The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-08-18
Quaint and Curious.

Transparent leather is made in
France.
Denmark slaughters 1900, 900 hogs
every year.
There are 10000 camels at work in
Australia.
Savages, on the whole, live longer
than civilized people.
AS a rule, mans hair turns gray
five years sooner than a woman's.
The most wonderful bridge in the
world is one of solied agate in Ari-
zona.
A pen carrying a small electric
lamp to prevent shadows when writing
has been patented in Germany.
1t is estimated that since the be-
ginning of the historical era IL 900,
900 persons have perished in earth
quakes.
The Tartars have a quaint custom
of taking guest by the ear when in
viting him to eat or drink with them.
Chileans never enter or leave a
coach. street car or other public
vehicle without bowling to all It's occu-
pants.
Under the laws of China the man
who loses his temper in a discussion
is sent to Jail for five days to cool
down.
Ornithologists have discovered that
crows have no less than twenty-seven
cries, each distinctly referable to a
different action.
The nests of the termites, or white
ant, are, proportioned to the size and
weight of the builders, the greatest
structures in the world.
| The earliest pottery which printed
designs of American subjects was
made at Liverpool at the end of the
eighteenth century.
The Russian state scepter is of
solid gold, three feet long, and con g.
tains among its ornaments a6S dia-
monds, goo rubies and IS emeralds.
In Sweden there are floating can
nerles. They are small vessels, which
follow fishing fleets, and men on them
can fish while they are fresh
1t was once customary in France
when a guest had remained too long
for the host to serve cold shoulder
of mutton instead of hot roast. This
was the origin of the phrase ''to give
the cold shoulder"
Cats can swim if they only care to
exert themselves sufficiently. The
ancient Egyptians used to fish with
them on the Nile, according to the
Representations on walls and so forth
that have come down to us.
The most magnificent tomb in the
world is deemed to be the palace tenn
rle OF Karnak, occupying space of
nine acres, or twice that of ST. Peters
at Rome. The temple space is
poets dream of gigantic columns,
beautiful courts and wondrous avenues
of sphinxes.
Out of the 81 women admitted to
the St Louis Insane Asylum last year,
6S were from domestic service. The
rest of the list comprised one clerk,
one factory hand, one music teacher,
one saleswoman, two seamstresses,
one tobacco stemmer, six without oc-
cupation and three unknown.
The recently completed tower at
New Brighton, the top of which is
6ao feet above the level of the Old
| Dock still at Liverpool, is the highest
structure in England. The tower
ltselfis $40 feet in height. The similar
structure at Blackpool measures but
5IS feet, leaving its new rival with an
advantage of So feet.
A coal mine in Scotland which
Caught fire over fifty years ago and
has been burning ever since has at
last burned itself out. The mine is
on the Daiquharran estate, Daily. 1t
was set on fire by the engines which
worked the fans, and although many
costly attempts have been made to ex-
tinguish it they have been unsuccess-
full.
Denmark makes a clear distinction
between the thriftless and the respect
able poor. The former are treated
like English paupers. The latter never
cross a workhouse threshold. If desti-
tute, they receive pension ranging
from $I4 to $S4 year or, if too
feeble to look after themselves, they
are placed in an old-age home.
The Scarcity of Tin Ore.