The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-04

Tho national conference OF agriouturists
has assumed such largo proportions that two
days. Wednesday and Thursday, OF next week
will have to be given up to 1t. The protection
lists are sanguinc OF moulding the conference
to their will. and the bimetallists arc equally
confident that they will induce the grent gath
crng to pronounce In favor OF the double
standard the best remedy for the derres
sion which 1t is tho fashion TO say is crushing
tho lito out OF British agriculture. An at
temrt has been made to lure tho
present free trade Minister OF Agri
culture into the rrotectionist parlor.
but Mr. Gardner has declined tho spi-
ders invitation to step in. His letter declin-
ing tho invitation Is however. very polite. and
shows that he fully appreciates the Importance
Of tho conference. After carefully considering
the matter he has. he says. como to the con-
clusion. although with some regret, that tho
official post which he holds precludcs him
from being present In an independent capac-
ity. but tho proceedings OF the conference
will be watched by tho Board OF Agriculture
with sympathetic expectation. and snggcs-
tons will 10 considered in tho respectful spirit
which such meeting deserves"
Preliminary steps are. 1t is said. being taken
toward tho formation OF an independent farm
| ers' party. but inquiries warrant the belief
| that the bimetallists nre ut the back OF this
| movement. and that it will have no practical
result
The prospectus OF n Joint stock company to
! take over the business OF the Ieyland steam
! ship line. referred to in THE SuN fortnight
ngo. has been issued this week. Tho capital
| OF the company is $500. 900. OF which E77O. 900
nre to he paid for tho twenty three steamers
of tho fleet md other plant and the good will
Of the business The impression among bus-
| ness mon is thnt q working capital OF 100000
| will be quite Inadequate The affair has been
| promoted by syndicate which expects to
! make profit of $50. 600 out OF the transaction.
| Mr.. Gladstone took tea the other day with
Mrs Laboucherc. and utilized tho occasion to
| talk politics with her husband. from which
facts 1t is assumed that Mr.. Lnbouchere has
| been induced to promise to obey dutifully tho
crack Of the pnrty whip next session: but the
assumption is quito wrong. Mr.. Labouchere
will duly play the part OF the candid friend
! which he has created for himself. and among
| othor things. he will make n determined attack
upon the Governments policy in Uganda and
| in Egypt.
4 wcLl-founded impression prevails in Man.
| chester Tint the cotton spinners lockout will
not last much longer. The failure to secure
tho cooperation OF the east and northeast
Lanca shire sDinners or even that OF two thirds
OF their own body has set the southeastern
masters thinking hard. and their cogitations
cannot be pleasant. seeing that their policy is
simply driving their business into tho hands
Of tho othor Lancashire employers. whose
well-pad. fully employed operatives are
thereby enabled generously to assist tho
locked out men.
There were 700 deaths from cholera last
week in Russian districts where the tempera-
ture averaged - below freezing. These Nc.
ures show how impossible it is to avoid some
recurrence OF the epidemic next summer.
Systematic local precautions are being quite
extensively taken throughout Europe.
An elopemcnt In London suburb on Wcd-
nesday had n most amusing sequel. young
man smurtly dressed and a young woman
c,eacly vetod zero hurryin2 .ngr.hor tn~r-.J
railroad station. Suddenly n wagon drove
up from bohnd. and three chimney sweeps
aighted in front OF the couple. They seized
the young man. One stripped him Of his Goa,
and waistcoat. while the other poured over his
head the contents OF largo can containing an
| oily liquid, while tho man who directed the
operations threw into his face about bushe
} OF SCOT which no took from n bag in the cart
The latter completed tie assault by horse
} whipping the unhappy youth. and advising
him to rehearse the Tenth Commandment
without delay. Then. turning to the crowd
which had assembled. he gave his name and
address. and informed his hearers that the
} young man had robbed him OF his wife. He
! directed the woman. who had been crying FOL
mercy. to mount the cart. and she obeyns
with alacrty, the party drove of. leaving DO
l hind them bowling creature Of hideous ap
) penrance. who. catching up his coat and waist
coat from tho ground. darted down by street
into the first open door. which happened to bt
' that OF n house IN which number OF Saliva
tionists were engaged in devotional exercises
The sudden appearance OF such an object nat
l urally suggested the presence Of the evil one
but an explanation having been vouchsafed
. the young man was allowed to rearrange tt
0 some extent his toilet.
} The penny in thc-slot machine has beor
: adapted to tho use OF tho elephants at tn,
. Manchester Zoo When visitor gives an ela
phant penny the animal drops 1t In slot
and gets biscuit. There is no use to try t,
, deceive tho animals with half pennies. Thos,
: desplsed coins are always flung in the face o
( the giver. The other day a visitor gave tn,
0 baby elephant number Of half pennies IL
8 succession. All were thrown back. Then tw,
t half pennies were given to the animal at tn,
, same time. Tho creatures demeano
8 chan ed. For more than five minutes he hol,
q the two coins In his trunk rubbing them to
! gether and seeming to be bordering deeply
At last It dropped the two hnlfpence In tn,
y box together with tho result that the combined
I weight gave him the desired biscuit. Mt which
: he gnmbolled about in a manner which OK
0 hibited extravagant delight
The famous cat and dog asylum. to which
2 Carlyle's old house Is devoted. will probable
1 soon lie abolished. For the second time Mrs
Q Cottll. tho eccentric old woman who keeps thu
. menagcric. has been fined for maintaining
i nuisance. A sanitary Inspector was sent t,
Q mako a census of tho animals yesterday
!. When by stratagem he gained admission t,
u tho dining room he found eleven dogs and 81!
o cats To count those WAS comparatively plail
Jnnr pf - np% "a
: denly opened and in rushed mongres anC
n tabbics from, up stairs and down stairs with
J. head turn He man.ully tried to continue tn
n census. but the animals refused to stand still
They ran In and ont haIsinG' hoTiinG yelp
8 tricabic confusion that tho enumeration brok,
II down and neither tho police mngistrnte II
q Westminster nor tho admirers OF Thomn
u CARLYLE will ever know the exact numbsr O