The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-24
FOREIGN GOSSIP.

ing to John A bercrOm by, OF Edinburgh
| Scotland, went in for magic extensive
ly. They lived originally in Siberia.
The first historical mention of the
Firms which the present day possesses
locates them about nineteen hundred
years ago as living in Poland.
Influenza is believed to be dying
out in London, after being more or less
prevalent since the first outbreak over
| the world several years ago. For a
considera bic time the number of deaths
from the malady have been about
twenty week. During the second
week of June only six such deaths oc-
Cured.
The city of London has no park
within its borders, and yet the largest
recreation ground open to Londoners
is under the control of the city corpo-
ration-namely, Epping Forest, with
| its 5000 acres, or nearly nine square
miles of almost un broilen woodland.
forming one of the most extensive and
beautiful pleasure grounds in Europe.
In 1864, on the birthday of King
George Ill, matchmaker of London
, named Arnold presented himself be-
fore the king to exhibit curious re-
peating watch of his manufacture.
This watch was in diameter somewhat
less than silver two-pence, contained
one hundred and twenty distinct parts
! and weighed altogether less than six
pennyweights
Not very long ago London news
paper announced that a ieweler Of
Turin had made a tug formed of a
single pearl. The sail is of beaten
gold, studded with diamonds, and the
pinnacle light at the Prov is perfect
ruby. An emerald serves as its rud-
der, and the stand on which it is
mounted is slab of whitest ivory.
The entire weight of this marvellous
specimen of the jewelers. craft is less
than half an ounce, but the maker val
ues it at 81 900.
Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild,
who about two months ago made over
a castle and park near Reichenau to
the trustees of the hospital for con-
sumption, has been obliged to with
draw his generous gift in consequence
of objections raised against it by the
burgomaster. the townspeople and the
visitors of Reichenau. The baron has
therefore agreed to a lottery, with the
castle and park as the one great prize.
The proceeds will be given to the
trustees of the hospital.
An epidemic of suicide has pre-
vailed in Buda-Pesth and other Hun
garian towns lately. In Buda-Pesth
alone seven suicides occurred in one
day several weeks ago. The num-
Der of cases of insanity is also increas-
ing so rapidly that the hospitals and
asylums are crowded. Physicians as
cribe both phenomena to the scarcity
of pure wine since the phylloxera, in
consequence of which the people drink
made-up liquid composed of sub
stances pernicious to the brain.
When the French took possession
of Acadia hey rified the trading house
of Penobscot belonging to Plymouth.
This was in 1888 Word soon came that
the French had bought Alexander's
plantation in Nova Scotia, that Cardi
nal Richelieu had sent over soldiers
and Jesuits and the preparations were
making in the east by the French to
take possession of all New England.
The authorities at Boston and Plym-
outh were alarmed. and took measures
to meet the supposed danger. The
alarm was groundless. however. The
French, intent only upon trade, did not
mean to harm the English.
The boomerang. the Australian ma
tive's weapon of offense and defense,
referred to in all reference works as an
instrument unknown until after the
discovery of Australia, was doubtless
known before the time of Christ. Pliny,
the elder. contemporary of our
Saviour. writes as follows in his Nat
ural History" respecting an instru-
ment made of the wood of the aqui-
folia: IF staff made Of this wood,
when thrown at an animal. from want
of strength in the person throwing. if
it falls short of the mark it will come
back toward the thrower Of its own ac-
cord. SO remarka BILE are the properties
of that tree" 1t is altogether proba ole
that the learned Pliny did not con-
slider the shape OF the stan, and re-
ferred its peculiarities 10 the nature of
the wood of which il was made
In some villages in Japan robbers
are tried and convicted by ballot
Whenever robbery is committed the
ruler of the hamlet summons the en-
tire male population and requests
them to write on slip of paper the
name of the person they suspect as
having committed the crime. The one
receiving the largest number of bal
lots is declared duly elected" and is
accordingly hanged. This system. like
all others, has its peculiar advantages
1t insures the punishment OF somebody
for every robbery committed. whereas
under. the system in vogue in most
civilized countries in nine cases out OF
ten no punishment is inflicted on any
body for the crime. OF course, they
may not elect" the guilty person. but
dispose OF some other character equally
as bad There is much in the system
to commend 1t TO other nations
A Flying Trip.
We're you ever in the state OF mat