Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 August 1889 — A LONG RAILROAD. [ARTICLE]

A LONG RAILROAD.

A Proposed Bait of tar • Brood, < Contineat. I tv Philadelphia fUocfd ms: ‘This k mi era of great undertakings By land iad tea. One the latest la the railroad wa 1 fjeet to emmect Recife ’ (TemambncO) IV j most eastern aea port of Brazil, with Valparaiso, Chill, IV nearest harbor on the west coast of South America to Australia and New Zealand. TV voyage from Lis- . bon to Recife is made by steamers In nine days, and Vafpemfeo eonld be reached by the proposed railway route from Recife in five days, making the route from Europe to the Pacific coast fourteen days. In obliquely cutting South America Die road would traverse the fertile provinces of Brazil, Paraguay, the Argentine Republic, and Chili, fit both Brazil and the Argentine Republic use could be made of skeletons of railroads already constructed. The estimated cost of the undertaking is $150,000,000. A syndicate has been formed in Rio to obtain; grants of land and money from the countries interested. “It need not be said that, upon more grounds than one, this project, as well as all other projects for the development of South America, if accomplished,, would be of great importance to the people of the United States. "With the progress of that vast vast region in agriculture and commerce its trade with this country would immensely Increase if the American people should take advantage of their opportunities. But this is not to the United States t the most important consideration involved in the development of Brazil, as well as other counties of South America. If the railroad could penetrate those countries and make their cheap an! fertile lands available for remunera ive cultivation, a very large emigration would be attracted from Europe. The mighty stream of immigration that now pours on these snores would be greatly diminished by diverson to South America, and thus a problem that seems to perplex many people in United States might be solved.”

.Lightning Bods Around a Grave. An old man living up in the mountains | near Ellijay, Ga., has had his wife’s grave ' surrounded by several lightning rods. While the old lady was living, lightning ! struck the old man so often that he dreaded ! to think of even his wife’s body being ! struck, so be bought the rods. He’s got I ninety-five of his dead wife’s dresses and j thirty-five p airs of her shoes piled up in the bouse, and he wouldn’t sell them for anything. He is a queer customer. He’s got a hat for every day of the week, and the last one of them is out of style. He wears a beaver on Sunday, white hat 1 on Monday, a slouch hat on Tuesday, a faded derby on Wednesday, an old b&wn wool hat bn Thursday, an old-fashioned white derby on Friday, and a .coon-skin cap on Saturday. He has forty pairs of boots, and he is buying new ones every week or so. Another curious thing about the old man is that he has a mania for pocketknives and has 125 of them, and is stiil adding to his collection. He’s a farmer, and every few days he takes to market a load of extra fine potatoes to selL He won’t accept any kind of money for them unless it’s silver or gold. H wants hard money, and will take no other kind for his potatoes. He recently married a 16-year-old girl, though he’s sixty himself.

A New Floating Exposition. The Export Society of Germany has decided to buffd the ‘ ‘Floating Exhibition Palace of Germany,” having raised 5,000,000 marks for the purpose. It proposes to build a ship to be called the Kaiser Wilhelm, which will be the work of German "Shipyards. According to plans, the ship will be 564 feet long, 65-i feet wide, and 46 feet deep. It will have four engines propelling as many screws. The material will be principally German steel. The cost of a two years’ tour is estimated at 3,150,000 marks. The income from the rented space —I,OOO to 1,200 marks for each booth—and from sales will be, it is thought, at least 7,260,800 marks, leaving a balance of 4,100,800, or over 2,000,000 marks annually —a pretty sum on the pages of the ledger. Emperor William it is said has promised his aid to the enterprise, and it is hop id hat the vessel will sail from Hamburg on her first voyage in the spring of 1890.

The Frenr.li President a Carpenter. Monsieur Carnot is a first-class carpenter, and can handle the saw and plane as well as any mechanic. It was at Chobonais, in the Charente, where his father possessed a chateau, that he learned the trade. Carnot, Sr., insisted that all his children should learn some occupation; “there is no telling,” he used to say; “you may want it some day, for we live in strange times.” So Carnot, Jr., was put to the bench, and, according to his professor, one Monsier Delarge, who is still living, acquitted himself most honorably, In memory of this event in his career Monsier Bardin, who was an apprentice at that time, but is now a master carpenter in the Faubourg St Antoine, demanded an audience of the chief of the State, and has ntoeived a reply to the effect that the President will be happy to meet his old fellow workman and talk shop with him a little.

Japanese Beds. The Japanese bed is simply a futon spread upon the matting. They lie upon this and spread another fnton over themselves and rest their heads upon wooden pillows and are happy. A futon is a thickly wadded cotton quilt, exactly like our comfortable, and a very nice arrangement such a bed is for the housekeeper. The bed is easily made and in the morning the futon is folded up and put away in a closet and the chamber work is done. They wear no night dresses, but as every person, even in the poorest and humblest station, takes a hot bath once, and in the majority of cases twice a day, there is nothing uncleanly in the wearing of the same dress at night which is worn in the day. A Monster of the Beep. A great sea monster has appeared at Matanxas, Cuba. The HI Carrera da Mntanxas, referring to it say si “Intelligent persons who saw him calculate that the monster measures about 160 feet long by 40 feet wide. It is of dark grey color, with white spots the size of dinner plates all over the back. Its immense head, fins and tail are identical with those of a shark. It was roaming around the entrance of Ma tancas Bay for three days, and was the terror of fishermen, who declared that they had never seen anything to compare with it This monster Is supposed to be toe great tiger shark seen several years ago in Die Indian Ocean. . b Sudden Loss of faith. ft Doctor PHI (atmedical meeting)—What’s the matter with Dr. Physic to-uigkir’ He appears to be In a terribly had hittnor—nothing but impatience, irascibility, and shirs every time the wonderful program of Doctor Powder—He has had rheumatism for six weeks, and all his brother physicfau» who ware called is only nMgirtt