The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-28
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

tlme the Vergers We're instructed to shoot
the pigeons of st. Pauls, to keep down
their numbers They were shot from the
steps at the western front of the cathedral,
when the area before these steps were en-
closed But this was to put stop to
thirty years ago.
Princess Henry of Pless has sent an
appeal to every English woman married
to German in the German empire. The
princess wishes to collect from her fellow
countrywomen sum of money TO buy
handsome present to give Queen Victoria
on the occasion of the close of 4the six
tieth year of her reign. According to the
New York Tribune, hundreds of English
women nave responded to the appeal, and
the sum collected is likely to be a large
one.
Detectives detailed to look after shop
lifters, pickpockets and professionally of
that class always look to see if their sus-
poets are wearing gloves, says the New
YORK Times. professional" it is de-
clared, never works with his gloves on A
detective caught sight of one of these men
whom he knew in one of the shopping
streets the other day followed him up
quickly gu only to come to sudden halt as
gloves on"
THANKSGIVING day, says the New York
Tribune, was celebrated in the Jefferson
Street Methodist Episcopal church of
Baltimore, by the mock marriage of a boy
and girl. The church was profusely dec
GRATED, and a platform was erected near
the pulpit on which the ceremony was
performed. The parents of the bride, the
best man, the maids of honor and the
othciating clergyman were all persona ted
by children. Many Christian will ques-
ton the propriety and good taste of such
an amusement.
We recently noted the fact" says the
Statesville IN. Co. Landmark. that a
Yadkin county man boasted that he was
60 years old and had never been drunk and
never carried a watch or pistol. w. w.
White of this vicinity can show a better
record. He is 66 years old, has carried
a watch but never carried a pistol. al
though he has owned one; has not sw 'rn
an oath since he can recollect, and doesn't
think he ever swore one; never t~ok
chew of tobacco in his lie and never smok-
ed pipe, cigar or cigarette"
The most hideous looking human be-
ing that has ever been seen in Germany is
Barbara Blattner. a young woman of II,
who lately applied to the Berlin city hos
pital for treatment. She was found to be
remarkably free from organic disease, but
her skin was literally covered with warts,
the physicians who examined her eStimat-
ing the total number on her body al not
less than 5000. A similar case, although
hardly as bad, was that of Lizzie Kench,
girl who was in the Baltimore hospital
a few years ago. She had about 5000 warts
on different parts of her body.
The Hamburg museum has just pre-
scented the imperial army at Berlin with
a solid gold cannon, which has been in the
museum for over two centuries This
costly bauble of war is mounted on a
rosewood carriage, heavily jeweled, all OF
the most costly workmanship. 1t is val
ued at $4,000, though twice that sum
would not prchase it from its present own
ers. Emperor William shows much in
terest in the beautiful engine of death
a Sn6Rial rd m ha.
placed over it the two days in a week
when it is exhibited to the admiring pub
lie.
AS long ago as 1924, says the New York
Times, the fountain pens were in use, for
in that year Thomas jefferson saw a con-
triVance of this sort, tried it and wrote
to Gen. Bernard Peyton of Richmond,
asking him to get him one of them. The
pen was of gold, and the ink tube of sill
Yer, and, according to Jeffersons letter.
the maker was Richmond watch repairer
named Cowan. The price, he understood,
was fiyepence. The first American patent
Tor fountain pen was granted in 1880 to
one Douglass Hyde, but the earliest Eng
fish patent was issued twenty-one years
before.
M. Andree, who almost started on a
voyage to the north pole in a balloon last
summer has just published in Stockholm
his report on his researches in SpitZber-
gen, which were by no means unimpor-
tant. AS has been said he will again at
tempt to reach the north pole next sum-
mer in his balloon, and to accomplish
this he needs $4,000. On arriving in
Gothenburg on his return this fall he re-
ceived check for 1900, and no doubt
the rest of the sum will be made up be-
fore next July, for the King of Sweden
and Norway is as great a believer in the
scheme as ever, and has rewarded many
of the original subscribers to Andree's
fund with the decoration of the VaSa
cross.
1t is told that the locomotive whistle
was invented because of the destruction
of a load of eggs. When locomotives
were first built the country roads were
for the most part crossed at grade and
the engine-driver had no way of giving
warning of his approach except by blow
a tin horn. The horn, it may be imagined.
was far from being sufficient warnine'
One day in the year 1888 a farmer of
Thornton was crossing the railroad track
on one OF the country roads with a great
load OF eggs and butter. Just as he came
out upon the track a train approached.
Inc engine man blew his horn Justify. but
the farmer did not hear it. Eighty dozen
OF eggs and fifty pounds of butter were
smashed INTO an Observation-Disclosures nm
pleasant mass and mingled with the kind
ing wood to which the wagon was re-
duced. The railway company had TO pav
the farmer the value of his wagon TT
was considered a very serious matter and
oASAtWdy a director OF the cOmnapN
Ashlen Baxter by name. went to Alton
Grange, where George Stephenson lived
10 see is he could not invent something
that would give warning more likely 10
De heard. Stephenson went to work and
the next day had contrivance which
when attached to the engine boiler and tne
steam turned on. gave out a shrill dis
cordant sound. The railroad directors
greatly delighted, ordered similar contriv,
ances attached to all the locomotives ana
rom mat day TO this the voice of the To-
eomotive whistle has never been silent.
gypsy, a man-killing elephant. has be-
come so dangerous that she is shortly 70
pc electrocuted in Chicago, where she now
- ~ An account in the Tlmes-Herald saws.
gypsy mas had a most remarkable "a
re e she Is said to be nearly 100 wears
s TIu, native of East India, She was
imported 70 this country forty wears "So S
t tSI "Pogy'' o'Brien's circus. Since tbss1
si1S 81 sne mas Travelled the continent over
with all the biggest shows on earth CIR.
Gus e,Sh men E, calm that she knows what Hey
s nuDe' means, and when the show hands
ouOul lndI slogan (rVDSV "a axya,- ,.--.1.s