The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-11

ITEMS OF INTEkESF.

THERE are 1859 confederate battle flags In the
collection of war relics at Washington. OF
these twenty-eight separate regimentaI colors
were captured after Pickett's charge at Gettys-
burg.
CURIOUS CASE will shortly come before the
courts at Darmstadt. says GdIf0nanrs Messen-
ger. a lady OF that town recently underwent an
operation which necessitatei the grating of a
piece of flesh, taken from a healthy subject in
an open wound A nurse undertook to supply
this, but now alleges that the surgeon who per-
formed the operation took more flesh than was
needful, and has dishgured her for life. She is
therefore going to bring an action for damages.
THE latest invention for the saving Of life at
fires is the emergency dress" IL is woman s
idea. 1t consists of dress something like that
used by submarine divers, but much more sim
pie. The suit is in two pieces and made from
asbestos cloth The lower part OF the dress
combines stocking and drawers reachingsto the
waist. The upper portion of the suit ia O com
bnatfon of ehirt. hood and mittens all in one
piece, which can be- slipped over the head easily
and falls below the waist line. Glass is inserted
Tor the eyes. and piece of wire gauze. such as
is used to incloSe miners safety lamps, allows
the wearer to breathe without danger Of inhal
ing the flames The whole is made large enough
to slip on at moments notice,
In the course OF his New Haven Conn. H.
lecture Rev Thomas 8. Dana an educated In
dian. made this singular statement: 1.-THE In
always cook outside, giving as their only reason
that II they co, X inside the steam will collect in
their clothing and draw the lightning Whether
this is truth or not do not know. but do know
this: No Indian wigwam has been struck by
lightning since the dawn of history. and no In
dian has been killed with lightning for more
than 100 years" 1t seems quite possible that
indian wlRwams are seldom or never struck by
lightning; but why whole race should be ex-
empt wherever they roam simply because their
low habtatious don't attract the forked fury is
TO say the least something remarkable.
The burro is not a pretty beast, but in the
wild western plains he is sometimes very use.
full. The burros instinctively know where water
is TO be found. and if miners have been out
day or SO without water they are very liable to
be deserted by their Jacks, the animals break
ing away and rushing off in the direction of the
nearest pool. More than one party of pros
pectors or travellers has been saved from
perishing of thirst by the Instructor inteli-
gence. or whatever else you please to call it-of
the ourros, for these animals. even il battered.
will smell the water when they cannot go to il
and give brays Of Joy at Its proximity, II one
OF them is released when they exhibit these
signs Of enthusiasm aud bis stops are followed
he will be sure to lead the travellers to the
nearest water.
"vENIoE IN LONDON" cost ESQ. 200, says Editor
Labouchere in London T,9tth. and l suppose
that, with the 1.400 performers. the expenses
must run into many thousands each week The
per! ormance, which lasts about two hours is
we'll worth seeing; but l should fancy that what
really attracts is the reproduction Of the water
roads OF modern Venice. II were the owner
Of this show. should after the performance
had run its course, convert the entire arena into
Venice with st. Marks place at one end as q
lounge. would have restaurants and cafes to
meet the requirements OF all classes, and gon-
dolas should float about with singers and play
ers in them. should think that this would pay
aRd might become permanency, for in our
climate what is wanted is a vast space under
WheTA nA0nlA a ffar-
noon or the evening pottering about, listening
to music, smoking, and refreshing themselves.
AS FAR as research has been able TO deter.
mine glass was in use 1000 years before the
birth OF Christ, and was even then not in it's in
fancy by any manner of means In the Slade
collection at the British Museum there is the
head of a lion nodded in glass, bearing the
name of an Egyptian king of the eleventh
dynasty. This is the oldest specimen of pure
glass bearing anything like date now known
to exist The invention now known as "bleez-
ing, the mode of vanishing pottery with a
thin film of glass is believed TO date back to the
first Egyptian dynasty. Proof of this is found
in the pottery beads, glass-glazed, found in the
tombs Of the age above referred to- Dr. Schlie
mann found bits OF glass in his excavations at
MycenR, though Homer does not mention it as
substance known in his time. The most emil
nent biologists place the date of the first use
OF glass at a period too remote to be given in
years.
s. S. BoyNToN, a California naturalist, comes
to the defense OF some OF our domestic birds
that are charged with high crimes against. the
crops. The meadow lark, be says is roundly
abused by the farmer, and one Of the atrocities
laid at its door is pulling up shoots OF young
wheat a careful examination of the stomachs
| of a large number Of the larks show that their
food is mostly insects, and hence the damage
done by them Is only slight compared with the
| good they perform. In the stomachs of thirty
| larks opened by Mr.. Boynton 100 seeds IS
caterpllars,57 grasshoppers and 80 beetles were
found. From this showing the conclusion flows
| that the lark is genuine friend of the farmer
Robins have also been m Oh malgned. Two Of
| these birds under surveillance for an hour were
seen to take to their young fifty cut worms
in country where berries we're plenti-
full The blue jay is another martyr to
public opinion. One writer has said with bitter
sarcasm, IF you succeed in killing blue iay
100 strangers come to attend his funeral and to
supply his place" But the fact is that no other
bird insists on so many Insects as q part of his
daily bill OF fare. Audubon estimated that two
jays and their five young require for food in 100
days &c, 900 insects that are harmful to fruit and
food plants. Another bird on the black list is
the downy woodpecker or sapsucker, but it also
subsistS mainly on insects and grubs that are
harmful to fruit. Nor is the ruby.throated
humming bird only a honey thief, for while he
has sweet bill be prefers insects Then there
is the sparrow hawk, which every one regards
as public enemy. but this bird annihilates
great quantities Of snakes, mice and insects
and his appetite for them is never satisfied
Martins and swallows are also unfailing insect
devourers. For the crow and sparrow Mr..
Boynton is obliged to enter a plea of guilty