The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-08-06

ell that an unnamed balloon could be
sent fifty miles and return to starting
point. steered only by Hertzian waves.
Two German investigators conclude
positively that there Is nothing In the
popular belief that hay fever Is pro
duced by Irritating pollen from plants,
The disease Is evidently produced hy
bacteria of some sort. but how 1t gets
into the system is unknown.
The chemical analysis OF volcanic
dust which fell at Barbados set forth
, that the dust contained no chemical
constituents which would form read
tly available fertilizer Of the soil. The
practical experience, however. nj
Kingstown. which is about eleven miles
from La Souffriere, in ST. Vincent.
proves otherwise. In the gardens
there. where volcanic dust fell many
inches deep. such a show Of flowers
has rarely been seen. II Is recorded
that after the eruption Of 1912 the
quantity Of produce on the estates was
unprecedented.
A patent recently issued to Harry
Shoemaker describes coherer in
which small steel balls are employed
In connection with granulated particles
Of carbon. The small steel balls are so
placed In the coherer tube as not TO be
In contact with each other. and are
surrounded by the carbon particles.
The specifications state that by the
employment Of the carbon particles
and the steel balls. no decohering Is
necessary, rs carbon and steel contacts
have a property of destroying them
selves without the use Of q tapping or
shaking device.
The discovery In Java by Dubois OF
the remains Of Pithecanthropus erectus
In q situation that seems 10 Indicate
Tor them an age corresponding to the
later Pliocene, has led TO a searching
re-examination G other ancient hu.
man remains: the Neanderthal skeleton
and others. for example. The results
of these studies are to demonstrate 4
great similarity between the Neander'
thai and Spy skeletons and TO indicate
the existence of a distinct human
species-Homo neanderthalis. or this
species ut least three individuals are
represented in our museums. and II
seems certain that Pithecanthropus
represents a much lower level. The
skull of the latter shows more pro-
bounced approach toward generalized
anthropoid conditions than is shown
By the European skulls. There Is.
! however, an enormous gap between the
lava man and the highest anthropoid
apes, and II seems certain that the
latter cannot be regarded as coming
into the direct line Of human descent
at all, but both must trace back TO n
common ancestor Of arboreal habits.
The date of the Neanderthal man Is
that Of the first tnterslacial period. at
the close of the Chellean era. while
Pithecanthropu belongs TO the late
Pliocene, rs has been said. The d.
vergence Of form which led to the
genus Homo may then be referred to
the early Piiocene, or possibly even to
the Miocene.
NJ. Saint -Saens. the famous musician.
has q letter In the Bulletin Of the AS.
Economical Society Of France from
which the following paragraphs are
taken. That life exists in the universe
Is no longer matter for discussion.
The statement that life Is the object
Of the universe Is more doubtful. This
statement is but the last echo Of an.
cient doctrines that made the earth the
centre Of the universe and man the
end and object Of creation. for whom
sun. moon. stars and earth were made.
Man. like all animals. acts In view OF
an end. and subjects nature to q Ike
Jaw. But nature knows no law save
evolution and her acts afford no proof
that she attributes any especial value
to life or to intelligence. Billions OF
foraminifera. or diatoms. have pro.
duced mountains by the accommodation
Of their dead carcasses. Was II the
life Of these beings. was 1t that noun
tain, which nature had in view? a
stupid animal with ridiculously Ill
developed brain swallows thousands
Of intelligent ants for its daily meal
So much for intelligence. AS the earth
Is an inhabited planet there is no rea'
son why other celestial bodies should
not also he inhabited. 1t Is almost
certainty that some other bodies are
so. But 1t is equally probable that the
conditions favorable to the production
OF life. and. especially for the produc
ton Of intelligence. are rare. This
rarity is but relative. and II Is admitted
that there may be an enormous numbe,
of habitable worlds. There Is no need
to assume every planet TO be inhabited
and yet We are forced to assume q
plurality Of worlds.
Profit in Ginseng Growing.