The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-03-18
OF GENERAL INTEREST.

rowed money of the latter, and stated
: that If he did not pay him upon speci-
fed day, that Constantine would be at
liberty to kill him. The day came,
Roberts hadn't the money, and Constan-
tineshot him dead
The boys in New South Wales
school recently struck for ''less Euclid,
less algebra. less Gaming and more holt
days" A deputation was appointed to
interview the head master He re.
ceived them with a cane and then
showed them the error of their ways.
After this the rest of the school did not
need to be convinced and the strike
came to an end.
"A donkey in Nutley, N. J., reversed
the order of nature by sleeping all day
and braying all night, His nocturnal
music exasperated the neighbors, and
even his owner at last tired of it and
sold the animal to circus The
neighbors were so delighted at the alb
sence of the sleep-disturber that they
commemorated the donkey's departure
by public parade and display of fire
works.
Among the numerous presents sent
to shah of Persia by one of the Rus
sian emperors was bedstead of extra
ordinary magnifcence. It is said to
have been entirely made of crystal and
was accessible by steps of the same ma
terial. all worked in imitation of large
diamonds, incrusted in solid frame
On each side were spouts made to eject
scented water, which by its murmuring
invited sleep.
"A new idea about tea culture comes
from Florida. As is well known, the
best Chinese tea will not stand sea
voyage and never gets nearer to us
than Russia But Mrs Increase Sum-
ner, of Starke, Bradford county, Fla,
has discovered that this same delicious
and delicate tea can be grown in her
own garden. She has three crops a
year. and owing to the rapid growth Of
the bushes, she has to cut them down
every three or four years, while in China
the cutting is only necessary once in
seven years.
"A question has been raised as to
the propriety of number of Jews TAX
ing service in the army, and a rabbi has
been designated to minister spiritually
to the few Jewish soldiers who are at
Aldershot The profession of arms was
barred to the house Of Israel in the
middle ages, and they have not taken
kindly to it since; nevertheless, there
are instances of Jews attaining distinc-
ton in the career. Lieut. Col Moss
ner, one of the rare Jewish officers in
the Prussian army, has just been named
aid-de-camp to the emperor, who, in
making the appointment, stated that
he wished the act to indicate his opin-
ion of the attacks which were made on
the Jewish race.
There were roller-skaters, or, at
any rate, an individual of this species,
more than one hundred and thirty
years ago. He was foreigner, and he
undertook to perform before company
at a fashionable party in Soho He
darted along the ballroom at full speed,
but his brake machinery was imper.
feet, and he crashed into looking
glass, with the most serious conse-
quences both to it and to himself The
possibility of true revival dated from
the time when Plimpton patented his
roller-skate, which Is substantially the
one we use to-day In the roller-skates
of our fathers the wheels were laid in
single line. Plimpton. by applying the
principle of the movable axis, enabled
the wearer to turn ut his ease. His
great invention led to the rinking
mania of 1876.
The original American flag, made
of English bunting, at Philadelphia,
under the direction of John Brown,
secretary of the United States marine
committee, by the patriotic women of
the city, is now in possession of Mrs
Harriet r. p Stafford, of Cottage City,
Mass. It was first presented by the
Philadelphia ladies to Paul Jones, who
boat which he sailed up and down the
Schuylkill river, and was designed to
show the people of the country what
their future national ensign should be.
The original banner contains but
twelve stars, as Georgia had not then
Joined the confederacy. Several bullet
holes indicate that it saw service in the
revolutionary conflict, and nearly two
yards of its length have been cut away
by ambitious relic-hunters.
Three of the first four presidents of
the United States married widows The
wife of John Quincy Adams, who re-
ceived her education in England, Gre
ated great sensation in the nations
capital. The wife of Martin Van
Buren,. Hannah Hoes, lived but short
time after her marriage, dying about
seventeen years before her husbands
election to the presidency. President
Tyler's second wife was an ardent Ro-
man Catholic, and Mrs Polk a calm
hammered Presbyterian. Mrs. Willard
Fillmore had been school teacher,
and the courtship was carried on under
difficulties, as the lover could rarely af-
ford the expense Of journey to visit
his fancee. Mrs Franklin Pierce was
the devout daughter of a-clergyman
and made the White house a'center for
charitable and religious enterprises
Vast Coal supply In Japan.
For agriculturalists the japanese
island of Yezo. though nearly the size
of Ireland, does not appear to offer
much attraction, but its coal mines
seem likely to prove of more and more
T.