The morning news., 1892-03-07
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

IN bno cOi1 regions OF the Iar north, where
timber or bark is difficult or impossible TO get,
boats OF skin are almost exclusively employed,
To provide material for them the native hunter
relies upon the seal tie sea lion and the walrus
Many patterns of such craft are utilized in the
fisheries pursued among the Aleutian islands
and elsewhere on the Alaskan coast.
In Italy, France and Spain it is common to
ring handbell short distance In advance of
funeral procession. The object of this custom
Is said TO be- to clear the way for the procession,
70 remind passengers and loiterers to take off
their hats, and to call the pious to their doors
and windows to gaze upon the emblems Of
mortality, and to say prayer for the repose of
the soul of the departed one.
IT Is SAID that the Japanese practice refined
cruelty to delight their palates They believe
that the fish called the dai is the most delicious
when eaten alive. An expert Japanese carver
can dexterously remove five-sixths OF the edible
matter from its bones without touching vital
part. During this cruel operation the fish is
kept alive by wet seaweed, which, being placed
over its gills, enables # to breathe.
The construction of the worlds longest rail-
road is progressing rapidly along the river val
leys and across the steppes of Siberia, The
western extremity OF the road is the mining
town of MASK. on the eastern side of the Ural
range and its eastern terminus is at Vladivostok
on the sea of japan, making total length Of
4,Io5 miles, which is nearly twice the length OF
the Canadian Pacific. 1t will cost $lS3, $50, 600.
In Italy, where the clergy rule supreme the
law is that no dance shall be commenced after
the great bell OF the cathedral has struck the
hour OF midnight. They are not required, how
ever, to stop in the middle of one already COM
menced, but are permitted to dance it out
Taxing advantage of this saw, just be fore mid
night they divide the orchestra and form a new
dance. Some Of the orchestra rest until the
others become fatigued, when they relieve
them.
In THE year 1892 the women Of Toulon de-
clsred themselves in a state OF insurrection,
and, assembling in great crowds, threatened to
hang the magistrates il theJ did not lower the
price of sugar. The procurator syndic at first
laughed at their threats. but, the multitude re-
fuslnR TO disperSe, he assembled the council
engines, with plentiful supply of water mixed
with SCOT, to be drawn out in battle array. By
q vigorous discharge OF the smutty artillery the
insurgents in petticoats were completely routed
and retired peaceably to their homes.
ACCORDING to an old Servian legend, when the
nations were about to distribute the world
among themselves. they all assembled in the
center or the universe, divided it into parts and
drew lots. Some, however refused TO leave it
TO chance, preferring TO make their own selec-
tlon. 1--WE" said the Latins, want wisdom"
We want the sea-" said the English The
Turks said, 1--WE want the land" ''God and
war for us, said the French. The Russians
said, I'VE prefer the mountains and the mines -"
We'll, you Servians, and what do you wantY"
'Ahl" they replied, ''wears thinking" And 10
tdis day they have not done thinking yet.
AT the meeting Of the Geological society on
Tuesday evening, says the London Pail Nal
Gdzette, Mr.. Sclater exhibited some curious
black-and-white mice recently added to tie
society's collection of living anima s. These
creatures are the product of Japanese ingen-
uity, and show several curious characteristics
Their black-and-white color is remarkable since
they appear to be merely q variety of the COM
mon domestic mouse. They have habit, too
Of pursuing their tails. This habit is
paralleled in remarkable way by the
In hn fruA -
be possibly due to a defect in brain structure
In any case, the peculiarites are handed down
from parent to offspring in both animals. The
mice are usually called Spinning mice"
THE largest library in the world Is that at
Paris, which contains upward of 2,0O0, 900
printed books and 100000 manuscripts Be-
tween the Imperial library at St. Petersburg
and the British museum there is not much diff
ference. In the British museum there are about
1,500, 900 volumes. The Royal library of Mu-
Mich has now something over 300, co., but this
includes many pam phlets; the Royal library at
Berlin contains SOC, 900 volumes, the librray at
Copenhagen $4,000. the library at Dresden
100000, the University library at Gottingen
| Germany, 1000 The Royal library at Vienna
has 400. 900 volumes, and the University library
+ in the same city $4,000 volumes. At Buda-
| Pesth the University library has 10000 books
! the corresponding library at Cracow nearly the
| same number. and at Prague 205, 900.
Four thousand eight hundred men have
been employed In the worlds fair grounds at
| Chicago during the past week. This is the
largest force since the building began. There
has been an increased force of carpenters on
the ell ctricity, manufactures. machinery and
| agricultural buildings, and the force Of exte
rior coverers has been Increased, and the gang
of iron men on the manufactures and machinery
building has swelled the number. The first
steel truss on machinery hall was placed this
week. These trusse5 are 100 feet hign, span $50
| feet, and weigh $4,000 pounds There will be
| forty-five Of them. The iron workers on the
manufactures a gang of seventy-five men-are
still at work on the big traveller. The first steel
truss OF the manufactures building will probably
be put in place early in April. The carpenters are
still working on the pavilions and connecting
walls and are well advanced with the work
Ground has been broken and work begun on the
annex of the horticultural building This
| green house.annex will be go feet long by SS
feet wide. The central portion of 1t will con-
tain heating boilers, and the house win extend
for 200 feet on either end Of the boiler house,
which is l70 feet long. The sheathins is being
placed on the dome of the horticultural building
down to the point where skylight work begins.
and the roof is finished on the north pavilion
and the skylight work for the west curtain is
more than half done. The exterior covering is
progressing well and much of the beautiful
Cupid frieze has been placed The plasterers
are finishing the end rooms in the woman's
building, the rotunda being completed, and the
permanent floor is being laid The carpentry
work on the Illinois building is proceeding well
and the structure now represents above /, 100
600 feet of lumber, which is more than half OF
the total number of feet of lumber to be used