The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-27
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

on June 10 1870. soon after her marriage,
the assailant being potboy named Ed
ward oxford. Two years later. on May
80. 1872, John Francis fired at the queen
when within a few feet of her carriage.
Ihis outrage also took place on Constitu-
ton HILL In July of the same year a
cracked-brain Lad named Bean Ieveled
loaded pistol at her majesty, who was
1rlVlng from buckingham castle 10 the
missed fire. In May. 1850, Robert Pate,
an eX-heutenant in the Hussars. as the
royal carriage was emerging from the
Duke of Cambridge's gate, struck the
queen with a stick, leaving a mark on her
cheek and crushing her bonnet. In Feb
ruary, 1872, a youth named Arthur O'Con-
nor presented an old an unloaded pistol
al her majesty as she was entering BUCK
ingham palace, and on March ,, 1852,
man named Roderick Mclean deliberate
~ fired at the queen as she was driving
from Windsor station TO the castle, but
no damage was done.
Less than half a century ago. says
Chambers Journal, there was not one
rabbit in the whole of Australia. A few
were introduced into New Zealand in 1860,
and into New South Wales and Victoria
some eight or ten years previously, and
now the multitude Of them is so great that
no one would attempt even to approximate
their number. The hostility of man they
practically defy. They march westward
or northward, multiplying as they go and
devouring as they go; and sheep and cat
tie and men leave plains and ridges to
them. The central governments have con-
tended against them with every weapon
which promised success; and provincial
bodies and energetic private individuals
either supplemented these central govern
ments, or carried on the war on lines OF
their own; but the rabbits are victorious
to-day in more effective manner IMAM
they were ten years ago. The soil and eli
mate of Australia are largely responsible
for this. Under general conditions, rab-
bits will breed five or six times year.
on the plains of the great interior of Aus
tralia they will breed eight times year
regularly, and instances where this record
was exceeded are chrOnicled Bearing in
mind that the litter seldom numbers
fewer than eight, one can see what multi
tudes must arise If checks be not applied.
The common estimate of offsprings from
one mother in four years is given at over
1850 900, but If that estimate had been
formed on the exceptionally favorable
conditions which Australia affords the
figures would be much more startling.
Did it ever strike YOU as being at all pc
culiar, writes the st. Louis Republic, that
we should use the dollar mark 81 before,
instead of after the figures in expressing
the sum of 5, 10, 20 or any other number
of dollars? we may say twenty-five dol
lars" plain enough for any one to under
stand, but as soon as we put the express
sion into figures and characters it is dol
il should be. Nor is this all that is pc
culiar in this connection: In every coun-
try which has a written language and
system of coinage the abbreviation for
the unit of value precedes the figures. In
England the pound mark O) Is used in the
same manner that the dollar mark is used
in this country, while the same popularity
is noticeable in Germany, where the alb
breViation m. (for mark appears preced-
ing the number, just as the French abbre-
NlatOn II. (tor franco, is used In France.
If authorizations are not used the legend
is more apt to be correct. We find that
in Mexico they have a ''2l9 pesos" instead
of ''p. Pc" as one might expect, and in
Newfoundland they have a plain two-dol-
lar piece So, too, in France, where the abb
breyiation is not used we find such pieces
as 10 francs" 40 francs" and 40 francs"
In Germany they have piece marked TX
thaler," which is all very plain, but the
moment clerk, bookkeeper or other per-
son makes an entry or jOts down MEM
orandum he tells you that 1t is 9TH. k
The English pound sign, which is believed
to be the Oldest monetary abbreviation now
IN use. Is the old initial letter by which
the Romans expressed pounds" just as
we use the Tbs" 1t has been suggested
that we use our money abbreviation back
wards, because that the Romans, in eX-
pressing pounds" always said ''libera
deem instead of deem LIBERIA" the first
being. pounds ten and the latter ten
pounds" When their initial letter or char
acter was used 1t always preceded the fig
ures thus 80 instead of the reverse.
Thus the whole world have gotten in the
habit of doing these things BACKWARDS.
The latest living example of the giraffe
that has so recently been added to the So
ciety'S collection, says Leisure Hours. ar
rived In England during the EXCEPTIONAL
ly keen winter, and, although cooped up in
a roughly built box, seemed at the end
of its long journey but little worse for
1t, and day after it had been in its
house. fed heartily and seemed perfect
ly well and sound. 1t is q peculiarly
handsomely marked specimen, much da rk-
er in color than any that have previously
been brought to this country All that we
nave had have come from the northern
half of Africa, and are known as Nubian;
this one comes from the south When il
tlrst came 1t lad on a headstall. with rope
W. falf a.,
TO take off, and We happened to be present
the morning 1t was done. On paper il
seems an easy thing to do-just take il
OH; but with risky and timid creature
l!keAthe giraffe it was hard work for three
strong men. First, they had to get a ROM.
round and round and twisted the rope
about its neck and legs so that the keep
ers were in the utmost alarm lest in Us
frantic struggles it should seriously dam
age itself. At last they unwound the rope
and en1eaVored to pull the CRATES high
head down to such a level that they couIn
get at it; but time after time lust as
victory seemed certain, it suddenly slewel
away, twisting the cord again round anc
round its neck. At last, however thew
ga succeed. one clever cut with sharp
knife and the whole headstan fell off;
and the creature bounded away with fy-
ing heels, much to the danger of the
three men. Mr.. Windhorn, the Cans
farmer; who caught it and brought il
over, described how he feared it would
hardly live, as 1t was so thin and ema-
ciated when he got it, but it soon took To
1eeqlng ana got into better condition He
had long ride after it and caught II
with a lasso. which he is an adept in
throwing. 1t is very curious how tirnid
these creatures are about certain sounds
Noisy sounds, like man walking by with
hob-nail boots, it does not notice; but a
lady coming in with hardly more soiInd
than the mere rustling of her dress MAKES
1t start, with prcked ears and ewes dis
tended. We remembered We'll after the
terrible explosion of gunpowder on
barge on the neghboring canal. asI.in@
| the keeper of the giraffes of that daS
was surprised how very little notice tbev
took at all. They jumped to their feey
but almost at once ley down again. vhen
added, IF L was, at night time. to crenn
along that gallery in my socks ouietIY
they would be so scared that 7 heiieve
fear the lurking foe, and a faint. ms:
ling sound. They are in that very deer,