The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-09-18
PERSONAL AND PECULIAR.

The common people of Russia, as a
rule, speak only their own tongue. A
large proportion of them cannot read the
bewildering characters-Roman, Greek
and composite-which form their alpha
bet, and to help their. ignorance the shop
walls are covered over with rudely paint.
ed pictures of articles for sale within.
The butchers shop has picture of
meats of all sorts and shapes; the tailor S
walls are, covered with paintings of coats
and trousers. The pills of the apothe-
cary and the vegetables of the green
grocer are advertised by pictures upon
the doors and windows of their stores.
The new British battleships Majestic
and Magnificent will head the list in
point of size. They will be 800 feet long,
rs feet broad, 81 1-2 feet deep, of 1890
tons placement and II 10 knots maxi
mum speed Instead of 76-ton guns the
biggest used in the later iron-clads, they
will carry four 50-tonners, 10 inch calibre
and capable of being loaded by hand
as well as by machinery. There will be
sixteen 12-pound quick-fring guns, and
five torpedo tubes, three submerged, for
mounted on barbettes. These vessels
are to have about four feet more free
board than the Royal Sovereign and her
sisters.
War is a very expensive business.
Statistics of some Of the great wars of the
past are as follows: The Crimean war
cost 1000, 600, 600 and 100000 lives. The
italian war of 1859, $500, 600, 600 and 49,
600 lives; the war of the rebellion cost
the North SIS, 100, 900, 900, and the South
So, 300, 900, 900, and together about $50, 900
lives; the Prusso-Austrian war of 1866
cost $685. 000,0 QUO and 1000 lives; the
Russo-Turkish war $125, 000,00 and 20,
600 lives, and the Franco-Prussian war
81, 100, 100000 and 1876, 900 lives.
The horrifying discovery has been made
at Topeka that Governor Lewelling, who
was elected on platform of anti-rail
roads, anti-capitalists, and anti-every-
thing, has not only been travelling on a
pass himself, but that he has secured free
transportation for his wife and the
whole Lewelling family.
Mrs. Stanford is giving close attention
to the interests of the university at Palo
Alto, founded by her distinguished hus-
band. 1t is estimated that within a
year the three ranches belonging to the
endowment can be made to yield an in
come of $5O0000. The university in now
costing less than 1900 year.
Worth, the great Paris dressmaker,
says that some years ago Peruvian
heiress paid his firm $780, 900 for single
gown, 10000 being the cost of the Iaces
alone. A few weeks ago he sold a cloak
for $12, 200, of which 1000 went for the
fur.
At the request of the Austrian govern
ment the police of Southampton, Eng.
have been lnquiring into the disappear
ance of Herr Julius Bodnar, councillor
of the Hungarian ministry of commerce,
who returned short time ago from
an official mission to Chicago. He arrived
at Southampton on board a German
steamersandssthen vanished 1t was first as
sumed that he fell overheard from the
steamer--while she was lying at her dock,
and that in the:bustle andsconfusion Incl,
dent upon the landing of the passengers
the accident was not noticed, and Herr
Bodnar was drowned.