The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-25

A HE man who invented the paper k0 collar died last week in New Jer-
 sey. Years ago the paper collar reigned supreme and was used universally in America. It was white, cheap and clean and no one ever believed that the eellulold collar would sweep 1t from the field. The shelves of the country stores were kept piled high with the bright col- ored boxes and a brisk trade was done by the merchants. The fault of the paper collar and the fault that eventually led to it's downfall was that it tore easily and melted in hot weather On the other hand the celluloid collar cracked and lasted too long. In this way people came to the notion that what they wanted was a col- Tor that could be washed. ironed and starehed to look as good as new. The linen collar thus returned and has con tinued in popular favor until the present day,
 As is to be supposed from the recent accounts of affairs in Servia the people of that country are by no means in the van of progress and retain many of the
 
 One of the most firmly rooted of these superstitions is a conviction that children are born who fly about at night and suck human blood Certain old women are thought to have the power of finding out which children are born vampires and 1t is their duty to see that the unholy things be put to death Even the village priest is not above such notions. Often he places a well cleaned bullock's head on the top Of a pole in his garden to ward of f1ends and witches
 Several locomotives of the Manhattan .L." road will be shipped to Canton, China, to be used on the railroad being constructed from Canton to Hankow, distance of 300 miles The line Is being built by the American China Development company which Is backed by such well known fnanciers as J. P. Morgan, August Belmont and Cornelius Vanderbuilt This is only another illustration of the inva- sion of the east by the west.
 Other Americans are constructing ma chinery which will be used for making guns for the army and navy of Spain.
  be equipped with gun lathes of American manufacture. the contract having recent ly been closed by Lieutenant Colonel Cubillo, director of the Spanish arsenals. Tn addition American machinery will be used to light these arsenals. The English arsenal at Portsmouth will be supplied with 5000 incandescent lamps and thirty arc lights which will be made In this country. The khedive of Egypt, having walked up to the situation, has ordered number of American made threshers to be used in the grain fields in the valley of the Nile.
 Taken altogether Uncle Sam has no req son for feeling grumpy at the state of af- fairs and foreign governments are be- coming more dependent upon him every day.
 The president of France will visit Lon don early in July, and when he arrives will be entertained in historic St. James palace. This was for many years the home of the present prince and princess of Wales. When Edward visited Paris he was housed at the English embassy, but this was because he was a state visitor. President Loubet will come to London as the guest of King Edward and will there fore be entertained in the palace. St. James Is dingy and foreboding on the exterior but is a pile of much historic interest. Within there Is a grandeur and stately magnifcence that no person would dream of on viewing it's outer appearance.
 It is reported that there is serious ap- prehension felt among the immediate at tendants of Pope Leo over the state of the pontiffs health. One of the most alarming. and yet amusing. signs noted is that he is more tractable and more anxious to follow the commands of his
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