AMERICAN SUMMARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1950, 4 April 1889, Page 11

AMERICAN SUMMARY.

Isaiah V. Williamson, a millionaire, died at Philadelphia oa March 6. His benefactions in recent years reached a total of 160,000,000d01. He devoted 12 millions- to the establishment of a 1 great industrial school for boys. An English syndicate— fche London Assurance Company— has purchased for 2,000,000 the Barfcholomony, Roshester, and Geneses'e Breweries in Rochester and New York. The transfer was made on the 6th of March. • The amendment to the election law of California, known as the Australian plan, came up for reconsideration in the Legislature on March 3, and was rejected by a vote of 46 to 26. A goldfield has been discovered in Santa Clara near San Diego, and a mineralogist specially sent to examine it pronounces the find to be the richest in the history of the Pacific Coast. The general opinion is that this reported discovery is a lure to the floating population of California. Miss Mary L. Booth, editress of Harper's Baazar, died on March 5 at New York, aged 50. ■ The Australian Ballot Bill was defeated in the Senate of the State of Maine oa March 13 by a majority of one. Bishop Murray, of Australia, who is about to visit the Vatican, preached on Sunday, March 3, at St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco. The bishop took for his subject on .the occasion, " The Progress of Catholicity in Australia." He estimated that there were now 800,000 Catholics in Australia. Two children, Minnie and Willie Peterson, when returning from school in the northern part of Aitkpn County, Minnesota, were attacked and completely devoured by wolves, a few scattered bones and shred? only remaining as horrible testimony of their fate. Jas. C. Flood, one of a San Francisco v bonanza" firm of mining millionares, died at the Grand Hotel in Heidelberg, 63 years of age, of Bright's disease. He was a carpenter by trade, and commenced business in San Francisco by keeping a liquor saloon. In 1887 the firm met with severe losses by unfortunate wheat dealings, losing nearly 1,200,000 according to some estimates, but notwithstanding Flood died worth many millions. Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper was sold on February 25 to Arkell, of the New York Judge, a comic weekly, for 300,000d01. The German edition commands 100,000dol additional. On February 25 the mayor of New York gave netice that all telegraph and telephone wires in that city must be buried ; if the work is not done by the end of that time, to have it done by the city at the expense of the companies. The Secretary of the United States navy has contracted with Messrs T. Pickering and Co., of New York, for the delivery of 2000 tons of coal at Samoa at 13dol 25c per ton. .The shipment will ,cost the Government 44,000d01, and the voyage occupy four months. •The German newspapers are dissatisfied with President Harrison's inaugural address. Some of them say it shows an arrogant spirit, and I does not display a particularly friendly feeling i towards the other powers. The Parisian papers hold the document lightly. Le Temps points I out the traditional systematic abstention of the ; United States from a foreign policy, while proclaiming the duty of the country to protect her citizens wherever established. Figaro and La Liberte cannot see a logical application of the Monroe doctrine to the Panama canal scheme. The Mexican press see in the address a menace to the peace of tha Spanish- American republic, and especially of Mexico. The Premier of Canada, Sir John Macdonald, proposes to appeal to the country at once on the annexation question, and then retire from the Government when the question is decided one way or the other. He suggests that Canada be elected into an independent kingdom under British protection, with one of the royal family as reigning head. The Orangemen held a mass meeting in Ottawa on February 23, and resolved to withdraw their support from the Conservative party if the Government persisted in refusing to disallow the Jesuits Compensation Act passed by the Quebec Legislature. It was resolved also that a third party be formed. The Jesuits have sued the Toronto Mail for libel, and retained a senator, a member of Parliament, and three Queen's Counsels to prosecute. The Edison Electric Light Company's patents have been declared invalid in Canada. Chili has passed a law excluding Chinese from the republic.