The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-02
GOSSIP AND NEWS GRAB-B0x,

i ~ NS'AANNNA~AA WIN Tic Cell III Holloway
jail where Earl Russell will serve his
sentence for bigamy 1t Is said tina 1t was
formerly occupied by the English Journal
list. W. I. Stead. and the novelist. Edmund
H. Yates. The affairs in which they were
engaged. although they caused tremend-
GUS sensation at the time. are now almost
forgotten.
Stead. 1t may be remembered. was largely
in the eye OF this country about six years
ago as the author Of a book, III Christ
Should Come to Chicago" that was re-
garded as blasphemous The big news COM
panies refused to handle 1t. In 1884 Stead
created remarkable commotion by alleg-
ing that English society was permeated by
the most horrible immortality. A body Of
gentlemen, composed OF some Of the most
eminent In the kingdom, sifted his charges
and the result was that new laws We're pro-
posed and passed regulating the subject
matter Of his allegations. In proving them,
however, Stead was guilty Of q technical
violation of the law, and for this he had to
undergo prison detention for three months.
The offense for which Yates was impris-
oned took place in 1874 and consisted of an
alleged libel in his newspaper. the World.
on the earl Of Lonsdale. While not the
writer of the article himself he refused to
divulge the name of its author and SO SUBJ
jected himself to penalty.
-
Is a locust tree more likely to be struck
by lightning than other trees? Farmers In
western Pennsylvania and Ohio will an
swer 'yes." and will cite any number Of
instances In their neighborhood where such
trees have been splintered by lightning
when other var1ties have escaped. So strong
is this belief in the rural regions that peo-
pie are warned not to take shelter under
locust during thunder shower. The tree
Is planted. too In groves, 100 feet or more
from the houses, and farm buildings under
the impression that 1t draws the lightning
and thus protects the buildings. In the
rural mind the locut Is better than light
ning-rod. This extensive planting of the
locust probably explains why it is so often
hit by lightning. The tree has many good
qualities, aside from its fancied one as a
lightning arrester, and it has become SO
frequent in Ohio and western Pennsylvania
that the lightning can not help strikig it.
-
The otter, used by Scottish poachers. Is
one of the most deadly fishing instruments
known. On some waters it is far more ef-
fective than net. 1t may be described as
a water-kite, which serves to take out over
the water a line bearing fifty or more flies.
The otter itself is a floating piece of board.
loaded along one edge to keep 1t upright.
The poacher walks along the side of loch
or river, letting out the fly-decorateu line
as he goes, the otter board gradually work
ing out toward the center An enormous
area Of water Is tished out at one time, and
numbers Of fish are killed.
As
Country folks are firmly Of the opinion
that the tumble bug (Geotrypes stercora-
rius) is an excellent barometer and that it
takes flight only when season of fair
weather is coming. NJ. Fabre. a French
naturalist, has investigated the question
thoroughly and has come to the conclusion
that this insect Is, in fact more sensitive
than the best barometer, and that 1t can
veritably be used to predict fine weather.
It is to changes of electric tension that the
insect is sensitive
A census which has just been completed
in British India has brought to light the
extraordinary fact that there are in that
country ,63S persons who fast and re-
main entirely idle during nine months Of
every year.
These persons are members of the Jain
sect and their nomes are in Bengal and in
the province of Guzerat and Rajputana.
L ueir principal shrine is on the mountain
of Parasnath, near Choa Napore. and
thither they flock every spring. In order to
begin the first great fast Of the year.
A Jain can easily live for six or seven
weeks without taking even q morsel OF
food, and during certain festivals it is GUS
tonary for alLof them to abstain from food
/ for two full months. When they eat thery
confne themselves to vegetables, for they
never kill an animal. even in seif-ueiense.
1t Is their religion which imposes upon
them the obligation Of fasting, but Travellers
say that abstinence from food Is no pen
ance in their case, and that even If they
were all to become converted to some other
creed they would still remain iuAe and lead
| a severely ascetic life for the greater part
of the year.