Morning journal and courier., 1894-02-05
NEW HAVEN, CONN., MONDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY 5 1894.
EDITORIAL NOTES.

EDITORIAL NOTES.
 They do some things pretty we'll in Ja
 pan. When the emperor thinks the Japan.
 ese parliament Is talking too much he
 sdjourcs that body and sends the members home.
 Sarah Grand, author of "The Heavenly Twins" is very sbsent-minded. She re- gently lost her favorite pen and was dis covered by a friend looking for 1t among the "Ps" in French dictionary.
 "Revenge is sweet" says Democratic country editor in Indiana, "and that de- funct piece of humanity that Is represent ing this district in congress can expect 1t at our hsndsn The editor wanted to be postmaster.
 "The sun do move," said Brother Jas per. The Society of Planists of London has gained in numbers and strength suf- fciently to publish . monthly magazine, called the Earth Review, through which medium they hope to convert the great body of "GIobulsrists," who think the earth Is round, to the creed of the Plan ists, who know 1t to be flat.
 The Wyoming Supreme court has rem dered decision that when water Is carried upon land by ditobes the ditchss and water rights become part of the land and pass with the land ss an incident to the land, on the ground that the land was of little value without water, and the water and ditches were what made the property valu- able. Water rights may be sold separate from the land; still, deed carries the water right unless it Is expressly reserved.
 It is encouraging to read that though Professor Fslb of Berlin prophecies very probable collision between the earth and the comet of 1866 on November IS, 1899, when the comet will cut the point where the earth arrives every year at that time, he does not think harm could come of such collision, the material of tine comet being SO light, unlees the csrbonic acid gas of which it is probably composed should poi son our atmosphere. But, anyway, he says we may look for a magnificent shower of metsors on that date.
 It is reported from Philadelphia that Rosenthsl Brothers of that city, dealers in old iron, had debtor in Virginia from whom they tried vainly for some time to collect 6 bill of $500. Recently the Virginiau sent the firm one of the 1894 silver dollars. It had been supposed that there were only seven in existence. He said that he sent the coin in payment of his bill, and If the Rosenthals could sell 1t for more than the total of the account they could keep the balance. MT. Rosenthal took the dollar to the mint and 1t was pro- nounced genuine. At an auction sale of coins recently one of the 1894 dollars sold for $1,O0O.
 Over 8 thousand unemployed men regis. tered at the mayors office in Oakland, Cal ifornia, when called upon to do so few days ago, and the city has made plans to furnishsthem work at fair remuneration for all of them forthwith. Work on the city streets will give employment to about five hundred men. They will be formed In gangs of hundred each, and each gang will have turn of thres days work in TO- tstion, to be paid for. daily at the rate of $s a day. Other city improvements will be begun at once to find work for the re- msinder. One novel plan adopted has been the appointment of thirty of the unemployed men ss special street wsichmen, "becsuss of the present prevalence of footpsds and burglars in Oakland" These men will get $50 month for at least two months.
 About 6 year ago rich old woman died, leaving to the Institute of France legacy of S30, ,000, to be given to the person (of no matter what sex or nationality who could find means of communicating with any star or planet and receiving an answer therefrom. Tke old woman herself sug- gested Mars ss the planet offering the best chances of success, and the astronomers at the various observstories in France fes to work, but have hitherto toi,ei in vain. The institute has now placed the question In the hands of the Conseil d'Etst, which will have to decide whether or not the leg acy should be accepted. In the event of refusal the bequest is, in accordance with the instructions contained in the womsn's will, to be offered to the Institute of Milan and if the latter Is unable to comply with the conditions, 1t is then to bs placed at the disposal of scientific societies in the United States, in the hope that some in- genious American may discover means of solving the problem of communicating with the inhabitants of the planets.