The herald., 1898-03-29
IN THE PUBLIC EYE

The authorities OF South Africa are de-
stroying locusts by catching rev. inoc-
ulating them with toxin and turning them
loose among their fellows, from which
locust pestilence ensues.
In Hawaii, 1t is stated, there are 23.37S
Protestants, 26.S63 Catholics. 4S6S Mormons
(polygamy Is forbidden), 44,S06 Of eastern
creeds, and 20.1s3 who declined to state
their faith or possessed none.
A frontier politician who visited the
White House recently and made use OF the
telephone for expectorating purposes. OBJ
served in passing that 1t was an insult to
a free people for the administration to nail
the cuspidores to the wall.
A Canadian traveller who has spent a
couple Of years in the far northwest. part
Of the time along the Peace river. says that
there are In that country at least four
herds of wild buffalo. numbering alto
gether not less than 1000.
The old dollhouse Of the Boston post
road, at the Connecticut line. near Green
wich. is to be removed. q Washington and
his army were permitted to pass through
free and were given two barrels OF ale
by the keepers wife besides.
The bicycle as letter carriers vehicle
has been abandoned in Louisville, KY.
after three years. trial. The carriers
say that very often instead of being a help
the wheel Is actually hindfance to quick
delivery, on account of bad weather. mud
dy streets, crowded thoroughfares and
breakdowns.
There is movement on foot in Pennsyl-
vania to organize a fire insurance COM
pany to be operated by the state firemen
and this project is receiving encourage
ment on the ground that their profits will
depend upon their ability to successfully
cope with fires. This is not entirely new
idea in that state.
A sloop left Philadelphia primed for the
Klondike gold fields by way of the Horn.
Going down the river the party struck a
snow furry, and five of them at once lost
all appetite for nuggets and expressed a
feverish desire to go back home. They
were accordingly landed at Cape May and
the rest went on.
A bill for the determination Of rabid dogs
introduced in the Florida legislature was
defeated by representative from Polk
county, who said that for his part he had
the best rabbit dog in Florida, and any
man-if 1t was the governor himself-who
tried to kill his rabbit dog would find he
had the biggest fight on his hands that he
had ever got into.
Frederick M. Ayers, a jeweler Of New
Brunswick, N. j., has discovered means
Of making an alloy that will stand the
metal in every way except weight. He
combines copper and aluminium with the
aid of intense heat and secret chemical
Mr.. Ayres has a sample of the imitation
gold on exhibition.
The design Of William A. Gault of Balti.
more has been accepted for the monument
to the signers of the Mecklenburg decla-
ration Of independence, and it will be set
up at Charlotte, N. c., and dedicated May
20, 1898. The monument is to be of granite,
tall. stately and symmetrical" with a
needle-pointed monolith mounted on an
inspiring base. The height Of the whole
is to be 80 feet; the cost, $4,000.
A bunch Of violets and a purple ribbon
attached to the door of a house in pri-
vate street as a substitute for Grape, at
tracted the attention of passers-by in New
York. The house is the residence of a
Swedenborgian, and as the followers OF
Swedenborg believe that true happiness
begins beyond the grave, they do not hang
Grape on the door when the dark angel
crosses the threshold. Hence the purple
ribbon and violets.