Ignorance In Massachusetts

The best statisticized state in the Union is Massachusetts. The last census, taken in 1885, has just been made public. It was so long delayed because of the great number of particulars it embraced. The most interesting portion of the report is that devoted to educational figures. In spite that Boston is the nativo home of "ulehah," there are yet 7.73 per eest. of the people of Massachusetts who can neither read nor write. This estímate includes persons 10 years of age and over. Of these illiterates only 1.29 per cent, are nativo born. The rest are f oreigners. One f act brought out by the census is very interesting. Of native bom illiterates thero are more men tlian women who cannot read or write. With the foreign illiterates the figures are the other way. Nearly two-thirds of the foreign born illiterates are f emale. It indicates perhaps the difference in the notions of education for women in Europe and in a live Yankee state. Out of every eoventeen Indians thirteen are still unable to read and write, after nearly 270 years of occupancy of Massachusetts by white people. An appalling proportion of French Canadlans -41.89 per cent. - are Iliterato. These are employed in factories. They cannot even read and write French. The negroes in Massachusetts are much better educated tlian the French Canadians. Only 19.47 per cent of the blacks are illiterate. Of the foreigners in the state 21.50 are illiterate. Figures of the freight conveyed by the Sault Ste. Marie canal show how marvelously trado is increasóig in tho upper lako región. From 1885 to 1888 the aniount of freight increased 96 per cent. Nearly twice as many veesels passed through tho canal as diiring the provious three years, and their carrying capacity increased 65 per cent. The clónate of Florida is similar tutliat of southeast China, whero the peach and pear hare been brought to greater perfection than anywhero else. Arguing from Uiis, Floridians bclieve that when the right rarieties are obtained they, too, will be able to produce peaches and pears equal to their oranges. This is how they deal with Prohibitionist ladies in Oermany. A wealthy woman, Mrs. Hagen, wrote to a prominent physician adjuring him to leave off hls dronkonness and reform. He thereupon suod her for defamation of character, and the tempéranos lady was fíned $250. The San Francisco Chronicle saya there is one sure preventivo for such forest fires as have devastated Dakota this spring. That is the planting of trees by the thousands and milliona. Let every farmer begin planting at once, and keep It up. A timber belt always stops a fire. When tho use of coal was first discovered in England, it was made a capital offenso to burn it in London because of the smoke. Women were loudest in their objections, declaring it ruined their oomplexions. One man was put todeath for breakóig the law against coal. "An international sugar trust on the American plan," is what they cali it in Europe, and it is brlnging up the price f the staplc over there.