The herald., 1897-08-21
NOTES OF THE DAY

The basis of South Carolina rice, tn
finest in the world was a pocketfu
which Thomas Jefferson brought from
Italy.
The most unique fence in Maine is tha
Of a Harpswell fisherman. His from
yard is surrouded by the swords o.
swordfsh, many of which have figured
in exciting episodes.
Though steamship companies havs
complained for many years of small
earnings, ]. ]. Bibby of Liverpool head
of the Bibby lire, who died recently
aged S3, left s9,00OC Geo in personal prop.
erty.
The claims of citizens of the United
States against Spain for damages i.
Cuba have reached an aggregate of $75.-
100000. They keep piling up, while tbs
liability of Spain to pay steadily declines
, German publication revives the idea
of restoring Metz to France. This was
| advocated by Bismarck in 1871, but tht
advice of Won Moltke prevailed he hold
ing that ii was necessary for military
| reasons.
Frequently the English idea of colors
is startling to an American. In the Ge-
scriptions of gowns worn at a ball ore
| girl is quoted as being "delicatsly
sowned in sky-blue satin, with touches
of geranium-
In Japan small children of the poor
| who have the gift of straying and no
nurses to look after them, are safe
guarded by the simple precaution of
hanging labels around their necks. which
q G n q me- 4
Croquet seems to be really taking hold
again in England. They are playing the
game more this season than they did
last, and important matches are an
nounced to take place almost daily for
the next two months.
There are 10 mountains in Colorado
whose peaks are over 1900 feet above
the ocean level. Forty of these are high
er than 14,O00 feet and more tha nhalf
of that number are so remote and rug
ged that no one has dared to attempt
to climb them. Some of them are massed
with snow, others have glaciers over
their approaches. and others are merely
masses of jagged rocks.
Almost all the modern mills are con-
structed on what is termed the auto
matte system-that is the conveyance
Of the material from one point to an
other is done by mechanical means
so that it may be said of the great bulk
Of them that through the various pro-
cesses, from receiving the corn to dis
patching the flour. it is never stopped
in its journey or touched by hand.
The transportation committee of the
a = ,Nft 40
ranging for business mems excursion
through the south during the early fall.
The idea is to get large representa-
ton of Louisville manufacturers and
business men to make the trip to the
leading cities of the southern states
with the object of observing the state
of business there and picking up new
ideas.
OF the two stamps first issued Wash
ington's portrait was on the 10-cent and
FrSnklins on the other Since that time
the various issues of the United States
stamps would furnish unique portrait
gallery, showing the faces of forty-eight
noted Americans. Washington appears
on twenty-five issues, while Lincoln's
picture is on every issue since 1866 ex-
cept the Colum bian series.
Iron felt, the new invention for reduc-
ing the noise of passing trains on ele-
waited railroads, has been much dis
cussed in Germany. 1t is made of wooden
materials, impregnated with the in
ventor's patented preparation, which
gives it 2220 pounds power of resistance
to ever square centimeter (O.3937 inch).
1t is intended to be placed between the
rails and the sleepers, in which position
it is said to beaded the sound and prevent
shocks. The experiments of iron felt
on the Berlin city street railway are re-
ported to have been most satisfactory.
Not only was the noise brought down to
minimum, but the wear and tear were
materially diminished.