The morning news., 1892-02-22
ITEMS OF INTERRsr.

/ - - ~HA0 Vt AAN u EhhS4
WEDDING favors' are Of Danish origin, and
the true lovers knot" does not, as might be
naturally supposed, derive its name from the
| words true love. but from the Danish ''Tru-
lofa," which means literally II plight my troth "
seems always to have been the symbol of faith
and friendship.
In old times fishermen made their own hooks,
using very much the same methods as are now
practiced on large scale in the factories. 1t is
very curious fact that during the bronze age,
when metals had first come into use fish hooks
had the same form as now, even to the shanks
and curves. The famous Limerick" and
''Shaughnessy" bends are absolute reproduc-
tlons OF those preferred in that early epoch.
AN eminent French statIstician makes clever
and graphic presentation OF the thrift of the
French people. He says that duplicate of the
Elnel Tower, which weighs between 1000, coo
and 6,OOO, 900 kilogrammes, built of silver and
with two additional stories added would barely
represent the actual savings of the French peo-
pie deposited IN the national savings banks
The kilogramme is pounds {. &c ounces.
THE several lines of paper consumption are
estimated to require about 'as follows each
year: Journals published daily, 49S OO0. 900;
journals published weekly, monthly, ETC., $780,
OO0000 books OF all kinds, $50, coo, 900; used in
schools, etc, 1SO 900 COO; used by governments
and cities, 160 900 009; in correspondence 229-
O0J,000; for commercial use, l2G, 900. 900; for
pasting, $4,000 900; for papIer mache and art
objects, 200,0000O0.
A CURIOUS RESULT has followed the introduc-
tion Of electricity for street lighting in Orizaba,
Mexico. Millions Of insects have been attracted
from the mountains, and their dead bodies
have collected in great heaps about the lamp
posts. Under hot sun, an unbearabe stencil
has risen from the decaying masses, and fever
has broken out among the inhabitants. 1t has
been found necessary TO send out wagons
n axvax aa daad
WHILE Hutchinson (Kan.) policeman was
standing under an electric light he was startled
by some object striking him a heavy blow on
the head and then falling at his feet. AS he
stopped to examine the object he received
second blow, ,this time on the back. When he
recovered sufficiently from his fright to gather
himtelf together he found he had been struck
by two wild geese that had been killed by strik-
ing the electric light wires. He then resumed
his slumbers.
ANTS are used by the Indians Of Brazil to
draw together the edges OF wounds 1t is well
known that the grip Of the jaws of the Brazilian
ant does not relax even after DEATH therefore
the Indian who has received a wound draws the
edges of the skin together with his fingers then
places five or six ants along the cash. The ants
grasp the skin with their jaws, and the line of
the cut is narrowed The Indian then pinches
Off the bodies of the ants, leaving the heads
adhering to the cash. In a few days the wound
will be healed, and the ants heads may be
washed off.
IT is noteworthy that John Isaac Hawkins. an
Englishman, the inventor of ever pointed pen
cils and an engineer by profession, began the
manufacture OF upright plants in Philadelphia
in 1890. lie took out national patent in that
year for his instrument, which he named t'por-
table grand, and which created quite furore
in this city al the time. Thomas jefferson hap
pened to see one Of Hawkins portable grands''
in 1900, while visiting Philadelphia, which ne
speaks OF in the following letter to his daugh-
ter: "A very ingenious, modest and poor young
man in Philadelphia, has invented one
OF the prettlest improvements in the panoforte
that have ever seen, and 1t has tempted me TO
engage one for Monticello. His strings are per
Tendicular, and he contrives within that hight
TO give his strings the same length as in grand
pianoforte, and fixes the three unisons to the
same screw. 1t scarcely gets out Of tune at ALL
and then, for the most part, the three unisons
are tuned at once"
WHATEVER may be said In regard to training
the memory, says Prof. W H. Burnham in
ScribneT's Magazine, it must be remembered
that memory is not, as used to be supposed an
Independent faculty of the mind that In some
mysterious way may be directly strengthened
by exercise, as the blacksmith strengthens his
arm; but that memory as retentive is due to the
Elasticity Of nerve substance and to the prom
erty OF nerve centers by which they retain in
growth their functional notifications: and that
recollection depends upon physiological condi-
tions such as The cerebral circulation and the
proper functioning of nerve cells: mora
over, that complete act of recollection is
complex process involving comparison,
inference and the like. Hence, whatever in
general is conducive to vigorous health and
whatever tends TO habits of clear aud orderly
thinking-such conditions will aid recollection
And whatever is detrimental 10 the normal
functioning of the nerve ces-fatigue intense
emotion or the like-and whatever blinds the
judgment will hinder recollection. In short. ali
psychological beatitudeS are on the head of him
who has good health, sane emotions, and trained
bower ALtRnflOD "a a 81 eet,,<l
nor all the prescriptions of mnemonic doctors
from Simonides to Loisette Except so far as
they train attention) can atone for ananiia of
ooay or lack or the power OF attention.
How MANY different telegraph companies do
you think there are in this country?r was
asked yesterday by a well posted electrician,
says the New York Press "You prohahlv
think they are only two-the Western Union
and the Postal-because il you want to send a
message you have to use either one or the other
and all competition has ceased Not only that
but rates are higher Well. there are on record
as having accepted the government act and
voluntarily submitting to the right of the Post
master General TO ix rates, no less than ninety
OF ttese are absolutely controlled by the
western Union, but the organization is
kept up and the annual meetings
held with as much regularity as thar
which attends the rising Of the sun. For in.
stance, the American Union Telegraph Com
pany, which was organized by Mr. Gould to
night the western Union, and out of which he
mace over SlO,OOO,OO0, has organization in
every state where it has lines" The minimum
charge paid by the government for telegraph
ing Is a traction over half a cent word for dav
service and about the same for night messapeS
although it is provided that the rate for niyht
messages shall be uniform. Distances are
rated as between capitals of different states
ana the longest distance chargeable is $500
miles, from Olympia, Wash, to Augusta Me-
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