The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-20
ITEMS OF INTEREST.


delivery stamps in 1899, and the distance
travelled by the messengers who delivered
the letters upon which the stamps were
placed was about 2,625, 600 miles.
The London Chronicle says that three
curious waterpipe cannon. which were
actually used by the Filipnos against the
America in the campaign GA the Island
OF Luzon, have just been Ient to the mu-
scum Of the Royal United Service Insti-
tuition. The exterior surfaces of the i'm
rFovised guns are bound with hemp, gal
vanized wire and telegraph wire.
"A Portuguese paper gives details of
an invention which is to greatly fecili-
tate fox and badger hunting. The device
consists of small electric lamp fixed on
to the collar of the dog who is 90 enter
burrow. This light, which is TO be col
ered. is expected to have the effect of
frightening the animal, which is used to
living In its dark hole. II then tries to
escape out of the burrow, and the hunter
bags him. According to an English jour-
nal, the invention has been patented.
"A peasant of Sorico, preparing to
build stable, found recently in the
course of his excavations the traces of a
massive wall. He went on and discovered
The remains Of a passage, a well and a
llmel<iln. The foundations of the wall
were made of blocks of finely wrought
granite. In a corner of this old building
was a tablet of white marble with a Lat
in inscription from which it appeared that
the building was erected twelve centuries
ago. Near it two coins of the same epoch
were found. Archaeo,ogists affirm that the
remains are those of the famous tower of
Oionio, a Roman city
Electricity is being used in a life-sav-
ing machine devised by DIR. Laborde of
France. Ii is well known that lingual
traction, or the pulling out of the victim S
tongue at regular intervals, has saved the
life of person asphyxiated or drowned,
and that some hours after the accident.
To meet this, DR.. Laborde has construct
ed machine ran by a small electric mo-
tor. A metal clamp is attached to the
tongue of the patient so as to grip 1t
firmly. From II runs a wire attached TO
the motor, which is set 10 run at a GER
tain speed. AS its armature revolves 1t
carries the wire with 1t, thus drawing
the tongue backward and forward.
The Japan Times of a recent date
SAYS: at is reported that a bill for pro-
hibiting smoking by young people was
PRESENTED at the House of REPRESENTATIVES
by Mr.. Nemoto and four others on
Wednesday. The main purpose of the bill
is TO the effect that juvenile smokers IN
der eighteen years Of age shall be pun
ished by a fine ranging in amount from
ten to one yen and the confiscation OF
pipes and fittings used by the offenders
The bill is said to have been drawn up on
the model of similar enactments prevail
ing in Germany and the United States Of
America"
1t takes a day to sing the Chinese ma
tional hymn, says the New York Sun.
Sometimes people over there say: Let s
take day off and enjoy the hymn" But
they don't say it often. It's hard to keep
up enthusiasm for a twelve-hour stretch.
OF course they start in cheering vocifer-
ously, and then they sort of weaken and
grow hoarse and look at the clocks, and 10!
it's only half an hour since the blame
thing began! And there are places fur
Their on where they ought to just get up
and yell, and they haven't the strength
TO do it, and probably they fall asleep
long before the grand patriotic climax is
reaC he'd. You can't expect to find much
Fourth O. July Inspiration in a people with
a dittY of that sort. And think of the
strain on the singers and the tomtommers!
Think of putting in a dozen hours on
steady run of yahs-ching airing Chi
yahs!" and no let up for either breath or
chopstcksl And whacking a tin pan all
the time, too. Think of going 10 a little
evening out and having the hostess say:
Mis- Pekoe of the Shanghai conswuvat-
wah will now favor us with the national
hymn" Is it any wonder the Chinese
have failed TO understand the meaning of
good government? national hymn of
those dimensions would be apt to sour
anybody but deaf paralytic on the best
government that ever existed.
Removing splinter from a suffering
hand may not be nice and pleasant sub
ject. but home surgery may sometimes
give some one feeling of heartfelt joy,
SAYS the New York Times. The sufferer
who Illustrates the matter on this occas-
ion was a carpenter. He was working at
his trade at an institution over which
the Sisters of the Roman Catholic Church
presided. One day he broke off an ugly
splinter in his hand and could not get it
out. He went home a the close of the
days work feeling no annoyance from
the wound, but by the next morning the
hand was in a serious condition, and SO
painful that working was an impossible
ity. On his way to the doctors the car
penter stopped to tell the Sisters why he
must uelhS HIS WOTk. Let me see what
l can do with your hand before you go to
the DOCTOR" said one of the Sisters. The
man demurred. Yes" said the Sister
with gentle inslstence, sit will do no
HARM anyway" She quickly filed with
in an inch or so of the top a wide mouthed
bottle with steaming hot water, and as
she held 1t another Sister pressed the in
famed part of the injured hand gently
down over the opening. Such a peculiar
sensation! 1t seemed to the man that his
whole hand was being drawn with great
force into the bottle. He would have
taken ID away, but the Sister was holding
it gently but firmly Then there was a
feeling of relief; 1t seemed as If the inside
of the hand had become liquid and was
pouring its unpleasant contents into the
bottle. That was almost exactly what
was happening, and with the LIQUID went
the offending splinter. The hand was
bathed and bandaged, and the carpenter
continued his work without further in
convenience.
For centuries says the London Spec
tator, the alchemists, who represent the
best Of medieval science, besiirred them
selves over their grabbed scrolls and
smoky furnaces to find three precious
things-the universal solvent the phil
osophers stone, and the elixir of life
Human ideals change slowly, for all the
change in human environment and lam
guage, and power, riches, and length of
days still represent the secret wishes of
nine men of fen Rapnp NTH hfr