GLEANINGS FROM THE PAPRES.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 4, Issue 169, 23 October 1880, Page 3

GLEANINGS FROM THE PAPRES.

Twenty-two years ago the "e.-ret of fanning alligator hi■ 1 o was revealed- 10 a partner of n Boston hoot ami shoe house hv an old Canadian. The business of collecting and tannine the skins was atoned commenced, and now from 17,000 to 20,000 are tanned yearly, which arc consumed by hoof, and shoe manufactures in every portion of the United Slates, as well asojcpnrted ln London and’Hamburg. Tho alligators formerly came almost entirely from. Louisiana, and Now Orleans was the great centre of the business. Now the Florida swamps and morasses are the | harvest fields, and Jacksonville, in that 'State, is tho grand depot. Tho animals are killed in great numbers by the passengers of river steamboats, though there are hunters who ninkti a regular business of their capture. The.alligators often attain a length a length of eighteen to twenty feet, and frennontly live to a (ierco old age. Tho hides are "tripped off, and tho holly and sides, tho only portions (it fop nsp, are packed in barrels in a strong brine and- shipped- to the northern fanners, who.keep them under treatment for from six to eight months, when they aro ready to be cut up. So far tho leather Ims been principally used in tho manufacture of hoots and sho-s, for which it isj specially adapted ; and, by reason of tho pleasing variation of tho .surface, makes a most excellent and becoming protection for the masculine, and. indeed for the feminine font, for it i» beginning to bo employed in tho manufacture of 1 ladies’ hoots. Handsome slippers nre also made of the blacked and nnhlaokcd skin. as. well ns shopping hagi. portemonnai'es, cigar cases, and small leathern goods of all kinds, thmirli, o ving to tho unfavourable state of 'rado these latter hive not been ox'ens vely intr.u- . dutvU.

. ! A new gun, which can Gre £OOO shots i in 13 minutes was recently tested in 11 Washington. The Gardner is a machine 1 gun, like the Gatling. It has two barrels i made of steel, encased in brase. This is i an auxiliary to small arms, and is simply i a gun which, by the ingenuity of the ; designer, is calculated to do the work of a number of muskets, and do it more I rapidly and effectively, It cannot, probably, shoot so accurately us a musket, : but, if properly handled, must be fearfully destructive, especially when direetod against a line or an advancing column. j Its calibre is 0.45 inch, and tho same cartridges are used as in ordinary prac- ' tice. The charge is 70 grains of powdor land the ball weighs 405gr. It is mounted lon a small field carriage, and is light j enough to be carried by two men. The ! whole length of the gun iB only 4ft. It | can lie" fired 500 times in minute, its capacity in this direction being only limited by the rapidity with which it can ,be fed. If stream could apply the inotiro ; power, an.l it could be fed fast enough, ! there is no telling how rapidly it could !be fired. The tiring is done by turning I a crank in tho rear of the gun, aud it is I fed through a flat-shaped box, into which | the cartridges are placed in blocks hnldi ing 20 each. They fit down neatly into the box, which holds about 50 cartridges, and as fast as the crank is turned they drop down into a channel and are carried forward for discharge, and the empty I cartridges returned and dropped beneath. j 5000 shots were fired in 13 minutes, I three men relieving each other at the j crank. Tho sundry civil appropriation bill, i just passed by the Kouso of Reprentative.s provides for a survey of the Gulf : Stream from its origin to its final whir! ' around the Sargasso Sea. The plan em- ! braces soundings, deep-soa temperatures, and current observations. The high impostance of the proposed survey is clear, and when done it will add another valuable chapter to the nation's record of s'cicntitic exploration. The practical I v;due of the proposed work, in its bearings i n commerce and meteorology, is beyond estimation. Numbers of people are writing to Colonel Gordon in hopes of getting employment under him in China. It i- even stated that nearly 200 men who have been officers of Her Majesty's army will make a very strong effort to go to China if Russia attempts to fight her. I The Chinese Ambassador here anil also the Ambassador in Germany are both of ! them well-informed men, who know that I tits only thing China wants in order to | meet her adversaries is good European officering, and they will take care that tiicir Government understands this. It has been estimated that tho actual hiss to Messrs. Bass, the eminent brewers of Burton, in 'consequence of tho difference between the drawback allowed on malt and manufactured beer and the new heer duty will approach, if it does not exceed, £40,000. How far it will be possible to reduce this lass H a question which has not yet been spjved ia the minds of the ffrin, hut sorely Pnrijamcnt ! will never allow lu'cwnrs t, > bp,th,u,s i pena.I's d ever. with, a vh>\X- to,fcjMWiicesi fiscal changes. M-'Ssij, A'Jsopp's loss, as the proposal uto-nds, will be over £30,000, j and pro&ihjv the one town of Burton, will be fined hv the rtyw Bud-jet] to the. extent of £130.000, As 'the Bass family are Liberals they, may well cry tp.be saved from their friends.