Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-08-28
Odd Items of Interest

!!
| An account of the closing exercises of
the Jewish theological seminary of Amer
ica published in the Hebrew Standard
contains this reference to the valedic-
torian: LAS ] listened to his oratorical
flights / was seized with a feeling of awe
and wonderment no lesser in degree than
| that excited by Witnessing Count Yep
pelin's aerial flights, both of them being
phenomenal manifestations of the power
of the mind in triumphantly surmounting
all obstacles" Quoting this tribute. a
| rival paper adds: Let us hope that it
was not the quantity of gas which sug-
gested the comparison
The reopening of the quicksilver mines
near Konia, in Asia Minor, which were
abandoned centuries ago, is the subject of
an article in the current number of Pro-
metheus in which the report of F'reder-
| ick Sharpless is quoted at length. This
shows that in the abandoned mines, to-
gether with the fifty skeletons which
were found there were lamps clay, ham,
mers and other tools made of stone, a
quantity of charcoal and several arrows
with stone points. This whole interest
| ing find the writer says, gives one an
| idea of the methods employed in mining
three thousand years |ago.
One of the most inveterate hoarders on
record was George ". Not only was he
averse to destroying books and papers.
but he preserved everything that could
possibly kept. When he died all the
suits of clothes he had worn for twenty
years were discovered and sold by public
auction. His executors also found Sc
creted in various desks, drawers and cup
boards numerous purses and pocketbooks
crammcd full of money to the extern, it
is said. of 100000 together with more
sentimental treasures in the form of locks
of hair from the tresses of forgotten
| beauties of the court.-London Chronicle.
Two thousand years ago Herodotus said
| that the Caspian sea-across which Rus-
STA has been hurrying troops for Persia
was "a sea by itself, having no connec-
| ton with any other" But centuries af-
| ter his time such authorities as Strabo
and Pliny believed that it was connected
with the Northern ocean by long ana
narrow gulf. Geography seems to have
| had setback in the interval through
| false information received at the time OF
that the Caspian's length was fifteen
DAYS VOYAGE with a rowboat, its breadth
eight DAYS. Since the actual figures are
$50 miles and four hundred, this shows
| that a rowboat of the time did fifty miles
day.
| The trade name Of a certain Austral-
Ian brandy is the Boomerang.
The British and Foreign Bible Society
Hast wear distributed 5,934,711 Bibles.
! The condition of the Cologne cathedral
is again causing serious apprehension.
| Evidence has been found that tobacco
was cultivated in German gardens as ear
ly as 1870.
| In the Russian army the death rate
each year is almost equaled by the num-
Der of desertions.
| In England one person in every hum
bred is unable to read and write; In
France. two in every hundred
The Brooklyn IN. W Edison system is
at the present time supplying the current
equivalent of 100000 16-handle power in
lcandescent lamps
Sanitary conditions in Berlin have so
Improved in thirty years that the average
life of citizen is now nine years longer
than it was then. 1t is now thirty-eight.
We have learned how to telegraph with
ont wires and fly without gas bags, but
tho antidote for a common ordinary cold
stiII mocks the foiled searchings of the
buman race st Louis Republic
Deacon Stillman has just celebrated his
fortieth year of service on the New York
Ism staff, but still sits up with the
Youngest cub after the paper has gone to
lpress and talks about the wonderful days
lof old.
| board of five women has been ap-
pointed by the Governor of Texas to ex-
anime trained nurses who apply for IL
censes to pursue their calling in thai
state. According to the law just passed
lin Texas, all trained nurses must register
and pass an examination before the board
lof examiners.
| Bishop Turner of the African M. E
church, in a recent address at Chicago
said: You men and women of the col
ored race do not realize your numerical
power, and you are too lazy to figure /
Tout. A popular estimate of negroes in thu
limited States is 100000. That is fal
from correct. There are not fewer thar
l1S,O00, 900 today in this country. and ther,
are 4,6O0 colored babies born every day
We are here and we should be a grea
political factor or nothing. At presen
we are nothing, and as long as we submit
1--we shall have our liberties gradually lin
lited'
In the past, if one Englishman calle
another a liar there was something t
pay. The seventeenth century mayor
sheriff and city grandes generally wer
keen on this point of etiquette. The di
rect accusation cost II shillings penc
($276) the subtle hint, 6 shillings penc
(sl6O). And there was a reduction on re
petitions. Swearing, too, was prompti
suppressed. In 1850 law was passe
laying down the penalty for a first. OF
Tense. The fines were graduated. Tina
Sfor a lord was 80 shillings (s7.2O), for al
esquire 10 shillings s24O). while all ''in
[ferior persons could have few words
for shillngs and pence $50 cents).
Spraying is the method followed at tn