—The Library of Congress contains 315,000 volumes.
—Two severe shocks of earthquake were felt at Lisbon, Portugal, October 25.
—The breakers at San Buenaventura destroyed 400 feet of the wharf on the 22d.
—An exchange says that opium smoking will be prohibited in China by an edict of the emperor at the end of three years.
—It is stated that Miller and Lux have 700,000 acres of land in California, an area nearly as great as the State of Rhode Island.
—It is estimated that there are not less than 80,000 head of sheep belonging to Los Angeles owners, on pasturage in San Diego county at the present time.
—An explosion recently occurred in a colliery at Hight Blantyre, near Glasgow, Scotland. A large number of men were in the mine at the time of the explosion. Many lives were lost.
—Diphtheria is raging in its most malignant form in Virginia City and Gold Hill, Nev., and the public school authorities, as a precautionary measure, refuse to allow any child in whose family the disease has appeared to attend school.
—M. Thiers' entire fortune is valued at $3,200,000. He made 400,000 by his “History.” He left nearly everything to his widow.
—Queen Marie Anne Leopoldine Wilhelmine, of Saxony, widow of King Frederick Augustus II, died on the 13th ult., aged seventy-two.
—The amount estimated for carrying inland mails the coming fiscal year is $20,889,270, an increase over the estimates for the current year of $2,030,297.
—The United States treasury now has on hand an accumulation of over $119,000,000 in coin, being twice the amount it had at this time last year.
—It is reported that Pomare, queen regent of the Society Islands, died suddenly of heart disease at Tahiti, on the 17th of September. Her eldest son, Anane, was proclaimed king of the islands.
—The famine of the year 1877 is at least the eighteenth of those which have affected India since the commencement of the British rule, and the fourteenth during the present century.
—On the morning of October 20, a destructive fire occurred in Portland, N. B., leaving 2,000 people homeless, 700 of whom were sufferers by the great fire of June 20, at St. John.
—There were one hundred and two deaths in San Francisco last week, sixty-seven being of males. Diphtheria caused fifteen deaths—a larger number than any week for several months.
—The world's annual production of sugar aggregates 2,150,000 tons of cane sugar, 1,320,000 tons of beet root sugar, 450,000 tons of date sugar, 20,000 tons of maple sugar and 20,000 tons of sorghum sugar.
—The cultivation of tobacco in Germany occupies some 54,000 acres, principally in the southern States. The crop is worth about $45,000,000, and, in spite of the enormous home consumption, a considerable quantity is exported every year.
—The large woollen mill of Evans & Seagrave, at Waterford, Mass., was recently destroyed by fire. The mill ran twelve sets of machinery on fancy cassimeres, employing over 250 hands. The loss is estimated at $100,000.
—An exchange states that a riot broke out on Blackwell's Island recently. The convicts were enraged because their tobacco ration was cut off. The Warden states that of 936 male prisoners there are scarcely a dozen who do not chew tobacco. An average of 162 pounds of the weed is consumed every two weeks.
—A tunnel is talked about between Spain and Africa under the straits of Gibraltar. It would be about fifteen miles in length. This, with the tunnel between Dover and Calais, which is seriously contemplated, would give an uninterrupted railroad route from England to Tangier of about 1,200 miles in length.
—It is stated that a safety envelope has been invented. On the flap of the envelope the words “Attempt to open” are printed with a double set of chemicals, the first impression containing nut-galls and the second green vitriol. If the flap be steamed or moistened in any way the magic printing will appear, to betray the attempt to open.
—The Chinese Government has sent to this country 120 boys, of the most intelligent in their country, to receive a thorough education. They have erected a $25,000 building at Hartford, Conn., for head-quarters, where the students spend two weeks every three months studying their own language. They are expected to advance science and art in their own country when they return.
—Wood's Museum, Chicago, caught fire on the morning of the 23d, and the interior of the portion containing the theater was completely destroyed. The animals all died of suffocation. A liquor establishment beneath was damaged by water used in the museum. The entire loss estimated to be about $40,000. The insurance on all the property injured is two or three times the amount of the loss.
—An exchange says that during the last twenty years England has paid to foreign countries for food, $10,000,000,000, and that each member of the community now consumes to the value of two and one-half times as much foreign food as he did twenty years ago. With this immense drain upon her resources, England would in a few years be reduced to penury, were it not for the immense sums of money paid her as interest.
Moral and Social Effects of Intemperance.
(Concluded.)
INTEMPERANCE AND INSANITY.
Intemperance, more than any other cause, fills our lunatic and idiotic asylums. According to the statistics of insanity in France, thirty-four per cent of the cases of lunacy among males were due to intemperance. One-half of the inmates of the Dublin insane asylum owe their disease to the use of liquor. Dr. S. G. Howe found that the parents of one hundred and forty-five out of three hundred idiots were habitual drunkards.
THE USE OF ALCOHOL SHORTENS LIFE.
It is very easy to prove that the influence of alcohol, as of every other poison, is to shorten life. Dr. Willard Parker, of New York, shows from statistics that for every ten temperate persons who die between the ages of twenty-one and thirty, fifty-one intemperate persons die. Thus it appears that the mortality of liquor-users is five hundred per cent greater than that of temperate persons. These statements were based on the tables used by life insurance companies.
According to the calculations of life insurance experts, the expectancy for life of a temperate person at the age of twenty years is forty-four years. The expectancy of an intemperate person, at the same age, is only fifteen years.
Between 60,000 and 100,000 persons die annually in this country alone from the effects of liquor. The same number die in England from the same cause. Then in these two Christian countries a human being dies every two and one-half minutes from alcoholic poisoning.
The graves of the victims, allowing twelve square feet to each, would in fifty years nearly cover a township. Arranged end to end their coffins would make a continuous line from Cape Horn to the North Pole.
Arranged in one long funeral procession, with a hearse and a single vehicle for mourners for each, this vast army of dead drunkards would occupy two years and a half in passing a given point, and would wind two and one-half times around the globe.
ALCOHOL PREDISPOSES THE SYSTEM TO DISEASE.
Dr. Anderson, of Glasgow, says, “I have found the use of alcoholic drinks to be the most powerful predisposing cause of malignant cholera with which I am acquainted. In Warsaw, ninety per cent of all who died of cholera during the epidemic of 1832 were habitual drinkers.”
“Four-fifths of those who were swept away by the dreadful visitation of the cholera in 1832 were addicted to intoxicating drinks.”
The whole population of St. Petersburg and Moscow ceased drinking liquor, being convinced that it was almost certain death to continue its use.
M. Huber said, “Persons given to drinking were swept away like flies.”
Alcohol predisposes to other diseases as well as cholera. A very slight injury to an intemperate man is likely to result fatally. Surgeons in city hospitals find that they cannot expect the same degree of success in operations upon drinkers that they expect in the cases of temperate persons, a very slight operation, which would have occasioned no inconvenience in a total abstainer, often ending fatally.
HEREDITARY EFFECTS OF DRUNKENNESS.
The drinker himself is not the only sufferer from this vice. Indeed, it seems in many cases that he is not the greatest sufferer. He may even live out his threescore years and ten, in apparent defiance of the laws of nature, and the warnings of friends; but look at his children. Are they as strong and robust as he? Oh, no; instead, we often see them frail, nervous, imbecile, idiotic, poor specimens of the race. The iniquities of the father are visited upon the children.
AMOUNT OF LIQUOR ANNUALLY MANUFACTURED.
The amount of liquor annually manufactured and consumed in the United States reaches the enormous total of more than 260,000,000 gallons. About 12,000,000 gallons more are imported from foreign countries. This statement covers only the amount reported to the revenue officers. Immense quantities are made and not reported, and considerable quantities are smuggled into the country. This immense quantity of liquid poison would make a lake ten feet deep, twenty rods wide, and a quarter of a mile long.
According to a scientific authority, the wine product of France in one year would fill a ditch three and one-half feet deep, of the same width, and 4,000 miles long.
LIQUOR COSTS MORE THAN BREAD.
The cost of liquor to consumers, in the United States, for a single year, has been officially estimated at $1,483,491,865. The lowest estimate for the year 1872 is $735,000,000. Fourteen hundred million dollars would buy seven barrels of flour for every man, woman, and child in the country; 28,000,000 teams would be required to draw the flour. This great caravan would wind five times around the earth if arranged in single file. Fourteen hundred million dollars, in one dollar bills, would completely cover two townships. If the bills were joined at the ends, they would make a ribbon nearly long enough to reach to the moon.
All this, and millions more, is annually wasted. The value of all the food products of the United States for a single year is $600,000,000, or less than half the cost of alcohol. The cost of all the clothing is less than $400,000,000, or less than one-third the cost of alcohol.
Is it not clear, then, that the use of alcoholic liquors is one of the greatest curses of civilization? It is the bane of morality, and the greatest cause of pauperism.
Cheerful Christians.
CHRISTIANS should be cheerful. The gospel is glad tidings. “Behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy,” was the angelic announcement. Christ came to fill the earth with joy. He did not create sin, woe and death. His mission was and is to remove them. He takes away misery by removing its cause—sin. Then he fills the heart of every believer with a positive peace, which is ever increasing. Yet there are mopish and sad people among the professed disciples of Christ—the destroyer of sin and its consequent misery. Why is it? The early disciples were not so. In every state they were content. They took the spoiling of their goods, even risked their lives joyfully. In everything they gave thanks. Have Christians now less cause for joy? None whatever. And yet there are many who habitually wear long demure faces, and are continually groaning and sighing as if pressed with great sorrow. They are apparently less happy in the service of him whose yoke is easy to bear, than when in bondage to sin. And yet Christianity has not changed. Its grounds of joy are the same as ever. The Lord Jesus is the same perfect Saviour. The promises remain, and have lost nothing of preciousness. If Christians are unhappy it is because they misapprehend the genius of the gospel, or are inconsistent in their lives.
Unhappy Christians misrepresent religion. They give the world the impression that religion interferes with present happiness. Thus men are confirmed in unbelief, and their conversion delayed or hindered altogether. The world is in pursuit of happiness; and Christians owe it to the world to show that true happiness is found in Christ’s service. Be happy Christians. Do not be satisfied without Christian joy. “Happy is that people whose God is the Lord.” “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.”—Religious Intelligencer.
A Parable.
A CERTAIN man going up from youth to manhood, fell among grog-shops, where he was stripped of his money, his character, and his friends, and left poor and half dead with disease. And by chance there came down a moderate drinker that way, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. And likewise a friend of temperance came where he was, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. But a temperance man as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him he had compassion on him and went to him, and wept over him, and besought him with tears to repent and reform. And he persuaded him to sit upon his own beast, Total Abstinence, and brought him to his family, and they took care of him. And in the morning he spoke kindly to him, and offered up prayers for him, and departed.
Which of these was neighbor to him that fell among grog-shops?
Are You a Christian?
WILLIAM WILBERFORCE, the philanthropist, in the early part of his career, thus wrote:—“Often when in the full enjoyment of all that this world could bestow, my conscience told me that, in the true sense of the word, I was not a Christian. I laughed, I sang, I was apparently gay and happy; but the thought would steal across me, What madness is all this, to continue easy in a state in which a sudden call out of the world, would consign me to everlasting death!” This led him to a careful study of the Bible. At length his eyes caught the words, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find.” “Let me,” he said, “test this statement. Any one may do so. I will. God has promised to give his Holy Spirit to them that ask for it. I will go down on my knees, and ask.” He did not pray in vain; his earnest search was rewarded by blessed peace and joy. And he consecrated his life to the glory of God and the welfare of his fellow-men. Reader, how have you settled this question?
Character is Capital.
What you can effect depends on what you are. You put your whole self into all that you do. If that self be small, and puerile, your entire life-work is paltry, your words have no force, and your influence has no weight. If that self be true and high, pure and kind, vigorous and forceful, your strokes are blows, your notes staccatos, your work massive, your influence cogent—you can do what you will. Whatever your position, you are a power, you are felt as a kingly spirit, you are as one having authority. Too many think of character chiefly in its relation to the life beyond the grave. I certainly would not have you think less of it with reference to that future; but I do wish that more consideration were bestowed upon its earthly uses. I would have young men, as they start in life, regard character as a capital, much surer to yield full returns than any other capital, unaffected by panics and failures, fruitful when all other investments lie dormant, having as certain promise in the present life, as in that which is to come.—Peabody.
The Signs of the Times.
By James White
No other paper will take the place of the SIGNS as a pioneer sheet for Tract and Missionary workers, in all the wide field. Subscriptions should be taken, and payments should be made for volume four without delay. We shall do all in our power to make the SIGNS instructive and interesting. J. W.
Visit to Sonoma County, Cal.
By James White
DURING the past week we visited Petaluma, Santa Rosa, and Healdsburg, meeting a warm welcome from our good friends there. Sabbath, October 27, Mrs. White addressed the church at Healdsburg. Her text was 1 John 3:3. “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
Quite a delegation were present from Santa Rosa, and Windsor, and all seemed to appreciate the privilege of meeting together and listening to the words of life.
We returned to our Oakland home, October 30, after a very pleasant visit among the brethren of Sonoma county. We hope soon to be able to visit other churches in California. J. W.
Portland, Oregon.
By John Norton Loughborough
For the last week I have been assisting Brother Van Horn in meetings in Portland and East Portland. The Lord gave freedom to his servants, and edge to his truth. We were favored with splendid weather and good attentive audiences. During these meetings some few more have taken their stand to obey the truth.
The Sabbath-keepers of Portland and East Portland have now secured a hall for meetings at the corner of Fourth and I streets, East Portland, where meetings are to be held each Sabbath at 11 A. M., and prayer-meetings each Tuesday evening.
We start to-morrow morning for the Conference at Walla Walla. After our return Brother Van Horn designs to follow up the work in this vicinity to give permanence to the cause here.
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.
October 21, 1877.
Lemoore, Cal.
By J. L. Wood
Since my last report I have bestowed considerable labor on the Lone Oak church, in assisting them to organize a Sabbath-school and also getting the church in working order. And I think we can all say the Lord has been with us, especially in our quarterly meeting occasion. Since our camp-meeting the cause of present truth has seemed to take new life. Several who were almost persuaded before, have since commenced to keep the Sabbath. Brother McCapes is also following up his work successfully. For all this we will praise the Lord, and take courage to go on in the good work. I commenced meeting about a week ago in a school-house about one mile from where we held our camp-meeting. The interest is quite good considering the location. May the Lord bless every effort is my prayer. J. L. Wood.
October 25, 1877.
Elder Creek, Cal.
By M. C. Israel
We are holding meetings in a school-house twelve miles west of Tehama. This is a thinly settled country and farmers are very busy putting in their crops, so we hardly expected a sufficient number would attend to make it an object for us to lecture here; but we have been agreeably disappointed, for they come from miles around, and listen with the best attention. Sunday, Brother Brorsen spoke to about forty persons on Matt. 24. He had good freedom and was listened to with deep interest. In the evening over fifty were present. We do not know what the result of our efforts will be here, but hope some will decide to keep the commandments of God. Pray for us that we may engage in this work in such a manner that God can bless our efforts. M. C. ISRAEL.
Meeting of the General T. and M. Society.
By James White; H. W. Decker
The general Tract and Missionary Society held its second annual meeting in connection with the General Conference, at Lansing, Mich., September 27, 1877, at 10 : 30 A. M. President, Elder James White, in the chair. Meeting was opened by singing. Prayer was offered by Elder H. W. Decker.
H. W. Decker was chosen secretary pro tem.
Remarks were made by Elder S. N. Haskell on the general working of the society, after which the chair was authorized to appoint a committee to nominate officers for the ensuing year. The following brethren were named as said committee: E. R. Jones, D. H. Lamson, and W. C. White.
Voted, To appoint a committee to examine and suggest changes in the constitution and by-laws of the society. S. N. Haskell, W. C. White, and U. Smith were chosen as this committee.
Further encouraging remarks were made by Elder Haskell on the increase of labor performed, and suggestions as to the most effective means to be used in missionary labor.
The committee on nominations reported the following persons for election as officers for the year to come who were severally and unanimously elected; viz., president, Elder S. N. Haskell; vice-president, W. C. White; secretary, Maria L. Huntley; assistant secretary, Mrs. S. H. Lane; treasurer, Mrs. M. J. Chapman; business agent, Wm. Ings.
Voted, That the chair appoint a committee to revise and print the constitution of State and tract societies, and furnish them to the different State organizations. S. N. Haskell, W. C. White, and U. Smith were appointed as that committee.
Voted, That the General Conference committee be empowered to fill vacancies which may necessarily occur in the offices of the general T. and M. Society for the following year.
Adjourned to call of chair.
JAMES WHITE, President.
H. W. DECKER, Secretary pro tem.
Carelessness.
THE Postal Record says that during the last year there were sent to the Dead Letter Office nearly three million letters. Sixty-eight thousand of these letters could not be forwarded owing to the carelessness of the writers in omitting to give the county or State; four hundred thousand failed to be sent because the writers forgot to put on stamps, and over three thousand letters were put in the post-office without any address whatever. In the letters above named was found over $92,000 in cash, with drafts, checks, etc., to the value of $3,000,000. There were over thirty-nine thousand photographs contained in the above letters. Of course nearly all the money and valuables were returned to the owners, but much needless delay, many charges of dishonesty, etc., might have been saved if the writers of the letters could have been a little more careful, and taken the precaution to see that their letters were in mailable condition before depositing them in the post-office. It is more than probable that nine-tenths of all the complaints, losses, and delays which are laid to the Post-office Department, are in reality due to the carelessness of their writers.—Sel.
European Press.
We, the undersigned, regard it a great privilege to donate to the Lord, for the European press, under the care of our worthy missionary, Elder J. N. Andrews, One Hundred Dollars each, and invite two others to join us in raising $10,000.
James White.... $100 E. H. Root...... $100
John Morrison.... 100 Wm. Ings...... 100
Geo. I. Butler.... 100 Charles Comings.... 100
Newel Grant.... 100 E. W. Whitney.... 100
Aug. Rasmussen.... 100 R. G. Lockwood.... 100
An Iowa Brother.... 100 W. H. Hall...... 100
Emily Leighton.... 100 Betsy Landon.... 100
S. A. McPherson.... 100 S. N. Haskell.... 100
“ A Fr’d in N. E.” 100 C. K. Farnsworth 100
“W. P. A. M.” 100 M. Wood...... 100
Jared Stickney.... 100 Friend of Truth.... 100
Mrs. A. Stickney.... 100 Mrs. J. L. James.... 100
J N Loughborough 100 A LaRue...... 100
Chas L. Boyd.... 100 Mrs. Getman (deceased).... 100
C. B. Tower.... 100 A. H. B...... 100
Freeman Nichols.... 100 D. M. Canright.... 100
D. A. Owen.... 100 W. A. Pratt...... 100
Wm. B. Mason.... 100 Wm. Harper.... 100
Jane Rowland.... 100 C. Clark and Wife 100
B. N. Berry.... 100 Miss M. R. Stern 100
J. S. Wicks.... 100 E. Green & wife.... 100
C. McNeil.... 100 A. A. Bradford.... 100
Susie D.... 100 C. S. Briggs & wife 100
J. S. Hart.... 100 M. C. Israel.... 100
Jacob Shively.... 100 W. B. J...... 100
Right hand.... 100 A Bro. in Minn.... 100
M. J. Bartholf.... 100 H. C. Stone.... 100
Mary Crouch.... 100 Thomas Alverson.... 100
B. L. Whitney.... 100 E. Lobdell.... 100
S. B. D.... 100 A Bro. & Sr. in New England.... 300
Lucretia Day.... 100 Elden H. Pullen.... 100
S. H. King.... 100 G. W. Colcord & wife.... 100
A. C. Woodbury & wife.... 100 D. Ann Albin.... 100
James Harvey.... 100 I. Sanborn.... 100
John Ely.... 100 J. Q. A. Haughey 100
L. McCoy.... 100 A. S. Hutchins.... 100
S. A. McCoy.... 100 R. M. Kilgore.... 100
“Thank-offering”.... 100 & wife.... 100
Adolph Gomez.... 100 A believer in New York.... 100
J. W. Lucas.... 100 A friend in Mich.... 100
& wife.... 100 W. Sanborn.... 100
Mrs. S. A. McPherson.... 100 Lavina Haughey.... 100
A friend.... 100 Mrs. H. Craw.... 100
Geo. Leighton.... 100 Mrs. Ira Abbey.... 100
Mary C. Bowers.... 100 James E. Rankin 100
Eli Glascock.... 100 D. T. Briggs and wife.... 100
Henry Shultz and wife.... 100 Newell Grant.... 100
Wm. Harper.... 100 S. M. Giles.... 100
E. C. and H. M. Hendee.... 100
Mary B. Cady.... 100
APPOINTMENTS
OAKLAND—Services at the new church, on the corner of Thirteenth and Clay streets, every Sabbath (Saturday) at 10:30 A. M., and Sunday evening at 7:30. Prayer-meeting every Tuesday evening at 7:30. Sabbath-school at 9 o'clock Sabbath morning.
SAN FRANCISCO—Services at the house of worship, on Laguna street, between Tyler and McAllister, every Sabbath (Saturday), at 11 A. M., and first-day evening at 7:45. Prayer-meeting every Tuesday evening at 7:45. The Hayes Valley cars of Market street and the Lone Mountain cars of the Central R. R. cross Laguna street near the church.
ELDER and Mrs. White will meet with the church at Oakland, Sabbath, November 3, at 10:30 A. M. Mrs. White will also speak Sunday evening at 7:30.
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT.
“Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully,” (margin, negligently.) Jer. 48:10.
Received for the Signs.
$2.00 EACH. H C Priedt 4-42, J C Hedden 4-1, D W Albert 4-8. Philemon Tarl 4-42, Louisa Jackson 4-40, C F Copeland 4-42, Mrs T C Bishop 4-34.
$1.50 EACH. Henrietta Osterwald 4-42, Wm Harmon 4-40, Milton B Day 4-42, Mrs Lucy Beach 4-30. H Vermason 4-42, H H Cummins 4-42, Mrs Ann Phillips 4-42, Mrs M Butcher 4-42, Mrs E Temple 4-31, Mrs M W Powell 4-42, Robert Fife 4-42.
75 CTS EACH. Arthur C Wickins 4-18, G L Reed 4-18, L H Clarke 4-18, Rubin Coffe 4-18, Alexander Hoover 4-18, J B Porter 4-10, E Francis 4-10, Henry Swink 4-10, George Patty 4-10, Joseph Cook 4-10, Perry Clark 4-18.
MISCELLANEOUS. Maud Sisley (150 copies) $112.50 4-13, C Rassmussen (3 copies) 5.00 5-12, Mrs M A Jerome (8 copies) 1.00 3-36, G F Hoover 1.00 4-18, Mrs Eleanor J Eaton 1.00 4-16, Robert Lyons 1.00 4-18, John S Johnson 3.00, 4-42, Mrs T B Cary 1.00 4-25.
California Tent Fund.
Woodland church $20.60, Napa church 7.00.
Received on Account.
Wisconsin T and M Society $199.25, Illinois T and M Society 20.00.