Ann Arbor's Great Compliment

The following article, tnkiug from tlte issue of The Current for August 23, will be found of much interest to our readers just at present: "The famous town of Ann Arbor, Miel)., isthis year the recipiënt of a deserved compliment. The thirty-fourth annual session of the American Association for the Adrancement of Science will begin under the shadow of the Michigan Unlversity next Frlday. The Britiüh Association, which last year did the New World the honor of holding its convention at Montreal, was the forerunner of the American body, and was founded by Sir John Herschel and his contemporaries. The American society was organized later, in 1847. It has liad meetings at Saratoga Spring?, bat, outside of that watering place, has rarely if ever before gathered at a city reckoning as few as 10,000 inhabitants. The choice of Ann Arbor, after a sessiou at Detroit close by, not many years ago, is significant recognition of the fact that people sometimes are not to bc counted numerically, but by tlieir inihience on the world. In tuis sense Ann Arbor would rank high among tlie chief cities. Last year the Association convencd at Philadelphia, with the British and Canadian scientists for visitors. Chicago, Boston, Louisville, and other large centers of population and trade have also been gratified in entertaining the wise men. The annual gathering nsually nuinbers about 500 members; with it comes an Immense exhibit oí raw thinking material. The peaeeful environments of a great seat of learning seemed well fitted to the meditative business in hand. As for the product of the past year, the Association will be expected (among other new thlngs), to take notice of Captain Renaud's balloon, Koch'scomma bacillus, Ferran's cholera-broth, Pasteur's mud dog, silk-worm, and grapevine experimente, cocaine, the compouud photograph, and the Spanisli and Cashmere earthquakM. Some of these thlngs, hke cocaïne, must be talked about hurriedly if at all, for the laity is coming into the understandlng of them with a re:idiness appalling to the annointed apostles of science. As for the weather, the ignorant woodman is still as wiso as the scholar on the high housetop. Few things are more discouraging then the slow progresa of meteorology." The Adrián Record writes up the ambition of one of Ann Arbor's residente thus: "Venezuela, to which ex-Senator Ricbmond, of Aun Albor, aspires to be minister resident, is a country about which few without looking it np, could n" j n.ii mruiiiiaiion. It is, howerer, i country containing about two milHon inhabltants, rather thinly settled and ratlier densely wooded. Very few foreigners live in the country, there being by the census of 18S3 only 179 Ainericans with the temerity to reside there. The cliici' city, where the minister resides is Caraca, witli a population of 70,000. Tliu Yenczueliau army is niuch to bc dreaded. It consists of 2,500 men. The United Stutes sends yearly to the country about six million dollars' worth of goods, a trade which is increasing. The salary of the minister resident is $7,500.