The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-26
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

The average cost for carrying a
passenger on the street railways of
the United States is 20 cents.
"A parcels-post in the United States,
if similar to that of Germany would
make a saving to the people of at
least $250,000,000 annually.
The school children of Columbus,
o.. are s24,225.25 richer now than two
years ago, when the penny savings
system was inaugurated by the Board
of Education. The average accumula-
ton of the depositors is 81.
One of the longest fences in the
Northwest is being constructed, run
ming entirely around the Lower Brule
Indian Reservation, on the Missouri
river, in the central portion of South
Dakota. This remarkable fence will
be sixty-three miles in length.
An appropriation of $25OOO0 has
been made by the Legislature of Vir-
ginia for the improvement of the state
capitol in Richmond. The Legislature
does not again meet in regular session
until January, 1906, and meanwhile the
work on the building will be done.
The immigrants arriving in Canada
from Jan. to Oct. 1, 1903. totaled 114,-
744. OF this number 34,712 were from
the United States, SO, 562 from England,
1888 from Scotland, 1880 from Ireland,
4,031 from Russia, 1904 from Italy, 2,419
from Sweden, 1920 from Hungary, and
SIT from Galicia.
An American professor has just
published the results of his study of
10000 suicides during the last ten years.
Among other interesting points he finds
that the favorite age for suicide is be-
tween 35 and 40. The popular day is
Sunday for women, and Monday for
men. The favorite method is shoot
ing.
The life of a deep-sea cable is
from thirty to forty years. The main
portion lies in a bed of ooze two miles
or more beneath the surface of the wa
ter, and is practically imperishable. In
shallow water cables are attacked by
sharks, swordfish, sawfish, rocks and
anchors. In the Fifth of Forth thir-
teen ships anchors were once found
entangled in a length of four miles of
cables,
This advertisement recently ap-
reared in the London Times: "Will
any rich lady or gentlemen ,,(perhaps
with kim make settlements upon, or
bGquests to, the members of a family
recently reduced in circumstances?
Lifelong references. If acceptable pa
iron could, in gratitude, be cared for
in own home or in country house. love-
ly elevated spot, splendid views. Ad-
dress Desperandum, ETC."
in the early days of submarine ca
bles the minimum tariff was 500 for
twenty words and S. for each addi-
tional word. This was reduced after
a few years to SIS for ten words. In
1872 a rate of 81 word was introduced.
The word-rate system proved popu-
lar and was soon established univer-
sally. Since 1883 the cable rate across
the Atlantic has been down to 25 cents
a word, and the tariff now ranges from
that figure to IS a word between Eng
land and Peru. The average for the
whole world is 81 a word.
The only place in the world where
four states, territories or provinces
join, is where the boundary lines OF
Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Ari-
iona meet. 1t is the only -four cor
ners' combination of political divis-
ions of the kind on earth, and the
Cnlted states mas marked the place
with stone monument, the names Of
the four divisions being inscribed on
the shaft. The spot is in the heart
of country once densely populated by
cliff-dwellers, and access to 1t is 20
difficult that few tourists make their
way there. Mancos. Col, is the near
est railroad town, and it is one hum
dred miles distant. Were II not for
the boulders lying about. a wagon
could be set down, with each wheel in
a different state.
An instance of the absurdity of
some of the notions held by our an
cestors was the notion that the ring
ing OF the church bells had a coun-
teractlng effect In a thunderstorm. II
was supposed that the vibration OF
the air caused by the movement OF
the bells resulted IN the dissipation Of
the electric fiuid In the air. The be-
lief WAS 10 common az one time that
the priests had the bells TunR AZ soon
as signs Of an approaching thunder
storm were seen. Science now holds
8 contrary opinion. Not only does the
sound have no possible effect on the
air, bat the vibration caused By the
sound % a bell upon a cloud charged
with electricity may cause n 10 die.
charge its contents upon the ringer
~ the bell in the church tower.
No one can say how many words
there ars o. enc English Language, be.
cause there aFa 20 many words ~