The sun., 1898-03-13

Ice artiticially manufactured by the
use of chemical mixtures is not late
idea by any means, the invention dating
back to 1888.
There ia a curious superstition in
Venice that if stranger dies in a hotel
the number of his room will be lucky at
the next lottery.
1t is proposed to establish state
commercial high school in Magdeburg,
Prussia, for the technical education of
the merchant classes.
In London one policeman is required
for every 3l2 of the population; in the
borougbs one for ever 697, and in the
rural districts one for every J., $50.
Gymnastics as part of the training of
the British soldier were unknown until
3S years ago, although the soldiers of
other armies had long gone in for this
sort of thing.
Some Of the machines for making
matches which are used in these days
make 200 revolutions q minute each and
turn out about 2, 500, 600 matches daily,
Or about 900, 900, 900 annually.
Alcoholic insanity is twice as com
mon in France now as u years ago, and
the number Of persons placed under re-
straint OIL account Of it has increased 25
per cent in the last three years.
| 1t is said that the earliest mention
made of the use Of coal as fuel is in
the records of the abbey of Peterbor.
ough, in the year $50 A. D., where is
found an entry of IL carloads Of "fos-
sill fuel"
In many parts of Lancashire and
Yorkshire shoes for the working classes
of both sexes are soled with heavy,
square hobnails, whose clatter in the
streets in the morning as the wearers 20
to work is almost intolera5le
Hamburg is u we'll known market for
household pets. A civet cat costs IS, a
tame jackal - and AL atfectionate Bra.
lillian snake $40. An alligator foo,
long can be had for $3.50, but at two
feet he is worth S., aud at seven feet
$35.
/ A suggestion has been put forward to
raise the i'll fated battleship Victoria,
which sank in the Mediterranean with
nearly all hands, by means of, among
other things, heavy electro magnets.
The successful raising of the vessel
would cost nearly $500, 900.
That which is popularity known as
the funny bone,' just at the point of
the elbow, is in reality not bone at
all. but a nerve that lies near the sur.
face, and which, OH getting a knock OF
blow, causes the we'll known tingling
sensation in the arms and fingers
Egypt's population is $3.50, 900, more
than double the population in lS48.
The foreign residents are liz, 900. OF
these SO, 900 are Greeks, "a, 500 Italians,
800 Britishers. including the army
Of occupation, and 1000 French sub.
jects, including Algerians and Tunis.
ians.
The beautiful doorway to Roueu
cathedral, forming part Of perhaps the
most picturesque facade in existence, ID
in SO bad state Of repair that the inu.
nicipal council has been forced to depart
from its principle not to assist ecclesi
astical restorations and has voted $2O..
600 toward the work.
High prices are paid for butterflies,
and some private collections, such Of
that Of tho Hon. W. Eothschild at
Tring, Herts, IL said to he worth glOO,
600, more or less Some New Guinea
butterflies have fetched 800 apiece. Ono
Of the Rothschilds is said to have paid
e200 for a papilio, now quite common.
The Duchess of Northum berland owns
shawl which formerly belonged to
Charles X Of France and was manufac.
tured from the fur Of Persian cats.
Many thousands Of catskins were util.
lied, and the weaving occupied some
years. The shawl measures eight yards
square, but is 80 fine that it can be coin.
pressed into the.space Of large coffee