The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-17
NEWS AND GOSSIP FROM
ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
a 5I1anln1oth Plan in Russia to Connect In
port Points BY Means of Canals.
AGGRESSIVENESs OF THE FRENCH
AGGRESSIVENESS OF THE I
Lord Roberts Wants Gaiety Postponed Death
of johann Faber, the Pencil Man.
Other Foreign Notes.

"A special cable TO the
Cana! to nG IS pe nas N in of an
circles here that NJ. Tim
hlti!eiiSei' onoff, a Russian engineer,
has submitted to the tech
ncal commission OF Russia plans for a
gigantic scheme to connect Crcnstadt
bay and the White sea by joining by
means of canals, Lakes LadoSa, Omega,
Segosero and Wygosero.
If this could be accomplished Russia
would have, in time of war, an outlet for
its Baltic squadron, which would thus be
enabled to reach the Atlantic by way OF
the North cape. AT present existing
treaties prevent Russia from sending her
war vessels from the Black sea to the
Mediterranean through the Bospoius-
Meanwhile the kiel canal enables the
German fleet, if so disposed, TO arrest
the advance of Russia's Baltic squadron.
NJ. Timonoff's canalization scheme
would entail exceptional dredging diff
cuities. The project is exciting consider
able interest IN French naval circles. Its
realization would afford Russia impor-
liant strategic advantages.
The value of such a scheme seems ut
terly foolish. for what benefit will Rus
sla get by obtaining an outlet to a sea
that is ice-bound for four months of
every year.
The royal villa at Monza,
A Docor}od Italy. is now completely
~ = eoe' tou closed, the beautiful gar
RouaI Nili, dcns deserted, and the OBJ
- i''"' jects of art (mosuN COL
lected by Queen Marg-
heritao have been sent to other palaces.
The deer have been sent away from the
park, the lake begins-to be covered with
weeds. and the fountains no longer play.
11eath va, To ,,Sf
n blight on the once happy home This
villa was built in l7T by the, architect
paermarini, and the park, some ten miles
in circumference, was laid out under the
orders of Eugene de Reauharnals. The
great halls Were decorated by the pain
tiers Appi1i. Trabelleri and Aibertoiii, and
Italian art was fully represented by the
paintings of Favietto and others. What
will ultimately be done with. the royal
villa is not known; its desertion seems
even to cast a gloom on the town of
Monza-
il A Reuter- dispatch from
Jutsdti!i Nuremberg says. Baron
E,hor Johann Faber, who was
practically the founder of
Dead. the celebrated lead-pencil
factory carried on under
his name. died there January 18th, in his
eighty-fourth year. When as a Young man
he succeeded TO his fathers business,
which turned out cheap pencils of an in
fcrior sort he employed twenty hands. AT
the time of his death upwards of l,D0C
men worked at his different factories. By
his energy and remarkable business apti-
1udes Johann F'aber succeeded in driv-
ing English manufactured pencils. at
one time almost in universal use, out Of
Germany
The French French enc ps Wsrship. = the Pro- Pro-
an +bn tet, in Southern Pacific
~ lily waters at the present time
Pacific. has drawn particular at
ness of France in her Southern sphere
OF influence. more especially in the New
5debrides. A well-known minister of the
Presbyterian Church, recently returned
from a trip to the islands. says that the
exports from the New Hebrides are now
worth ea.0O0 week, and trading steam
er pays monthly visit to the group.
The French. he adds. have been quick
TO perceive the value Of this market.
They have bought up land here and
there, and arc doing their best to block
~