SECULAR NEWS | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Apr 25, 1878

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 4, No. 16.

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SECULAR NEWS.

—There is a scarcity of water in the city of Mexico.

—The public debt was reduced $2,313,614 in March.

—Peru and Chile have joined the International Postal Union.

—Germany published in 1876, 13,356 new works, and in 1877, 13,925.

—Rich and extensive gold placers have been discovered in Durango, Mexico.

—Cabbages in the Island of Jersey, English Channel, grow on stems to the hight of ten feet and more.

—April 21, a fire broke out in Macon, Ga. The loss of the property destroyed is estimated at $100,000.

—Eight thousand utterly destitute Thessalonians from burned villages in Thessaly have taken refuge in Greece.

—The government is paying rent for buildings as follows: In San Francisco, $67,000; Denver, $22,000; New York, $164,000, and Chicago, $74,000.

—One of the hottest regions of the earth is along the Persian Gulf, where little or no rain falls. At Bahrin the arid shore has no fresh water, yet a comparatively numerous population live there.

—A destructive fire occurred recently at Clarksville, Tenn. The loss is estimated at $500,000. The burnt district covers fifteen acres. Between fifty and seventy-five of the principal houses were destroyed.

—April 18, a driving rain storm commenced at an early hour in the evening, in Deadwood, D. T., and by noon on the day following the creeks had swollen over their banks, overflowing many of the lower floors in the city. Much damage was done.

—The United States Postal Commissioner who left Philadelphia about January 1st, to endeavor to induce South American governments to adopt the provisions of the Berne Postal Union, announces by cable that the Governments of Peru and Chile have decreed their adhesion to the Berne treaty.

—The Swedish school system is perhaps equal to any in the world. Of the children of school age, 97 per cent attend school. Eight months is the length of the school term. Sweden has seven normal schools. The teachers are required to have normal training. Pensions are given to disabled and superannuated teachers. Only one case of corporal punishment reported since 1866.

—An exchange says: "An examination of the Japanese criminal statistics does not impress one with the belief that they merit the praise which has been given them by some enthusiastic Americans who have visited that island kingdom. The official statistics extend back to 1874, in which year there was a total of 184,543 convictions. Of these 750 were decapitated. The total population that year was 33,625,683. Of the criminals about 8,000 were women. The prevalent crimes were: Burglaries, 90,458; armed robberies, 3,201; incendiaries, 3,201. Murders were frequent. Since that year crime has decreased, but the showing is still very much against the Japanese as a law-abiding race."