The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-15
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Verdi is at work on an oratorio to keep
himself busy. He denies that he has any
intention of writing an opera.
"A young girl living in Sainte-Rufine.
near Metz, the capital of Lorraine, was
arrested in the latter place the other day
charged with sedition. Sainte-Ruffine is
IN france, and during review of French
troops there, some German spy had heard
her cry: "Au revoir les Francois! Vive
la France! and when she next came to
Metz she was arrested. The German judge
discharged her on the ground that the
crime" had been committed on French
territory, and the prisoner was not, there
FORE amenable to German laws.
Now that chicken fighting is more or
less out of fashion in this country, says
an exchange, it is a wonder that some
one does not inaugurate cricket or beetle
hghting. This is a favorite sport of the
Chinese in their own country. The in
sects, some of which are worth as high
as $500 and $500, according to their ability,
are put in shallow bowls, and the rules
are as strict as those governing prize
fighting in other lands. That his sport
has assumed considerable Importance Is
evident from the fact that there is a law
in China prohibiting it.
An old postoffice inspector says: mon
ey never should be inclosed in letters for
transmission through the mails. In the first
place, 1t is unnecessary to do so, because
money orders are so cheap and, in the sec
ond place, money in a letter offers a con-
slant temptation to those who handle
mail. 1t is practically Impossible to place
money in a letter so that the postal clerk
into whose hands the letter falls will not
instantly detect it. Paper money has a
lss,n
and the clerk who is dishonest uses his
sense of smell in spotting valuable letters
rather than the sense of touch.'
1t is curious that some of the greatest
soldiers the world has ever known were
blind men. Ziska, the leader of the Hus-
sites, was stone blind, as was also Boles-
las II of Bohemia, and Magnus of Nor
way. King John, another blind King of
Bohemia, was killed at Crecy. Among
one-eyed heroes may be named Lord Nell
son, who was also one-armed. Another
one-armed man was Lord Raglan. There
is a well-known story of Lord Nelson,
that when the commander-in-chief flew
an unwelcome message at the masthead
at Copenhagen, Nelson clapped his glass
to his blind eye and protested that he
could not see it.
Some interesting statistics relating to
Jewish longevity were gathered some few
years since. In Frankfort ont e-Main it
was demonstrated that one-fourth of all
the Christians died in seven years; the
same proportion of Jews lived about TWEEN
ty-eight years. One-half of the Christians
died in 36 years months; of the Jews one
half lived more than SO years. The re-
naming fourth of the Christians were
dead at 60 years, and of the Jews not
until Il years In Prussia A per cent. of
h. rsek4o =.
50 per cent. of the Jews. In 100000 of the
Christian population there were 143 deaths
and only SO deaths among the Jews.
An English museum has just come into
possession of a hawks lure which once
belonged to Mary Queen of Scots. 1t is in
an excellent state of preservation The
lure, says the New York Times, has a
wooden framework about nine inches long
shaped like a horseshoe; the projecting
arms are covered with green silk and or
namented with silver cord and embroidery.
Two wings, apparently those of a wild
duck, are placed between the arms, and
the ends of these wings next the bend of
the shoe. and also the bend itself, are COW
cred with crimson velvet, ornamented with
silver cord and embroidery. At the base is
brass swivel ring, to which a twisted
cord of crimson silk and silver wire is fas-
tened.
Did you ever hear of Grainne OMailly,
the pirate queen of Connaught? Grainne
was the daughter of the lord Of the isles
of Arran. When she was young her hath
er took her as companion on his piratical
expeditions, and when she grew up into
lovely womanhood, a statuesque beauty,
with her olive skin and lustrous black
eyes, that are the birthrights of Galway,
she became a pirate in her own right. At
10 years of age he was commandant of
fiotilla that ruled the Atlantic coast OF
ireland. She plundered the Spanish gall
Icons that came that way, and attacked
big English vessels so persistently that
Queen Elizabeth offered a big reward for
her capture. But she defeated all at
tempts to make her prisoner, and proved
herself to be one of the most remarkable
women Ireland has produced.
TN Gods garden bloom there roses
blood-drop blood-drop, and blood-still;
blood, I pray you, cease to flow" Thus
runs the German charm that is supposed
to stop a hemorrhage, says the Pittsburg
Dispatch 1t is also said that If a white
rose blooms in autumn an early death is
prognosticable, while an autumn bloom
ing red rose signifies marriage. The same
colored rose, so it is claimed, will not
bloom over a grave. Rose leaves are
sometimes thrown on a f1re Tor good luck,
and a rose bush may be made to bloom
in autumn by pruning it on st. Johns
day. In France and Italy it is believed
that rosy cheeks will come to the lass
who buries a drop of her blood under a
rose bush. In Thuringia the maiden hav-
ing several lovers scatters a rose named
for each one upon the water. and the one
that sinks last is the true one.
1T is suggested, says the Scientific
American, that on Jan. /, 1900, a new d.
vision of the year into thirteen months be
instituted If such a division were made
the first twelve months would have twen-
ty-eight days, or four weeks EACH and
the new month twenty-nine days, TO
make 365. and thirty in leap year. After
few days there would be no need to re-
fer to calendars, as the same day of the
week would have the same date through
the year. If Jan. / were, say, Monday,
every Monday would be the LIST Sth, 18th
and 22d; every Tuesday the I'd. 9Th 18th
and 23d, and so on through the year. The
changes of the moon would be on about
the same dates through the year, and
many calculations, like interest dates of
maturing notes, Easter, and many other