The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-11-23
FOREIGN GOSSIP.

There are few stranded actors In
Russia, and they rarely have to count
railroad ties on their homeward route.
When manager takes troupe On the
road, he must first deposit caution
money with the government, so that
in case of the venture proving fail
ure. the caution money can be used
to convey the actors to their homes.
Safety matches that can be used
without box are to be placed on the
English market by German inventor.
The idea is to tip the two ends of the
wood separately with those compost
tons which in the ordinary way go
one on the box and the other on the
match. To use. break the wood across
the middle and rub the end together.
Praying by machinery is usual
among the inha bitants of central Asia.
A large. hollow, cylinder-like drum is
erected, and in it are inclosed the
prayers that anyone may wish to Of
fer, written out neatly. The cylinder
is then made TO revolve by wind or wa
ter-power, and every time that it goes
round the devotee imagines to be
equivalent to verbal repetition OF all
the prayers it contains.
There has been a relative decrease
of the Jewish contingent in Germany
in recent years. According to the latest
statistical year book of the German
empire. there are now 6.a77 Protestants.
S,576 Catholics. 80 other Christians. lis
Jews and 81 other religionists in every
10, 900 inhabitants. Ten years ago the
proportions were 6.263 Protestants, s.
$50 Catholics, II other Christians, l24
Jews and SOS adherents Of other re-
ligions.
The English papers tell the follow
ing story of a badly-uniformed lamb:
". Hewitt, of Harrington Mills, has a
eve which this spring yeaned lamb
that is certainly curieusly and won
drously made. 1t has two eyes, both in
the center of the forehead and in a
single socket. both covered with one
eyelid. One ear is situated at the back
of the head and the other directly under
the lower jaw. near the hinge. 1t has
no tail. but in the place of that very
necessary appendage fifth leg. almost
as long as the other four. fully equipped
with hair, hoofs, etc. 1t was living at
last accounts, being almost three
months old.
The Rosetta Stone is a piece of
black basalt. the most valuable exist
ing relic of Egyptian history, inscribed
in hieroglyphics and in Greek. 1t was
found by Boussard. French officer,
near Rosetta. in Egypt. in 1899. 1t is
now in the British museum, London.
The stone is a trillingual slab or ablet,
bearing an inscription in honor of one
of the Ptolemies. written in Greek
hieroglvphic and demotic characters.
A comparison of the Greek letters with
the other characters upon the stone
enabled DR.. Young and Champollion to
read the whole inscription, thus giving
the clew to the deciphering of the an
cient sacred writings of the Egyptians.
The Rosetta Stone is fragmentary.
Berlin newspap ers publish the new
anecdote of the late Duke Ernst of
Sake Coburg-Goth and Prince Bis
marck. One evening when the Ger
man troops were before Paris the duke
began grumbling in Rismarck's pres
ence because the Iron Cross of the
First Class, given for bravery in the
field of battle, had been distributed
too indiscriminately. Bismarck re-
piled that the distribution of such
decorations was always delicate and
difficult task; for, said he, conspicuous
merit has to be rewarded, but in some
cases conspicuous position. with or
without merit. can not we'll be over
looked. See. now" he added, "Moltke
has it: Room has it; Blumenthal has it.
Excellent. But then-your highness
and have it, too-and surely it is not
or us to grum ble!!"