The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-10
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

He is religious worker in that city,
and believe, he says, that 1T is just as
important to start out in the day with
God as it is to have sufficient stock
on hand for the making of shoes. Not
many of his employees agree with him,
evidently, or else they say their morn
ing prayers at home, for the morning
chapel services between $50 and
o'clock are sparsely attended. Every
one is invited. but sometimes only
three are present. in addition to the
proprietor who conducts the services.
Perhaps if the services were held dur
ing the working hours the attendance
would be larger. For a time MONDAY
prayer meetings were held also, but
increasing business demands on the
time of the proprietor induced him to
abandon the noon invocation. and to
lengthen the morning devotions.
1t is contended by the Universalist
Leader that Prof. Harnack of Berlin,
in his recent lectures on the "Funda-
mentals of Christianity" has taken
the most extreme ground thus far oc-
cupied by German rationalism, pursu-
ing its Investigations under the Chris
tan name. 1t says: HE has adj
vanced so far as to declare that the
person and work of Jesus formed a
part of the Gospel that the Messiah
ed in faith in God as Father The
sweeping nature of this declaration
will at once be evident. If this Ger
man theologian was followed in his de-
structive position, the New Testament
would require to be entirely rewritten
and reconstructed, and all the utter
ances ascribed to Christ in regard to
His personality and work would have
to be eliminated-cast aside as rub
fGI 10 f1lax II otNlr xxyntI
make his Fundamentals complete
"A few years ago some fishermen
We're following their vocation off
harbor on the Maine coast, when they
observed a commotion on the surface,
and soon made out a seal leaping from
the water as if followed by some enc
my. 1t came near the boat, swimming
around it several times, and then, maxi
ing a leap, the men saw that it was
being chased by large fish, One of
the fishermen dropped his line, and,
stepping into the bow, leaned over and
held out his hands. To his amazement
the seal Immediately dashed toward
him, and with his help scrambled out
of the water into the boat, just in time
to escape the sharp weapon of sword
fish that darted by, its big eyes star
ing, probably in wonder at the meth
cd of escape, to>~its fishy intelligence
being evidently a case of out of the
frying pan into the fire. But the little
seal apparently knew better, and it
need not be said that it's confidence
was not misplaced, as the men were so
pleased with its action in coming to
them they kept it as pet, and the
seal became a familiar object about
the shore.
Many birds have the gift of ven
triloquism. They use their power to
good effect because by it they are
often enabled to mislead their enemies,
although ornithologists say they do so
unconsciously because often when the
birds resort to ventriloquism to throw
their pursuers off the track silence
would have served the purpose much
better. The pinnated grouse, or prairie
chicken, has this power to a remark
| able degree, as its tone when produced
! but few rods from the listener often
has the effect of a sound originating
nearly a mile distant The little bird
known as the Maryland yellow throat,
which lives in low, bushy swamps dur
| ing the summer, shows considerable
| ability as a ventriloquist, and during
the nesting season makes use of the
power as a rotection-though appar-
emily an unnecessary one. for the nest
of this species is generally so carefully
hidden from sight that it is almost i'm
possible to find it. When a person APP
proaches the vicinity of its nest, though
probably within a few feet of the in
truder, it will throw it's voice back and
! forth so realistically that it is almost
| impossible to locate the bird. Many of
| the ground birds have a peculiar hab-
it of throwing their voices upward so
that they appear to come from the
tree tops.
| The negro's love of display and of
the mysterious is exemplified in the
| multiplication of the orders" with
signs, grips, passwords, and rituals,
| to which he belongs, says the New
York Post. This is especially notable
| in the South. AS rule these organ
| iZations are of a Semi-religiouS char
acter, and provide for the payment OF
| sick benefits and funeral expenses.
| Their names are curiously and won
| derfully made. Membership is priced
| in the Sons and Daughters of the
| Seven Golden Candlesticks in Charity.
the Sons and Daughters of I viii
Arise, the Sons and Daughters of the
| Pilgrims, the Sons and Daughters OF
| the Twelve Disciples, the Sons and
| Daughters of the Bearer of the Cross.
| the Sons and Daughters of the Sew
| enth Star, the Sons and Daughters of
| the Celestial Travellers, the Sons and
Daughters of the Good Samaritan, the
Sons and Daughters of the East, the
| Sons and Daughters of Lazarus, the
| Sons and Daughters of Christian Love,
and many others. To hold membership
| in a number of orders is regarded as
| a badge of honor, and although the
| dues are comparatively small, it is a
wonder how some of the poor negroes
manage to maintain their connection
with the half-dozen or more organiza-
tons to which they belong. The re-
ward of perseverance in meeting the
dues is often a poSthumous one, but it
is highly priced. 1t is the rule that
delegations of the order, with rega,
liza and banners, shall attend the fu-
neral Of a deceased member, and this
hope of a spectacular burial is the ln>
SEPARATION to meet the demands of the
collectors of the societies.
Although says the Washington
correspondent of the Brooklyn Eagle
president Roosevelt is the undisputed
lord and master of the White House
he is probably the only
man in Washington who does
not carry key to the front
door of his domicile. When Mrs. Roose-
Welt moved into the White House last
week the steward turned over to her a
large bunch of keys, but while there
was a key for each door in the living
quarters of the big building there was
no pass key for the main entrance. The
reason for this is that it is unnecessary
for any occupant of the White House
to carry key, for there is always a