Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1895 — NOTES AND COMMENTS. [ARTICLE]

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The tendency in modem English buildings is to do away with stairs in favor of inclined planes. This will be good news to the man wlto is always taking twentythree steps in the dark on a twenty-two step stair. The exact value of the Chinese war indemnity to be paid to Japan was, at the time of its enactment. 300,000,000 keeping taels,or measured as Chinese exchange usually is, by Mexican silver dollars, $l5O, 176,000 in American money. At least there is one locality in the wide world where prohibition prevails, and that is on the waters of the North Sea. By an agreement recently entered into between Hie powers of Europe, the sale of liquor to fishermen aud sailors in that sea is prohibited. A woman named Butler is the first of her sex to vote at a geueral election in England. Her name was put by mistake on the votiog list of Barrow, and the presiding officer at the polls held that he bad no authority to inquire into her sex when the name was ouce on the list. A correspondent of a Chicago paper calls attention to the curious fact that 50,000 children are running on the streets of New- York because that city lias no school accommodations for them. Mayw Strong is at work securing new sclioolhouses, and he declares that he will soon see that the defect is remedied.

The National Education Society recently held at Denver approved the geueral movement throughout (lie country for promoting educatiou in the field of American citizenship, and has emphasized the importance of placing before the people of our country fuller history of what has been accomplished by arbitration to secure peace throughout the country. Certain Missouri towns and counties aro arranging to send a trainload of the State’s products through the principal sections at the country. This suggests the fact that while Missouri has many resources,aud is, in fact, one of the most prosperous of the States, little has been done to exploit it. The failure of the last legislature to provide for an immigration bureau is regretted by the citizens generally. Chicago is doing work on its public library, which furnishes a good example to other American cities. The fine now building just completed is to be decorated in the best style, no less than SOOO,OOO being appropriated for this work and for furnishings. Boston lias long held the supremacy for its public library, but the enthusiasm shown by Chicago will make the young western city a dangerous rival for first place. • llerk is more bad news for the horse. They are slaughtering the animal iu the West and making himjinto canned corned beef, and now he is attacked another way in the East. William Bteiuway, the pianp maker, has begun the erection of a factory :at the little town on Long Island that bears his name, aud here the motors for horseless carriages will be made. It is likely that the plant will be increased so that the entire carriage, motor and all, will be completed on the spot. According to a London paper, the efforts of the railroad employees charged ’ with a recent transportation of the Princess of Wales and her daughters on a short trip went to laughable lengths to insure a spick and spun appearance for their train. The coals in the tender were whitewashed, the top layer only, and the flremun drew his supply from a trap door at the bottom, preserving tlie snowy appearance unbroken. It is, of course, too late to suggest that this was not high art. It would have been in better taste to have polished each piece separably, after carefully washing off all superfluous dust. A high degree of natural perfection is preferable always to any veneer. But coal stokers probably do not read Buskin, so their transgression of the canons of taste was quite pardonable.

The ‘‘new woman” lias been reduced to the composite. The New York World lias taken what it considers the twelve most advanced women of the day and made of them a composite photograph. The World selects Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton,Busan B. Anthony, Frances E. Willard, Mrs. E. B. Graunis, Lady Henry Somerset, Mrs. Annie Besant. ltev. Anna Shaw, Mrs. Belva A. Lockwood, Mrs. Mary E. Lease, Lillie Dcvereux Blake, Mme. Sarah Grund and Mrs. Mary Livermore. Of its production it says: “It will be seen at once that the composite new woman has a strong face. It is an intellectual face and —it is said with some regret—possibly a stern; unyielding face. Yet it is a face that indicates character and progression.” The predominant feature is the mouth, which is a sad, fixed mouth. In fact, the face is only saved from acidity by its earnestness. Is not here a lesson that our tasks iu life should not be allowed to take therefrom all its cheer? Wuktheu Cedar Island, one of the Shoals group, is in Maine or New Hampshire and whether the government charts or claims run by the point of the compass are correct are disputes that will soon be fought out in the courts. For a long time there has been a quarrel between Lemuel Caswell and his nepiiew, Clarence, as to their respective rights of ownership on the island—based on deeds. One party to the controversy claims that the island is wholly within the jurisdiction of the State of Maine and that the line follows the centre of the channel between Star and Cedar, leaving the former iu New Hampshire and the latter iu Maine. But the uncle asserts that the line runs by point of compass from the centre of the channel at the mouth of Portsmouth Harbor, and diagonally divides Cedar Island and, placing the southern portion, in which is the house in which Clarence Caswell lives, in New Hampshire, and that the State of Maine could not convey wlmt it did not own. In a paper read by Dr. Swope before the Kentucky Medical Society recently he summarized tile accepted points in the treatment of consumption, namely a dry climate, having a maximum number of fair days and a minimum humidity, with slight range of temperature, a moderate degree of high altitude, and ampler facilities for outdoor life. Among the data made by Dr. Swope in this connection is that of permanent or even long continued residence. Both research and experience have led to the conclusion that Southern New Mexico comes nearer to fulfilling what is required for the advantageous treatment of pulmonary diseases, and especially to be mentioned is the high plateau southeast of Silver City, partly across which runs the little mountain stream Mimbres, until it loses itself in the dry, sandy plains. This plateau, about 4500 to 5000 feet iu altitude, about fifty miles long and forty wide, is sheltered on every side by high mountain ranges and peaks, has constant Winds from the northwest and west, its maximum-temperature is 00 degrees, and here an invalid may be out of doors 360 days in Hie year.

The contrast between the career of Dr. Marion A. Cheek, whose death ju Siam has just been announced, and the career of some of the unhappy missionaries in China is great, indeed. Dr. Cheek went to Siam in 1874 as a missionary. Fortunately for him, he had studied medicine in this country, and his knowledge soon

uroeg.it niui into prominence.' Tne native physicians were unable to contend with the insidnous diseases of the country, and tbeikictoi’s fame as a successful physician soon spread abroad. The wife of the chief of the Lavs fell ill, and the natives tried in vain to heal her. She was taken to the "white magician," who cured her. and immediately became a man of great influence in tie country. Among hi& patients were soon numbered members of the royal family and prominent men of Siam. A few years ago the Borneo Company found it necessary to carry on its negotiations with the people of North Siam through Dr. Cheek, as his influence was greater than that of any white man in the country. Honors of all kinds were showered upon him, but be never accepted an official place under the crown,although he had the refusal of many. His death is sincerely regretted. Mrs. Cheek lias been in California for some time. It was there she received the word of her husband's death.