Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1894-07-12
FOREIGN GOSSIP.

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 An Irish Arts and Crafts society has been formed in Dublin for the pur- pose of stimulating the industries of Ireland and attempting to raise the craftsmen to higher artistic level. The society is endeayoring to organize an exhibition of Irish arts and crafts, to be held in Dublin in the autumn of 1895.
 An illustration of the agricultural depression in England is afforded in the fact that the rent of farm of 800 acres, in Kent, for which the owner paid 932.- GOO and which rented for q 200 q year for many years has fallen to 8300 a year Another farm, said to be one of the best in the county, rented in 1886 for R900 now rents for e300.
 Several variety theaters in London have just started a new scheme of giv- ing two performances, each lasting about an hour and half each even ing The same programme is given at each performance and the prices have been cut one-half. The plan is said to work successfully, and there are indi- cations of it's spreading to other thea ters.
 Wagner has scored wonderful tri- umph in Paris. Only short time since an attempt to present Wagner opera in Paris resulted in d riot. Last year more Wagner opera were presented at the Paris opera than any others. Out of two hundred and eight performances sixty were of Wagner operas. Saint Saens came second with but thirty-five performances.
 -Charlemagne is said to have tried the whipping cure for the first drunken offense. If it proved failure capital punishment was resorted to and the toper made no further trouble. Beat ing has been tried in Saxony for the evil of drink. Only recently woman aged sixty-four received ten blows with stick by order of the burgomaster in the presence of doctor for hahitual drunkenness.
 The ameel of Afghanistan, Abdur Ruhman Khau. manifests an enlight- ened interest in hofse-breeding. His stud consists of thirty-five hundred mares. seventy thorough bred, and ten hackney stallions To these he has re gently added one thoroughbred and four hackney stallions and Spanish jack The mares are mixed lot of several native breeds and imported Australian animals.
 Roman women enjoyed much more power and freedom than is often sup posed The law, indeed, bore very hard upon them so that they were ever in legal subjection either to their fa- ther. their brothers or their husband. But, practically. the law was common ly disregarded, so that the Roman matron held very honorable position, respected by her husband yenerated by her slaves and children and tho roughly mistress of her house.
 "A small part of the commerce of the world is still carried on by the use of shells us a medium of exchange. The Portuguese found this sort of money in use by the natives of the eastern coast of Africa when they i opened up trade in that region and have found it to their advantage to continue the practice Fortunes are said to have been made by collecting l the shells on one part Of the African coast and putting them in circulation at d point only a few hundred miles away These shells are sold by weight. The price varies according as the sup ply compares with the demand. Prices 1 have been known to double and even treble within q few months. The prices also vary greatly within short distances. What has cost the merchant from fifty cents to one dollar in the market will often bring him seven dol- lars or eight dollars worth of goods in another market,