Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1884 — Louis XI. [ARTICLE]

Louis XI.

- —“it-daughter of the Re r. E. P. Roe, the prolific writer of Sunday-School fiction, inherits her father’s weakness, and has a book ready to be issued on her seventeepth birthday, which will be in the early part of next month. The Dutch papers mention the discovery of a “certain cure” for gout. A peasant who was confined to his bed by a sharp attack was stung by a bee, and almost immediately he felt better and next day he was well. A short time after another patient thought he would* try the same remedy, and, having induced a bee to sting him on the part affected, was also cured. Dr. A. E. Brehm, a German naturalist, lecturing in Chicago recently, related his experience in trying, by way of experiment, to intoxicate a baboon. The animal made a wry face at the first taste of liquor, but finally began to like it, and imbibed until it was in reality beastly drunk. Then it slept, and awoke with “a big head.” The doctor thought that this experience would cure his monkeyship from any further desire to indulge, but not so. As soon as he sobered up he wanted more, just like a man. —■ —/ ' . . -

Some interesting statistics regarding the Italian lottery have been published in the Stampa. The sums of money won in 1883 amounted to a total of no less than 44,000,000 francs, with, at the same time, a profit to the State of 27,416,155 francs. During the twelve months the number of tickets sold was 229,622,650, at a total expenditure of 71,826,683 francs. The number of winning tickets was 1,882,063. Forty-four of these entitled their possessors to sums above 1,000 francs each, the two highest amounts won having been 79,800 francs by a person at Turin, and 50,090 francs by another at Naples. Cancer very seldom appears in persons under thirty. It usually comes between forty-five and sixty. It is very rare in tropical countries, and more frequently among the poor than among the rich, among women than among mem and ithas been noticed that among the Trappists, Carmelites and Carthusian monks it is almost unknown, a circumstance ascribed to their abstinence from meat, while it is almost common in mid-Europe, where meat is most eaten. In the Netherlands and Belgium it ha? increased of late years. Immoral influences tend toward its production when they have a bad offect on the digestive organs.

The . conclusions of science are conflicting. It told us we were ruining our health by eating too fast, and then it told us that such was an old fogy notion and we might eat as we pleased. It told us first that early to bed and early to rise would improve our physical status, our financial standing and our understanding; then it told us that was all bosh, and the best time to sleep was when we felt sleepy. It told us we were becoming a nation of dyspeptics by eating white bread, and at once brown bread and oatmeal became the favorite food. Now a scientific chemist comes forward and declares that unbolted flour is harder to digest than white. Is life worth living under these circumstances ? “The latest-ships of the Great Eastern Railway Company, the Norwich and Ipswich,” writes a correspondent to the London Times," "have the advantage of twin screws, double shafting, and duplicate engines, and thus, if any misfortune should happen to the one set of engines to one main shaft, or to one propeller* they can still work on, in storm or in calm, at two-thirds of their speed, and bring their passengers safe to pork It is, I would submit, a question well worthy of serious consideration whether some similar improvements could not be made with regard to ocean-going steamships. Not only would the risks, and even tho certainty occasionally of serious delays, be thus avoided, but also the safety of ocean traveling would undoubtedly be enormously increased.” Mr. Labouchere states in the Truth that an old doctor of New London, Connecticut, where his visit several years ago is still most pleasantly remembered ,informed him that he had selected that lively locality for his residence from finding, in wandering among its tombs, that the ages of decease engraved on them ran to a longer span than he had ever fouud elsewhere. Mr. Labouchere forgot, however, to mention that the interesting Old Mortality to whom he refers, with the delightful diversity of profession which belongs to our elastic country, was not only an eminent specialist, but also a gallant Brigadier-General and an extensive land speculator, with a-large number of New London lots for sale, which latter circumstance may have affected his obituary observatidns. He died at 65. Mexico has no political conventions. ’ ’ .. . > .... I,

I The newspapers do the nominating, The papers begin a discussion of candidates ' about a year previous to the Presidential election. Next they “postulate,” or nominate certain candidates.; At the head of the paper will appear, “We postulate” so and so, naming the journal’s choice. Then, on election day, th-» voters assemble at the polling places, and each deposits a written bal? lot for electors, who are to constitute the Electoral Board of the State. Thq law stipulates that the ballot must bq written, and a table with paper and writing utensils, is provided beside thq ballot box/andTheballot mus6~berwnti T ten and immediately deposited unde? the inspection of the Supervisor. Somes times the voters of the different will meet a few hours previous and agree upon some candidateyihit usually each voter has made a choice of candi- ■ dates without any pressure from parly machinery. Every year, says Texas Siftings, some new facts are being discovered which throw light upon history, or unhinge the beliefs that have become to us a sort of second nature. Careful study and closejanalysis is a good thing, and it is eminently proner that the rising generation should be thoroughly posted upon the history of the country and its heroes. This wise course has evidently been pursued in the schools of Paterson, New Jersey, and, as a result, certain facts have been developed which are both startling and instructive. The birthday of the father of his country was celebrated in the above named town by having the publie school children give in writing the result of their researches, from which we glean the following facts: “George Washington was the greatest man that ever lived in Paterson, New Jersey, and had Washington street named after him. He was seven feet high and three feet wide, and lived in a piazza with a portico. His father gave him a little hatchet because he would not tell a lie, and he used to cut down all the cherry trees. He used to write his name in cabbage heads. When he was a boy everybody used to say: ‘There goes a boy who could not tell a lie.’ If he had lived to the present day he would have been 315 years old. His brother had the small-pox.

The supreme and unutterable idiot who killed a Brooklyn girl the other day because he “didn’t know it was loaded'" has been arrested. It is a question whether such stupidity as he exhibited is not as bad as deliberate malice. Certainly hanging the wretches guilty of it woul’d be quite as likely to dhter others as that penalty deters those who kill from other motives. He was spending the aiternoon with three or four young ladies, and after a pleasant talk asked them if they wished to be mesmerized. He said he was a mesmerist, and they laughingly agreed to put themselves under his influence. They were accordingly seated, and after a few pass® he drew a heavy four-barreled revolver from his hippocket. The young women were frightened, and prayed him to put up the needed it in order to mesmerize them. One of them ran across the room and stcoped behind a chair, remarking that she didn’t like that kind of sleight-of-hand performance. This amused him, and to their consternation he flourished his weapon more than ever, turning it upon Miss Benny. She, being frightened, started to run for the next room. He laughed, cocked his weapon and pulled the trigger. A report was heard, and Miss Benny fell to the floor with a ifcltet'iff Eof forefiMSi W startled them that nobody moved. Then Biley exclaimed: “My God! what have I done ?” Of course he was “sorry,” and “distracted,” and “grieved,” and “didn’t know it was loaded.” But it was loaded, and he, like so many of his idiotic kind, had fooled with it and taken life. Ought not a person endowed with so low an order of intelli: gence be put where he can do no fur-, ther harm ? "When a pet dog or bear or leopard or any other dangerous animal begins to bite and tear those whom it plays with, even in sport, it is generally agreed that they are dangerous and ought to be dispatched. So long as fools can provide themselves with pistols, are they not as perilous as dogs with teeth or bears and leopards with claws? <

He took a great interest in dogs, anc sent into foreign countries for them: into Spain for one sort, into Bretagm for another, to Valentia for a third, and bought them dearer than the people asked. He sent into Sicily to buy a mule of a private officer in that country, and paid him double the value asked At Naples he caused all the horses and strange creatures to be brought up that could be found; and in Barbary 0 sort of lion, no larger than a fox’; which he called adits. He sent into Sweeden and Denmark for two sorts of beasts those countries afforded, a species ol for each of which ho gave the merchants 4,560 Dutch florins.; Yet when all these varieties were brought him he never valued them, and many times would not so much as t’Oe the persons that brought them to his court.— The