New-York tribune., 1910-07-13
THE TALK OF THE DAY.

At a recent meeting Of one Of the
branches of the Vienna Medical Society
Professor SchIesinger introduced show
man" who swallowed III the presence Of
the assembled scientists, according to a
published report, "a soup plate full of
large stones and pebbles and followed
these with two handfu1s Of shoe nails.
The nails were allowed to slide down one
at time. head first. When this feat
had been accomplished the man declared
himself ready to swallow lamp chim-
ney and a live adder, but the physicians
refused TO allow him the privilege" A
discussion followed, in the course of which
the assertion was made that 'showmen
usually die young In answer TO this the
case of Harry Johnson was cited. He
died in England, aged 1O3 years. He had
been d circus man from his fourteenth
year, performing rider and on the tra-
peze and tight rope "Showmen of the
johnson kind" it was said, live as long,
despite the risks they take. as clerks or
bookkeepers, and should not be included
with the glass and nail eating class
sheigll De Laynes Geading)-An' Wen q
met dey imbraced an kist one anudder on
d. cheek. WOt y 'Spose dey done mex?
De Cam Hopper-W'y. wit'out doubt, dey
took a drink.
Sheigh De L4aynes-An' wot you 'spose
dey drank?
De Cam Hopper--W' dat French drink
dat entente cordial. of course, y bloomin
idjut-ChicagO RecOrd-Herald.
In note on the possibility of destroying
towns and wiping out armies by dropping
explosives from the Sky, the Law Jour
nal" of London, recalls that at the first
Peace Conference, in 1899. the representa-
tives of all the participating nations. save
Great Britain, Italy and Japan. signed a
convention prohibiting for five years the
discharge of projectiies and explosives from
balloons or by other similar methods. At
the second conference, in 1907 when it was
proposed to renew the prohibition till the
next Peace Conference, q remarkable change
In international opinion was manifested.
Twenty nations, including Great
Britain, ratified the convention; seventeen,
including France. Germany and Russia.
abstained. 1T would seem. therefore" says
the Journal" that either humanitarian
IDEAS are declining or that the abstaining
powers had not clearly before them the
horrors which unrestricted aerial warfare
would involve for innocent private sub
jects; and it may be hoped that at the next
Peace Conference the advance of mans
control over the air and the consequent ad-
vance of the airship as an instrument of
war will induce unanimity upon a proposal
TO renew the existing convention"
De Style-Why did the Department of
Agriculture get out a cookbook?
Gunbusta-I don't know; it certainly be-
longs 10 the Department of the Interior :"
Judge.
The French statistics of population for
the year 1903 were published last month
and show, according TO lie Temps" of
Paris, an excess of IS 424 births over the
deaths. the latter numbering 1885, 545. In
1905 tile excess of births amounted to 49,
AL The growth OF population in France
during the years I901-'05 was Is a 10, ,9OC
in 1895 II fell to Z in the following years
to 3 a 10 0O0. In 1908 it rose TO l2; last
year it came down TO 3, During 1901 -'05
the excess of births over deaths was l49 in
Germany III in England, 11S in Austria
and 100 L, italy. During the year 1899
there were in France 307. .951 marriages and
l2.S74 divorces. The total population is
given at 39,352.245
1.-THE Berliner Lokal Anzeiger" has been
looking into The statistics of danger from,
lightning. and has found that that danger
Is five times greater in the country than in
the city in Prussia at least When over
taken by thunderstorm In the country"
the paper continues. keep on going stead
lily. Both running and standing still In