Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1895 — NOTES AND COMMENTS. [ARTICLE]

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

One of the Rothschildn is quoted as saying that there will be more chances to make money in America during the next five years than in any other section of the globe. The Mayor of Chicago lias determined to stop railroad companies’ laying tracks in the streets on Sundays. The roads choose that day. liecause the citizens cannot get an injunction then. Berlin threatens to eclipse Paris. It now has a population of 1.736.739, and the early annexation of some surburbs will increase this to 1.980,000. Vienna is not far behind, having 1.500,000 inhabitants. ‘'Common scolds” are now declared to be suffering from a disease, and fitter for the hospital than the jail. It is to be hoped that some bacteriologist will speedily discover the proper virus with which to inoculate and cure them. The City Council ofAtchison, Kan., has passed an ordinance making it unlav ful for children to play around the tracks of the street railways or climo upon the platforms of the cars. Parents will be held responsible for the acts of their children. Cranks who think they are inventors are paying a great deal of attention to trolley car fenders. The Philadelphia Ibcord tells of one of them who mis designed a fender with a powerful spring that would throw a full-grown man a distance of thirty feet. It appeai-s from the recent English agricultural returns that there is a sensible increase in the use of land for market gardening and orchard cultivation. The acreage of orchards in England, Wales and Scotland is now more than 218,000. Last year it was only a little less than 214,000. The market gardens cover now 92,873 acres, as compared with 88,210 last year. The Congregation of Sacred Rites, in Rome, was recently asked to decide whether electric lights could be used ‘‘for dissipating darkness and for increasing the exterior attractiveness of churches.” Its answer was as follows: “For worship, no. But for dispelling darkness and illuminating churches more brilliantly, yes; with caution, however, so that the manner may not produce the appearance of a theater.”

“The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph” quotes J. R. Shepard, a prominent citizen of Nameless, Ga., as explaining how the place came by its title. Mr. Shepard said that originally various names were suggested to the postoflice department, but objection was made on one ground and another. He added: "At last I sat down and wrote out a list of several hundred names, and told them if they could not find one on the list to suit them the office would remain nameless, for I had suggested every name I had ever heard of. In due time the answer camo back, 'Let it remain Nameloss.’ and ever since that time it has had that name, which, while a little odd, is not sue!: a bad name after all.” For the last three years Mrs. Joshua P.iles, of Southington, Conn., has been making a unique bed-quilt. The material is twilled cotton, and it is made in forty-one squares, seven inches each way, except the inner square, which takes up the space of nine of the ordinary ones. On this are inscribed in blue stitching, which is readily deciphered, the names of all the soldiers who went to the Civil War from Southington, together with a picture of the soldiers’ monument. On the other squares are the pictures of places aud persons of local note, such as the pastors of the chut ches, the postmasters of the three villages, the assessors, the contractors and builders, merchants, etc., the names of the various manufacturing firms, with the lists of officers, pictures of various historic buildings and names of secret societies represented in the town in 1892. Mrs. Biles iias been untiring in her efforts to finish this remarkable work, and it is now sti etched upon a frame. The heroic life savers did more workin the last fiscal year along our coasts than in any previous equal perio 1. They rescued 5,382 persons from drowning—a colossal achievement which furnishes a high testimonial to the heroism of the men attached to the service. Ten millions of dollars worth of property was imperilled diuthe year on the great lakes and along our stormy Atlantic coasts, and rhe greater quantity of it was saved. Tbe work of the service is constantly increasing, and the nation should provide amply for it. No class of men who come into contact with the ravages of the sea are braver or more deserving than the men who man the life-saving stations. Many scores of shipwrecked sailors who have been succored at these stations would join their voices to any general demand for better pay and larger honors for the worthy corps. Austria proposes to deal with persistent .drunkards by treating them as mentally incapable, and detaining them m special retreats for a term of two years. They may go in of their own accord or on compulsion, but cannot leave at will until their term has expired, except in certain cases on probation. Persons may be sent to the retreat either oy order of the magistrate or on the petition of the parents or children, or of the busband or wife, or trustee, or of the chief of a lunatic asylum in which a drunkard may be detained. Inebriates may further be assigned to retreats by the action of the public prosecutor, or by the mayor of me town or village in which the habitual drunkard resides. In all eases the inebriate must be legally tried and convicted, the court being bound to near witnesses, including the drunkard Himself, as well as the doctors, more o pecially experts on mental diseases. The term of detention will be generally for two years, but the patient may be released on leave after one year, but will be confined again in case he relapses into his former bad habits.