St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-12-23
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

appearance IN nSyluluS, HNsiItdlS anu
| prisons, while in miserable dwellings,,
with every condition favorable to its ap
pcarance, little is So far heard of it.
DURING the past twelve months there
were 1, 259 assertions from the navy, wy
men and 800 boys. Of this number 40
men and BOB boys deserted at home
ports, aud 1913 men and II boys at for
eign ports. The number of enlistmcnts
was about 1000, out Of nearly twice that
many applicants.
EVERYWHERE in California the Chinese
are now working the gold mines on thell
own account. The metal is sent directly
to China, and is Struggled out Of the
country in the same way that opium Is
smuggled in. Since 1860 the Chinese
have taken from California mines the
enormous sum of Sal, $50, 600.
IN Switzerland the orange and myrtle
blossoms those graceful symbols Of wed"
dDgs, find their substitute In GruyeTe
cheese. On the day of her marriage the
bride receives whole Gruycre cheese,
which is Ieliyiously preserved in the
family. AS time goes on various marks
and notches are cut into it, which serve
to record the births, marriages, deaths,
etc, occurring in the household and
among the relatives Anyhow, it may
always serve as provision fora rainy day.
Col. EDWARD BECK, of the Idaho Ma
tionaI Guard, who was said to be the
youngest enlisted person in the Union
Army during the war, recently died IN
Idaho. He went as drummer boy with
the 18th kentucky Regiment when he
was eleven years old. He was in active
scrvic" from the beginning of the war till
1868, when he was wounded and sent
home. lie aftcrward entered the Regu-
lar Army and was a sergeant for twelve
years, retiring in 1882.
TIE plumber OF Americans who were
enumerated at the last census as residents
in England and Wales is given in Par
liamcntary Blue Book as &c, 22G. OF these
nearly 20, 600 were natives of the United
States The exact number having the
United States for the country of their
birth were 9, 726 males and 0,0l4 fe-
males. There is nothing in the Govern
ment record to show how many were
tourists and how many were permanent
residents in England, but the number
excludes those who were naturaliZcd.
one of the leaders of the Brazilian rev.
olution is Nine. de Matos, 81 years Old,
with blue eyes and blonde hair. At the
beginning OF the revolt she sold her cattle
and attached herself to the troops Of Yucca
Tigre, whose al jutant she became. She
accompanied the half-wild leader on all
his expeditions, clad in a uniform which
was strange combination of womcn's
and mems attire. Across her shoulders
she carried band on which were the
words Long live liberty. Long live
Rio Grande do SuI.' Many deeds Of
courage, as we'll as kindness. are told of
this unusual woman, who believes that
she is Il second Joan Of Arc called to lead
her country to independence.
\ NOVEL application OF the electric
scarch-hyht has been made in Scotland.
70 tnaDlc the WOrkmtn to labor through
the night while a pit was being sunk a
searchIiyht, the apparatus for which
consisted of an arc light, a lens and a
suspended over the pits mouth. Access
to the lamp was obtained by sliding
shutter on each side of the case. The
light was focused or adj JUS ed by screw
on The top of the outside of the case, and
when necessary the lamp could be ad-
justcd to ditfuse light throughout the
whole shaft or be concentrated at the
bottom. The mirror, which was hung on
its center, could be moved in vertical
direction, 50 as to defect the rays to any
required SPOT and could be fixed in any
position by q thumb screw.
THE Charleston News tells some mar
vclIous stories about the abundance Of
rice binds in the bikes and marshes back
of that city. There are always plenty of
them for the sportsman and caterer at
this season of the year, but never before
have they been seen in such swarms,
darkening the air as they fly from place
to place. They have almost ceased to be
a target for shOt-guns, and are SO thick
and close together thet they are caught
with dip net like SO many fish. One
amateur marksman reports that with two
discharges of his shotgun he brought
down $50 of the birds. The News says :
1.-The regular way, now, however, is to
get boat and q dip-net and 60 among
the bitches in the old rice fields and dip
up the birds. A gentleman went out a
few nights ago and returned with /, 236
birds 1t required wagon and two
buck boards to carry them all home. |
Quite considerable sum has been real
lied by several parties who embarked in
the rice-brd business. They can be
bought on the plantations for a mere
song, and when taken to the town are
sold for at least twenty-five cents a
doZen.'
BRrTIsH occupation of Burmah is prov
ing most profitable. In the first year a
revenue of only % lakhs of rupees !
was collected. In the following year it !
doubled. In the last year for which we
have seen returns, wide tracts were visited |
by scarcity and famine was actually !
Nevertheless sum of 1870 l 4 |
lakhs of rupees was screwed out of the |
perishins Burmese. Thousands of miles
of roads were under way, and iails and |
police stations established throughout the |
tax gathering districts. A recent travel
Ter has told how the Burmese women
lived on terms Of practical equality with
their brothers and husbands, and in the
of the house and in business
affairs their superiority was undisputed.
In all essential points they enjoy perfect
freedom and position far different from
that of their Indian sisters. The British
has established schools in
with those heretofore main
tanned by the Burmese monks, who were
deeply venerated. The new schools will |