The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-06
FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS.

According to a vulgar error prevalent
in days gone by, poison was supposed to
swell the body.
Recent discoveries prove that the art
of wood engraving originated with the
Arabs about the ninth century.
Rosemary was one of the evcrgreens
with which dishes were anciently deco
rated during the season of Christmas.
A lady who received through the post
Office a postal card containing 1,O3O
words, written BY a gentleman, replied
on a card containing 1,040.
In Santa Clara county, CAL, there is a
cat, allied to the ground nest making
species, which climbs small trees and
makes q compact nest Of twigs among
the branches, something after the man
ner of a gray squirrel.
DR.. Antonin Martin says that the
flavor of cod-liver oil may be changed to
the delightful one of fresh oysters, II
the patient will drink a large glass OF
water poured from o vessel in which
nails have been allowed to rust.
The artists of Dresden and Dusseldorf
dissatisfied with the inelegant costume
for men in our times, have decided to
adopt the picturesque garments worn oy
Rubens and the artists of the seventeenth
century-black velvet breeches, marine
blue stockings, velvet vest trimmed with
red silk and broad felt hat.
In the time of Henry ], Q010 A. d.
the widow was entitled to her dowry
(when delivered to her before witnesses)
and her marriage gift" and one. third of
the common earnings of herself and hus-
band, as we'll as her clothing and turnl-
ture. If a wife died without children
her relatives divided her share with her
husband.
The Palma Christie plant, now being
extensively planted in parts of South
Carolina as a substitute for cotton, is as
easily cultivated as corn, requires no
particular care in handling the seed, and
Yields a large profit. The climate OF
lower South Caro- ina is all that could be
desired, and on the sea islands the plant
attains remarkable growth without
labor or attention.
The common potato is indigenous
to both North and South America, and
is found growing wild at the present
day over vast tracts in New Mexico,
Arizona, and southwark in the cool ele'
waited regions of Old Mexico. 1t again
appears in similar situations in the Andes
of South America, but is not found in
what are called tropical climates, but
always in cool or cold ones. Who first
carried the potato from this country to
Europe is now unknown, but the date
of its Introduction is supposed to be
1880, or about three hundred years ago.
Formerly c%ockfghting entered into
the occupation Of Cd and young.
Schools had their cock6ghts. Travellers
agreed with coachmeE, that they were
to wait a night if there were a cockfght
in any town through which they passed:
When English country gentlemen had
sat long at table, and the conversation
had turned upon the relative merits of
their several birds, a cockfght often re-
suited, as the lirds in question were
brought for the purpose into the dining
room. Co:ktighting was practiced on
Shrove Tuesday to a great extent, and
in the time of Henry VII. of England,
seems to have been practiced within the
precincts of the court. The earliest men
ton of this ''passtime" in England is by
Fitzstephen, in 1191.