The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-30

scientists. Prof. George Darwin, +. X.
s was senior wrangler in 1868, is one
of the foremost mathematical ply
sicists of the age and has for eighteen
years been Plumian professor OF as
tronomy at Cambridge. His brotner'
Horace Darwin, also at Cambridge, mas
been associated with him in inVestl-
cations of terrestrial physics. The
philosopher of Down could not even
have read the papers of his eldest son,
for mathematics were to him sealed
book. Maj. Lenoard Darwin, r. f.,
late NJ. P. for Lichfield, Is honorary
secretary of the Royal Geographical
Society, while Francis Darwin, f. n.
S., is a distinguished botanist. For
many years he assisted his father, and
he has inherited his tastes. 1t was
characteristic of the famous naturalist
to be often regretting that he was not
botanist, the fact being that many
an expert would have been glad TO
possess half his knowledge of plants.
Much is expected of an invention
of P. B. Delany for rapid telegraphing
which the Pennsylvania Railroad is
about to try The transmitter perfor-
ates holes in paper ribbon, the Morse
code being observed in spacing the
holes. Then the ribbon is run with any
desired speed under a blunt iron needle,
through which an electric current is
passing. At the receiving end OF the
line a chemically prepared ribbon is
run over an iron plate and under like
needle, with the result that blue marks
are made on the latter ribbon, each
marks on the receiver ribbon CORE
spending with hole in the transmit"
ter ribbon, AS there is hardly any limit
to the speed that can be given to the
transmitting and receiving ribbons, 1t
is possible to send as many as 5000
words a minute. 1t is comparatively
slow process to prepare the perforated
ribbon, but once prepared it's message
can be transmitted with great rapidly.
Messages may be accumulated, or
dozen persons may prepare messages
at once to keep one wire going. No one
needs to be at hand to receive a mes
sage; it is printed automatically in
blue marks and is permanent. Simple
ity is claimed as the prime merit of the
devica.
speaking of confusion in the use of
words" said a visitor to the city from
Nicaragua, according to the New Or
leans Times Democrat. II read story
oOIll6 tltIC ago WHlCn was CItQllSQ ~
a physician, and l was impressed with
the belief that he was either misquoted
or that he had gotten slightly mixed
in his botany. He was talking about
coca, cocaine, coco-colas, and things t
that sort, and he attempted to straight
en- out some of the popular errors; but
instead of doing so he made matters
worse. Now, am engaged in the bust
ness of cacao planter. near San Car
los, and I believe l ought to know
something about the business. Cacao is
enc thing, cocoa is another, and coca
is still another. Cocoa is the ordinary
cocoanut. Cocoa is not made from the
seed of the chocolate tree, but choco-
late is made from the seed of the ca
Gao, the bromo cacao. 1t is a rather Gu
rious fact that this word cacao is in
Variably spelled incorrectly in nearly
all advertisements. Any good botani-
cal dictionary will show you the diff
ference between cocoa, the coacoanut
palm; cacao, the broma cacao, the Goa
coanut palm; cacoa, the broma cacao,
and coca, the cocaine shrub. Yet these
words are commonly confused and mis-
spelled in newspapers and other adj
Vertising mediums, and the members of
the medical profession, it seems, are not
exempt from the same mistakes. They
are separate things, with separate
properties. and are put to separate
uses"
The American republic is too young
to have created conditions that make
antique relics; nevertheless, as a start
er, the following, as narrated by a
correspondent of the Chicago Tribune,
is presented to show there are relics
and relic hunters. 1t appears that the
iron hinges on the door of the present
chamber of the President have been
removed. Brass hinges of the latest
pattern have replaced them. The old
hinges are now in the possession of the
venerable Captain Charles Loeffler,
who has been the presidents doorkeep-
er for eight or nine administrations
and since through his faithful service
in opening and closing the door dur
ing all these years the hinges were
worn out no one will deny his right to
possess them. He will keep the dis
carded hinges as valuable relics and
hand them down to his children. A
more conspicuous object has recently
been discarded after a long term of
service. That is the massive lock and
brass knob formerly attached to the
great door of the White House open
ing from the north porch. Shortly be-
fore the funeral of President McKin-
ley the old doorknob was replaced by
a massive gilt knob attached to a lock
of improved design. Specifically it
is handsomer than the old one, but
is not quite as large, and was not man
ufactured to order. The knob and
shield are gold-plated and cost, with
the lock, $55 The old knob bore on
its face a spread eagle surrounded by
thirteen stars, representing the orig
inal states. Nobody seems to know
just how many years it had been in
use, and although the uniformed
guards usually open the door for Wis
itors, the doorkeepers assert that this
doorknob has probably been grasped
by more distinguished hands than that
of any other portal in the world.
One of the witnesses at the Cool
gosz trial. evidently speaking with full
realization of the fact that he was on
oath and as evidently trying to tell the
exact truth, said that the wounded
Presidents words, when he glanced at
the assassin in the harsh hands of his
excited captors, were not, as we have
hitherto been told, Let no man hurt
him." but "Be easy with him, boys. 4"
The difference between the two ex-
pressions is a striking one, and, in try
ing to decide which of them the Pres
ident probably used, several things
must be taken into consideration. The
witness who vouched for the more coll
loquial expression of the kindly wish
is a negro employee of the Exposition