The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-06
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

wolves were always more dangerous at
this time of year than any other. 1t was,
in truth, the custom to call January the
wolf-monat of wolf month, because peo-
pie were wont always in that month to
be more in danger to be devoured by
wolves than in any season else of the year,
for that, through the extremity of cold
and snow, those ravenous creatures could
not find beasts sufficient to feed upon
1t having been found that the bullet
of the small-bore rife now used by the
English army drilled a hole in the ad-
vancing assailant so minute and so clean
that it failed to stop him in his rush, and
even left him ignorant for a time that
he had been wounded at all, the military
authorities have now decided to adopt
new projectile, invented by a Capt. Clay,
which, by spreading and bursting the
nickel shell, effects a terrible destruction
of the bone and tissue perforated OF
course, this sounds barbarous, and is cal
culsted to add to the horrors of war. But
it must be borne in mind that the func-
tons of rife bullets in war are not to give
greatest possible dissatisfaction, to the
enemy advancing upon the line.
The zuni Indians tell pretty story
of the origin of their race. In the begin
ming there sprang up from the earth
race of men. The race increased until it
spread over all the earth, and after ex-
listing for countless ages passed away
again. The earth was then devoid of hui
man life for long time, or until the sun,
taking compassion on the earth on ac-
count OF it's loneliness. sent heavenly
maiden to repeople it. The young goddess
was called Arizona, signifying Maiden
Queen" One day a drop OF dew fell from
heaven upon Arizona, and in due time
< a Wa fh 1rpT1 md
ter, and these became the father and
mother of the Zunis, and from this tribe
sprang all the races of the earth.
A curious case is told in the law rec
ords of Bristol, England. An elderly lady,
being found dead in her bed, man named
Lee was charged with the murder There
was little evidence against the person,
except that he was in the house when
the crime was committed. Nevertheless,
Lee was convicted and sentenced to be
hanged. The scaffold was tested and
found all right. Lee was led upon the
platform, still protesting his innocence.
The rope was adjusted, but when the
hangman drew the bolt the trap refused
to fall. He stamped on it with his foot,
but it still refused to move. Finally Lee
was led to one side, while the trap was
examined. Then it was found that the
trap was all right in fact, would fall of
its own weight. Again Lee was placed
upon it, and again it refused to work.
Tried again and again, it still refused to
work. Then the sheriff ordered Lee back
to his cell and telegraphed to the home
secretary for instructions. The case came
up in parliament and it was decided that
as Lee could not be hanged he should be
imprisoned for life. A few years after
ward a tramp confessed to the murder,
for which the authorities had tried to
hang Lee.
There has been Matchmaking at Cow
entry as long as there has been a watch
trade in England which is for the last
two hundred years or whereabouts, says
the jewelers. Review. There used to be
three centers of the English trade, these
being Liverpool, Coventry and London;
now there are practically but two, Coven-
try and Birmingham. The test of a good
watch is that it should obtain a Kew cer-
tl1cate, and of the watches that go to
Kew Is per cent. are from Coventry. At
Kew no watch has yet succeeded in get
ting the 100 marks which signify perfec-
ton, but Coventry has come nearest with
90, and is always well to the front. The
Kew test is no light one. The watch is
tested in every position and its rate reg
lstered, not only per day. but per hour;
it is hung by its pendant, hung upside
down, hung on each side, placed dial down
and back down and at any number Of
angles, and to finish up with is baked in
an oven and frozen in an ice-pail. No
wonder that a watch with a Kew certifi-
cate is a comfort to its owner. When it is
considered that it makes $4,000 vibrations
an hour and must not vary a second a
week, while quarter turn of its two time
screws, meaning the millionth of an inch
will make difference of twenty seconds a
day, the delicacy of it's adjustment will be
appreciated, as will also the risk of en-
trusting its repair to any but skilful
hands.
OF all the curious epidemics the world
has known the so-caIed vampire fever
which spread throughout Europe 175 years
ago was probably the most extraordinary.
During the eight years it lasted hundreds
died under the belief that they were pos
sessed by dreadful phantoms Strange
were the theories offered and stranger still
the stories told. Among the latter was
the following, which has been immortal
lied by Baron Won Haxthausen in his work
called 'Transcancasia.' There once
dwelt in cavern in America a vampire
called Dakhanaver, who could not endure
anyone to penetrate into the mountains
of finnish Altotem, or count their valleys
Everyone who attempted this had in the
night his blood sucked by the monster
from the soles of his feet till he died. The
cunning fellows. They began to count the
valleys, and when night came on they Law
down to sleep, taking care to pace them
selves with the feet of the one under the
head Of the other. In the night the mon
ster came, felt as usual, and found head
then he felt at the other end and found
mead there also. Well cried he. T have
gone through the whole 1866 valleys of the
mountains. and have sucked the blood of
people without end but never before did
l find anyone with two heads and no feetp
50 saying he ran away, and was never
more seen in that country; but ever after
the people have known that the mountains
have 366 Valleys
The poodle dog has grown older in the
last few years than his master, and the
daily promenade seems a more laborious
function to him than it used to be saw
the New York Sun. He is heavier and
his gait is rheumatic and hesitatine There
is not trace of his old-time agility in
the effort with which he avoids the croU5
of afternoon pedestrians But his waIk
like his masters, is stin confined to tbe
most crowded section of the CITY ana
taken at a time when the pur,1,. -, 80. -