The morning call., 1893-02-19
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

A derrick at Hamburg picks up and ham
dies an S0-ton gun o. ten-wheel locomotive.
Brussels dispatch says: A new phar-
maceutical bottle has recently been in-
vented. which indicates the hour at which
the medieiHa is to DO taken. 4 Belgian es-
tablishmeRt has secured the sole right to
manufacture these bottles.
At a large political meeting held at Essex,
Ontario, recently, 10 discuss the future OF
Canada, vote was taken, and Alb out of
449 persons voted for annexation with the
United States. The vote is said TO be a
fair expression of the prevailing sentiment
in that neighborhood
Il. S. Campbell. a resident OF North Salem.
Ind. claims to have found a stone in the
bottom OF creek near his home which re-
sembes in size and shape well-trlmmed
horn. The curiosity weighs sxty-seven
pounds. and Mr.. Campbell intends exhibit
ing 1t at the Worlds Fair
All Europe. from the Arctic to the Med
iterTaneaD, is experiencing a wintry sever
ity this season such as it has not known in
many years. 1t Is necessary to 90 back
forty or fifty years in most regions even in
the far north, TO find precedent, while in
some parts the weather Is unprecedented.
Plans for completing two gigantic I'M
dertakiags have Oeen in the embIyotic state
in the minds of English and French engi-
neers for more than two deeades-the con-
structjOn of a tunnel under that portion OF
the ocean known as the English channel, or
the building Of bridge over the greatwaste
of water.
French novelists have founded a union
for the prot elton of their interests, which
they consider compromised by the present
attitude Of the publishers The society
has over sixty members among them being
lola. Daudet and Edmond de Goncourt.
The proceedings at its first meeting were not
made public.
As the Eskimo sleeps on moss and
skins, even wealthy ancient Romans were
content to repOse on leaves and straw. Ere
long they improved on hints taken from
conquered nations. filled beds with deli
cate down or stuffed them with the finest
wool, till they obtained the highest pitch Of
luxury in the appointment of their cOuches.
According to the annuas report of the
Tnynbee Hall settlement, in the east end OF
London, there has been an Improvement in
the housing of the poor, and also in the
condition of the streets; large increase in
the rate of wages; libraries and baths have
also become more numerous, and, Alto
gether, the standard of living has greatly
improved.
The production of bituminous coal in the
United States is now double that Of authra-
cite. In 1892 there were 10000 coo tons Of
bituminous coal mined, against 81, 600 600
tons of anthracite The area of production
of soft coal is ten times greater than the
area Of production of hard coal. In the
form of coke. bituminous coal is constantly
encroaching upon the field of anthracite
production.
Since the burial of Mr.. Blaine's body in
Oak Hill Cemetery vandals and curiosity
seekers have turned out in such force that
1t has been necessary to place a guard at
the grave in order to prevent it being
stripped of the flowers placed upon it,
Women are the chief offenders. All Of the
visitors are not Of the same type, however,
and many OF the admirers of the dead states
man have brought floral tributes to be laid
upon the grave.
Not since 1919 has such prolonged period
of frost or such an intensity OF cold been
known in Hungary as has prevailed this
winter Twenty degrees below zero has
been the temperature in Buda-Pesth and
other parts of the country. The intense
cold has ruined the asphalt pavements OF
that city, and commerce and general traffic
are reported 10 be largely suspended
throughout tue country
New York buys more lace than any other
city In the world aud there are said to lie
scores of New York ladies whose collec-
tons OF lace vary in value from $4,000 to
$4,000 The Vande-biIts possess laces
which rival he Prussian and Austrian
crown laces and are valued at $500. 600. The
late Mrs. AstOr had a lace dress that cost
$4,000, and another was recently sold to an
American lady for So, 900