The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-31
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

FOR days previous TO the earthquake In the
Riviera the horses there showed every symptom
Of abject fear. which continued without any
change or character till the fury of the convul-
sion broke forth. But not till few seconds be-
fore the earth began to quake did human beings
hear any sounds while it is extremely probable
the horses heard the subterranean noises for
two or three days previously.
MANY curious similarities are found between
the burial customs of ancient Europeans and
those of American Indians. The latter fire.
quently placed food with the corpse and money
Ia its mouth, just like the ancient Romans who
thus supplied a coin to pay Charon's fare for
waiting the departed soul over the Internal
river, furnishing also a cake composed of -four
and honey wherewith to appease the fury Of
Ceroerus at the gate of hades.
In the Arctic and sub Arctic regions of Siberia
the domesticated reindeer is food, clothing
house, furniture implements and transporta-
ton TO the people. Its milk and flesh furnish
food, its marrow and tongue are considered
choice delcacies. its blood. mixed with the con-
tents of its stomach, is made into favorite
dish called in Siberia ''manyalla; its intestines
are cleaned, filled with talloW and eaten as a
sausage its skin is made into clothes bedding
tent covers, reindeer harness. ropes cords and
fish lines; the hard skin Of the forelegs makes
an excellent covering for snowshoes Its sinews
are dried and pounded into strong and lasting
thread; its bones are soaked in sea oil and
burned for fuel; its horns are made into various
kinds OF household implements-into weapons
sleds. Under favorable circumstances a swift
reindeer can traverse 1850 miles in a day A
speed of 100 miles per day is easily made. AS a
beast OF burden It can draw a load Of 300
pounds.
THE advent Of leap year" and the break in the
regular order of days make anything in regard
TO the "bissextile' or leap year" OF more than
ordinary interest. Leap year has always been
regarded with awe and superstitutior by the
people Of all countries. The peasantry of Eng
hot II
wrong way in their pods-that is, the seeds are
set contrary TO the way they are in ordinary
years In Belgium the rural folks maintain
that leap year is not only unpropitious for all
farming operations, but that throughout the
year the young Of the domestic animals will not
thrive as at other times. A similar fatality.
they argue; extends TO every kind of
grass and plant, which becomes
attaining its normal size. The same peculiar
idea prevails in Russia, Turkey, Tartary, India
st: Cassian (Feb. 99D looks on a cow she
viii wither." In Arabia they say: LAS weak as
a blssectile camel, y and in Turkey and Tartary
they call all hunchbacks. d warts and other de-
formed men, women and children "Ieap-year
freaks, " but there exceptions to this as well
as TO all other rules. for we find that in Italy.
Sreece and Sicily the rural proverb says re-
vine, 1t 8 (the year, good for bread and wine. -
The ancient Romans considered Feb 80 a a most
crlticaltseason, always recokening it among their
by any means lost ground is evidenced
by deeprooted dislike parents have
TO child being born on leap day it being a
popular notion that to come into the world at
such an odd time is ominous signlfying the
baby's speedy exit. variety of this siiper-
stltion exists in Tuscany, and, according to a
piece OF the folk lore Of that country, when a
cnld 10 born on leap day either il or lis mother
will die before the end Of the year. Hampson,
in his 'Medii Hvi Kaenparium," quotes the
following from an old Saxon treatise Some
mi
through this, that Joshua prayed to God that
the sun might stand still for one DAYS length
that he might sweep the heather from the land
II is true that the sun did stand still. but the
bisseXtus is not through this, as some do
think. -
WHEN a little Patagonian Is taken with any
of the long catalogue of infantile diseases.
which are equally as rampant in the wids OF
the antipodes as they are among the embryo
presidents and milionaires OF the United States
q devil eX ermtnator" is sent for post haste
That individual, although his title is not exactly
enphonc to our cultured ears, compares favor
aOly with the M. d. g" of civilized countries
both as to the wise look he puts on when mai,
ing an examination of the patient and the fee
eXacted when the devil has been put TO flight
The diSpensatory of Patagonia knows but two
remedies for the diseases OF children animal
SKINS and common yellow clay. both TO be used
at the same time, whether the disease be in
the head or the feet of the little sufferer. on
Delng called to see a sick child the
Patagonfan doctor takes with him a tight
SKIN bag opened at the larger end CLAW is
plentiful everywhere. While some member of
TIE family makes thick batter of this YELLOW
earth, the medicine man sits staring at the sick
enid, or else shakes a painted rattle in an
idotlc fashion before the little ones face.
When the plaster of clay Is ready the child ia
smeared from head to foot with it aud then
slipped feet first into the bag before mentioned
should the child cease crying before this pro
oeeding has been carried out it is thought to be
a bad sign, an omen that the devil is still
lurking in the child, but is keeninn
quiet for fear Of punishment. On the
other hand, should the child become calm
Just as he is being "bagged" the parents
anu the medicine man thinks that the inrince
OF darkness" has left the body of the child in
order to escape imprisonment In the event of
the last named contingencies arising the skin
Dag is Immediately closed and tied. The doc
tor then opens another bag and throws three
pebbles ana some serpenJ's teeth into it. These
are well shaken for moment, the idea being IN
get the devil to jump into the bag after the
charIn, whereupon it is instantly closed tied
ana sunk in the nearest body Of water
After this curious rite has been carried
the clay besmeared child has been de-
posted may be opened II the little
savage has not already been smothered to death
by being confined in the bag during the mean
tatlons OF the medicine man it is Thoroughly
washed and wrapped in clean, warm skin the
hide OF a 'muley" white bull killed in the new
OF the moon, being preferable Strange as ~
water being the prime factor In restoring health
no doubt. Should death ensue the doctor tells
the oereaved parents that two devils were after
the child, and that all the medical science In
the world is not equal to the task of coming with
Two lmps OF the internal regions