Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1892 — NOTES AND COMMENTS. [ARTICLE]

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Rerun, in extending its sewage system toward tho suburbs, built walled eanais and laid oarthen pipes and forciug apparatus, by which means more than 8,000 acres of land are now irrigated and fertilized. Tho cleansing of great cities by this method is eminently practical, as well as bonoficial from a sanitary point of view. The recent civil war in Chili cost the v ietors, the Congressional party, $15,000,000, according to a recent estimate made by the Chilian newpapers. Of that amount $885,000 was contributed by Souora Dona .luaua Edwards, the mother of Don Augustin Edwards, Minister of Fiimueo, from her private fortune. The cost of tho war to the Ralmacoda partisans has not boon figured out, porhaps hecauso they lost everything, and it is a big tiling to ostimute on. Paris is given to suds. Tho latest craze is suicide of old people. No less than fourteen men, ono of whom had reaohod the ripo ago of 86, ended their lives on Sunday. The c'auso of this epidemio of self-destruction ought to furnish a good study for tho philosophers. The suicides show that somo strong motive has overcome tho ruling passion whioh makes poor humanity ding to lifo all the oloser when it has lost all its attractions. Mu. Litti.kdate, who has just been traveling through tho Pamir country of Central Asia which figures lurgoly in liusso-liritish polities just now, save that it is ono of tho most desolate rogioffis imaginable. The mountains aro high and wild, robod in eternal snows, while below the mountains, instead of verdant fiolds and forests, is a pioturo of uttor desolation that would bo hard to mutch in any other part of the world. Tho country at tho base of tho mountains is so high abovo tho sou that vegetation is very scanty, and tho plains aro most forbidding iu aspect. A Went Virginia gotiius lias invontod a flying machine, of which ho oxpoots great things, lie has takon tho motions of tho hawk as a model, and constructed an apparatus of wings which ho puts on like u suit. It is manipulated by tho muscles of tho arms and logs. But after all no does not fly, although ho expects to do bo with pruotlco. lie jumps off a building, or if thoro is a good wind risos from tho ground, and throwing out tho wings, which aro very largo and very light, floats in tho air. \Vitli a fresh bi'eozo lie oven roaches a considerable height, always alighting safely. The uaiiio of this sanguine scientist is Bornard Crosslor, und ho is a monomauiuo on tho suhjoct of flying machines. The Pennsylvania State Pish Commission is building a “swell” our which is to be used in tlio distribution of young lish throughout tho State. Tlio old stylo wus a box-car fitted with ordinary tanks; tho now car will lie an elaborate affair costing $6,000. It. will be provided with tho most improved tanks for the preserving of fisli mid spawn, and with machinery for tlio pumping ami aerating of tho water, 'rim process of hatching will bo ourriod on while tlio cargoes from place to place. Tlio Commission expects to do groat tilings tliis summer. It hns in store and undergoing development at tins Carry and Allentown hatcheries upwards of IliX) 000 eggs of Kennebec salmon. Tho young fish aro to bo pineal in the Delaware Kivor, some forty miles übovo the Water Gap, early iu May. It is also proposod to stock tho Schuylkill with bass and piko. Chicago hus a “Woman’s Canning and Preserving Clotnpavy,” with a capital of $1,000,000. Tliiastook con be only to women, and there aro stockholders all over America und ovon in faraway Japan and Africa. The company employs only one lonely man, who oversee* sovonty-tivo women at work in tlio factory. A long search was made for a woman to fill this position, but none hud tlio technical knowledge necessary. Six thousand onus of fruit a day nro turned out. Last week tho following oftioors woro elected for the ensuing year: President, Mrs. Anna Byford Leonard; Vice-President and Giyieral Manager, Miss Amanda T. Jonos; Second Vice-President, Mary Allen West; Treasurer, Mrs. Eva M. Miller; Becrotnry, Mrs. Bhetwin Munn; Assistant Beoretary, Mrs. W. R. Omohundro; Auditor, Mrs. Francis Conant.

Puokkbhor Hakkxkhs of tho Academy of Science# at Sun Fraucisoo is trying t> cross our domestic cattle with tho American bison. Ho has gathered a small bund of buffaloes from tho yards of private owner# In Montana and* Nevada, and believes that in the mild and salubrious climate of tho coust bis experiments are likely to prove more successful thun similar experiments in Nebraska. What lie aims at is a welldefinod race of animals corresponding to the mulo in the equine species. But the cross in tbo case of the buffalo and the common cow does not result in a nonproductive animal, it is said, and for that reason u race that will perpotuato at least some of the peculiar characteristics of tho rapidly dying-out bison may becoino well established in tho atiimal kingdom.

Wiikx the Mississippi Valley lumbermen visit d tbo State of Washington recently, their eyes were opened. They had never seen or drcuined of such a rich and seemingly inexhaustible supply of timber as the Pugot Sound country affords. One of the visitors said that he would like to have the waste of any of Hie mills along the shore. He thought that tho waste at one of them must amount to 30,'XH) feet a day. This material in the East wus worth six dollars a thousand feet. At a crook near Wilkoson the party saw many bridges made oat of fine logs, which caused one of the lumbermen to say: “A man would be locked up in our country for using those logs for such a purpose. ’ And the groat height and girth of the trees filled them with astonishment, although they had come prepared to soo big tilings. Some of these trees shot up straight ns a church-Bpire for 250 foet. “What horrifios me,” said a visitor, “is the way you waste trjes in felling one of them, for a tree is nover laid iow without breaking one or more of the others.” Ho udmitted that only the high freight charges on the Pacific railways saved the Mississippi Valley lumbermen from serious competition in their business.