The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-22
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

a year. the largest paid to any woman
official in the west.
"A good story is told of dog that one
day discovered an organ-grinder's mon
key seated upon a bank within his mas
ter's grounds, and at once made a rush
for it, The monkey, which was attired
in Jacket and hat, awaited the onset in
tranquility so undisturbed that the dog
halted within a few feet of il to recon-
hotter. The animals took a long stare at
each other, but the dog evidently was re-
covering from his surprise, and was about
to make a spring for the intruder, when
the monkey raised his paw and saluted by
lifting his hat. The effect was magical.
The dogs head and tail dropped, and he
sneaked off to the house refusing to leave
1t until his polite but mysterious visitor
had departed.
"A well-known scientist has lately in
formed the world that electricity does not
move so quickly as that old-fashioned
machine the human body. A pianist
Gently, in playing a presto of Mendels-
shons played $685. notes in four minutes
and three seconds. The striking of each OF
these involved two movements of the fin
ger, and possibly more. Again, the move
ments of the wrist, elbows and arms could
scarcely be less than one movement for
each note. AS twenty-four notes were
played each second, and each involves
three movements, we have seventy-two
voluntary movements per second. Add to
this the work of the memory in placing
the notes in their proper positions, as
well as the fact that the performer al
same time participates in the emotion the
selection describes, and feels the strength
and weakness of the performance, we ar
rive at truly bewildering network of
impulses, coursing along al inconceivably
rapid rates Such estimates show, too,
that we are capable of doing many things
at once. The mind is not unit, but is
composed of higher and lower centers, the
available fund of attention being distriD-
uted among them.
The village of Mayilo says the Century
Magazine, is surrounded by a bona of
stakes. clayed four feet up; the three
gates are firmly closed at night. The ma
tiVeS do not venture outside at night for
any purpose, and this gives the village a
very pretty aspect. The place is horribly
infested with the burrowing flea, 'the jig
ger" the pest of men, women and chill
dren, who are mass of horrid sores.
Through lack of washing, and removing
the jigger when he first enters, big sores
are found all over the feet. 1 felt very
sorry for the children, who were all more
or less lame, and many stamping around
on their heels, unable to put foot to the
ground owing to swollen toes. The moan
of youngster were most distressing to
hear. l tried to impress upon them that
constant washing and attention to their
| feet and occasional flooding of the low,
clayey ground in hut and street would
cure the evil; but it was too much like
| hard work to be adopted The flooding
could be done without the slightest in
jury to property, as the streets are quite
level, and the f1oorings of clay brick are
raised about a foot above ground; but no
precautions are taken, and even the babies
are permitted to squat on the bare ground
as though the jigger did not exist
Major General Ruger has approved
for the use of the army a table of the
penetrating powers and speed of flight
of the projectile from one of the Pinch
breech-loading rifles, which has been pre-
pared by Lieutenant Colonel John l. Rog-
ers, Second Artillery, which has a popu-
lar interest in showing the enormous
power of these huge weapons with which
the forts of our principal harbors are pro-
tected. With the standard charge of 450
pounds Brown prismatic powder the /, COO
pound projectile leaves the gun with a
muzzle velocity of 1000 feet per second
On range of one mile the gun requires
an elevation of about one degree. The
projectile reaches the target in approx
mately two and a half seconds, with a
striking velocity of 1923 Sect per second
and at that point can be relied upon to
penetrate 22h inches of steel. On a two
mile range the gun elevation would be
nearly three degrees, the time of flight
little less than six seconds, the striking
velocity 1850 feet per second and the pen
etration in steel of 10 inches. AT five miles
the elevation of the guns muzzle is near
ly nine degrees, the time of flight II sec
onds, and with striking velocity of 1859
feet per second Is inches of steel would be
penetrated. The shot would take 26 sec
onds to travel seven miles and would there
perforate ship armored with Pinch
steel.
We who live IN the temperate zone are
accustomed to nature on her best behav-
ior, says st. Nicholas. We see her orderly
ways in the woods, where pines and oaks
poplars and naples, alders and willows
and other forest trees have roots that
grow down into the ground and limbs that
grow properly up and out into the air
But elsewhere nature has other moods
and methods. In a tropical forest there
is none of this air of dignity and good
principle. The odd pranks the wild alb
surdities, the vegetable freaks that she is
there guilty of make a difference that is
astonishing. Trees apparently grow up
side down, and assume all sorts of eccen-
trio shapes. Great dragging vines sprawl
over everything, twisting and distorting
the poor tired trees until they are crippled
for life with what looks like rheumatism
The heavy rains and the hot sun make the
plants grow rapidly, and there are fierce
fights to see which shall win a little space
in all that tangle. Such pushing. such
climbing! Then there is the orchid.
clinging fringe-like everywhere-frail and
lovely, swinging back and forth in the soft
air; but it has no conscience. 1t will not
do a stroke of honest work and is deter
mined to live on some one else, in which
it certainly succeeds And there. too. is
the wild pineapple called in the West In
dies the ''pineD, which takes root In the
rich mold lying on the upper sides of the
largest branches of the mightiest and old
est of the trees. Where it's diyerginp,
leaves start cup is formed which
catches the rain and stores it up for the
dry season. In this water little tree frogs
and small crabs live, and it is told that
years ago one of the expeditions sent
against the fierce marooners in the noun
tains of Jamaica would have persisted
from thirst had it not been for the little
pines and their tiny reservoirs.
Awarded