Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-05-24
Odd Items Of Interest

Chicago shows natural increase of
5000 children of school age every year.
Chinese farmers foresee approach
ing storms by observing the actions
of birds and insects.
The annual crop of wheat in recent
years averages 670,000,000 bushels in
the United States.
An SO, 00O, 900 loan has been issued at
Paris by Brazil, for the purpose of en-
larging the port of Pernambuco.
Deaf bscycle riders in England carry
a badge at the rear of their wheels to
safeguard them against motorists
w. r. Hornaday, the naturalist, and
now director of the New York Zoo,
tried to be real estate man in Buffalo
once but could not resist the call of the
Gagged wild.
A Syrian business directory has just
been issued in New York, and second
edition will be turned out next fall.
The book contains information both
in the English and Syrian languages.
Civil engineers are said to be busy
near Roynosa making the plans for a
Z
Grande into the Mexican territory. 1t
is possible that the water may be TAX
en- from the river for distance of
about thirty miles into the interior.
Admiral Nelson was the recipient of
favOritIsm in the matter of his APP
pCintment to the British naval ser
vice. Nelson's father could not have
afforded to send his son to Osbourne.
But if he had been Nelson would
have been rejected as physically I'M
fit" says a writer. "Nelson was SHOW
eled into the navy under bit of job
berry and pushed on by back-door in
huence."
Charles Dickens was christeied
Charles John Huffam., or Huffman. as
it is enormously entered in the parish
register. But when he became famous
he dropped the last two Christian
names, as he desired to be known as
plain Charles Dickens, wish respect
ed on his tombstone in Westminster
Abbey. by his biographer and friend.
John Forster. and by the scrupulously
accurate Dictionary of National Bio
graphy."
Princess Kropotkin Of Russia is said
to have given up her plan of making 4
lecture tour in America because of the
law which excludes anarchists. The
princess is described as gentle, inof-
fensive woman. but she and her hus-
band have been for years ''philosophi-
cal anarchists" AS the immigration
laws of America make no distinction
between the different classes of an
ic{,. IN would NOT he AL
lowed to land.
A bill has been introduced in the
South Carolina Legislature making
provision for a monument to the WOm-
Ell of the Confederacy. and the project
has been received with much favor
by the press. In urging an appropria-
ton the Columbia State says: 1.-THE
women of the Confederacy endured the
privations and hardships of war, with
out it's sustaining excitements They
waited and worked; theirs was the
torture of suspense"
DIR. George l.. Spinning. in recent
lecture. said: 1.-THE climate of Cali
fornia is not all like the beautiful chro-
mo of the postal card. If it be true
that in the Imperial valley it is so hot
' HAT IttcN udNc W lCNu Illtii i'SHo va
cracked ice to keep them from laying
boiled eggs. it is also true that in some
parts of the Sierras it is so cold that
If they had any hens they would have
to feed them on red peppers and Span
ish tamales to keep them from laying
hailstones."
Venezuela received it's musical
name from the early Spanish residents,
who saw a Resemblance to Venice in
the sites of the inland cities. The La
nos, or bleak plains. on which the IAN
eros changed their character since
Humboldt saw them. Then these great
plains of grass supported innumerable
herds of cattle; hut civil war destroyed
the beasts to feed the insurgents. The
lianos are now rapidly becoming po-
tential source OF timber.
Marconi produced in 1896 the first
wireless telegraph capable of sending
and recording electric waves across
long distances. In that year he could
send Ineligible messages 200 feet. BY
1900 he had perfected the process so as
to be able to transmit messages 200
miles In 1902 his ship, the Carlo AL
berto, kept in touch by wireless with a
station on the coast of England at dis
tances up to 1900 miles. In December
Of that year wireless messages were ex-
changed between England and Canada
In 1907 O. regular transatlantic wireless
service was inaugurated.
Women will soon be admitted to the
members gallery in. the British House
of Commons on the same terms as men
if the recommendation of comittee on
the subject is accepted. Heretofore
women who wished to see the House in
have been compelled to do SO
seated behind the grill of the women's
gallery. The committee argues that
permission to sit beside their male rel
atives and friends will make the privi-
lege of listening to the debates more
highly priced by women. The report is
said to have been severe shock to the
older members Of the House Of Com