The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-24
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

writer in the American Sportsman. A
humming bird built her nest on a limb
that grew near the window and We had
an opportunity to watch her closely. In
fact we could look right into the nest
One day when there was a heavy shower
coming up we thought we would see if she
covered her young during the rain. Well
when the first drops fell she came and
took in her bill one of two or three large
leaves growing close by, and laid this leaf
over the nest so as to completely cover it;
then she flew away. On examining the
leaf, we found a hole in it, and in the
side of the nest was small stick that the
leaf was fastened to or hooked upon. At
ter the storm was over the old bird came
back and unlocked the leaf and the nest
was perfectly dry.
The operation of manufacturing parcn-
ment papers, such as are used for wrap
ping butter and other similar objects, is
very interesting one. Parchment is
produced directly from the raw paper web
in practically one operation, says the Pa
per Mil; the sheet to be parchmentized
is passed through sulphuric acid and then
through rollers, having a uniform acid,
the expressed liquid being returned to the
tank or vessel. The paper is then car
ried and passed through a washing appa-
ratus as a tank, and also through sprays
of water, being led and guided by rolls
over which it passes, so that the free acid
is washed off or removed as far as posi-
BILE by mechanical washing. The sheet
next passes through bath of soda soIu-
ton or alkali and then through nippers
to express surplus alkali, which is pre-
turned to the bath. Then the paper is
carried through an apparatus to be further
washed with water. Next it is passed
through a bath of bleaching material, as
bleach or the like; then through further
washing apparatus, again passed between
presses and squeezed, and then finally it
is passed through a bath of glycerine, af-
ter the passage through which the paper
is wound upon a roller or coiled up in
completed state of EXPERIMENTATION.
1T may be some years, yet, but would
not be surprised if the time came when the
color of the uniforms of all armies-would
be changed to gray, or, what will be bet
ter, dried grass color" said an army Of
ficer who has given much attention to the
subject in an official way, to the PittSburg
Dispatch. statistics show the pronounced
colors in uniforms operate against their
wearers in that it makes them conspicu-
Gus. OF course, have to admit that for the
past twenty years the tendency has been
toward arbitration. Still, on the principle
that to be forwarned is forearmed, ma
tions will continue to prepare themselves
for war. l happen to know that many of
Nthe longest headed officers of our army
favor change of color for the uniform
that is, the uniform for fighting service.
For dress parades, of course, there is no
need of changing the blue. Our sentiment
is strongly in favor of it, and will continue
that way, though our experience has been
that blue, and especially dark blue, has
caused the death of thousands of men
who might have escaped death were they
not so easily distinguished. With our pres
ent prejudice against gray-though gray
mas always been the color worn at West
Point-it would seem strange that it should
be adopted"
Charles D. and Frank T. Boydston of
| Chicago think they have discovered a
method of turning human bodies into
stone and preserving them forever. In the
basement of their establishment, says the
Tribune of Wednesday, there is the body
of young woman who d.ed on july IL last
| This body, since 1t was treated by them,
has turned to stone, or to substance re-
sembling it, and appears to be imperisha-
bic. In an upper room of the establish
ment is another body of woman who died
Aug. %, which appears also to have be-
come petrified. The brothers have been
experimenting for years, but the discovery
| of a process of petrification was in some
respects an accident. Eight or ten months
ago they began to treat bodies with prep
aration similar to the one they now be-
lieve has petrifying properties with such
encouraging results that they kept up
their experiments. The process, of course,
will be kept secret, for a time at least. A
number of people have watched the petri-
flying of the bodies, although they have
not been let into the secret of the prepar-
alton. The petrifying fluid is believed by
the inventors to mean reVolutioniZing of
the process of preparing anatomical spec
3
nerves. Its petrifying powers probably
will be exhibited to some of the anatom-
lists of Chicago within few days.
There are few active business men in
the Senate, says a Washington letter to
the Chicago Record. All of the senators,
except fifteen or sixteen, are either habi-
tual charlottesville Senator Allison of
Iowa, Senator Morrill, of Vermont, Sena-
tor Cullom of Illinois, Senator German of
Maryland, and Senator Morgan of Ala
bama-or else they are lawyers Four
fifthS of the senators are members of the
bar, although many of them are no lon
ger in active practice; but the number of
those who are engaged in business pur-
suits is very few. Mr. Brice and Mr.. Ell
kns are railroad men and engaged in
mining coal; Mr.. Mcmillan is a car build
err; Mr. Aldrich, Mr.. Morrill, and Mr.. Gear
were formerly merchants, but the former
is now the manager of the consolidated
street car interests in Rhode Island; Mr..
Mitchell of Wisconsin is a banker; Mr..
Perkins of California steamboat owner;
Mr.. Proctor of Vermont has a marble
quarry; Mr.. Sewell is president of the
Camden and Atlantic railway; Mr. Smith
of New Jersey is bank president and
manufacturer Of morocco; Mr.. Shoup, be-
sides his silver mine, has large mercan-
tile establishment at Salmon City, Idaho.
These are all the senators actively engage
ed in business, and there is no occasion
for Mr.. Quay to be alarmed about an in
vasion of the body of which he is a men,
Der.
The site of the Garden of Eden is not
yet determined with such authority as TO
command universal acceptance. and the
claims of new localities are put forth from