Passing Events

Pbof. C. V. KbeMíY, the State Entomologist of Missouri, in the conree of a recent lecture in St. Louis on "Insects," said tbat the annual loss to farmers, caused by insects, averaged 8100,000,000 a year ; that the chinch bug alone, during 1874, caused a loss of $30,000,000 in the Western States, of which $19,000,000 were lost in Missouri. Prof. Eeilly estimated the loases by locusta (grasshoppers), during the last threo yeara, at 50,000,000. The Khediveof Egypt has nndertaken to manage the general business of that country as woll as ran its political machinery. The two do hot go well together. He is finding it out, too. ■ His linances are in a bad way. Á few years ago he was accounted one of the richest men in the worlc!, and his country was prosperons. If he would conform to the modern theory of politica! rnstrietion, ho would find it very much better for himself and his people. The floating debt of Egypt is. L14,000,000. Ewzabeth Tayloh Gkeesjteuo, sometime known as the " BJack Swan," diod Ruddenly of paralysis at her home in Philadclphia a few days ago. Deceased was bom a slave in Natcliez, Miss. , sixtyeight years ago, and was mamunitted when oue year of age. At an early age she became somewhat distinguished for her peculiar vocal abilites, and her subsequent success was rapid. She visited Europe, and sang before the various crowned heads, receiving everywhere lavish praise and innumerable presents. The JJittle Emma scandal has seriously confused the journalists of Constantinople. - They ascribe the difficulty to the jealousy of a herd of hot-headed Occidentals who are clamorous and wrangling suitors for the favor of a fair infidel namod Emma Mine. The columns of a recent issus of the ïamboul coniain a picturesquo recital of the coy damsel's coquetry, and the eagerness of her admirers whieh must srreatly surprise the ehibouque -smoking Turks, among whom Buch irregular flirtations are unknown. The politeness of the Californian was well demon strated at the recent big race at San Francisco. A man wüo lacked the lucre to secure hiin admLssion at the gatc perched himself on a monument on Lone Monntain cemetery and eomposed himself to watch the flyers, when suddenly another fellow, reaching up, touclied him on the leg. "I want that seat, sir." "Oh, you be damned." " But it's my family tombstone. My grandmother lies buried here." "Oh!" said tho sport, and accomodatingly climbed down. Larkin G. Mead, the American seulptor, has vindicated his fame against the charges of the ambitious Italian stone cutter who claimed to be the designer as well as the seulptor of Mcadc's most important work, the Lincoln monument. In the suit brought by the stonecutter for eonipem;ation ho was defeated, and upon appeal to the higher court ho was again defected. He is the same individuaUwho has persistently slandered neaily all the A encan artiste in Italy by aÜ mg that the work claimed by mem was reaíly done by their Italian workmen. The lateat estímate of Vanderbilt's wealth places it at a hundred millions, and it is inereasing every day. The old man has a large library wbich consists of scrap-books pasted full of goverument and other bonds. He could buy out half the crowned heads of Europe. Nobody, not evon himself, kr.ows the exact figures of his wealth. Thero is no - danger of his following the road so disastrously traveled by Daniel Drew, because lie is more earef ui about scattering his promissory notes aronnd, aud sticks i rigklly to his library of governrneutbond scrap-books. He is the richest man on the American continent. Still another oxpose of cruel neglect and brntality praeticed upon the inmutes of a public charitablo institution by the officials in charge, This time it is the Government Insane Asylum in the District of Columbio, in which it is sliown that the i'ood was scant and unwholesome, and that tho half -starvod maniacs who proved " unreasonable " were beaten, handcuffed, aud otherwise il!tieated ii such faihion as, of coui-se, must have aggravated their mania, whilo inflicting upon them tortures which the law does uot suffer to bo visited upon crimináis. Naturally enough is coupled with it revelations of how the superintendent made inoney out of his posición by running a job. Representative SoHLHlOHHBj Chairman of tho House Committee oa the Texas Border ïroubles, lias reported a bili for the protectioii of the Texas frontier on the lower Iiio Grande. It authorizes and requires the President to station and keep on tho Iiio Grande river frorn ita mouth to the northem boundary of the State of Tamaulipas, abovo L;u-oido, two regiments of cavalry in nddition to the infantry for garrison duty, and to keep each troop to full strength of 100 privates. ' It also svuthorizes tho President, in view of the inability of the Mexican Government to prevent the inroads of lawless parties from Mexico iuto Texas, to order troops to cross the Kio Grande, aud use such means as may be found necessary to recover stolen property and to check raids, guaiding, liowever, against unnecessary injnry to tho peaeeful ! ants of Moxico.