The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-09


city is rapidly vanishing. the ancient two
and three-story buildings that date from
the time of Christian " giving place TO
modern structures of more than double
their height Quays are to be built along
the whole sea front. new railway sta
ton, in which will meet the eastern and
western railways entering the city, is pro-
iected and new municipal and government
buildings are planned H. is estimated
that the harbor and docking improvements
alone will cost in the neighhorhood OF
si,500000 Another projected improve
ment that will make returning Norwegian
Americans stare Is a belt line railway
around Christiania 1t is not yet settled
when this work Will be undertaken, but
the demand for the railway exists and its
construction is but a matter OF time.
Il. A. Boyesen.
Christiania, May 81.
~
SWITzERLAND.--S witzerland, with nu
area of but 1881 square miles, has almost
$500 miles of railways. There are twenty
eight main steam trunk lines, twenty four
narrow gauge lines. ten cogwheel railways,
such as those which surmount the Rigi
| and Pilatus and run from Interlaken to
| Schynige Platte twenty cable lines like
that which connects Laussane and Ouchy,
and twenty-six street car lines About 1870
concessions have been granted for the
building of every conceivable kind Of
road in every conceivable kind OF place.
! These roads, when completed, will have a
length of about $50 miles Almost one
half of these, if ever finished, will be
equipped with electricity. The motive
power of most of the existing lines is
steam, electricity coming next in order.
Water power is used to some extent and
o a few of the lines horses do the work
Orly one line is run by compressed air
the street car system in Bern. This power
is costly and the machinery cumbersome,
taking up the space of the entire front
| platform. Leo j. Frankenthal.
Bern. May 90.
SWEDEN --Gothenburg has seldom had
so many distinguished guests as now Rep
resentatlves from the universities in Swe-
den, Norway and Denmark have spent
| three days IN conference to exchange ideas
about the best methods OF cooperation
between the seats of learning in the three
countries. The first northern academic
meeting convened in 1896 at Christiania
Then the work of standardization
was revived in a modified form-a work
which Is expected to bring good results to
| all concerned. Politics is banshed from
these meetings. which, 1t is considered
Will tend to increase the sympathy and
mutual understanding among the three
kindred peoples The meetings are also
| intended to lead to improved methods Of
instruction; the professors are able to tell
one another of the practical experience
they have gained in their work, that the
others may profit thereby
Frank Woodward
Gothenburg, May 22-
~
CHINA. - An English doctor who has
been much interested in the American OBJ
!erations against the Filipinos tells this
story
1--WE had just finished our breakfast one
morning, and l was talking to President
Schurman. We were watching the weird
manner in which the leaves of the sensi-
tive plant opeped and closed, when there
was yell accompanied by the crack of
rifle and the whistle of bullet. A soldier
came running down the decline at the rate
OF knots, as the Americans say. On ask
ing him the cause of his energy he held up
his left hand, the loft ring finger of which
had been pierced by a bullet leaving
neat circular opening through the first
phalanX After being dressed he wanted
to go on fighting, and was greatly ANNOYED
because would not allow him to. "Taint
sd much the burned portfolio through me
hnger. he said, as gets me on the raw,
it's the losin' of all the - fun"
Jabez Potts.
Hong Kong, April 81,
~
ENGLAND.--James BOYLE, American
consul at Liverpool, in report to his gov
eminent on British shipping and ship
building, touches upon a subject which has
lately been widely dscussed-the displace-
ment of British seamen in the mercantile
marine by aliens, The fact that British
seamen, next to those of the United States.
get higher wages and better fare and more
comfortable conditions of employment
than do seamen Of any other country in
duces alien seamen, as rule to a liking
for service on British ships. Mr. Boyle
adds that there is undoubtedly an increas-
ing number of advocates of government
action in the matter-that is. of the adop-
ton OF policy which would make It TO
the financial interest of British shfpowners
to employ British seamep, and particularly
masters and officers. John Jenkins
Liverpool, May 90.
~
GERMANY.-Und the name OF 'tKera-
mo" new building material, composed
mainly Of glass, has been placed on the
German market. 1t is manufactured in
Penzig, Silesia. AS far as known, the ma
terial Is made Of powdered glass waste,
which by special devitrifying process Is
turned into stone and made into bricks
under strong pressure. The transparency
and hrittleness Of the glass are thus done
away WITH the bricks retaining, however.
extraordinary hardness The material is
bad conductor Of heat, IS slow TO de-
.erlorate under exposure TO weather, is
hIeproof and offers perfect resistance to
oil grease and all acids commonly met
With. II may be tineed with pigment.
Thing OF this material can be sold for
about s1.7o a square yard.
Rudolph Fricke
Another Trust ON Foot,
4. .Ia1 ~. Ii