The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1894-05-10

NOTES AND COM MENTS.

|
INDIA in 1851 had 81 900 Christian
| converts. To-day there are $50, 600
Hindoo Christians and 1000, 600 adj
herents to Christian churches. The
! number of converts last year was
| 1900.
THE consumption of cotton in
America is slowly but steadily in
creasing, but the New England spin
ners are yet materially behind in their
purchases this year as compared with
last year.
They have some novel unconven-
tionalties on the other side of the
big pond At the reception given to
Herr Jokai. who delivered the eulo-
gism on Kossuth at Budapest, fifteen
hundred women encircled the orator
and demonstrated their enthusiasm
by smothering him with kisses.
Miss FRANCES WILLARD and Lady
Henry Somerset expect to secure
1900, 600 signatures to the temper
ance petition which they will present
to the heads of the different Govern
ments of the world. They will have
special steamboat, and will make Il
voyage quite around the globe, get
ting SIGNATURES wherever they stop.
The general dulness of business
throughout the world may be judged
from the fact that the trade of Eng
Iisb locomotive builders in foreign
countries has fallen off about one
half. An English railroad man thinks
that the British builders are too
much behind the times, and do not
consult the tastes of foreigners who
are beginning to use French or Ger
man engines.
THE actual land area of many of
the older States is matter OF uncer-
tainty. The more recently admitted
States and the Territories have been
carefully surveyed by United States
engineers and the land areas and
water areas have been distinguished.
The accepted areas of the older
States, however, are in some in
stances of uncertain authority, and
there is room for a great deal of in
teresting geographical work by the
State authorities.
NONE of the eleven United States
ships assigned to Behring Sea is
classed above third rate, except the
coast defence vessel Monterey, which
will do none of the cruising in the
sea. The Alert, Ranger, and Petrol
are among the smallest ships in the
navy. The Yorktown and Benning-
ton are not large, and the revenue
cutters Rush and Bear are small
ships, though powerful vessels of
their class. The Albatross is a cable
laying vessel that has been much
used by expeditions for sounding the
Pacific and other seas.
THERE are many residents of Cape
May, n. j., who do not know that
the town takes its name from Carni-
lus Jacobus Mey, a navigator en-
ployed by the Dutch West India
Company. Beneath the name lies
the half-forgotten fact that the region
about the point was purchased of the
Indians by the Dutch in 1880, pc
riod very close to the time when the
Indians wiped out in blood the ear
lest Swedish settlement of Swanen-
daal, on the other side of Delaware
Bay. The deed given at the original
purchase of the Cape May territory is
still preserved at Albany.
EGGS are now shipped from Austria
lin to England. A trial shipment,
made by the Hon. j. H. Conner, of
Victorian eggs and cheese, was
lately inspected by an officer from
the department of the agent general
for Victoria. With regard to the
packing of the eggs, they had, in the
first place, been rubbed over with
grease and afterward placed with
bran, -four, lime and pollard in small
cases. When opened they were
found to be perfectly fresh and sweet.
The cheeses, which consisted of both
| forty pounds and "small loaf" sizes,
were sound and of good flavor.
A PRIVATE letter received in Phila-
delphia from Rome gives an account
of Ambassador Wayne MacVeagh' S
audience with the King. The least
formal part of the ceremonial was
Humbert's talk with the Minister.
There were no set speeches, but the
King greeted Mr. MacVeagh affec-
tionately and talked with him in a
low, confidential tone as if he were
chatting with an old and intimate
friend. The Italian monarch is a
man of fifty years, though he seems
older because of his white hair and
mustache He showed himself by
the interview to be unusually well
| posted on American affairs.
ACCORDING to report in Rus
sian military paper the German mill
tary authorities have decided upon q
new smokeless powder, which will be
furnished to the troops as quickly as
possible. The existing brand will be
| discarded and the cartridges already
in store will either be used in maneu
vers or sold to less particular ma
| tons. The same authority declare;
- l 4 l.