The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-18
ITEMS OF INTEREST.


many, the Oldest man known to be living
anywhere on the earth is Brulo Cot
rim, a sro bern in Africa, but nov liv-
ing in , Janeiro. Upon the same au-
thority is based the seemingly incrcdi-
Die statement that there are 1888 persons
living In bulgaria each of whom has
reached o. passed the age of 100 years,
making one cent erarian to every 100J in
habitants of that country GERMANY, with
a population Of 52,00,OO0. claims only 17S
tentenarians; and France, with Il popula-
ton OF 10,OO0OJ 216 centenarians, while
ireland, whose reputation numbers only
100000 hat II is said, 37S centenarians
The original ancestors of the modern
dragon-hy have been proved by the dis
coveries of Brogniart among the fossils
of the mines OF Commentry. Allier
France, to have been some ten times big
ger than their modern descendants. They
had big heads and very largely developed
jaws armed with powerful teeth, which
must have made them look quite like fly
ing dragons. The ancestors of the beaver
are shown by fossil remains to have been
about as large as a black bear. But the
greatest difference, both in size and char
acter, would appear to exist between the
gentle, easily tanned little Australian wom
bat and its fierce and colossal ancestor of
far back times. The difference in size
somewhat overgrown guinea pig and
hippopotamus.
Half an ounce is the weight of the
Finger Prayer Book" published by the
oxford University Press, the smallest
prayer book ever printed Such is the
delicacy of the workmanship and the
ccmpactness of the binding of this dimin
utive prayer book, that il can easily be
put into the smallest pocket or into the
purse Bound in morocco and velvet, the
tiny volume weighs about three-quarters
of an ounce. and is only one inch in
breadth, three and One-half inches in
length and one-third of an inch in thick
ness To get go pages and two Morocco
covers into the thickness of one-third of
an inch is marvel of paper making and
binding. An edition issued without the
calendar and occasional services is re-
duced in thickness by one-third, and in
weight to half an ounce. A book called
the Priests Pocket Bible" also printed
| by the same press, contains the Bible.
including the ApocTypha, prayer book and
| the new AMI complete edition of hymns
ancient and modern. 1t is printed in dia
mOnd type on India paper, measures AZ
inches by 3 inches by p inches and weighs
only "a ounces.
Perhaps the most recent, as well as
plausible. utterances concerning the the
]
| Prof. LeConte at the summer school in
| Eden, Me, says the New York Sun. He
| declared, in contradistinction to the usual
| view of exclusive organic evolution that
there are really four different kinds or
| grades of evolution, viz: physical chem
| ical, organizes and human, each deter
| mined by different forces, carried forward
| by different process to different ends.
Thus, cOSmic evolution was determined
| mainly by gravitation, and, though the
| details are not known, the best formula
| ton of physical evolution, says the pro-
! fessor, is the nebular hypothesis. In the
| early stages of cosmic evolution, matter
| existed only in elementary forms chem
| ical affinity was held in allegiance by pr-
! NAL heat, and, with cooling, chemical
aftinities brought completely, until proto-
| p.asm, the most complex of all, was
| achieved ana chemical evolution, and
the course of evolution was taken up
| or higher plane. The function of or
| ganic evolution, however, is not abol-
| ished, but underies the higher conditions,
| the whole process being not higher and
! higher, but more and more complex the
higher dominating the whole process.
| The modern burglar is a scientist and
inventor in his way, says an exchange.
| Recently a new era in safe breaking and
| other branches of the cracksman's art has
| opened, ana the famous jimmy so long
| rampant on the successful burglars coat
of arms, is to be superseded by more con-
venient labor-saving tools. In Marseilles
the other day a gang of ingenious cracks
| men entered bankers Office armed with
| steel saw of the newest construction
! and handy little gas engine. There was
| no need for the exercise of muscle, nor
was there any necessity for a good strong
| wrist at the saw as there was at one time
in the annals of famous robberies The
little engine was started, the saw put in
the proper place and the connections
made, Seating themselves serenely upon
| couple of chairs near at hand, these
modern burglars watched the true and
rapid work of their appliances. The big
| safe might have resisted for hours the
force of human hands, but the saw. i'm
| PEELED by the engine, it could not stand
| against. The stout iron safe promptly
| yielded up it's contents of over s. 900 worth
of gold and bonds, and. in a quarter of
the time it would have taken to have COM
mitted the robbery under the old condi-
lions, the burglars were well out of the
building with their booty.
1t may not be generally known, says
the Hartford Times, that there is a re-
gion in London where the coroner's writ
does not run, where his officer has no
right to enter and where the busy citi-
zen may rest in peace, secure from the
annoyance of being summoned on a Jury
This haven of rest is over the river in
Southwark, and is known as the Liberty
on the Clink.' 1t consisted originally Of
about seventy acres around the palace
of the bishop of Winchester. At one time
| it contained a court and a prison of ite
| own. The latter, however, was burned
| down by mob in the riots of 1880. and
has never since been rebuilt The Lib
erty of the Clink" is bounded by the
Thames on the north st. Georges parish
on the south, st. Saviour's dock on tho
east and Christ Church and Paris gar
dens on the west. At one time 1t was an
immensely fashionable quarter. for John
de Mowbray and many other great peo-
pie had their palace there in the four
teenth century. Old London possessed
many such sanctuaries. At first they
were meant merely as places of refuge
for hunted men, but they soon became
the homes of all the worst scum of Lon
don. Macaulay's pen has described them in
| all their horror. Among the most noto(f
| sanctuaries were those of Westminster
| and White Eriarz will