The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-30
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Belgium has used this notation for sew
eral years past in the postoffice, tele-
graph and telephone departments. as
Well as the navy, and it has been adopt
ca by the local railroads. In Italy the
hours are similarly counted from mid
night to twenty-four. In Canada the
continuous notation has been officially
authorized. In British India 1t has been
introduced by the railroads, and Spain
adopted it last year.
The canning industry is of more val
ue to the state of Maine than its boast
ed granite, slate and ice industries COM
bined In Maryland the canning indus
try is the largest and most important
in the state. employing more hands and
representing a greater invested capital
than any other Industrial enterprise.
Some figures given below, from the
Maryland Bureau of Statistics, show the
extent of the industry. During the year
1900 there were packed in the state 3D.
10000 cans of tomatoes. 100000 cans
of corn, u,20O000 cans of peas and 49,
100000 cans of peaches.
In the year 1878 Japan had $50 news
papers and reviews, the total circula-
ton of which amounted to over 2sO0o,-
W0 copies. Last years statistics show
that the number of daily newspapers and
periodicals has greatly increased during
the past ~ years, and that the total
number of both is about 1000, and that
the combined circulation is 91,519,515
copies. OF this number the daily news
papers form one-fifth part. The city of
Tokyo alone has 20 daily newspapers.
And yet this immense number increases
very fast, and many of the reviews
which appear have but one days ex-
lSteDcG. left Of h.
rank earn only about from $40 to $50
per month, while the average editor
earns not over $50.
In Adams county, Ind, there live
several thousand members of the Amish
church, who are refusing 20 pay their
taxes, on religious grounds They abso-
lutely refuse to make oath to any state
ment, and have SO far declined to swear
to the tax lists after making them out.
Heretofore a few arrests have served to
extort the necessary oaths, but this year
there appears to be an understanding
that none of them shall swear, and that
If one is arrested all must be. The per-
suasive powers of the assessors are with
out result, and a list of all recalcitrants
has been kept, the county officials having
decided to prosecute to the end all who
defy the law. Only one arrest has been
made, and this without result, but in May
prosecutions will begin all along the line.
The London correspondent of the Man
chester Guardian states that the Kew
observatory, which is now to be removed
to another site in consequence of the adj
vent of the new electric trans, has had
a very interesting, if chequered history,
1t was originally erected for King George
III by Sir William Chambers, and in 1871
Sir Robert Peel brought forward a propo-
sal for its disesta blishment and the dis
tribution of its instruments among the
principal learned bodies in London. This
met with much opposition, and eventual
ly a committee of wel-known men of
science, including Hirschell, Sabine and
Wheatstone, reported in it's favor, so that
it was permitted to remain. A few years
later the Board of Trade accepted its as
sistance for meteorological matters. About
seventy years ago a sundial was placed
on the lawn in front of Kew palace, bear
ing an inscription to the effect that on
this spot the Rev James Bradley made
his first observations in 1725, which led
to the discovery of the mutation of the
earth'S axis and the alteration of light.
Mr.. Holland, of submarine boat fame,
recently described trip which he says
he expects ITO take some of these days.
He thinks that submarine boats will be
used for making short trips in a large
commercial way, especially where there
are difficulties to be encountered b. rea-
son of the elements or the character of
the body of water, as, for instance, the
British Channel. While crossing this
short stretch the most hardened trav-
eIer is almost sure to be sick. In sub
marine boat there would be absolutely
no sentation of motion, as the water at
the depth the boats would run, say, 40
to t60 feet, would be absolutely stin.
Steering would be accomplished by
means of cables extending from shore to
shore, so that the boats could not DOS
sibly get out of their course. Storms
and fogs will have no existence, and, SO
far as the passenger is concerned, he
could not be more comfortable in his
own house, as there would be neither
dampness nor nauseating smells Power
would be derived from storage batteries.
Electric lights would furnish the iIluIni-
nation. The temperature would be prac-
tically uniform is summer or in winter.
Frances IIodgson Burnett was visit
ing in a New England city, says Good
Housekeeping, and her hostess, who did
much home-missionary work, volunteered
to take her to home which was a shin
the most slender income by a woman
who knew what good management meant.
She led the way to wretched neighbor-
hood. They stopped at a tiny tenement,
which even outdoors showed the radiance
OF cleanliness. Mrs. Burnetts guide did
not stop to knock; she walked in and led
her guest unceremoniously through the
few tidy, spotless rooms till they came
to a kitchen, where a woman stood over
a steaming washtub. This is one of the
few model homes of the poor" explained
the dispenser of charity; the husband
earns only 81 week. His wife makes a
few extra dollars by washing, and there
are five children to bring up on such an
income. i discovered them in the dead
of winter, when work was not to be
found, nearly starving and frozen. This
class would almost rather die than take
charity" Mrs. Burnett says as long as
she lives she can never forget the flush
of shame and helpless misery which red
dened the face of the mistress of that
humble tenement. Such an incident en-
phasizes the need of human sympathy
and fine feeling in the woman who dis
penses public charity
"A glance at himself in the mirror
frightened Big Ben. the Zoos largest
lion, so badly that the keepers in charge
feared he would do violence to himself,