Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-08-18
Odd Items of Interest

A five-pound bluefish passes eastward
from Vineyard sound in the spring and
weighs ten or fifteen pounds in autumn.
! The bluefish is an unmitigated sea
butcher and is able to whip any other
species not larger than himself He at
tacks menhaden with such ferocity as to
pack them in windows foot deep on the
| coast.
An automatic stoker has been tested on
! the Chicago & Alton. In recent test
one of the engines so equipped hauled
| fifty loaded cars from Chicago to st.
Louis, breaking all records for long dis
! tance firing without the firebox being
cleaned en- route. Ten tons less coal were
consumed than usual for the same num-
Der of cars on such a trip.
| Former Indian Commissioner Leupp. at
| a recent meeting of the National Educa-
| ton Association, said that certain old
Indian told him he wanted rolltop desk.
! Asked what he wanted with such thing
when he could neither read nor write. he
replied: $50 L could set in me chair, put
me cigar in me mouth, hold me paper
up before me face and tell the fellers
what come to see me git out; too busy
to talk to you now "
THE way some tailors give credit"
said Judge Rentoll, at the city of Lon
don court sis awful The idea of CIV
ing a man credit for $3.50 worth of clothes.
Firms who give such credit must charge
enormous prices
For many years the observatory of the
vatican has been divided a portion be-
ing on the vatican hill, some little dis
re- ba Of b,,t
by recent Encouragement the entire es-
Establishment will be moved to the top of
the hill
1t is reported that a syndicate pros
pecting $50 miles south of Suez. on the
Red sea coast, has struck oil, the gusher
giving increasing quantities daily, and
indicating large reserves. The well has
been properly capped pending storage ar
rangements. The possibility of a cheap
supply of fuel is discovery of the great
est Importance to Egypt, and it's geo.
graphical position should render the dis
covery valuable to the British navy.
RI Oslar has stated that the question
of preserving the teeth is more impor-
tant than the liquor question No doubt
much dyspepsia is due to decayed and
defective teeth, which preclude complete
mastication if the food(even if anybody
in America had the time to eat property
Dentists, like doctors, are now beginning
to realize that their true mission is not
"a general rebuilding SYSTEM but a sys-
tematic and well considered affort to pre-
vent and overcome the decay and loosen
ing of human teeth.-Philadelphi Record
The asteroid Eros, which is celebrated
for the eccentricity of its orbit, and its
occasional near approaches to the earth
is again attracting the attention of as
trcnomers, but this time a long while in
advance of the performance that is ex-
pected of it. In 1900 Eros came within
about 31,0O0,000 miles of the earth, but in
1881 it will approach us within about 49,
100000 miles. This will afford a unique
opportunity to determine with greater
eXactness the solar parallax, the mass of
the moon and the mass of the earth.
The Turkish empire has a population
of $4,000 in Europe and 17,6S0,000 in
Asia Minor. Constantinople has at least
100000 people. incluing 10000 Greeks, TO-
600 Germans, $500 Austrans and French.
5000 Italians, 1000 English, and possibly
80 Americans. The natives are of all de-
grees of Turkish and Arab origin. Thou
sands of them are wel-to-do or wealthy.
broad-minded, and ready for the awaken
ing to which the nation and Constanti-
nople in particular are rapidly advance
ing. There is now a great future for
trade in Turkey. Official notices already
issued cover number of large and i'm
portant public works.-Consular Report.