The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-22
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Ernest CasseI, who gave $1,000,000 for
Tuberculosis research. has offered to
give 5000, 900 toward the study and in
vestigation of opthalmia in Egypt.
The largest loaves of bread baked
in the world are those of France and
Italy. The pipe" bread of Italy is
baked in loaves two feet or three feet
long, while in France the loaves are
made in the shape of very long rolls,
four feet or five feet in length, and
in many cases six feet.
Sprinkle a little lavender water in
lions cage and he is happy. Lion
tanners frequently perfume themselves
with lavender. There is no record of
a lions ever having attacked a trainer
who had taken the precaution of using
this perfume. Horses are also delight
ed with certain perfumes-among 9TH
ers, with the oil of rhodium.
Here is an estimate of the aver
age age attained by men in various
European countries: Norway and
Sweden head the list with so years.
Then come England with ASA years,
France 4415, Prussia, 49, Wurtetn-
berg, 80; Bavaria and other parts of
Germany, So. In Austria and Spain
the inhabitants have the shortest
lives, the average age being only 80.
The Agricultural Department has
established a microscopic laboratory
for the inspection of imported foods
as provided in the pure food laws in
effect from July 1. Cheap coffees are
adulterated with blue clay. Coffee
berries made of chickory, starch clay
and other ingredients are shaped in
molds, colored and in some instances,
favored so as to resemble the genuine
article. This fraud is not profitable,
however, unless the price Of coffee is
above the average.
Every soldier in the British army
carries in his haversack what is
known as the emergency ration"
This consists of a small tin cylinder,
similar to a pocket spirit flask, di-
vided into two compartments. One
of these is filled with four ounces OF
cocoa paste and the other contains
a similar quantity OF concentrated
beef (pemmican). AS its title implies,
the ration is not to be used except
in the case of direct necessity, and
if consumed in small quantities, II
will maintain strength for thirty-six
hours.
The Cimarron salt fields in Indian
territory boast Of a large hot spring,
which forms a pool about twenty by
sixty feet. A startling story of this
spring is told by cattlemen who camp
near by. One night last summer a
thunderstorm was raging over the
plain, when bolt of lightning de-
scended. Instantly great volume of
flame shot UP a thousand feet into the
sky from the spring, and continued to
blaze for twenty minutes The cow
- hof elbow
ed OUT and that the location changed
several rods.
Col. Elijah Walker of the Fourth
Maine infantry, now residing in a Bos-
ton suburb, is said to be the Oldest
surviving field officer of the army OF
the Potomac and he was a marked
feature in the Hooker monument cere-
monies at Boston recently. He is IS
years old and on his birthday Kimsley
Post. G. A. r., OF which he is a mem
Der, presented him a handsome chair.
Col. Walker missed only one battle of
the army of the Potomac and at the bat
tie of the Wilderness he had two horses
shot from under him and was wound
ed five times.
The late Alexander Won Homeyer
of Frankfurt Main was an in
defatigable collector of geological
specimens. OF birds eggs he had more
than 10000, representing about 1,50O
species, while another of his collections
includes over 10000 butterflies AT
Frankfurt he founded a society of nat
uralists who were locally dubbed the
bug catchers.'' He was retired in 1878
as a major in the army. Four years
before that he was sent to west Africa
by the German Geographical society.
He was Frustrated by an attack of
malaria, from which he never fully
recovered, yet he brought back no few
err than 500 kinds of butterflies pre-
viously unknown to men of science.
Wellington Putnam, formerly in
structor in elocution in the department
OF English of Columbia University has
succeeded in going without food for
forty days, near Silver City, N. NJ.
The fast was endured to cure a kid
ney affection. Early last May Mr.. Put.
nam left New York for the ella Hot
Springs, which are situated about six
ty miles northwest of Silver City. I'm
rnediately Upon his arrival at his des-
tination the long fast was begun. For
the first month he lived in a tent and
spent all of his time in the open air.
To take his mind away from the COM
temptation of food and eating he stud
led continuously and wrote technical
book on elocution. Mr.. Putnam be-
lieves that he has been entirely cured
of his malady.
e. G. Acheson of Niagara Fails,
while he was searching for the best
clay to make crucibles, read the state
ments in the fifth chapter of Exodus
about the use of Straw and stubble in
the manufacture of ancient Egyptian
bricks. He procured some straw, had
it boiled and mixed the dark red Iio-
uid thus obtained with clay. He found
that the Elasticity was greatly increas-
ed. Investigation showed that tannin
was the active agent and when he
treated other clay with a solution of
tannin in water he obtained surprising
results. The strength and Elasticity
of the clay are increased and the ten
dency to Shrink and warp is greatly
reduced. In this process sun drying is
far superior to burning, and in ten DAVIS
the clay is better tempered than in
months or even years by the old pro-
| cess.
The pronunciation of English prop
er names is incrutable to foreigners.
Many funny poems have been made
! on Gloucester pronounced Gloster, but
this is easy in comparison with
Wemyss pronounced Weems, Glan1is
pronounced CLANS, Charters pro-
nounced Charters. Methuen pronounced
Methven, and Duchesne pronounced
Ducane. The outsider can hardly roo