The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-18
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

ITEMS OF INTEREST.
At the Bombay geological gardens the
skin Of a sea serpent stxty-four feet in
length is on exhibition.
A philologist of high repute is authority
for the statement that there are seventy
two languages spoken in Russia.
There are already twenty-five "frac-
tional" streets in Philadelphia and it is
proposed to add eight more. among them
being Thirty One-and-t hree-quarters, Thir-
o-and-three-qaurters ana Forty
three-and-a-half.
Nothing is taxed except dogs in the
German town Of Orb, in the Spessart
Mountains. The town has a population
OF $500 and the municipal expenses are
betrayed by the public saline baths,
forests and a fund of 100000.
In Lincolnshire village in England
nNeS family who suffer under the cur
lous deformity of being fngerless.
SHOWN what can be learned, the Phila-
delphla Press says the singularity has ex-
isted in this family so far as history or
tradition extends, and there seems at
present no signs of its dying out, as the
grandchildren are as devoid of fingers as
their grandsire. The hands of this re-
markable family present the appearance
OF having had the fingers amputated,
or chopped off roughly and unevenly be-
low the second joint. leaving a short
stump. There is no nail or hard sub
stance. and were il not for the absence
Of anything like a ciCatrice the casual
observer would conclude that the de-
rect was due to an accident but, as
though nature had intended to compen-
safe Tor the absence of fingers, the
thumbs are abnOrmally large and strong
The family are in other respects fully en-
dowed by nature, and do not appear to
suffer the disadvantages the absence of
fingers might be expected to entail. One
Of the daughters, aged 20, can write, sew,
knit and Is IN every way as deXterouS and
accomplished as other girls of her age and
station.
The camel is playing an important part
in the development of Western Australia
says the New York Post. The great cen
trail depot for the importation of these
animals from India is Port Augusta 259
miles northwest of Adelaide. Here a
camel quarantine station has been estab-
lished, and the arrivals are kept there
and carefully watched for the first three
months to guard against outbreaks of
certain deadly mango which carried off
most of the earlier animals. once accli-
mated, the camcls are not liable to the
complaint, and they thrive wonderfully
upon the natural shrubs of Australia-salt
bush, waffle, mulga, acacia, and other
varieties. The imported animals how
ever, are not nearly so valuable as the
Australian-bre camels. The herder
breeds his camels, as he does his sheep,
on scientific principles, so that already
within twenty-five years, there has been
produced in Australia race of camels
larger in frame, sounder in wind and limb
ana possessed of great Weight-carrying
capacity than the Indian animals origin
ally imported. By means of camel cara
VanS-there are now close upon 10 900
camels at work in Australia-the colonists
have been enabled to stock new country
which was formerly useless, because a
broad belt of land that is either waterIess
or SUBJECT to prolonged periods of drought
interviewed between the good country and
the settled regions, whence all supplies
have to be drawn, and where all products
must be marketed. 1t is only within the
last few years that mining men have
awakened to the utility of camels in their
industry, and large numbers of the ami
mais have been drafted to Western Aus
tralia. On the older gold fields of that
colony the camel caravan has already sup
planted the bullock team, being at once
more economical and more efficient
All the queens horses at Windsor Castle
are white or gray; all that draw the roval
| carriages from Buckingham, London, are
| pranclng bays, says the Chicago Inter
! ocean. She Keeps about sixty horses at
Windsor alone, having besides the grays
a large number Of saddle horses and some
pays Tor the carriages of the ladies in wait
| ing and for other retainerS not members
of the royal family. The horses are sleek
and fat, not very high, but stoc<y, and
| weigh from LOCO to 100 pounds "a piece
! they are fed chiefly on cracked corn and
nay, ana are too fat for good driving
but the queen prefers gentle horses and
uoes not care Tor speed. Every day when
she is at Windsor she rides in the magnifi-
cent park adjoining the castle; no after
| what the weather is, she takes her drive
All the horses not otherwise used are
l
have box stalls but the stalls are twice
the usual width and the horses are tied
| with long chains so that they have much
freedom. The divisions between the stalls
are quite low. and the ventilation is Dpr-
feet The horses are bedded with clean
straw day and night. The hay is not let
down from an upper floor, but is placed in
the managers by hand. Everything about
the stable is SCrupulOusly clean and the
place IS as free from odor as a lady's bou-
doir. The royal carriages are very roorov
ana neaNN. IneV would no
IN lifetime, even if put to constant use
The harness room is an exhibition of IT.
self. one could hardly believe that the
harnesses We're not new. they were so
clean and glistening; the trimmings are Of
brass. Neither the queens horses nor
carriages are ever sold; when the horses
are past their prime they are shot and tba
old carriages are kept until they fall TO
pieces.
In Morocco iron is considered A great
protection against demons, who are the
lneal representatives after all Of tba
hostile spirits Hence il is usual 10 Mace
knife or dagger under a sick mans nil
low, his illness being, of course, attributed
10 demoniacal possession. In India re
cords a writer in CornhilI Naeazine' tbe
mourner who performs the necessary but
dangerous duty of putting fire into the
G t a. man nan 5 mouth carries key or knife
III ms ndnu, 70 keep Off the evil spirits In
short, bit of iron is a very usfIiI thine, 70
nave about you at any time. if you desire
to escape the unfaVOrable attention Of +ba
ghosts. the trolls the fairies and inc Dc
mons generally. This is good reason for
buying a pocketknife. It is also a reason
for mailing up a horseshoe. But wbv a
horseshoe IN particular" you ask more
than any other odd piece of iron2" Wei
primarily. the good luck depends more
upon the iron as iron than on the sneciaI
shape or function of the borsesboe ae -
horseshoe. But there are also many roa-
sons why the superstition should happen
10 hN itself more particularly upon horse
SHOES. We must remember that in EN-
rope, at least, it is the cattle the horses
and the domestic beasts in general fbat
are specially liable to the hostile attacIrs
OF the little people" Therefore the elves
and trolls are most likely 10 be dreaded
on farms or in the country where horses
ana cattle most do Congregate. Now If
you want to nail up bit Of iron as a pro
tectlon against the fiery darts of the evil
ones on your stables or cowhouses (Which
is the place where one oftenest sees tber-7(
nothing is more likely to come handy To-
your purpose than cast horseshoe. Re-
sldes, 1t has obvious congruity for the
place and object, and il can be req diiN,
PICKED up in the roads almost anvwhere
Furthermore' it is provided beforehand
with convenient holes, by means Of which
you can readily hang it up, either oJer
your own house door or over vour she's
These