The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-17
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

II. CLEMENcEAu is one Of the few men who
cannot be interviewed. When reporter goes
to him and asks: what do you think of such
ami such things'' NJ. Clemeuceau always an :
swers. Let me hear what you think first" And
the conversation usually stops there.
THE Springfield Mass } Republican has a
sketch of Frank in county farmer who has
baen handicapped from his youth by total blind
ness. but who, Notwithstanding this misfortune.
is one OF the most prosperous farmers in West
ern Massachusetts. His name is William d.
Davenport, and his farm is in Leyden, covering
200 acres. Its owners property has come. not
because he inherited dollar or because he has
been aided by others. but solely through his
native ability and untiring efforts. He earned
his first dollar by thrashing and saving wood,
and now he is estimated to Oe worth $4,000 to
$4,000. He knows the geography of his farm,
and is good judge of the nature and character
of the soil For years he has been looked upon
as one OF the best judges of live stock in the
county. and he is frequently employed as a
judge to guide buyers in the market He at
tended school but little, and what he did learn
was by sitting in the school room and hearing
the other fellows recite He is thorough be-
lever in the New England farm, and says il is
good enough for him in every respect. Alto
gether, Farmer Davenport may bS said TO be
very remarkable man.
THE most peculiar and eccentric character
that ever lived in Alabama, says the st. Louis
Republic, was Thomas Banks. who died at
Montgomery some time during the year 1890
physicians say thathe would have lived years
longer than he did had 1t not been for the fact
that he was continually brooding over the
danger of being buried alive. He was man
Of considerable property, being rated ct about
$4,000, but to his way of looking at the mat
ter money could not provide against the hor-
rors of a premature burial. Away back in the
iOs he had mausolenm built in
the montgomery cemetery, and directed
that he and his only brother should be
laid there together after death In 1889
the brother died and was carefully aud to
derby laid away in one of the inches OF the
mausoleum. After this solemn event Thomas
had mis- bedroom furniture moved to tie tomb
and ever after regularly made his toilet there.
As mentioned above. Thomas also died in 1890,
and now the two brotuers lie within handy
reach of fresh dir should either wake from his
dreamless sleep. The Banks brothers were ma
tives Of North Carolina, and went to Montgom-
cry same time about the year 1855.
ORNITHoLoeIsTs and everyday bird fanciers
in general, although not usualIy given tbs
credit for relating true Waltonian pIscatorial
narratives, vow and declare tnat ths road
runner" O western species OF cuckoo. forces the
rattlesnake TO commit suicide by biting himself.
The modus OperanGi of this knowing bird, says
the st. Louis Republic, is this: he peramoulstes
around till he finds bis snakeship enjoying a
quiet snooze. After fully satisfying himself
that the rattler is really and truly Steering the
mischief loving road runner sets about gather
lng prickly pears and other specimens OF cacti.
These JhornY veyetab es are carefully arranged
of the trouble brewing" When everything is
in readiness the bird arouses the sleeping reptile
with coarse shrek. The serpent throws him
self in the attitude of defense. and in doing so
pricks his silky coat in a score or more Of places
on the cacti barrier. It is q true case OF tout
of the frying pan into the fire." every move he
makes adds to his torments. Finally, so the
ornitnologists say, the snake bites himself as
last means of freeing himself from such I'M
b arabic irritation. He dies, of course (at least
the aforementioned. ornthologists so declarei
and the road runner, which must certainly have
enough brains for two heads, cackles with de-
light when he finds that another of his ira
ditional enemies have succumbed. The snake
being now dead as direct result Of tho birias
cuteness. the pathological part OF the storySs
ended, Now the herpetologist has his say (By
the way. the herpetologist is a person who is
supposed to know all about snakes, even of the
private affairs of the sea serpent). The editor
he believes all sorts of queer stories and prdes
himself il the belief tat he still has
capacity for believing thousands OF Mulhat-
tonic yarns that may yet 'bo spun" but
the story Of the snakes ability to poison
himself was too mucu. o make q long story
short. wrote to the expert herpetclogist, DR..
/ Arthur SRA ling. WHO had previously given his
| opinion as 70 lows: TO what extent o poison
GUS serpent's bite is Hoxious to itself Is doubt
full = Probably ir iDflicts mechanical In
jury only upon its own body, hava
seen cobras ute and snake each other like dogs
over disputed rats, and l reoollect . jaboia
being osdi wors, eI by 9 pug adder under like
circumSta CTS, the result in both cases being q
simple sw ling and slight inf immation Of a
ing a large ratiesnaks that orce severely
lacaratei its flesh with its fangs without the
wound exhibiting The least signs OF having been
poisoned