The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-27
FOREIGN GOSSIP.

old Batterscn bridge, tho solitary
surviving pile bridge on the Thames, is
to be pulled down.
-Wedding-rings are not infrcquently
worn by husbands in Germany, and the
custom is growing in England.
Tho finest hand.spun Belgian flax,
such as is used in making costly lace, is
worth from 5000 to $1,000 ton.
Tho hottest region on the earth is
in tho vicinity of the Persian Gulf,
whore tho thermometer is said to have
been not lower than 100 degrees for
forty consecutive days and nights DUR
ing the months of July and August.
-Rouen and Havre are making great
efforts to prevent Paris from becoming
seaport by tho deepening of the chan
mel of tho River Seine Those flourish
ing seaports realize that thor trade
would he gono if Paris should become a
port.
Edward Wakefield, in his History of
New Zealand, estimates that the intro
duction OF humble boes into that coun-
try has already profitod tho farmers to
tho extent of $1,000, 900. Before thoir
introduction it was impossible TO grow
red clover seed Tor lack of fcrtilizinr
agents.
Tho place to send old stamps is the
Also dos Billodc, Loclc, Switzerland
In 1883 this asylum received over ono
million stamps, Of which tho best tho
children assorted and sold for 1910 to
dealers and collectors, whilo tho others
wero used for decorative purposes,
rooms being papcred with them.
In the Russian law court at ST. Pc
tcrsburg, there is now being tried n case
which has been in progress for tho last
five hundred years. 1t is in regard to
the coniiscation by the municipal au-
thorities of vast estates belonging to a
Russian noblcman, and tho written tes-
timony i'll the case is said to weigh for
ty-fvo tons.
Cutting off the nose is a favori to
act OF vengeance to inilict on an cnemy
or faithlcss vito in the bombay dis
trict of India, and simultaneously with
the practice has grown tho art Of max
now noses to replace those sliced away.
Tho injured feature can be mcndcd by
a skillful artist so rs to leave very lit
tie trace Of disfguremont.
On st. Pauls river in Liberia.
there is 4 home made stcamb boat 1t was
constructed by negro named Irons.
who was once Il slave in South Caro-
lima. lilo built his steamboat in this
way: lie rcmodclcd "a canoe frty feet
long, put in tho engine Of sugar cane
mill, rugged np paddle whcols and put
in some bits of iron shafting. The
steamer is not a beauty, but it carries
freight and passengers and docs rood
work. Its builder has inventive genius.
and should be encouraged
The magnitude of tho Finnish ma
ton is brought into notice by tho be-
ginning OF it, end at tho hands OF tho
Eussian Governments Finland has
heretofore enjoyed practical indcpend-
cncc In the management of her own az
fairs. The native press, and Finland
has twcnty-siX newspapers of her own.
has been wholly FREQ in dealing with
Finnish matters but now thcrc comes a
warning, the first ever known, to tho
uelsingfors Observation-Disclosures that adj :
vocating its peoples rights, even in the
most sober manner, must stop. Fin
land must expect to lose all her ancicn +
privileges.
Tho most absurd suporstitons arc
rlfo in Russia. At Scrpoollhov, near
Moscow, an official announcement was
recently placardcd at the street corners.
The common people are unable to read.
They requested Il man, who looked like
a priest. to dccipher for them the con
tents OF tho bill. Tic unhesitatinrly
and positively declared that il con-
tanned the warming that the city OF Scr
nook how VnulH Dn
ground. In less than an hour the news
spread throughout tho place, and tho
people abandoned their work and began
streaming out into the fields in large
crowds, and 1T was some time before tho
frightened crowds wore restored to
reason.