The Savannah morning news., 1900-06-24
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

post he has held since 1895.
A submarine cable in actual use will
foIm one of the exhibits of the PARIS hN-
position. 1t will run from the electricity
building 10 the Vincennes annex, seFerdl
miles distant along the Seine A com,
plelc cable station will be operate1 at
each end, to show the public how trans
oceanic messages are transmitted and re-
ceived. Souvenir messages may be sent
by the public.
Bavaria boasts that it has the longest
lightning conductor in the world. 1t
rises some yards above the top of the ne-
neurological station on the Zugspltze' the
highest point in the German empire, ana
runs do IN the side of the m3uutain 10 the
bottom Of the Hoileuthal. where there IS
running water all the year round. Inc
length of the rod is five and half kilo-
meters, nearly three miles and a half
"A new process has been discovered for
the extraction of Inda-rubber from the
tres. The bark and roots are cut up and
soaked in diluted sulphuric acid, which de-
composes the woody portions and does not
affect the India rubber. In this way, me
rubber is separated from the bark and
roots, and is obtained in quite pure
state The inventor of this Dlo ess state
before the Society of Civil Engineers OF
France that one pound of India rubber
could Re produced by this method at
cost of about five cents.
The policemen of Pekin, are, or, at
least, were, armed chiefly with small
drums, which they beat loudly in order,
It Is presumed, to let burglars know that
they are coming. All night long the
watchmen beat their way around the
streets, and as a natural consequence are
1ior
Of Pekin have each a light whistle tied
to their tails, which give forth loud
sound as they fly. The blind also use
drums to announce their coming and
warn other people to get out of their
way.
Last week at Eisleben in Germany
there were ceremonies commemorative OF
the seven hundlredth anniversary Of the
opening of the Mansfield copper mines,
which are still in active operation These
mines are older than those of the Stora
Kopparberget in Sweden and are the old
est mines in the world to have been oper-
aIed continuously. The Rio Tinto mines
in Spain were worked by the Romans, and
he lead mines of Laturium in Greece by
their Greek owners, but there are inter
vas of centuries during which time these
mines have not been worked.
The high price and scarcity of coal IN
Russia has led the Russian government to
carry on further trials of peat as fuel for
the locomotives on the Nicholas Railway.
On this line wood was originally used but
when it became TOO expensive naphtha
refuse was substituted, and as this fuel
has also risen in price, 1t was decided to
make additional tests of peat, as this
substance is very abundant in North Rus
STA. In previous experiments this fuel
did not give satisfactory results, as there
was too much moisture In the briquettes,
but it is believed that an Improvement
can be secured by new methods of prepa-
ration.
A soldier in South Africa. hearing that
some well meaning friend was collecting
all the old pipes he could secure for Lord
Roberts troops, wrote the following let
ter to an English paper Every soldier
that 1 have spoken to considers il a
most dirty, filthy thing to send out pipes
to soldiers that anybody may have been
smoking. I am pleased 10 say that SOL
diers are cleaner in their habits than our
generous friends give them credit for, and
1 can answer for it that all the old pipes
sent out here have ended their days in
the camp fire. We are wondering now
whether some other kind friend will pick
up cigar ends and send them to US"
Chicago, speaking OF the trouble in China.
says THE Boxers represent the most
progressive class in the Chinese empire,
which is endeavoring to bring in Euro
pean and modern civilization among its
peor4e. Their idol, Kwang Shu has been
In prison for ten years through the influ-
encc of the Dowager Empress The lat
ter is upheld in part by the lower caste
of Chinese, the very ones whom the diff
ferent sects of missionaries have been
endeavorng to convert First, they were
met by possibly a Catholic missionary
who told them that all they had learned
heretofore was absolutely false and
wrong, and that the Catholic Church was
the only right one. Shortly afterward
they were met by missionaries from the
Baptist or Presbyterians Church, and
these told them that the laws of Con
fucius and Catholic laws were wrong. and
that the only way to get on the right
track toward heaven was to join their
church."
The determination of rats by the appii-
cation of a meteorological process has re-
Gently been suggested by NJ. J. Danvsz
OF the Pasteur Institute of Paris. This
scientist has found a microbe which will
produce a deadly pestilence when intro
duced into a population of rats and cause
their humiliation, or at least make them
a negligible quantity. The bacillus IN
question was derived from field-mce suf-
fering from spontaneous epidemic dis
ease. and by elaborate processes of re-
peated cultures was transmitted through
a series of mice and rats. In this way
its vlrulence was increased. and il was
found surely pathogenic for the rats when
eaten. In addition 10 the experiments in
the laboratory, trials were made in
large number of farms, warehouses. and
other places infested by rats. 1t is r&
ported that in so per cent. of the expert
ments, there was complete disappearance
of the rats. that in 30 per cent. their num-
Der greatly decreased, while in 20 per cent.
the method failed
The Chinaberry tree is being discussed
for its possible commercial value, which
seems 10 be of the first order w. ..
Woods Of Darlington, s. c., an authority
on trees, and who has been experimenting
for some years with this particular tree.
presents some of its extraordinary quali-
ties "As soil renovator" he says. 1T
has no equal in this country, the berries
which Il bears being very rich in fertilz-
ing elements" In addition to this. these
berries are "a most excellent tonic for
horses" The tree develops very quickly
surprising all other trees in this country
in the rapidity of it's growth. For The
restoration OF our denuded forests it
would be valuable. Lumbermen and wood
workers will be interested ia another
point which Mr.. Woods makes in Il STA
vor. THE wood he gays, takes a
beautiful polish and presents a very