NEWS AND NOTES.

| It is stated that au American syndicate has purchased the famous volcano Popocatapetl in Mexico for half a million dollars. Tho object of tho purchnao is the more systomatio and extensive production of sulphur. At Maldon, in Essex, a boy in quest of bird's oggs saw a nest in the topmost brahch of a high tree, and forthwith climbed to it. To his surprise ho found the nest occupied by a cat, which was nursing "thrco nowly-born kittons. The Kettering (England) Board of Guardians recently discontinued oakum picking as a task. At thoir last meeting the I master reported that the tramps for tho past quarter numbered 577, as compared with 277 in the corresponding period of last yoar. A curious murder trial has taken place in Hungary. A man suffering from lung disease was strangled. He had voluntarily consented to being put to death so that his murderer might marry his wife. The murderer has been sentenced to 16 years' hard labour and the wife to five. Tremendous rain storms occurred in Capetown on 2nd August, causing a good deal of damage by floods. The rainfall, ljfin in 90 minutes, is described as the heaviest ever recorded in tho city. Stores were flooded, and tho contents were damaged to the value of thousands of pounds. A hoy, white loosening some rocks near Rhayauor, in Wales, discovered a gold ring set with onyx, a gold armlet, and a gold necklet thought to be at least 1000 years old. The jewellery was claimed as treasure trove, and the finder will receive tho full antiquarian value (about £400), less 20 rier cent. An unprecedented case of hydrophobia in a human being is reported from Loth, near Brussels. A workman, finding that his dog was suffering from rabies, killed the animal with a table knife. Noxt day he cut his bread with tho same knife, and became mad, and bit his children like a wild boost. Considerable irritation is felt in Russia over .what a St. Petersburg correspondent terms Kaiser Wilhelm's "views on neutral waters hear the Russian pasiessions." It appears that under a pretext of fisheries a German expedition has established itself on the Bear Islands, which lie just on tho line of navigation between Siberia and Europe, and are wanted by Eussia for a coaling station. A shop girl writes to the Westminster Gazette :— "lt is only two months ago that my employer insisted upon my reducing my waist) from 16in to 14in, on (ho ground that sho must have a model to show ' tho .newest fashions on. How could I refuse? I know many girls who would lace their waists till they fainted to get a good situation. Ana so to please these ladies I am locked day and night into a j vice which hardly allows mo to breathe." A tailor's shop has been opened -\i Yale College by tho University students, to assist them in paying their expenses during the theological course. The tailoring establishment is in ono of llie rooms in West Divinity Hall. These students have sent out circulars stating that owing to tho fact that they have no rent to pay, they can mako garments cheaper than ordinary tailors... They also guarantee all garments sold by them for one year against rips, loose buttons, etc. In political circles here, writes the Sydney Morning Herald's London correspondent, it is freely admitted in private talk that the grant of the franchise to tho Outlanders moans that in less than a generation they will have swamped tho old DopSer element, and that in ail probability the opublie, with tho full nssont of tho younger .Boers, will havo definitely elected to becomo a British colony. But this does not mean that its independence will have fono, any more than t no independence of Tew South VVales or Victoria. The Popo is becoming somewhat disturbed at the increasingly active propaganda of the Christian Democratic party, and the extreme tendencies of some of its supporters. His Holiness has. r.ppointea a commission, presided over ty Cardinal Aloisi Masolla, to keop an eye on' the movement and check any tendency to extremes. This step is considered to mark a change in the Pope's attitude on tho labour question. Christian democracy has, moreover, proved its impotence as a figting force. Remarkable commercial activity has shown itself in the Soudan since the downfall of the Khalifa. The Greeks are doing a thriving business in every branch of* trado, ana oven the art of bookbinding in native leather is said to be nourishing. Recruiting for the Egyptian army among tho Dorvishes is going on briskly. Evorywhevo there are signs of returning nrospority. For the present unauthorised persons are not allowed to proceed beyond Dongola, and this embargo will probably not be taken off until the Khalifa is finally disposed of. An unique feature of Hempatoad Church has to be recorded. Tho curate in chargq, tho Rev. John Escreet, happens to bo an expert carver in wood, and when his church was rebuilt his contribution to tho now structure took the substantial form of the carving of tho readingdesk, lectern, and pulpit. There is probably no other church in the world of which it can be said that the pulpit is tho actual handiwork of the minister who preaches from it. Mr. Escreet also executed the carving on the south porch of his church. A private communication from Simla, writes Mr. H. W. Lucy in tho Sydney Ilcrald, announces what is literally a now departure on the part of the Vicoroy. Lord Curzon has forniod the conclusion that the native princes and people see too little of, some have never seen, tho representative of the Empress. He is, accordingly, projecting a topr to extend over a period of two months, during which ho will visit a large number of the courts of j- tho Princes of India. Lady Curzon will accompany him, and the journey will bo accomplished in semi-State. Some remarks made to an English roviower by Mr. Andrew Carnegie on "tho American invasion of industrial England" wero published at considerable length by tho New York Journal and the New York Sun. Thoy attracted a large amount of attention owing to the position of tho speaker in the American industrial world. Ihoro is a consensus of opinion, says a Now York correspondent, that the establishment of the Westinghouse Electrical Works at Manchester will be foll6wed by other enterprises on similar lines, the idea being that England is about 15 years behind this country in the application of electricity to industrial and manufacturing purposes, and more particularly to what may be described as domestic purposes. In the spacious and shady garden of a relative, not far from Meopham, I have soon (writes Sir Edwin Arnold in tho London Daily Telegraph) a bush of green roses. The buds and blossoms, be it understood, woro not merely greenish, nor striped or variegated with green, but perfect green roses in shape and make, with calyx, corolla, petals— everything, all alike, of a bright, vivid colour, exactly reiombling that of the ordinary green loaf of tho rose bush. Somo of the blooms were of tho ordinary size, nnd fashioned like a tea roso, or a small Gloire de Dijon, and many among them wero most symmotrically formed and finished. There exhaled a faint perfume of briar from those emerald coloured monstrosities— bub what could possibly induce the Queen of the Garden thus to abdicate her lovely colours and splendid traditions and look like a tuft of grass or a button of St. John's wort? After that bußh, I, at least, am quite prepared to hear of blue roses and black roses (without inoxedulity.