The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-21
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

"A German who had been a student
of chemistry at the University of Gies-
sen for siXty-siX semesters without be-
ing able to pass the examinations,
died there last month, aged 81 years.
The cause of his inability to remem-
Der what he had learned was an in
jury of the membrane of the brain
which he received in a duel. His name
was Christian Busch; his death also
caused comment because he had left
his possessions, valued at 25,000 to
the town of Giessen. But as he had
neglected to sign the document, the
money will go to distant relatives. He
was the oldest student in Germany.
Recently an enlarged artery was
operated on by applying electricity in
ternally at the diseased point, says Col
lier's Weekly. The current was APP
Piled at the aorta, the main artery of
the body. in order to reduce an aneu-
rism or enlargement, which extended
for some inches. and was about three
inches wide. A hollow porcelain needle
was introduced into the artery, and
fifteen feet of fine gold wire passed
through the hollow and allowed to coil
up. The outside end of the wire was
connected to an electric battery. ana
the circuit completed by Il metallic
plate on the patients back. A current
of five milliampereS was sent through
and gradually increased to fifteen; this
was left on for an hour.
1t is said that there is no city in
the world where there is such a lack
of newspaper vendors as Berlin, says
an exchange. The reason is said to be
found in the fact that the papers are
sold at such a low subscription rate
that there is little profit in the bust
ness for the vendor. The newspaper
publication companies have been long
struggling with the problem of get
ting the papers on the street, and
have investigated the merits of hun
dreds of schemes and suggestions for
the purpose. The slot machine, which
was at first thought to be especially
fitted for the business, was looked into
and found to be very unreliable in
handling papers, but recently it is an
nounced that the machines have been
brought to such a state of perfection
that they have been adopted by sew
eral Berlin companies, and now there
are 200 of them scattered about the
streets of the city. 1t is said that
they are quite generally used.
The Coffin Handkerchief" which
for fifteen years has been a continu-
Gus traveller around the world, is again
in Newcastle, Ind. having been re-
ceived by Harry T. Coffin, a business
man, says the New York Times. Fiji
teen years ago it came into the pos
session of the family and was started
from one member of the family to
another, each in turn working it off,
on some other member without his
knowledge. In this manner it has been
kept on the go for fifteen years and
has been to Manila, Porto Rico, Eng
land and all points in the United
States. During the Coffin family re-
union in Newcastle last summer it was
slipped into the trunk of a New York
representative of the family, who sew
eral weeks later discovered it and sent
it on, with the result that it went
around the world, reaching Omaha
where a member of the family lives.
The family considers it a relic and
will keep it travelling as long as there
is a member of the family living to
send it to. 1t bears a proper inscrip-
ton, and each recipient adds a little
to it each time.
Theodore Pidcock, a farmer of
Washington township, N. j., has lust
come into possession of what he saws
is the oldest pillow in America, saws
the New York Times. He is negotiat-
ing to place it on exhibition at the
to tradition, the pillow is $50 years old.
having been brought over by the Dutch
to New Amsterdam in 1854. 1t remain
ed in one family, that of the Terriber-
rvs, of Schooley's Mountain, for over
200 years, and then was purchased at
an auction sale by Jonathan Pidcock.
father of the present owner. This. they
say, is the pillow which was used in
breaking ground for the famous Hack
ettestown- German Valley turnpike
over which the Revolutionary forces
drew their cannon after the battle of
Trenton, and when they were on their
way to the defense of the famous
Jockey Hollow road. 1t is built on the
same principle as plows of TO-DAY. ex-
cept it has a wooden moldboard and
wrought iron share. All the nuts have
tall burrs on them for tightening and
loosening with a hammer, for in the
old days there were no Wrenches There
is but one handle. which is to be held
with the left hand, the right hand
guiding the horse.
Luxury in furnishings is one thing
that makes things cost so frightf1llv
in the New York shops. saws A New
York letter in the Louisville Courier
Journal. When the word "shop" is
used il does not generally apply To the
big department stores, but ra Their de-
signates those more exclusive estab-
lishments that handle special lines Of
goods. such as millinery corsets. shoes
perfumes, toilet articles, lingerie ana
80 on, and that have their special class