The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-29
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

recent address at Frankfort that in conse-
quence Of the massacres in Armenia there
were at present in that country about
$4,000 widows and orphans German asy-
lums have been opened at Bebeck, Kar-
kut and Moseri to assist as many of them
as possible.
&C. A. Parsons. whose turbine engines
have created a great sensation in the
realm of steam engineering is a son of
Lord Rosse who made the great six-foot
telescope The latter gentleman, before
before he was elected to the peer
age, was known as William Parsons, and
the famous Rose telescope was erected at
Parsontown, Ireland.
"Wednesday. Aug. 10, a young woman
on an excursion in Belfast, Ne, lost her
hat overheard when the steamer was If
Fort Point and, of course, gave 1t up as
lost. On the following Saturday a school
mate brought her the hat safe and sound.
It drifted ashore near Little river. in Bel
fast. fully ten miles from the place where
at fell overheard.
Among the objects of special interest
to visitors to the museum of the Royal
United Service Institution at Whitehall,
London, is an old and much-worn wicker
cottage chair which was presented by
: the late Gen. Sir Beauchamp Walker. 1t
is one of the two chairs upon which Bis
marck and Napoleon III sat when the
terms of surrender at Sedan We're being
arranged.
Short sight Is more common in town
than among country folk, for the simple
reason that townspeople have less need
for long light, they have fewer oppor-
tunities for exercising their sight on dis
tant objects, and their occupations do not
favor its development by training or Sc
lection; but it is not, in the majority of
cases, a proof of physical degeneracy, as
can be seen in the case of Germans, who
are a VIGOROUSLY short-sighted people.
Some curiosities of Chlcago's population
are shown in the recently completed school
census, particularly as to the proportion
of foreign born. One block, for instance,
in the Sixteenth ward, has only seven
American-born residents out of a total of
2,727, the majority being Poles, with a
sprinkling of several other nationalities.
Another block near by has a total popula-
ton of 231, only about one-sixth of whom
are natives, Germans predominating here.
But the record for alien residents belongs
to two other neighboring blocks, with a to-
tai population of 1854, of whom 1883 are
Poles, the other man being a Chinaman.
The total population of this city is esti-
mated to be 1851, 5SS, which would Indicate
a growth of over 20 per cent. since 1S9O-a
most remarkable increase in urbane pop
ulation.
In recent display of canned meats
in this city, says the Philadelphia Record,
a case of mutton was exhibited which, it
is claimed, holds the record for longevity
Forty-four years have elapsed since it
was placed in the tins, and the can which
was opened showed the meat to still be
d.
Fury was wrecked in 1854 the canned NUT
ton, with other stores, was cast ashore at
Princes Inlet, in the far North. Sir John
Ross, the Arsic explorer, found them
some eight years later, and helped him
self to a number of cans. The remainder
rested there for twenty-four years, when
the ship Investigator appeared, and
brought them home. For nearly a quarter
of century the meat has Withstood a
climate where the variations of tempera-
ture range from 80 degrees below zero to
80 above, being alternately frozen ana
broiled. 1t is still preserved as an object
lesson of perfection in canning.
The power of growing vegetables
plants, trees, etc, is something wonder
full. At Ceneriac, Honduras, a concrete
church, 18x26 feet and built of solid gran
boid walls, three feet in thickness, has
been moved eighteen inches since 49,.
ny ltlC BIOWln OIL d DluG gum tree. Inc
Fungi Journal tells of mushroom that
lifted London paving-stone which
weighed 500 pounds, and which was
wedged in on all sides by other stones;
and of a common COW pumpkin which al
most overturned a fence. When the above
instances of the wonderful power of grow
ing vegetation were first published, ex-
perts at the agricultural department 8
ground, Washington, D. c., were di-
rected to make experiments. They did
so and found that the force of grow
ing pumpkin, of the Yankee" variety
was sufficient to lift two and one-half tons,
providing the weight is so placed as not
to interfere with the growth or natural
development of the vegetable.
An increase of French-speaking people
is taking place in the province of Quebec,
or Lower Canada, the great majority of
whose inhabitants are French by extrac-
ton and language. In 1871 the population
of this province was 1871, 576, which in 20
years increased to 1888, $50. In it fair to
assume that at least a part of this
growth has taken place among the
French-speaking inhabitants. The Channel
Islands, which are largely French in Ian
guage, have increased during the same
period from 10000 to $1,000. 1t is interesting
to note that in both cases the populations
are under British rule 1t is also true that
ants of other countries has increased, but
this is hardly to be called a natural in
crease, as IL is mainly the result of in
creased military and official occupation
following invasion Thus, in the far East
ern colonies of France, Cochin China,
Tonking, Siam, etc, the number of
French-speaking people has risen from
about 5000 TO over 14,O00 On the other
hand there has been a much greater de-
crease in South America. In Algeria the
increase has been very large COMPARE
lively. Sixty years ago there were between
5000 and 5000, whereas now there are
about half million. But even here the
increase of people speaking other Europe
an languages has been considerably
greater.
Mr.. ]. Holt Schooling works out from
the current life table for England and
Wales, says the English illustrated Mag
azine, some interesting results as regards
the chances of males at ages 20 80, 40,
80, 60, co. so, and &c. living for ten years