The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-25
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

correspondence is beginning TO yield to
the omnipresent typewriter.
Lions and tigers have little endur-
ance. and their lung power is remark
ably weak. They can outrun a man
and equal a fast horse in speed for
short distance. but they lose their wind
at the end of half a mile or so.
All the region of the upper ANA
ION and its tributaries offers magnii-
cent facilities for cattle ranching.
When the hi%her lands are reached
there are vast stretches of prairies, or
''savannas," as they are called, with a
climate like spring all the year, where
cattle enough to supply a continent
can be raised, practically without ex-
pense.
1t has been estimated that the
average dinner de luxe at Sherry's, in
New York, travels 100000 miles before
it finally reaches the table. The ordi-
nary theater supper at the Waldorf
travels about $4,000 miles before be-
ing served. 1t will easily be seen how
these enormous totals are made UP
when it is considered that caviare
comes from Russia, a distance of 5000
miles; olives from Italy, about 5000
miles; sailed almonds from Levant,
over 10000 miles, and the coffee from
Java, which is half way around the
world and probably a distance of 49,
900 miles by any route. Nearly all the
sauces-and relishes come from far dis
tant places, the shell fish, meats, but
ter, bread and sugar alone being sup
piled on this side.
Though not so very aged Che Is
only 10, Edward Atkinson, the noted
anti-imperialist, anti-expansionist,
economist and inventor of the Aladdin
oven, is so feeble that he can no longer
write with a pen, but uses a rubber
stamp in signing his name. This is
done even on checks of small or large
amount. AS such a signature is not
legal Mr.. Atkinson renders it so by at
testing it according to the Bertillon
system. He inks the ball of his thumb
on a pad and leaves the imprint on the
check, as much as to say Edward At
kinson, his thumb" Bank cashiers in
Boston and elsewhere have become fa-
miliar with the hair lines of the At
kinsonian thumb, and a piece of paper
bearing it is as good as legal tender.
The largest grapevine in the world
is growing in the Carpinteria valley,
twelve miles east of Santa Barbara,
Cal, and is called La Para Grande.
1t was started from a cutting sixty
one years ago by a young Spanish
woman, Dona Ayala. 1t is feet
inches in circumference at its base,
and one of the horizontal branches
measures more than three feet in cir
cumference. The trellis covers about
third of an acre, and sixty heavy
posts support it. The vine produces
as many as 5000 punches annually, at
a conservative estimate, and in good
years many clusters measures IL to Is
inches in length and weigh six to eight
pounds. It's owner estimates that in
1895 the vine yielded ten tons of
grapes.
TO get all sorts of health fads on
the brain is a disease in itself, says
Medical Talk 1t is a very prevalent
disease, too. With a few foolish rules
to observe, whole lot of hygienic
quirks to adjust to and a schedule
of superstitious sanitary notions dill
gently followed by day and dreamed
of by night, is a malady which be-
gins as a mental arrangement and
ends in a complete physical fizzle. No
room left for a spontaneous life. no
place for free, joyous liberty. Not a
minutes space for rollicking disregard.
Everything fixed, every minute dis
posed of, introspections without num-
Der. Forebodings, misgivings, hover
ing vaguely about the mind, like fiocks
of carrion crows. Such a life is not
worth living. One might thousand
times better go back to the reckless
regime of rough rider.
Once an inventor sought to trans
mute ideas into gold, says the New
York News. He had worked in a small,
three-sided shop in Canal street, which
was then an uptown section of the city.
The man was Joseph Francis, and the
device upon which he worked was a
non capsizable' lfeboat One day he
found himself in need of a bolt. He
also began to feel the demoralizing
ravages of hunger He had but 10
cents. His desire was for the bolt
only-but he realized that bread also
was necessary to finish his work. Sud
denly he hit upon a compromise. He
remembered that there was a hard
ware shop away up in the country
above Fifty-ninth street, where he
could get the bolt for cents. Late
at night he returned to his shop with
the bolt and a loaf of bread. He
worked until sunrise, when the boat
was completed. He had built the
Francis lifeboat. 1t may be seen on
almost any ocean steamship. On it's
first trial it saved 800 lives.
China is a land of immense rivers
and other waterways, and there is no
country in the world where boats are
used so generally for all imaginable
purposes. A large proportion of the
Chinese people practically live on the
water all the time. In the single port
Of New Chwang 1000 iunks were reg
istered last year. All this makes a
large demand for sail-cloth, roping
and other accessories for small boats.
| The sea-going junks use great quanti-
ties of rope especially of large sizes,
instead of anchor chains. The fact
that considerable quantities of Ameri-
can rope are being ordered for Man.
churia-some for Chinese junks-indi-
Gates the possibilities of trade in this
line. If sales can be established
throughout North China thew NAV
grow to wonderful proportions. If. in
addition, it would be possible to get a
part of the rope trade of Southern and
Central China the volume would be
sufficient to keep several large plants
in operation. Our consul at New
Chwang, Mr.. Henry B. Miller, saws
that If samples and prices are sent
to him he will gladly give the matter
attention and endeavor to introduce
the goods.-Leslie's Weekly.
-Skillful taxidermy has preserved a
grouse, at the throat of which hung
a weasel in death grip, when shot
while on the wing by C. X. Sober of
Lewisburg, Pa, during a hunting trip
in the White Deer mountains Of the
Blue Ridge. Mr.. Sober, who is a