The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-09-26
OF GENERAL INTEREST.

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pairing to develop some of the marble
beds of that region.
The cataracts of the Nile are due
to granite veins, which the river, while
working a way throHgh the sandstone,
had been unable tV destroy or remove.
I'm Massachusetts in 1860 there was
one divorce to every fifty marriages, in
1876 one to every twenty, and in 1883
one to every fourteen. In New Eng
land two thousand families are broken
up by divorce every year,-Boston Jour-
nal.
The German and Dutch books
printed in dark blue on pale green
paper have not given a satisfactory re-
suit. 1t was confidently expected that
the combination would prove restful
to the eye, and diminish shortsighted-
ness.
1t appears that they grow to a
green old age in Surrey, England.
Recently widower of eighty-four was
married to widow of eighty-seven.
The bridegroom was attended by a
grandson, and the bride by couple of
great-grand-daughters.
The consumption of alligator-skin
leather is said to have fallen off to al
most nothing. The demand for it has
been such that as many as two hun
bred and fifty thousand skins have been
tanned in a single year in America and
Europe. - Chicago Times.
"A firm in Marlborough, Mass, re-
Gently received from Baltimore cargo
of rags, and in the center of one of the
bales was found an old-fashioned pock-
etbook containing twenty dollar Con-
federate note, a gold chain and some
small change. Boston Post.
"A fire-escape idea, and good one,
is seen in Massachusetts, hotels. All
the staircases and landings are marked
out plainly by red lights. The bewil-
dered traveller, in case of alarm, has
not to grope about or lose precious
time in taking the wrong turning for
the stairs. They are always to be dis
covered by the red lanterns. Boston
Herald. -.,.t
The difference between an imita.
ton and a genuine amethyst can be
easily distinguished. just put them
on your tongue alternately, and you
will find that the spurious feels warm
and the genuine icy to the touch. The
stone which has had the greatest run
of late is tiger eye, which has a pecu-
liar, dull fire. 1t is only piece of pet
rified wood, turned, smoothed and
polished. Y Graphic.
The word pen, in Holy Scripture,
refers to either an iron style or to a
reed, the latter being the earliest form
of pen used in writing on papyrus.
One of the earliest attempts to make
steel pens is attributed to William Cad
bury, England, who, for his own use,
constructed a clumsy article from the
main spring of a watch. Steel pens
were first brought into use about the
year 1903. Chicago Herald. h
Two years ago several large iron
spikes were for some purpose driven
into very old apple tree near Clyde,
n. Y, that for years had been nearly
barren. Last year it was filed
with large, fine apples, and now
the blossoms are plentiful enough to
warrant good supply of fruit. The
owner believes that the spikes restored
to the tree its original prolific quail
ties. He is now trying the experiment
on other trees in the orchard. Buffalo
Cypress.
1t is said on good authority that
cyclones always originate in equatorial
regions, but never occur within eight
or ten degrees of that line. Another
thing that is peculiar is, the whirl is
from right to left in the northern and
from left to right in the southern
hemisphere. Masters Of sailing yes
sells caught in one of these cyclon@
by knowing the laws of its direction
can easily sail out of its COURSE
PtiLGdeiphiG Press, No. il na
British Burmah is anxious TO be-
come crown colony, independent OF
India. This proposal, which has the
support of the Rangoon Chamber of
Commerce, is founded upon the belief
that the province is starved, and that
its wants are neglected by the Indian
Government, while its surplus revenue
is drained away to meet the wants of
other provinces. 1t is also urged that
neither in language, religion nor people
has British Burmah anything in COM
mon with India. 'r G
"A socialistic society called the
Harmonists, at Economy, Pa, near
Pittsburgh, which once numbered thir-
teen hundred members, has dwindled
to thirty. The survivors are all ages,
and none of them will probably be
alive ten years hence. The property Of
the society is estimated at fully one
million dollars for each member, and
what will be the final disposition of II
is known only to small circle. 1t Ii
said that many of the members have
never handled penny in their lives,
and would not know piece Of money
II they saw it, Pittsburgh Post.
"A few days ago farmer living
near Howe's Cave was blowing in
field about half mile from the caves
mouth. He stopped for few minutes
to rest himself and horses under the
spreading branches of a tree. Moving
on little distance he turned and look
ing back was dumbfounded to see tina;
the large tree was gone. He ran bach
and almost fell into large chasm
which had swallowed the tree and 6
plot of ground. 1t is believed that thil
will lead to the discovery of an outle
from the rear of Howe's Cave, anC
should this theory prove correct the
field will be more valuable to thu
| farmer than before the ahada tree dis