Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1896-02-13
FOREIGN GOSSIP.

An example OF now ltalldnS OD.
serve the pope's veto prohibition to
take part in political elections is
shown by the vote of the province of
Bergamo at the late parliamentary
election, when out of 36,07S electors
only e.s27 voted, IS per cent. abstain
ing. In IL election districts not a sim
gle voter presented himself.
The Hausas, numbering many mil
lions, and occupying an area of half
million square miles in the central
Soudan, are called the leading COM
mercial people of Africa Those who
have begun to learn the Hausa lam
guage speak of the richness of the
vocabulary. as an instance of which
they have eight names for the differ
ent parts of the day from sunrise to
sunset
English ladies in China have started
Natural Feet Society" for the pur-
pose of putting an end to the practice
of COMPRISING the feet of Chinese
girls A Chinaman wants to know il
English women are ready to stop tight
ening their waists Foot binding"
he says, sis painful, but does not do so
much harm, as it does not affect vital
organs have heard of people who
have met their deaths by waist tight
ening. but not by foot binding"
I'm France, the women teachers elect
women members on all boards of ed
ucation. In Sweden, women vote for
all elective officers except representa-
tives; also, indirectly, for members of
the upper house. In Ireland, the wom-
en- vote for the harbor boards and poor
law guardians, and in Belfast, for
municipal officers. In Russia. women
householders vote for all elective Off
GERS and on all local matters. In Fin
land. they vote for all elective officers,
exercising the same privilege by proxy.
An Austro-Hungary. Croatia and Dali
malta, they vote in local elections in
person In Italy, women vote for MEM
bers Of parliament Women have
municipal suffrage both in Cape Colony
and in New Zealand Iceland, the Isle
of Man, and Pitcairn island have full
woman suffrage.
Considering the customs that pre-
vailed in England in 1625 as TO mourn
ing, il is amazing that people ever
wore anything else, and that England
did not look as black as Corsica No
sooner had a death taken place than
mourning was sent as a present by the
family, not only to relations, but to in
innate friends. and everything imme-
diately surrounding the chief mourner
was put into the deepest black. Black
hangings on the walls, black coverings
to the bed, black garters to the person,
black coaches for everybody, if the
bereaved one was of sufficient high
status to possess such things No
wonder that q ''black bed" was lent
from house to house, and that funerals
cost vast sums. Lady Sussex expend-
ed e40O on that of her lord, equal to
more than s., 600 of our money; and the
escutcheon put up by Sir Ralph Verney
to the memory of Mary, his wife, cost
from forty to fifty shillings, or from
IS to SO.
-Tripoli traders who have come in
lately from Bornu, in the Soudan, tell
an exciting tale of the rise of a new
conqueror. His name is Rabah, slave,
and later a lieutenant of Zebehr Pasha,
former Egyptian governor of Darfur.
When Gordon fell Rabah. who was col
lecting taxes in the Soudan, made his
way with a body of fighting men to
Baghirmi, southeast of Lake Tchad,
and not only held his own against the
Mabdists. but conquered the country
far and wide. He then turned against
the sultan of Bornu. whose capital is
Kuka, on Lake Tchad, where the
traders were. Ashem. the sultan, was
defeated, and Kari, Ashem's nephew,
who succeeded as sultan, gathered fresh
forces and attacked Rabah again and
again. but was always repulsed. Rabah
is free lance, fighting for his own
hand and profit; his army lives on pill
lage He is a tall, spare negro, very
energetic, and of simple tastes. He
has collected large store of gold, sill
yer, coral, feathers and ivory, and has
a good number of modern rifles. His
power is absolute. and he is rapidly
forming a powerful state behind the
French, English and German Hinter-
lands.