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^ ! TME VERY LATEST PROM ALL THE WORLD OVER. Intcrotlag Item* About Oar Own Ceantry, Qrcat Britaia, tbe United State*, and All Peru of the Qlobc. Coadcnsed and Auorted for Ea«y Readlnx. WiniiijpeK will celebrate Jubilee day •rrtb a big demonstration. Mr. J. H. R. Mal<i<m. Presidenit of tlbe Moisi«is Bank •Hed aX Montreal. Immigrants from Galicia and Dakota are arriving at Winnipeg in large num- bers. The Medical Society of Winnipeg baa pronounced against tbe proposed Vic- loruin Order of iiv)faeb. Dr. BlaiDcbard, a prominent Win- nipeg pliysiciiio, waj9 sandbagged by footpads, but not seriously injured. Tbe assailaats escaped. lAi lot of Paris greern waj9 discovered is tbe cistern of Hev. George Honey's residence at Wellajidport, the water of irbicb is used for drudcing. It is thought desirable that tbe Cana- diao fond for the relief of the distress in India should now be finally closed, and the lists of theisiiljscriUirs are now being prepared. Peterson, Tait & Co., who have been awarded the contract for the fast ser- vice, have agreed uiader their contract to establish a service to St.- John with- out any additional subaidy. Tbe Govemor-Ueneral, at the re(}Uie8t ci a deputatixw of Toronto citizens which waited upon him, has agreed to submit to her Mhjesty a memorial praying her to aiUhurize a Canadian military service medal. Tbe running of electric cars in Kings- ton on Sunday will likely be taken to the courts. It is said that the Lord's I>^ Alliance will accept tbe challenge ajid. see whether such action is legal or not. Accordimv to the report of tbe De- portment ui Fisheries, the value of the Cajiadian fisheries for 1896 is computed at |2U,190.33», being a decrease of more thaa half a millian dollars as compared with the previous year. It is evident fiom a report which baa been presented to the Duinunion Parlia- ment that tbe British Government baa refuxed and ia IBcely to persist in a re- fusal of the applicatiovt of tbe United States to reopen tbe seal question at the present tiime. A communioation has been received by tbe Uttaws authorities from tbe Imper- ial Government sdiing that tbe Am- erican fiahiog cruiser J. Gerring, Jr., which was convicted of fishing witbio tbe three-mile limit, and confiscated, b« let dowin as ea^ty as possible. GREAT BRITAIN. It is believed to be certaim that many, {jerhaps all, of the political prisoners will lie pardooed early in June in com- memoration of tbe Queen's diamond ju- bilee. The Ducbesa of Tecit spends more than t&.OUO a year in religious and pbil- amlhropic works. Tbe sum is just one- fifth the annual amount granted her Mr. Henry Laboucbere has retract^ ed most of the cbargBS he mada against members of the Chartere<t South Africa Company of stock- jobbing] in connection with tbe Transvaal raid, by Parliament. A Danish missionary, who has arriv- ed in London from tbe Congo Fre« State, says the natives are being treat- ed with great cruelty, with full know- ledge of tbe Belgian authorities, and that an appeal (or intervention will b« made to Oermany. A recently sold copy of a first edi- tion of Keata' poems, 1817 bad the auto* graph, "ro W. Wordsworth, with the author's aincereet reverence." But Wordsworth had not even cut the leaves. Ut course, he may have bought a copy (or himself before, but it is nob Ukaly. He was nut fond of books, and his little library consisted largely oC autcg^rapb copies. UNITIEID STATES. tribe kiriking garinent makers of fllenv York are sanguine t.hat the strike will be Bib»rt-lived and will end in vio- tory. Ste{>s loiikingi to tbe formation of tl powerful alliuuce in opposition to the Bell Teleixlione Compojiy are to be ta- ken in Cbicogn this week. By the use of kites tibe Weather Bu- reau at Wasti/iog^on exi>ect to be soon able to foirecast tine weather with greater accuracy awl for a longer per- iod. Ijieut. PMury has ohtaiined a (iv«j years' leave of absence from the United States navy in order to organize an- o hied: expedition In seorcii of the NortU Pble. Oltu Keppling. aged 18, wihiile racing on his bicycle wiib a train on the Iron- dequoi^ lia> Hailroad, near Roi'liBster, an Sunday, was tbirown under the train aJnd killed. Tbe British, (ruii steamer Ktbelred, wtuch arrived at PhilnJi-lt-ihia on Sun- Jay, was ooi two occasions clbased by Sipanish.. cruisers, which firinl shots icroHs her bows. Tlhe log of the Moyflowej, which wa^ ©â- ntruBtea to Mr. Bwyard by the London conisietorial convention, was formally prei^nted to Uie ccmimion'wealth of Ma.s- 3ac.b.UbcUs NXi Wednvaday. Hejiry Marion Howe, of Bo'^ton, the siun of Julia Ward How-ie, whohasb«(en appoJjileti pxcfes^or of ineitallurgy in Colunibia College, is a cousin of b'.AIair- ioffi Crawford, 'be popular novelist. Robert J. Powley. uud'cr seuteni-e to be electrocute I ii Auburn. N.Y.. (or wife murder, tsays bo is a Caiiadi:ui and tlhtit he inten^i tu call thp atteuion of t!he Canadian tioverivuent to his case. lAt a meeting vt abtJut thirty tabbis and lay UK n in New York on Tuei^day night a resolution wa.s drafted favor- ing th* coitmi nation of Palertine by HtSiieww. but cpivosing tine si-heme of making it a Slate. IA fathi?u- and two .soins were killed nea.r Duluth., M nn., on Wednesday, by an exk«--'on of dynamit'e.. whioh they w^re "t.Jiftwiing out." Their home w.i,^ ^vre^â- kel i»nd tlhie mother and a third son pro'b.ably fatally injured. Mr. BcotbhTuikor, couiiiiander of tbe Salvjitiou kVVuiy iJi the I'nited States, ivus on Wednesday convicted of main- taining a disordeirly bouse at the big aamy harraeka in Neiw York. He waa regnanded for sentence, and admitted out on bail. Mrs. Eliza D. Stewau-t, who organized the (iii-.=/i VVoman's Temperance Union in tiw West, c^lelxrated her eighty-first l)ijn.h«lay ai Sjuringfield, 0., recently. " Moitor Stewart," a.s shie is called, or- ganized tbe fii-st union at OtiUorn, O., with 100 Biembera, in 1873. The Right Bev. CO. McCabe, Bishop of the Metiotiiat Episcopal Churt-h.says that Dr. Depew mJMrep resents Ameri- can feeling in detscribin^ it aa anti- BritisJt The Bishop baa written to Lord .Salialjory at Ifvngtb, aasuring him of the kindjy feeling in the United States •owarJa the Mother Country. The- reports of business in the United. States fuxnislhed by the commercial agienciei indicate a sliglat .altiiough very slow iniproveme.nt In the general trade movement. Manufactures usu- ually are quiet, but as yet prices are fairly well maintained. Cotton goods are. dull and priot cloths are at about tbe lowest possible price. Tlhe ex- tremely uniseafionable weather has had a serious effect up to tfcie present time on the dry goods trade. GENElBiAL. Levanger, (Norway, has been almost wiped out fa; fire. Zanzibar's Sultan has by proclama- tion aboliabed tbe legal status of 8lav«ry. gfjain is negotiating a large loan, se- cured by the Almadlen qaicksilv«r mines, to mcMt her waa- expenses. 'There is a feelinle in Paris that a visit froDi Emperor William during tlie Exhibition of 1900, owing to tbe feeling over Alsace-^jorraine, would not be agreeable. The German Beicbatag on Wednes- day adwted a credit of thirty million marks for the purpose of rearming tbe German artillery iwith improved fieldpiecea. The Dole Government has decided to give to tbe British Comipany tbe con- cession for the ocean cable. Britiah meiw>f-war are now survieying tbe cable route. ' lAnotber cxisis exists in the German Cabinet, caused by the introduction of a reactionary measure placing all pol- itical meetings and associations under police uontroT. It is stated that the Latin Republics of Central and Soutb America are ripe for revolution, and they would willing- ly betome colonies of Great Britain if it could be arranged. Tbe natives of Portuguese East Afri- ca are defeaitiog the Portuguese troops, and tbe Governor of Delagoa has ur- fently requested tbe Government at isbon to send reinforcements. It is reported that the historical gem known oa tbe Imperial diamond, which was intendell as a JubiLee present for the Queen, has been stdlen fron> the Nizam of Hydersifaad. The big French naval acheme calling for one hundred million francs, in addi- tion to tbe regular naval expenditure, has been endorsed by tbe Naval Com- mittee of tha Cbao^bar of Deimtiea. CONVENTIONS TO COST $6,176,000. EMIaiated Kx^ue or Tkis SaaiBicr't tialherlas »t Tawis Cliarek Worker*. Tbe rapid growth of youoig people's societies for the advancement of church work and the announcement that four large conventions of such societies are to be held vrithin the next few months have moved a statistician to count tbe ooBt of the coniveotions. According to tbe Church Economist, this statistician estimates that this summer's oonven- tione of young people will cost Y'i.OOO,- 000. His estimates are interesting and suggestive. He estimates that 'i5,000 people outside of tbe local unioos, will attend tbe Christian Endeavor Conven- tion la dan Francisco in July. Ue di- vides tbe expenses of these 25,000 peo- ple in tills fashion: 3.U00 will (jpend «-200 eocb . .$1,000,000 ! 5,00U will Hpeud «125 each. . . 625.000 5,(J00 will spend «100 each .. . 500.000 lO.OOO will spend «50 each. . . 500,000 25,000 12,625,000 Add local expenses of tJbie coor vvntion and expenses of dell- egates from San Ii'Tancisco and Oakland 250,000 Tbtal cost of San FVancisco '97 convention 12.875,000 The Baptist Young People will gath- eir at Chalanooga In July to tbe num- iwr of 20,000. it. is estimated. The. cost of this convention will be as follows: 5,001) will spend 9100 eocib. , . 9500.000 5,O0U will spend 975 eaob. . . 375.000 5,O0U will upend 950 eacij,. . . 250.000 5,000 will spend 930 each. . . 150,000 20,000 91,275,000 Add local expemses of the con- vention and of local delegates 125,000 "ibtal 91,400,000 During tbe sajue m<onl.h the Metho- dist Young People will meet in To- ronto, and it is expected that 30,000 Ep- wtnrtb Leaguers will be present. The distiuice that many delegates will have to travel in great, and tbe statistician says that the cost of this convention will he as follows: 5.000 will spend $100 each. . . 9500.000 lO.OflO will epeiKl 950 eatih. . . 500.000 10.000 will spend 940 ea.ob. . . 400.000 5.000 will spend 925 each. . . 125,000 30.01)0 91,525,000 Add local e.xpeuses and expen- ditures of dolegatejs from Buffalo, Hamilton and To- ronto 175,000 Total 91.700,000 He adds $200,000 more for the ex- pe'iiaes of tbe convention of the lirotb- erliood of St. Andrew i.n Buffiilo, and here is his total : Outlay foj- Christian Endeavor tVnveutiou at San E"ranoifSi'o92.875,000 Outlay for Bajitist Young Peo- ple's Convention at Chatta- nooga 1,400,000 Outlay for Epworth League Convention at Toronto 1.700,000 Outlay for Brotherhood of St. Andrew Convention at Buffalo 300,000 Totivl . . .»6 17!j,000 Acconling to these figures the four conventions will cost nearly as much â- ts all d« noiiiin.it ions of Protest an Is in tbe United St:ites rai^e and distribute each year foir fore>ign missions. HOPE FOE CONSUMPTIVES. THE CURE NOT InTocH'S LYMPH OR OTHER SPECIFIC. THOUGH. t'enaampUoM a trample x MmaM, (o Be Treated by Complex Metkad*â€" Tke rrc. •eat AlBi of rkjmlciaaii to laereafte tkr Vital Keslstaace-Siieeess Maw* !â-  tbe I«wer Beatb Bate. There is hope for the consumptive. Tbe thing to do nowadays is not to let one's self succumb to the tubercle bac- illi, but to put them to rout. This takes a great deal of vital resistance ; but tbe fact that tbe death rate tram consump- tion is being lowered every year proves that the bacilli are not invincible. There was a time when a person, old or young, who realized that consumption bad laid hold of him gave up at once. If tlhe victim bad an inherited tendency to the disease he thought it was neces- sarily fatal to him because it bad killed his grandfather and his great-grand- father. People aren't so resigned now- adays, and as a result a great many consumptives axe cured every year. After all the talk about this lymph, that specific and the other advertised sure cure, wiiat new information has been secured about consumption and its cure i When this question was put to Dr. George F. Sbrady, of New York, be said: " Tbe idea that oooeumpticm is in- curable is absurd. True, no single me- dicine or combination of medicines yet known to science can be considered a specific ; but great progress has been made in applying methods. Consump- tion is A COMPLEIX DISEASE, and has to be treated complexly. Al- most all persona who have consumption aj« predisposed to it. It is merely a question of tbe seed's taking good mot iin tbe properly prepared soil. When there is no preparation of tbe soil by hereditary predisposition or lowered health standard a person may be ex- posed to cooBun^itioin day in and day out and feel amply guarded against at- tack. One's degree of vital resistance ia tlhe real element oiC protection. " There is no disease that has more transmitting power from one genera- tion to another than phthisis. Cancer does not hold a candle light to it. Much more is known about tbe disease, since the discovery ol tbe tubercle bacillus, but it is not yet settled whether this is t^ cause or an associated condition of tine disease, and we can't tell which â-¡omes first. Obe thing ia quite cor- tain, however, aoid tbat is that tbe soil is prepared for tjie bacillus when it flourishes. It was originally believed that tbe microbes were tbe direct ac- tive agents in poisoning the system un- til it was demonstrated that the agency causing disease wieis due to the chem- ical product excreted by the micro-or- ganisms themselves. KocJi first thought that hie lymph, which represented tbe toxin of tuberculosis, would destroy tbe tubercle bacillus in tbe living body, hat be was mistaken. Nb germicide sufficiently safe and powerful to over- oome the poisonous effects in the sys- tem has been found. Such a germicide would kill tUie disease and the patient at tbe same time. " Tubarcuiosis do not sUfect anybody unless predisposed or in a very low state of health. With pulmonary con- sumption the dust of tbe dried expec- toration is believed to be the diirect medium of infection. When we stqp to consider the thousands and tons of thvo^ands who breathe the bacilli ev- erywhere they fftjâ€" in street cars, the- atres, churches, hotels sleeping berths, even in their own homes, it would seem t^t the disease should be almost tuoi- vetrsial. It is a satisfaction, however, to know that the cbaoces of infection for a healthy peram are so exceedingly small as not to deserve attention. But why do healthy parsons, with no in- herited tendency, often take the dis- ease from nursing a consumptive? some one will ask. Because tJie health stan- dard is lowered by ANXIEIY AND CARE, and the soil is pro^rly preiiared for the seed which is l)ei.ng hrviilhed every day. This view also throws some light upon tbe well-evstablisbed fact that LX>n- sumption among tbe Southern slaves was almost unknown, ,ind while few of the emaiu-.ii>ated slaves died of it, the succeeding geinsnitioiis are suffer- ing very muvh iiu)re from tuberculosis in proiiortion to population than the white people of the same districts. They breathicHl the same aiir then as now and it no doubt teemed with just .is m.-vny bacilli. The reason for this tbe«n must lie their chaiige<l manner of liviuij. They are not so well care<l for and con- sequently buve not so great a degree of vital resistance. " Tul)exculou- patients are very br'ght and intelligent as a rule. Great mental activity is asso.iated with the diseiise. and often .% sufferer reminds one of a diamond wearinj;! out its set- ting. In some (aniiliea the inredisposi- tion extends tbrou^b five or six gen- etrations. an 1 yet even thi^* fact should not make the se,veinth hopeless. Again in otiber families the disease develops at the same time and if the predisposed one can bop oveir that period he may generally consider himself sate. This us the result shown by broad biologi- cal laws. Even after the disease is de- ve.loped in a patient It is absurd to assume Khat it can.not be cured. 'Think wh.%t climate alcMie does in effecting curesâ€" the Ad i rondat-ks. the Georgia Pines and Ctilorado, for example. Pa- tients go tile re or somewhere el.se, re^ commended by a physician, and live for years. Some iittaim old age, 'IWs only shows that when one's vital resi.stance l« stimulated to the utmost it is pos- sible to tb.row off tbe diseiuse .linil to witliistand another attack. A consuiiip- tive has to be fitted to a climate just the same as to medicine or a pill. It r;ei>ends upon the stice of the disease and the condition of the patient at the time whether be should have a colder or a warmer, or a dryer or a more hu- mid atmospiiere, and frequently two i^oinsumptives from the same family havie to be sent to entirely different cJiiiiate«. 'The death rate bos been much low- er in the last twenty years as the re- sult of tbe disease being treated on broad lines. Long ago we had specifics, and considered tbat it was only a ques- tion of emptying the lung and destroy- ing what was in it. The history of the dieeose, however, is one of elimination or destruction. One of two things hap- pens when a person contracts consump- tion. Tbe disease must be eliminated or else it kills the patient. The whole effort these days is to get the patient to THROW OFF THE DISEASE, and at the same time to raise the vital strength- We strengthen the individ- ual and lessen the load of disease. " Pulmonary consumption is essenti- ally of such a chruoic nature and at- tended with such radical organic changes that there does not appear to be mucii chance of altering the predis- posed condition of the soil by activity posed condition of tbe soil by actively strengtiiening any of the purely re- sisting tendencies of tbe blood itself as we do by means of Che serum treat- ment in certain acute diseases. Suppose there is a special soil in tbe individual for every disease. If tiie person takes diphtheria, by the use of antitoxin, all thie diphtheria soil seems to be used up, and tjhat person never has diphther- ia ag%in. There is no soil in which the germs of the disease can take root, and so he is said to be ' imnmne,' or, in other words, is guaranteed against the poisonous influences of the disease. So it is in smallpox. We are made im- mune by vaccination. But there are acute diseases, pajticularly diphtheria, which acts very quickly all along the line and kills quickly. Koch's lymph was expected at t\iat to be to consump- tion w-hat antitoxin was to diphtheria; but it is claimed that instead of miti- gating the disease it appeared to acat- t«tr it over the whole body, in diph- theria the knowledge of its cause brings a promised means for its cure. In oth- er wx)rda, the vital resistance of the blood itself keeps off phthisis, while in acutely infectious diseases an alteira- tion of the condition of tilood gives im- munity. " Patients w^ have phthisis, are pe- caliarly susceptible to re-Infection, but nobody now need despair who has the disease. In tbe adaptation of different climates to the cure of this disease and other chronic ailments, a new science of thetrapeutios bos been created. Tbe study of tbe temperature, range, bar- ometric pressure and rainfall of differ- ent localities has been as faithfully car- ried on and with as careful reference to the need of the invalid as tbe com- position and stre-ngth of the -various medicines composing his other prescrip- tions. Consumptit'es should recollect that here we have all the climates of the world. They should think of our mountains and our wonderful seaboard and also of our different soils. " Consumption is prewalent. however. The disease faces us everywhere, and patients will die of it, especially among the poor, who are unable to have the necessary change of climate, combined with skilled medicinal treatment, and. therefore, cannot Increase their vital resistance, to throw off the bacilli. Death walks in spite of everything; but statistics prove thot we aire im.- proving. The di^â- ea^e is complex, and the treatment must be complex. Tbe increased number of remedies and tbe raising of the vital standard of tbe iadiviaual, enabling him to thin>w off the difsease and making him immune, make the outlook for the consumptive very bright." WHERE IDOLS ARE MADE. â- InBlnKkam. Eatlaatl. Ha* a Factory for WaklBf Mralkea «o<la. It boa recently been discovered that there is in Bimiingbam, in tbe very center of C%ristian England, a factory where idols are made for heathen na- tions, says the Pottery Gazette, Lon- don. Many attempts havie been made to obtain a<lmis8ion to the factory, but a strict waitcb is kept upon outsiders anxious to pry into the secret cham- bers where the heathen gods are made and journal isls especially are prevent- ed from entering the ux)rks. A £e<w facts wefre, however, to be gleaned concerning this extraordinary iwlusbry. Idols of a.U kinds are turn- ed out, representing tbe gods of all heathen nations from Tokio to Timbuc- too. The eijjort trade to heathen coun- tries is a fairly large one< although more gods are sent out to foreign deal- ers iin ouTioB in thie bazaars of Cairo, Damascus, Colombo, etc., for sale to un- suspecting traveleirs anxious to take borne some mementos of their stay abroad. Th*- price of gods varies greatly. You may g«>t a Birmingham made one in a London curiosity shop, for halt a crown or you may run up tjjie i»retty bill of £20 fcir an efipe^-ially ugly one, "stol- eji." eiccording to tlhe dealer, " by /a .«aik>r during Hie Chinese war." In ibe Cairo baz.iar, 'hbwe.ver, tbe pric«> of a first-cl.iss go<l of this kil%il nuvy ruin fram £20 to anything. .V iraveler in- formed tlie WTiter tlii.t there was lit- tle difficulty in detecting a god of na.- tiiive make iroiu one of iBirniingbn.m maniufotture. Tho first generally dis- played bome slighit irregularity or chiingc of des-ign to the niitive working by band, while the Binninghaiii god w:i.< Q.S sup^Tlatiively oorreot in tonu as tib.:* most Immaculate dandy is iu dreo«. The txade in idols is kept sucli a close .secret that it is difficult to estimate the dutput for m tbe bcxrd of trade TetuiriiM the IgoA would doubtless be dla^se.l uuder the humiliating title of "works of art or ourios." But there is no doubt tlhe trade is ft (airly large one and tlhBt soiiiie cute Birmingham men do \iery well i.n the business. OOLOHIAL CABLE ROUTE. GRAVE DANGER TO THE BRITISH EMPIRE AT THE PBEShNT TIME. Necessity for InmetUate Aelloa to BIb4 BritalB aad Her Coloales Ta«etker- •ireet Boates are BeslraHo. Speaking of tbe projected trans-Pa>> cif ic cable scheme, a writer in t he E!m- pire, London, says : â€" Although Britain is in constant toncK with all her oolaaies, the majority of the latter possess no means of inter- conununication by telegraph direct. Our Wesc Indian Islands are not connected direct with Canada ; Canada cannot communicate direct with Australia; Australia has no direct cable oommunir cation with our growing South Afri- can Empire. Costly circuitous routaa have to be adopted for oolonial intec^ cocnm onicaticm . To-day this causes loss amd mucli vexatious delay ; it may, late>r on, con- stituite a grave dangn, seeing that some of the existing oobles n>^ -essaov ily land on foreign, and possibly hos- tile shores. Manifestly, the necessity has aoisen for a new set of nerves fox tbe British Empire, and the Pacific cal^ le should form an important link ia that chain of all British communication, which most soon become the indispei>- sabl« complement of our Ctolonial Ear pire. NO TIME TO BE LOST. Thetre is no time to be lost, ka active, ambitious rovais are in the field. Efforts are being mode by the Ank- ericana to eetabliab a cable between the United States and the far east and Australia. Tliis project bos tbe approval of Che Americaji Crovernr ment, which has already organized ex- peditions for iaki<ig soundinga along t;be cable route. Bui perhapx our most formidable rlw al is tbe Campognie iTrancaiae des Cal>- les Telegraphiques, which enjoys tbe financial support of the French Gow emment, anxious to extend Gallic ii^ fluence in the Pacific. French statesmen have long regarded with an envious eye that admirable system of univer- sal cable communication w-bich slanda forth to-day as a characteristic mani- festation of British pluck and enter- prise. Mistress uf the seas, FjiglnnA has contrived to utilize and monopoiii* the depths thereof I HOW IT CAN BE DONE. Mr. Chamberlin is fully aliv« to th* importance of tJiis question, which would certainly have rei'eived more ol hi.s personal attention had not the p(V Litical situation absorbed all bis time. Every re^ionsible colonial Minister is in favour uf prtimpt action, and it if to be hoped tiiat tbe presame uf colonial Premiers in London this year noay has- ten the practical embodiment of the resolutions that were come to at th* last conference held in London in June, 189fi. Some definite announcement of the plan adopted will then probably be mode. The exploitation of tbe cable could be effected either through the agency of a subsidized or guaranteed company, or directly by the Gotveirnments concern- ed, as a public wvirk. By adopting the former method, tbe Governments would merely have to gTan.t liberal subsidies. an/I tlhe company would undeirtake all responsibility. But this system baa many disadvantag«s. and it is expected that the other altetrnatiive will be adopt- ed. In that ca^e, an ImperLal-Colonial Cable Commission could be created to ee<tablish and control the working of the cable. The copital could easily be raised at 2 1-2 per cent., tbe intere.st thereon being mode a flrsn. charge on the reve- nue. It is thought that the financial liability will be divided between the Imperial Government, the Au.«traliaD colonies and Canada, each contiributing a third. AFFECTS SOUTH AFRICA. This question closely affects South Africa, where its devvelopmemt is l)eing watched with great interest. The Pa- cific cable once laid, it could be extend- ed from Australia to the Cape vi.a Keel- ing Isla.nds, thus connecting .South At- rica direct with Australia iind Ouiada, an<l affording the former count ry a valuable alternative route to England. The general scheme inclmles other branch cables, by which m.any import- ant British possessions would l>e rescued from that dange^rous state of solation in which they now find themselves. FOLLOWING PATERJSAL ADVICE. Why on eaith did you marry that grass widow' dem.inded M:r. Bic-ketts. angrily, of his &on. It wiii* in following your own advioe. father. Following my adtvioe, you Idiot 1 I never advised you lO marry her. No, hut you always toll me to make t)ay while 'the $un shone. ACETYLENE GAS ON SHIPBOARD. It Coald AI»o Re I xed la Ike lllumlaalloa of Bao><. Acetylene gas has found a friendly critic in Prof. Viviin B. Lowes, who thinks there is plenty of room for it I oa board ship. He points out that its I value for lighting is fifteen to twenty {.times greater ihun coal g.i^, and tbat I in this compressed state, which is > more suitable for ship lighting, a cy- I Under holding one cubic foot would I supply a burner giving a light of 32 1 can<lles (or 400 hours. While recog- I uizing the dangers of acetylene, he : says they can lie easily guarded against, and he estimates a great (ur J ture for the gas on ships. It should I have a special place in the illaiuinution I of buoys. Where electricity is used 1 (or that purpose, the conducting wires ; are apt to 1* d/uiled by iin .anchor or i dredge, t'ompresred oil gas and com- pressed cuil g;is and gasoline eurich- ' ment require a small gaswork and com- { pressing plant. Prof. Lowes believes I that, .al'.hcHiigli oil laiii|:s arc (iool «/nd : economical, ther eis room for a.-etylene j (or this puijiose, as a cyliu<ier oi liquid acetylene ot 1 3-4 cuj'oic feet capacity, with n. reduting valve, and stored in bottom of the Imoy, would' give a. dear, white light of A'Z candles for om- mouth, and the cost even now when cajcium carbide is expensive, would be about equal to compressed oil gns. .Vs to its penetratLiig effect in fous. I'rof. Lowes loimit in his tests tb<it the loss of light for coal gas was II. 1 per cent; for oil g.is, 11.5 per cent; tor acetyley^, U.'7 per cent: for incandcsient gius (Wels- Wii h). 'M.>^ per cvnt, and lor the elec- tric arc lao^h 25.^ per cent. â- ^^.