The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1886-01-09
(, La, SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 1856.
CURIOUS FACTS,

40 carats, thus being 193 carats
heavier than the Grand Mogul" be-
longing to the Shah of Persia, and
hitherto the biggest diamond known.
f5EAEsiElRE uses more different
words than any other writer in the En-
glish language. Writers on the stats
ties of words inform us that he uses
about l5,G0o different words in his
plays and sonnets, while there is no
other writer who uses as many as 10,-
OOD. Some few writer's use 5000 words,
but the majority of writer's do not en-
piov more than 5000. In converse
ton, only from 1900 to 5000 different
words are used.
AMERICANS are the third highest in
point of number Of the foreigners re-
siding III Japan. according to statistics
published IN 81 native paper. The
Chinese stand at the hea, of the list
with >. residents, followed by tie
IncIish with GlN, the Americans num-
berinG iS5 Although the Americans
are less numerous there than the
Chinese or English, they o.. upy more
houses in proportion to their number
than either.
II regard 10 the operation for divid-
ing certain fibrous bands in the little
finger so us to give pianists more free
dom IN the use of it, the British Medi-
cal JouJ4'G! says that III the fourteen
eases Of DR.. i orbes, of Philadelphia.
good functional results have Teen OBJ
tanned, but it suggests that "the effort
necessary to stretch any ibrous band
existing between the fingers is itself
useful as tending to stretch all the
muscles attached to them"
An interesting estimate of the amount
in weight of one inch of rainfall on one
acre of ground is thus given: An acre
OF ground contains t.272,64O inches
square. Rain one inch deep would
give that many square inches; 12o
cubic inches make one cubic foot.
Rain one inch would give $500 cubic
feet. A cubic foot of water weighs
62l pounds; 1900 make ton. This
will give ,26, ,S75 pounds. or l13 tons
and o7o pounds, to the acre, of rain one
inch deep.
THE pre-eminent ear plug of to-day
is described by the British Medical
Journal as consisting of "a little con-
ical cap of vulcanite, made of flesh
colored material, so that, under ordi-
nary circumstances, it is scarcely no.
ticed." 1t is mentioned as a protection
against both wind and noise, and is
recommended to iron workers, blasters,
and artillerymen. But it's value as
protection against bad music and bores
seems to have been overlooked.
PROF. DOUGLAS, after many years of
research, says China has no such teem-
ing millions as are usually credited to
her. Two hundred and fifty millions
he thinks about the right estimate
Many of the hill people of China at the
present day, he also tells us, are not
Chinese at ALL The Chinese civiliza-
tion and culture are not purely Of ma
tive growth; their elements were
brought from Western Asia, perhaps
from the neighborhood of the Aral, by
the Chinese ere they set o,.t for China.
The Antiquity Of Tennis.
Ages ago the sun saw the beginnings
/ of tennis. It is not quite certain
whether it was on the banks of the Nile
or the Ganges, or at Nineveh; but some
! where this same sun saw group of
half-naked, bronze-limbed youngsters
throwing balls or dried gourds back
and forth, using their hands for bats,
and doubtless having quite as much
! fun, after barbarous fashion, as we
have nowadays with cork handled
Franklin rackets, regulation balls, and
set of printed rules.
Il L.. IL,
fore the pioneers OF tennis had them
selves carved on stone slabs, and still
other ages before Gordian III. and
Marcus Aurelins Antoninus had coins
struck, in honor of the Pythian Apollo,
bearing devices which represented ath-
letes serving and returning balls, and
using their naiias as rackets.
Even al that early day it was found
desirable to protect tho hand by means
of gauntlets. but it was not until the
fourteenth century, so tar as can De as
ccr:;..ucl, that bats or rackets We're in
vented, aud the game grew into some
thing not altogether unlike that which
is played to-day.
The regular tennis court of the mid
die ages was very elaborate affair,
with divisions and galleries and ratings
and penthouse roofs," and carefully
laid stone pavement, all of which made
it very costly game to play, and only
kings and the richest Of the nobility
could have tennis courts of their own.
These courts need not be described
here, but they were not unlike the lawn
courts of to-day in size and shape. At
first there was line stretched across
the middle; then fringe was added to
this line, and by the beginning OF the
last century "a. D. 170O) the net was
adopted much as at present used.
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