The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-06
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

"A citizen of Reading, Pa. is about to
test the validity of the compulsory educa-
ton law. With two children of elible age,
he has thus far refused to comply with
the provisions of that law, in spite of the
fact that he was notified of his Delinquent
cy in the premises by the proper authori-
ties. Suit has been brought to bring him
TO terms and The alderman adjudged him
guilty and imposed a fine of 81 and costs
the maximum sentence-from which he
has taken an appeal
1t is not generally known that peat
may be used for textile purposes and also
for paper making. The exhibits at the
Vienna exhibition last year demonstrated
this fact couclusively. Peat straw may
also be used for many purposes such as
fertilizing, packing, etc. When used for
textile purposes it must be woven without
the use of oils or wa ter. Coats, hats, car
pets, rugs, ropes, mating and pillows are
some of the articles which have been
made and which have been found useful.
1t is also valuable substitute for absorb
ent cotton, possessing antiseptic proper
ties as well.
The Mikado's representative in this
country, Mr. Jutaro Komura, now drives
to the state department on his official
visits in the most gorgeous equipage seen
on the streets of the capital in the last
half-century. says the Washington corre-
spondence of the New York World. Perch
ed on the high box-seat are two stalwart
negroes wearing a livery all blue and gold
The coachman holds the ribbons over
pair of big b.ooded bays, their gold-trim-
med harness jingling as they come along
in a swinging trot. Lumbering behind.
with running gear and cradle springs of
the most brilliant carmine and with the
royal carnation emblazoned on its panel
in gold swings aud rocks a coach so roomy
and large that it might accommodate half
the Mikados court The coach stops be-
fore the west door 10 the state department.
AS the footman swings the door open a
little fellow about five foot three" with
a highly perfumed cigarette between his
daintily gloyed fingers, steps out. 1t is
MIR. Komura.
What the drought of the last few years
has cost New South Wales has been es-
timated. and the estimate makes up bit
OF very doleful arithmetic. The 1ocks of
the colony have shrunk from 100000 TO
100000, representing loss of %, coo
sheep. If to this is added the loss of
natural increase, the shrinkage amounts
to 100000 sheep; enough, that is to
equip a considerable sized colony, says the
NCoNIAtuSlNi NTdAGltt. III dDnlllOU, IHSIG
has been a loss of nearly 10000 horses
and 10000 cattle. That the colony has
been able to survive these terrific losses
IS striking proof of energy and resource,
Translated into money, the colony has suf-
fered loss of from f12O00O00 to f20 O0O. 000
For SO much, when expressed in pounds.
shiilings and pence, do few inches more
or less of rainfall count! We are prob
ably entering on a cycle of years, a co.
tor f,1y-
viii pour on the far-stretching plains their
benediction of rain. and these vast losses
will quickly be made up.
Wonderful as many famous clocks are
an respect to ingenious mechanism, they
can hardly be compared with the unique
clock which has been completed at Brus-
sells after five years uninterrupted work
This time-recorder, which weighs about
10000 pounds, is built to represent a church
and indicates the seconds, minutes, hours
days, weeks, months, seasons and the
year. Among the mechanical curiosities
are forty-slX figures, which perform va
rious evolutions. Every hour for example.
the twelve apostles make their appearance.
march past and bow before a figure repre-
sentng the Savior; there is Death with
scythe bellinger calling to vespers, six
Capuchin monks who enter the church;
cock, niSht-watchman sounding a trum-
pet or beating drum. So finely adjusted
is the mechanism of this clock that each
OF the movements appears at the appoint
ed time, and they can all be set in motion
at any moment without disturbing the
working of the clock.
When the steamer Prodano from
Leith, reached Baltimore this week. saws
the New York Times, her captain had
some trouble in convincing the water
front population that he had not been at
tackled i'm the course of his voyage by par
ticularly desperate buccaneers whom he
had repulsed only after dreadful slaughter
on both sides For, running down the YES
sells sides from her scuppers to the waters
edge were dark red stains while the deck
was thickly sprnkled with similar evil
dences of bloodshed, and there were ghast-
ly splotches on the mainmast as far as
twenty feet upward. 1t seems, however.
that the only battle had been one with
the elements. When in the longitude of
Sable Island the Prodano encountered two
severe hurricanes, and while the second
one was at its hight a barrel of the quick
drying paint used on ships bottoms broke
loose from its lashngs and behaved much
as did the cannon immortalized by Victor
Hugo Before an end was put to the
barrels mad charges about the deck a
stave was started and the result was some
rapid impressionistic painting of a kind
calculated to horrify all beholders. The
barrel was not captured until it was empty
and by that time such of the paint as had
not run into the sea had fastened itself
firmly on most of the wood and iron within
convenient reach. The results were far
from decorative, for they initiated exactly
those that might be supposed to follow
fifteen or twenty murders, very carelessly
performed by murderers of most untidy
habits and no regard for appearances
whatever.
Dealers in antique furniture have found
the theaters an unexpected source of reve-
nue. this season and have rented high
backed colonial chairs, tables and various
pieces of old mahogany TO four or five
companies now playing in this city. says
the New York Sun. Two days before a
play of colonial days opened in New York
several weeks ago the author and the
scenic artist discovered that the property
man had procured some old Dutch uphol-