Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-07-17
GLEANiNGS AND GOSSIP.

| IN consequence of the increasing
abuse Of opium, it's sale in French har-
Dor cities has been forbidden.
| The Oil fields near Delagoa bay, in
Africa, are expected to prove among
the most productive in the world.
| In eight years the population of Os-
ka. Japan, has increased from 81 800
to over 1,O26,OOO. The number of factor
les has increased by 991.
Recent orders of the German govern
ment require the officials and employees
Of the railroads to learn and speak the
English language. Schools of instruct
ion for this purpose have already been
established at Munich and Nuremberg.
| Several trained Scotch collies have
been used by the Germans in their
Southwest African campaign, but, ac-
| cording to reports received in Berlin,
| they have proved an utter failure. APP
parently the animals lose their sense
of smell after they have been in the
tropics for a time.
The parish council of Lindfield, Eng,
had two male swans three years ago.
At a policeman's suggestion it changed
one of them for a female. Now it has
| a municipal "Swannery," and sells cyg-
nets at $2.65 each, to the notable relief
of the taxes.
Within a month after the great dis
aster in San Francisco a telephone sys-
tenn was again in operation, and $50
telephones were being added each day.
For a time it was j pretty makeshift
exchange, for the telephone girls were
forced to sit on barrels while they an
| llc
Insurance came from medieval Italy.
1t is believed to date from the 10th CEN
fury, and at that time it was known
in Florence. The Romans did not
know insurance. The nearest they
icame to it was the practice of COM
pany supplying the army to require a
guarantee from the state against the
loss of ships. This was soon abandon
ed because damages had been collected
for sunken ships too worthless to float.
A remarkable journey is being taken
by Mrs. w. p. Wilson of Philadelphia,
who is travelling through South AM
erica. In order to study educational
systems, social conditions and the sta
tus of women she will visit the wild as
well as the civilized sections. She will
lspend five months on the trip and ex-
primitive stage coaches and on the
backs of horses and burrOs, crossing
the Andes five times.
| The German patent office, comes in
for much censure Such an institution
would be expected to exact no more OF
inventors than is needed to pay cur
rent expenses. but in reality the
charges are so high that the state pock-
cts half the income as profit. 1t is
pointed out that for poor inventors
matters are almost as bad as they were
| when Gutenberg, after inveHting the
art of printing, lived in poverty, and
finally had to pawn his apparatus.
Colorado is very much worried over
the report that the armOred cruiser
Colorado may soon be ordered to the
China station for several years SER
vice. The state has not yet presented
the ship with the customary set of sill
yer ware, but is planning to do so, and
does not want the ship to go away be-
, fore the set is ready. Having no con-
venient seaport of her own. Colorado
, had chosen Galveston. Tex, as the
place where the presentation was to be
made, and preparations were under way
for a grand junkeJ to that city.
"Grave-digging is sot gay business
said a grave digger, but it is a very
old one, and many curious supersti-
tions surround it. One of these is new
er to buy a new spade. To dig grave
with q spade that is new is supposed
TO bring death in the family within a
twelvemonth. Hence grave d1ggerS
I buy their spades second hand, as rule.
Another superstition with some is that
grave should never stand open over
I night. 1t should not, they say, be dug
t till the day of the funeral; if it is
made the day before. beware! There is
! a third superstition that if cock crows
: once while the grave is being dug. one
} friend IF the digger will die; if 1t
3 crows twice. two will die; if thrice.
!, three"
, Brussels has dog detective. For
!. some time in the darker parts of the
e city cyclists have been assaulted and
3 their wheels stolen. A special police
s service was organized to stop these
r crimes. One of the officers charged
s with this service possessed dog whose
g ma tural Intelligence has been quicken
= ed by the best professional training
t which his master could give him. The
r dog was pressed into the service. one
evening, as his owner was unsuspic-
iously passing some piles OF masonry
n on waste ground the dog became rest
a lessly alert, and, rushing among all the
Inns and outs, soon led the olllcler tc
the hiding place of five OF the worst
i thieves known to the Brussels ponce
The spectacle of five men being shep-
y herded" to Jail by one police ofhcer and
a dog attracted much attention.
. Phillips Brooks. writing from lnd1a
- fllnnthS SaiG