The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-13
ITEMS OF INTEREST.


AS OFTEN as public attention is aroused and
tickled by a record shattering trip like that of
the Majestic, says the New York Tribune so
often you may hear scores of people wonder
ing why the days run to the westward counts
so many more miles than to the eastward for.
getting, of course, the difference of time
between Queenstown and Sandy Hook This
being nearly four hours, twenty-three minutes
1t follows that in a six days passage to
the westward there are between noon and noon
not twentyfOur hours. but an average of
twenty-four hours and almost forty-fo min
utes. In fact, the longest days, from noon to
noon, in the high ATTITUDES, contain nearly
twenty-five hours. In going TO the east
ward this is reversed; the average sea day
contains only twenty-three hours and six
teen minutes and the shortest sea day little
more than twenty-tbree hours. Now au
hour-and-a-halfs steaIning at twenty knots &C
counts for an average difference of thirty nau-
teal miles between the days work in opposite
directions, while in northern ATTITUDES, the
difference being two hours, 500 miles to the
westward means the same speed as 400 to the
eastward.
CAPT. PORTER of the secret service came into
possession of a new counterfeit yesterday says
the Chicago Herald. 1t was $50 bill made OF
patches from seven different notes Of the same
denomination The seven pieces were skiufuly
patched together with strips of court plaster
but they constituted a whole bill, which ap-
redeemable at sub-treasury, provided three
ffths of the bill is presented. The maker of
this note theref re worked very neat scheme
by taking seven $50 bills and tearing enough
from each to make another bill The mutila ted
notes being redeemable he cashed them for good
notes at the sub-t-easury, and, taking the por-
tons he bad torn off, he made a very present
able 800 bill Thelnum bers in each corner we're
different. but the note in other respects even
upon close investigation, appears good. Capt
Porter, In ende avorlng TO trace the bill to its
maker, found that 1t had been paid into the sub
treasury by postmaster The latter had re-
ceived it from woman, who had taken it in
change for a 800 bill at a large business house
IN this city. The firm was unable to trace it
10 any OF its customers, and the earch was
abandoned.
TALL, loosely built man, with a closely
trimmed black beard and noticeably small
head, says the New York advertiser, serenely
promenades Broadway these DAYS without
attracting the slightest attention from the
loungers who ornament "Theater- Half
Nile. His appearance in the same locality
about January last would have been fraught
with exciting consequence to himself and
the on-lookers. The black beaded, small
headed man is Henry J. Leslie. who is so well
known IN London that he prefers this country
for residence and came here last fall with
Marie Tempest He reappeared in the winter
with burlesque called Babies in tue Wood /"
the story OF whose breakup at NibIo's
I s the If est sg in Of the d! pSSe mind
fed, leaving behind him nearly 100
penniless women, to whom he had not paid a
cent OF salary in more than four weeks. The
majority of the girls were strangers in the city
Boarding house keepers were importunate and
those of the girls who were friendess and IN
able to obtain other engagements found them
selves on the street. They searched high and
low for Leslie, but that individual was in hiding
somewhere out west.
WHEN the President and his family return
from the summer reoreations they will discover
as they drive into the white house grounds that
one of the sturdy old trees just outside the east
gate has fallen a victim to the woodman's ak
The tree in question became historical during
the illness of the late President Garfield for
upon it the daily bulletins issued by the attend
ing physicians were displayed for the benefit of
the anxious watchers without the gates. CuIios-
lty seekers and souvenir hunters would have
been delighted to have had canes and other
mementoes made from the tree but it is now
probably split into kindling wood and piled up
10 the woodshed of Col. Ernest, commits
sioner of public buildings. There is always
more or less sentiment clustering around
the big old trees in the public parks con-
SeQuently the bulletin tree" was cut down and
carted away one night last week while the
stay-at-home Westinghouse slept, So com
petely was the job executed that the grim old
sentinel, which has shaded 30 many distin-
Rutshed heads. was not missed by the daily
visitors TO the white house. 1t was removed to
facilitate the improvements in front of the white
mousse, WHICH WlIt De COmInSnC0Q next week. A
nsw sidewalk is to be laid along Pennsylvania
avenue 30 replace the irregular old stone flag
glng, which has been an eyesore to every presi-
dent from Lincoln down to theprasent occupant
OF the executive mansion
THE BRITISH CONSUL at Bussorsh, in an inter
esting report On the growth of the licorice plant
on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates, says
that these great rivers in the part where the
root is found flow through fiat, treelees prair1es
OF unCultlyated and nearly ma lfa1
For three months of the year hot winds blow.
ana the temperature reaches i04o. For six
months the climate Is moderate and salubri-
Gus, aud for three months bleak and wintry
the thermometer going down to 800 at
night. The hquorice plant is small
shrub, with light foliage, growing to about
three feet high, where its root can reach the
water 1t grows without any cultivation No
lands are leased for the purpose, and no obiec-
tlon Is made to its being cultivated 1t is found
ID abundance from Ctesiphon. ten miles from
bagdad, down to kut-ul- Anara half WAY he
tween Bussorah and Bagdad. Ii grows on red
earth soil, and also on light, almost sandy
son, where the wood is best, provided 1t has
blehtS OF water, and the ground is not more
t I nIty yards from the actual river OF stream
only one firm works it in Bsgdad, and it is
wei known that the business Is a prosperous
one. Inc wood, after being once dug UP and
cut, grows again better afterward The time of
collecting is. generally speaking during the
winter but it is possible all the year round
Inc root when dug is full of water and must be
suo"ed 20 dry, process which takes the best
Iart OF year. especially in hot weather 1t is
then sawed or cut into small pieces six inches to
1901 long. The good and sound pieces are
Aept a1u the rotten ones are used for firewoOd
1t Is then shipped in native river boats to Bus
Soral' whence it is shipped in pressed bales to
LONDON, and again from there to America,
Wnere 1t Is used largely in the manufacture of
TOBACCO The consul thinks the trade is capable
OF expansion. The demand in America is great
and shipments are easily disposed of. After
sort ng there still remains some useless wood in
the bales, perhaps per cent From figures
supplied by the Bagdad firm engaged in the
business it seems that the total net cost Of ton