The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-21
OF GENERAL INTEREST.

LII OI0CE ID 1OSb6T I4C DuLLGT LIdu0e
the Canadian government has offered
to buy the winter butter made by its
citizens for shipment to England, pay
ing for it twenty cents pound The
opposition papers say this sudden de-
velopment of paternalism is intended
to secure the farmers vote.
The largest publishing business in
this country is carried on by the gov
ernment itself. About 1000, 900 books
are turned out annually and also, for
the most of the year, the largest and
stupidest daily paper in the world,
known as the Congressional Record.
Some of the books are creditable speei-
mems, but as rule the need of a COM
petent editor is their leading character
istic.
Industrious and frugal italian Ia
borers are the special victims of va
rious schemers who ruthlessly prey
upon them through every available
avenue. The commonest means of
fleeing these poor fellows are the To-
cal banks that disappear in a night and
the dishonest labor agents. The Italian
laborer is reached also by specious Of
fers of s'forty acres and mule" or
suburban home, and as the Italian has
the land-owning and home-making in
stinct, he is peculiarly subject to the
wiles of the land agent.
Moses Kimball, of Boston, who
made his money as theatrical man
ager in that city, was an interesting
character. For many years his ambi-
ton was to be mayor, but the politi-
clans never took kindly to his aspira-
ton. When he was an alderman, be-
fore the war, he voted and spoke against
allowing Daniel Webster the use of
Faneuil hall to refute the abolition ar
gument of Wendell Phillips. Webster
never forgave Kimball for this, and the
incident practically ruined Kimbau
politically, though he was sent to the
legislature after the occurrence. He
made many public requests in his will
The uses of aluminium do not seem
to have been exhausted yet. It is now
coming into use in the decoration of
wall papers, many beautiful concep-
tions being shown in which this metal
is a conspicuous feature. In floral
striped effects the motives are printed
on beautiful embossed grounds, which
gives FURNISHED effect to the alumni
mum that is very desirable. An effec-
tive arrangement of daisies and fern
leaves around the metal line is said to
make choice decoration for parlor or
bedroom. The use of aluminium with
or without the addition of gold, is
spoken of as another special feature of
this new class of papers.
AT the folk lore congress, in Mem
phis, the other day DIR. Selim Fl. Pea
body delivered lecture on the fire.
| stick, or t'swastika.'' DR.. Peabody
said that probably the first discovery
of Importance made by the primitive
man after he had become aware of the
fact that death would surely occur
and that the sun was the earth's torch
light, was the discovery of the fire.
stick, by which blaze was made. The
speaker pointed out the varied sym
bols taken from ancient drawings and
inscriptions and said the fire-stick was
the stepping stone by which the pre-
historic man seems to have gone from
things earthly to things heavenly.
Although the heliotrope is tender
| plant, extremely sensitive to cold, it is
one of the best plants for cultivation
! indoors. 1t seems to have few diseases,
and is usually free from insect enemies,
while with abundant water and sun
shine and sufficient artificial heat it
will bloom all winter long year after
year, and so tenacious of life that
when cut down to a mere stick it
quickly shoots forth 1uxuriant new
wood. In addition to all this, the more
the plant is pruned the more luxuriant-
ly it blossoms. The blossoms should
be cut with a considera BILE length of
the new wood upon which they grow,
and if at once fully immersed in water
and then placed in deep, wel1-flled
vase they remain fresh and odorous for
many days. The plant is little diff
cult for amateurs to propagate from
cuttings, though with plenty of water
and sun and some bottom heat the
young cuttings quickly root and pros