The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-14
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

The steam loom was first brought into use
in 1907.
The main drainage pipes of London are
SO miles long.
Swords were manufactured in England in
the fifth century.
In 1870 there were $50 paper factories In
the United States.
The moon is without water and destitute
of an atm osphere.
A Western lecturer has selected for his
subject "A Bad Egg"
The receiving reservoirs OF the Croton
aqueduct have joint capacity Of 1.1S0,00o,-
600 gallons.
Wine skins. made of the hides of pigs,
goats calves or oxen are still used in the
rural districts of Spain.
A few moments before Crampon. Paris
assassin, was executed, he took his glass
eye from its socket and presented it to the
attending priest, who accepted il and prizes
it highly.
Among tEees. the elm reaches an age of 335
years; the ivy, $50; the chestnut 600; the
olive, 700; the cedar 500; the oak, 1500 the
yew. $500; while Humboldt computed the
age of the baobab tree, a species of banoan,
&c be 500 years.
The Dodo has gone long ago; the beauti-
full true Quagga c'Eauus Quagga") has van
ished completely, and the bison OF North
America, which score of years back might
be counted by hundreds Of thousands, has
all but become extinct.
a new porcelain has been obtained by
grinding asbestos to fine powder, dissolv-
ing out all soluble matters with hydro
ehioric acid, making the powder into a
paste with water, and baking it in perce-
lain furnace for eighteen hours at 1900 de-
grees.
An interesting piece of information
brought out during tha Brussels conference
is the fact that there are at present no less
than S100, 000, 600 of counterfeit silver money
In circulation In France. Belgium. Switzer-
land, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
The Chinese settlers on the Island of
Sumatra have a strange and ludcrous form
of salutatlOn. When they meet each other,
say after an absence of . month or longer,
they do not shake each others hand; they
smile broadly, and each grasps his own
hand, shaking 1t vigorously for a few mo-
ments.
A number of accomplished New York
women are earning good salaries in that
city for coaching society women in the topics
of the day, the new books that are being
talked of, new works Of art that are attract
ing attention, and Interesting matters in
other lines.
Boston has an "Odd Gloves" society, the
members being coterie of professional
people who have mo organization but
friendship and VOW recorded on their con-
sciences 10 interpolate at least one novel
jollification into each seasons experiences"
This year it is to be big ghost party.
Blind lads in HensLaw Asylum, Manches-
ter, are taught piano-tuning, and as each
pupil has to make himself familiar with the
internal structure it is desirable to have
pianos of different makers. House holders
having WORKOUT instruments to dispose of
might do worse than consign them to the
secretary. who will pay carriage.
One of the industries in connection with
the tea trade is the collsction of the lead
with which tea chests are lined. China
has been noted for many centuries for the
purity of its lead, and this tea-chest lead, as
it is called. is regarded as the finest in ex-
istence. There are many uses for Is. 1t is
found very valuable in making the best
kinds OF solder.
II II estimated that there are to-day In the
United States and Canada about 600 young
men In every 1000, having reached the age
of 80, who are single. The conjugal coudi-
ton of the people in other countries is
vastly different. In Russia 373 men and 573
women in every 1000 who marry are married
under 20 years of age, while in England 766
men and 500 women in every 1000 are mar
ried between 20 and 80.
The women OF a certain African tribe
dstort their countenances by thrustipg
pieces of wood and crystal into their upper
lips. They begin with small pieces and
gradually increase the size until pieces of
incredible dimensions are thus carried. and
their lips are transformed beyond recogni
ton. The muscles are so affected that when
they smile the lip is drawn upward almost
to the eyes. producing an effect that Is most
ludicrous