The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-09-24

soft spring bed and adjustable pill
lows. and is finished usually in rich
cream -colored silk, with heavy silk ball
fringe TO match. With the dropping of
the sides the fringe falls to the foer,
forming the bottom of the catafalque,
and when the casket is closed forms a
rich drapery where the lining usually
is The perfect arrangement of the
millionaire's coffin permits its use also
with only the ends and one side drop
ped, showing then a couch with an
upright back. When the proper time
comes all that is necessary is to raise
the coffin sides, clamp them together
by a simple mechanical contrivance
and place the lid on.
Recent discussion of the best means
of protecting our harbors in case of
war has called renewed attention to
experiments on the power of great
guns. The result of one of these ex-
periments has been used as an argu-
ment in favor of placing guns at 16
inches calibre at certain points on the
coast. In the case referred to a pro-
iectile weighing 1900 pounds was fired
from such a gun The target consist
ed of a compound plate of steel and
iron 20 inches thick, and a second plate
/ of iron inches thick, backed by a
! mass of square oak timber 20 feet
thick, backed in turn by a granite wall
| 5 feet thick behind which was II feet
of solid concrete, while the rear of the
target consisted of a b-foot wall of
brick. The projectile, fired at close
range passed through the 2S inches Of
iron and steel, through the 20 feet of
oak, through the 5 feet of granite,
! through the II feet of concrete, and
more than halfway through the 6
feet of brick behind them all! What,
say the advocates of heavy guns for
coast defence, would be the chance Of
any battle-ship in existence against
such a projectile as that?
The French people, who have for so
| long imposed upon a credulous Ameri-
can public by shipping back to them
as the finest of French products Maine
herring and southern cotton seed oil in
the shape of sardines and olive oil, are
now suffering from a counter i'm
position which is brought to light by
United States Consul German at Zu-
rich. In the course of report to the
State Department on the subject of
American dried fruits in Switzerland,
he speaks of the success that has at
tended the Introduction in France last
season of California prunes and then
following out the prospects thus opened
up, he says that the French receivers
are arranging to have all such fruit
packed in cases similar to those used
in France and bearing French marks,
so that the goods may be sold to the
retailer as French fruit.
The pests of mosquitoes in the Fras-
er river valley is the same visitation
which makes mining in Alaska in the
short summer one continual torture
In these northern ATTITUDES the mos
quitoes reach a size and ferocity
that would appall even a New Jersey
coast farmer, and if Alaska becomes
the great bonanza which its admirers
claim is its destiny, the man who in
vents something to discourage the mos
quito will have within his reach q
greater fortune than the locator of the
richest ledge.
Japan is having a boom. Over $40O,
100000 of local capital has been invest
ed in new enterprises within year ant
there are already twenty clock, two
watch and several bicycle factories
while silk and cotton mills may bt
counted by the score. Her foreign
trade is rapidly increasing and is now
S265 100000 a year, or six times az
much as 20 years ago.
People who are disposed TO look or
on the bright side of things are com
forting themselves with the reflection
that the population of the country is
increasing, and that the army worms
have disappeared