Morning journal and courier., 1893-03-08

not . crime to lose money ct poker d
wanted.
People can get along without clocks and
watches. A very primitive timekeepsr ID
In use among some Of the islanders Of the
South Pacific. They wash the kernels OF
the candle tree nut, and string them on G
NIB of q palm leaf. This Is placed IN @
vertical position, and the upper kernel Ia
| lighted. All the kernels being of the same
size and substance, each burns a certain
number of minutes and then sets FIRE to
the kernel below. Bits of bark cloth are
tied along the strings at regular intervals
to mark divisions of time.
Reviewing the past official careers of the
presidents of the United States, q Wash
ington writer notes that SIX men-Wssh.
ington, Jefferson, Madison, jackson, John
son and Hsyes-became planters or farm
ers upon retiring from public life; that
fve-Vsn Buren, Fillmore, Tyler, Grant
and Cleveland-openly tried to get another
term; that fve-van Buren, Polk, Fill
more, Pierce and Grant-sraveled sxten-
sively at the close of their official career,
and that four-Adams, Pierce, Buchanan
and Hsyes-sooner or lster became re.
cluses.
1t costs something to be ready for war.
Germany, France, Russia, Austria. Italy,
have q separate "wsr fund.-" locked up
and kept out of the reach of ordinary
administration, as q reserve on which to
make instant call should hostilities arise.
France has "war reserve" of two billion
francs, Germany one of 1900, ,000, 900
francs, Russia one of Q, 1875, ,00o, 900 francs,
Austria one of 750, ,0o0, 900 francs, Italy one
of $50, 900, 900 francs. Altogether, there is
more than 81, ,250, 900, 900 locked up In the
treasures of ive governments, useless for
any ordinary purposes.
The silver output of Colorado was in
creased last year by 5000, 900 ounces, in
spite of the low price of the metal, owing
to the discovery of new mines In which
large quantities of silver are produced at
very low cost. The most profitable of
these mines are at Creede. Recent reports
from the Creede district show that the
shipments of ore from these mines are
larger than ever. The value of the ore
shipped from Creeds in February is esti-
mated to have been $3.50, 900. If produc-
ton shall continue at this rate the output
of this camp viii be very much larger this
year than it was in 1892 The low price of
silver has no effect upon the production
of the metal In mines where the cost
ranges between fifteen and forty cents an
ounce.
The jaspsrizsd wood of Arizona has be-
come well known by reason of the many
cabinet specimens. paper weights and dec
orative slabs of it that are sent to the east.
ern cities. but this is by no means the only
petrifed forest in this country. In the
Hoodoo district of the Yellowstone many
stumps of trees are found converted to
stone, some of them showing knots, grain
of the wood and bark as plainly as the liv-
ing tres, and the psbbly beaches of the Vel
lowstone river arc strewn with tons Of
fragments of fossil wood. In the dresry
desert of the Dakota bad lands leaf impres-
sions are frequently found in the hardened
clay, and at Little Missouri, at the point
known So the Burning mountain, where q
coal sesm has been on FIRE since nobody
knows when, there are hslf dozen tree
trunks about thirty feet long. This is re-
msrkable On account Of the almost total
lack of tree life in this region at present.
A man has been playing wonderful
tricks upon the good people of Tifiis, in
the Caucasus, Russia. His name is Tagar-
slli, and. while he cannot be termed an
italian in the stIict sense of the word, hav-
ing been born in Russia of parents born In
the same country, 1t Is known that he is
of that extraction. He is known all over
the land of the Gear as 1.-THE Dying Pro-
phee," his ability 10 delnds the public de-
pending on a queer faculty he has for
dying and returning to life once every
week. A person who hiss viewed the stu
alton on the ground says: "Ths audaoity
of his pretentions, the skill with which
they are maintained and, above all, the
profound effect produced upon all who
come in contact with him, have no parallel
in history. He is a most extraordinary
being, and If he be an imposter then he is
the most marvellous imposter of the age"
He dies to all appearances, and the ordi-
nary death tests declare that life LIS extinct.
While in this condition he declares that
his spirit visits "ths other world" but
which of the two he will not tell. All that
he will divulge in regard to bis doings
while on these "trips" is that he examines
the Book of Life, and that he can tell the
epiritual standing of every person who
cares enough about 1t to make inquiries.