—March 2 was the seventy-fifth birthday of Pope Leo XIII.
—An American church costing $250,000 has just been consecrated in Dresden, Germany.
—The Inquisition punished 342,000 persons in Spain alone, 32,000 of whom were burned alive.
—The pastor of St. Vincent de Paul's Catholic Church at Mount Vernon, Ohio, has declared war against the skating rinks.
—In the Sunday-school of the Ninth Presbyterian Church of Troy, N. Y., are five scholars who have been present at every session for four years.
—By the first census of Japanese Christians made by the Government, they are numbered at 80,000, including Roman Catholics and Greek converts.
—The Theater Services Committee, in London, have thirteen theaters and halls, in which, week after week, mission services are held. The attendance is large.
—It is roughly estimated that there are about 200,000,000 Mohammedans, more than half being in Asia, and the rest in Africa, except 6,000,000, who live in Turkey in Europe.
—It is estimated that the sum of $50,000 will still be necessary to complete Bishop Vertin's Cathedral at Marquette, Mich., a like amount already having been expended on it.
—On Sunday, March 8, the New York Avenue church, Washington, was literally packed in every part with people who went to see President Cleveland, and to the president did not appear.
—Sunday morning, March 1, Dr. Talmage received 189 persons into the membership of the Tabernacle church, Brooklyn, N. Y. The pew rents in the church foot up $22,000 for the present year.
—There are at present in Lisbon, Portugal, seven native Protestant congregations,—one Presbyterian, two Independent, and four Episcopal. In Oporto there are three,—one Methodist and two Episcopal.
—Some fanatics at Concord, N. H., have set May 19 "for the Lord to come." It is too bad that people will make such fools of themselves. But even when May 19 passes they will be no wiser than they are now.
—The first meeting of the American congress of churches will be held in Hartford, Conn., early in May. The congress is announced as intended to embrace all the Christian denominations, and to be participated in by representative ministers and laymen.
—The M. E. Churches of the Pacific Coast are to establish an Episcopal residence in San Francisco, for Bishop Fowler. The house and grounds are to cost $15,000; $5,475 of which was raised at one meeting of representatives in San Francisco last week.
—No less than thirty-three distinct missionary agencies are at work in Africa. In South Africa there are 450 Protestant missionaries, 95 native ministers, 40,000 communicants, and 45,000 scholars. On the west coast, 190 missionaries, 33,000 communicants, 250,000 under instruction, and probably 1,000,000, more or less, under the influence of Christianity.
—It is stated by the Philadelphia North American, that the sale of the Revised New Testament has fallen flat; that the demand ceased in a week after the curiosity died out, and that wagon loads of them have been sent to the auction houses, where one dollar volumes sold for nine cents. It is estimated that over $300,000 has been lost in such "dead" stock.
—The sales of books and other publications by the Methodist Book Concern last year, in New York, amounted to $988,654, and the sales in Cincinnati were nearly as large. The value of the real estate belonging to the Methodist Book Concern in New York City amounts to $700,000, and in various cities in the West the real estate owned by the concern is valued at about $300,000 more.
—An English clergyman reports that a part of his income is derived from the interest on $1,610 in consols in chancery. Lately the half-yearly interest, twenty-five dollars, fell due, and by the time that he had gone through all the process required by the Court of Chancery, he had to pay twenty-one dollars to get his twenty-five. The preacher's income from that source is nothing to boast of, surely.
SECULAR.
—San Francisco consumes 900,000 bananas a month.
—There is a serious strike on the Missouri Pacific Railroad.
—War has been declared between Nicaragua and Guatemala.
—Thirty horses were burned in a stable in Providence, R. I., on March 8.
—England has invested $100,000, for the benefit of General Gordon's family.
—Opium joints are abundant in the fashionable circles of New York City.
—It is said that El Mahdi captured 15,000 Remington rifles at Khartoum.
—Governor Pierce, of Dakota, vetoed the bill giving women the right to vote.
—For more than a week, rumors have been rife of war between England and Russia.
—Applications for office go into the departments at Washington at the rate of 200 a day.
—Inspector-General Sackett, of the United States Army, died at Washington, D. C., March 8.
—A nitro-glycerine factory at Howard Junction, Ohio, exploded March 10, killing three men.
—Telephone connection direct from New York to Chicago, is being used for business purposes.
—A Chicago grand jury has found bills of indictment against 249 of the judges of the last election.
—Whole families in the interior counties of West Virginia are wholly dependent on charity for their food.
—El Mahdi has issued placards proposing to lead his hosts to Mecca, and to expel the Turks from Arabia.
—Maine paid $2,745 last year in bounties for bears killed within its boundaries, the number being 549.
—Italy pays $6,000,000 for the maintenance of its penal system, and only $5,400,000 for educational purposes.
—Lieutenant Austin, treasurer of the Salvation Army at North Adams, ran away with all the money last week.
—Freight agents report an average daily shipment of twelve car loads of oranges from Los Angeles, Cal.
—The largest Catholic Church in Washington, D. C., was burned March 12. Loss, $75,000; insured for $50,000.
—Two attempts were made to burn the Ohio Institute for the Blind, at Columbus, Wednesday night, Feb. 25.
—Rumors of war between England and Russia caused almost a panic in the London Stock Exchange last week.
—A son of one of the professors of the Columbian University, Washington, D. C., died last week from smoking cigarettes.
—Julius K. Cobb, about eight or nine years old, and heir to $1,000,000, was stolen from his guardian in Cleveland, Ohio, March 11.
—Cincinnati is talking of building an elevated belt railroad round the city. It will be seventeen miles long, and will cost $5,000,000.
—The schooner F. J. Collins, from Galveston to Boston, was burned March 1. Loss, in vessel and cargo, $70,000. The crew all landed safely.
—Three children were burned in a house at Durant, Miss., March 7; and the day following three others were burned in a house at Pearlington, Miss.
—The Governor of Mississippi has appointed E. C. Waltham to the U. S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by Senator Lamar's going into the president's cabinet.
—The Supreme Court of California has sustained the decision of the Superior Court, that Chinese children must be admitted to the public schools the same as any other children.
—Mrs. Niher, of Silver Lake, W. T., died March 13, of trichinosis, and her child is in a critical condition with the same disease, from eating pork. Why is it that people cannot let that filthy, deadly stuff alone?
—After more than eighteen years of effort, Birkenhead and Liverpool, England, have been joined by a tunnel under the Mersey River. The mayors of the two cities joined hands in the middle of it, when the last portion of dirt was knocked down on Feb. 13.191
—The Government has already supplied $1,000,000 to help the New Orleans Exposition, and it is asked to send $300,000 more. The Exposition is certainly a success in one thing, if in nothing more; that is, in getting away with United States gold and silver coin.
—Three of the oldest and most competent engineers, to whom was committed the running of the fast trains on a certain railroad, not long since asked to be relieved. They declared that the mental and nervous strain was literally destroying their lives, and they could stand it no longer.
—Two men were killed and another man was badly injured last week, by the bursting of the boiler in a saw-mill at Finksburg, Maryland. And another near Kounitz, Texas, exploded, killing two persons and injuring fifteen others. It was feared that six of the injured could not recover.
—In a village in Saxony, 961 of the 1,300 inhabitants were attacked with trichinosis from eating pork, fifty-seven of whom died; the remainder survive with their muscles filled with the living parasite, and it is only a question of time when they, too, will have to die of the terrible disease.
—Leoni, the "King of the Air," was killed at a tight-rope performance at Stockton, Cal., March 14, by the breaking of a rope that held the wire upon which he was walking. We suppose the large crowd that were assembled to see the performance, had their morbid curiosity thoroughly satisfied.
—The city council of Wheeling, West Va., has unanimously resolved to ask the State Legislature to allow the annexation of Brooke, Hancock, and Ohio Counties to Pennsylvania. As Wheeling is in Ohio County, and is at the same time the capital of the State, the city council is asking a pretty big thing.
—A physician connected with one of the hospitals in New York where children receive special attention, says that many of the cases of spinal trouble brought to his notice are the direct result of the careless handling of baby carriages. The matter of how nurses and others handle these little vehicles is one to which parents may well pay attention.
—Certain officers of the army and navy, by influential means have for years been allowed to spend their time in Washington, on what is called "special duty," but really doing nothing. Since the change in affairs at the capital, these pets have been ordered to active duty, and in consequence there is a good deal of commotion. Clear them out, Mr. President.
—The Record, of Boston, is exposing the evils that most abound in that city. It says they are drunkenness, licentiousness, and gambling. It shows the streets filled with saloons, several of whose keepers sit in the board of aldermen, and gambling chambers, thronged with patrons, close by the City Hall, and in the most crowded streets. Persons and property are insecure; men are unsafe in the streets at night; and murder is rife. Business men say it is no use to apply to the police, for they will do nothing when they are appealed to. The criminal class, including the liquor-sellers, govern the city through the city council, and all the powers that be bow down to these unclean idols. So says the Springfield Republican.
Nicotine Poisoning.
HERE is an instance to make parents think a little. A few days ago, a bright boy of fifteen, in Brooklyn, died of nicotine poisoning. Some eight or nine months ago he adopted the manly fashion of smoking cigarettes. Argument and persuasion were tried upon him by his parents—of course he was above a command to let the mischievous things alone. It was of no use; and the poison had ample opportunity to do its deadly work before medical aid was seen to be necessary to arrest the lad's failing health. Nothing could then be done, though a whole concourse of doctors was called, all of whom were agreed as to the cause which led to this fatal result. This instance will, we hope, call the attention of some careless parents to the perilous nature of the habit that their boys are forming; whether they will stop their money-making, speculating, shopping, and fine dress-making long enough to do the boys any good, we do not know, but the need of their careful, vigilant attention grows every day more apparent.
—Selected.
Drink to Make You Work.
"I DRINK to make me work," said a young man.
To which an old man replied:—
"That's right; thee drink and it will make thee work.
"Hearken to me a moment, and I will tell thee something that may do thee good. I was once a prosperous farmer. I had a good, loving wife, and two as fine lads as ever the sun shone on. We had a comfortable home and lived happily together, but we used to drink ale to make us work. Those two lads I have laid in drunkards' graves. My wife died broken-hearted, and she now lies by her two sons. I am seventy-two years old. Had it not been for drink I might now have been an independent gentleman, but I used to drink to make me work, and mark, it makes me work now. At seventy years of age I am obliged to work for my daily bread. Drink, and it will make thee work."
New Jersey Temperance Amendment
The New Jersey Senate, on the 17th ult., passed the proposed constitutional amendment prohibiting the manufacture or sale of intoxicating beverages by eleven to nine. The Assembly has passed the bill to provide for scientific temperance instruction in the public schools.
Prohibition Petitions in West Virginia
Large numbers of petitions asking for the submission to a vote of the people, of a prohibitory constitutional amendment, have been presented in the Legislature of West Virginia, and many more are to follow.
Shingle Your Own House.
SCENE, bar-room. TIME, midnight.
WIFE—"I wish that man would go home if he has got one to go to."
LANDLORD—"Hush! hush! he'll call for something directly. He's taking the shingles off his own house and putting them on ours." At this time he began to come to his right senses, and commenced rubbing his eyes, and stretching himself as if he had just awoke, saying, "I believe I will go."
"Don't be in a hurry, James," said the landlord. "Oh! yes, I must go," said James, and he started.
After an absence of some time, the landlord met and accosted him with: "Hello, Jim, why ain't you been down to see us?"
"Why, I had taken so many shingles off my house it began to leak, so I thought it time to stop the leak, and I have done it," said James.
Young man, whose house are you shingling.
—Sel.
Annual Meeting.
THE regular annual meeting of the society of the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Oakland, will be held at the house of worship, on Wednesday, April 1, 1885, at 7:30 o'clock P. M., for the purpose of electing a board of five trustees, and transacting such other business as may come before the meeting. A general attendance will be necessary, in order that the proceedings may be in accordance with the law.
By order of the President,
W. N. GLENN, Sec'y.
Appointments.
OAKLAND.—House of worship, northeast corner of Clay and Thirteenth Streets. Sabbath-school every Sabbath at 9:30 A. M. Preaching at 11 A. M. Prayer and missionary meeting every Tuesday evening at 7:00. Seats free. Preaching every Sunday evening at 7:30.
SAN FRANCISCO.—House of worship, 912 Laguna Street, between McAllister and Tyler Streets. Sabbath-school every Sabbath at 9:45 A. M. Preaching at 11 A. M. Prayer and missionary meeting every Wednesday evening at 7:45. Preaching every Sunday evening at 7:30. Mission Reading-rooms at the church.
Oakland Meeting and Honolulu Sabbathkeepers
By Editor
MEMBERS of the Oakland church will please read and REMEMBER the notice of the annual meeting given in this paper.
BRETHREN Scott and LaRue report from Honolulu, H. I., that eight persons there are now keeping the Sabbath.
Condition of General Grant.
IT is sad to think that such a man as General Grant must die sooner than he ought to, and die a miserable death, from a terrible disease induced by smoking. Schuyler Colfax nearly lost his life by smoking; but he heeded the physician's warning and ceased to smoke. Many of the youth of the land have pointed to the strength, health, and great ability of General Grant as proof that even excessive smoking does not injure a man. And it is sad to think that probably not one of them will throw away his cigars, and no one refuse to begin the vile practice, because it is cutting short the life of our distinguished general. Our bad examples are readily followed, while our good examples are imitated by only a few. But the few would speedily become many if no bad example were set at all.
President Cleveland and "Society."
By Editor
AT the nation's capital, "society" is all agog: "society" is terribly shocked; "society" feels rebellious; "society" has actually resolved to keep away from the White House! And what is it all about? Oh, the times! Oh, the manners! Oh, wonderful to tell! President Cleveland eats his breakfast at eight o'clock in the morning, instead of lying abed till ten or eleven, and breakfasting at noon, as "society" does. But worse, far worse than this—most terribly shocking—he works with his coat off! yes, actually works in his shirt sleeves!! And "society" is almost in convulsions. He is charged with the unpardonable crime of thus showing his "contempt" for "society." "Society" says that "Mr. Arthur's administration was a continual delight to society people. With his courtly manners, his æsthetic tastes, and the bevy of charming ladies in the fragrant parlors, the White House grew to be a sort of Windsor Castle, to be admitted to which all society people felt honored." But President Cleveland has no "courtly manners"—in his private office he works in his shirt sleeves. He has no æsthetic tastes—he eats his breakfast at eight o'clock. The White House isn't a "Windsor Castle" any more—the president is a plain American and cannot ape English royalty. And because of all this accumulated series of "shocking" sins of the president, "society" is in the last throes of dissolution. Poor "society!"
Discussion.
By Editor
A NUMBER of copies of the "Discussion between Elders Waggoner and Vogel on the Law, the Sabbath, and the Sunday," have been received at this office. Price, 50 cents. Address, Pacific Press, Oakland, Cal.
Encouraging Revival of Business
By Editor
THERE has been a cry of "hard times" throughout the country for many months past. We are now glad to note a change in the tone of the papers. From almost every direction come encouraging reports of the revival of business in the opening of mills, etc., by which means many of the unemployed thousands will find work again. The past winter has been one of unusual severity in the East. But we look for a prosperous season the present year; it is almost always productive after severe cold and heavy snow. And if we may judge at all from the past, some mild winters will follow.
Thanks!
By Editor
Our friends will consider that we have “standing thanks” for their kindness in sending to us the numerous assaults which are made upon “the Sabbath of the Lord thy God”—the despised seventh day. We cannot, however, notice them all; and some we may notice at an appropriate time, if not when they are received. One of the latest—and one of the weakest—is by the New York Witness. We did not intend to notice it, but have received so many requests to do so, that we have changed our mind. We will pay our respects to it soon.
The Sabbath Controversy
By Editor
Probably our readers have heard the amusing story about "upsetting Moses." It has proved a hard and unsatisfactory work to "upset Moses." And we think the wordy opposers will find it a difficult task to upset the Sabbath of the Lord God. It is laid up in the ark of His testament in the tabernacle in Heaven (Rev. 11 : 19), as an everlasting memorial of the power and work of the Creator. We have no fears for the result of this Sabbath controversy. They who oppose the seventh-day Sabbath are fighting against God, who instituted it at creation, commanded it with his own voice, and wrote it with his own finger in the tables of stone. Who abolished it? Who?
The Generality of Limpness
SPURGEON says: "We may live to see men calling themselves Christians, and differing in no single item from Mohammedans; in fact, even now there are religionists among us who are not so near the truth as the followers of the False Prophet. Oak has given place to willow; everybody has grown limp. Out of the generality of limpness has come an admiration of it. A man cannot speak a plain word without being accused of bitterness, and if he denounces an error he is narrow-minded; for all must join the Universal Admiration Society, or be placed under ban, and be howled down."
A Rare Opportunity.
To ANY one desiring a comfortable and cheap home in a desirable part of the city of Healdsburg, near the College, an opportunity is now presented to secure it. Elder Corliss expects to sail for Australia about the 1st of May, and must dispose of his place, which consists of a new house of three rooms and one-half acre of land covered with choice bearing fruit trees. There is also a fine well of soft water convenient to the house. The house is so arranged that an addition can be built with but little cost. A bargain will be given to any one applying soon. Address Elder J. O. Corliss, Pacific Press, Oakland, Cal.
A Growing Nuisance.
By Editor
LAST Sunday morning we met two ladies and a gentleman (?) on the sidewalk, on their way to church, and the male of the trio had a cigar in his mouth. We were partly to the windward, and entirely to the ladyward of the smoker, yet the fumes were stifling. Whereunto will this tobacco nuisance grow? We expect to see, at no distant day, the large and fashionable churches fitted up with a smoking room! After the opening exercises there would be a fine opportunity for the "gents" to retire for a smoke while the collection plates were being passed. And if the minister read his essay beyond the fashionable limit of thirty-two minutes, he might be reminded of his imprudence by the smokers' retiring to their room. There is chance for considerable improvement yet in this direction.
Sabbath-School Convention.
By Editor
WE wish to call the attention of our people in California to the following resolution, which was adopted at our last annual meeting:—
"Resolved, That we recommend that a Sabbath-school convention be held at some central point during the coming year, where methods of labor may be discussed, and plans laid to better carry forward the work."
In accordance with this resolution, the executive committee of the California State Sabbath-school Association, has decided to hold such a convention in connection with the general meeting to be held in Oakland, April 24-30, 1885. The time and place are both favorable for a large attendance. Elder Haskell, and other workers that expect to start for Australia the week following the convention, will be present, as well as our ministers and workers from all parts of the State. There will be no camp-meeting in this State this spring, and this will be the only general meeting that will be held. We do not know how we could ask for a more favorable opportunity than this. Now we want to make the best of it.
We expect to devote one whole day, and perhaps two, to this special work, and we trust that all will come prepared to improve the time to the best advantage.
Matters of general interest will be discussed, and it is the desire of the committee to make all the exercises as practical as possible, suited to our present needs.
The programme has not yet been fully decided upon, but we expect to hear short reports from the different schools; discussions in regard to methods of work; essays, addresses, etc.; but a very prominent feature of the convention will be the "question box." To this end we invite all who will, to write out questions and send them to the State secretary, Miss Josie L. Cochran, Pacific Press, Oakland, Cal., as soon as possible, so that they may be classified before the opening of the convention.
We have great reason to feel encouraged in regard to the progress of the work in this State. We now have 37 schools, with a membership of 1,403, which is an increase of 219 members over last year. But the time has come for us to make another move forward.
We hope to see delegates from every Sabbath-school in this Conference. Come with a desire to do good and to get good. The convention will probably be held on Wednesday, April 29; but officers' and teachers' meetings will be held before that time, so that all who can, should come at the beginning and stay till the close of the general meeting.
C. H. JONES,
E. J. WAGGONER,
C. C. RAMSEY,
Executive Committee.
California State Reports and Irrigation
A NUMBER of pamphlets from the State secretary's office have come to hand. One of them contains a list of all the State and county officers of California, with the date of expiration of the term of office of each. It also gives the aggregate population of the State by counties, and the official vote of each county of the State in the last campaign. The second is the Biennial Report of the Secretary of State, which covers the State appropriations and expenditures; the third is the report of the Senate Special Committee, appointed to investigate the books of the Secretary of State. Another contains an important address from the State Irrigation Committee to the State Legislature, on the subject of Irrigation.