Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-07
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

GREAT BRITAIN consumes, annually, 4,OOO,-
900 tons of potStoes, of which 100000 tons are
imported, while the remainder are raised on
1000 acres of land.
A BUFFALO PHYSICIAN lays the large in
crease in the number of midgets and dwarfs
in the past fifty years to the consumption of
nicotine by fathers who smoke excessively.
BICYCLIsTs are to be shut out from the pub
lie roads of most of the counties of Kentucky,
in accordance with a bill that has recently
been passedby the House Of Representatives.
PROF. VIRcHOw, one of the leading scien-
fists Of Vienna, says that, notwithstanding the
German custom OF eating American pork, no
case of human trichinOsis could be traced
to 1t.
PEOPLE in Brown Township, Ia, are too
mad to breathe because school director, who
is a Mormon, has given the use Of the public
temple Of learning to preacher OF his faith
on Sundays.
THE annual literary prize ofS5,00O instituted
by the King of the Belgians, will for 1885 be
granted to the author Of the best work on the
means of pOpularizing the study of geography
and developing ii in the different educational
establishments.
AT a recent contest in a swimming school
at Manchester, England, young girl swan
800 times around the bath house, or a distance
the boys made but 504 rounds.
CHAUNCEY DEPEw says: 1.-THE sooner a
poor doctor, lawyer or clergyman recognizes
that his genius is for merchandise or types,
the skilled trades or accounts, the better for
himself, the profession and the world. l have
secured positions for two lawyers, one as a
brakeman, the other as freight clerk, and
both are advancing with earnest strides and
confident anticipations toward the Presidency
of the road
IL the hollow trunk Of q tree cut down a
short time ago in Delhi, n. Y, were found an
ancient French pistol and human skull, with
a bullet hole in it. The oldest inhabtant saws
that this discovery explains the mystery of
girls disappearance more than a century ago.
Blood was found under the tree. and an In
dian was hanged there on suspicion of having
murdered white girl who would not become
his wife. He stubbornly refused to give any
information regarding the disposition Of the
body of his victim.
A correspondent writes to the 81. lanes
Gazette: 81 recently saw at Nice IN shop
window a small scent-bottle of glass, with
silver gilt mounts, in shabby condition. 1t
was exposed with the following announce
ment in English: ''This facon formerly be-
lOnged to Mrs. Gras, the first woman who has
thrown sulphuric acid upon her husband.
Only f3. Proofs and vouchers within. There
was no notice in French, German or Russian,
so that evidently buyer for this pleasing
souvenir was looked for only among the Eng
lish or American tourists"
STORIES about the prodigality of Ameri-
cans, and the astounding projects which they
are supposed to be continually forming, are
very rife III Europe The latest seems to be
the largest, and is solemnly told by the Figaro,
of Paris. 1t is to the effect that ''twelve
American millionaires nave united and in
tend to build in Jerusalem temple that shall
exactly correspond to that which was de-
stroyed by the Romans in A. ID. TO-" 1t adds
the information that two of these ''million-
aires have already gone to Palestine to select
the time ard means Of operation.
on a recent occasion in experimental firing
at Strensall, in England, Major General Cam
eron ordered the First Volunteer Battalion
Lancashire Fusileers to fire at a range of
dummy soldiers with both eyes open and as
rapidly as possible, not looking along the bar
rel Of the rifle, but keeping their eyes fixed on
the enemy, who was supposed to be making q
rush on the position defended by the volun-
teers. Eight rounds were fired in 81 seconds,
and IS per cent of the shots struck the dummy
figures. Considering the rapidity Of the fire,
these results are very good. Drawn up in line
against an enemy in the same formation 1000
men would thus deliver 1000 shots in about a
minute, with some 1900 hits.
A GENTLEMAN in Philadelphia, whose sister
lives in another city, has been engaged in
rivalry with her as to which should succeed in
writing the longest message on an ordinary
Dostal card. His sister took her first innings,
and sent him a card with a communication of
IA words upon it. He saw this effort, and
went over it with a message containing 1908
words. ThereupOn she prepared herself for a
mighty effort, and yesterday he received a
postal card from her containing letter OF
1896 words. all perfectly legible and beauti-
fully written, and possible to be read, as it
was written. without the aid of magnifyng
glass-althOugh in truth the effort Is some
what trying. He Is now in doubt whether he
had better attempt TO carry On the contest
any further, but will probably acknowledge
himself defeated.
THE Pixies Peak Railway, the completion Of
which, within eighteen months, is practically
assured, will be, in many respects, the most
notable piece of track in the world. 1t will
mount 1900 feet further heavenward than the
famous Lima and OrOva Railway, in Peru,
which is now in operation to point Il, 800 feet
above the sea, the highest that the rails have
as yet attained. The obstacles that are being
overcome in its construction are among the