The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-09
ITEMS OF INTEREST,

The Grecians had songs appropriated to
| the different trades.
| In 1914, in England, the women extern
sively peiitioned against the use of coffee.
The two scourges of human communities
are war. In its widest significance, and pau
perism.
In 1864 the royal library of France did not
exceed twenty volumes. Shortly after
Charles V, it increased to 800.
Experiments with electricity for motive
power are being made on the underground
railway III London with success.
There is murmur of hard times from
Wieh. a city that has been the haven of
prodigal sons for years aud years
IL IS proposed TO change the uniform of
the Berlin police, which is not marital
enough to please the young Kaiser.
The police recently had occasion to sup
press an inclination OF the students to paint
the quaint old town of Oxford red.
1t is said that Norweg ans, on the first
sight of roses, dared not touch what thew
conceived were trees budding with fire.
Africa presents unique fed for he geo.
graphical distribution of mammals Out of
its total of 523 species 472 are peculiar to
that country.
During the year the United States Govern
ment iie-saving stations rescued 3I59 per-
sons and So, 451,S53 worth Of property from
3S4 shipwrecks.
For about twenty years after the introduce
ton of coffee Into England there was a series
OF continual lnyectlveS against IT'S adoption
both for medical and domestic purposes.
Owing to strikes and one thing or another.
it is not expected that the reports of some
of The English railways ut the close OF the
year will ill the shareh oklers with enthusi-
asm.
From the very earliest times in China
great Importance has been attached TO en-
courasinS agriculture and to rendering it
more profitable by extensive systems of irri-
CATION.
The native troops in the Italian service
are not niggard over little powder and
shot. In their last fight against Riyia, the
son Of kaulibai, they fired $500 shots and
killed two men.
The value OF manuscripts in the Middle
Ages suggested costly bindings for books
that consumed the labor of lives to COPY, and
decorate with ornamental letters or Illus
tratiye paintings.
1t has been proposed to make the upper
half of war balloons of very thin steel and
the lower portion of ordinary balloon mate
rial, the whole so constructed as to hold hy-
drOgen instead of gas.
The first public library In Italy was
founded by Nicholas Niccoli, the son of a
merchant, who reinquished the beaten
roads OF gain and devoted his soul to study
and his fortune to assist students.
Under two exceptional cases divorce is
accompanied by insult to the parents of the
husband; the second, failure Of heirs after
the wife has reached certain age.
Among the latest dsinfectants is slvsol."
which appears to be very much like carb lie
ACID. Inc emulslfying agent is resin or ia
soap, tar acid being Incorporated with the
soap at tile moment OF specialization.
There IS no clear proof of the use OF tea in
England before the middle of the seven
teenth century, and yet one hears of Oliver
CromwelPs teapot being in the possession of
some over-zealous aud credulous collector
Fleet-street journalism has increased by
leaps and bounds in recent years. In 1876
there were thirty-five newspapers and peri
odicals published in Fleet street, three of
them dailleS; in 1890 there are more than
SEQ, and eleven of them dailies.
The East Indian pipe of red clay-the
where-look to the eve more like a bad
imitation OF teapot than pipe In point
of fact 1t belongs to the hookali species. and
Is constructed accordingly, as vessel for
holding water.
In Handkow, China. which, with the sur
rounding districts, has population of prob-
ably 100000 inhabitants, there is on the
average only one case Of murder in thirty
four years. The Province of Tshiii with
25,0O0 eco inhabitants, had the maximum of
twelve executions in 1867.
Iraditlon has It that the natives of Vir-
Glnia, the iir3t time they seized on a GUAM
tlty OF gunpowder. which belonged to the
English colony. sowed it for grain, expect
ing to reap plentiful crop Of combustion by
the next harvest to blow away the whole
colony.
The continual increase of the Chinese
population might, ,perhars, eventually ex-
coed the supplies the suil can yield but as
yet, the. contrary takes place, and, appar-
emily, with the increase Of workers a more
tanned.
On the plantation of John Ii. Roberts,
destroyed by the turpentine hands. that does
not touch the ground by six feet. A pine
sapling. cut down at some period unknown
to the Oldest inhabilant lodged on the limb