The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-06

cabby is not looking forward TO jubilee day with
any pleasure. Many Of the cabmen declare
that II will be useless to take out their cabs at
all; they would have TO pay tho usual price, and
would take little or nothing In fares.
Nor Is the cabby the only disappointed man.
In spite Of the enormous crowds tho Jubilee
festivities will attract, the season Is likely TO DO
somewhat stunted and barren, shorter than usual
and Its ~eayeties less diffuscd. The owner Of house
property Ia disappointed. Those who let houses
oarly have done fairly we'll. but those who held
back for tho extravagant rents expected as tho
day drew near are finding themselves left. Flats
are a drug in the market, and those who refused
to renew leases on tho old terms now find thom-
selves tenantless. They and the h~ouscowners
are as badly of as the spectators who bought
up windows and trontages at enormous rents.
and now cannot lot them at any price. How Sc
we're Is the slump is shown by the fact that
rooms for which 81 900 or 81 800 was asked q
few days ago are now being let for 800. But
whoever Is disappointed. whoever has failed to
grind his axe. it is pleasant to DO able to say
that the central figure of the whole celebration,
the Queen, is in excellent health and spirits,
better In fact than che has been within the last
six years, and taking the greatest personal in
terost in all the arrangements being mGdo for
her jubilee.
At q recent meeting OF the Royal United
Service Institution Col. E. c.. Browne read a
paper OF considerable interest OH the Importance
Of the rifle in modern warfare. Col. Browne in
sists that skilled infantry will be all important
in tho war Of the future. But evidently the
British army does not come up to his require
ments. He maintained hat skill, however
great, in shooting at n fixed mark. in any posi-.
ton, was no guarantee Of accuracy such as
would be necessary under the conditions Of &C
| final 6phtinu yhep thu obiacf ai-,nd NJ ornulJ
DO In movement and the marksman himself
would be In q hurry. Referring to tho shooting
of tho volunteer forces, which is superior to that
OF the regular army, he expressed his adlnira-
tion for the skill Of tho Queens sixty" but
gave his hearers a warning against the impress
sion that they would make short work OF any
number of Soudanese or Burmese Dacoits. 1t
by no means followed that this would DO the
case, as they never rehearsed the work Of shoot
ing quickly, steadily, individually, or In vol
leys under conditions which would obtain
In combating a moving and agile enemy. He
referred to what he called the eye-oponer given
to the British army in the Boer war of indepen.
dence, when the young British soldiery. whose
only training had been the ranges, =" found them.
selves not In 1t against the quick, accurate and
deadly FIRE of their opponents" He strongly
urged the necessity Of shooting at dummies inn
PEELED forward and backward, moving and
vanishing figures Of men. and other devices
calculated to develop the genius OF true marks
manship. Future battles were not going to be
won by the possession Of this rifle or Of that, but
by the skill displayed in its use. All modern
rifles Of the first class were excellent, exquisite
beyond the most s~anguine dreams OF those
who fought with tho Brown Bess,' but he
maintained that no army has ever yet appeared
in the field who could use them properly.
SHOULD an army" he said, strong in courage
and enthusiasm, and composed OF skilled shots.
appear one day upon some European battlefield.
certain 1t was that the effect Of its infantry fire
would be astonishing, and would moro than
compensate for inferiority Of numbers. and even
q lack Of man1uvrinR power" Excellence in
rife shooting he described as tho pith and
marrow Of modern soldering. The fro of a
skilled infantry would in the future be terrible.
With smokeless, noiselcss powder. with rapid.
firing. nat-trajcctory rifles, 1t must be all-dc.
~stroyinS.
Since 1890 some very interesting excavations
have been carried out at Silchcster, ten miles
southwest of Reading. The site Is that Of a
Romano-British city, the bounding wall OF which
is nearly two miles in circuit. Systematic ex'
ploration has broaght to light public edifces
temples, forum. Christian church, residences
shops, traces OF Trades. and other evidences oil
the former existence of a purely civil commu.
hits. IL itSuito VI tHO ~ yCh o VI ulNt
been sent to the Society OF Antiquaries for ex
hibition. and make q very interesting display
One is the drawing by G. f. Fox OF n fragment
of a colossal statue found in the basilica, which
probably represented the guardian deity Of tn,
city. as 1t bears q municipal crown. Further
examples have been found OF the dyers' fur
naces. shops and bleaching ground.
Another interesting discovery was n tub well
which has been successfully brought out. TIL,
well was sunk In the native soil to the depth re
quired to reach the water supply. A squar,
curb, formed of 6inch square oak balks sbou
4 feet long. dovetailed together, was laid on tn,
bottom. Upon 1t rested a round tub or barrel
feet in diameter. made OF fir slaves 3 feet
inches long by 5 inches wide. the whole hoopeC
with birch hoops. A second tub was stood OIL
the top OF the first, and the interspace between
the tubs and the sides of the we'll was filled b!
plugged clay well rammed in. Above this th,
well was steened with fiints.
In emptying q pit, o curious cutting. @ feet dec
and 8 feet wide. ~tapering to a foot at tn
bottom. was disclosed and followed for 700 feet
The discovery Of remains OF iron collars at regu
l lar intervals showed that a wooden pipe ha'
been laid in the cutting. and It is supposed tina
it was for the purpose OF bringing water from
the city ditch for the service of the pu bile baths
. Many slabs Of Purbeck marble, and of a purple
l green. and white Pyrenean marble, have bee
, obtained. A small fragment Of Egyptian pol
B phyry was found near tho cast gate. and a pei
D feet whiteware bottle-necked vase OF very 81,
. giant shape 10 one of the most valuable prize,
I During the past year there have also bee
y brought to light a large and important house c
o the court yard type, and two houses OF the CO.
. ridor type. Traces have also been found of wins
L were probably wooden structures. Roman WOO
b relics are very rare. owing to the perishable nj
= ture Of that material, consequently the leg of
+ domestic stool, In turned hard wood, althoug
o broken, is one of this years most cherished rar
u ties. ii. r. 9.
Mrs. XEitthaus AaLs for Increasea AIImon