The Savannah morning news., 1902-11-17
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

NJ CllC CdAl safely SCH0 d
letter by the Turkish post unless he is
willing to have II opened and read, and
take chances of having 1t confiscated
if the censor finds anything that can
be twisted into an insult to Mohamme-
danism. AS a result of this condition
and the ina bility OF foreigners residing
in Turkey TO communicate with any
certainty with their friends some of
the great European nations have es-
tablished postoffices of their own i'll
Turkish cities, in which they employ
only Europeans, use their own stamps
and watch their mail bags until they
pass beyond the prying eyes of the
Turks. In Salonica there are no fewer
than five ostofices-British, Austrian,
French, Servian and Turkish; in Con-
stantinople, six. If one wishes to be
sure of his mail, he must inquire at
four of them at least; and if he really
wants to have his letters reach their
destination. he must send them through
some postoffice other than Turkish.
Barring those who get killed, says
the Boston Transcript, the profession
of arms appears to be conducive to
longevity. Gen. Francis ]. Lippitt, who
served in both the Mexican war and
the war between the states as an Of
ficer, died at Washington recently at
the age of 80. Gen. Lippitt graduated
at Brown as far back as 1880, and was
always busy man, being in his time
not only soldier, but lawyer of dis
tinction and a writer of approved
standing on military matters. But the
most striking example of a member of
the profession of arms attaining great
age is afforded by Rear-Admiral
Thomas o. Selfridge, the elder. who.
according to one biography, was born
in Boston, April "a, 1904, and who has
been an officer of the navy since Jan.
l, 1918, the date of his appointment as
midshipman. Admiral Selfridge has
son, Thomas o. Selfridge, Jr., who, like
himself, is a rear-admiral on the re-
tired list and is in his Goth year. 1t is
believed that there is no other in
stance in the present world of father
and son, both officers of the sarge
rank in the same service and both -
tired by reason of age.
An attempt was made last year to
introduce the New Zealand ladybird
into English hop gardens, says the
London Telegraph. The ladybird is the
best friend of the hop grower, being
the sworn foe of the worst pest of the
plant, the aphis, or Ely" On these
aphides both the ladybird and their
young, or larvae. feed. the New Zea-
land variety being especially voracious,
and to that extent all the more useful.
1t has been shown that the colonial in
sect, which is really a beetle, can breed
and thrive in this country: but it yet
remains to be seen whether and how
far it will help to keep the devastating
aphis in check. Large numbers of
them have been lit loose in Kent and
Worcestershire. If the event proves
that they really restrict the ravages of
the fly, they will render an important
service to an industry which has
enough to contend against in our ca
PRECIOUS climate: in that case also it
may be worth while for the hop grow
er to cultivate the ladybird extensive
ly. In New Zealand and America the
insect is known as the ladybug, which
seems to have been the original name
from which our pretty but zoologically
incorrect designation has been derived.
According to Prof Vierkandt, a
German sociologist, the question
whether American race superiority can
make itself felt in the world at large
depends on the size of American fam
lilies, says Harper's Weekly. He notes,
a Berlin dispatch says "a tendency
which discourages large families. be-
| cause of the standard of comfort re-
| quired." No observing person will de-
| ny that there is such a tendency in
| this country. The Americans like chill
| dren, but they hesitate to become re-
| sponsible for the welfare and comfort
| of large families. Four children in a
| family are an unusual number; six
make big family nowadays, and
| eight invite the imputation of reckless
| prodigality. If Europe is safe from an
| American invasion until American
| families grow bigger, it can rest easy
in its mind. At present the tendency
| seems to be the other way. They say
that the French are growing more
! peaceable, more thrifty and richer.
They are not invaders nowadays in
commerce, and they are less and less
| disposed to aggressive war. They have
no spare population. So it may be with
us. American families can Ill spare
their sons for foreign service, either
military or commercial. There are too
few of them born.
| On Sept. 16 last, on a ship about
| fifty miles from Brisbane, Australia,
a huge shark about twelve feet in
| length was hooked on a line, which
broke. A second time the big fish got
on the line and escaped. Then a large
| shark hook with q chain was thrown
out, and the ravenous brute grabbed
1t and was caught. All hands tugged
| the shark to the vessels side A huge
| hook of the anchor tackle was put
through his jaw and one eye. and the
| fish was then hauled out of the water.
one of the crew ripped the monster
| open from the head to the tail. The
| vital organs and entrails We're hacked
out for the sake of securing the teeth.
| Nothing but the shell of the fish re-
| manned, and the shark was lowered
| overheard. A rush was made to the
| side to see him sink. but the company
was astounded to see the fish make
on First he swan about fifty yards
away returned to the steamer. then
went on on another tack for about
thirty yards. came back to the vessel
and swan astern, and was still SWIM
ming when he was lost sight of. That
the fish should swim away with the
| wnole OF his interior from head to tail
and jaw and one eye gone simply rails
ed the hair of the pilots and crew, who
had never seen or heard of the like be-
| fore.
Notes and Queries reprints from
the Timber Trades Journal for July IL
the following translation of the his
tory of a walnut log just received at
| Liverpool from Italy: Referring to
| the log of walnut you have (sic) pur-
chased from my brother, Anthony, last
| year, he got it from my deceased
| father John Baptist, on April "a, 1892
My father got it on Feb. 20, 1863. from
| Charles Dellanegra, who git it heredi-
.tarily from his mother, Ketty, April
8, 1888. The said John Baptist Cana