St. Landry democrat., 1893-07-01
NOTES AMID COMMENTS.

and for long period there has been
tacit acquiescence in the idea that men
in battle cannot be protected from the
bullets of the enemy by any device which
would not prove too cumbersome for
practical use. The Germans, however,
have been experimenting with a cloth
invented by Mannheim tailor, which
appears to stop bullets discharged at a
moderately short range. A cuirass of
this prepared cloth weighs about six
pounds, but the soldier will hardly OBJ
ject to the increased burden if it adds
to his chances of going through battle
unscathcd. No doubt the new invention
will stimulate other nations to expert
menting in this line, and perhaps the
result will be the conversion of every
soldier into walking fortress. And
then there may be a reaction from the
present tendency of diminishing the size
of the ball, and instead of small calibcr
rifle we shall have arms which will dis
charge bullets big enough to knock Il
man down. There is no end to mans
ingenuity when he turns his attention to
the business of killing
Ir Is proposed to introduce "stamp
saving banks in the Boston public
schools. From various offices colored
stamps of six denominations and stamp
cards will be obtained. To each person
wishing to become depositor the local
treasurer gives stamp card, and sells
as many stamps as he has money for.
rThese stamps must be pasted on the card.
The card when full will probably con-
tain about s.. AS soon as the child has
stamps for that sum the money is taken
and deposited for him in some savings
bank that he may Designate The S.
once deposited he begins again, and the
small sum grows to larger one unde
his hands. II he wishes to withdraw
presents his card and draws all that is
on it. Then if he has more money than
he cares to use he calls for another card
and redeposits the balance By this
method all bookkeeping is avoided, the
child always knows just how much he
has, and the local treasurer can tell in
the same manner. If the child loses the
card, however, he loses his money, or,
rather, all that he carried on that card.
THE extraordinary circumstances of
the death of Miss Mary Weber by fall
from the steep heights of the Parthenon
in Athens has excited great interest
throughout Greece Miss Weber was
the governess of Prince George of Greece.
On the morning of her death she secured
from the watchman of the Acropolis the
key of the door leading up to the Par
thenon and climbed to the top. where
she remained for some time gazing at
the beautiful panorama at her feet.
Then she advanced to the edge of the
height, and, whether because of the
strong wind blowing or because of her
own voliton, she fell to the stone pave
mcnt below and soon expired. The next
day her intended husband, surgeon in
the Greek Army, took his life. There is
an impression in Athens that the unfortu-
nate lady committed suicide. and possibly
it was a romantic fancy that led her to
follow Sappho's example of plunging
from cliff to cure her love.
THERE is a coincidence in the rate Of
increase in the uses of wood pulp and
the rate of decrease of the spruce forests
of the Adirondacks. Wood-pulp is
rapidly becoming one of the most uni
versally used Of manufactured articles.
Not only is it found available for making
many of the neccssarics and convent
cnces of mans life, aside from news
papers. but it is also appearing in artis
tic cotiius in which to bury him. Ii is
interesting to note in this connection
that there are very few areas of spruce
lumber in the United States west of the
Adirondacks.
A HUNGARIAN inventor claims to be
able to spin ordinary wood pulp, or
cellulose, into yarn, from which all sorts
of textile tissues can be made in the or
dinary way, equaling in durability, ap-
pearance and fastness of color the best
cotton goods. If his scheme is practi
cable it will revolutionize the textile in
dustry. 1t is claimed the method is
applicable, rot only to cclulose. but to
every sort of short tibrous material, rags,
scraps of cotton and linen goods, and
the like, and the fiber can be dyed before
being spun into yarn.
THE great amount of inventive genius
which has been exercised in developing
schemes, plans and privileges for use at
the Worlds Fair has brought out some
odd suggestions. A good Kansas woman
wishes to open ''mending bureau on
the grounds to take care of all rips,
tears and buttons which need replacing.
A halter wishes the privilege of ironing
and blocking all hats injured in the
crush. and dime museum giant wishes
to act as pilot and observatory for short
people who cant see exhibits over other
peoples heads.
A WOMAN correspondent of several
German newspapers went away dislp-
pointed after visiting the tenement
house district in New York with charity
physician. She looked in vain for the
deep poverty of continental cities, and
was astonished at the little attempts at
ornament in the tenement house homes
She was said to be surprised at the sight
of oranges vendcd in the streets. The
poor, as she had known them in Germany,
would regard oranges as an unatta Unable
luxury, according to her account.
THE New York Advertiser instituted
lately careful inquiry as to the prices
which the butchers paid for meat and
those that they charged their customers,
and made the discovery that they were
making profit of from so to rs per
cent. 1t proceeded to publish the
figures which it had obtained, and de-
manded that the prices be reduced.
One large establishment has made large
cut in consequence and the rest will soon
be compelled to follow suit.
THE Armour Institute in Chicago is
an nyannle of tho l1Snfnlnnse of nractical