The sun., 1902-12-28
! Miss. ON learning Of the big things he has

No' III Mlsslsslppi, making towns by day
and night trains, and covering. an average
Of 1900 miles a month. For thirty-four
years he has represented his single Chicago
house; has never made a sale that proved a
bad account; was n traveller on the first
railroad train ever III in the United States;
never took a drink oil liquor. played a game
OF cards, or tast ed tobacco; has not eaten
more than two meals day for thirty year /:
Is the oldest Mason in the State OF
mississippi.
During the year story went the rounds
OF the press about man who pretended to
be the champion smoker ofAtho world,
For twenty years he had smoked. he said
~ pounds OF tobacco a week. so that in
the period named he had actually reduced
to smoke an amount OF the weed equal
to ten times his own weight.
A rema rkable record truly, but il must
give way to that Of the champion smoker
Of the British Army. a private in the Third
Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment,
who from his youth up regularly consumed
Ia pounds Of tobacco every week, until
his regiment was drafted out to South
Africa. His supply then was curtailed,
which almost broke his heart.
The principal OF school at Manchester,
Conn, holds the record as a spanker.
Armed with an ordinary ruler he admins
tered fort rty-seven spankings In thirteen
minutes one day, thus turning tea arfu
boys and girls away from him at the rate
Of three and eight-tcnths boys and girls
n minute. II is scarcely necessary to add
that he is warm advocate Of spanking
as disciplinary measure.
In the month Of September William
Crandell of Deep Hollow, near Susouehanna
Pa. killed thirteen wildcats, and, although
badly torn in flesh and clothing, earned
not only a record but the neat sum Of S28
in bounties
The biggest eater to establish a new
record was Wisconsin farmer named
William Hafner. He devoured fifty roast
ing ears in one day, and passed on to that
unknown country where green corn is not
supposed TO he on the bill Of fare
Indiana reported the youngest grand
father. Edgar Williams Of Indian p,ls,
aged 80. who belongs to family noted for
early marriages.
Among the novel records Of the period
must he included that held by James Stewart
of Leyden. n Y, who announces that he has
ever having told lie. He goes George
Washington one better by saying that
he can lie, but won't This remarkable
centenarian used alcoholic beverages and
tobacco freely until he was 90, when he took
a new chute and swore of.
The most extraordinary old person Of
the year was Signora Catelina Flores Of
Pasadena. Cal. who peacefully passed away
at the age of III. having continued her
usual round Of work until the day Of her
death She had lived under the shadow of
the San Gabriel Mission for more than
ninety years.
The largest child ever born in Illinois
saw the light Of day in waukega in July.
when Mrs. George Catlin gave birth TO a
daughter weighing twenty-one and half
pounds.
st. Louis factories eclipsed all COM
petitors In the production Of the dainty
known as sa'ierkraut, using for this purpose
:7bo,00o cabbages and manufacturing more
than OOoO half-barrels. which were shipped
to all parts Of the United States.
Fifty persons committed suicide in
Chicago during the month OF May. the
greatest number ever recorded in a single
month according to the Health Department.
The largest gun in the world. I8-inch
weapon, requiring years in construction,
was completed at the Watervliet Arsenal
in June, this being the most powerful en-
gine OF destruction yet devised by man.
May was the record month for imm igra-
ton, the total number Of steerage pas
sengers from foreign countries passing
through Ellis Island being $3.50 The
one-day record was broken on May 3. when
6S,3 men. women and children from al
most every country in Europe. as well as a
few from Asia and Africa. stepped foot on
American soil for the first time. The largest
number Of steerage passengers that ever
arrived at New York in one vessel came
in March on the Hamburg American liner
Batavia, the number being 1882.
Turning to great achievements In live
stock. Shamrock, the champion steer OF the
third International Live Stock Exposition,
won the prize in his class He was sold at
auction. bringing SO cents pound on the
hoof. His weight was /, sos pounds making
HIS total cost 8, ,OlO 80.
The Aberdeen-Angus bull Prince Ito sold
at auction at the Chicago stock yards in
February for the record price OF S9.i00.
The largest shipment OF cattle ever taken
across the Atlantic went on the steamship
Norscman Of the Dominion Line in August.
there being i,i7s head Of cattle and l.3es
sheep,
The banner sale Of postage stamps by the
Chicago Office was to a local mail-order
house, 100000 stamps for s25,OOO-the
largest individual order ever entered.
On Saturday, Sept. 7, the vaults Of the
United States Treasury held s573, ,9s8, 1893 in
gold, which with one possible exception
exceeded the amount held at any previous
time in the history Of any country OF the
world.
Henry c. Frick Of Pittsburg deposited
with the banking house Of j. p. Morgan Il
Co. a certificate for 100000 shares Of pre-
ferred stock in the United States Steel
Corporation. yielding him 100000 annually
in dividends. this being one Of the most
valuable slips Of paper in existence.
Mountain climbers succeeded In est alb
fishing a new record for violent deaf hs In
this hazardous business. According TO
st al istics co implied by the Alpine Club,
Alpine accidents in 1902 resulted in a tot al
OF sixty-three deaths, which is the record
for any one season.
F. NJ. McClintic Of Dallas, Tex, won the
Andrew Carnegie diamond medal for the
best all-around telegraph work. He cant
5l7 words in ten minutes eat ablishin n