The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-14
ITEMS OFF INTEREST.

up ny a new 1ork VdudeVlue manager
as a floating roof garden Brilliantly
lighted up with electric lights from stem
10 Stern, it is the most noticeable object
on the bay while making its evening trips.
e. H. Town, who lives at Chubbs
Crossing, comes 10 the front with prob
ably the longest unbroken row of corn
In the state of Vermont. On his farm is
a big, cone-shaped knoll. Commencing
at the base, Mr. Towne drilled around and
around. corkscrew style, clear to the
summit, to so get one continuous row
that covers the whole place.
The tail feathers of the feriwah, a
rare member Of the family of Paradisei-
dae, or birds of paradise. are the most ex-
pensIye known. Indeed, their price may
be called prohibitive, for the only tuft
existing in England-probably in any CIV
fized land-was procured with such diff
ficulty that it is considered to be worth
$4,000. 1t now adorns the apex of the
coronet worn on state occasions by the
Prince of Wales.
1t is probable that grand ceremony
will take place in Paris during the expo
sition, in connection with the transfer 90
the Pantheon of the remains of Diderot,
Balzac, Renan, Rude, Ingres and Della
croix-that is to say, of three famous
writers and of the same number of cele-
brated artists. TO this list ii was pro-
posed to add Lamartine. Michelet, Quinet
and the painter David dangers, but the
descendants of these great men refused
TO allow their bones to be disturbed for
the sake of posthumous honors. however
splendid. The heart of the first grenader
of France, La Tour d'Auvergne, is also
to go to the Pantheon, there to join the
rest of his body.
1t is not quite seventy years since
there was no school in the limits of Chi
cago. The first school house was built by
a woman, at her own expense in 1881.
Ten years later there were four district
schools, with four teachers, each receiv-
ing s4c0 a year. For the last school year
the total appropriations were over 81. 000,
000 There are $50 public school houses,
with 5000 teachers and over 255,C00 pu-
pills, including eight high schools, with
$500 pupils. There are three universities,
one of which has an endowment of 81, 000-
CO., and another of Sill 100000. Nearly all
the leading denominations have theologi-
cal seminaries there, and there are
large number Of technical and special
schools.
The Russian government is experience
ing great difficulty in it's efforts to restrict
the almost universal use of liquor among
the laboring classes. The Minister of
Finance says the government is anxious
RIO save the population from the baneful
influence of the innkeepers, who in order
to make large profits aduterated their
spirits with noxious and deleterious sub
stances which were proving runous to
the lower classes. The average peasant
was not content with remaining in a pub
thing, but often pawned his clothes, fur
niture and future crops. The public houses
were acknowledged 10 be the most power
full agents of ruin and Reorganization in
the economic life of the Russian people,
and threatened the impover!shment of
the whole agricultural population"
Chicago is to have a parental school
for the reformation of truant boys with
some novel features. 1t is to be situated
on a forty-acFe tract in the suburbs. and
is to be conducted on the cottage plan,
with twenty-five boys in each cottage, I'M
der the constant supervision of a teacher
While life in the parental school is to be
made reasonably pleasant for the boys,
the conditions are to be such that they
will be glad to go home. They are to be
kept busy from the time they get up until
they go to bed, with practically no time
tllht luty Neiu Cdll IHelT own lUSy Will
be required to work in the garden, make
beds, wash dishes, sweep floors, and do
hundred and one things. The boys will not
like such life and IL they promise to go
to school and do better they will be al
lowed to go home, but upon parole.
Monthly reports will be received concern
ing their conduct. If the reports are not
encouraging the boys will be brought
back
The eampher production of Japan has
fallen off rapidly, and that OF China was
never large Formosa has become the
great source of supply and the Japaneses
government has established a monopoly
of IL, says the New York journal of Com
merce. A guard of 1900 armed men will
protect the forests and the workers from
the savages. The government will pay
SIS per picul of 1873 pounds for the crude
gum. This price is intended to be low
enough to check the production The
government has for the present fixed the
amount of production a a little over five
million pounds. An English firm has Sc
cured the distributing agency by Offering
the best terms. 1t agrees to maintain
oitices in New York. London, Hamburg
and other leading markets. The govern
ment will receive from the selling agents
A2.5O per picul for the crude and $3.50
PER picul for "A" grade of refined cam
phor. and will sell for 1885 crude and
so3@ IA grade, free of duty
Some curious facts about the racial
affinities of the Afghans have lately been
communicated to the Anthropological In
stitute of London by Sir Thomas Hol-
ditch. The Afghans cali themselves Ben
Israel and claim to be descended from
the tribe which was carried into captivity
by Nebuchadnezzar This has been
thought by some ethnologists 20 be pious
deiusion, since they speak Pushtu like
the Pathans, among whom they are cast,
and have hitherto been classed among the
Aryan races of India. But Col. Holditch
thinks there is something in che native
tradition, judging from the frequent oc-
currence of Jewish names among the At
shans and the observance among the
Yusufzais OF the Feast of the Passover
After all. there is nothing very impos-
sible in the theory OF some admixture
of Jewish blood. The Perslans, who sue
ceeded to Ncbuchadnezzar's empire, ruled
as far south as the Punjaub, and forced
migrations Of their subjects were at all
times common.
Writing on the city of Pekin The En-
gineer says that the walls of the Tartar
city are of an average hight of fifty feet.
Their average width is about forty feet.
but they have been built so irregullrly
q In a11.a ~ a..