The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-01
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

lumber districts in Canada consists in sift-
ing the sawdust arising from the opera
lions, and, mixing it with an equal guam
tlty of clay, working the same into a
building material now coming into impor-
tant use in several sections-a material
known as porous terra Gotta brick. The
material is said to be absolutely fireproof
in character. and has a marked deadening
effect when employed for partition walls
in houses. The material, though light in
weight, will stand prodigious crushing
strain, and can be sawn into convenient
shapes, as desired. Nails can be driven
into it as into wood. and when heated, even
to white heat, sudden immersion into wa
ter will produce no Observation-Disclosures
Lumberman.
when Jenny Lind sang in Castle Gar
den lin 1850 5000 persons were present" y
writes the Hon. A. Oakley Hall, in the
Ladies Home Journal. The seats for the
first concert were sold by auction at from
SIS to $50 each. The highest price for a
single seat $225, was paid by halter,
who turned his investment into an adver-
tisement and netted a comfortable for
tune. The late p T. Barnum, who was
Jenny Lind's manager, announced that
the first concernt brought nearly $4,000
into the box office, the second $175OO, and
the four others of the series $4,000 each.
During the American engagement Jenny
Lind sang in ninety-1ve concerts under
Mr. Barnum's management and netted
S712, 1914, over half a million of which
went to the Snowman and $2OS,675 to the
singer. Mr.. Hall asserts that Jenny
Linds first night receipts are larger than
was ever paid before, or has been since,
for a single amusement event.
Prof Denny recently gave a demon
stration to his students at Firth College
Sheffield, England, of very unusual and
interesting nature, says the Westminster
Gazette. Among the most ancient of ami
mails still inhabiting our planet in the So
called mudfish (protopterus) of Africa-a
creature worthy of our respect, if only in
consideration of it's vast antiquity, which
dates far back in the early ages of the
world. OF popular interest the most
striking feature of the mudfsh is the pos
session of lungs, as well as gills. On the
approach of the dry season, in it's nat
ural haunts in Central Africa, the mud
fish hollows out a chamber in mud, and
enters upon a period of rest extending
over many months, during which time it
is without access to water and breathes
air only. While in the mud these fishes
may be dug up, and survive, even after
journey across the world, in the dry state
Prof. Denny received a short time ago one
OF these mud blocks. In the presence Of
In warm water and after being thus ex-
posed for nearly two hours the fish, which
went TO sleep in tropical Africa many
months ago, aWoke and came forth fro
It's temporary sepulcher to find itself in a
bath of tap-water in the biological labora-
tory Of Firth College, where it is now.
alive and doubtless happy.
Office life in Antwerp is not the life of
drudgery it is in this country, saws a
writer in the New York Herald. Almost
every office building in Antwerp is in nos
session Of large rear yard, with trees
and foliage, where in summer the desks
are removed and the clerks may breathe
the air of heaven while attending to their
daily tasks. The discipline is not so rigid
either; perhaps because there is no neces-
sity for it. Take the average man over
there. He represents moderation. At
any time and place the clerk will be able
to attend his duties and yet have his beer
While. porting over the ledgers or figuring
on the plans and specifications of archi-
tectural dimensions, or any clerical work
you will notice the inevitable stein Of beer
by his SIDE and see him enjoy work fully
as much on any hot afternoon as the aver
age young clerk here enjoys the Saturday
half-holiday. An American could easily
finish a key while a foreigner empties two
stems. That quickly explains the differ
ence in their manner of drinking 1t is
quite an unusual sight to our ewes. on
looking out of a rear window in the bus
mess district of Antwerp, to behold the
yards. There are many rows of desks, the
occupants bending industriously over
them, every now and then in an absent
minded sort of way reaching for the stein
Of beer. After taking sip they quietly
resume work again. 1t is said that they
accomplish quite the equivalent of our
NOR - 1 -
and the beer. When - O'clock noon
comes work is put aside until g. Every
BODY goes to the zoo during those hours,
and what they cannot tell you about the
specimens therein is not worth knowing
"A writer in the CornhiIl Magazine tells
wonderful story of a pet crane. OF
rather, of two pet cranes. He says: Their
life in German village, in which agri-
culture was the sole employment and the
communal system of joint herding of cat
tie and swine, and driving them together
to the common pasture, prevailed, was
very much to their taste. They soon knew
all the inhabitants of the place, and, I'M
til the female crane died, used to cal
| regularly at the houses to be fed When
the female died the survivor at once took
as new friend bull. He would stand
by the bull in the stall and keen the flies
off him, and follow him out with the herd.
In this association the crane saw and re-
marked the duties of the cowherd, and
one evening he brought home the whole
of the village herd of heifers unaided. and
drove them into the stable. From that
| time the crane undertook so MANY duties
| that it was busy from dawn until night
| He acted as policeman among the poultry
| stopping all fights and disorder. He
would stand by a horse when left in a
cart and prevent 1t from moving by peck
| ing Its nose and screaming. A turkey and
gamecock we're found fighting, wherein
the crane first fought the turkey. and
then sought out and thrashed the cock
Meanwhile 1t always herded the cattle
| not always with complete success. These
were collected in the morning bv The
| sound OF horn, and some would lag he
| hind. One one occasion the crane went
| back, drove up some tagging heifers
| through the street, and then frightened
them so much that they broke awav and
ran two miles in the wrong direction. The
| bird could not bring them back, but drove
| them into field, where ii guarded thorn
! till they were fetched. 1t would drive an
! tresspassing cattle as courageouslv as y
dog, and. unlike most busy-bodies was y
universal favorite and the pride of the