NEWS IN BRIEF

Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 103, 3 May 1890, Page 1 (Supplement)

NEWS IN BRIEF

The disgraceful fact that some of the survivors of the Charge of the Light Brigade are starviug in the workhouse Beeinß likely to be removed. There will probably be a monster benofit at tho Empiie Theatre, which will placo tbo survivors of the "Six Hundred" beyond the reach of want for tho rest of their days. A medical journal points out that the French are gradually dying out. Dr. Lagncau has predicted that if matters go on as at present there will not bo a single Frenchman in existence le3s than five centurios honeo, und that without the aid of wars or epidemics. At a ball given in St. Petersburg^ recently one of tho ladies porsonatod "lufluetiza." She called herself Miss Grippe, and was dressed in an Oiiontal costume, whoso high headdress bore upon it the names of physicians who have written on tho sickness, and chemists who have largely profited by it. Her dress was a map of Eurcpe, with tho infected districts marked, coloured in various tints to show the progress of the mnlady. The influenza epidemic is increasing throughout 3Vf exico. Wholo settlements of Indians have boon attacked, and the death rote is hi«jh. At Buda Peßth, a youth of 16, n son of the director of tho Orphan Asylum, has just shot himself, having " drawn the black ball " in an American duel with a boy of his own age. He left a letter addressed to his antagonist, saying, "You want me to beg your pardon to save my life. I Bhall do no such thing. I have drawn the black ball, and not utter another word to eavo my life. Farewell. Eussia is about to create a naval port a few miles north of Libau, in tho Baltic, at nn estimated cost of £2,000,000, and work there is to begun immediately. This moasure has decided the Gorman Government to make a naval port at Danzig, as it is considered Kiel lies too far to tho westward to serve, in case of war, as a check upon tho now arsenal. The battle of corsets was fought at a collegiate school for girls in North London. Some of the pupils wear stays and some do not. Botwoon these parties a trial of strength was arranged, consisting of a high leap, a tug-of-war, and a foot race. Thero were Bixteon competitors — eight on each side. Those who did not wear corsets were victorious all along the line. Tho terrible statement is made that 77 per cent, of the foundlings committed to charitable institutions in Russia die of ill-treatment. They say tho Czar is afraid to have his photograph taken lost the innocent camera turn out to bo a genuine infernal machine. An English woman who had written a history of Wales and dedicated it to the Prince of Waleß has sent him a presentation copy, which is bound in solid gold extracted from tho recently doveloped mines in that country. A decree has been published at St.Petersburgh, ordering tho formation of two new rifle battalions in Eastern Siberia. The German Government is now experimenting wtih a novel kind of shoe for the infantry regiments. The sole consists of a eort of metallic welt filled with gutta-percha and resin. This costs much less than leather, and aids in the elasticity of the marching step. A recent discussion about tho height of trees in the forests of Victoria brings from the Government botanist the statement that he has seen one 525 feet high. The Chiof Inspector of Forests measured a fallen one that was 485 feet long. A hundred years ago our forbears enjoyed almost exactly the same kind of weather that we have now. In January, 1790, there was scarcely any Bnow, even on the mountains of Cumberland and Westmoreland, while the wind and rain exceeded as much as tho ico and snow fell short of tho usual proportions. At the close of the month the gardens had the appearanco of tho month of April. Tho latest contrivance which is interesting the ladies of New York is a glove with a pocket in it. The pocket is a tiny affair, fixed in the palm of the left glove, and is thus silent testimony to the fact that most women are right-handed. On entering a car or train, the fingers of the right hand deftly open the little pocket, and the necessary change is easily secured. Bread can now be cut and buttered by machinery. The machine has been invented for use in prisons, workhouses, and reformatories. A cylindrical-shaped brush lays a thin layer of butter on the bread as it comes from the cutter. Our output of coal last year was 175,000,000 tons, which was a large increase on the year before. It is feared that cholera will be brought to the West by the panicstricken inhabitants of Central Persia and the Turko-Persian frontior, who aro fleeing from the plaguo toward the Cancasus. Dr. Lamport, in . a recent paper which appeared in " Humboldt," asserts that wolves aro still extaut in Gormany. Scmo 50 aro killod annually in Lorraine. Parts of Franco, as is well-known, are still infested with these animals, over 700 of them having been elain in the year 1887. In Norway there are now very few; but in Russia the annual loss in property and game caused by their depredations is estimated b}' Dr. Lamport at several million pounds. The Right Hon. A. J. Balfour, Chief Secretary for Ireland, has appointed Viscount Chelsoa to bo his assistant private secretar}'. The copy of the first folio of Shakesporo, just sold at Sotheby's, was bought to go to America. The price was £310. In reply to an interviewer, the melodious Johaun Strauss has communicated the remarkable fact that, though tho famiiy havo been writing dance music for three generations, not one of them could dance a step, and if he himself wore put on the floor ho would " cut a shocking figure." The American Presidents have all boon lawyers and soldiers, and among them no millionaire or man of excessive wealth can be found.

Ono of tho prizes of tho scholastic profession is about to be competed for. The head-mastership of Haileybury College, near Hertford, which, is worth £2,250 a year and a capital house, will be vacant at Easter. Sydney can now boast the largest towii hall and the largest organ in the world. Tho Germans appear to have acquired a complete control over Cuban finances, so much so that the ishv^i is practically a German instead of a Spanish dependency. Tho rumour thut Mr. A. P. Sinnett had decided to start a new mystical body to bo called " Tho New Theosophical Society " ia unfounded. It is estimated that over eight tous of diamonds have boon unearthed in the South African fields daring the last 18 years. These represent a total value of £56,000,000 sterling. They say that Baku, on tho west shore of tho Caspian, where tho sacred fire burns and the petroleum springs fioin the oarth to a height of thirty feet, is cholera proof. Tho air and water of tho neighbourhood, it is contended, are so impregnated with naphtha as to kill the cholera, germs. It is calculated that eyory weekday morning a thousand miles of! London newspapers aro given to the* world by m&.'tns of the Rotary Press. Mr. Giffou recently estimated that tho aggregate growth of British, investments abroad in tho ten years ended in 1885 was £320,000,000, or at tho rule of £32,000,000 per annum. Unknown to the public, a largo amount of work is being Blowly but surely carried out, having for its attainment of the release and free pardon of tho convict Mrs. Maybrick. The new evidence which has so fur been collected is stated to bo of a most important chnruo'er. In the yoar 1700 thoro was but one newspaper in the United Stales. In 1870 thoro were 5,871 ; this year there aro 10,319, the total for tho United States and Canada boing 17,107. A century ago there were scarcely 15,000 Methodists in Canada. The latest returns bliow a membership of 225,000, representing at least 900,000 adherents, or above onesixth of tho entire population. The French doctors suggested warm alcoholic drinks as a good remedy for-tho grip, and within Oi© next three days the arrests for drunkenness in Paris rose to 1200. Some of tho "finest hospitals in the world aro tho municipal hospitals in Brazil. The Misericordia atJjßio de Janeiro recoives 14,000 indoor patients yearly. In China eight varieties of leprosy aro recognised, and the disease is considered contagious, infectious, and hereditary, but is said to disappear in four generations. There aro lepor villages, to which all suffering from tho disease aro Bont. Mr. Gladstone has again been approached by an American firm of publishers. The London correspondent of tho Birmingham Post is assured that this timo the right hon. • gontloman was offerod £5000 a year for tho exclusiva uso of all ho writes; but -this, liko its predecessors, was immediately declined. . General Booth and his subordinates have commenced their winter campaign wilh tho determination of "saving 100,000 souls bofore Bpring seta in." In order to givo on impetus to the movement at the outset a great "holiness convention," or " two days with God," ie held at Exeter Hall.