Current Affairs

ïhere is every indication of an uuusually heavy immigration this year, not only into the West from the Atlantic States, but from Europe. For the first quarter of this year the aggregate of arrivals at Cas'tle Garden reached 10,858, against 8,498 in 1878, a gain of 2,360, or about twenty-five per cent. The arrivals for the second quarter wiJJ far exceed those for the iirst. The postofflee cnanges in Michigan during the we ik ending April 12 were as f ollows : Estdbliahed - North Street, St. Clair county, Chas. G. Townsend, postmaster; Wade, Clare county, Wm. A. Thompson, postmaster. Postmastcrs Appointed - Greenwood, Ogeniaw county, Geo. M. Horton; Oakwood, Oakland county, Ilomer J. Pelton; Kansoni, KilLsdale county, John W. Squires. A report comes by telegraph that a definí te plan of emigration has been arranged whereby the negroes of Louisiana and South Carolina, desiring to change their habitations, may settle upon lands in the Indian ïerritory, wheré tliey shall be unmolested, and can be "governed by officials of their own choosing. Should any such scheme as this be carried out, it might afford a means of settling the Southern question, which now has a complicated look. The annual report of ex-Auditor General Ely, for the riscal year ending Sept. 00, 1878, has just been printed. lt makes a volume of 320 pages, and embodies in detail the accounts of all the various departments and institutions of the State. The full returns of the liquor trallic, as given in the report, show that the number of manufacturera in the State in 1878, was 127, wholesale dealers 7ü, and retail dealers 3,700. The tax paid by manufacturera was $7,941.88, wholesale dealers $15,078.26, retail dealers $363,418.80, interest $1.936.32, making a total of tax and interest of $;',8t,275.21. The ainount of uncollected tax was $54,325. ui. Gov. Fremont, of Arizona, had submitted to the Government at Washington, a plan for bringing the waters of the Gulf of California back to the old basin in Southern California, which would convert what is now a salt desert of glistening white sand into a highway of commerce and trade. The plan itself, when it is made public, will be certain to attract profound interest. With the topography of this entire region Gov. Fremont may be considera! pei'sonally familiary. This desert, there is no question, was once the bed of a vast inland sea. If the waters of the Colorado, that is, of the Gulf of California, could be drained into it, the aspect of Southern California and Arizonia would be greatly changed, The Desert is hundreds of f eet below the sea level, and is approached from the west after crossing ranges of mountains many thousand feet high. It is in itself the picture of utter desolation. Much is expected of the Edison electric light and sume contlicting stories have been lately cireulated as to his probable success. So far, the inventor says, he has spent about $30,000 in experiments. He positively asserts that the ligbt is au assured success and that it can bemadethree times cheaperthan gas. ''I mean," he says, "that I can get the same aniount of light for three times less money, actual cost to both parties." The attempt to prevent his obtaining a patent in England failed. He is now getting a new set of patenta in all foreign countries. He thinks tlial inside of two montlis, if nothing interferes, he will be able to make the whole thing public. He can now get a light equal to 30 candles from a lamp that would at lirst give a light of only two and a half candles. Mr. Edison says that he shall burn M0 lights at Menlo l'ark, keeping them aglow niglit and day, until the stockfcolders are satislied. lt has been supposed that the lamps theinselves would be very expensive. They are simply a sniall coil of platinum wire placed in a glass bulb. Mr. Edison says they will cost - bulb, platinnm, and all - not more than a dollar and a half apiece. He is making his own bulbs having picked up the art from a perambulating glassblower. Sixteen electric lights are now in use in Mr. Edison's machine shop. The electricity has been furnished by a sniall Gramme machine, but the new Edison generator will be substituted in a day or two. The glass bulbs are no Largor than a rusty coat apple. A ligia equal to that of three gas jets fairly warms tliem, and that is all.