The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-10-14
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

LORD mayors of London have collected
during the past twenty years little over
$50, 900, 900 for charitable purposes.
A CURIOUS feature in the outbreak of
cholera at Constantiuople Was its sudden
appearance in ssylums, hospitals and
prisons, while in miserable dwellings,
with every condition favorable to its sp.
pearance, little is SO far heard of it.
DURING the past twelve months there
we're /, ,259 desertions from the navy, 939
men and $50 boys. OF this number 40
men and 303 boys deserted at home
ports, and l6S men and 1, boys at for
eign ports. The number of cnlistments
was about 1000, out of nearly twice that
many applicants.
EvERywHERE in California the Chinese
are now working the gold mines on their
own account. The metal is sent directly
to China, aud is smuggled 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 $l41, $50, 900.
In Switzerland the orange and myrtle
blossoms, those graceful symbols of wed.
dings, find their substitute in Gruyere
cheese. On the day of her marriage the
bride receives a whole Gruyere cheese,
which is religiously preserved in the
family. AS time goes on various marks
and notches are cut into il, which serve
to record the births, marriages, deaths.
etc, occurring in the household and
among the relatives. Anyhow, it may
always serve as provision for rainy day.
Col. EDWARD BECK, of the Idaho Ma
tional 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 l4th Kentucky Regiment when he
was eleven years old. He was in active
service from the beginning of the war till
1868, when he was wounded and sent
home. He afterward entered the Regu-
lar Army and was a sergeant for twelve
years, retiring in 1880.
The number of Americans who were
enumerated at the last census as residents
in England and Wales is given in Par
liamentary Blue Book as 20, 226. OF these
nearly 10000 were natives of the United
States. The exact number having the
United States for the country of their
birth were 9,726 males and 1904 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.
OyE of the leaders of the Brazilian rev.
olution is Nine. do 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 Yuca
Tigre, whose ad jutant she became. She
accompanied the half-wild leader on all
his expeditions, clad in uniform which
was strange combination of women's
and mems attire. Across her shoulders
she carried a band on which were the
words: "Long live liberty. Long live
Rio Grande do Sulw Many deeds Of
courage, as we'll as kindness, are told of
this unusual woman, who believes that
she is second Joan of Arc called to lead
her country to independence.
A NOVEL application of the electric
search light has been made in Scotland.
To enable the workmen TO labor through
the night while pit was being sunk a
searchlight, the apparatus for which
consisted of an arc light, lens and a
mirror concealed in sheet-ron case, was
suspended over the pits mouth. Access
To the lamp was obtained by a sliding
shutter OH each side of the case. The
light was focused or ad justed by screw
on the top of the outside of the case, and
when necessary the lamp could be ad-
justed to diffuse light throughout the
whole shaft or be concentrated at the
bottom. The mirror, which was hung on
its center could be moved in n vertical
direction, 50 as TO defect the rays TO any
required spot, and could be fixed in any
position by thumb screw.
THE Charleston News tells some mar
vellous stories about the abundance of
rice birds in the dikcs 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,
darkeniDg the air as they fly from place
to place. They have almost ceased to be
target for chot-guns, and are so thick
and close together thet they are caught
with a dip net like so many fish. One
amateur marksman reports that with two
discharges Of his shotgun he brought
down lS0 Of the birds. The News says:
1.-THE regular way, now, however, is to
get boat and a dip.nct and go among
the bitches in the old rice fields and dip
up the birds. A gentleman went out
few nights ago and returned with 23G
birds. II required a wagon and two
buckboards to carry them all home.
Quite considerable sum has been real
lied by several parties who embarked in
the rice-bird business. They can bc
bought on the plantations for mere
song, and when taken to the town IRE
sold for at least twenty-five cents n
Dozen"
BRrTrsH occupation OF Burmah is prov
ing most profitable. ln the first year
revenue Of only % lakhs OF rupees
was collected. In the following year it