Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-08-29

Curious condeasations.
The British Empire embraces 10000
islands.
Smallpox is the most infectious dis
ease. Then comes measles.
Hohenstadt. in the Grand Duchy OF
Baden, has selected woman as its
town clerk.
Chocolate Is still used in the interior
Of South America for currency, as are
cocoanuts and eggs. a
Orange production OF the Pacific
coast this season has been the great
est in Californla's history.
The last two descendants OF Christie
pher Columbus are said to be Occu-
pants OF poorhouse In Cadiz.
The first European book that ever
appeared in the Japanese language
was a translation Of Heine's German
songs.
Church professions are prohibited in
Mexico. Even a priest cannot legally
walk the streets in his churchly gar
ments.
The custom Of keeping birthdays Is
many thousand years old. Pharaoh's
birthday festivities are mentioned In
the Pentateuch.
The cabbage still grows wild in
Greece, where it originated. Radishes
are native to China, but have been
grown in Europe for centuries.
In Peru it was once the custom for
domestic servants to have two Of their
upper front teeth extracted. Their
absence indicated their servitude.
The greatest pilgrimages to the Holy
Land are undertaken by the Russians.
1t has been calculated Ehat between
$4,000 and 10000 Russians visit Palest
tine every Year. ~
The furniture Of the. battleships
Kearsage and Kentucky. orders for
the making of which have just been
received at the Portsmouth navy yard,
is to cost nearly 100000.
Divers in the British navy before
being passed as proficient in their
craft have to be able to work in IL
fathoms of water for an hour and 20
fathOms for quarter of an hour.
The police force Of the state of Sac
Paulo. Brazil. is henceforth to consist
of $3.50 men. This is quite an army, in
view of the fact that the total popula-
ton of the state is under 100000.
Napoleon. summing up the fighting
qualities of the various European
countries, said that one Frenchman
was equal to four Spaniards, to three
Austrians. to two Germans, or to one
Briton.
Flies are not the only thing found in
amber. In a big mass Of clear amber,
dredged up out Of the Baltic sea, there
was distinctly visible in it's interior a
small squirrel-fur, teeth and claws
intact.
A feature Of the population statistics
of Western Australia is the large pro-
portion Of males to females. The dis
parity is maintained in the arrivals by
sea. At present there are 45 females
to every 100 males.
The Shah has in his palace at Teher-
an a 12-inch globe, upon which the
parts of the world are set out in Jewels
OF various colors-England with ru-
bies. India with diamonds, the sea
with emeralds, and so on.
The whistling tree. which is found in
the West Indies, in Nubia and the
Soudan, has peculiarly shaped leaf
and pods with split edge. The wind
passing through these produces the
sound which gives the tree its name.
Although the Vaccine Institute in
Cairo distributed lymph for $3.50, 900
vaccinations in Egypt last year, the
supply was not equal to the demand,
and no fewer than 2057 cases of small
pOx were treated in the government
hospitals.
In the Island Of Minora, one of the
Philippines, the humming birds are
pugnacious little creatures. Thou
sands of them frequently attack
huntsmen without the slightest prov
ocation. inflicting sometimes serious
wounds on the face and neck.
Melbourne, which consisted of IL
huts. and was known as Beargrass, at
the time of Queen Victorla's accession,
is now classed as the seventh city Of
the British empire. coming in after
London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Man.
chester. Birmingham and Calcutta.
The Oldest loaf in existence is in the
possession of the British Museum au-
th0rities. 1t was discovered in Assyria
by a. Trench explorer. together with
the remnants of several other pieces
Of bread carefully wrapped in cloth.
1T is supposed that it was leavened and
baked about the year $50 b. c., when
it was the custom to put food in the
coffin with dead person. 1t resem-
bles an ordinary penny bun In shape
and color. and Is in perfect condition.
Jack Straw's castle, on the heights
of Hampstead. is in process of trans
formation at the hands of the build
ers. Here Dickens came for a we'll
cooked chop and bottle Of good wine
after a ramble on the Heath. WASH
ingtpn Irving introduces the inn in his
Tales of, a Traveler.'., and 1t has al
ways been a hOstelry beloved of ar
fists. Here, too, the old Courts Let
49,