The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-23
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

The Methodist Church needs 1000 new
preachers every year to keep its pulpits sup
-f4iied.
The japanese administer the oath by cut
ting the witness finger and taking blood to
seal the swear.
There are 603,OO0 Catholics in Vienna.
There are more than that in New York.
Next to Paris New York is the largest Catho-
lie city in the world.
A Frenchman has recently discovered,
near Thebes, in Egypt, a large grave con-
tanning 240 sarcophagi, the oldest of which
dates back to 800 years b. c.
The really long-named society is to be
found in Germany. 1t is the German So
ciety of Volunteer Doctors and Nurses for
Care of the Wounded in War.
An Alliance member of the Kansas Legis-
lature who went to see The Ugly Duck
ling" was very much disappointed beca use
there was no poultry on the stage.
In the Toombs Police Court, New York, a
few days ago, prisoner, who gave Bow
cry l0dglng-house as his residence, said his
occupation was 'one-legged man."
During the past year fourteen Alpine
Mountain climbers met death by accident or
by freezing. In no previous season have
there been SO many disasters in the Aus.
Boston Is so much exercised over the re-
ported injurious properties of wall paper
containing arsenic that, it is said, persons are
making business of testing papers for ner-
vOus householders.
a tornado. near Trenton, Ga, carried off
house, leaving sick man and his bed I'M
harmed but sheltereSS. The neighbors
turned out and built a temporary shanty
over the couch at once.
A suit about a calf in Texas has reSulte
in wiping out all the parties involved except
the calf. One of the litigants shot the other
and the Sheriff shot the survivor in trying
to arrest him. The calf was valued at Sc.
To- l.,
meeting ordained that the playing at ball
and marbles be forever prohibited in Main
street and the Courthouse yard, and that
upon Sunday neither OF these games should
be played within the town limits.
rabbit fled from a dog at Rich Hill,
Nebr., and took shelter under hen with n
brood OF chickens. When the dog stroYe to
get at the frightened rabbit the hen scared
him off by p king at his eyes. Now the
rabbit and the hen are warm companions.
A peculiar accident happened to a railroad
train near st. Paul, MINI. The passenger
and smoking cars left the track, owing to
broken rail, ran some distance on the ties,
struck switch and regained the rails.
The engine and tender had not left the rails
The other day the town of Auburn, Ala,
was entirely enveloped in darkness at 9
o'clock in the morning. Negroes and ig-
nOrant whites ran out of their houses
screaming and frightened, thinking the day
was purely local.
Japan had a plethora of epidemics during
1890. Influenza reached her shores in Feb
ruary. Cholera followed with over 81, 900
deaths Dysentery affected 3S,S7S persons,
with 1862 deaths, a ratio of 1894 per cent.
Typhoid fever occurred 22,7S4 times, with
1863 deaths, $50 per cent.
A blind man who plays on an accordian is
perambulating the streets of Windsor, En-
gland. His affiction attracted the attention
of the Queen, who gave him gratuity He
now bears upon his breast a placard with
the inscription: Blind from Inflammation
assisted by her Majesty the Queen"
The value of the horses and mules, mileh
cows and other cattle, sheep and hogs on the
farms of our country, according to the De-
partment of Agriculture for January and
February, 1891, is ST. 100000, being
enough to pay the national debt and leave a
surplus of more than s., 000, DOC, 600 of money.
The story is told of an old-time Bangor
merchant who had propensity for picking
up all the stray buttons that came in his
way; that during his long life lie filled
barrel in his store with them. After his
death someone had the curiosity and pa
tlence to go through the lot, but failed to
find two buttons of the same pattern.
Australians are endeavoring to encourage
home talent. The trustees of the Melbourne
Public Library. museums and national gal
lery offer prize of e200 for the best aud a
prize OF &lO0 Tor the second best design by
Australian artists for companion statue
to the "St George and the Dragon" which
has position Ia front of the public library
building.
An English naturalist who has been out
to see the whale in his native pastures esti-
mates that full-grown whale driving ahead
at full speed could break down any break
water ever built, and that the sweep Of his
lower jaw is equal to the force of thirty
horsepower engine working at full speed.
If you meet whale while out in your canoe
give him the road.
There are spiders in Ceylon that spin
webs so strong as to prove painful check
to any one, moving quickly against them.
Hats have been knocked off the heads of
travellers by single thread, and a cane
thrown into one of these webs will remain
suspended. Some of the spiders are eight
inches across, and spin silk as thick as ordi-
nary sewing cotton.