The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-11-19
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

cal: What is billion? The reply is
very simple. In England billion Is
n million times a million. This is
quickly written and quicker still pro-
nounced. But no man is able to count
it. You will count 100 to ITO minute.
But let us suppose you go up as high
as 200 minute, hour after hour. AT
that rate you would count 10000 an
hour; 2SS. 600 a day, or 105, 120, 900 in
year. Let us suppose now, that Adam
at the beginning of his existence had
begun to count, had continued to DO
so and was counting still. Had such a
thing been possible he would not yet
have finished the task of counting
billion, To count a billion would re-
quire a person to count 200 a minute
for period of 9,512 years, 542 days,
hours and 20 minutes, providing he
should count continuously. But sup
pose we allow the counter twelve
hours daily for rest, eating and sleep
ing. Then he would need 1923 years
| $40 days, 10 hours and 45 minutes in
which to complete the task.
Another instance of newspaper ram
| bility in regard to the Constitution
| has been cited by the New York Sun
on its evening contemporary, the Mail
and Express. The latter paper was be-
Iaboring another paper for referring to
the rivalry of Hamilton and Jefferson
for the Presidency. With most anus
ing assurance the Mail and Express
suggested that the Constitution and
Hamiltons biography could be read
with profit, saying that Hamilton was
ineligible by virtue OF foreign birth.
| Imagine the Mail and Express chagr1n
| on having the Constitution held up
with this provision undeTscored: NO
person except natural born citizen OF
citizen of the United States at the
| time of the adoption of this Constitu-
| ton shall be eligible for the office of
| President" SO Hamilton was eligible
for the Presidency, though not born in
the United States. Some writers havi
even maintained that that provision,
was inserted expressly to make Ham-
ilton eligible.
The ulwritten law of ,rfre road,
keep to the right" has had strong
affirmation by Judge Cox of Indian
apolis, i'll decision that man driving
4 horse on the left side of the street
who ran into young man riding BIZ
cycle on the light side of course, was
responsible for the accident. The man
who drives on the wrong side of the
streft is presumed by Judge Cox to be
gHllty of intention to commit assault
|, and battery. The same guilty inten-
ton is ascribed by the Judge to a BIZ
cycler riding on the sidewalk. He does
so entirely at his own risk, Judge Cox
says, and in case of collision must be
held guilty of intentional assault and
battery. This, of course, is in addition
to the penalty of riding a vehicle on a
| sidewalk, as it must not be presumed
that indianapolis tolerates wheels on
the sidewalks.
| innocent witnesses in court as formerly
but there is enough to make welcome
the recent action of Justice Hotaling
of Chicago. One of those clustering
! lawyers who imagined that admission
to the bar carries with it the privilege
to insult a witness, tried that plan Of
breaking down Il witness before JUS
tice Hotaling. The Justice did his duty
in protecting the witness and ordered
the attorney to change his manner of
examination. AS might be expected,
the bully made an impudent retort,
which resulted in his summary eject
ment, the doughty Justice taking an
active part in the proceedings. The
story is not complete, in not telling of
the disbarment of the lawyer.
Chicago is inclined to laugh at the
State Board of Health Of Indiana,
which has recently forbidden the use
of states in the public schools on the
ground that slates, slatepencils, and
the pupils saliva aid in conducting the
bacteria of diphtheria and other di
SeaSeS from one child to another
Chicago laughs because in its schools
the slate has disappeared solely because
it was not needed. Paper has taken its
place with nearly two hundred thous-
and pupils. Paper is clean. Pencils
are cheap. States are expensive and
awkward in handling. They have been
tabooed in Chicago. The health de-
partment has never taken up the ques-
| ton.
The Observatory of Rome prints in
| teresting news concerning the 1000
Italians that were captured by Menelek
| during the recent Abyssinian war
These prisoners, who are lodged in the
towns in the interior. are scarcely
| guarded, and are allowed to roam
about pretty much at will, for the sur
rounding deserts furnish the best Jail
walls. Every prisoner. however. is
! made to occupy himself with some use
full employment usually the trade OF