Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-11-16
GLEANINGS AND GOSSIP.

The imports of condensed milk into
Japan are increasing enormously.
Consul-General Ernest l.. Harris of
Smyrna reports that a recent meeting
Of the municipal council of that Turk
ish city, resolutions to the following
effect were passed: "WorkerS in places
where figs are packed must submit to
regular medical inspection by the doe
tors and agents Of the municipality;
they must appear cleanly dressed and
be clearly in person and habits; those
who work the figs with their feet shall
be required to wash their feet thor
oughly before beginning work; the
sacks Of figs and raisins exposed in the
fruit market or stored in private
depots must be placed on screens to
protect them from the mud
A feature of this years hunting sea-
son in the Maine woods has been the
abundance of cartridges. Commenting
on the matter, the kennebec Journal
says: "a well-known eastern Maine
guide claims that the hedgehog law
passed by the legislature four years
ago and repealed last season has had
the indirect effect of giving the par
tIidgeS a chance to multiply. This law
authorized the payment of bounty on
hedgehogs, and while it was in force
resulted in killing off the porcupine al
most to the point of extinction. This
man says that the hedgehogs eat the
eggs of the cartridges, and now that
there are so few of them many more
eggs have chance to hatch"
The total number of persons EN-
ployed at mines and at the quarries
of the United Kingdom during 1907 was
1,O6O,034. OF the 1920 persons en-
ployed at mines. 776,456 worked under
ground and 195,764 above ground. OF
the latter. 1864 were females. Com
pared with the preceding year there
was an increase of 49.093 males working
under ground, and an increase of 1874
males and of III females working
above ground, making a total Increase
of 1854 persons. the largest increase
ever recorded in single year. Of
this increase. 81 per cent. occurred at
coal mines. At all other mines there
was an increase of 1710 males and
decrease of IL females.-Consular Re
ports.
One of Australia's colonies, a vet
eran of 80 years, has just published his
"reminiscences. While walking up
George street. Sydney. in 1885, he heard
a be!lman announcing the first sale of
allutments in the new township of
Melbourne He went inside The
proclaimed the merits of
this new township, and predicted that
ii would Re a grand city some day.
Yes, a city of Kansaroos," interjected
a scotfing spectator. Hardly "a bid
could be elected. A few years later
the gold discoveries did rapidly con-
vert the township of Melbourne into a
great city. and the lucky people who
had bought allotments for 500 or $50
found ther value increased to 500. 900,
$4,000 and in some cases even $780,
900
What a writer calls "the most origi-
nal telegraph line in the world once
extf nded between the city of La PaZ.
the capital of Bolivia, and the town OF
Oruro. In this part of Bolivia there
are no growing trees and WOOD is 50
difficult to procure that even the ordi-
nary household furniture of the natives
il invariably made, not Of wood, but of
dried mud, or adobe as it is called.
When the war broke out in 1880 be
tween Chill and Bolivia this material
was used to construct pillars to take
the place of ordinary posts for sup
porting telegraph wire, with the addi-
ton Of old bottles as insulators These
pillars were subsequently built on
stone foundations and measured about
five feet square at the base, with a
height of about Is feet. They were
placed at intervals Of about 361 feet,
and thus held tie wire at a height
sufficient to clear the only animals of
the country, the lama and donkey. The
total length of the line was 156 miles
and it rendered useful service for some
&c years before being replaced by a
wooden telegraph pole line.