The evening times., 1899-12-25
NOTES OF THE DAY.

France receives 100000 year from taxes on
bicycles.
Morocco has an army of 1900 men fairly
well trained.
j.. Japan will open twenty-One new pshs 9 w
eign commerce. ~
New England cities may unite, to help Boston
improve its harbor.
There are over 2,500 travelling libraries in the
onited States "inconsin has rs @g A
English and French scientists are cleaning
an international scientific congress 4 abe Pa1k
Exposition. ga
Norwegian statesmen are planning a system Of
national Insurance to protect people incapacitated
TO earn livelihood.
The siamese have recently eon,ributed 5000
ticals (s9,o00) for the purchase OF site for
the Christian High School in Bangkok.
Over $4,000 has been expended this year in
connecting the main long distance telephone lines
with small towns east Of the Mississippi River
Owing to the feeling over the Boer war Eng
lish shops in the vicinity Of the Grand Opera
House in Paris have been boycotted by the
French.
Cheap chemical dyes threaten TO ruin the great
dreds of thousands Of families have found erp-
poyment.
ST. Petersburg, which often has exhibitions Of
French and English art. is to have one Of Ger
man art in January. which will be something Of
a novelty.
good English authority estimates fist 81 .oO0.-
0Go, 600 foreign capital is operating in Russia
In manufacturing, industrial, steamship, and other
enterprises.
So rabid are the dogs OF India that from July,
1893, to March. 1892 thirty-three British soldiers
have been sent to Europe from that country for
Pssteur treatment. r.et .
The Indians of the interior of Bolivia wear shirts
and hats made Of the bark Of tree, which is
soaked in water TO soften the fibre, and then
beaten to make it pliable.
The electric power is used in the. mines for
hoisting. Air comprising is used 10 operate the
drill. BY means OF electricity 4 low grade
is worked that was never used before
The general organizer of the American Fedora
tion of Labor in Wisconsin estimates that the
average advance in wages in Wisconsin for all
classes in the year past was 10 per cent
Queensland is being gradually converted into a
large orchard. The Australian orange in particu-
lar has great future. it ripens at time
when Spain, Italy, and California cannot provide
the fruit.
Up to the latest accounts Kipling's poem, The
Absent Minded Beggar,'' which Is being recited
and sung in the principal music halls of England
for the benefit Of the reservsis has brought in no
less than si5, ,OO0 and the money still continues
10 pour in
Not far from the East Room Of the White
House. under the limbs OF sncient tree. is
grow there without care from the gardener Tne
mushrooms served the Presidents table are
from this bed.
Santos in the State Of Sac Paulo short dis
tance fact. Rio Janeiro, is the larges; cofeeship
ping port in the world. With an area Of IDe--
$50 square miles and population % 25140ls -af
Paulo may he considered the model agricultural
state OF Brazil
In Ponce there is an American iree school,
partly supported by the military government and
partly from private enterprise by The citizens II
the city. 1t has about $50 pupils and i doing
excellent work. being thorough gong school ae-
cording to American ideas.
In view of the coming Exposition and the ex-
TIA demand for local transportation. school ior
ooacImen has been opened in Paris This school .
turns out from 100 to 100 per month born
Partisan can graduate in two weeks, but an out
slider is obliged to remain thirty days
A new cattle food is made by grinding the dry
rornstalks leaves and tops to powder. and nIx-
ing it with blood molasses. or both. This IS
pressed into cakes under q hydraulic press, and z
can be shipped as easily bricks cord wood :,
For feeding it is broken up and mixed with $,
water.
An immense quantity of grain is stored at rail-
road stations in Argentina. unable TO find
shipment to the seaiorts. and ocean freiShts
high, too. Hence the farmers are
in serious trouble, which Is aggravated by the =.
act that burlaps for bags are more than usually
,ostly.
The forty companies which mine the nitratss q =
Chile. famous as fertilizers, have combired and I,
have sent an agent to London 10 complete the i
legotlton for union Sitrates nave been selling
very theJply Of late, owing 10 oFrrprudIctlcHi-
By limiting the output it Is now proposed to--
improve the situation -'a-
Saxon makers Of needles drove England out Of
Brazil by wrapping their goods in pink paper
instead Of black. Other Germans are catering 20
he fondness OF Russians for red in their ores.
france recently learned how dstasteiul green is
% a Chinaman. but it cost good deal OF money
% make the discovery s.
In Europe the smallest coin now current and
he one having the least value is the Greek leptou-
The lepton is according TO the decimal monetary
vstern current in all countries belonging 10 the
latin Union. Some idea Of this valuable little
iisk of copper may be gathered from the tact
hat the lepton Is the one-buncredth part OF
irachma Tie Greek drachma usually passes FOR
he same value that franc piece does; that is, It
S about equal to 20 cents OF our money
History's greatest banquet took place August
S. 1850 when the 40.0 mayors OF France sat
IT table in the Pdlais de rIndustrie in Paris,
There were three relays of about 1890 guests
'ach To prepare the feast required
.hief cooks. l3 900 walters scullions. cellarmea,
md helpers 5000 plates, $3.50 glasses, knives,
orks, and spoons in proportion, 1000 rolls @fsn,
neat and fowl by the ton The banquet was
4 l7s9
One hundred and sixty-four years ago French
stronomers went to Peru to measure IAN arc Of
meridian" The purpose of such arcs is TO fur
,ish data for calculating the size and shape OF the
,arth The are in Peru was about 30 mites IN
ength, and with the exception of short arc in
,outh Africa, il is the only one ever measured IN
he Southern Hemisphere. This year commls-
ion headed by army officers has been sent from
rance TO remeasure the old arc in Peru. The =
emeasurement is regarded of great scientific
Importance on account of the advances that
ave been made since the first measure was taken.
Engineers, especially those engaged in the exc
ution of important public works. often work on,
lour after hour, until nature itself can go no
onger Then, snatchiRg a few hours. sleep, q
iten taken in their offices, they 20 again.
Recently railway was being constructed. The .
inc was being made entirely Of tunnels, deep
owu in the earth. and the managing engineer
vas usually in the tunnel at in the morning and
i ii at night When his days work ceased IN
ordinary times he the works for final
ook around. sundays the same as other DAYS
o him. and at least twice week his nights were
,assed sixty feet below the streets
At Kames, in the Isle OF Butte, R. A. Stewart, a
addler has succeeded in growing fine crop OF
,eas from seed found in a tomb of an ancient
egyptian king. Mr. Stewart got the peas from
:lasgow friend of his who has sons in Egypt, by
rhom they were forwarded 10 Glasgow. and the
eed is estimated to have been 1000 or 900 years
Id. The peas sown in open ground. and
he pIants have grown up strong and vigorous to =
The flower OF the ancient Egypt
IN variety has a beautiful red centre, surrounded
v a white corona, and is handsome. The pods
verage from two TO three inches in length by