The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-14
ITEMS of INTEREST.

Department this fall. The government
now has five submarine boats, and 1t
wishes TO have a sufficient number of
officers and men thoroughly familiar
with their management to make prac-
teal use of them in case of necessity.
In 1850 the consumption of distilled
spirits-brandy and whisky-in the
United States averaged about two and
one-quarter gallons for each person,
while to-day the average is about one
and one-third gallons. In 1850 the con-
sumption of beer was a gallon and a
half for each individual; now it is ia
gallons.
The value of the manufactures con-
sumed in the United States amounts to
about $4,000 100000 year. and of this
American manufacturers furnish IS and
and foreign manufacturers about per
cent, while the amount which Ameri-
can manufacturers export just about
equals that which foreign manufactur-
ers send into this country.
Thomas Dixon, Jr,, the novelist,
owns what Virginians regard as one
of the most beautiful estates on the
shores of Chesapeake bay. He has a
mile and more of beach on his own
place and it is drive of two miles
from his front gate to his house. There
are 300 large shade trees on his lawn.
Although his house has thirty-five
rooms, he built log cabin down near
the water, that he might have an iso-
lated place to write in.
"A report of experiments with ra-
dunn in Umschau, st. Petersburg, is as
follows: Twentv-one mice were
placed in glass vessels, covered with
netting, upon which a radium cell was
placed for periods of from one to three
days. Six other mice were similar
ly imprisoned without being exposed
to the influence of radium. These six
remained lively and gained in weight,
but all the others died on the fourth
or fifth day from paralysis of the spi-
nal cord and brain.
When the great Episcopal Cathe-
dral of st. John the Divine, in New
York, was projected, about twelve
years ago, the promoters did not fix
any definite date for it's completion 1t
is to cost about S55, 900, 900 and is to
rank with St. Peters at Rome both in
size and architectural splendor. Al
though work has been going on stead
lily for the last five years, only one of
the four great arches that are to sup
port the central dome is completed,
and the contractors say that the whole
structure may be finished in another
half century.
DIR. Yamane, a member of the
House of Representatives, proclaimed.
in recent debate, that more than
10000 persons succumb annually to
tuberculosis in japan, and the num-
Der is constantly increasing. In re-
gard to leprosy, he stated: There is
no country in the world in which this
disease is so prevalent and so neglect
ed. The Home Office returns show
that there are 33,059 lepers in Japan,
while their offspring number 999 800.
The authorities allow leprous beggars
to sit on the public streets and to in
feet the very air with their spittle.'
Have you ever noticed, says a
writer in ''V. c." that some tanners
carry a second whip in their left hand.
which is never used?. There is pur-
pose in this. 1t represents to the wild
beast the terrors of the unknown. He
has experienced the sharp, stinging
flick of the whip in the tanners right
hand, but for the life of him he can
not imagine what anguish turks in
that mysterious whip in the other hand,
which is never used. Many a tanner
has saved his life in a critical moment
by just lifting that unknown terror
above crushing, growing, fury mad
dened tiger.
The Russian government has at
length accepted the project for a bridge
connecting the Crimean Peninsula with
the Caucasus, which shall span the
Straits Of Yenikale near Kertch. The
distance across the straits at that point
IS "a Versts, of about 1875 feet The
enterprise is in the hands of a private
Russian syndicate, whose expert en-
gineer NJ. Khodorovski, estimates that
the structure will take five or six years
in building. When the Yenikale bridge
is completed the passenger traffic by
the existing express between Moscow
ana Sebastopol will be diverted at
Djankoi, proceeding thence via Eco
dosia and Kertch to VIadikavkas. The
Russian government gives preferential
consideration to all railway projects
designed to bring the country into more
immediate touch with Persia and Cen
trail Asia.
-Ring-tail monkeys, one of the most
valuable and expensive of the smaller
animals are caught in an interesting
way. A cocoanut is split in two and
a banana with a piece of wood run
ming through it placed Iengthwise
through the nut, the two halves of
winch are drawn together by wire.
Then hole is cut large enough for
the monkeys paw to enter The mon
key spies the tempting nut from his
tree. He hops down, looks it over.
sees the hole and smells the banana
inside. He is fond of bananas. Put
ing his paw in, he grasps it. but the
wood prevents it from coming out.
Then the catchers appear and the
monkey runs for a tree. But he can
not climb because of the cocoanut on
his paw, and he will not let go of that.
SO ne is captured, paving wildly at
the tree trunk.
Anyone whe has ever seen them
will admit that the worst fitting and
most unbecoming uniforms worn by
soldiers of any country are those
winch hang about the bodies of the
soldlers of France. Unfortunately.
the new uniform which is about to be
ADOPTED has other objections. A
French writer says 1.-THE ministry
seems to have overlooked the most i'm
portant attribute of all for a uniform
prestige. Every soldier must be
proud of his uniform The fine clothes
causes them to go at their work With
greater pride and greater spirit. In
depriving our soldiers of their red
trousers, Gen. Andre has deprived
them almost of their 'raison d'etre.
To deprive the army of its distinctive
signs is to show that he xUisbas 70 90