The morning call., 1894-01-15

Nh'N"6O. UudloHdll IlclQ HuuC a uOuatiOh
OF S1.000.000, and out of gratitude for so
much public spirit the committee has re-
solved to bestow the name of Field upon
the museum. This is cheap way to i'm
mortality, as long as the building stands.
and perhaps Mr.. Field thinks he is only
Iollowlng numerous precedents In thus de-
slrlrg honor in bricks and mortar. Eut
the compliment has also the disadvantage
oil dlscOuraglng other subscriptions, and
one large gift will be withheld altogether
IL the institution is specialized and par
alYzed with an individual name. 1t is an
unfortunate tendency of our time not to
follow the advice "Do good by stealth and
plush 10 find it fame" The good is done
by broadcast advertising and the blushing
Is left to others.
The rabbit in Australia is said to be
Deatlng the kangaroo hollow in its ability
TO extract livelihood from the soil In
oroughty weather. when grass is scarce
and unsuccnlent. The kangaroo can jump
nigh, but is not known to climb trees or
use Its tail for prehension. But the rab-
bit has discovered that there is good
deal OF food going to waste in the gum and
acacia monarchs of Australia. and is said
10 be developing quite an agile faculty 10
ascend TRUNKS ana nibble pastures new.
MS IS quite dangerous accomplishment.
mere are rabbits enough In some tracts OF
the southern continent TO strip the trees of
their foliage in the first week of spring
and consume the grass as WELL Modifica-
tlons OF the feet and limbs to suit the new
requirements for obtaining livelihood
are said to be appearing, and naturalists
must regard this adaptability with good
deal more interest than suffering agri-
culturlsts. In the next century the
Australian rabbit may be heard as an
lmitator OF the flying squirrel, passing
m ,looo hry hot tiuna h..
problem is solved how to eXtermlnaIe 1t.
The cemetery authorities of Pere La
chalse, in Paris. are annoyed at the re-
vlval OF very grim hoax. A Russian
princess is said to have left million
francs 10 any person who should spend a
whole year and day c0nsecutlvely in the
little chapel raised over her tomb. The
body was in glass coffin in the center
and the walls were covered with mirrors
so that the watcher, could he keep awake,
would have DO possible escape for his
thoughts TO anything more agreeable than
the corpse. No occupation or relaxation
was allowed but that of reading by the light
at the head of the coffin. No conversation
was to be permitted and food was only 10
be brought 10 the chapel once day. One
hour for exercise was to be CT mined to a
stroll among the tombs. The offer Of
100000 in this way brought an avalanche
OF applications from all sorts OF persons.
Widows were numerous. The obligation
OF silence for year and day had no
terror for them. They would be able TO
wag the tongue all they wanted when they
had the million. Men of all degrees of
impecuDiosity and neediness applied. The
cemetery people would like co have the
perpetrator Of the joke in Pere Lachaise.
A correspondent of the Times who was
out in the Matabele war reached England
in thirty-three days from BuluwayO. a
journey of 1900 miles by land ana 6000 by
sea. He had to ride some hundreds of
miles. But much longer journey is now
performed in the same time. Letters are
delivered in London in thrty-three days
from Sydney, New South Wales, the exact
distance being 12,O00 miles via the Suez
canal. The voyage to Western Australia
has been made in thirty-one days, but sew
eral days more elapse to reach Melbourne
a voyage TO the AntipOdes in thlrty-three
days makes it possible to complete a jour
ney round the globe in siXty-siX days,
which allows considerable margin for the
Jules Nernean exploit of circulting the
earth in eighty days. Eventually the Aus
tralian passage may be reduced to twenty
five days, but il will hardly be possible 10
IN speed to the extent of beating the crack
Atlantic liners. When Australia has q
population of thirty millions in the middle
of next century who knows what steamers
will be capable of doing?
Ravachol, the anarchist. left an autobi-
Ography. and it is to see the light. 1t is
not probable that it will do the cause of
the anarchists much good. because 1t con-
tains frightfui confession of crimes COM
rnitted by this miscreant murderer. II the
anarchists can manufacture sentiment in
their favor cut of such black material,
they are welcome to it. Their champion
ship of such an animal only indicates TO
society the incurable wildness of their in
sanity. The creed of the dynamiting an
archist Is that society must be reformed
by blowing up, and society naturally pre-
fers that the refOrmers should 60 upward.
Electroized sea water, on M. Hermte's
plan, may do wonders in purifying the
sewage of seaside resorts and killing the
microbes now dreaded as the basis of al
most every disease. The sea water thus
treated forms hydrochlorc acid, free
chlorine, and perhaps peroxide of hydro
gen. Where sea water Is introduced into
houses the process NAV he of the utmost
advantage in deOdOrIZing and in destroy
ing germs. Perhaps the cost stands in
the way Of free use of the discovery.