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

water in them and let it remain for a uinuta
then pour 1t out, and IL your shoes burn or hurs
you after that you can say am wrong The
water takes all the natural heat out of the
leather and makes the shoes comfortable"
A GOOD DEAL of curiosity was excited BY Mr.
Edison 8 statement some time ago that he was
about to bring out an electric railway trolley
through which it was possible to ''pick up the
current from conductor on the ground through
mud and dirt. patent has been granted for
this device. 1t consists of wheel from whose
rim steel spikes project outward. AS the car
moves along and the wheel turns the lowernlost
spikes are in contact with the rail, and are
pushed in through the wheel danges. They are
restored TO their normal position by the pres.
sure of springs, which project them against the
conductor. The spikes are placed 80 close to-
gether that there Is always q sufficient number
in contact with the conductor to make the
necessary connection 1t will readily be seen
that wheel of this description can stalk along
and with its pointed steel spikes pierce Its way
to connections, under conditions where a solid
rim with but one fat point of contact would
fail.
The Metropo itGn PhildteIist announces that
the Postmaster General has adopted the designs
for new series of postage stamps to be issued
ip commemoration Of the discovery Of America
The issue will include all valuableS and will bear
designs OF historic character, each represent.
ing some incident in the life OF Columbus or
picturing something appropriate to its purpose
The question is asked why the useless 30
current single or double rate OF postage, should
be Included in this issue. They simply used
on very heavy registered foreign packages, and
itlis argued that matters would be simulifed if
there were simply 10 cent stamp for ordi-
nary letter rate and registration and rs
cent, so cent and 81 stamps for use on
extra heavy Rpackages. The 80 and 30
cent stamps are relics of the old high postal
rates Of 1880, but both foreign and domestic
postal rates have been cut down so that they
serve no purpose now except to confuse postal
clerks.
THE HEADS Of most of the venomous snakes,
including the ''rattlers," bulge Just beyond the
neck, says st. Nicholas Without exception
they have fanRs, either always erect or raised
and laid back at will. These faugs are long,
arp-pointed teeth, with hollow groove run
ming their entire length At the root of each
fang is a little bag of poison. When the snak,
bites the motion presses the poison-sac, and its
contents flow down through the hollow In the
tooth into the puncture or wound. The harm
less little forked tongue is often spoken of by
the uniformed as the snakes ''stinger" Now,
there is no proprlety in the name, a the poison
GUS snakes de not sting, but bite, their victims.
There ls no creature, even II brought from for
eiRn countries where "rattlers'' do not exist,
but will halt and tremble at the first warning
sound OF the rattle. Dr. s. Weir Mitchell, with
others. has been making experiments with the
venom of different serpents He has found
| that, aside from its poisonous qualities it con-
teins living germs, which have the power of in
creasing enorm ously fast. So. you see when
an animal is bitten. these tiny bits of life enter
ing with the poison, cause harmful action to be-
gin almost at once. DR.. Mitchell has found
that the nervous center controlling the act Of
striking seems to be in the spinal cord, for II hs
cut on snakes head, and then pinched its TAIL
the stump Of its neck turned back, and would
have struck his hand had he been bold enough
to hold II still.
The African cobra is regarded somewhat rev.
ereutially by Il "a natives of that country who,
once year, XII ! q charlottesville and hang it's
"a "A Of a traa oil doyv ~
~. Nacio!ds. Then all the children born during
the past year are brought out and made to
touch the skin. This, their parents think, puts
| them under the serpent's protection. The
| cobra de-cspelloldivides with the horned viper
OF Africa the questionable honor of being the
worm OF Nile to whose venomous tooth Gle
| opatra's death due. The Kaffrs use the
venom OF tnis snakes cousin the puff-adder. to
| poison their arrows, and when they have any
! small quantity left they swallow it. having a
theory that 1t will protect them from the bad
efeels OF any future bites. The snake tribe OF
the Punjao say that the bites of snakes do not
hurt them, and If they find a dead serpent they
dress 1t In clothes and give it a superb funeral
Some one has discovered that the leaves of
bitter aromatic plant Aristolochia Indica IL
bruised into a pulp, mixed with little water,
ana swallowed, will often cure the bite of the
1ndlan COBRA 1t has been known to cure even
Wnen tue victim showed no sign of life save
warmth OF the body; but the most general
remedy is the snake-stone. Prof Faraday has
found this to be made of charred bone. 1t is
applied to a bite, and when it drops off of its
own accord, the patient is said to be out of
danger. These stones are used also in Mexico.
Our own North American Indians will not kill a
snake in their path. They hold IL in reveren CO
and although they select great numbers OF
tnem to use in their snake-dancss they never
XIII them, but, wien the ceremony is fms he'd,
take them out on the plains and release them.
SSne Zuni Indians from New Mexico. with
whom became acquainted refused to repeat
their folklore out Of doors for fear the rattle
snakes would hear.