The Savannah morning news., 1904-06-24
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

rubber is a product like wheat or corn,
to be obtained from given tree. The
idea is quite erroneous 1t has been
estimated that 1000 different species
contain rubber though commercial
quantities have been obtained from
only forty to fifty.
Sarah Grand says that American
women are, for the most part, more
thorough. more intelligent, better in
formed, larger minded, and more agree
able to meet than their British sisters
The average Englishwoman is dull, idle,
sluggish and incompetent; the average
American is busy, bright energetic and
capable.
During the year 1903 there were
built in German shipyards 22s steam
ships of 26s,sS3 gross registered tons
and 278 sailing vessels of 45,62s tons.
Compared with the statistics for 1909
these figures show an increase of two
steamers and AZ 400 steamer tonnage
and a decrease of two sailing vessels
and 1900 tons in the tonnage of the
latter
The Somali women put myrrh with
water into a bottle. which, on being
we'll shaken, produces a lather that
they use as dressing for the hair.
The Abyssinians, when they go ele-
plant hunting, smear themselves with
this gum or a solution of it, as it is
supposed to keep the elephants from
attacking them, possibly on account
OF the odor.
AS an evidence of the interest and
earnestness of the Japanese people it
is customary among the trades peo-
pie, whenever a family that they have
been supplying with the necessaries of
life is deprived of the father of the
family in consequence of his going to
war. to continue to supply all their
needs the same as before and without
sending any bill therefor.
The most valuable aloes come from
the island of Sokotra, which lies just off
the East African coaat from Cape
Guardafui. The drug itself is the Bit
ter resinous juice of the leaves of the
aloe plant that has been hardened in
the sun. These leaves are of fibrous,
fleshy nature and, in addition to the
juice. the natives make this fibre into
rope, many insisting that it makes a
better rope than hemp.
I'm every presidential election begin
ming with that of 1872, New York has
been preponderant among all of the
states in the electoral college. In every
one of the twenty-nine elections for
President thus far held the side which
New York took turned out to be the
winning side except in four instances
i'm 1872. when it went to Dewitt Gin
ton; in 1856, when it declared for FIRE.
mont; in 1863 when it was carried by
Seymour, and in 1876. when Tilden got
it's electoral vote.
Until about ten years ago the sub
marine cable companies used practic-
ally the whole worlds supply of gutta
percha, for the reason that unlike rub
Der, ii is not affected by salt water.
But when the game of golf became the
fad in Europe, England and the United
States, it was found that gutta percha
is the only satisfactory material out of
which to make the balls, and the de-
mand for it increased to SO great an
extent that the production nearly
doubled. The ships from Singapore,
Straits Settlements, now bring enor-
nous cargoes of it, and although twice
as much is imported by England as
was imported ten years ago, the price
has advanced about 100 per cent. This
the cable companies say, is due solely
to the manufacture of golf balls.
-GFNGly OiAG hllONo tllobI HlCArN@hAi Sii-
yer dollars circulate in the Far East,
ESPECIALLY in China, says the New
York Tribune. But it seems the Mex
lean mtnting is not enough of a eer-
tificate of character. A peso that has
long been in circulation in China is
covered with Chinese characters. The
bankers, of whom there are hundreds
in China, who receive Mexican dol
lars, affix to them their seals to guar
antee their legitimacy, and, as pesos
circulate and go from one bank to
another, they are being marked by
all banks which receive them. In case
the peso proves to be illegal, the bank
err who sealed it last has to change it
for good money and withdraw it from
circulation. When the pesos are COM
pletely covered with seals they are
sent back to Mexico to be recoined
the expense being paid by all the bank
ers whose seals are seen on the coin.
1t is in accordance with a recent agree
ment. But it often happens that dol
lars, although marked all over their
two faces. continue in circulation and
are highly esteemed, as the seals are
so many guarantees that they are gen.
uine. The decision to seal pesos was
taken because Illegal coins began to
circulate in China.
AIiC SIdteIIlEllb ludL an OiQ woman
has cast" a fresh set of teeth at the
age of ninety has reminded a contribu-
tor of the Liverpool Post of a much
more extraordinary case than that In
the edition Of Thomas remnants Tour
in Scotland" printed at Warrington, by
w. Eyers, in 1774, among other fine
engravings is a portrait OF 'The Old
Countess of Desmond" in Dupplin cas-
tie. N. B., and particulars of her age
are given in the text. This portrait
represents her at the age of 100, a
firm-moufhed, strongly marked woman.
who lived to the great age of 14o She
was the daughter of a Fitzgerald. of
Drumana, In Ireland, and married. in
the reign of Edward w., James, four
teenth Earl of Desmond; she was ia
England in the same reign, and danced
at court with the kings brother, the
Duke of Gloucester. and died in the
reign of James I. The year before her
death (when 1880 she took a journey
to London to solicit relief from the
King. the Desmond house" having
been reduced to a state of poverty
Francis Bacon, in his History of life
and DEATH" states that this lady did
dentise twice or thrice, casting her old
teeth and others coming in their place. -
While the longest ropes are used
for hauling purposes. some Of the most
interesting data in connection with wire
ropes are obtained with their use for
hosting purposes, says Mines and Min
erals. Hundreds of thousands of lives
are literally each day hung by a small
Wire thread as the men are lowered
into and hoisted from the bowels of the