New-York tribune., 1878-12-04
GENERAL NOTES.

The Chinese anatOmists have found out why
the world is 50 hOllowhearted At inquest recently
held on the body of All Lin who died San Jose sud
denly disease, his physician Dr Cog Fy stated
that he had treated him for his lungs and in to
the question, How many lungs has man Z" replied :
"Seven." He also gave the information that there are
hve holes in the heartoi man, and that its principal
function Is to " catch air In"
A New-Orleans journal offers 800 in gold
but greenbacks will do Just as well after the first Of the
moDth-fOr prize poem which shall express the endur-
ing gratitude Of the Southwest tue North for what was
done during the months OF plague and DEATH He real
lies that the prize small and that it may not call out
competition the first order but he help feeling
that to interpret and represent the gratitude thrilling in
Southern hearts to-day greater glory than conquer
nations discover worlds. Here is field for the few
hundred thousand ladies aud gentlemen who send to
THE TRIBUNE so many which are pretty in pen
manship If not always graceful III thought perfect In
form and which fall into the alembracng Waste-paper
basket bedewed with the sympathetic cYc Of
the sOfheaTted gentlemen VINO open the mails and be-
wall the misfortunes OF genius
Professor Smythe, of the University of Yer
mont has given the students Roland for their Oliver
One day last week some Of the BOYS loaded small can
non In the nall and placing it with the toward
the recitation set il of by means OF long fuse.
The moment the report rang out in the hail. miscea
neous assortment Of dumbbels was hurled down the
staircase from the upper floor The boys in the recita
ton room rushed out TO what the matter the
girls screamed and of them tainted p the arms Of
good-lookng fellow; but the Professor himself was
tranquil and undemOnstratiye, making reference to
The vexaOus interruption. The next day. however, lie
,howed the class experiment which quantity of
water in tightlySealed glass jar was decomposed by
electricity INTO its composite elements oxygen and by
5rogen He then opened the Jar liberatng the cases.
whicbnake powerful explosive when mingled with the
nitrogen OF the air. and then lighting match applied
ID 10 toe mouth Of the Jar An explosion followed which
nobody had expected and the nervousness and agila-
ton OF the boys amused the professor, who smiled
grimly.
The duel between Gambetta and De FourtOu
seems 10 have been a wretched bit Oi comedy. The
combatants were SO far apart that inasmuch as the
weather was fOggy they could scarcely have each
other and there are grounds for the suspicion that the
result Of the affair OF honor prearranged One Of
the Paris correspondents says that the conditions Of the
duel remind him OF the Vaudeville Duresque, in which
there Is an encounter with sabrcs PAGES distance
The real DANGER" he says, would have been for ho
seconds nad they been imprudent enough not 10 be
under SHELTER for at thirty five PAGES the deviation OF
balls presents the greatest risk" When the affair
happily over, the four seconds shook hands and the
duelsts raised their hats.iO each other Tue OF
war was Gambettas exclamation, "That is lie,
Monsieur Tns outburst has recently anticipated
In substance by members Of the British Cabinet To say
nothing OF certain sag-whispefin the House Of L0rds
GAtbOrne Hardy IN reply 70 Mr.. Treyelyan and Lord
Salisbury answering Lord DerJy have gone very close
TO giving tho lie 10 their antagonist LIE TENNIS coin.
ents upon the duel with extraordinary good for
Paris Journal IL thinks the has come for serious
men 10 interfere IN putting 10 This danger,uR
and illogical Of settling political disputts IN
tees to the example OF other countries where are