Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1894-07-14
nr GENERAL INTEREST.

- parlir is said to be very much sim.
pler than the Edison phonograpn' ano
quite as good, o
Norway is to adopt a uniform time
for the whole of that country iron,
January / next. The mean time VIII
br tbat at the meridian fifteen degrees
east of Greenwich. At present no"riy
every locality in Norway has It's OWN
local time.
Russian punishments comprise com
pulsory labor in the Siberian MINES ior
life or for a term of years, compulsory
labor in fortresses or in factories, the
loss of rank, personal rights ana priv
ileges and deportation to Siberia OF
elsewhere as colonists,
Those who have tried the expert
ment affirm that a large sponge hung
in the room. if it can be behind a con-
yenient screen and kept constantly
wet. will greatly assist in keeping the
room cold; or a cloth hung in the WIN
dow over the blind will cool the room
as If a shower had fallen.
The exodus of Scandinavians TINS
spring from New York to their homes
across the sea has been nearly twice as
large as in any preceding year Most
of them come from farms in New En-
gland and the west. The hard tunes
have driven them to their old homes
where they can live about twice as
chcaply as they live here.
The craze for old furniture is a
stimulant to a questionable industry.
In the courts lately a witness gave as
his occupation that of IA "worm-ho'e
borcr." Inquiry disclosed that he vas
an expert at his peculiar trade, and
made a good living by the skillful way
in which he initiated worn holes IN
oak furniture to give it an antique
effect.
1t is stated that it has been decided
to use petroleum instead of coal for the
firing of the locomotives of the klSa
railway, in Russia. and that petroleum
reservoirs are to be established for this
purpose at Reval, Wesenburg, Narwa,
Gatschina and st. Petersburg, capable
of containing collectively n million
pools of petroleum. 1t Is also stated
that petroleum is to be adopted on the
Dwinsk-Riga railway, but this cannot
take place for some time to come, mas
much as the coal contracts for the neX'
five wears are already arranged.
One of the puzzling things to the
inexperienced housekeepcr is Tho
Technology of the grcengrocer anc
the market gardener. The latter sell'
by the dozen, but he always mcan'
the dozen lunches, and his dozen il
thirteen, the bakers dozen, instead o
twelve. As to the bunch, its number
is uncertain. 1t may mean live OF one
vegetable or three of another or sever
of a third. The market gardener take
it for granted that the customer know.
all about the bunch and the dozen, anc
quotes prices without explanatory com
ment.
In the Observation-Disclosures Ech'
Signor Mastracci's process for manu-
featuring petroleum b~riquettes is de
scribed. These briquettes (which ar
of the shape and size of the usual coal
dust briouettes) are made by mixing
liter of petroleum with 10 per cent. o
rosin. $50 e. of pulverized soap, an'
1876 q. of caustic soda. This mixture i
heated. and after ten minutes it begin
TO set, and then is cast into molds an
dried. These briquettcs yield thre
times more heat than coal %briquettc
the same size, produce 10 smoke, ant
take less room than coal.
Chopin is commonly represented a
a weak, siclly youth but up to the las
ten years of his life the contrary wa
the case. Though never very robust
he was fond of athletic exercises; wa
always ready for frolics or practices
Jokes. His consumption was prem;
: turely developed in his system by til
late hours and dissipation of Paris. H
is known in literature by his amor
with George Sand, who lived with hi
for eight years left him, and
"Lucrczia Fl%oriane' represented hin
under the name of Prince Carol. ;
a petulant, complaining, eXacting an
r thoroughly cXaspcrating nuisance,