St. Landry democrat., 1894-02-17
NOTES AND COMMENTS,

ne wears clothes.
The Hartford Journal expresses the
| opinion that it is difficult to convince
the man who fails to negotiate small
loan that ''money is easier
A FRENCHMAN has Just written an in
teresting book about America without
ever visiting this country at all. He
did not want to run the risk of being
hampered by tie facts of the case.
AN Oakland (Cal.) woman testifying
in an assault case sworc that she saw Il
bullet that had been fired at her whiz
by. Such keenness of vision as this is so
rare that few would have courage to
make oath to possession Of it.
A MAN in Illinois is making good
living by writing to hard drinkers, that
if they will send him dollar he will i'm
part to them an in fallible cure for drunk
enness. When they comply with this
request, he sends them a neatly printed
card bearing the words, "Don't drink
anything but water.''
PROFESSOR HAzEN, of the Weather
Bureau, expresses the opinion that all
the conclusion experiments to produce
rain have been failures, and that those
conducted in Connecticut last summer
seemed to prolong the drought in that
section, while there was plenty OF rain
in all the region roundabout.
In cleaning the Goddess of Liberty the
other day. which is poised on the high
est pinnacle of the Texas State Capitol
a local paper says it was discovered that
a swarm of bees had made their home in
the hollow head of the goddess, using the
nostrils as an entrance, and had filled it
half full Of honey. Here is another proof
of the old adage that liberty is sweet.
The Congo natives, who have always
been opposed to the building of the
Congo Railroad, have at last begun to
show much interest in this great under
taking in Africa, and many Of them are
now employed in the work. The
natives We're always glad to engage in
the carrier service, but refuse to dig.
The company was, therefore, compelled
to import al its railroad labor from
Zanzibar and ports along the Gulf Of
Guinea.
WOLVES have again appeared IN great
numbers on the stock ranges in the east
ern and western parts of Montana and
are doing serious havoc among calves and
yearlings. Last year the stockmen in
that region suffered immense losses from
the depredations of these animals, which
were more numerous and bold than in
many years previous. From all reports
it would appear that this year they will
be a greater pest than ever. In the
counties about Fort Benton the ranges
are strewn with carcasses of calves and
yearlings killed wantonly and not for
food by wolves.
AN army of rats have taken posses
sion of the Worlds Fair buildings. They
are to be seen in droves in all parts of
the grounds. The workmen engaged in
tearing down the booths where popcorn
and lunches were served find regiments
of the rodents hudled under the floors,
in the walls, and in all secluded corners
of the buildings In many instances
half-dozen or more of the laborers have
stopped their work on the destruction
Of booths and, armed with clubs, picks,
shovels and stones, have made an on
slaught Oh the rats. The Administration
Building seems to be favorite habitation
for the rodents.
THE old-fAshionel whaling ships have
been practically oustel from the whaling
industry in the Arctic Ocean by the new
steam whalers. They have been trying
to hold out against very great odds, but
the disastrous experience of the past two
years has convinced most of the old
shippers that their day is past, and the
greater number of the old whalers will
not fit out this season. While more
whales were taken in the Arctic last
season than ever before, the catch of
four steamers being Ell, yet eighteen
sailing vessels failed to take single |
whale, and nearly all were losers by the
seasons trip. Fifteen sail whalers will
tie up at Oakland this winter, which will |
throw about five hundred men out of
employment aud cause many thousands
of dollars to be unspent.
IT is reported, from an unofficial
source, that during the past seventeen
months there have been in Russia 5O9,-
800 cases of cholera and that the deaths
from it have amounted to 245, AL. |
These figures are very far in excess of
those contained in the official reports
issued by the Russian authorities, and
this is the first intimation that the world
has received that the plague has been
rsvaging that country to so terrible an
extent. The percentage of deaths is
extraordinarily large. nearly one-half, as
against one-ffth in districts where cho-
lera patients receive proper medical
This revelation of the san
itary condition of the dominions of the
Gar is of especial interest to Americans,
considering the immense numbers of
Russian immigrants who are now pour
ing into this country.
A RATHER curious review has been
made by Professor Oettinger in his |
Moral Statistics" as to the geographic
cal distribution of crime. He says, for
instance, that comparatively few muir
ders occur in Turkey, country deranged
and unsettled in its affairs, wherein a
large proportion of the people are lack
ing civilization and culture. But the
Islam faith is productive of a certain
religious sentiment in these uneducated |
masses which prevents murder, the
greatest crime against human and divine
laws. Compared, with Turkey, Greece
a-AA-4hA-saat-af..c & Utilization but nnM
Influences, without the prohibitive power
of the Mohammedan religion, rolls up,
in population of less than 1900, 900
people, 31G murders and 473 feloni ous
assaults, an average of one killed or
for every 1850 souls