The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-12
TvEMS OF INTEREST.

The first paid admission at the worlds fair
was received, it is said, from Columbus
Paul Columbus of Laporte, Ind
A London correspondent in Vienna has been
cross-examining Dr. Falb, the Austrian me-
teorologist, on the subject of his prediction of
earthquakes and other natural phenomena.
DR.. Falb admitted that his earthquakes gen
orally occurred few days before the date he
assigned to them, but attributed the diScre-
pancy to the prevalence of great storms
which, he said, exercised considerable in
1uence upon the action of Subterranean gases
and vapors This year, he thinks his theory
may pass through a crucial test which will
raise 1t to the level of a scientific system"
Asked for a specific declaration about the
English summer, he said that he was reluct-
ant to make prophecies which are only
guesses; but that he believed that his theory
would pass through its final ordeal this year.
and that then it would be possible to use it
for trustworthy weather predictions He then
went on to say that, according to his weather
formation theory, England might expect an
exceptionally dry month of May, June less
dry, and heavy rainfall throughout July,
August and September. But of all the rainy
months Of the year, September would easily
be the worst.
Since the time of the Great King" France
has not been without her Jean Bart, says the
New York Tribune. Perhaps many of the
thousands who have visited the ship that now
lies in the North river do not know the history
of the name which the vessel bears. Perhaps
they have never strOlled along the boulevards
OF Paris and paused occasionally TO wonder
at the numerous copies of an old painting in
the shop windows representing a sailor
standing near powder magazine with
| lighted pipe in his hand, while a band of men
| in the background look panic-stricken 1t is
| the famous old corsair, Jean Bart threatening
| to blow up his ship unless the enemy, the
| English, departed Immediately. His little
| vessel had been engaged with six of theirs,
| and was finally oyermastered. But he would
not yield his deck When the boarders
! swarmed around him he took his pipe out of
his mouth and held it over the powder. Jean
| Bart lived in the time of Louis XIV, and
though an outlaw and pirate, took up arms
with his people and rendered his country
| great service, for which he is well remem-
bered in song and story. When the present
vessel of his name goes out of commission
there will be another to take its place-an-
other Jean Bart.
1t may create some surprise that we regard
the dance as the earliest form of art, or even
that we allow it any place among the fine
arts. To many it will seem kind Of sacri-
lege to combine in the same category, how
ever broad, such extremes aS a dancing say
age and painting of the last judgment. and
II the connection must be made some would
choose to make IL along other lines than
those of art. But, in truth, the dance sup
plies us with the key. so to speak, of the de-
velopment OF the hne arts. For light upon
the problems of human culture we naturally
appeal to the anthropologist. Dancing +"
says Tylor, as quoted by the Popular Science
Monthly, may seem to us moderns a frivolous
amusement but in the infancy of civilization
it was full of passionate and solemn meaning
SavageS and barbarians dance their JOY and
sorrow. their love and rage, even their magic
and religion The forest Indians of Brazil
whose sluggish temper few other excitements
can stir, rouse themselves at their moon
light gatherings, when, rattle in hand. they
stamp in one-two-three round the great
earthern pot of Intoxicating l1awi liquor; or
mon and women dance rude counting dance,
advancing in lines with kind of primitive
the tprOClOnS dance
formed by armed warriors in paint, marching
in ranks hither and thither with growing
chant terrific to hear" TYlor proceeds to
! describe the dance of the Australians and the
| buffalo dance of Mandan Indians, who wear
ing masks to mark their representations
with rude songs and pantomimic gestures,
act but the incidents of an imaginary hunt
And then he adds: All this explains how
in ancient religion, dancing came to be one of
the chief acts of worship. Religious process
slOEs went with song and dance to the Egyp
ttan temples and Plato said that all dancing
ought to be thus an act of religion"
History supplies many instances of curious
culprfts. Vermin have in all ages proved
prolific devastators. It was the custom in
medieval times for sufferers by their depreda-
| tions to have recourse to the church. which
in due time, Illuminated anathCmaS against
| the culprits. The procedure in such cases re-
| sembled that in vogue in the ordinary legal
| tribunals. The plaintiff appointed counsel
| the court accorded one to represent the de-
| PENDANTS, and the ecclesiastical Judge sum-
moned up and save sentence. Bartholomew
| de ChasSencuX. a noted lawyer Of the sixteenth
| century, was q great authority in this depart
ment of law and custom, being author of an
! exhaustive treatise on the subject said to
| combine remarkable skill with vast erudition
| He was also a successful advocate in these pc
| culiar trials. On one occasion he was appointed
counsel for the defense in d case where
| horde OF rats were sued for devastation COM
| mitted in the harvest fields of a large portion
| of the province of Burgundy. Chasseneux's
| defense in this important trial was conSid-
cred very clever although to modern ears il
sounds like a tissue of nonsense. He showed
that the rats had not received formal notice
and obtained announcement that the par
\ sons of the afflicted parishes should announce
| an adjournment, and summon the defendants
! to appear on a certain day. On the ad-
| journed trial he complained that the DELAY
accorded his clients had been too short to al
low OF their appearance, in consequence OF
| the road being infested with cats He sue
ceeded in obtaining a second adjournment
and finally no verdict was given In early
| laid eggs, and that from these eggs spranp
bas1ltsks, or horrible-wlnged serpents. Gross
/ in Petite ChroniQue de Bale relates that in
l474 an abandoned cock of that town was &C
cused OF having laid one of these eggs and
| was tried convicted and sentenced to death
| The culprlt was delivered to the executioner
| who burned it publicly, along with it's egg in
| place called Kohlenberger, amid large
! concourse OF people, assembled to witness
| such ludicrous execution. Felix Malicious
| relates that proceedings were instituted at
| MaYence in the thirteenth century against
| some offending mosquitoes and states that
| tho judges before whom these unwelcome in.
| sectS were tried pronounced sentence of ban
ishment against them. Snails were sen