Natchitoches populist., 1898-08-19

|
cling were it not for the large rainfalls
in western Norway, which amounts to
about eighty-fve inches per annum.
The hilly nature of the country is an
additional drawback, necessitating as
much walking as riding. In spite of
these conditions, however, the consul
says the bicycle continues to grow IN
popularity. Most of the bicycles sold
in Norway are from Germany and the
United States. The duty on cycles is
so kroner (SS.0D each. There is no
differential duty favoring cycle manu-
facturers in other countries. Cana
dian bicycles with wood rims, mud
guards and other American improve
ments are advertised and sold as
American wheels.
1t is an unquestioned fact that every
being and everything has its day of
usefulness. The farmer today is the
most useful and prominent industrial
subject and consequently the most sue
cessful, remarks the Agricultural Epi-
tomist The products of his industry
have the greatest call and demand of
the many industries of our United
States, nearly all of which are most
actively engaged at this time. While
it is true he has encountered many set
! backs and depressionS for several
years past, yet at the same time he
has experienced less hardships and en-
joyed more privileges and freedom
than any other calling, and now that
the brightest days of his existence are
staring him in the face no one can help
but realize his greatness and independ-
ence.
H. C. Fischer, who has just retired
from his position as comptroller OF the
central telepragh Office in London,
says he has lively recollection, when
superintendent of the foreign depart
ment, of the tremendous excitement in
England at certain momentous crises
in the American Civil War. 1t was in
those days looked upon as piece OF
!. exceptional enterprise that several OF
the newspapers, in order to be the first
to obtain news from America, hired
tenders to intercept the mail steamers
when approaching Cork harbor. Then
would follow race to be first at the
Roches Point telegraph office, whence
the messages were telegraphed to the
old foreign gallery, and subsequently
sent out, sheet by sheet, for publicA-
ton in the special editions of the Lon
don papers. This was, of course, be-
fore the laying of the first Atlantic ca
BILE. The war ended in April, 1865,
while the laying of the first Atlantic
cable was not completed until July %,
1866. The first cabling done over the
line was somewhat expensive, 500 be-
ing charged for twenty words. This
rate was reduced about three months
afterward to $50 for twenty words, and
the following year it was looked upon
as comparatively cheap cabling that a
3 man could send ten words for $2G.
, That was thirty years ago. The rate
now Is 25 cents word.
; There is no knight-errantry in Eur
ope today. Don Quixote is dead even
in Spain. Europe is engaged with
very practical and even prosaic prob
lens. How best to sell two boxes OF
n merchandise where hitherto but one
has been sold engages more attention
than all matters of mere sentiment
combined. Hence the attention being
= paid to the Far East, where China
: alone, with four hundred millioh pos.
sible customers, is rapidly yielding tC
t the spell OF the persuasive drummer
d with samples in one hand and sworf
d in the other. But if knight-errantr!
S were In the meridian of its activity
: Spain could not hope for a really capa
: Bile champion. Nobody of consequence
e would ride to the relief of an old vira
a gc. Spain is not q winsome damse
! in distress, but a termagant who ha
), at last justly been brought to book fo
d the offenses she has committed agains
/ her own household She is despiset
It both by her own and Jby her neighbors
y and as Prince Bismarck has said in hi
l. blunt and direct way, "She deserve
II her fate"
9 Until 1915 il was the custom of tn
United States government on the ad
i mission of each new state into tn
union to signalize the fact upon tn
Ie nations flag, not Only by increasin
n the number of its stars, but also b
NJ increasing the number of it's stripes
IL But in the year mentioned, when flv
= new states were admitted into tn
d union at ore time, 1t became apparen
that eventually this process of redupli
70 cation would result in disfguring tn
If nations flag; and, accordingly, tn
"a matter was referred to joint commit
10 tees of the house and senate with til
n direction that some definite plan be re
d ported While the matter was unde
,e warm discussion, Captain Samuel {
a Reid, one Of the heroes of the war G
Is 1872, suggested that, instead of chang
al ing both stars and stripes wheneve
new states were admitted into tn