Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-09-03

the number Of warships which Japan
may contract for In this country, II b
denied that these will be Of the
Charleston cruiser class, says Wash
ington correspondent. The Japanese
government already has several YES
sells OF this type. the Charleston. In fact.
being duplicate Of the japanese
cruiser Mani Ka Wan. which was con-
structed about year before Its Amer
lean prototype. 1t would appear from
reports which reach here from Toxic
that Japan. like the United States, does
not find these vessels as satisfactory
for all-round service rs those OF the
gunboat class, which are equally well
adapted for carrying the nag and for
the performance OF police duty. But
neither would be especially effective In
lime Of war. II Is likely. therefore,
that the new vessels Of the japanese
navy will be more distinctively Of the
armored cruiser and battleship type.
In noting the retirement from the
army Of Major George 4. Robinson.
the Washington papers recall the fact
that he saved the life Of Secretary
Seward on the night Lincoln was as
sassinated. Major Robinson was an
enlisted man In the Army during the
war. He was soon afterwprd trans
ferred TO the hospital corps, with sta
ton at Washington City. When
Seward was thrown from his carriage
and so badly injured that he required
the services of a professional nurse,
Robinson was assigned to look after
him. On the night when Booth shot
the President and Payne made an at
tack upon Seward. Robinson was In
the secretary's room. The assassin, on
entering, was seized by Robinson, but
he succeeded In attacking and wound
ing the secretary. But for RobinsOn's
presence Mr.. Seward might have been
killed. A gold medal was given to Rob
inson by Congress for his services, and
when Hayes came to the White House
he was made q major and paymaster
in the Army.
1t Is noteworthy that, though in each
of the American crematOries more men
than women have been crcmated, the
movement abroad was practically be-
gun by women, Lady Dixie. of Eng
land, and German woman having
been cremated Mt Dresden. When ef-
on the Continent of Europe, In Eng
land and I'm the United States, In favor
of the cremation of the dead, Lady
Rose Mary Crawshay was one Of it's
prominent advocates. A number OF
well-knOwn women In this country
have expressed themselves decidedly
in favor of cremation. Among them
are Olive Thorne Miller, Mrs. Lippin-
colt, Mrs. J. G. Croly, Mrs. Ella Wheel
er Wilcox, Mrs. Alice ID. lie PlOngeon,
the late Kate Field. Rose Elizabeth
Cleveland and Edith Thomas. At n
public meeting Mrs. Ballington Booth
referred to the time when her body
should be carried to the crematory.
The total number of crematiOns in the
United States from 1876, when the first
crematory was established. to the close
of 1895, was reported to be 4.647.
Nearly 1000 persons were cremated in
the last year in twenty-one crema-
tories. In the crematory at Fresh
Pond, n. Y, eighty-fve boys and sixty
six girls were incinerated. The num-
Der of men cremated in New York is
m m I.n -
women.
Mr.. George g. Brown has been the
faithful efficient secretary Of the
Brooklyn Board of Education for sew
eral years. So satisfactory have his
services been that recently the Com.
mittee on Finance agreed to recon-
mend an increase Of $1,000 year In
his salary. To the surprise of the pub
lie at large, If not Of that of his friends,
Mr.. Brown has put veto on this pro-
posal saying that 'in view of the prob
lens In financial and monetary matters
with which the city is confronted, this
is not the most suitable time for such
action" This Is said to be the first
time Brooklyn official ever refused a
prOffered Increase in salary. The Incl
dent Is rare enough, at all events, in
municipal history to warrant more
than an incidental notice. 1t is need
less to say that Mr.. Browns suggestion
has been needed and the committees
recommendation withheld for the
present"
A special commission has declared
impracticable the construction of a
ship canal between the Atlantic ocean
and the Mediterranean, across the ter
ritory of France. The scheme was
originally suggested as a means o.
evading Gibraltar for the transit of
war vessels to and from the Bay of
Biscay and TOulon.
The London correspondent Of The
Manchester Courier publishes a re-
markable account Of new illuminant.
which, IL all that Is said of ii Is true
will push both gas and electric ligh,
very hard. For its production no ma
chinery Is required save that contained
In a portable lamp neither larger nor
heavier than Is used with COLA oil OF
paraffin. This lamp, II is declared
generates its own gas. The substance
employed Is mt present secret, jeal.
ously guarded by some inventive
Italians. The cost is declared to be nj
most one-fifth Of that Of ordinary gas
and the resultant light is nearly as
bright as the electric light and much
whittier. The apparatus can be carried
about as easily as candlestick and