Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-07
ITEMS OF.INrEREsT.
ENGLISH manufacturers now turn out q, 900
ncandescent lamps per week

of a lack OF a market for sale of their pro-
ducts.
PETROLEUM refuse from the Caspian oil
fields is now in general use in the Russian
gunboat tlOtilla, and on the railways Of South
ern Russia.
THE manufacture of lawn tennis shoes has
assumed such proportions that American
dealers and makers are actively discussing
their cost and styles.
SCOTTISH MEMBERS of the British Parlia-
ment reverse the usual order. Instead of
their constituencies selecting them, they
choose their constituencies.
YELLOW is feared and hated by government
employees, not so much on account of its asso-
citation with small-pox and fever, as because
notices of dismissal are delivered in envelopes
OF that color.
ONE of the ''business interests of san
Francisco is the gathering of old tin oil and
fruit cans for use in the packing of matches.
Collectors receive four cents each and 10000
are annually used
THE Sandwich Islands sends 5000 punches of
bananas to san Francisco per month, but the
price has been so low since June of last year
that many raisers have lost heavily and are
gong out Of business.
A RECENT REPORT on the subject states that
machinery intended for the India markets
should be simple in construction and such
that. if any part be broken, it can be mended
at any blacksmith shop.
On recent trial cedar log 20 feet long
was taken to a California match factory and
in exactly 30 minutes was sawed, split, glued,
dipped in sulphur, labeled, and the matches
boxed ready for shipment.
THERE will be no election for members of
the Louisiana Legislature in 1885. The present
body holds until 1883. The Legislature to be
elected in April of that year, to hold for four
years, will elect two Senators.
LAST autumn the lOggers of the Northwest
adopted a rule pledging a reduction in the
log supply. The result shows a decrease of
S73,93S0 600 feet, the figures for 1884 standing
1928, 100000 against 2,S64, 562, 900 for 1885.
PROF RIDGwAY, of the Smithsonian institu-
ton, reiterates in London publication his
prediction that ''the English sparrow in the
United States is anational misfortune, which
is likely, in the near future, to assume calam
itous proportions"
A WRITER in an English journal says that
any one may be cured of stammering by
simply making an audible note in expiration
before each word. Stammerers can sing as
easily as other persons. Jacky Broster, of
Chester, who made large fortune by cur
ing stammering, simply made his pupils say
''her' beforeseach word beginning with
consonant.
A LONDON PAPER points out the contrast
between the city of Berlin with its 5000
Inhabitants, its teaching university with 5000
students, and the city of London with its
100000 inhabitants, without teaching
university at all, and having some 1000 stu
dents in all under training at its two best
educational establishments.
THE University of the South, at Sewanee,
Tenn, has recently received a magnificent
collection of books from England, including
IN all nearly $50 folio volumes of the best
Benedichne editions of the fathers of the
Christian church. Many of the sets are very
rare and beautiful, bound in vellum and full
calf, gilt, with exquisite engraVings, portraits
and numerous plates of coins.
THE opening of the sporting season is hailed
with pleasure at Vassar College. There are IL
lawn tennis courts there already in full
operation, and boating will at once be added
TO the means of developing and sustaining the
strength of the young ladies'. ''Hall' PLAYS
form a feature OF sm1sement life there. ''The
Passing Regiment was recently given, ''by
the kind permission of Augustin DAILY.
SOME interesting autographs were recently
sold at auction in London. The original auto
graph copy of Lord Byron's "Fare thee well
and if forever" fetched SS5; the originals of
Burns ''Tam OShanter" and Lament of
Mary, Queen of Scots" together fetched 1760;
one Of Lord Chesterfeld's letters to his son,
SIS; thirteen letters of Dean Swift from S38
to $50 each, and one of Charles Lamb, from
Paris, $65.
PROF. BLACKIE is not the only eccentric
master the young men of Edinburgh Univer-
sity have had over them. Prof. Christison-
whose son became eminent in the Edinburgh
Medical Sehool-once having caught a student
winking in his Latin class ordered him to
stand up, and spoke as follows: mo smirk-
ing, no smiling, and. above all, no tipping of
the wink; for such things are hurtful to your
selves, baneful to the republic, and will bring
down the gray hairs OF your parents with sor-
row to the grave. Hum! blythe way, that's
very pretty sentence; turn 1t into Latin,
sir"
A GERMAN ENGINEER is reported to have
made an important discovery in, aerOnautics
by which he is enabled to eondense or expand
the gas in a balloon. The agent he EMPLOYS
is compressed carbonic acid, with the helm of
which, he says, he is able to ascend or descend
at pleasure. This vertical movem ent would
put 1t in the power Of an aerOnaut to go up or
down until he finds a current Of air moving
IN the horizontal direction he wishes. Should
all this prove true. says Iron, the discovery
would be an important one for military opera
tons, because in time OF war a balloon would
be able to reach the enemy's territory and
ascend or descend without requiring a fresh
supply of gas.
IT is stated by a London paper that the
price Of diamonds has steadily fallen from s15
to SO IS per carat. OF old, the world received
each year new diamonds of about S250,000 in
value on the average. But suddenly from
South Africa comes a new supply. exceeding
SZ0,OO0,QQ0 worth, each year for ten years 1t
is true that recently in Australia. North
America, and other extra European centres
OF European civilization, a new population
has come in being, numbering over 10000, OOO
the upper 10000 of which are specially prone
to diamond ornaments. and no doubt at the
first there was a great void to be supplied
But now the limit mas been reached and the
world thus supplied seems hardly likely TO
take more than Sl0,00O,000 per annum.
THE Afghan matchbox or iazail has no
parallel as lrearm on the face Of the earth.
1t is about nine feet long, ana is fitted near
the muzzle with prong which
supports it on the ground when
it is about to be fred of. 1t is fitted
with powder pan and a catch for holding a
fuse. An AZ han marksman has to depend
upon the state Of his fuse, and, therefore, he
n ~ no means certain shot. During tho
last Afghan war 10 used TO be q joke among
the british soldiers that an Afghan would
pose his ja2ai upon a rock, calculate when
his enemy would be likely 20 arrive in front
OF his muzlle, fix his fuse and then 20 Of 20
some little distance and sit down and smoke
II the enemy arrived in front OF the match
lock Just as IL went OF. why then he would
most likely be killed, buf II he didn't, and the
weapon went on quarter of an hour after
he hed passed IL, then no harm was done, and
ITS owner would philOsophically ''set" tho
ugf in o.