The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-11
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

bia, has been selected by President Low
as the universitys representative at the
celebration of the 45Oth anniversary of
the University of Glasgow, in June.
One of the heaviest automobile We
hicles which has yet been constructed in
France. says the Scientific American, is
the great hauling wagon built for the Say
sugar refinery, to be used between the
works and the railroad stations. 1t is
| an electric vehicle and has been built
at the PoStal-Vinay works at Paris; it
made Its debut last year at the automo-
bile fete at Vincennes, and since then
has made good service in hauling heavy
loads The average load of merchandise
is eleven tons, and as the vehicle and ac-
cumulators weigh as much as thirteen
tons, total Of twenty-four tons is reach
ed. The electric motor, of special de-
sign, develops 20 horsepower at normal
running, but for heavy pulls may reach
as high as 40 or so; it's speed is consider
ably slower than for the ordinary cleo
trio automobile. The vehicle travels at
an average speed of three to four miles
an hour on level road, this being con-
siderably greater than the mean speed
made by horses in like case. The Say
refinery is quite satisfied with Ire new
system, and estimates that the vehicle
gives an economy of $4,000 a year over
horse vehicles; this figure includes the
maintenance of the accumulators.
Among the many applications that
| have been made of electric power to the
driving of machinery there is. says a con-
tributor to Cossier's magazine, one dis
tinctly novel in the gymnasium outfit
aboard the new cruising yacht Prinzessin
Victoria Luise. of the Hamburg Ameri-
can line. A gymnasium itself is an I'M
| ,.,1 -l,f Il
| in this particular instance the equipment
comprises the latest forms of DR.. Zanders
system of apparatus. One of the appli-
ances affords all the varieties of horse
| back exercise, conventional saddle, STIR
| rups and other accessories being provided
and, with them suitable adjusting mechan-
| ism so that the whole outfit can be given
more or less violent vertical and slightly
| horizontal reciprocating movement
/ through a system of cams and connecting
rods, Stimulating very closely the motion
of the animal in life. Another apparatus
| is form of couch, moving back and forth
over a set of rubber-tired wheels so
placed as to gently massage the back of
| the person reclining upon it, More violent
| massage of other parts of the body is OBJ
| tainable in several additional machines
| one so-called vibrator, which, ON trial, is
| found TO admirably justify the choice of
name. To the engineer, however, the prin-
| cipally interesting feature about them all
| is found in the fact that the actuating
mechanism of each is small electric mo-
| tor. The fiexibility of the electric drive
| system is here almost indispensable, and
has been utilized to full extent.
| The most noteworthy fact about the
wine crop Of France last year is that it
was the fourth largest crop ever pro-
| duced in that country. The amount was
| 1,721, 100000 gallons. 1t was believed until
| September that the crop would be larger
| than any of the three largest yields Of
| the nineteenth century In midsummer the
| vines, especially in the southern wine
| fields bore richer burdens than were ever
| before seen in France. The promise of a
large yield was so great in August that
| sales were made at less than 81 a barrel
| for good table wine to be delivered in
| October, the purchaser to furnish the
| barrel. Then came the heavy rains of
| September, which entirely washed away
| the crop, vines and roots on many thou
sands Of acres. This was in the south of
| France but continuous rains in other
| provinces rotted the grapes or impaired
their richness. So the yield was not so
large as it was expected to be. Consul
| Covert writes from Lyons that the acre
| age planted in vines in France has been
| steadily increasing for the last twenty
| years. There are reasons now for be-
| lieving that lit has come to a standstill
| The periodicals devoted to the interests
| OF the wine growers advise that atten-
ton now be paid to quality and not to
| quantity. They advocate an Improvement
| in color in alcohol and in fruitiness. If
| the production of wine remains stationary
| more land VIII be devoted to the raising
| of early fruits and vegetables and the
| planting OF mulberry trees and the rails
| ing of silkworms will receive more atten-
| ton. Wine is now produced more cheaply
| in California than in France. The efforts
| 20 introduce French wine into japan have
| all been Intellectual on account of Cali
fornia competition, the japanese declar-
ing that they can buy wine cheaper ana
OF as good quality in San Francisco.
Long before Lyman J. Gage became
| Secretary of the Treasury, says a write
In the New York Times, he knew Frank
| Vanderlip as the brightest and ablest
financial reporter in Chicago AS the
head of leading bank and a capitalist
OF consequence, Mr.. Gage was a splen-
did mine of information for the inter
viewer, and because he was approacha-
BILE and genial the reporters flocked about
MN. Nanderlip was not only an able
writer on financial and banking topics
but his manners were those OF a gentle
| anu mighty agree
able. He ingratiated himself with Mr.
Gage, and when the latter accepted from
| Mr.. Mckinley the portfolio Of Secretary
of the Treasury he could think of no bet
ter man to lean upon than Frank. Con-
sequently the Chicago reporter was made
his private secretary-with prospects, I
met Vanderlip in Washington about
year ago and found him one of the good
fellows we all like to know. He and
| George Cortelyou were together. the lat
| ter at that time assistant secretary to the
| President, to which Office he had been
appointed from the executive clerkship
We New Workers are proud of Corte,
| you, for he is one of us, and his eleva-
ton since then to the post of Secretary
to the President on the retirement of
John Addison Porter was, we believe
richly deserved. Vanderlip is an aston
| ishingly handsome man. He possesses
size, bone, strength, shape good looks
and brains. Being a successful newsna-
| per man he is brimful of bonhomie and
| fetching individuality. He is a good man
on all occasions, and will adapt himself
readily to any niche. Wherever Morgan
| and Stillman place him he will fiji The
b'll. When they put their finger ON him
| he will DO there Four years ago a re-
porter; to-day vice president of the big
| gest bank in the United States win
/ loo Of kAas1