, by pressing button, could open air chambers, which in turn would inf1ate with air the arrangements at tached under the guards to an extent euf1- cient to raise the boat and allow it to be driven to deeper water. In his youth sup pose Abe was on the rivers in Illinois to a | considerable extent, and was familiar with ! all the inconvenience of river travel and his l invention was the result of spending consid-
 erable time on grounded boat or sandbar.