The morning call., 1890-11-17
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Artificial musk Is a recent chemical
achievement.
Glue from whale refuse is a new article of
commerce in Russia.
Artificial bananas, stuffed and scented,
are novelty in fancy goods.
A colored girl is said by the New York
artists TO be their flnest-shaped model.
A stenographic instrument used by the
Italian Parliament is capable of recording
$50 words minute.
Utilizing scrap steel rod by welding it and
drawing it into fence-wire is one Of the re-
cent successes of electric welding.
An electrical paper points out that in
Europe bronze has in a great measure SUI
perseded iron and copper in electrical appli-
ances.
Silk from paper-pulp is made smooth and
brilliant, has about the same elasticity as
ordinary silk and is about two-thirds as
strong.
Rocky Mountain hunters by killing grizzly
bears with explosive bullets charged with
| dynamite.
A lighthouse built of masonry or con-
crete is said to be the only thing that can
stand the terrific force of the seas on hat
| teras Shoals.
The incomes of the London daily papers
600; Times. 4120,0o0; Standard. 97o,Oo0 /;
Morning Post, 5000; Daily Chronicle,
e4o,00O; Daily News. 100000.
The vampire plague makes stock-raising
the Brazilian provinces OF Matto-GrossO
and Entre-Iti0S almost impossible As
many as twenty of the winged bloodsuckers
often attack single COW in night.
The Austrian War Office has decided
upon filling the mattresses and pillows of
| the soldiers in barracks with wood shavings
Experiments with this material have already
been made in some military districts
The reconstruction of the neglected forth
| ficatl0ns OF Crete appears to have been de-
cided upon. Two large outer works are to
be built to the east and west of Canea, and
smaller works are being planned for Retimo
and Gambia.
Black Sea soundings are said to show that
below the depth of 600 feet the water is SO
impregnated with sulphurated hydrogen gas
einanating from decaylng animal aud veg
etable matter that living organisms are not
found there.
A floating saw-mill is found to be q useful
adjunct TO the business of lumberman.
The craft usually employed for this pur-
pose is about 40XS0 feet and draws about IS
inches of water. All the hands connected
with the numbering work live aboard.
An illuminated cat is among the curios-
tiles of the patent office at Washington, ID.
G. 1t is made of pastebOard or tin painted
over with phosphorus, and 1t Is intended to
brighten away rats and mice and such
small deer" in the darkness Of cellars and
garretS.
The oak tree is very often struck by light
ming, the beech very seldom. A curious
scientist discovers the reason OF this to lie
in the fact that vilous leaves, like those of
the beech, seem to prevent the accumulation
OF electricity. while smooth leaves, like the
oaks, do not.
The wood and iron model of the Architect
Bretan0's design for the facade of Milan
Cathedral iS nearly cOmpIafH6 In 4
will cost 10000 francs, and will be one-twen-
tieth of the size of the contemplated facade
so that critics will be given every opportun-
ity of making suggestions.
A luminous crayon has been invented for
the purpose Of enabling lecturers TO draw
on the blackboard when the room is dark
ened for the use of the lantern. The inven-
tlOn is likely IT, prove Of value not only TO
the lecturers who use lantern but also Gn
another form TO those students who wish
to take notes.
In view of the greatly augmented demand
for camphor for the new uses found for it
in the arts, with consequent enhancement
of price, it is proposed to use napthaln as a
substitute for 1t in anti-moth applications
1t is quite as effective as camphor, and, be-
ing also equally volatile. leaves no more per-
manent smell.
What is stated to be an improved method
of etching glass has been patented in Eng
land. 1t differs from the older methods In
the fact that etching Is accomplished by a
cold process with the aid of rubber stamps,
the etching of such articles as bottles, lamp
glasses, glass plates and similar objects be-
ing considerably accelerated, and the cost of
treatment reduced.
In the Church Of st. John. at Pisa, Italy,
there is piece of stone heavily marked with
red: blue and yellow spar, the lines repre-
senting an old man with heavy white beard,
with bell in his hand, seated beside a
small stream. To the worshipers at St.
Johns it is known as the st. Anthony stone,
the picture upon it being perfect likeness
of that saint. even to the miner details of
tunic and bell.
Sir Morrell Mackenzie is authority for the
statement that most of the leading actors
suffer from relaxed condition Of the upper
throat, brought on, he believes. entirely by
smoking; but actresses are rarely affected
that way. He has noticed the same thing in
public speakers and clergymen. He says
that for delicate throat the usual smoke
laden atmosphere Of a common railway
! smoking-car is even worse than the actual
use of tobacco.