The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-11
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

The dried alligator not unfrequently seen In
drug stores comes down to US from the
''chymist" of early times, and had its origin in
the belief that dragons blood was a remedy for
many diseases. According to the legend the
dragon was accustomed to eat bis own tail, and
then death followed the operation, The poison
that he was believed to secrete was supposed to
be highly medicinal AS it was impossible to
obtain the body of a dragon to suspend as
sign in front Of the "chymist's" shop an alli-
gator or crocodile was substituted, and, with
the conservatism characteristic Of some trades.
the druggists have kept on employing the sign,
though they have forgotten its origin. and long
since ceased to believe in the virtue Of dragons
blood.
ALL the world admires and wonders ak the
American ak helve. The American ax fitted
with that ingeniousy curved and gracefully
fashioned handle Is q marvelouBly effective
weapon, vastly more apt for it's purposes than
the straight handled hesdsmans ak with which
the Italian fells trees or the broad faced Ratchet
used for the same purpose In France. The
American ak helve is just what might have
been expected Of an inventive people laden
with the duty OF conquering and civilizing
forest-clad continent The world had been
using the ak since prehistoric times, but 1t re-
NAMED for the American pioneer to fashion the
ideal ak handle, at once light strong and
elastic. The az such as is familiar to all Amer.
leans is rare In Europe, and it soils In all the
British colonies as the American AZ.
CERTAINTY and regularity of employment
duct OF longshoremen these days. You may
hire longshoreman for 81 or $40 q week at
steady work in factory or store, but the rate
for their work along the docks is 30 and 40
cents an hour, and In unloading vessels some
times 400 longshoremen make as much as S12
each at a singh job, unbroken save by the brief
respite snatched for meas s. No other unskilled
labor is paid so well, but the New York long
shoreman is worthy Of his hire. and he is a mar
velously strong active and int uigent work
man. A mite of a woman, who hired two long
shoremen to help remove her furniture, de-
scribed them as big as houses, and when one OF
them looking down on her. SAID: "Mssus, it's
mighty dry movin', she lost no time in send-
ing for liquid refreshment.
MUCH interest has been awakened in the liter
airy circles Of Berlin over the sale Of a COPY of
the edition de luxe of the complete works of
Frederick the Great fer 2,0O0 marks. Frederick
William ~. caused this edition to be published
at his own expense, and there we're only a limit
ed nu nber Of copies, none of which were sold,
R 'a'y princes and few to dssS
guished stat smen and savants The
work which is in thirty. four folfD vol
umes, Is illustrated by Menzers woodcuts and
by engraviug s executed by the best German
artists, from the original family portraits al
Berlin and Potsdam most OF which arc by
Vanloo and PeSne. The copies which were pre-
sent9d to royal personages were bound in red
morocco There is one In the Royal Library at
Windsor Castle, which was sent to the queen by
the late King of Prussia and the OH ers in rcd
ma1estys monogram, stamped in gold, ON ahe
covers.
THE municipal authorities Of Nure nberg have
just passed an ordinance which is tended to
prevent the modern builder from destroying the
pcturesqueness of the old town with his latter
build there hereafter will be required TO make
their plans harmonic with the surround
ings. This is an admirable rule, but
evidently q good deal will depend upon
nd . ~ ffn To-,
authority An edict Of this kind was In force in
the old English city of Chester until recently
but 1t was abolished, after futile resistance to
the pressure of business emergency and the SUI
perior claims of pecuniary profit. The public
love of the beautiful WAKES faiu when the aues-
ton of money is raised. Coventry is one OF the
most charming OF the old En- 9lish midland
towns. but the local council of the place has
just doomed the most picturesque quarter on II
TO demolition in the interest Of modern require
ments. 1t remains to be seen how long Eurem-
berg will retain its antique Character.
PAUL DE CAssAGNAc the Bonapartist bully.
who thinks little of the consequences TO himself
or anybody else If he sees a chance Of rratify-
ing spite is particularly enraged with M de
Nun and NJ. de Breteun for accepting the re-
public, and now accuses them of having been
TWO OF q committee Of six, of which he himself
was member formed in 1889 to overthrow the
republic by force Tnelr plans, he SAYS were
fooled by the flight OF Boulanger whose courage
failed him at the pinch. 1t is tolerably certain
loDged to this little knot of oonspirators Tins
far neither NJ. de Nun nor NJ. de Breteuil has
taken any notice Of Cassagnac's denunciations
probably deeming the moment inopportune for
the public discussion of so delicate a subject
When Boulanger vanished the trrepressible
Paul was loud in his defense of that arch hum
bug, whom he described as the innocent ylctIn,
of an arbitrary tribunal, and as a man VINO had
never conspired against the state or contem-
plated the employment OF force. He now gives
himself the lie, and thoroughly iustifes the
verdict which sent the brave general" into
exile
DURING summer storm among the Catskiu
mountains, the guests In the Mountain House
hotel were in the parlor. when il was an
nounced that "the house was going past on the
outside!" An eye witness wrote: Gan rushed
to the piazza, and there, sure enough, upon a
moving cloud more dense than the tos that
enveloped the mountains, was a perfect picture
OF the great building in colossal proportions
The mass or vapor was passing slowly from
north TO south, directly In front. at a
distance apparently Of 200 feet from the
house. and reflected ohe nobIa
Corlnthlan columns which ornament the front
OF the building, every window and all the spec-
tators. The cloud moved on, and ere long Wa
saw one pillar disappear, and then another.
We ourselves, who were expanded into giants
in size, saw the gulf into which we were 10
enter ana be lost, almost shuddered when inv
turn came; but there was no escaping NV fate.
one side OF my face was yelled, and In a moment
the world had passed like dream" What a
picture OF human life We are in the world hut
a few short years, and then we disappear How
Noan NkA Har-l.