The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-14
OF GENERAL INTEREST.


to defend themselves against any
search, seizure or restraint on the part
of any vessel under French colors; and
to subdue and capture as good prize
any vessel attempting such search or
seizure; and to retal1e any vessel Seized
by the French, with benefit of salvage.
"A touching old rural custom pre-
walls in the west of France during the
harvest season. On the edge of the
field bordering the highway a sheaf OF
grain is left standing, to which all the
peasants of the village contribute,
and which is called 1.-The strangers
sheaf," as it is the property of the first
tramp or other homeless wayfarer who
may care to carry it away and profit by
its price.
The first petition for the recall of a.
royal governor in colonial times came
from Massachusetts,. This was in 1868.
The Massachusetts, assembly, after de-
claring they would not rescind their
circular letter, adopted a petition to
the king, asking for the recall of Fran
els Bernard, the provincial governor,
'that one more worthy to represent so
great and good king might be sent to
preside over the province"
"A recent application of aluminium
to the frames Of eyeglasses has attract
ed some attention. The weight of the
frame is almost imperceptible, yet the
lenses are softer than without rims.
AS the amount Of aluminium used is ex-
tremely small, the difference in price
between such glasses and those with
steel frames is trifing. The fact that
aluminium does not corrode especially
recommends it for this use.
"A railroad with gauge of but "a
inches is now building in North Caro-
lima. 1t is to run from Hot Springs,
near the Tennessee border, to Laurel
river, a distance of "a miles. Its course
is through very mountainous country,
touching also a fine farming section.
The main purpose of its construction is
to get out the timber on about 10000
acres of land. A type of mogul engine
is being built for the little road.
"A watch is composed of 9S pieces
and over 2, 600 operations are used in its
manufacture. 1t takes sos, 900 of the
small screws which are used to weigh a
pound. The hair spring is a strip of
steel about % inches long, Tooth of an
inch wide and 27-10-0OOth of an inch
thick A 2O-1, 0O0th part of an inch's
difference in the thickness of the strip
makes difference in the running of
watch of about six minutes an hour.
Two prospectors in the region south
east of Mount Rainier found recently IN
Il wild, desolate spot TIE remains of a
camp, with cooking utensils and canned
provisions scattered around about A
mile from the deserted camp they found
the bones and antlers of an elk and the
bones of a man mixed together and
scattered about, and near by the barrel
and half-decayed stock OF gun. The
supposition was that the man was a
solitary prospector who, out hunting,
had wounded an elk, which had turned
on him and killed him, and then died
beside his body.
One of the best arguments for good
roads is contained in calculation re-
Gently published in one of the engin-
eering papers. It states that on the
worst earth roads, not muddy, but
sandy, a horse can draw only twice as
much as he can carry on his back; on q
fair earth road, 81 times as much on Il
good macadamized road, 9 times as
much: on q stone trackway, SO times as
much, and on metal rails, 81 times as
much. The men who use the county
roads can therefore make money by i'm
proving the roads, rather than by buy
ing new horses every year or two.
Two musIzrats came up the drain
into the cellar of Mrs. Sarah Towards
house at Houlton, Ne, week or two
ago, and. being unmolested, they soon
became so tame they ventured INTO the
kitchen. They tried to fraternize with
the old cat and ate out Of her saucer.
The cat never molests them, but the
kittens occasionally cuff them and
drive them away from the milk. They
have made a nest under the cupboard
in the kitchen and now are tame
enough TO run around while the folks
are about without any manifestation
of fear and viii even sit up and sniff at
a hand held toward them.
-Observant persons who frequently
pass along Twenty-seventh street Oppo-
site the Madison Square Garden find IN
the car works there a constant lesson
in the cosmopolitan character Of New
York's business relations Not only
are there outgoing new street cars
lettered in such fashion as 10 proclaim
their destination for cities n al parts
of the United States, but in many in
stances the appearance OF Spanish
words upon the cars shows that they
are bound for Mexico, the West Indies
or Sonth America \ resident South
! African once discovered = car just abSJut
to be shipped 10 his former place OF
residence in Care Colouv.