The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-12-03
NOTES AND COMMENTS

to make a tour of the world in the
brief space of thirty-two days. Prince
Michael Hl-Koff, the Russian minister
of transportation, who recently spent
several weeks in this country making
a thorough inspection of our various
railway systems, is authority for this
statement. At present it requires some
thing over two months to make COM
plete circuit ofthe globe. 1t is not with
out extreme difficulty however, that
even this record is made. The trans
Siberian railway, which will doubtless
be completed before the present CEN
fury expires, is to cover distance OF
1000 miles. 1t will cost fabulous
sum of money to carry out such man.
moth undertaking, but the result of the
enterprise, if successful will be com
plete change in the route over which
the worlds commerce has Travelled FOR
years. Still another effect which this
great enterprise will have upon the
worlds progress will be in the enlarged
commercial opportunities which it will
give to Russia. 1t will, furthermore,
enable that empire to dispute with Eng
land the supremacy in mercantile af-
fairs which she has so long enjoyed.
To pleasure seekers, this railway, pro-
jected through the north of Asia, will
open vast area of country hitherto
unknown and unexplored. That Russia
will succeed in her vast undertaking is
evident, not only from the millions in
her treasury, but also from the zeal
with which she has started upon the
great enterprise.
In 1891 there was probably not even
semi-milionaire in New England.
There were but thirty-tive persons in
Boston whose property was assessed
at S150,000, and they were regarded as
rich men. At that time, by rich man
was meant a man worth $4,000 How
great is the change in private fortunes
since then is shown by the classical
ton of the classes and the masses re-
Gently made by one of the leading
American newspapers. According to
this, the upper class" in American So
ciety consists of those whose income is
above 100000; the upper middle of
incomes from $4,000 to 100000; the
lower middle" from $1,000 to $4,000,
while the lower class" consists of
those whose whole income is below one
thousand AS applied, writes Thomas
W. Higginson in the Bazaar, this prac-
tically keeps farmers, mechanics and
all day laborers in the lower class; or
binary professional men, shop keepers,
head clerks, Judges and congressman
in the lower middle; the best paid men
of these pursuits in the upper middle;
while the higher class includes only
great spectators, or mine owners, or
owners of real estate, or employers of
labOp on a large scale-or else the chill
dPen and heirs of these last classes.
OF course the whole classification is
frankly based on wealth alone, leaving
birth, education or character out of
sight, except, perhaps, as recognizing
that brains at least have some share
in money making.
AT last some details are forthcoming
as to the cause of the Italian defeat
at Adowah. Abysinnia. From the Of
fetal report as to the circumstances
which led to the catastrophe to the
| Italian army it appears that two rea-
sons may be assigned, viz, topo-
graphical error made by the command
| ing General in the sketch of the local
| ity, and which made General Alber-
tones brigade appear nearly four
miles ahead of its actual position, and
| Noncompliance with orders received
on the part of the vanguard of This
brigade. who, instead of taking up a
position as ordered by General Alber-
tone, at the mouth of the detile
through which the brigade was to ar
rive, proceeded at once to attack the
outposts of the enemy. This shows on
what seemingly trif1ing circumstances
the issue of battles may sometimes de-
pend. In the opinion of a French
critic, but for the Typographical error
the premature attack on the part of
the vanguard could not have occurred,
and the fight would not have been
nearly so disastrous.
Ntl man NSIdpOl dSSCl 70 lhdt
about thirty thousand of the inhabit-
ants of Berlin hear considerably better
with their left ear than with their
right. This has been observed in con-
tinually increasing measures for fifteen
years. When the cause was sought
for, it appeared that those who are
thus affected are frequent users of the
telephone. The listening part of the
instrument is generally held in the left
hand and put to the left ear, while the
right hand is often used in taking
notes, etc. In the cases observed the
| subjects heard the slightest sound
| through the telephone with their left
ears. ,but could understand little or
nothing if the instrument were put to
their right ears. 1t is therefore con