The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-14

wales.
For number of years a distin-
guished French physician, DR.. Beril-
len, has been making observations per-
tanning to the habit of finger-nail Bit
ing. The facts which he has gathered
show that the habit is a result of
diseased nervous system. He examined
the pupils in a number of schools. The
habit is much more prevalent among
girls than among boys. In some schools
so per cent of the girl pupils had con-
tracted the habit. 1t was noted that
the nail-biters were the poorest stu
dents. The habit prevails most fire.
quently between the ages of IL and IA.
The twelve-inch 40-caliber coast-de-
Tense gun, exhibited by the Krupp
works at the Dusseldorf exhibition,
is said to be capable of penetrating
the thickest and most modern type of
armor forming the protection of iron
clads at any distance at which the lat
ter would attempt to destroy coast de-
tense works. The gun is made of spe-
cial crucible steel, is 40 feet long and
weighs with its mounting $50 tons. 1t
shoots projectile weighing $50 pounds
with charge of smokeless powder of
POI pounds at a muzzle velocity of g.
$50 feet. Its range at % degrees ele-
walton is 12A miles. The projectile
will penetrate nearly six feet (55.11
inches) of wrought iron plate near the
muzzle and twenty inches of the best
Krupp steel plate.
THE average person, man or wo-
man. wears the left shoe out sooner
than the right" said an old cobbler
according to the Philadelphia. Record.
Many people wonder at this, and can't
understand why it should be. Long
experience has taught me that it is
popularity of most people 10 come
down harder on the left foot, throw
ing the right foot a little forward.
This is born out by the fact that ev
cry one takes a longer step with the
right foot than with the left. People
who get lost in an open country, such
as our Western prairies, always travel
in circle if they have no compass to
guide them. That is because one foot
takes a longer step than the other,
and that is also why the left shoe
wears out soonest"
Nothing has been more remarkable
in the field of naval enterprise than
the rise of Japan within the last few
years to the rank of a leading power,
says an exchange. The efforts of Ger
many and the United States are sug-
gestive and striking, but even more
significant is this rapid advance Of ia
pan. Her shipbuilding programme
comprises six battleships and eleven
cruisers, of which six are of the first
class, besides a number of smaller
craft. The programme has been press
ed forward with great vigor. The last
of the battleships, the Mikasa, has
completed her trials with most salts
factory results The six battleships
( are the Full and the Yashima, of H.
$50 tons, the Shikishima, of Ia, $50 tons,
and the Ashai the Hatsusi, and Mika-
sa, of $1,000 tons. All those battleships
have been built in England since 1896.
The ffrst-class cruisers, which are all
of about the displacement of $3.50 tons,
are the Asama, the Adzuma, Idzumo.
Iwati, Tokiwa, and Yasumo. 1t is
the first named of these vessels that
will represent the Japanese fleet at the
coronation review.
Suicide by means of charcoal fumes
is one of the commonest forms of self
destruction in France. says Paris
letter. but the attempt of a soldier had
elaboration in it of an unusual kind.
The unhappy fellow came up from his
regiment at Compiegne and hired a
room in small Paris hotel. He lit his
fire of charcoal, but before doing so
swallowed preparation of phospho-
rus. Then he tried to execute HIM
and making a moose of the other end.
If these means failed, there was yet
chance of impaling himself on his
bayonet, which he had fixed, point up
ward, below. As a matter of fact
these means did fail, and the young
man is now in hospital. though not
physically much the worse for his ex-
periments. a second case occurred
on the same day. at Mustapha, near
Algiers, which also merits attention by
reason of. its extraordinary character.
He was middle-aged man, and he de-
termined to die by the charcoal meth
3D. He left little diary of his sensa-
tons, which was found pinned on his
breast. At 9:45 he wrote: II am al
most unable to rise, but must put on
still more fuel" At 1030. 81 am to-
tally unable to --'' and then followed
some undecipherable words.
-Calfskins are used almost exclu-
sively in the manufacture of drum
heads and banjo heads, and the ut
most skill and care are required in
their preparation for these uses to pro-
duce a smooth, even, unbroken skin.
The drum and banjo heads are all
made from skins. Calfskin is the best
material but sheepskin is good. The
hides come by rail to the factory in
great bundles. They are exactly as
when taken from the carcass, except
that they have been picked in salt. On
receipts at the factory the hides are
thrown into a small pond beside the
building and left there to soak in run
ming water till all the salt is washed
out. This takes a long time. After be-
ing freShened the hides are thrown
ever frames and broken" The bits of
flesh remaining on the hides are re-
moved and the skin is then soft and
pliable. The hide is next put in a vat
with lime and left there for about two
weeks. This loosens the hair, which is
scraped off. Then the skin is stretched
tight on a frame and shaved on both
sides. Another bath in a vat gives the
skin transparent effect and puts it in
apple-pie order. Once more the skin is
stretched out on the frames, and II
any finishing touches are needed they
are given. After being cut in shape il
Is ready for the market. The army
drumheads are nineteen to twenty
inches in diameter. Other sizes vary
from the tiny ones used for toy drums
to the great big bass drums, some of
which are sixty inches in diameter.
Banjo heads are of more uniform size
Besides the unquestionable curative
value which the electric current has
in the treatment of certain diseases. 1t
has long been used by nervous special
lists for purposes of diagnosis in paral-
ysis and kindred disorders. The cleo
trical reaction obtained from its appli-
cation to muscle tissue has served to
distinguish between certain obscure