Morning journal and courier., 1893-08-21

EDITORIAL NOTES,

Under the fostering care of Uncle Sam
the great American bison Is not quite 30
'extinct" as he was few years ago. The
herd of buffalo in the Yellowstone National
park, according to the report of the acting
superintendent, Captain George s. Ander-
son, now numbers about four hundred.
Frank D. Jackson, who has lust been
nominated by the Republicans u Iowa for
governor of that state, says that In sixty
odd counties of the ninety nine In the
state prohibition is an accomplished fact.
In the others public sentiment Is strongly
against the law, and there fs no poasibility
of Its enforcement. There 10 no license,
and the reault Is practically free liquor.
Sir Samuel Lewis, who has Just been
raised by Queen Victoria to the dignity OF
the Order of st. Michael and st. George, is
a full-blooded negro. He is q member of
the legislative council Of Sierra Leone, and
has taken q degree at the London Uni
versity. 1t is the first time that an Eng
lish order of knighthood has been con-
shoals of Hindoo knights.
The new Chinese minister to the United
States, who has just landed at San Fran
cisco on his way to Washington, is q Man
ohu, connected remotely with the Imperial
clan, and, as such, possessed of more in
Auenoe and prestige than any of his pre-
ua kaara sha rannfartar nf ha
ing an enlightened and liberal minded
official, having earned the esteem of foreign
residents in China by his excellent de-
meanor and energetic action at Wuhu when
the riot took place there a couple of years
ago.
It is mentioned as an Instance of what
the fashionable world has come to that q
recent private concert given In London cost
the hostess s12.500. According to this
figure entertaining ons's guests will soon
be impossible, and society must inaugurate
come new method of keeping its end up In
that line. Fret class artists over there ask
sums ranging from 81 900 to 800 for
three or four songs, but, fortunately, the
number of these artists is limited, and
those who employ them are the painfully
rich.
The French language, It appears. is
better adapted to the purpose of the tele-
phone than the English. Il Is stated that
the large number of sibilsnt or hiss syl-
lables in English renders It less easy and
accurate means of communication. Some
English words are especially difficult Of
transmission by telephone. The word
"soldisr" Is cited as one of these. Proper
names frequently occur in the midst of an
otherwise perfectly audible and intelligent
conversation which the ear cannot possibly
catch, These must bs spelled out, in
volving delay.
Whether or not so-called rsinmAkers can
produce rain Is a question the Kansas
courts will soon be called upon TO decide.
Two farmers of that state have commenced
suit against the Rock Island railroad com
pany, which has two rsinmaters at work
In that region, demanding damage for the
alleged production of rain In quantities
sufficient to ruin their crops. A decision
favorable to the farmers will, of course, in
volve the assumption that the rAilrosd
company experimensers were responsible
for the downpour, and such Q decision Is
not at all unlikely Ia Kansas.
The pilgrims progress lie thick with
dangers now, as in Bunyan's days. Dat Of
81 900 pilgrims who left Bombay for Mecca
within the last few years, only 700 have
come back, one-third having perished.
This is said to be not an unusual mortality
among these pilgrims from all sections,
and the cause lie agreed to be the extreme
flthiness OF the holy city. 1t Is now gen.
orally believed that Mecca, Medina, ,Camsrsn
and the other Arabian cities to which Pill.
grims flock are the cholera breeders of
Europs and India, and the health officers
of Bombay have made q demand that these
cities be drained and cleaned.
1t is said that Thomas A Edison is visit.
ing the Chicago fair, but is not letting the
crowd there or the officials know ii. He
has made no general display of his
inventions, and has not visited the
electricity building. He told friend that
he had no time to spare for that when there
were SO many things of greater interest &c
him. He also said that he had quit max
ing inventions. and is devoting most of bis
time to metalnrgy. "Do not understand
me as SAYING" he continued, 'thst electric
ity is exhausted, as I believe we are only
In its infancy. am jast putting the I'm
ishing touches on my kinetosrspb, and an
| working on a machine which will be csllet
the acknowledgement. 1t will show I
mans every motion, and the likeness vii
| speak"