The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-05-14
Punished For Not Votinq.

try $4,000 electors were fined sums
from 81 downward because they neg
lected to 20 to the poll.
Spain Dis another country that looks
on voting as a national duty, at least
in the municipal election. Should a
citizen omit to cast his ballot his
name is published as defaulter, his
taxes are increased by 2 per cent,
while IL he be In the public service his
salary, Ia reduced by per cent.
Should be commit the fault second
time he is debarred forever from hold.
ing an elective position or an appoint
ment under government.
Ne Bridge Of Boils.
Among the many works carried out
by the late Sir John Arid is the most
oddly named bridge In the world. This
Is In Peru, on the railway from Lima
to Oroya, spanning deep and precipi-
tous chasm over 900 feet wide ana
resting on three gigantic piers. Many
of the men employed on the work
were ex-sailors. whose training ena-
bled them to work at dizzy heights.
Although the work was necessarily of
a most dangerous character. there
were comparatively few accidents.
But an epidemic Of bubonic plague
broke out. So the bridge was officially
christened Puente de las verrugas. or
Bridge of B0ils. name which 1t still
retains.
Tho Elusive Fly.
Any one who has tried with out.
stretched hand to catch fly cannot
fail to have noticed Its wonderful
alertness In escaping Zone reason
for this explains naturalist. SIS the
, fact that the fly was watching the
F, movements OF its would be captor out
Of all or most of Its 5000 eyes An
,, other reason for its rapid retreat is
that, instead Of seeing one hnnd com
ing toward 1t, the fly would have seen
at least $500 hands all looking alike
and oil moving down upon it IN the
same direction. A third reason of the
fy's nimbleness is Its ability to vi
brate its wings nearly 700 times in n
second and to travel through the air
at q rate Of mile In two and half
minutes or twenty-four miles an hour"
| BaIxac and Dumas Literary Foes.
1t is said that Balzac detested Dumas.
Once he brought to the Steele the man.
uscript Of novel. which was to follow
Les Trois Mousquetaires," then being
published. He asked to be paid ~
francs a line. The director Of the jour
nal hesitated. you see, M. Dumas Is
being paid only francs line" III
you are giving 2 francs to that negro,
/ shall get outf' And Balzac stalked
off.
Dumas was not ignorant OF Balzac'a
feelings toward him and did not spare
him. In the foyer of the 0deon theater
Ralzac was talking loudly in group
OF literary men. when have written
myself out as novelist shall go to
playwrlting." You can begin right
away" called out Dumas.
| A Scat In Parliament.
Lord Chesterfield in 1867 lamented
the Increased price of seats in the
| British parliament. There was boom
In trade. and prices went up. Chester
field was ambitious for his son, and
when Chatham's promise Of seat
came to nothing he went marketing
And he failed to find single bargain
II spoke to borough jobber," he
wrote to his son, "and offered FIVE and
twenty hundred pounds for secure
seat In parliament. but he laughed al
my offer and said there was no suct
thing as borough to be had now, fol
the rich East and West Indians had
secured them all at the rate of $4,000
at least, but many at $4,000 and tive
or three that he knew at $4,000 This
confess. has vexed me a good DEAL"
A Unique Comment.
An ifliterate freshman had just beer
convicted of cold bloodcd murder. ant
the death sentence was about to b'
pronounced upon him. All through
the trial he had shown little interes
In what had been going on. had no
seemed to realize any Of the proceed
ings and had not opened his mouth t.
any one but his counsel.
To pass sentence spon him the cour
ordered him to stand, He stood, blink
ing st those around him.
.Have you anything to say" dronet
the Judge impressively, why the sen
tence of death should not be pro
nounced upon yos at this timer"
Whereupon the freshman Whispered
to his counsel, who was standing by:
saint he tn gloomy divil7"
, Religion Of Ancient Rome.
The religion OF the old Romans wal
not religion at all--it was patriotism
In the republic--or In its better days
at least--the love Of country was tn
all dominating feeling. Rome was oil
To live for It, to die for II, to saasdHc'
on behalf Of its welfare the most ga
cred possessions OF life, was tho Ro
mans religion. Decius, Regulus an,
the rest Of the worthless who cneer
fully sacrificed themselves upon tn,
altar Of their country were the Roman
saints" To do all for the state, and
having done all, to die for It IL ncces
sary, without any thought Of futur
reward for the same-that was the re-
ligion Of the men who made Rome tn
capital Of the world. New York Amer
Bathing In Ancient Times.
The ancient Spartans were very def
mite as to the right aud wrong kinds o