The Penn's Grove record., 1888-02-25

"A maITing rloTe IN al Eastern
post office was torn to pieces the other
day with the result that a large number
OF letters, one containing a money
order, were found to have slipped
through a crack and become effectually
concealed. p
An inscribed rock has been found
in India, about a hundred yards distant
from one OF the i've famous rocks
which have craven upon them the
edicts of King Asoka. The inscription,
which consists OF ten lines writing, 10
being declphered.
The first silver coin struck in Eng
land was the ancient silver penny.
Until the reign of Edward I, 1t was
marked with a cross so deeply in
dented that 1t could be easily separated
into two for half pence and into four
for farthings. hence the ame :.
"A portent of war has frightened
the people Of Norway. 1t was a mag
niiicent meteor, described as being las
large as a child's head" which ap.
peared IN the western SKY and, in u
semicircular course, sunk gradually
below the hori ION. Its light was q
brilliant white.
Statistics show that the cousump.
ton of sugar in the last fifty years has
gone up from about fifteen to seventy
pounds per head; of tea from and
one-quarter to four and three.quaiter
pounds per head; OF tobacco from
e~lghty.slx hundredths to one and forty
hundredths pounds pei head, and so on.
"A grape grower near Albany pro.
tects his vineyards from thieves by
electricity. Wives connected with a
strong battery are scattered about
among the vines. and the rascal who
gets hold of one hOwls until the master
OF the vineyard comes and takes sat-
isfaction out OF him with IA club.
Some little time ago there was u
general rebellion of the host Of women
employed in manufacturing tobacco,
cigars and cigarettes in Mexico against
Il reduction of their wages. The women
won. Now comes the news that the
greatest bulllighter in the country has
given a tournament in their aid which
realized S7I9.
The English National Dental hos
pital will hereafter admit ONE to be
trained rs dentists in that institution.
This is a significant gam for women,
for the English have not been so Ell
Couraging to women in dentistry as
the Germans, who employ many III
the profession.
"A bed in Nikko, Japan. is eight or
more silk .wadded comforters piled
upon the floor; upon this a very ample
wadded coat IS placed. You slip into
this great coat, put eur arms into
the long sleeves, draw IL over You and
sleep. The pillow is a block of wood.
A paper lantern is lighted all night,
for the people are much afraid Of the
dark.
His Majesty Leopold Ii, King of
Belgium, has authorized a great Inter-
national competition in the arts and
sciences to be held in Brussels from
May 8, 1883, TO November 3. 1888.
Special inducements are offered to
American exhibitors, and rewards and
besides gold and silver medals, will be
given to successful competitors.
The power of the waves In a storm
was shown recently at Bishop rock,
England, when an iron column twenty.
three feet long, and weighing 5000
pounds. a part Of a new lighthouse be-
ing built, which during a storm had
been left lashed by a half. inch chain
at each end to a strong eye.bolt was
found tossed up by the waves twenty
feet to the top of the rock, swaying
about like a piece of timber. An anvil
weighing 100 pounds, which was left in
a hole 81 feet deep and only two in di-
ameter, was washed completely out
of it.
One of the simplest of barOmeters
is a SPIDERS web. Where there is a
prospect of rain or wind the spider
shortens tie flaments from which its
web Is suspended, and leaves things in
this state as long as the weather is
variable. If the insect elongates its
threads it is a sign of fine, calm
weather, the duration of which may
be judged Of by the length to which
the threads are let out. If the spider
remaius inactive it is a sign of rain:
but If, on the contrary, it keeps at
work during the rain, the latter will
not last long, and will be followed by
fine weather. Other observations have
taught that the spider makes changes
10 its web every twenty-four hours,
and that if such changes are made In
the evening, just before sunset, the
night will he clear and beautiful.
Advocates of cremation have re-
Gently had their attention called to the
feasibility Of mcinerating dead bodies
by electricity. The electrical crema-
tory is said to be the invention of a
Sicilian. The heat is generated by a
dynamo of a pattern similar to that
used in the ~incandescent electric light
system, and succeeds in evaporatlng, as
1t were, the bodies until nothing re-
mains.
Some striking intermingling Of
colors is seen on some of the gowns
turned out by our best modistes. Thus
Nile green and pale brown are found
to give u harmonious contrast, and
pale blue and almond are combined
with exquisite eject.