Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1895 — NOTES AND COMMENTS. [ARTICLE]

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Official estimates place the value of farm animals—horses, cattle, mules and hogs and sheep —in the United Stales at no less than $1 819 - 446,806. According to the census of 1890 there were 3,000,000 bachelors in the United States. That is 3,000,000 men of thirty years or more who have never married. One of the most eminent mechanical engineers in England, Joseph Nasmyth, favors the driving of machinery with cotton ropes in place of leather bands. As a result of many years’ experience and close observation, he states that for heavy main drives it is both more economical and effective to use a series of ropes working in separate grooves. The king business pays well in Europe. The Russian Emperor receives $25,000 a day and house rent; the Sultan of Turkey SIB,OOO. The Austrian Emperor gets SIO,OOO per diem, while William, of Germany, has to worry along on $3,0u0 daily, and his esteemed grandmother, Victoria, finds hard work to make the ends meet on $5,000.

A neat pamphlet just issued from the Government Printing Office at Washington makes the startling assertion that “oysters will not freeze as readily as clams.” No attempt is made to explain why the one sort of bivalves display a greater obstinacy in this matter than the other, nor is any intimation given as to what the Government proposes to do about it. The illiteracy of Portugal is something of which any European nation should be ashamed. It is doubtful whether Morocco would make a worse showing, were one able to take a census of the Moors. Certainly most Oriental countries would present a creditable record in comparison with Portugal. China and Japan, it is probable, have a smaller percentage of illiterates than most European countries. A peculiar fact was lately pointed out by the President of the Manchester, England, Geographical Society, namely, that although much has been done to improve the operation of coal cutting, the collier’s pick remains exactly what it has been for the past century, and as to coal cutting mechanisms, not a single machine of the kind is at work in the Manchester district to-day. It is said tnat the Bolivian tin mines are very rich, the ore sometimes yielding from 40 to 65 per cent, of pure metal. The excessive cost of freighting from the mines to the Pacific coast prevents their development, but railroads are now being built to remedy this, and the development of the mines may have an important effect on American industries.

Corea goes ahead of us in one thfrng, at least. The Queen of Corea lives in such dread of sickness and disease that she keeps a lady physician in call at the royal palace at all times. The doctor’s salary is £3,500, which is not bad for a practice limited to one patient. There are women doctors here, but their income is somewhat less than that earned by the learned Corean. The two leading poets of the younger school of poetry in England at the present time—William Watson and John Davidson—had to kick their heels in publishers’ ante-rooms for a long time before the merit of their verse secured them recognition. Davidson two years ago was too poor to procure suitable food, and his quarters were in the garret of a shabby old building. Watson wrote much of what is now considered his best verse ten years ago. Despair at the public’s neglect, and long brooding over the lack of appreciation of his work, drove him into temporary insanity. He gained sanity and fame at almost the same time, and his books now sell remarkably well for poetry.

France has recently repealed the provision of the code Napoleon that marriage to be legal must have not only the consent of both contracting parties but that of their fathers and mothers on both sides ; failing that, of their grandfathers and grandmothers; if there be none of these relatives, of the oldest members of the families to which they belong. The provision was a vexatious one, as if consent was refused a man of 25 and a woman of 21 were compelled in that case practically to go to law with all their kin to compel them to show why the marriage should not take place. Under the present law refusal of parents or family in the case mentioned no longer acts as a bar to marriage. Henry Gannett, an able statistician, calculates that in 1890 the wealth of the United States was $48,642,000,000, or an average of SB7O to each inhabitant; that it was about $62,600,000,800 in 1890, or SI,OOO to each inhabitant, and that at both dates it was greater than the wealth of any other nation. Mr. Gannett finds that 5 per cent, of the total wealth of the country is owned by millionaires, 27 per cent, by people wcrth from SIOO,OOO to $1,000,000 each, 25 per cent, by those worth from SIO,OOO to SIOO,OOO, 37 per cent., the largest percentage, by those worth from SI,OOO to SIO,OOO each, and 6 per cent, by those owning less than SI,OOO each. The tremendous magnitude of the street railway passenger traffic in large cities of the present time has just been demonstrated by the publication in New York of statistics relating to the profits and work of the roads of that city during the past year. The various items printed foot up to totals that are little Jess than appalling. In the twelve months ending June 80 last the various street car lines of New York carried an aggregate of 246,226,197 passengers, an of over 4,000,000 over the twelve months preceding. A very considerable proportion of this business was done by the great syndicate of lines known as the Metropolitan Traction Company, which carried 107,000,000 of passengers, being a considerable increase over the preceding year. In addition to this multitude carried by the surface roads, the elevated :oads in

twelve morrtlw handled ever 221,uuu;000 passengers, making a total for all kinds for transportation in the city of 467,000.006 passengers carried in one year. Not the least interesting item of these statistics relates to the earnings of the roads, which also aggregate into almost fabulous sums. The gross earnings of all the roads in the year ending June 30,1894, were $12,268,583. Of this amount $4,354,558 were net earnings, making the net earnings of ali the roads a very small fraction less than percent, of the gross earnings. An industry which was introduced into Georgia before the Revolutionary war, and which languished and finally died because the times were unfavorable, is once more gaining a foothold there with a prospect of success under the better conditions which now prevail. The culture of the silk worm, which was first introduced in Gen. Oglethorpe’s early colony, is now attracting the attention of many amateur culturists in Georgia, and is finding its best conditions in Savannah and the country adjacent. The people of this section are looking about for new avenues of investment and employment, and the experiments in silk culture are the natural results of this new spirit of enterprise. It is found that the climate is especially suited. No artificial heat is required to hatch the eggs. They mature naturally on the approach of warm weather, and the young worms begin to eat, just aa their natural food, the leaves of tho mulberry and osage orange, have begun to grow. So it seems that nature has especially adapted this climate for the culture of silk. Experiments which are being carried on in Savannah are watched with interest by many who are noting that the expense of raising the silk cocoons is small, while the product is worth about 35 cents a pound in the market. It is quite probable that the industry under the favorable conditions that now seem to exist will grow to important proportions and become a part of the recognized commerce of Georgia.