News and Notes by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 26, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 21.

News and Notes.

By Editor

FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 19.

RELIGIOUS.

—The Episcopal synod of Servia has annulled the decree of divorce secured several years ago by King Milan from Queen Natalie.

—It is said that Papal Delegate Satolli has ordered Father Nolan, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to publicly retract certain offensive language.

—Commander Booth recently announced in a Boston meeting that the Salvation Army has its entrenchments in thirty-seven different nations and countries.

—The silver celebration of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society is being held in the Methodist Episcopal Churches of the country during the present month.

—The Methodists of San Francisco have begun a two-months revival in a mammoth tent, the enterprise being led by Rev. C. H. Yatman, of New York City. Great preparations have been made, and great results are expected.

—Rev. Peter J. O'Callaghan, a Catholic priest of Boston, is to preach the Easter sermon at Harvard University. This is said to be the first time in the history of the university that a Catholic priest has been called to officiate at a regular service.

—The mayor of Chicago is said to be discharging many city employes because they are Masons, and therefore anti-Catholic. The Roman Church claims to be opposed to secret societies, but it is well known that there are a number of secret orders entirely within her ranks, and such are not tabooed. The Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Clan-na-Gael, and many clerical orders are especially fostered.

—Rev. Dr. Levi, a Jewish rabbi of New Haven, Conn., has attacked Governor Morris' fast day proclamation, declaring that the anniversary was a fast day only in the sense of fast living. He said the interference of the State in the matter was presumptuous. The people of the State want no Richelieu religion.

—A Cleveland, Ohio, dispatch of the 13th inst. says: "The membership list of one of the leading American Protective Association lodges, containing 700 names, has fallen into the hands of the Catholics, and a great stir has been made by the ordering of a boycott of the merchants whose names are found on the roll."

—"Rev. H. E. Howland" has recently been holding Spiritualist seances in San Francisco, and had secured quite a following. He passed for a single man, and was about to marry a lady in this city. Before the marriage was consummated the news came that he had left a wife and children in Briggs Corners, Mass., and he immediately decamped without telling anyone his destination.

—The Swedish consul general has settled with the Chinese authorities for $45,000 for the murder of two Swedish missionaries by a mob at Sungpee. It is now stated that all the Swedish missionaries in China are indignant, and have signed an address demanding the execution of the murderers. This is certainly a strange spirit for missionaries to manifest before the people whom they would convert to Christ.

—The Jewish population of the world is estimated at 7,500,000. About 1,500,000 of them are in this country, about 44,000 in Palestine, and the greater part of the remainder are in the various countries of Europe. The movement for colonizing in Palestine, while enthusiastically portrayed by persons who advocate it as a matter of prophecy, is very insignificant when compared with the disposition of the entire body.

—Illustrations of how "this is a Christian nation" come to the front quite frequently. The whole country is familiar with the career of John Y. McKane, known as the political "boss," or "king" of Coney Island, N. Y. He is now in the State prison for flagrant violation of the election laws, but the church of which he is a member declines to take any action in his case, on the ground that he is a "Christian man," and his present position is merely the result of a political fight. From this standpoint, Christianizing the nation is a mere matter of sentiment.

SECULAR.

—A Prague dispatch of the 17th inst. states that severe snowstorms have been prevalent throughout Bohemia.

—The London Advertiser states that the coming financial budget proposes a material increase in the tax on incomes.

—The Secretary of the Navy has stated that a training ship will be inaugurated at Mare Island Navy Yard, Cal.

—The custom house officials at Shanghai have refused to allow a petroleum tank steamer to land petroleum in bulk.

—On St. Patrick's day the attendance at the Midwinter Fair, San Francisco, was over 69,000. The price of admission was reduced to 25 cents.

—The United States Government has been formally invited to send a troop of cavalry to London to participate in the royal cavalry tournament in May.

—The oriental mail brings news of a collision between two steamers in the strait between Bengalis and Cagan. Both vessels sank, and about fifty people were drowned.

—A passenger train of the Great Northern Railroad arrived in Seattle, Wash., on the 14th inst., which had been delayed a week in the Cascade Mountains by snow.

—A press dispatch says that the postmaster at Big Springs, Kansas, was shot to death on the 14th inst., by a political opponent, because he was not disposed to give up the office when he had served four years.

—It is said that the managers of the Baron Hirsch Fund have decided to renew the importation of Russian Jews to the Argentine Republic, sending a better class than were at first sent there, when the scheme was pronounced a failure.

—Financial difficulties have arisen in the American coöperative colony of Topolobampo, Mexico, and a number of the colonists have withdrawn, and it is said will form another colony on the Yaqui River, in the State of Sonora.

—The situation in the mining region of Cripple Creek, Colorado, is still serious, and State troops have gone to the scene of the great strike in response to a call of the sheriff. There are many hungry men anxious to work nine hours a day, but they are deterred by 700 armed strikers who demand an eight-hour day.

—Great Britain is to have in process of building during the coming year, three first-class war ships, two fast cruisers, nine second-class cruisers, four sloops of war, and thirty-six torpedo boat destroyers. The navy is to be increased by 6,700.

—The large union depot at Denver, Colo., was destroyed by fire on the 18th inst. The fire is said to have been caused by electric wires. The loss is stated at $225,000. A fire in Brooklyn, N. Y., the same day destroyed $200,000 worth of property.

—Wm Lyman, treasurer of the Irish National League of America, has issued, on behalf of that organization, a manifesto to Irish Nationalists at home and abroad. This address advocates revolution as the only means by which Ireland can achieve her rights.

—Mayor Ellert, of San Francisco, being requested to allow the flag of Ireland to be floated from the city hall on St. Patrick's day, replied that there is but one flag entitled to fly from places or houses of national or local government, and that is the American flag.

—The treasurer of the Chinese theater and village enterprise at the World's Fair has been brought back from China to Chicago to stand trial on a charge of embezzling $50,000. On his arrival he was also arrested by the U. S. Marshal for having violated the Exclusion Law.

—The coast of Southern California has of late been strewn with dead deep sea fish, and it has been concluded by experts that the cause is the increase of submarine petroleum wells, which have been known for years to exist in that region. Most of the dead fish show petroleum in their gills.

—Forty Japanese girls were recently shipped to Singapore to English gentlemen. The governor and inspector of that port learned of the shipment, and took the women in charge, with the design of sending them home. This traffic is said to be growing to such an alarming extent that the government has determined to put a stop to it.

—The natives of Samoa are still very much dissatisfied with the government furnished by the American-German-British protectorate. It is said that complications are constantly arising among the tribes, and permanent stability depends upon the protectorate governments either becoming more positive or withdrawing from the field.

—On the 15th inst. a Parisian Anarchist, named Pauwells, attempted to explode a bomb in the Church of the Madeleine, where were a number of worshipers. He had reached the vestibule when the bomb was accidentally exploded, and he himself was killed. He had been expelled from France, and his return had not been noted by the authorities.

—A disastrous cyclone is reported to have visited portions of Gregg and Rains Counties, Texas, on the 18th inst., doing great damage to property. It is reported that at least twenty people were killed at various points, and sixty or more injured. In some places hailstones larger than goose eggs were picked up hours after the storm. Strong houses and large trees in the track of the storm were completely demolished.

—There was almost a war in Denver, Colo., last week, between Governor Waite's militia on the one side and the city police and sheriff's posse on the other. United States troops were also on hand, but took a neutral ground. The trouble arose from the Governor's removal of two members of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners and their refusal to retire. It was finally agreed to leave the matter to the decision of the courts.

—The Bland Seigniorage bill, which calls for the coinage of about $55,000,000, has passed both houses of Congress. Owing to proportionate distribution of silver bullion between the three mints, it will require over two years to do the coining. There are $30,000,000 at Philadelphia, $16,000,000 at San Francisco, $8,500,000 at New Orleans. The mints at Philadelphia and San Francisco can coin about $1,000,000 a month each, and the mint at New Orleans, about $800,000 a month.

—An "industrial army" of unemployed men, said to number about 600, left Los Angeles, Cal., last week, ostensibly bound for Washington, D. C. Their first camp was at Pomona, where the citizens raised a relief fund of $100. Their next camp was at Ontario, where it is said they acted in an orderly manner. They are gaining accessions as they go. The San Bernardino County supervisors and some of the town authorities combined to extend relief in the way of provisions. The "army" had declared their intention to ride across the Colorado desert on freight trains.

—The Brazilian rebellion, or rather that part of it located at Rio Janeiro, is over for the present. Admiral De Gama and staff have gone. The ships and men have been surrendered, and about ninety officers were captured in an attempt to leave the harbor on a neutral ship. The men have all been pardoned. Admiral De Mello is thought to be in the southern part of the republic directing the insurgent land operations, and it is thought De Gama has gone to join him. There are two rebel vessels yet guarding Desterro, the seat of the rebel government.