Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-02-12
FoREIGN GOSSIP.

. a,s II -
There are seven monuments In the
various cities of Italy to Count Cavour,
but not one in Rome.
= About dozen persons are now con-
stantly at work among the once hidden
archives Of the Vatican, employed by
the leading European governments in
studying the history of their respective
countries.
The French are now able to put in
the field seven armies Of total strength
of 100000 men, equipped for pro-
longed campaign, and supported by an
ample reserve. This is five times the
force that Napoleon III. could muster in
1870.
"A pocket typewriter is shortly to be
offered to the British public. The re-
tail price will be under ten shillings.
It measures three and one-half inches by
three inches and weighs about four
ounces Though so small it is not a mere
toy.
Outside Salonica another cemetery
has been found, of ancient Thessalian
times, with many sarcophagi still I'M
opened. In many Of the sepulchral in
scriptions is inserted clause that who
ever opens the sarcophagus, and places
therein another corpse. shall pay
heavy fine.
ALL the country from Cape Colony to
the Zambesi river, and from the Portu-
guese colonies on the East to the Ger
man possessions on the West, is to be
controlled by a British South African
Company. The territory is three times
the size of Great Britain. 1t will be
called Zambesia.
"A monument has been erected over
the grave of Adolf Won Schlagintweit,
the famous traveller and savant, who in
August, 1857, was murdered by China
men near Kaschgar, Central Asia. It is
in the form of a large stone pyramid,
surmounted by heavy plain iron cross.
The Russian Government paid for the
monument, and the Chinese Government
gave the ground.
"A company has been formed in Lon-
don for the purpose of erecting tower
in that city on the Eiffel plan. The
tower is to be 1880 feet high. Five
hundred pounds are offered as prize for
the best design for the proposed tower,
and $3.50 for the second best design.
The competition is open to the world.
Colonel w. w. Bockhill, recently
secretary of legation at Pekin, China,
has returned to Washington after
Journey through Thibet. He estimates
the population of the Country at 2,000,-
900, one-third of whom are lamas or
priests, who practically monopolize edu-
cation and wealth. There is nominal
King, besides the Grand Lama, but the
country is governed by the Chinese
Minister and residents, and pays tribute
to China. The country is poor and
largely wilderness.
Government nurseries are just now
being prepared in Cape Colony, Africa,
for the further extension and develop
ment of American vines-one near Stel-
lenbosch, one in the Paarl, one near
Worcester, and one on farm between
Robertson and Montague. So great is
| the demand for these vines that applica
lions were received this year for not less
than 10, 900 cuttings, of which number
only $4,000 could be spared for distribu-
| ton.
One of the London brigades has been
making experiments in Judging distance
by sound. It was first explained to the
| men that sound travels at the rate of
| LOO yards in three seconds, and on this
| data they were told to estimate the dis
| lance of certain scouts who were dis
| charging their rifles in the darkness.
At first the answers were very cratic,
many of the men being fifty and some of
them $50 yards out of the way. Practice,
however, wrought a great improvement,
and at the last trial majority of the
men were only yard or two out, while
some guessed the exact distance.