The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-07-11
POPULAR SCIENCE CHAT.
A BUDGET OF ENTERTAINING
TALK FOR ALL.
Tho Brazilian Government Wants to Ex-
terminate the vampires-Pro-
posed Protective Armor-
Queer Privileges.

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plan resulting in an abatement OF the
vampire plague. which in the provinces
OF Bahia and Matte Crosse makes
stock-raising almost impossible. As
many as twenty Of the winged blood
suckers attack COW in a single night.
In spite OF all precautions says DR..
Felix Oswald, In the Philadelphia
Times. but a local scientist now pro-
poses to abate the nuisance by burning
down the forests en- masse, and thus
deprive the little ghouls OF their hid
ing places in the interior OF hollow
trees. In dry summers the project
would no doubt be feasible, and under
the impulse of favorable gale the
confiagration could even be relied upon
to pass the barriers of the broad rivers;
but there Is a serious risk that the sum-
mers OF the expurgated districts would
soon get dry to degree not contem-
plated in the programme of the pro-
jector. The vast plains of east
ern South America are even
now liable to protracted droughts, and
there is indeed. an ugly analogy be-
tween the low-lands OF Brazil and the
basin OF the Sahara desert, which is
known TO have extended its area con-
siderably within the last few hundred
years. and may once have been region
OF evergreen forest like the Empire OF
Morocco, where continuous woods once
stretched from the Atlas Range to the
shore-sands Of the Atlantic, constitu-
ting the best timber province of the
Roman Empire, though arboreal vege-
tation is now almost as scarce as on
the volcanic cinderfelds of the moon
IL would, indeed, be mistake to sup
pose that the neighborhood of the
ocean constitutes anything like guar
antee for the continued productiveness
OF the Brazilian coastlands. Twice
since the beginning of the present
century those plains were visited by
droughts that caused more distress
than our civil war; and the wholesale
destruction of woodlands would soon
make such droughts chronic Attic
ton.
PROTECTIVE ARMoR.
Professor T. ID. GARNER, of Mar
settles. publishes the result of series
of interesting experiments with pro-
posed substitutes for the metal mail
coats OF the middle ages. Pressed cot
ton. annealed copper chains, fabrics of
half-tanned leather, all proved re-
markable resisting power, but were
surpassed by network of heavy silk
cords plated in double layers and
backed by rings composed of an alloy
OF aluminium and copper. The Ger
man repeating rifles can be fired eight
times n minute, and in the hands of a
trained brigade would keep up a con-
tinuous hail-storm of bullets. but those
bullets are so small that their pene-
trative force could be counteracted
easily enough to justify the reintro-
duction OF protective armor, at lie asst
for cavalry and artillery.
QUEER PRIVILEGES.
A correspondent of the Courier
Francois defends the French privilege
of illiteracy on the strange ground
that compulsory education makes the
mass of the people hate literature. In
Germany, he says, where every farm
er's and cooper's boy is dragged to the
school house, only the upper classes
read. while working people dotest the
very sight OF book, and associate
education with the idea of government
despotism. In the United States, on
the other hand, where attendance at
school is largely optional. almost
wholly so in the South, every farmer
who can possibly spare dime week
subscribes for a newspaper, and in
spite OF free Il. g.; non-compulsory)
schools general intelligence has reach.
ed a far higher level in France than in
Germany or Austria.
EXPENSIVE PETS.
When the first pioneers settled In
Upper California they used to vaunt
the geological attractions of the far
west, especially OF the blue-gray SOUR
rel, that enliven the hillsides with
their restless gambols and climb. run
and dig with equal dexterity. At
present they would probably pay
liberal premium to get rid OF those
expensive pets. A year ago colony
Of squirrels flooded IS, O0O-acre tract
of valley lands by undermining the
Colusa levees and recently several
me WneaJ farms In Stan1SlauS and
Tehama counties were sold at a great
sacrifice after the same rodents had
ruined a succession of promising har-
vests.
A FAIR COMPROMISE.
The natives of Montenegro are the
most inveterate betters on earth. They
stake their pennies on cock-fght or
the issue OF an election with equal
readiness They lay wagers on duels,
on the length of drought or of a SER
mon, and even bet on the verdict OF a
circuit court but are required to state
their theories in an undertone, lest too |
audible comments might bias the de-.
cision OF the judges.
WAR RELICS.
A farmer of Hancock county, Maine
boasts the possession OF an iron camp |
kettle that has been in the family sew
eral hundred years and is considered
quite local curiosity for having done
service in the Miles Standish campaign |
against the Penobscot Indians. For |
Indian campaign purposes the portable
dissilleries Of that time proved, how
ever, even more effective.