SECULAR NEWS | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Aug 17, 1876

SECULAR NEWS.

The town of Albeuve, Switzerland, was totally destroyed by fire, July 20.

Minister Pierrepont denies that he is negotiating a new extradition treaty with England.

The Irish and Germans constitute about one-eleventh of our population; but they have over one-half of the entire liquor business of the country.

Messrs. J. J. and W. Astor, sons of the late Wm. B. Astor, propose to put up a new altar piece in Trinity church, N. Y., as a memorial to their father.

Colorado, having adopted her constitution, is now ready for admission into the Union as the thirty-eighth State, the President's proclamation being the only act necessary to complete the admission.

It is said that the Vermont Central and Pennsylvania railroads exact a total abstinence pledge from their employes. The latter numbers from 20,000 to 25,000 men in its employ and hence should rank as one of the most effective temperance societies.

Since the small-pox broke out in San Francisco, 494 cases have been reported. During the month of July 54 persons died. August 5 there were but three cases reported and but two deaths registered, showing a decided decrease.

The German minister, Von Brant, is pressing the Chinese government severely in the matter of the treaty revision. He is reported to have made sixteen separate demands, the most important of which are that the whole of China be opened for intercourse and trade; that local taxes detrimental to foreign interests, be abolished; that permission shall be given to foreigners to use steam on inland waters, and that China adopt the responsibility of international law. Should China grant these demands, the entire country would be thrown open to commerce, and foreigners would be able to navigate the rivers. Considerable delay may be expected before the Chinese accord these concessions.

On the evening of the 8th the Eleventh Industrial exhibition of the “Mechanics’ Fair” of San Francisco was opened. Many of the articles for display, however, are yet to be put in their places, before it will be in perfect readiness.

The grasshoppers have unexpectedly descended on the region of Minnesota west of, and including, Jackson county, westward to Dakota, and southward through North-western Iowa. Hundreds of settlers have lost their all, and many are arranging to move away.

Miss Catherine L. Wolfe, of New York, some time since gave $10,000 for founding a school for girls in Nevada, on condition that a like sum should be contributed by the citizens of that State. Bishop Whitaker has succeeded in raising the required amount, and the school will soon open at Reno.

In Algeria there is said to be a river of ink. It is formed by the union of two streams—one coming from a region of ferruginous soil, and the other draining a peat swamp. The water of the former is strongly impregnated with iron, the other with gallic acid. When the two waters mingle, the acid of the one unites with the iron of the other, forming a true ink.

In Turkey the Government has decided to issue paper money in order to meet the necessities of the war. It is driven to this expedient by the utter distrust manifested throughout Europe of the solvency of the Ottoman Empire. There is considerable foundation for this want of confidence, inasmuch as the Turks have incurred a debt of $900,000,000 within the last twenty-two years on which they now pay no interest.

The outlook for China for a year to come is gloomy. Recent inundations have destroyed 5,000 lives—and the destruction of crops and property may be judged by this enormous destruction of life. Rich agricultural territory to the extent of 800 square miles, containing 70,000,000 people and feeding half as many more, has been ravaged by a drought to the extent of a total failure of crops. An even divide of this loss would place the whole 400,000,000 of people on three-quarter rations.

The Landtag of Saxony has passed an important measure—a law establishing the supremacy and supervision of the State over the property and appointments of the Roman Catholic church. It is similar to the famous Falk law of Prussia. In the House of Peers it was opposed by the court party, one opponent being the brother of the king. The king, in his speech from the throne on the eve of the adjournment of the Diet, expressed his satisfaction with this legislation, as promising the establishment of peace between church and State. That a Roman Catholic king should favor such a law is a significant indication of the state of public opinion in Europe.

According to the estimate made by Dr. Kudal, of Vienna, the quantity of paper of all kinds produced in the whole world amounts to 1,800,000,000 pounds. Half of this quantity is employed for printing purposes, a sixth for writing purposes, and the remaining parts for diverse uses. The individual consumption of paper is, in Russia, an annual average of one pound to each person, one and a half in Spain, two in Mexico, three and a half in Italy and Austria, seven and a half in France, eight in Germany, ten and a quarter in North America, eleven and one-half in England.

The principle of making a man responsible for the damage done by the whisky or beer he sells has been hotly contested by the liquor people, but it has worked and is still working excellent results. In Wooster, Ohio, a Mrs. Zeagley sued one Jeanert for selling liquor to her husband, and received a verdict for $1,300. A hotel-keeper at Lacona, Oswego county, paid a woman $400 whose husband became drunk at his hotel, and was subsequently killed in that intoxicated state. A Mrs. Hall, of Riverhead, N. Y., received $200 from John Zetter, for selling beer to her son by which he became intoxicated and sick. In Decorah, Iowa, a man when drunk froze his hands and feet so that they had to be amputated. His wife obtained judgment against the druggist who sold him liquor, for $9,500. Suits are pending against the saloon-keepers of Sioux City to the amount of $60,000.