The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-07-19

A hens egg resembling pie, it is
claimed is an oddity at Ellijay, Ga.
Beethoven composed much of his
last work in beer gardens and other
public places.
Rice paper is made from filthy
plant called tung-tsua, which is found
in China, Corea and Japan.
A man at Exeter, Me-, who is worth
100000 takes delight in leading
brass band as drum major.
The largest piece of copper ever
taken out of the Michigan upper Pc
ninsula weighed about nine tons.
In 1892 New York city paid for its
school bill $4,0OO,000; for its amuse-
ment BILL $7,OO0,000, and for its drink
bill, $60,OO0,O00.
No less than 100000 acres were
last year declared by the New South
Wales government to be at the mercy
of the rabbit pest.
The new Scotland yard is the largest
police Office in the world. 1t contains
room in which 5000 men can be as
sem bled.~
The Burmese and the Chinese value
jade so highly that they frequently
purchase it for its wei ght in gold,
while in Europe it is held in rather low
esteem.
The seal used by the United States
treasury department is in form and
design exactly like the original seal
adopted by the department more than
century ago.
T,, f6n OF
eral piles from a Roman bridge across
the Rhine there. They are long and
heavy beams, tipped with iron to pre-
vent splitting when driven.
Between 1000 and $500 English
convicts are annually discharged on
ticket-of leave, and of these over 700
are apprehended for fresh offenses
and 120 for failing to report them
selves.
| There are no undertakers in Japan.
| When a person dies it is the custom
| for his nearest relatives to put him in
coffin and bury him and the mourn
ing does not begin until after burial.
A mammoth tusk was recently found
in mine at Schoningen, Brunswick,
which, although broken off at the
point, measures II feet in length and
5 feet in circumference, and weighs
224 pounds.
At the beginning of the century the
bible was accessible to but one-hfth of
the population of the world. Now it
may be read by nine-tenths of the peo-
pie of the globe, so rapidly has its
translation been carried on.
One of the oldest houses in America
is generally reputed to be located at
Santa Fe, n. Nj. The building was
erected before the Spanish conquest,
and it is traditionally reported that
Coronado stopped there in 1910.
Lord Lyon Playfair recently stated
in the house of lords that since 1891
100000 pauper aliens, 1900 of whom
were Russians and Poles, had landed
in Great Britain, against an immigra-
ton to America of 179, 1872.
The wall of Sevarus, separating En-
| gland from Scotland, was thirty-six
miles long and guarded by twenty-one
forts. It was 20 feet high and "a feet
thick, and to the north was protected
by moat 40 feet wide and 20 feet
deep.
1t is said $4,000 persons die prema-
turely in Great Britain every year by
| the indirect influence of intoxicating
drinks, from destitution, accident. vio-
lence or disease, and that 40, ,000 are
killed annually by the direct influence
of intemperance.
Electricity, when unretarded by at.
mospheric influences, travels at the
rate of 289, 900 miles second. Along
a wire it is, of course, vastly slower,
| and perceptible period of time is oc-
cupied by the electric current in send
ing kilograms over long distances.
Probably the largest tombstone in
the world is that of the late Henry
Scarlett, of Upson county, Georgia
Several years before Mr.. Scarlett's
death he selected a monster bowlder-
miniature mountain of granite, 100
feet by 250 in dimensions-and when
he died this huge tombstone was
placed over his grave.
A penny-in-the-slot machine has
been put in the elephant quarters in
the Manchester 800" When visitor
gives an elephant penny he drops it
in the slot and biscuit drops out of
the machine, which he at once eats.
The animals have learned that only a
penny will make the biscuits come out,
and so they refuse everything else.
At the botanical gardens, Adelaide,
several magnificent blooms of the vic
toria regia have been on view to visi-
tors of late. One of them had the idea
of testing the carrying capacity of one
of the large floating leaves, and little
girl 9 years old was placed upon the
miniature raft in sitting position. A
camera was at once procured and q
photograph taken of the incident.
1t has lately been calculated that at
least 60 per cent of the earthquakes
recorded all the world over have-oc
Cured during the six colder months
of the year. In the Mediterranean and
many other districts the proportion
during the cold weather is even great
er. January and February seem to be
the two months in which Mother Earth
especially delights in shaking up her
| children.
A great preventive of colds is said to
| have been discovered in the new paper
stockings now made in Germany. The
| material they are formed of is special
| ly prepared paper, impregnated with
some substance which apparently
sucks up all perspiration as quickly as
it is formed, keeping the feet warm
and dry. This should be good news,
indeed, to very large portion of
much suffering humanity if it is true.
The projected canal from Bordeaux
| to Narbonne. France, whereby a con-
| nection will be obtained between the
Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean.