Griggs courier., 1893-07-21
FOREIGN GOSSIP.

Some Chinese coins are Of but one
twentieth Of the value of an American
cent. The Celestial kingdom has many
enthusiastic coin collectors. In ono
notable collection there are more than
10000 varieties of cash, the Oldest Of
which date back as far as $500 B. C.
japanese chopsticks are in various
shapes, round, angular or thiclkened at
one end, and are made of bamboo, ivory
or mahogany. On New Years day
chopsticks made of mulberry twigs are
the only ones ased. Atpublic festivals
forked splints are handed around and
these the guests tear apart into two
chopsticks.
"A four-wheel wagon, whose motive
power is supplied by benzine engine,
has been satisfactorily tested in Ger
many. 1t is intended to carry passen.
gers through city streets or country
roads, and can be run at the rate of
half cent a mile. The wagon and en-
gine can be made for $500. The speed
is as high as Is miles an hour.
The emperor of Germany has an
imperial railway train consisting of
twelve carriages, . drawing-room, H.
brary, dining-room, nursery, reception
room and kitchen. Marble statuary,
Gobelin tapestry and many other
touches of elegance add to the beauty
of this famous traveling-house, which
has been three years in building and
cost ;s90, 200.
Under the provisions of the Aus
trian poor law, at sixty years of age a
man may claim from his native town or
commune a pension equal to one-third of
the daily wages which he had received
during his working years. The amount
varies from to 6 florins month. In
Vienna alone there are 10000 persons
who receive these pensions from the
city.
A ''dealer in art' in Great Britain
is advertising portraits of the queen,
done in colors, for half crown and five
shillings apiece, and sending to his
dupes postage stamps, which are print
ed with the queens head. 1t is thought
he may not be within the reach of the
law, as the stamps fill the description.
An earlier genius sold pennies ut a
crown apiece, advertising them as
"bronze medallions, with portrait OF
the sovereign in bas belief"
I'm connection with the demonstra-
tions Of the unemployed, it may be OF
interest to point out that London is not
the most overcrowded city of the coun-
try. Liverpool enjoys that unenviablc
distinction. In the thirty-three great
towns from which the register general
receives weekly returns the average
four. In Liverpool, however, there are
ninety-eight persons to the acre. In
Plymouth there are fifty-eight. Lon
don comes third with ffty-seven. In
no other town does the average
reach fifty, but Brighton, Bristol, Boil
ton and Sunderland all have averages
of more than forty persons to the acre.
The average for Manchester is exactly
forty..-London Daily News
The belt of the sword of state OF
Scotland has been restored to its place
in the regalia of Scotland in Edinburgh
castle by the marquis of Breadalbane,
the lord high commissioner of the gen.
eral assembly of the church of Scot
land. After the battle of Dunbar it be-
came necessary to place the regalia Of
Scotland in a place of greater safety
than Edinburgh castle, and it was re-
moved to the strong castle of Dunnot-
tar, where Sir G. Ogilvy defended it.
He had, however, only forty men, and
could not hold out. and he allowed his
wife to remove the regalia from the
castle. 1t was then buried underneath
the stones in Kinnef church, where it
lay for several years. When it was re-
stored Sir G. ogilvy, for some cause not
explained, retained the sword belt. 1t
was discovered in 1890 built into the
garden wall of the house of Barras,
near Stonehaven, and since then it has
been handed down from father to son
as precious relic.