The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-22
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

earrings as soon as they have attained
the age of three months. Breeders are
obliged to keep an exact account of the
animals raised by them, and the ring, on
when is engraved a number, is fastened
10 the animals ear to prevent the sub
stltution OF one animal for another.
The throne room Of Spain is described
as a magnificent apartment of crimson
and gold, with colossal mirrors and a
chandelier of rock crystal that is consid-
eied the hnest example Of the kind in the
world. Under the gorgeous canopy are
TWO large chairs. handsomely carved ana
slded' and upholstered in crimson bro
Sade. Upon these the Queen Regent and
the BOY King sit upon occasions of cere-
mony
1t is computed that about 10000 ne
destrians and 10000 vehicles cross London
bridge every day Each leave behind a
little shoe leather or a little iron-iust a
'rlne. But when litter and dust are add
ed TO these minute losses the whole fills
between three or four carts. The most
surprising fact of ali, however Is that the
lheessant traffic across the bridge re-
duces to powder about TWENTY-FIVE cubic
yards of granite every year.
"A Dexter (Mo) marketman tells how
he sold couple of cans Of salmon a few
days ago. He stepped into his refrigerator
a moment, and as he came out caught a
glimpse of one or two women who had
come IN to trade slipping the salmon from
snet under her shawl He said Moth
ing, but when he came to reckon 10 their
purchases he charged the salmon in at
war rates. He says they colored up to
the ears, but paid over the cash without a
word.
Three French lawsuits have been veri-
table Methuselahs of litigation. one be-
gun in 1910 by the Comte de Nevers
against the inhabitants of Donzy, went
on till 1S4S. A second, began in 1854 by
the inhabitants of Campan against three
Of Bagneres. went on till 1892 But there
is third, also begun in 1854, and by the
same Campan folk, against four villages
in Aneau, which is till going on. All these
suits are contests about forest rights and
pasture rights.
The terms ''rapid-fire" and "ouick-f1r
ing guns, 50 frequently seen in the press
reports of naval affairs, do not convey to
the ordinary person any adequate idea of
the Improvements that mechanical ingen-
years. While rapid and quick-fring guns
are the smaller weapons of battleship
they are not the diminutive affairs that
they are ordinarily considered as the i'm
proved methods of breech mechanism and
loading have been introduced in the case
of 6-inch guns, which throw a 1Ol-pound
projectile. The saving in time and ease
of manipulation is effected by using fixed
ammunition, in which shell, powder, and
min
which there are numerous types, can dis
charge with accuracy twenty 10 twenty
f1Ve shots per minute a number which
can be raised to thirty or thirty-five if
accuracy in aiming the piece is dispensed
with. From the 5-inch rapid-fre guns
thirty-sX shots have been fired in five
minutes, and as each of these proiectiles
is seventy pounds in weight, the effect can
be readily understood.
For some time it has been known that
certain metals, alloys, printing inks.
strawboard and other substances. were
able to act even at a distance on a photo
graphic plate and produce the same eff
fects as ordinary light. The opinion was
advanced by some chemists that the ac
ton was occasioned by Vapor given off bv
the active body, while by others II was
thought TO be due 10 phosphorescence.
which acted on the plates. 1t seemed
hardly probable that sufficient vapor
would be given off in a few days to pass
through the wrappngs of plate and the
gela tine, celluloid or colodion. bur exneri-
ments made lately seem to confirm this
pellet, and different metals and substances
nave been tested for their power in this
direction. Nickel was found particularly
active, cobalt only slightly so, while no
IesulIs were obtained using copper or iron.
VI the organic substances, Iinseed oil was
found active as wen as the essential oils
put only a slight action was obtained in
the case of olive Oil. The result of these
Investigations is likely TO lead to many
changes in the packing of dry plates. and
1t is thought that by this action of the
Vapors may be explained many cases Of
forged plates
Chicago has a novel trade in owls. ac-
cording to the Times Herald of that civ
the supply coming to the commission mAr-
chants from the farmers boys in the near
by states. The first owl which came n
chicago in this manner was sent as a ven
lure by farmer boy who had somehow,
managed TO entrap it alive. 1t proved 81
unexpectedly successful in Riding tho
warehouse of rats and mice-havine been
freed al night with the idea of making an
SAPe4 luISHt IN TINS dlrectiOn--that IT was
purchased by the man in whose care If
was resting. The freedom from rodents
which it brought induced other corrois1
sion men to look out for owls. ana fron,
the commission firms the idea praduar,,
spread to the grocers, butchers and mar
ket-keepers generally of the civ. Now
large percentage of these men keen an. owl
down In the cellar during the daylight and
brlng II up to the store when darkness
tails. 1t IS said that the expense ana care
OF maintaining owls is more than ranaid
by their services in vanquishing the rats
and mice. The owners and tanitors of tba
large apartment houses of the CITY arc ala
beginning to realize the value of nossosY
sing an owl when rats, mice, cockroacbes
and vermn generally are 10 be exterri-
mated. - MI
More men persisted on the Maine than
on any war vessel in action in the HISTORY,
of the United States navy. The bIoodost
battle in American sea annals was mat IN
Hampton Roads on March S. 1862 In Tho
hopeless engagement with the ATerrina,
the frigate lost 100 men and tbo
sioop Cumberland 100 Farragut,e 60
victory at New Orleans was achieved win
the loss of only tbiTtV-saVar, No..