The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-12
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

of the sun and the planets hung on
wires.
in accordance with the recommen-
dations of the committee appointed by
the Society of Arts in England, sixty
institutions have undertaken to try
the new feathers prepared under their
directions, which it is hoped will over
come the rapid deterioration of book
binding feathers.
1t costs nearly 81 more to go on an
excursion train from Berlin to Basic,
Switzerland, than from Basic to Ber-
lin. The difference is due to the fact
that in one direction the baggage is
free, but not in the other; wherefore
reduction is made in the latter case
in the price of the ticket.
"A message to an English science
journal from Copenhagen states that
the Danish scientific expedition to
Greenland has arrived in the Danish
colony of West Greenland, and reports
that the Gjoea expedition, which start
ed in August of last year, was found
at Dalrymple Rock. All the members
of both expeditions are we'll.
One of the most notable features
of the trade of the United States with
South America is it's comparative fix
lty. During the last thirty years there
has been an increase of only per
cent. in trade, and the sales of 1890
were about the same as those of 1902.
Compared with the trade of 1873,
Americas 1902 trade with the world
outside of South America has more
than doubled. To the 100000 people
in South America the yearly sales
amount 70 less than S40,000,000
Winter rhubarb culture is one of
the profitable crops grown by a former
banker, of Sumner, Wash. He has a
frame house costing about $40 that
brings an income of $500 during the
months Of January, February and
March. The rhubarb roots are taken
from the field and placed in the house
the first week in January. A small
stove supplies the required heat, which
is carried throughout the building by
q six-inch stove pipe. All light is ex-
cluded. Within three weeks from
planting the rhubarb stalks are ready
for the market, and sell for 25 cents
pound.
The annual losses by fire in the
United States. which have averaged as
high as $10O,000,GO0 a year at certain
periods says Harper's Weekly, were
attributed during single year to the
following causes, the number of fires
from each cause being given Incen-
diarism, 1927; defective fues, 1909;
sparks mot from locomotives). lis;
matches, 636; explosions (of lamps
etc. AGO. stoves 429; lightning, 1863;
spontaneous combustion 1926; prairie
and forest fires, ESQ; lamp ard lantern
accidents (other than explosions), 23S;
locomotive sparks, 211; cigar stubs and
pipes, 203; friction, 179; gas jets, 176;
engines and boilers, $50; furnaces, 1885,
and firecrackers, 105.
The telegraph simplifies life in
some ways, but complexities it in 9TH
ers. In Spain it has been found neces-
sary to issue a decree authorizing the
use in kilograms and telephone mes
sages of the popular idiOmS and dia-
lects spoken in Spain. This privilege
is doubly safeguarded; the message
must be clearly written, and there
must be some person in the office who
understands it. But all communica-
tions by persons holding public posi-
tons are to be in Castilian. which is
the official language of Spain. 1t is,
perhaps, useless to speculate as to
what will happen when a telegram
is handed in which is not understood
by the official. After all, it is his bust
ness to transmit messages. The some
times painful task of deciphering their
occult significance is the duty of the
receiver--who does not always sue
coed.
The Pont des Arts at Paris is hav-
ing a centenary, and a French news
paper has taken the occasion to re-
vive a story of the QUARTER Latin.
One of the professors of the Sorbonne
was for unknown reasons unpopular
with his students, who even in the
street pursued him with uncompli-
mentary noises. The students on a
certain day had got up an exception
ally noisy demonstration and pursued
the stoical professor to the bridge
But the bridge in those days could
only be crossed after payment of a
halfpenny to the guardian. This gave
the young Bohemians pause. Should
they cross to the other side and doing
so sacrifice some of the filthy lucre
that might be turned to more con-
vivial uses? But while they were
hesitating the professor put down a
five-franc piece, and with sweeping
and inclusive gestures said to the
bridgekeeper: "These gentlemen are
with me-" Then the students broke
out into cheers, and the professor be-
came the hero of the hour.
I'm a paper read before the Philo-
logical Society of the University of
Michigan, recently, Prof. George Hempl
commented upon the forerunners of our
present system of Enumeration, says
the New York Times. Some two years
ago, in seeking the origin of the Runic
letters (the first letters used by the
Germanic races. Prof. Hempl discov-
cred the primitive Gernfanic numeral
rotations. This threw new light upon
the early Germanic numerical system,
as well as upon the primitive Indo-Eu-
ropean numerical system, and upon the
development of the Greek alphabet, and
the Greek numerical notation. The
primitive Indo-E European numerical
system was a mixture of the decimal
and the sexagesimal. The first large
number was the Shock" that is, SO.
and the next large number was the
"hund," or hundred" that is 120. Be-
tween 60 and 120 there was no num-
bers like our 40, etc, 70 being "a shock
and TO-" and 80 being "a shock and
20" The introduction of our present
numbers between so and 120 arose out
of the introduction of the decimal hund
or hundred, that Is 100, in distinction
from which the old hundred Q2O) was
called the duodecimal hundred, or the
great hundred" which is still used in |
Iceland and parts of England.
The medieval torture chamber
still exists, if we may judge from the
reports as to the "sweat-box" and the
third degree" says American Medi-