NEWS AND NOTES

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 5, 1895

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 21, No. 48.

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SINCE OUR LAST ISSUE.

FOREIGN.

—Alexander Dumas, the widely known French novelist, died on November 27.

—A foreign despatch says that 500 persons perished in a storm in Odessa, Russia, recently.

—It is reported that 13,000 men are on their way from Spain to reinforce General Campos in Cuba.

—By a powder explosion at Palma, on the island of Majorca, on November 25, fifty-one persons were killed, and nearly as many more were severely injured.

—As one result of the recent war in Madagascar, and the feeling of antagonism to foreigners which is aroused, a missionary and his family were murdered recently by a mob of 2,000 natives.

—Jabez Balfour, the man who swindled English depositors by the wholesale in the building and loan associations of London, posing during that time as a religiousist and public benefactor, has been sentenced to fourteen years’ penal servitude.

—In six years the war budgets of Europe have increased at the rate of twenty-three per cent. There are at present 4,000,000 men in standing armies, on which twice as much is spent as was spent twenty-five years ago. While the standing armies represent the above figure, the number that could be called into active service is over twenty million.

—The University of Chicago has chosen Rev. John Henry Barrows, the president of the World’s Fair Parliament of Religions, as the man to inaugurate the series of lectures on Christianity in Bombay and other leading cities of India, according to the plan of Mrs. Caroline Haskell, who made the university a gift for that purpose. The lectures will be given in 1896, and Mr. Barrows has tendered his resignation as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago.

—Affairs in Turkey remain unchanged for the better. It had been expected during the past week that firmans would be issued by the sultan granting the powers the right they have demanded of passing more vessels through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus. This was asked to insure a safer feeling among foreigners in the capital. But it seems the permission has not been forthcoming for fear such action would precipitate further internal commotion. It is stated that since the massacres began, 40,000 persons, mostly Armenians, have lost their lives, and $50,000,000 worth of property has been destroyed.

DOMESTIC.

—A Hoboken, N. Y., German minister, by the name of Feicke, has applied for a license to conduct a saloon, resigning his pastorate for this business. His reason is that he can make more money out of the saloon.

—A notice has been posted by the dean of the Boston University giving students who insist on smoking in the building the privilege of withdrawing from the university. Probably the pipes will go rather than the students.

—A great manufacturing company in Massachusetts recently paid their workmen, on Saturday evening, 700 ten-dollar bills, each bill being marked. By the following Tuesday, 410 of these marked bills—$4,100—were deposited in the bank by the saloon keepers of the town.

—A freight train and an east-bound flyer came into collision on the Santa Fe road at Shoemaker, N. M., on November 25, resulting in the death of four persons, and the injuring of twelve others. The freight was trying to reach a point beyond the place appointed to meet the passenger.

—The heavy storm which struck Chicago on November 26 is said to have caused damage to the city wires to the extent of $10,000, while telephone companies lost $50,000. For a time communication was established with New York via Kansas City, the Needles, San Francisco, Vancouver, and Montreal, the direct wires being broken.

—Three of New York’s police commissioners were the guests of the Methodist Social Union of that city recently, and made speeches concerning the work that has been done and that is proposed concerning the enforcement of excise and Sunday laws. The union heartily endorsed their work, and passed resolutions to that effect. One of the resolutions declares that every effort will be put forth “to maintain the sabbath in obedience to the command of God.” That is, the Sunday laws will be enforced according to men’s statute regulations. This is the real object of the Sunday saloon crusade, to enforce recognition of the Sunday as a day of rest.