The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-03-19
STORIES OF THE DAY.
Interesting Notes on Matters That Are
Talked of In Europe.

interesting Notes On "AtttFs AhAt AAc
Talked of In Europe.
Russia has just taken her first census
All the figures hitherto quoted ON the
population, the religion and the CLASH
~ication thereof i'll the Russian empire
have been mere gucsswork. True, Peter
the Great established a special kind OF
census for the serf population, which
was continued at irregular intervals
down to 1858, its object being to deter
mine the poll tax formerly payable to
the state by the owners Of the serfs.
But with that exception there has never
been any numbering Of the people in
accordance with the requirements OF
modern statistical science. 1t has been
a one day census and was carried into
effect on Feb. 10. Inasmuch as so pei
cent of the population of Russia can
neither read nor write, the labor of
enumeration has been exceptionally
onerOus.
Constantinople is now in the midst Of
Ramadan, or the Mohammed Lent. The
latter is scrupulously observed by the
followers of the Prophet, and from sun
rise to sunset there is an entire absti-
nence not only of food and drink, but
even of tobacco. Without the latter soda
tive to the nerves the Turkish character,
always prone to fanaticism, becomes X
ceedingly difficult to manage. The ha.
tired of the "unbeliever' assumes an
n-,<, f~~,, a,l &l,n D,,nl,, -, -, 1D,
sequence thereof always regarded by the
Christians in Mohammedan countries
with a certain degree Of apprehension.
In the present unsettled condition of at
fairs in the Ottoman empire, no surprise
need therefore be felt if at any moment
popular disturbances are reported either
from Constantinople or from Asia Minor.
The British government, in asking
from parliament a grant Of $50, 900, 600
to be spent in the development of the
defenses Of the empire, that
Of this amount 50, 600, 900 is to be de-
voted to the purchase of Salisbury plain
for use as a maneuver ground. The
plain, which covers an area Of some go
CIutAS LlAiNSy n III oloASilSilEt, Al1d
fears are expressed lest some enterpris-
ing generals should convert these most
ancient temples of the Druids into mod
ern redOubts. The monoliths have sur
vivcd many changes. but they might
not survive military zeal and cordite.
The Transvaal has applied for and Sc
RnrpG admission tn fha (Ipnnv1 Rod
Cross convention, though not without
receiving a sharp reminder from lord
Salisbury that no such step can be taken
by the Boer republic without the per
mission of Queen Victoria in her capac-
ity of suzerain, the sanction being
granted by the British government
without having been requested by the
Transvaal authorities.
The British government, on the pro-
posal of the first lord of ne admiralty,
Mr.. Goschen, has decided to make a
grant of $50, 900 toward the expenses of
the much talked of antarctic expedition
which is to be undertaken under the di-
rection of DR.. Nansen.
In order to understand the extraordi-
nary attitude of the European powers in
connection with the conflict between
Greece and Turkey it Must be remem-
bered that, whereas most of the enor-
nous national debt of the Ottoman en-
pire is in the hands Of French, English
and Austrian bondholders, we'll nigh the
entire state liabilities Of Greece are
held by German investors. Inasmuch
as a war between Turkey and Greece
would tend still further to embarrass
the finances of these two heavily indebt-
ed countries and thus compromise the
interests Of their foreign bondholders,
the great powers have decided that IN
der no circumstances would they permit
any conflict to take place.
According to the plan now officially
announced i'll London for the forthcom-
ing Sudan campaign, a railroad is to be
constructed across the desert to Abu
Hamcd, so as to be able to take up a
hotllla Of river gunboats in sections to,
a point where they could be launched
on the Nile above the formidable and
dangerous Monassir cataracts. Eleven
Of these %gunbOats are now being built
in England and will be shipped to
Egypt next month. Once launched and
armed at Abu Hamed, the capture of
BerbCr and after that Omdurman by the
1otilla will not be a difficult matter.
In addition to the new deep level
electric railroad that is about to be con-
structed beneath the present line from
Earl's court to the Mansion House in
London, a distance of five miles, a light
overhead electric railroad is to be built
from Praed street, Paddington, to Will
lesden, a distance of Az miles. The
track will be carried ON a viaduct form
ed Of steel columns so to 20 feet apart,
supporting lattice girders, the rail level
being at an average height Of 10 feet
above the roadway.
Frances treasury receipts for 1896
show an increase Of nearly s., 600, 900
in the revenue derived from tobacco,
--L.-1 A. r