Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-09-18
Foreign Gossip.


The most expensive and fashionable
iewelry in Denmark is said to be made
from fish bones and scales. 1t is more
costly than articles of gold. ;,
In Paris builders are required to put
material for construction within the en-
closed space of the building, and carry it
out as needed by the workmen.
There is bridge in Japan made en-
tirely of bamboo. 1t is a single span OF
sixty feet, a hundred feet above the water,
and without railing. 1t sways in a mali
ner which terrifes nervous pedestrians.
The Italian soldiers have meat only
twice week allowed them, and then it is
boiled. Their ordinary food is bread,
oftener dipped in hot water than in broth.
If they want wine they axe obliged to
provide it themselves.
The Paris newspapers mention the
death, by the bite of a viper, of one
Joseph Wagner, a snake charmer. Wag-
ner first beat the reptile and then ordered
it to kiss him. Instead of obeying, the
viper bit his tongue. The unfortunate
man died two hours after.
Buffet the President of the French
Assembly, is so short-sighted that in one
of the last sittings of that body, he seized
decanter instead of his bell, and threw
the whole of its contents upon the heads
of the House Secretaries seated just be-
low and before the Presidential chair.
A Belgian magazine says, on the an.
thority of "Dr. Savatier, medical man
who has lived in China" that the natives
of that country employ bamboo prickles
to poison their enemies" They manage
to get them where by smelling the very
small thorns are introduced to the nos
trils, the end of which is the painful
death of the victim.
-Titular nobility is on its last legs in
England. 1t will die hard, but it has
been long time dying already, and is
now almost extinct. 1t has only been
kept outstanding by the custom of entail
and the habit which prevails among the
titled classes of investing their property
in land and settling the bulk of their
estates upon their eldest sons.
The result Of the Geneva arbitration
has given impulse to the promoters OF a
code of public international law. The
London Peace Society has improved the
opportunity by circulating tract, giving
an anthology of the utterances Of states
men and crowned heads in behalf of ar
bitration, instead of war, as Is mode OF
settling international differences.
One establishment at Nassau, Bahama
Islands, has about 100000 invested and
employs six hundred hands in canning
pine apples. This season they purchased
one million pine apples, and packed one
million and ten thousand cans. The
pines cost them from eighteen to forty
cents per dozen in gold, Tie canned fruit
is sold here for about $3.50 per case OF
two dozen two-pound cans.
Among many other things it was said
that the Shah Of Persia, having been in
duced To taste the German pOrter-beer
during his visit to Berlin, at once ordered
dozen bottles to be forwarded to an
uncle in Tehcran, whom he suspected OF
growing too popular during his absence,
adding, as he pocketed the receipt given
him at the parcel delivery office, "lf he
can stand that / have nothing more to
say, and must bow to the will of Allah ~
Late adviccs from Lima, Peru, report
that a serious accident occurred sixty
| miles from that city. A body of earth,
| estimated at ten million square yards,
| fell from mountain side into the valley,
| severely iniuring number of persons,
and damming up river, the water OF
which had risen 100 feet above the usual
| height Engineers were of the opinion
| that the water would soon burst its bar
rers, when il would rush toward Lima,
| sweeping everything before 1t, and sub
merging the lower portion OF the city.
1t is said that the Italian manufactures,
| Marasi, has patented very simple pro-
cess for the production Of silk from the
bark of the mulberry tree, in which chem
| ical agents previously unsuccessfully en-
ploycd, such as soda, lime, etc, are dis
pensed with. Fibcrs are said to be OBJ
| tanned entirely free from parenchyma,
and resembling in color, appearance,
| fincness, and strength specimen OF
Moorish silk. Similar statements have,
however, heretofore, proved uniounded.
Absolutely pure iron Is said to have
been produced by Russian chemist by
means of the galvanc battery. During
| the process large quantity of hydrogen
was disengaged from the ordinary iron
used. The pure iron is a silver white
| metal, very malcablc and ductile, and so
soft as to be readily cut with
| a pair of scissors. IL Is very
different from iron which has hither.
to been supposed to be pure. 1t oxidizes
very rapidly, and water is decomposed by
| it by the rapid absorption of oxygen.