The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-26
ITEMS OF INTEREST.


telEgence. 1t can go through q military
drill, count cards and coins and smoke pipe.
Bralntree has had the animal for twelve
years.
Oliver Ames Jr., OF Boston, has built what
is said to be the finest dog kennel in the
United States. 1t cost 50 600. is thirty-five
feet long, Is lighted by ten windows and the
interior is finished In hard wood. polished
and shellacked.
The largest aboriginal soapstoue quarry
that ever was found in this country has been
recently discovered near Clifton, Va, short
distance from Bull Run, says the Washington
Star. II seems to have been undisturhed
since the days when the red men roamed
through this part Of the country.
The railway commissioners of Victoria, n.
S. w, claim that they have effected a saving
OF fully 200 pounds by placing women in
charge OF railway stations Their services
have given general satisfaction; and. al
though 200 women are now in charge Of the
stations, it is intended to increase the num-
Der. When heavy work has to be done men
are sent from the nearest main station
A member of the Jibboom club, of New
London, Conn, has discovered that the
United States frigate Constellation which is
still in service, is the oldest American vessel
atoat. She was built at Gosport, .(Va.) in
1895 and rebuilt in 1854. The Constellation is
intimately associated with New London his
tory. About 10 years ago, while cruising in
the Pacific ocean. she rescued from drowning
the late Capt Nat" Richards. and crew of
whalemen, from that port. Capt. Richards
was one of New London's most adventurous
whalers. About four years ago. or just be-
fore his death the Constellation visited New
London, and Capt Richards upon going on
board the gallant old ship, was received with
especial honors.
Ever since 1864, now nearly thirty years
ago. the posto1ice department has been stor-
frnr 81
plicate money orders, stub books, postal
notes, etc, until now it takes whole buildings
TO contain the hundreds Of tons of accumu-
lated paper says the Washington Post. The
stun is now piling up al the rate of two tons
day, and II 1t should be allowed to continue.
the government would soon have to pay a
large amount for storage alone. When the
postof1ce bill comes up for consideration,
amendment providing that a money order
shall not be payable unless presented within
ten years after issue. II this is adopted. as it
undoubtedly will be, the department will
be able to get rid OF the mass of paper that
has gathered during the twenty years be-
tween 1864 and 1884. and hereafter no more
than ten years stock will have to be car
ried.
lone of the most peculiar of stone forma-
tions is the devils looking glass on the
Nolachucky river" said Tennessean to the
Glo2e-Democrat. 1t is paisade which
arises abruptly from the river to a hight of
about 200 feet 1t is perfectly smooth and
at out 100 feet wide. When the sun is at a
certain stage 1t throws shadow over the
water and reflects the sunbeams as a mirrow
would. dazzling the eyes of the beholder.
sometimes almost binding him with it's
brightness. To go upon the river in a skin
and look down into the water is to see an
image reflected, but always distorted. 1t is
this which gave the name to the formation.
and there are several interesting legends
connected with 1t, some of which are devoted
ly believed by the mountalneers. One OF
these is that every night at midnight when
the moon shines, the devil goes there to
battle and makes up his toilet, using the rock,
with the reflection of the moonlight, as a
looking glass"
Statistics are very dull and dullness is a
thing to be Stunned by all well-regulated per
sons, says writer in the Philadelphia Tele-
graph, but an article has Just appeared in the
Journal Ofnciel which is not quite uninterest-
ing TO France and the French. During the
year 1892 the deaths in France exceeded the
births by over 10000 Hitherto the popula.
ton has been about stationary, but this
national deficit is serious. The French. from
the highest to the lowest. do not care for
large families. alleging. justly enough, that
children are expensive articles. Did not
cook the other day lay her woes over the
ing mistress? That baby cost me first and
last not less than $780," quoth the bereaved
mother, and after al that expense it only
lived three weeks" The birth rate
the ratio of twenty-five births for
every thousand Inhabitants but the increase
in mortality is frightful, and is attributed by
the medical authorities entirely to grippe
which they state has made more victims than
the great cholera epldemics ever killed in one
year. 1t has also solemnly set forth that
the children who were born at the time OF the
war OF 1870 are adding to the mortality by ex-
piring now; but as these great medical lights
state that the children born during the siege
generally died In their infancy, owing to their
prfvationS. 1t is difficult TO see why the NOR
tally among the war babies as they were
called should have ceased for twenty whole
years to spring up again suddenly. However
there is the unpleasant fact that the popula.
ton Of France If something is not done will
speedily resemble, in this large and pleasant
land, the relative proportions preserved by a
single huckleberry sailing gravely in a very
large bowl Of milk.
Gable ends have significance that few
people realize now, says the Spectator. The
carved ridge tiles and representations of ami
mails such as horses and horsemen, and the
stone balls, all possess a meaning. Horses
heads are common in Germany on the points
OF gables. and are found in Russia, while
chamols's heads occur in the Tyrol. i he com
pletiOn Of building was signalized by a sac
rttice originally, just the laying of the
foundation was, perhaps more of the final
ceremony remains TODAY than the initial ono
Horses were held to be sacred by the north
ern races and formed, next to a man the
Worthl6St sacrifice; and If q horse s skull was
not put on tne point or the gable a horses
head was carved. At chieftain's death
his horse was buried with him and to.
day the charger OF an officer follows his
coh1n to the grave. Poles surmounted nv
punches OF leaves and flowers protect the
farmhouses OF the Black Forest from light
ming and represent the ancient collation. of a
bunch OF grain to Odins horse; and gables
often have carvings connected with this obla-
tion to Odin. We know the legend Of the
- Weird Hunt" and many "reminiscences of
this remain in Denmark. At Yuletide oats
are thrown out for saint Claus's horse the
cult OF Odln having been transferred to Saint
Claus) and person convalescent after a
dangerous illness is said to have given a
feed to deaths horse" The sheaf Of corn
that is fastened to the gable in Norway and
Denmark, now an Offering to the birds was
originally feed for Odins horse For.
merry" says Mr. Barring Gould, tine last
bundle OF oats in a field was cast into the air
by the reapers for Odin at Yule to feed his
horse" And in his recollection it was ems
tomary IN Devon for the last sheaf to be
raised in the air, with the cry, "A NECK
Weeday THAT is, to 'Nickar Wooden. -
In London the fees of even the most IA
nous doctors are fixed at a stated price
which IS seldom or never deviatcd from. saws
the New York sun. 1t costs two guineas 10
visit doctor of the frst-class and one guinea
Tor each subsequent visit. Only two OF the
titled physicians in London charge more
than this. They have been made famous Nv
attending the queen and the royal familv
nave handles to their names, and charge fo1r
or nVe gulneaS for the first consultation and
Two guineas visit thereafter. Nobody
knows what their charges are for yisitinS
patients at their own houses, as they seldom