News and Notes by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 11, 1891

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 17, No. 19.

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News and Notes.

By Editor

FOR THE WEEK ENDING MAY 3.

SECULAR.

NEW HAMPSHIRE had a severe earthquake May 1.

TEN acres of orange land sold in Riverside, Cal., April 28, for $25,000, or $2,500 per acre.

THE Spanish Minister of Finance announces a deficit in the government finances for the year of nearly $3,800,000.

Two little boys in Brooklyn, N. Y., stole a five-gallon keg of whisky on the 24th ult., and drank so much that one died and the other probably will. It is but an instance of youthful depravity in our great cities.

PROFESSOR JOHN LE CONTE, M.D., LL.D., the distinguished scholar and scientist, ex-president of California State University, and professor of physics and senior instructor at the University, died at his home in Berkeley, April 29, of pneumonia, superinduced by la grippe. He was a descendant of the Huguenots on his father’s side, and from the Puritans on his mother’s side. His age was 72.

APRIL 25, 2,500 employes of the Michigan Car Company at Detroit struck, and in leaving demolished all the windows in the buildings with stones. They went to the works of the Steel Spring Company, and then, when the men refused to quit, broke the windows with stones. One man was seriously injured. The police dispersed the rioters. And this is a sample of many smaller disturbances of a similar nature in all parts of the world.

MILITARY disorders and breaches of discipline seem to be quite in order in these days. Twice within a year, we believe, English troops have risen against their officers for real or fancied grievances. And now a mob of United States soldiers at Walla Walla, Oregon, have lynched a man who slew one of their number, Miller by name. The slaying occurred April 22, the lynching April 24. And all this was done when, according to all reasonable supposition, justice would have been done. The war department has ordered an investigation.

APRIL 18 Rev. G. W. Bothwell, D.D., formerly of Oakland, now of Brooklyn, N. Y., drew the cork of a four-ounce bottle into his lung while laughing at the pranks of his child. All surgical skill possible has been put forth to extract the cork, but late advices indicate that he will not survive. It was first tried to reach the cork by an incision in the windpipe, but as this failed, an incision was made on the lung, one rib was taken out, but the cork was not found. Dr. Bothwell will be remembered as one who discussed the Sunday-law question with Elder A. T. Jones in Oakland. He died May 3, aged 41.

MAY 1, with its labor demonstrations, is in the past. Europe was in a fever of excitement and fear over the threats of socialistic and anarchistic leaders. But the only places which seem to have had much difficulty from mob violence were Lyons and Fourmies, France, and Rome, Italy. At Lyons the police were utterly powerless. In the United States there were many strikes for an eight-hour day. The following were among the principal ones noted: At Pittsburg, Pa., 5,000 miners struck, and 3,000 engaged in the building trades. A general strike has taken place among the bituminous coal miners throughout Pennsylvania. About 5,000 in the building trades in New York have quit work. Many smaller companies in other places have done the same. In many other cases the demand for an eight-hour day was yielded to by the employing companies.

THE Russians sailed a war ship under a mercantile flag, loaded with military workmen, through the Dardanelles April 13, which was detained by the Turkish authorities. The act of Russia was in direct violation of the restrictions placed upon her by the great powers at the close of the Crimean war. The Russian ambassador has notified the Sultan that Russia would henceforth be compelled to take independent measures to insure the unimpeded passage of her merchant vessels through the Dardanelles. To this the Sultan has replied that other powers also might feel called upon to take the matter into consideration. It has aroused considerable excitement in diplomatic circles. It will probably amount to no more than a protest, and Russia will gain a point. In spite of the recent threat of Russia, another Russian volunteer transport has been detained in the Bosphorus. The Turkish commandant threatened to fire if the vessel attempted to pass. Nelidoff sent a strong note to the Porte, in which he demands indemnity.