The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-13
TOLD IN PASSING.

The demise of Signor Crispi's paper
the Riforma, at Rome, has strength
ened the conclusion, fathered by the
wish of his enemies, that he has &C
cepted as final and irremedial his re-
tirement from public life. The Riforma
gave up the ghost without even a sigh
of farewell to its readers.
The last quinquennial census in
France SHOWS that the population has
increased only 1883 since the proceed
ing one. This modest augmentation
is wholly found in the large cities, the
lessening Of the rural population con-
tinuing as heretofore.
King Humbert of Italy has aged APP
parently by ten years since the disas-
trous campaign of his forces in Abys-
siEia.
That Russia is undergoing a process
of industrial transformation is Illus
trated by evidence to be found at the
national exposition which is being held
at the ancient city of Mini, at the
junction Of those two great water ar
teries OF the empire, the Volga and the
Okla. This is historically one of the
most important trading centers of the
country. From time immemoriai the
Russians have exchanged at this point
their native products for those of the
Tartars, the Chinese, the PersianS, the
Bukharans, the Turks, the Arabs and
the HinduS The regular fair of Mini
is held every year, and the transac-
tons of which it is the occasion are
said to amount to about billion
roubles in the space of two months
1t is not surprising, therefore, that the
nj np nf -
grand exposition. But there is yel
another reason. Mini was the cradle
of, Russian independence. 1t was there
that the first Romanoff was elevated
10 the seat of power, Michael, founder
OF the imperial dynasty. The ordinary
population of the city IS about 13,UO0
but during the time Of the annual fair
it attains to nearly million and
quarter 1t may be imagined, then,
how great is the present concourse OF
people in the cid city.
Russia's practical advance is much
greater than is yet easily apparent to
the outside world. The full realization
Of it will probably not be had until
the trans-Siberian railway is opened to
traffic a year from next January. AT
the same time work is being pushed
forward with immense energy for the
bringing OF Moscow nearer to the
White sea. From Archangel to Samark-
and. from the Baltic to the Pacific, is
heard the music Of the constructive
arts. 1t is a great epoch in Russia
great in its effect upon the character
Of her people, greater in its future
results upon mankind. AS a produc-
tive nation, a candidate for large
place in the marts of the world, she has
already strikingly asserted herself. In
fifteen years Central Asia, which is a
part Of her domain, has reached the
point where it furnishes one-third of
all the cotton that is consumed in the
Russian cotton industry, which, &C
cording to a French authority, occu-
pies a place second only to that of
Great Britain. The mining industry in
Russia has taken an enormous leap.
The production of coal, maganate and
naptha has increased nearly five hun
dred fold. America must count with
Russia from now on as q powerful
industrial competitor.
It is said that Ii Hung Chang was in
a state of continual veXation while he
was on the European continent be-
cause the journals called him only by
/ that name, without the full appendix
! of monosyllabic titles which belongs to
him. He showed himself however, dis
/ Greet, polite even to obsequiousness.
taciturn whenever by any chance he
! might have compromised himself in A
1 diplomatic sense, keenly observing and
a prudent traveller, in that he avoided
| all possible excesses of a nature new
/ to him. however tempting He has
4 adhered to the Chinese diet from the
time he left his native shores until
the present, eating rice and drinking
/ no champagne. If he has made any
notes Of his journey it would be most