The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-10-08
MISCELLANEOUS.


The African elephant will be exc
tinct in another hundred years unless
stop is put to the indiscriminate mas
sacre now going on. So says JOSEF
Menges, the great importer of African
wild beasts, and probably the most EN-
inent authority on such subjects.
According to the statistics OF the
past year up to the age of fifteen more
males die than females From the age
of fifteen to forty-five more females die
than males. From forty-fye to ninety
more malcs die than females. At ninety
the mortality of males and females is
the same Chicago Inter Ocean.
There are no hod carriers in Ger.
many. Bricks are passed by hand. The
higher up the bricklayers are, the more
men are required to toss the bricks.
Two men to story is about the aver
age, with enough more to lead from the
front of the building to the place where
the bricks are needed.
The tropical gooseberry, which is
cultivated in Florida, grows on hand
some tree from ten to fifteen feet in
height. The fruit is rather smaller
than the Siberian crab apple, and the
shape fattened globe. 1t contains
one hard seed. The fruit is only mod
erately valuable, but the tree is orna-
mental.
The word consols is an abbreviation
of the term consolidated annuities. The
English consols differ from our national
debt in this way: The principal may
vary in amount, but the interest never.
They constitute perpetual obligation
of the United Kingdom, bearing three
per cent interest, and representing an
irredeemable principal.
The story is told of Mr.. Evarts thai
he once sent donkey up to his farm
at Windsor, VT, and about a week
afterwards received the following letter
from his little grandchild:
DEAR GRANDPA: The little donkey is very
gentle, but he makes big noise nights. He
Is very lonesome. guess he misses you. /
hope you will come up soon, and then he
won't be so lonesome. MINNIE.
Many mocking birds are shipped
from Atlanta every season to the North
and West The young birds are caught
by the hundreds by small boys who
peddle them at fifty cents each. They
are kept in their native cline until they
are four or five months old, and then
are sent by express to all parts of the
country. A good bird, four months
old. is worth from three dollars to five
dollars. They sing well when a year
old.-AtlGntG Constitution.
There has been a steady increase
In the number of convictions in En-.
gland for smuggling during the last ten
Years. Ten Years sinceethat is, in
1876-the total number was LILA,
whereas in the financial year just ended
it amounted to 1850. The authorities,
however, do not attribute these facts to
an increase in the practice of smuggling,
but ascribe them chiefly to improve
ments in the system of guarding the
coast.
"A female office-seeker in Washing
ton unanswered her way into the White
House with six small children in tow,
and made most pathetic plea for an
appointment which would enable her to
support her widowed brood. It was a
neat bit of strategy, but it wofully mis-
carried when she was recognized by one
of the attendants She was never mar
ried at all, and the squad of juveniles
had been borrowed for the occasion.
The author of so ingenious device
almost deserved success. Chicago
Times.
The girls in the Philadelphia Min,
made fayorite of sparrow that was
permitted to pick up their lunch crumbs.
A little boy stole its nest the other day,
and upon drawing his hand from the
box it was found full of shining par.
ticles. An examination of the box
showed it to be fecked not only with
gold dust. but that it was carpeted with
sparkling, soft, yellow gold. The spar.
row had been regularly carrying away
gold dust in its feathers. which it shook
out when making its PhiladeE
phiG Press.
"A Tennessee man finds there are
100000 worthless dogs in that State
which consume food enough, if fed tc
hogs, to make 100000 pounds o.
bacon, which would be equal to feeding
meat to 100000 able-bodied men {
whole year. At ten cents per pounC
the bacon would be worth $4,000, 900
and if in silver would load down ninety
four two-horse wagons and make
wagon train more than half mile
long. Again. the worthless whelps pre-
vent farmers from keeping 2,00O,o0'
sheep, the mutton and wool from which
would be worth $5,000,000. Includin.
the sheep annually killed, the whole ex
pense of keeping the dogs of the Stat
amounts to the pretty sum Of 80, 900, 900
-ChicGgo Herald.