The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-07-05

The Literary Ladies" of England
whose annual banquet is one Of the
events of the London season, have
properly changed their official name
to the women Writer'S"
1t has been estimated that a bell of
common size, whose sound would pen
citrate a distance of three to five miles
on shore, could, if submerged in the
sea- be heard over sixty miles.
Near Liskeard, in Cornwell, is a
strange natural phenomenon. A pile
of rock 80 feet high, shaped like top,
is balanced on the smaller end. 1t is
quite immovable, though apparently a
very slight effort would upset it's equi-
librium.
The Domesday Book, written on
vellum and preserved in the British
museum, is one of the oldest and most
curious books possessed by any ma
ton. 1t is complete record of Eng
lish landowners and of their estates.
stocks and other property.
The Adersbach rocks, in Bohemia,
cover some fifteen square miles. They
are formed of sandstone, and are in
terspersed with perfect maze of pas
sages shut in by smooth walls of such
similarity that to keep ones bearing
is no easy matter.
There are actually horse marines in
the service of the United States, but
these are merely those officers who are
entitled by rank to ride. If they go
| on shipboard they do not take their
horses with them. Majors, lieutenant
| colonels and colonels in the corps have
horses.
One of the paying professions Of
Paris is said to be that of trunk
packer. In many of the littlO trunk
shops you can hire man who will
pack yo1r trunks artistically, folding
expensive gowns and other garments
in tissue paper, and slowing away
delicate bric-a-brac in the safest way.
A professional acrobat finds employ
ment at the zinc mines in Ogdensburg,
n. j. His services are required in
getting out snarls and removing OBJ
structions from the cables and electric
wires used about the ore cars, which
are run on steep grades. He can walk
on tight rope when necessary.
Crinoline dates from the days of
Queen Elizabeth and survived until
the commonwealth. Itappeared again
in I'LL and was enlarged in 1744 and
con tiRued to the end of the century
1t was abolished by George ". From
1856 to 1866 it flourished again in all
its glory and attained it's largest di-
| mensions.
The country's money circulation has
increased from 1926, 100000 in 1873 to
over $1,6)0, 900, 900 at the present time.
The coinage of silver has increased
from 81, 900. 000 in 1873 to nearly $4O,-
100000 in 1899. There was no silver
in the treasury or in circulation in
1873 and today there is $4,000, 900.
1t will scarcely be believed that
wheat is sold in the United Kingdom
under nearly two hundred different
systems of weight. There is almost as
much diversity in regard TO barley
and oats. The result is that quota
tions from the various markets create
bewilderment and confusion even in
the minds of experts.
The sponge is an animal. 1t will!
shrink from the hand which tries to
seize it, and if viewed under a lens
may be seen, constantly drawing in
water through the innumerable canals
which form its digestive organs, and
having consumed the minute animal
cule in the fluid, ejecting it again
through some other channel.
OF the many feasts of the Chinese
the most remarkable is known as "The
Feast of Lanterns" 1t is celebrated
on the fifteenth day of the first month
of each year. On this occasion every
person is obliged to set out lanterns
at his doors and windows, the size,
number and color of which depend on
The financial standing or the fanati-
cism of the devotee.