The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-10
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

THERE are now over $500 words in the
English language acknowledged by the best
authorities, or about $4,000 more than in the
German, French, Spanish and Italian languages
combined.
1t Is only little over forty years ago chat q
Russian farmer began the cultivation of the
sunhower in order to extract oil from the seeds
Now 100000 acres in Russia are in sunfiowers
and the original founder of the industry is a
millionaire.
ANOTHER AMERICAN war vessel will soon wed
the sea. She is the harbor-defense ram now
building at Bath, Me, and is intended for often
sive business chiefly, and of the most offensive
kind. She will not carry q heavy armament
but will rely upon her power TO speedily stick
her steel nose into the enemy's side, and then
run away. Her deck is curved, and when pre-
pared for dash the vessel will be partially
submerged by the admission of water. She
was designed by Rear Admiral Ammen.
THE recent disastrous avalanche at st. Gervais
is the ninth serious disaster OF the same sort to
occur in the Alps during the present century,
Nearly 500 persons persisted in the avalanche on
the Rossberg in 1906. Eleven other like Alpine
disasters occurred in the period between the
years 1856 and 1749, inclusive. In 1918 an ava
lanche at Plurs in the Grisons destroyed nearly
$500 persons. Since the time Of Lord Byron,
who really gave the Alps their popularity with
British tourists, many of the victims have been
strangers.
Two 12-YEAR-oLD colored lads climbed a tree
on Tuesday at Washington, D. c., and proceeded
to watch the ball game without liquidating at the
box Office All would have been serene If they
had not broken off several branches Of the tree.
The owner of the tree, who happened to be in the
grounds, saw the destruction of his shade tree.
and getting an officer. slipped around and pulled
the boys down from off their perch. The youths
did not mind being arrested, which occurred in
the last half Of the eighth inning, but begged
the officer to let them remain until the game
was finished.
THE MILLIONAIRE, according to a Boston con-
temporary, is becoming far less important a
factor in congress than formerly. The aggre-
gate wealth of members Of the Senate and
House is at present from $50 600 900 to SlCO 900
900 less than it was a few years ago. Many men
OF great wealth, such Joe" Brown, Hearst,
Plumb, Farwell, Spooner, Scott and Spinola,
have died or left congress- and their SUCCESSORS
have for the most part been men OF moderate
means. What great fortunes remain are to the
extent OF rs per cent. the possession of members
from the Pacific slope or the west. Another
curious fact about these great congressional
fortunes is that their owners are mostly men
whose names begin with the letter S-Sanger,
Stewart, Stanford, Sanders. Sherman, Shoup.
Squire, Stockoridge, Stahnecker, Stevens and
Stephenson.
AN UPTOWN PHARMACIST, says the New York
Sun, has a novel fly trap in his store window.
1t is run by little electric motor and gathers
in the flies with great celebrity and absolute Ger
tanty. A piece Of strong brown paper about
4 inches wide and Is inches long is fastened in
continuous band around two rollers, which
are kept revolving ct slow rate by the motor.
The band is slightly SIneared with a sweet sub.
stance Two.thrds of tue length OF the band is
freely exposed. but az the other roller it runs
lnIer a wire cone and then against a brush.
The flies alght on the slowly moving band and
unsuspectngy remain there slipping the sweets
until brushed off, when they fly up into the
cone. from which they can ind no exit. The
ic If tran IA n 90
DEVICE but the electric motor does not leave iG
TO the flies to get into the trap, but railroads
them to destruction. The way it catches flies
is caution.
THE accidental origin OF what may yet be-
come useful patent came under the notice OF
a New York Tribune writer few days ago. A
cashier in downtown restaurant had returned
from his vacation, and had, on his holiday, run
thorn into the palm of his right hand. The
wound caused him considerable pain, to allie
viate which he put a rubber band around his
hand, which held in place a moistsned sponge
That's clever idea" remarked a westerner,
for moistening your fingers when counting
bills. Where do you buy them" The cashier
explained what the real use OF the band and
sponge was. DO you mean to say that thing is
not patentedf" asked the man. and learning
that it was not, expressed his intention Of tax
ing out patent at once. The cashier however
told the tale to a New York man. who promptly
hurried off and had a strap and buckle made, to
which is attached cup containing sponge.
The whole can be comfortably carried on the
hand and In future, cashiers wishing TO moisteu
their finger tips have only to close the hand
The New York man got the patent.
FEW PEOPLE, perhaps, have any idea of the
extent to which the slave trade fiourshes in
Morocco, says the New York Post. The follow
ing extracts from private letter just pub
lished in England throw some light on the SUB
iect: II must now tell you OF the caravan which
arrived at Tenduf from Timeuctoo at the end OF
March last. 1t brought scarcely any merchan-
cise but there were 900 slaves, principally
young girls and boys So great was the influx
or slaves at Marakesh (Morocco city that in
stead OF holding the market twice O week as
usual, it was held daily from April rs to May IL
and the prices we're comparatively low, rang
leg from SO to Ella head. During the feast
of Ramadan the Kaids, who come TO Marakesh
in order to present gifts to the sultan son. who
is the khalifa of his father, agreed that the
most acceptable present would be some Of these
young slaves from Timbuctoo. There were
forty three Kaids, and each Of them
gave this young man, only IS years OF age,
three slave girls and two slave boys-over 200
young slaves in all AS the young khalifa had
bad reputation for cruelty and other vices, it
is not pleasant to think of the fate of these
young captives II is said that more than 800
merchants who had come from Riff, Taflat and
other distant places to obtain a supply OF
human chattels; and besides this, many were
sold privately was myself the witness of a
sad scene in the market when three little
negresses from 8 to 10 years old, who had evil
IDENTITY come from a very distant part, as no
one there could speak their language, were
ruthlessly parted from each other and sold 60
different owners amid tears. pitiful cries aud
such resistance as the poor little creatures
could employ. Each had to 60 of alone
among strange people. not one or whom I'M
deFstOOd a word she said W