The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-17
ITEMS OF INTEREST.


tiary now number 1856, against 1850
in hard times.
More than $10,0O0,0O0 worth of
sporting goods were sold in the United
States last year.
Germany has twenty private hos
pitfalls and sixty sanatoria for lung
complaints, and five more are in course
of construction.
Paris has the walking craze. In a
recent race around the Notifications, a
distance of SO kilometers, or about
twenty-four miles, there were $50 COM
petitoTs.
The industrial schools in Denmark
pay especial attention to basket weav-
ing. brush-making, bookbinding. wood
carving, straw weaving, and cabinet
making.
A curious days happening at
Hutchinson. Kan, was an invasion OF
thousands of grasshoppers. The fol-
lowing morning they had disappeared
where, none knew or cared.
There are now III college Young
Mems Christian Associations, equaline
in number the city associations. These
have enlisted 1000 new men for foreign
missionaries in the last year.
The British and Foreign Bible So
ciety supported last year in mission
lands 65S Christian Bible woman, who
live where. only women can take the
gospel to their secluded sisters.
A regulation has been made in vi
emma that all electric lights must be
raised to sixteen feet above the pave
ment, as otherwise they are calculated
to injure the eyesight of passengers.
"A rich banker at Rainey,. France
left a large sum to the town on condi-
ton that his body should be carried
through it in state. This has now
been done, the local band heading the
procession.
About 100 boats are engaged in
longing for oysters at Port Lavaca
Tex. 1t is said that there are thou
sands of acres in the deep waters OF
the bav with millions of barrels OF
fine oysters scattered over the inlets
The industrial schools of Switzer-
land have left their stamp upon the
industries of the country and have ma
terially assisted in placing Swiss man
ufacturers in a position to compete
with the laces, ribbons, cottons, silks
watches, and clocks of other European
countries.
One of the oldest inns in England
is the George Inn at Morton st. Philips
in Somerset. The Duke of Monmouth
slept there when he achieved the soil
tary success of his campaign, in June
1885. He was shot at while standing
at the window, but the bullet missed
list mark. oliver Cromwell, it is said
passed a night there. The license OF
this interesting old hosiery dates from
1897.
An interesting old organization
which formerly existed in London
the Dillettanti society-originated with
certain gentlemen who, having travel
ed in Italy tried to encourage at home
what they had enjoyed abroad. This
society of lovers of the fine arts lasted
Is years. Walpole does not seem tc
have looked upon it with a very favor
able eye, for he says: The nominal
qualification was to have been to Italy
The tendency in Russia at present
is to establish middle-c lassed indus
trial schools with Workrooms where
apprentices may learn such trades as
that of blacksmith, locksmith, cooper
carpenter, cabinetmaker, etc. 1t will
then be possible for those who so de-
then be possible, for those who so de-
technical institute. The need of pri-
mary industrial schools in Russia is
apparent when we take into consider
alton the fact that fully 100000 peo-
pie are partially engaged during the
year in the widely diversified house in
dustries of the country, which in ex-
tent and importance are second only
to those of italy.
--Raby castle, the seat of Lord
Barnard, is a famous old structure
On the ground floor is mighty hall
into which one might drive a coach
Above it runs a dining chamber, nine
ty feet in length and thirty-six in
breadth. 1t remains to-day as it stood
in the days when the barons for whose
entertainment it was fashioned were
almost the paramount power in the
land. Seven hundred of the mightiest
and noblest in the kingdom dined
warlike Nevilles were established al
Raby Castle. The ancient chamber
is good for as many to-day and there
is accommodation enough for the cook
ing. The kitchen is a square of thir-
ty feet, with an oven so huge that al
one time it was converted into a wine
cellar, the sides being divided into ten
parts, each side holding a hogshead
of wine in bottles.
-Naturalists regard the Kea parrot
as the most remarkable of creatures
that have adopted bad habits as a
recent evolution. This bird once a
respectable parrot. It's worst crime
was to rob orchards of their fruit. II
now cannot live without meat. II
has learned to dig the kidney fat out
of the backs of sheep. Numbers OF
these birds assemble together and
worry a sheep until the quadruped is
so exhausted that it can scarcely move
They then dig into its back with their
powerful beaks and eat the fat. Ma
turally the New Zealand farmers are
not well disposed toward the Kea
parrot. The bird has further lost its
power of flight. When it first ar
rived in New Zealand there were nc
animals in the island, hence the bird
did not need wings to escape from
cats and other predaceous creatures
and as it's fruit food was to be OBJ
tanned in plenty on the ground it rare
ly used its wings. These, therefore
as generation succeeded generation
became smaller and weaker until the
bird now cannot fly.
"A writer on natural history has
the following to say of badgers: "In
hard winter weather the badger lies