The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-15
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

IN turkey,
1t cost over 500 recently in legal fees in
South Carolina TO settle claim OF So
In making gold threads fer embroidery. it
has been found that six ounces of gold can
be drawn into 200 miles OF wire.
A young man, hypnotiZed at an enter
tainment at Paris, remained sensele5S for
two days, and was with difficulty brought
back to consciousness.
At PIacentia Bay, Newfoundland, alone,
1900 men and women are employed in the
lobster industry. Five million is the annual
catch, which represents $4,000 in value.
at Liege about 10000 persons are en-
pluyed in the manufacture of arms, but dur
ing recent years it is said that the pro-
auctions of Liege have diminished in pres
tige.
Copenhagen has under consideration
plan for a circular street railway to gIrdle
the city and connect with all the other
lines The system viii be double tracked
the entire length.
Umbrellas are rarely used in Alden, Ara
bia. Rain has fallen there only twice In 20
years. Previous to the last rain, which oc-
Cured in 1888, there was period of dry
weather which lasted 20 years.
bright New York boy has set himself
up in the business of exercising fine bred
dogs for rich men whose time is too much
taken up with money-making to properly
look alter their canine property.
In 1861 The famous Languedoc canal was
completed. This gave France an artificial
waterway las miles in length, with sum
nit level of 600 feet above the sea, and
incluuing upward Of 100 locks and so aque-
ducts.
In Mash0na. when twin babies are born,
both are drowned. This is one of those
savage customs which disc0nrages the
native census-taker and makes him a strong
advocate of conversion to Christian priyi-
lege.
The earth's surface only exceeds the
moons by about 1914 times. The moons
surface is fully as large as Africa and Aus
tralia together, and nearly As large as
North and South America without the
islands.
"Fatima," the baby hippopotamus of Cen
trail Park, New York City, Is astonishing
biologists by her rapid growth. Though
only year old, she is nearly as large as her
papa, "Caliph," and her mamma, Miss
Murphy"
In the south of Europe the rosemary has
long had magic properties aseribed 10 it.
The Spanish ladies used to wear IL as an
antidote against the evil eye. and the Por-
tuguese called 1t the ella plant, and dedi-
Gated it to the fairies.
Gold Is weighed by troy weight. while
feathers are weighed by ayOirdupois; and
as the u ounces In a pound troy contains
but 800 grains. while the ayordupois pound
is 1910 grains heavier than the pound of
gold.
The Shanghai Debating Society has been
considering why the young men of Shang-
hal do not marry. the impression is that
the fault is in the "chit system" the local
name for the credit system, by which things
are charged at high prices instead OF beng
paid for at low prices. The majority of the
young men were in favor of abolishing this
system, but the young women we're against
| it and swamped the boys.
A horse was killed by bees at Leslie,
| Ga, recently. a colored woman was driy-
| ing by place where the pestiferous little
| insects were being hiyed. A swarm alighte d
| ON the horse and began singing him. The
/ woman ran off to secure help When she
came back it is said that there were thrre
| colonies OF bees on the unfortunate ami NAL.
| They we're finally driven off, but the horse
| died shortly afterward
| While Edgar Bates. geologist of Ar
| COLA, was prospecting in jackson County,
| Mich, he discovered in a stream pecu-
| liarly marked stone, rudeiy cut tut by a
| blunt instrument With the aid of a micro
scope he was able to decipher an inscription
| running to this effect: samuel Bernet; l
| was taken by the Indians near Sandusky,
and / expect never to reach that place. If
| my friends 1 am to be burned. April
| 16. 1909"
| The old-time viol was the first instrument
| of its kind, and furnished the plan for the
| modern violin, which. however. is 700 years
/ old. 1t is said that Charles Ii introduced IL
| into England. One OF the finest makers of
| violins was StradiVarias of Cremona, who
| existed in the early part Of the eighteenth
/ century. Nioiins made By him are worth
| thousands OF dollars now, and highly es-
! teemed by collectors and performers.
| A curious book, in which the text is
! neither written nor printed, but woven.
/ /, tai Ftth l0 han in Il -
| made Of silk, and was published in % parts.
/ Each part consists of two leaves, so that
the entire volume only contains 80 leaves,
/ inscribed with the service Of the mass and
| several prayers. Both tho letters and the
| border are in black silk on white back
| ground.
Two orders of knighthood for women
have been instituted in Great Britain dur
ing Victoria's reign, viz, the Royal Order
| of Victoria and Albert. consisting of four
/ classes, the first two for royalties, and the
| third and fourth for peeresses and ladies in
attendance OH the Queen; and the Imperial
| Order of the Crown of India, founded in
! 1873 for royalties and tho wives and rela-
/ tives OF Indian Princes aud high Indian
| officials.
The marriage ceremony practieed by the
! people Df BorneO Is very short and simp lie.
| Bride and groom are brought oui before the
assembled crowd with great S0lemnitY and
| seated side by SIDE. A betel nut is then cal
| In two by the medicine woman Of the tribe,
and Que half is given to the groom. They
| begin to chew the nut and then the woman,
! after some sort Of Incarnation, knocks their
| heads together and they are declared man
and wife.
The number of persons in Great Britain
| who approve OF cremation seems TO be
steadily increasing. From the report of the
| Cremation Society of England for 1891 il
| appears that IN 1885, the first year the ere.
matorium at Working was used. only eight
| bodies were sent there; in 1886 the number
| was 10; in 1881, 10; in 1888. IS; in 1889, as
| in 1890, 54 and during the past year, SO
Crelnatorias are being built in various parts
| Of The country.