Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-29
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Rhine and Ems rivers
CARDINAL MANNING proposes. as a memori-
al 10 Gordon, Nile Association, having for
its object the liberation of the Soudanese
from the greed of the Arabs.
TIE pneumatic postal service in Paris, late
ly completed, cost over $500. 600. and the length
OF the pipes is over "a miles. The charge for
transmitting letter to any place within the
foruhcatlOns ls three cents. The service
covers extreme points, about seven miles
apart.
THE report of the housing of the poor states
that the single-room system for families is
spreading in central London, where. notwith-
standing - per cent. of the poor pay more
imam one-hfth Of their income in rent, twelve
persons Of different families were in some
cases found IN one room.
VASES made of very porous earthenware,
when soaked for "a hours, will retain on their
sides number of small seeds resembling
rape. BY keeping the vase filled with water
the seeds sprout and shortly the entire eur
face Is covered with slender green sprouts,
making handsome and lasting ornament.
CERTAIN large manufacturers and mer-
chants in Guadalajara. regard the prospect Of
a speedy construction of the Mexican Cen
trats Pacific branch to that city with no little
apprehension. They know that with the
coming of the railroad to their city they must
readjust themselves to new trade conditions,
and this they object to do.
HAZARDOUS experiment was made some
time ago by an association of English phil
anthropists who advanced money 10 send a
colony Of East Londeners into the Canadian
northwest. Not one of the colonists had the
slightest experience in agriculture, yet the
settlement Is reported to have prospered and
Only one man has deserted.
IN Ecuador there is a church, it is said for
every $50 inhabitants, and 10 per cent. of the
population are priests, monks or nuns. The
priests control the government in all its
branches, and 272 days of the year are observed
as feasts or fast days. One-fourth of all the
property belongs to the church. Seventy
five per cent Of the people can neither read
nor write.
THE Manchester ship canal bill, on which
fortune has already been spent in Parlia-
mentary proceedings, is once more before the
House Of Commons. Two years ago, after
the House Of Commons had passed the bill,
the Lords threw 1t out. Last session the
Lords passed 1t and the Commons rejected it.
This year the Lords have again signIhed their
approval, and the promoters are sanguine.
TIE tombs of Esther and Mordecai are IN a
poor little shrine in Hamadsn, Persia. They
are covered each by a wooden ark, on which
are small pieces of paper like labels, covered
with Hebrew characters. They are placed
there by the Hebrew pilgrims. All are under
a small dome some 80 feet high. The building
is OF red bricks, the walls much patched with
mud, the blue dome is of tiles. These tombs
are held sacred by all Hebrews in Persia, and
thousands make pilgrimages annually.
A TELEGRAM was received at Baltimore
Thursday from New York inquiring if a
vessel bad arrived at Hampton Roads with
the cholera on board. The telegram was re-
ferred to DR.. Steuart, Commissioner Of
Health, who stated that news of such a
Veggal had FRqphQH the hQalfh NJ
OF Baltimore. Secretary Carter advised the
New York authorities to communicate with
DR.. Hamilton. of Washington, Surgeon
General of the marine revenue service.
In every town in Vermont you hear stories
of the widest kind of hberality. One Of the
Rutland surveyors tells of an extravagant
proposition which was submitted to HIM by
the proprietor of a hint-rock farm several
miles from the town up in the mountains
The fint-rOck farmer had some horses. He
thought that 1t would be a good idea to lay
out race course on his farm, if it did not
cost too much, for the purpose Of training his
horses. So he said to the surveyor: ~ want
you to come up to my farm and lay out a
trotting course for my horses. Come up and
bring your wife and Will give you all the
are there" The surveyor responded with
caustic Vermont dryneas: II don't believe
that can come. never did care very much
for blackberries on the BUSH"
IT has lately been decided to increase the
already large stan of German military pig
cons, of which there are at present in differ
ent fortresses about 4, 900. These pigeons are
taught not TO alight on the dovecote, but, on
their arrival at their destination, to knock
against the closed wire wicket. which motion
causes a leaden bali TO drop, thereby opening
the wicket and setting a mechanism IN mo-
ton that connects with bell In the roOm of
the keeper. The officer then detaches the
ha foil foo fhar Of he
the message being rolled up In the hollow
quill of pigeons tail feather, which feath-
ers are carefully collected for dispatch pur-
poses, as being most easily hidden among the
natural feathers of the carrier bird. These
quilts contain. in micro Photographic reduc-
ton, about eight page9 (Octavo) of writing
which, by the hydro oxygen gas microscope,
are reproduced ia natural size.
WHITE SPRUCE or yew pine, which 1t is
thought will take the place of the rapidly dis
appearing white zine, is of fine, close grain
and texture, and smooth and even in finish
and comes from the upper waters OF the north
branch Of the Potomac river, where the trees
range from twenty inches 70 FIVE feet in di-
ameteP, the larger ones not branching out for
from sixty to eighty feet from the ground.
Dimension stuff IS out from these trees as long
as sixty feet, and 1t makes beautiful shingles
and laths. These virgin forests have been I'M
touched until within the last Two or three
years. The West Virginia Central and Pitts
DuFR khllrOdus bldFLlnR from RlcQMOuL and
running northwest TO Davis, on the Black
water river, passes through this beautifully
wooded district, bringing its timber and coal
to the seacOa5t, a distance Of about $50 miles,
The supply Of white pine in the United States
is certain TO be exhausted before the end Of
the century.
A NUMBER Of plans and specifications for
the four new naval vessels provided for at the
last session of Congress, have been received at
the Navy Department. The Bureau Of Con-
strueuon and the Bureau of Steam Engineer
ing Of the Navy Department VIII submit plans
for them all, the former for the hulls and the
latter for the machinery aud engines. Naval
Constructor Mintony, of the Brooklyn yards
will furnish plans for three vessels. The Arst
is to cost about 81, 100000, to be 356 feet by a.
70 run is knots per hour. Her armament will
consist Of q guns. and che will carry about
400 men and officers. The second vessel will
be 525 feet by 40, and her battery will consist
Of Is guns. The third vessel VIII be 225 feet
by 30 feet. carrying an armament OF IA guns.
The vessels are modelled after the English
cruisers. Admiral Porter says he is engaged
on plans for "a model cruiser To cost 5000, 900.
She Is to be a ram torpedo boat and gunbOat
IN one, and b 10 have a speed Of Is knots per
hour. Her armament Is Co be one ten-inch
gun, eight or ten six Inch rifles, and two CAT
ling guns. She Is TO be $50 feet in length and
20 feet beam. and her displacement will be
1900 tons. She VIII be armored with steel
plates.
FOUR YEARS SINCE n monster grizzly bear
commenced depredating the stock ranches 20
miles south Of Ashland, Oregon. He would
l..