The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-27
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

I brides, far out in the Atlantic ocean,
exists a peculiar breed of four-horned
sheep. A specimen recently examined
| by a tourist had four remarkable
horns. The first pair above the eyes
! We're the smaller pair and curved about
| the face in very curious manner
One horn just grazed the nose, while
| the other curled round and underneath
the chin; neither of them interfered
with the animals feeding. The upper
| pair of horns were very long and mas
sive.
| The captain in charge of a light
ship situated at the entrance of San
| Francisco harbor recently reported to
the United States lighthouse commits
| sioner that on Sept. Is last a large
number of land birds took refuge on
| board the vessel. A dense smoke from
| northern forest fires hung over the To-
cality and completely obscured sea and
| land. Evidently the birds had lost
| their way, and exhausted by their long
| flight, the wanderers alighted on the
| ship undeterred by the presence of the
| crew. At one time sixty of the feath-
| cred guests were counted on various
parts of the ship. Owls, cranes, hum
ming birds and other non-marine spe-
cies continued during the prevalence
! Of the smoke, but vanished when the
| weather cleared.
Gel. A. w. Shaffer, ex-postmaster
of Raleigh and man of state promi-
hence, win tomorrow be buried here,
says the Norfolk (Va.) Landmark.
Strange to say, not living soul, so
| far as can be learned, knows Col.
| Shaffer's given name. Thirty-five
years he resided in Raleigh, but his
! most intimate friends were never able
| to learn what the initial letters "a.
W. stood for. Even his widow con-
| fesses that she never knew. When
President Harrison appointed Col.
| Shafter postmaster here several wagers
were made that he would be compelled
to disclose his name. The government
required the full name in subscribing
to the oath of office. This Col. Shaffer
refused to give, and it was only through
| considerable correspondence that he
was permitted to assume the office
| without telling his name. Col. Shaffer
| never gave any reason why he kept his
name strict secret.
How much glass do you suppose
that you consume daily?" a physician
asked of one of his patients the other
| day, according to the Philadelphia
| Record, and then went on, in response
| to the others interrogative look, lit is
a fact that we all swallow each day
more or less glass, the manufacturers
| not yet having reached the point where
their product Is impervious to the ac-
| ton of fluids. He who drinks beer
| consumes the most glass. A chemical
analysis of any bottled beer invita-
| bly, reveals some of glass constituents.
| But the water drinker, too, swallows
his share. In a carafe or in a glass
| pitcher have you never noticed the
odd line which marks the level that
| the water has had? Well, that line
| shows how the water has changed the
| appearance of the glass slightly by alb
| sorbing some of it's components. And
so every day. when we drink beer or
water or milk. we consume little
| glass. But it does US no harm. have.
yet to hear of any disease that it has
ever caused" -
THE candle never goes out in New
| Orleans" said a man who is connect
| ed with a big candle manufacturing
concern, according to the Times-Dem-
ocrat, and l suppose the consumption
of candles in New Orleans is greater
than at any other place in the world,
proportionately, and where gas, cleo
| tricity, and oil are also used for light
ing purposes. 1t will only require a
| few moments reflection to explain why
| this is. Take All Saints Day for in
stance. Did you ever think about the
| large number of candles that are used
on this day in the pretty observances
| which mark this day of flowers and
sentiment? The use of candles is by
no means confined to any one religious
denomination on All Saints Day, but
of course, in the Catholic cemeteries
they are used more extensively than
| elsewhere. And, of course, the extern
| sive use of candles in other observances
| of a religious nature has a great deal
to do with swelling the enormous num-
Der of candles used here. They are
of all kinds, too. and all sizes. Can
dies of the finest possible make are
sold In the New Orleans market, and
play part in the pretty ceremonials
which mark the life in this quaint old
place. And candles of the cheaper
/ grades are used, too. In price they
range from three for cents up to al
most any price you want to pay"
"A story is told, says the London
Globe, of well-known philanthropist
of the last century which aptly illus
trates not uncommon state of mind
| Two gentlemen were canvassing to-
gether for a religious or charitable So
ciety. On ascending the steps of the
philanthropists house they overheard
the master sharply scolding a house,
maid for wasting half a match. 1T
is OF no use calling here" said one of
! the collectors to the other But they
did call, and to their great surprise
received a liberal donation The Wis
itors were made so welcome that the
more inquisitive of the two gained
courage to inquire of the donor how it
happened that he, who was evidently
so generous, should think it necessary
to rate a domestic for such a trifing
offense. oh" was the reply. sit is
simply this: If did not save in these
small matters l should have nothing
to give to charity" Doubtless the good
man thought he spoke the truth. and
so think many people who are con-
stantly quoting the proverb which saws
that II you take care of the pennies
the pounds will take care of them
serves. The fact is that such petty
savings are usually more a matter of
temperament than of calculation
There are people so vehementIy utili-
tartan in their nature that they cannot
endure waste. Small economies are
among the things in which men lose
the object of life for the sake Of living
Mr.. H. v. Ridout recently read a
paper before the Physical Society Of
London on THE Size of Atoms" This
| inquiry, says the London Times. which
| dates back to the time of the ancient
| Greeks, has in recent times received
increasing attention; and for advanced
| physical research the size of the atom
| as the ultimate unit of matter is be-
coming of as much importance nc