The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-08
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

curious origin. In the days when the Danes
lorded it in England they had very common
habit OF stabbng Engishmen in the throat
when drinking. To avoid this vllainy a man
when drinking Would request some of the sit.
ters by to be his pledge or surety while taking
his draught. Hence the custom.
LEUwENHoEK has computed that 10, 900 threads
of the web of full-grown spider are not larger
than a single hair of a mans beard He calcu.
lates that when young spiders begin to spin 400
OF their threads are not larger than one from
a tull-sized insect. II this be fact 4,000, 900
webs of young spider are not as large as
single hair from a man s face.
WHEN the queen opens parliament in person
she proceeds in state to the House Of Lords and
commands Black Rod to let the commons know
that it is her majesty's pleasure that they at
tend her Immediately in this house." Black
Rod proceeds to the House of Commons and
formally commands their presence, on which
the speaker and the commons go up to the bar
of the House OF Lords, and the queen delivers
her speech which is read by the lord chancel-
Tor, kneelng on one knee.
The CREDIT of having produced the first
porgy oil for commerce belongs to a Maine
woman. That was 1850, Mrs John Bartlett OF
Bluehill began at that time to boil the porgy
for her food. She noticed that thin SCUM of
oil gathered upon the water in which the fish
were boiled and she thought possibly it could be
turned to some more profitable use. Taking a
bottle full Of this oil she brought 1t to z, B.
Philips of Boston, an oil dealer here. and he en-
couraged Mrs Bartlett to bring more of the oil,
The following year the Bartletts male start
in the business and shipped to Boston thirteen
barrels of porRy oil. This was the beginning
OF the industry,
OPIE P READ sold his first novel outright for
S125. This was Len Gansett" and the pur-
chasers were HouRhton, Mifiin & Co. OF Boston.
The novel did not sell very well. but Chicago
publisher fencied he coud lake money out of
It if he had the copyright. To this publisher the
Boston tirin sold the copyright and sereotype
plates for 800, and the Chicago man forthwith
printed a new edition aud began to push it with
the trade. Up to this time 10000 copies OF the
book have been sold and the sale continues
steadily. Tie Same publisher took IgnAtius
Donnelly's story Of Caesars Column" after it
had been rejected in manuscript by the leading
publishers of the country, and 10000 of this
work have been sold already. although 1850
copies had TO be given away before the press
critics could b. Induced to read and notice the
book.
THE latest fad among those who dabble in art
is poker painting, says the New YORK Advey-
tiser. The idea is rather an ancient one; so old,
in fact, that its revival bears the flavor of dis
tinct novelty The men who originated the
red-hot iron re the tavern haunting
artists OF a century ago. While gathered
about the tap room fire engaged in the
discussion of the ideal and an occasional toddy,
they frequently illustrated their ideas by trac-
ing them on the pane of the room with
highly calorlcated poker. Some OF these odd
drawings we're executed by very celebrated
men, and many Of them have
found their way into famous art
collections. The poker rainter of the present,
however, has the advantage Of a rather elab-
crate outfit, and goes in for effects that the
originators OF the trick never dreamed Of.
With set of fine pointed irons, brazier. color
| Ing acids and lot of pine plaques he taGEles
every variety of subject and frequently achieves
more than satisfactory results. Hammered
brass doesn't compare with iE, and the tinting
of tiles is not to be spoken OF In the breath.
PEARLS are very perishable says the Washing
ton Star. They cannot be considered a first
rate investment, like diamonds After time
they decay Sometimes a fine specimen will
lose its luster and beauty within a few months,
so that the possessor of such treasures does
well to keep them put away IN a sealed place
They are very deicately made, consisting OF
thin hlms overlald one upon another, with more
or less animal matter between the layers and
it is no wonder that thev deteriorate After
being buried in the ground for while they are
found worthless. Those which are dug out of
Indian graves-some OF them of great size and
doubtless OF wonderful beauty when they were
new-are utterly valueless, even were they not
pierced. Nevertheless, there is pure and
evanescent beauty about them which seems
better to become the maiden than any other
/ sort of jewel Nothing varies 80 much in value
| as pearls. With them fashion affects the
market constantly. Sometimes white ones are
sought while other tints ct intervals are in de-
mand. For some years past black pearls have
| been the rage. A fine specimen worth 5000 will
fetch 81, 900 perhaps if another can be got to
match 1t perfectly.
| The Postmaster General states in his annual
| report that. upon the proposition Of the United
States it was agreed by the delegates Of the
postal union at their recent meeting in Vienna
that every country should supply the public
| with a reply-paid postal card. such cards have
been in use in Austria for many years, says the
Youths COmpGniOn, and would be economical
| and convenient in domestic as well as In foreign
correspondence. They are composed of two
unseparated postal cards. folded in the form of
a single card, aud need no other fastening
correspondent can insure correctly addressed
and probably prompt answer by writing his full
address on the reply fold of the card before
mailing it; the card, on its first Journey being
| folded so as to cover the reply address. The re-
ceiver has simply to write his answer on the re-
ply card tear it off the inquiry card and renal
1t. If one does not care to preserve the inquiry
or to write a long answer the cards need not be
separated. In that case, reply perfectly intelli-
| gbe, unequivocal and binding for all business
purposes, may be written in one or two words,
| in answer to a direct question, The words,
Yes" or No." or Forty" or al Temple
Place" or Boston" or Smith & Jones " or
so per cent, " or any other short replies signed
with initials or full NAME without any heading
OF place or date, would, in connection with the
attached inquiry card, convey as fun and def
mite an answer, and show as plainly, when,
| where. aud by whom 1t was written. as an an
swer on an ordinary card or letter that contains
besides place, date and address, a summary of
the inquiry to which IL is a reply. The first
reply paid postal card received by the writer OF
this article travelled n distance of 600 miles
IL was mailed by Gosef BernhRupt poStdirek.
tor at Beyroot Syria, ;and was written in VIOLA
puk, the new universal language 1t bore this
message: "Spodakads gesedik bDomS in Los
tan va yells modik, " which means "Rerly
postal cards have been in use in Austria for