The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-28
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

|
CERTAIN STONES, from their magic properties,
have long been used as amulets in different
parts or the world. In India the ''salaRrama"
stone is supposed to possess extraordinary
qualities. IL is about the size of billiard bali,
and is believed to be found only 10 the Gandskt
river in Nepaul The lucky possessor of this
enchanted stone preserves It in a clean cloth
from which II is frequently taken and bathed
ana per1umed The water In which it has been
placed acquires sin-expelling potency, ana is
therefore drunk and greatly priced.
WE should be greatly surprised 70 see our
everyday bread come to our tables tied with
yellow and green ribbons or decorated with
golden stars, but there was time In England
when 50 simple a thing as gingerbread was
treated IN a much more extraordinary way. In
It's earlier form gingerbread was simply q bread
PASTE with ginger and sweetening added
very crude IMAGINATION went TO work at it. and
Che market places were crowded with ginger
bread kings and queens ssints and roosters,
adorned with gilt crowns and scepters, with
haios, wings and tails.
THE Mexico TnteEioencer learns from train
men on the branch that Galloway has q very
remarkable dog. The train that leaves Mexico
at a. m. reaches Cedar City about noon and
the engine always whistles Just before il
reaches the town. AS soon as this whistle
blows the dog. owned by farmer a mile from
the road, makes a bee line for che track, which
he follows until he comes up With the train In
the yard. Then he jumps up into the caboose
and helps the boys eat their dinner. The dog
has kept this up for q year or more. j. A, Clan.
oon route agent of the express company. who
VoucneS Tor the story, says that the dog will
not leave the premises unless the whistle blows.
Two ELDERLY LADIES were discussing the
fashions of thirty years ago. Said one: DO
you remember that bonnet you wore lust be-
fore you were marriedY It was of Neapolltau
straw trimmed with lavender velvet flowers
with velvet strings Of the same shade to tie be-
meath the chin, and lace strings a quarter Of a
yard wide and yard long, which were allowed
TO ny on IL they were 50 Inclined" yes and
yours was trimmed with two exquisite punches
OF grapes; one pale purple and the other pale
green. TIE strings were of mauve ribbon"
And what do You think became OF those
grapeS?" she asked. turning to another lady
present. zone day while l was out and
the nurse busy, my iiUtle girl aged 2,
got hold OF the handbook, which L had carelsssly
left on q chair, and began chewing the grapes
Tney were OF some glass composition and she
fortunately spit them out. Some Of the others
she only sucked the paint off. This had been
going on few minutes when arrived on the
scene. The hat was mashed beyond repair and
the trimmings ruined. but was too anxious
lest the glass and paint should make her sick to
think of furnishing her, even IL it had been Just
to do SO. However,, no bad results followed her
meal off glass grapes"
In the paper In which he deals with the spe-
cies called by him diomedea regia Sir Walter
Butler refers TO remarkable characteristic of
the wandering alhatross--a characteristic which
a
certain time of the year, between February aud
June-Mr. Harris cannot exactly say when-the
old birds leave their young and go to sea- and
do not return until October, when they arrive
in large numbers. During their absence the
young birds never leave the breeding ground.
Immediately after the return OF the old bros
each pair goes TO its old nest, and, after a
little tondlinR OF the young ones, turns 1t out
and prepares the nest for the next brood The
deserted young ones are in good condition,
and very lively, frequently being seen
of their nests exercising their wings; and,
when the old birds come back youRR bird
will often remain outside the nest and nibble
at the head of the old one until the feathers
between the beak and the eye are removed
and the skin made quite sore. The young
birds do not go far from land until the follow
ing year. when they accompany the old ones to
sea. When the young are left Ia the nest at
the close Of the breeding season they are so inn
msnsely fat that Sir Walter BuIier thinks they
can Suhsist for months without food of any
kind. Capt. Falrchild has described 70 Sir
Waiter from personal observation the coming
home OF the wandering albatross add the per-
emptory manner in which the yotfng bird In
possession Is ordered TO quit the nest SO az TO
make room for its successor.
THERE are few women outside Of European
titled families that can show so superb and
varied q collection of jewels as Miss Mary Lee
OF Virginia, the eldest daughter Of khe great
confederate Commands. Mss Lee has lived
1 abroad since the war some twenty odd ysarb,
during which Esnle she has visited che greater
pab OF tnc QAott@Dl0 RfoDo. VI course her
oasket rs most Interesting. as a majority OF the
gems therein are either souvenirs of her wan
behring's or heirlooms of the Lee and Curtis
families Only to her friends will the lady
show her treasures, and then the display al
ways begins with an exhibition Of Con
Washington's famous shoe-bue5les Among
other curious bljoux are great strings
of uncut jewels, which Miss Les
bought in India OF the veritsble MIR. Isaacs of
Marion Crawford's novel; This necklace is i'm
mense the stones beng irregular in shape and
size, but most OF them quite large-fulIy an
inch square and of all imaginable colors and
values All OF the well known precious stones
are represented. and held together by q double
row of slender gold chaiAa between each Jewel
The necklace Is composed OF hve distinct
strings, the first row fitting up close around tho
throat, and the fifth being pendant below the
bosom almost to the waist; O breastpiate In
fact, of barbaric splandor such as Semirarnis
might have worn. Another necklace
with bracelets to mlatch-also from India--fs
made OF halfinCh squares of gold, always
strung at q little distance apart with the tiny
chains, and each heavy sequln studded with a
variety of cut jewels. rubies. emeralds dia-
monds, etc, imbedded in gold. By reversing
this necklace and bracelet an entirely different
set of ornaments appear. The gold squares on
the other side, instead of being jeweled are
decorated with charming sprays of orr
entail flowers done in exquisite eastern
enamel. Many of the most interesting
specimens are from Ceylon. such as queer and
pretty ankle bangles nose and earrings, hand
somely carved and very heavy. Others were
collected on The Fiji Islands. Having been an
extensive and intelligent traveller and one of
adventure and new experiences Miss Lee. when
showing her treasures, chats entertainngly of
counter with a wandering fakir, fete she at
tended given in honor OF the King of the Fills
and of her penetrating into the holy of holies of
an East Indian temple