The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-06-04
OF GENERAL INTEREST.

"A census recently taken in New
York shows that in the district bound
ed by Fifth, Canal, Essex and Mercer
streets, having nearly 700 residents,
there are Z churches and $50 liquor sa-
looms, or 1 church to 80 saloons.
Harold Jarvis, of the general
freight department of the Northern
Pacific at st. Paul, has invented a type
writer attachment by means of which
many commonly recurring words or
phrases may be printed at a single
stroke of the proper key.
"A feather in his cap'' has Hun
garian origin. During the centuries
when war with the Turks was con-
stantly going on a Hungarian soldier
was allowed to wear one feather on
his cap for every Turk he had killed,
and so the slaughter of an additional
foe meant one more feather.
Germans are nothing if not method
zeal. Herr Won Osten-Sacken, a lieuten-
ant of hussars, recently wounded him
self mortally by accident. The doctor
told him he had only three hours to
live, whereupon, after making his will,
he drew up the official report of his
own death and sent it to his superior
officer.
An unusually brave deed is that of
an engineer named Sample, of the Brit
ish steamer Federal. While in Cham
pion bay, Australia, one of the water
tubes of the engine burst; it being nee
essary to stop the escaping steam and
water, he stripped, walked into the
steam and boiling water and turned it
off, being terribly scalded in the pro-
cess.
There is in Fiske's History of the
United States for Schools very inter
esting illustration showing the evolu
ton of the American flag. 1t gives
Washington's coat of arms, consisting
of stars and bars, the British union
jack, the flag used by Washington at
Cambridge in June, 1776, and our own
flag as eventually adopted by congress
in June, 1777.
Nearly all things have been used
as construction material on railroads,
but calico is surely new. The road
commissioners of Marthas Vineyard
being perplexed with the substratum
of sand that underlies their roadbe
| propose to spread cotton cloth upon
the surface of this shifting material,
by which they hope to prevent the coat
ing of macadam from sinking into it
A club steward in London was re-
Gently convicted and fined for putting
''Moet ct 'Chandon' la bells on bottles of
inferior champagne. The walters had
genuine corks in their pockets to sat
isfy suspicious club members; while
for those who could tell the wine by
the taste, the real article was first sup
piled, and as they drank, the inferior
wine was substituted. None of the
club members detected the fraud.
Mr.. w. D. Downs, of Denver, Col,
has invented sleeping-car berth
which is designed to give the passen-
ger a greater amount of space in which
to dress and undress. 1t is described
as being so arranged that when made
up the front half may fold over upon
the other part, leaving one-half of
each original seat vacant. Closed COM
partments are provided under the seat
for clothing receptacles. The folding
arrangement is said to be SO con-
structed that the bed-clothing need
! not be disarranged.
"A remarkable utteranee was that
of the notorious Nine. de PompadOur,
the mistress of Louis XIV. One day, as
La Tour was engaged in painting the
lady's portrait, Louis entered the room
in a state of great detection. He had
just received news of the battle of
Rossbach, in which Frederick the Great
had inflicted disastrous defeat on the
combined forces of France and Austria
Mime. de Pompadour told him he must
not lose his spirits, because he would
fall i'll; and, besides, it was no matter
after us the deluge."
First Baptist Endeavorera.