The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-16
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Ao-4 OF cigars ult Lley smoke Win the
lighted end in their mouths When this
pfcHharlty was nrst mentioned 10 me /
supposed that my informant was cracking
q somewhat vacuOus joke. but 10 my
amazement, / saw numerous instances Of
me reality IN the compound The native
hrst lighted his cigar by the ordinary
method. then turning ID around he deity
arranged the hot glowing end in the
mouth. and. tucking a way his tongue in
his cheek. proceeded 10 inspire and eX-
pire the fumes. gradually consuming the
wnois OF me cigar. Inc smokers assured
me that the process was warm, comfort
ing, delicious, and far superior 10 the
usual mode On subsequent trial / found
that the knack is less difficult TO acquire
than might be supposed.
Instinct goes a very little way with
out experience. As a rule, children are
wholly unreasonable in the likes and dis
likes. Their minds are easily deceived.
their judgments, such as they are, based
naturally on insufficient grounds. Putting
the question of intuition, however, on
one size altogether, II IS obvious that chill
dren often nave special opportunities for
making their observations. GrOwn-iIp
people do not have the same openings
for gaining an insight into a strangers
true character. A great deal is revealed
IN the treatment of children that is con-
cealed IN intercourse with older people.
man or "a Woman's nature is then
shown in its true light. 1t need hardly be
pointed out that even the most cautious
people are sometimes betrayed into be-
ing unSuarded in the presence of the
yOunS. The little ones minds are ready
enough to embrace a new impres sion
Nothing escapes them Even then, how
ever their conclusions are as likely as
not incorrect. Sometimes they are not
deceived. On these occasions they say
what other people only think.
In some parts of Russia a queer game
Is still played at Christmas time which has
much to do with the future life of the par
uclpants. Some prominent person in the
Ia al rarHsar
making viii be held at his house on the
appointed day the young men and women
hasten 70 ms mouse. There are songs and
sdineS ana dances, but they are simply
prelude 10 the more important business of
She gay, When the time comes the hostess
leddS all the girls into one room where
they seat themselves on the benches
Laughing and chatterng they are each
promptly mufiled IN winding sheets by the
hostess Inc head and hair and form are
securely covered, and when she is done
the girls resemble papooses. The young
men draw lots and one by one they enter
the room where the muffled girls sit. Help
less so far as sight or touch goes the
puzzled lover tries to locate his faVorite
Maybe she would help him if her eyes were
nol hidden but she is as helpless as he.
tlnally he chooses one and then he may
ulEeii her. This is the crAical moment
anu ulsappolntment or rapture will be the
result OF seeing her face 1t is the law of
custom that the man shall marry the girl
ne mas picked out and if either backs Our =
neaVy forfeit must be paid. 1t is said that
THIS matrimonial lottery is productive of
many happy marriages.
1t was once firmly believed that the
glances Of certain persons falling on
people and animals were disastrous. and
among the ignorant preventive measures
We're taken Among them was the wear
ing of charms and amulets and the dec
Grating of faVOrite animals with the same
In England the superstition has pretty
Wen died out, but the charms and anu
let's are still worn because they are
thought to be lucky. A brass ornament
obtalnable at any saddler's is much used
Tor the decoration of horses headgear
ana belongs to these preventive charms.
A crescent represents half moon and
circle the sun and in bygone days these
TWO symbols had great effect in with
standing the influence of the evil eve
Not long ago a farmer in the west of
England consulted the witch doctors about
the illness of his cattle, which refused to
yield to treatment. He was told that
this was because the horseshoes affixed to
the farm buildings were arranged to point
downward instead of up. He reversed
the horseshOes, and. strange TO say, the
are still in lively existence. The street
horses in Naples are protected by dozens
TO attract the ear and distract the atten-
ton of the dreaded eye. Italian children
have charms TO play with and the wear
ing of amulets is common.
One of the theories of the day is that
warfare in the future would be attended
nations will refrain from it, says the Bal
timore Sun. Capt. +. N. Maude, a Brit
ISM military engineer, declares, however,
that the records of the last three centuries
prove such an idea to be utterly unjusti-
ned. The losses in battle have depended
primarily on the quality of the troops,
and have been small until-as at Water
loo or in the closing engagements of the
civil war in the United States-the men
have become thoroughly trained in war
Inc world armies have to-day no war
Seasoned 70 Z
greater than has hitherto been known.
Improvement in weapons, moreover, Eas
actually tended to diminish the risk, DIS
nghting must now be done at a greatly
increased range and the perfection of the
modern rifle makes necessary great pre-
cislon OF aim, whereas the inaccuracy
OF the OLD muSket-at 200 yards instead Of
500 or 1,OOO-cOrrected the error in aim in
a large proportion of the shots fired
Mathematical calculation shows, in fact.
that one thousand times as many rounds
would be necessary now to produce me
effect of the leaden storm that devas-
lated the old British line in Peninsular
days, while our guns fire only five times
as [ast Sun another factor that would
tend to reduce bloodshed in a modern
CONNECT IS the lack of excitement at long
strain this would induce.
"A correspondent of the Pittsburp MS
patch writing from Italy, gives some in
teresting details of the treatment of the
prisoners on various Italian islands he
VISITED while on trip in the Meditsr-
ranean. Each of the islands contains
several thousand prisoners who are lock-
go ca up every night at, sunset, released at
9ayDreak, and locked up again at mid
uay untll O'Clock. During the night no
prisoner is allowed to be absent under
any circumstances, but at midday those
VINO work on farms a distance from the
prison are allowed to remain out by spe-
cial permission of the director. During
tnese free hours the prisoners can go any
where they like on the island, and can
engage in any work offered them bv the
toWnspeople or farmers. Any infraction
OF the rules of ordinary life around them
or their prison is punishable by seclusion
IN special cells. The government furnisn-
es physicians and medicines summer
and winter suit of clothes to each pris
oner every year, and allows him fivepence
dally In money for his food and other
accessories of life. Danger of escane
IS prevented by squad of soldiersNone
10 every ten criminals-and a swift-sail-
ing felucca, manned by marines. On ac.
count of the cheapness of labor. the lrl-
ands are so highly cultivated as to resem-