The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-23
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

SSSGAS OoA 10 PuECuhSou at prices
ranging up to as in London. according to the
means and inclination of the purchaser Tbav
are made OF the same material except that
whalebone is substituted for steel as In a worn.
ans corset, but are somewhat different in
shape, being like q ten inch belt curved to fit
over the hips. They lace in the back, and are
tlahtened In front by means of elastic bands
DEATH VALLEY, CALIFORNIA notwithstanding
Its suggestive name, is the abode Of more curl
GUS and wonderful specimen of animal creation
than any place of its size within the limits of
the United States. The oldest of these crea-
lures, perhaps Is a species of rodent called the
kangaroo rat which travels from place to
place by executing series of Jumps or springs
almost IN exact imitation of his namesake of
the Australian wilds. Then, too, as though IL
were nature 8 purpose to make a miniature of
every larger piece OF handiwork the same To-
cality furnishes the kangaroo mouse a coun-
terpart and perfect pocket edition Of the rat
Besides these kangaroo rodents there are at least
two other odd specimens of the same genus in
the Californian Valley of Death-the pocket
mouse, with little pouches inside his mouth
for slowing away surplus food, and the "scor-
pion mouse, which feeds wholly upon scor-
pions.
PORTIONS OF the South Pacific ocean produce
wonderful species OF the sea weed call the
vegetable boa constructor. " According to re-
cent published accounts they are likely to be
met with at any point Of Southern California
ana tne sandwlch Islands ON the one side and
between Chile and Australia on the other These
vine strangers are frequensIy found
| tightly entwined about the body of a dead
| whale. shark or porpoise. but weather they had
fastened upon the bodies OF these dead sea
| animals before life had become extinct or had
only ventured to attack the remains after the
vital vita, spark had fed, are conundruns
answered. Experiments made with this
| curious vine and the carcass of a porpoi.e
washed ashore in the harbor at Apia tend to
| prove that the vine, like that of our common
| bean, will not enGWinA iEAAlf
dead, whether that thing be OF vegetable or
| animal creation. DR., Ch&dbourne in his
Annals of the Caroline Islands" says: ~ have
otten seen monster specimens of macricystis
| the giant seaweed) with every yestige of life
squeezed out OF them by that ocean demon, the
constructor vine which is itself a species of
from 90 to 80 inches in diameter
| and 1900 to 1000 feet In length, while
the constructor vine seldom exceeds
ameter than pound and half salInon can Il
Is the Squeeze snake OF the ocean, however,
and woe to tho unlucky man. animal or plant
| that comes within its reach" At Apia the piles
driven 10 the harbor all show marks Ike those
you have seen made by ivy on the forest treas
marks which the natives gravely inform Won
! were made by the constructor vine Cases
| wherein human beings are said to lave lost
their lives as result OF coming in contact with
the vegetable boa constructor are like the cases
| OF death attributed to centipedes and tarantulas
often reported but seldom conclusiyely
! proven.
The HISTORY Of electric street railways for the
last five years is that Of almost unequaled de-
velopment, says Hdyper's Weekly The figures
showing the growth of the system are interest
Ing At the close OF last year there were in this
country 1899 miles of street railway with bb.-
6Il cars. OF these, 4,061 miles were electric and
S,o92 cars were electric. The total of horse,
| cable and electric mileage had increased during
| the year 1891 1490 miles, but electricity stand.
ing by itself had increased 1,58S miles, The total
| OF horse, cable and electric cars had increased
curing the year ,SS6 cars or this number {, 300
| were propelled by electricity. There were at
| the end OF the year seven times as many miles
OF electric road as OF cable. and almost twice as
many electric cars as there were cable cars
| Ihere we're at the end of the year something
| over 400 electric roads in operation In America
Last Maroh 1t was estimated that of the sixteen
cities in the United States having over 200 900
| equipped with electric roads. OF the fortv-two
cities having between $4,000 and 400 900
nnaotants' forty-one, or 11S per
Ss, ct hsa esctro roads OF the remaining
| SAID that there are not a score that have not
| electric roads, or are not preparing to intro
duce the system. Since March every one of the
larger cities referred to as the exceptions in the
| above percentages have fallen into line with the
| formal approval OF this comparatively new
method Of rapid transit. The investment to
date is said to roach over 800 900 OOO In spite
| or this very general adoption of the electric
| system of transit throughout the country the
| advocates OF the trolley are obliged to confess
| that there is only one road In operation-that in
| Washington-which is properly equipped In
| large cities, they say, one condition should be
| insisted upon when franchises are granted BY
| 9he authorities. and that IL this condition ia
| complied with much of the objection TO an
| overhead system would disappear The com
pany holding the franchise should be oouupelIed
to make the construction OF the very best, II
| is declared that the only overhead wire neces-
sary is the contact wire. which need not be more
than one third of an inch in diameter: that
the main conductors and feeders
should be put underground. in
proper conduits. In brood streets where ths
| tracks occupy only a small portion of the street.
and are near together, line of poles orns-
| mental in design, as Ia the case in Washington.
and not less than $50 feet apart, and with arms
projecting on either side, could follow the cen
ter of the street, and could be utilized for cleo
trio lighting. But, as the roads are usually con.
structed. the popular objection to the overhead
system is by no means without reason, since n
is dangerous TO life and property, and an eve
sore which is only equaled by the elevated road
structures in New York city. Corporations are
proverbialy "soulless," and when they see an
opportunity Of cutting down their Operating
expenses from 30 to so per cent, they are NOT
likely to develop sufficient consclence to resist
the temptation, so long as they are granted
the privileges which they ask or demand with
out the slightest restrictions placed upon their