The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-09
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

The strait of Gibraltar is nine miles
wide at the narrowest point. varying from
that 10 twenty-five miles at The widest. II
IS Ihirty-slX miles long. People on the
european shore are able 10 see buildings
on the African side
In speaking OF wonderful cases of
memory. the writer in a recent magazine
article says: The wonderful performan-
ces or Paul Morphy, the genius Of the
cheSs-board, have been cited a. feats of
memory he would play eight games 81
~ ult4ne0usly, blinG1oided, remembering
ms own moves and those OF his opponents,
and the positions OF the pieces on each
OF Jhe boards. Not only this, but If all
or part OF the games dragged out TO d
great length and were adjourned from
oIS Jay 20 the next, he resumed them
with unfailing memory Of the situation
On e2cn board. This. however. was not
an exercise OF memory pure and simple,
buL rather an association of ideas or a
cOncentration OF thought on certain plans
~ campaign, on the factors entering
therein, aud on details of action which
had logical relation and sequence. New
ertneless, u was a phenomenal intellec-
tual effort"
Tho art of Horticulture has never yet
solved the problem of how nature can
be made to produce roses having spots
ana speckies But having done her work
IN the ordinary way science NAV step
in and effect by Chemical means what
she dlsdains. Procure a flower nearly
blown and of a rich red color; touch its
PSIalS repeatedly with a glass stirrer
tnat mas been dipped in an ethereal sOlu-
ton Of ammonia. Wherever the stirrer
deposits spot of ammonia the petal will
chahge 10 bright blue. If a solution
IN water Of sutphuTOus acid be employed
Wnlte spots viii be obtained. Should the
entire hover be immersed in the ammo
nlacal solution, the phenomenon of blue
rose results; while If plunged into the
sulphurous acid waxy white flower is
obtained Having produced as many
SPECIFIES on the rose as are desired, il is
Wen 10 wash carefully the flower in pure
water IN order 10 remove the superfuOus
chemical; If this precaution be taken,
~ VIII not fade more rapidly than under
ordinary circumstances 1t is, Of course
possible 10 conduct the experiment while
the rose is still on the parent tree
The future of the ivory industry is
giving a good deal of concern to those
who are specially interested in 1t. The
total consumption of ivory amounted, on
an average, between the years 1873 and
1873 10 la43,6W pounds In the four years
between 1883 and 1898 this average had
FALLEN to l,42],O00 pounds. a reduced
import and consequent rise of prices for
the raw ivory caused the increased use
OF cheaper materials in substitution for
ivory. For instance, in the first named
period there was used for knife handles,
combs and various articles" respective
~, '45NbJg pounds, ,4O9,2O0 pounds and 49,,
90 pounds, while in the latter period the
ngures Of consumption under these three
heads were 1890 pounds. 10000 pounds
anu anu to'S09 pounds But there are two pur-
poses for which no effective substitute
Tor ivory has YET been found, viz. the
mounting OF plano keys and the making
or billiard balls. In the first period these
We're credited. respectively, with a con-
sumption of 354 900 pounds, and l27 500
pounds and in the latter four years with
an average OF $500, and 107,S00 pounds
Inc sizes OF billiard balls varies in diff
IerenI countries. In most of the northern
countries small balls are used; IN mod
eIdtely warm climates medium sizes are
pIeLerred Whlle in tropical countries the
taste of billiard players runs to the larg-
tSl sizes. America and France absorb
nau me annual supply Of balls, the re-
mainder being taken by England, Germa-
ny and the other countries. In bad finan-
cal years the consumption of balls viii
run down froW 10000 or $4,000 to 5000 or
-Signor Artom has introduced in Italy
the penny-in-the-slot savings bank. plant
ing these receptacles here and there in
the towns and cities in places where the
poor can find ready access to them at
all hours, and where they can make
lheir deposits without any delay or for
mallty. The depository is an automatic
bank consisting of a cast iron box or
pillar in which there are three apertures-
one for the reception of the coin, which
IS a ten-centime piece; another for its re-
lection II II Is false or of light weight
and from the third a receipt for the de-
post is given. When a number of these,
not less than five, is collected they NAV
De exchanged for a book OF the regular
savings bank. These pay interest al the
rate or per cent, anG the depOsitors
are likewise entitled to a share in the
profits which the bank derives from its
operations. The plan had Its origin at
Padua and has been extended TO Milan
ana other cities, promising to become
popular all over the country. 1t has been
found a powerful incentive to thrift
Wherever II has been tired Miss Helen
Zlmmers, who writes about It in The
Leisure Hour" recommends its introduce
ton into England. She says 1t is true that
they already have the penny bank there.
but that IL is hedged round with restrc-
tons as TO time and place, whereas the
penny-in-the-slOt depository is available
at any and every hour and can be put
up anywhere, holding out its perpetual
invitation to frugality and saving. There
Is not the least doubt that ii is a capital
thing and would be useful here as
anywhere else. Whoever follows the lead
of Signor Artom and successfully pro-
notes its adoption in this country VIII be
a public benefactor.
Emblem scarf pins are made in va
r.ety of forms for various trades and call
ings, says the New York Sun. For exam
pie, there are two pins made especially
for druggists wear one a gold mortar
and pestle, the other formed Of a drug
gistS' scales and mortar combined. These
are also made up in the form of watch
charms, as are many other of these spe-
cal designs. There are made for butchers
one pin with cleaver, and another hav-
ing a saw, cleaver and steel combined for
head. scarf PIN made for printers
has for its head a gold composing stick
For telegraph operators there is pin with
a ticker for a head. There is a scarf
pin made with a head in the form of a
palette and brushes, and with the dabs
of paint represented by tiny patches of
enamel, for artists; for musicians. there is
a scarf pin in the form of a Tyre For
timers. there is a pin with a pair of
timers shears for a head: for sadders,
a pin with a head in the form of a sad
dler's knife. There is a pin with plane
for head for carpenters. a horse and
rider for jockeys, locomotive pin for
locomotive engineers, a lantern for train
men, and a ticket punch for conductors.
There are pins, one with a hook and lad
der for head, one with a fire engine and
another with a fire hat and trumpets
made for firemen, and there are various
other special scarf pins. Some of these
trade pins are worn more in the city and
some more in the country; but, altogether.
their sale is decreasing. while the sale Of
society pins is increasing, more and more
men preferring the society to the trade
pin. OF emblem pins in general far more
than ever before are now sold. They ara
worn by the members of various mill