The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, July 19, 1905, Image 7
ATCHING FISH ?
"> i
? How These Birds i
" ? Ingenious
i
TERRAPIN AND GOLOF
SV.-.V.V.V.V.V.'.V.V.V.VaV,
fctOKk HE origin of cormorant fishing
in Japan is lost in a
^1^ <j very remote antiquity. At
X least a thousand years ago
is known to bare flour$
ished. and there is "a tradit
of its existence upward of two
usand years ago. Much romance
Lhistory are connected with the fishin
the early days, and the names
gome of Japan's greatest warriors
. statesmen are associated with it.
ile a commercial enterprise, it does
t, however, give employment to
tuy people and is not conducted in
ny places. It is confined to rivers, j
1 the most extensive, interesting and
I as fishery is that in tiie i\agarn
and n:#st noted of the cormor-'
shing villages is in the outskirts
? large city of Gifu.
h3 time of my visit, the chief corit
fisherman, whose ancestors for j
generations had engaged in this
y in the sam3 locality, attired
if in the peculiar dress of the j
;sion for the purpose of exhibitlis
birds and the methods of
ng them. Later he and all the
fishermen on the river went to
lezvous and gave a practical deration
of cormorant fishing,
cormorants are controlled by
of a slender cord, which passes
i the J>ird's breast and is tied in
iddle of the back. The cord is
of woody fibers of the cryptotree,
with the exception of a
section next to the bird, which
:s of whalebone. There is a supJtal
cord tied around the neck
lower end of ths gullet for the
~ -1-* frA m
pose or prevenuug iue uou
ring so far that they cannot be
>vered. The tying of this cord is
elicate operation, for if too tight
lay injure the bird and if too loose
rill allow the fish to be swallowed,
he fishery is conducted from boats,
Ich are of a special type, being long,
row dugouts, propelled primarily by
Idles, but when en route to the fishgrounds
often provided with a sail,
ct boat has a crew of four men and
complement of sixteen cormorants,
te in the afternoon the boats start
a place in thq river where fishing
fl begin, the cormorants being
iwed away in pairs in bamboo basis.
The fishing grounds cover
iny miles, and operations are coned
to successive sections of the river
htly, in accordance with law.
etches several thousands yards in
?+h dp? fipf nside as imDerial re- |
Sves, on which no fishing is permitILs
soon as darkness prevails a^blazK
fire of pine wood is kindled in
i iron basket overhanging the bow
the boat, and the boats drift down
earn together, sometimes in a mixed
ap. sometimes in a line extending
ass the river, each guided and proed
by two men. The captain, standnear
the bow. manages twelve cor:ants
and his assistant four, the
is being held between the fingers
frequently shifted as the birds
re about. With the cormorants
ing and darting in all directions,
se of different boats often mingling,
3 a wonder that they do not suon
omo inextricably tangled, but so
lfully are they managed that the
s rarely become fouled. In a short
? the cormorants' gullets begin to
fe with ayu: when they are well
d the birds are pulled up to the guiles
one by one and their catch is
tly squeezed into baskets. This
tinues for several hours, and each
norant may fill its gullet fifteen
wenty times.
pectators usually 20 to the fishing
unds in a kind of barge, illumiw?
bv lanterns, and eat their din
on board while waiting at a consent
point for the fishing boats to
ive. During the evening when I
rnessed the fishery the seven boats
whose operations I was particularly
terested averaged 700 or 800 fish
iece, and the aggregate catch was j
)rth $150?a very respectable sum to I
panese fishermen.
She fishery is prosecuted with enGsiasm
by both men and cormorants,
d the shouts of the fishermen, the
jtrse croaking of the birds, the rush
the mountain stream, the splashing
d creaking of the paddles, the hisses
of the embers as they fall into the
iter, the weird light* and shadows
mbine to make a performance which
Westerner is not iikeiy soon to fort.
TERRAPIN' FARMS.
The cultivation of water products has
ne hand in hand with the fisheries,
d in certain lines has attained
ftvfnnt tilH n ill
lt*I [JUitctuvu auu ?
y other country- The raising of rerpin,
which with us is nu unsolved
oblem and has oniy recently been
riously considered, has for years been
ry successfully carried on by the
panese. I visited a terrapin farm
ar Tokio, where 30.000 to 00,000
tifieially grown terrapin are placed
r the market annually. Without any
tside aid or suggestions, the .Tapane
have evolved special methods for
e cultivation of many kinds of molsks,
including the pearl oyster, the
k-shell, several claims, and various
her lamellibranchs, and, in addition,
e common oyst?r.
That the Japanese should realize the
lportance of oyster culture is not
l*ange; but that they should have
ken it up a century before our na)n
was bora and hare recognized
e most essential factor in successful
iltivation, namely, individual ownerIp
or control of the oyster bottoms,
mes as something of a shock to our
,tional priile when we remember
at in the most important oyster reou
in the worid. within a short disnce
of the capital of the United
atcs, the vi;a! principles of oyster
ilture are ignored and efforts to apy
them are resisted sometimes by
rce cf arms. The cultivation of
sters has reachod greatest perfec>n
in th? Inland Sea near Hiroshima,
id some very ingenious methods have
ere been evolved, which are dei
flTH CORMORANTS
Ire Utilized by the L
Japanese. 7*
k
ISH FARMS IN JAPAN.
%wav.v.vav.v.v.v.v.w7;
scribed in a paper by Dr. Eashfor<3
Dean recently published by the Unitet
States bureau of Fisheries.
Among tiie fishes regularly cultivated
are the cel. the mullet, the carp, the
goldfish, and several salmon and trout
The important salmon fishery in north
em Japan having suffered from dople
tion of the streams, the governmenl
s<*nt a representative to this country
twenty years ago to study cur hatching
methods. It goes without saying thai
he took home with him a well-filled
note book. and. in addition, the plans
of one of our salmon hatcheries, and
shortly afterwards from those plans
hn?lt in PTnl.-l:n win th? first SillUlOE
hatchery in Asia. With this as: a model
and centre, salmon 'culture in Japan
has steadily grown, until there are now
eighteen salmon hatcheries in Honshu
and Hokkaido, and Japan has become
the only competitor of the United
States in the artificial propagation ol
salmon.
The carp has b?en cultivated from
very ancient times and now receives
much attention. la the Tokio district
alone 223 acres of pools are devoted tc
carp culture, and the annual crop is
upward of 400,000 pounds, valued al
$15,000. In one village in the Gifu
prefecture 250 acres of paddy fields,
in which there is growing rice,-have
recently been devoted to carp culture
by the local agricultural society, and
23,000,000 young fish are now procured
there annually and sold for stocking
purposes. It is a significant fact that
the carp not only does not injure the
rice plants, but benefits them' by de
VOUriUJJ UBSirilUUVe macula, nucicui
in this country one of the very loudest
and longest wails against the carp
is that it uproots aquatic vegetation.
GOLDFISH FARMS.
The goldfish receives more attention
than any other species, and the place
it holds in the affections of the masses
illustrates one of the racial characteristics
of the Japanese?namely, the love
for the beautiful and ornamental, and
the time and money all classes bestow
on things that appeal to the esthetic
rather than to the mercenary and practical.
Although the goldfish occurs in
a -wild state in Japan, it is probable
that China some 400 years ago furnished
the stock from which the wonderful
varieties of Japanese goldfish
have been bred. It is reported that
in feudal days, even when famine was
abroad in the land and many people
were starving, the trade in goldfish
was flourishing. The demand at present
appears to be without limit, and
the output shows a substantial increase
each year. Many thousands
of people make a living by growing
IUL liiamci, UliU UUUU1CU3 V L
peddlers carry the fish through the
streets and along the country roads
in wooden tubs suspended from a
shoulder bar.
The leading goidfisb centre is Koriyama,
near the ancient capital city
of Nara. Here" are 350 independent
breeding establishments, whose yearly
product runs far into the millions. One
farm which I visited was started 14fl
years ago; at first it was conducted
merely for the pleasure of the owner,
but it eventually became a commercial
enterprise and is now very profitable.
The history and methods of goldfish
culture in Japan constitute a very engaging
theme, not less interesting to
the biologist than to the fish culturist.
Some of the current American ideas
of tiie manner in which the remarkable
varieties have been produced are preposterous,
and evoked much merriment
among the Japanese when I mentioned
them.?National Geographic Magazine.
Full Moon.
A New York man named Tompkins,
starting on a trip South, fell in with an
old acquaintance, and was surprised
to learn that the man he had known
for so many years was just starting ou
his wedding tour. Congratulations followed.
says the New York Tribune,
and when the old friend mentioned th?
name of his bride, the daughter of an
extremely wealthy man, Tompkins exclaimed:
"Well, you are indeed a fortunate
man!"
The bridegroom gave a smile of modest
satisfaction, and soon after excused
himself to return to his wife.
When Tompkins and his traveling
companion were alone, the companior
remarked:
"Appears to have struck it prettj
rich, eh?"
"I should say so!" exclaimed Tornp
kins. "Of my personal knowledge 1
should say that rhe girl is worth sev
eral millions."
"And so he is on his honeymoon?'
added the New Yorker.
"Honeymoon?" repeated Tompkins
with a burst of enthusiasm. "Why. 1
can in nouims less tiiaa a Harvest
moon!"
The Cruel "Kan?*e."
There would appear to be no seasoi
of the year in which calamity in souk
form does not lie in wait for cattle lef
to shift for themselves on the grea
plains. In winter they slowly perisl
from long-continued cold aud lack o:
food. In the spring storms destroy
the young and the less enduring 01
the older stock. Later they perist
from summer and autumnal droughts
The indications are that the rang<
steer is going out of existence in j
similarly perverse way. With bin
goes the cowboy, the most pieturesqui
figure or an miniature western civniza
tion. He gave us some fine types. Dit
not Iloo:;evelt himself develop from :
cowboy?
But even Roosevelt to-day condemn:
the range system, Avith its wastefu
use of land and its necessary monopo
lies, as well as its cruelties. So it wil
not be long: ere the spectacle of cattli
porishing in thousands as the resul
of a heartless system will have be
come something of the past. Thi
"Western stockman" will have become
a farmer.?St. Paul Pioneer-Press.
HOW STANDARD TIME
, MODERN WA'
| ' SECTIONAL VIEW THRO
Tlio building is designed to protect
1 lia t would en use variations in the ti
ture are precluded by the double wall
! inch air space between. Vibrations ar
' heavy masonry piers built on a bed of
the master clocks, which, by electrica
! out the works. The siderial clock to t
' week, by observing the transit of the s
whole works.?Scientific American.
OLD KEYS WORTH $7000.
i
[ It may not be generally known that
there are many key collectors in this
big world of curio-hunters. Some of
the keys of bygone ages are veritable
. triumphs of the locksmith's arc. In
. Rome the bridegroom's presentation or
. a buncb of keys to the bride as she
, crossed bis threshold, to invest her
with the authority of the matron, was
one of the most solemn rites of the
wedding ceremony. Moreover, these
i symbolic keys had to be returned by
' the wife, who, when proving herself
i unworthy of the trust, was expelled
forever from the home she had dis*
graced. On the other hand, the French
L widow of the Middle Ages, if left dos'
titute, had the right to tear away the
sacred keys of the house from bet
girdle and throw them in the grave of
i her deceased husband. By this action,
! commonly known as "throwing the
. I K-ova in thr? nit" slip nnbliclv renounced
all further ties and disclaimed the
i debts of the man who had left her unprovided
for. From that moment she
i was left unmolested, for in those super,
stitious days no one would have dared
to interfere with a woman who had
thus freed herself from any marriage
, responsibility.
We cannot but admire the work of
i the old locksmiths, who manipulated
at will brass, iron and steel, so as to
' delineate the delicate traceries and fretwork
of guipure and church windows.
i This metal craft had evidently a great
fascination, since it can boast not only
of several masters of renown, notably
the celebrated Benvenuto Colliui and
Antoine Jacquart, but also of a royal
amateur, Louis XIV. himself, renowned
for his mechanical bobby, and
who has left to posterity several keys
| ^
I HERALDIC KEY.
I
. peculiar for their double L's surmovmt,
ed with n crown, in great demand
. among collectors. Their reputation,
i greatly due. no doubt, to the position
, of the worker, pales before that of the
aiaster who executed the heraldic chef
UNNEIGH
i
The Dos (tauntinglyV?"And you d
IS MAINTAINED AT A
rCH WORKS.
i I) B^'fl H ^
UGH THE OLOCKROOM.
the clocks from disturbing influences
me. Temperature changes and mciss
and ceiling providing an eighteene
avoided by placing the clocks on
sand. The pair of clocks in front are
1 connections, give the time throughhe
rear which is checked, twice each
tars, serves as the standard for the
d'oeuvres, bearing the arms of the
Strozzi family, recently bought for a
wealthy connoisseur at the huge price
of $7000.
TOWER OF LU0YAN6.
The above cut represents what is said
to be the oldest tower an the Liaoyang
Peninsula. It was built about
1400 years ago, and has witnessed a
good deal of Oriental history. While
the great Battle of Liaoyaug was go
THE AXCIENT TO WEB OP LIAOFANO.
jr.g on, both Russians and Japanese
likewise refrained from injuring the
tower. The above picture is a reproduction
from a photograph lpade by a
war correspouuent imur me jainucw
occupation of the town. In front of
the tower are seen some Japanese officers
of General Oku's staff.?Pliiladelpbia
Record.
The finest collection of orchids in the
world is at the summer palace of the
Austrian Emperor, at Schonbrunn. It
contains 18,000 plants.
The most careful chemical analyses
have demonstrated that rice possesses
more nutriment than wheat, oats or
barley.
Statistics published in Spain state
that during 15)04 nearly 12,000 bulls
were killed in bull fights.
The Congo dwarfs never reach a
greater age thau forty years.
IBORLY.
icln't lose yonr head, after allX"
jp|oiisehold
t patters
Wooden Bedsteads.
It is a relief after the long regime
of the iron anil brass beds to see
wooden beds offered for cottage furnishings.
The new beds are very
simple in design, and are as pretty as
possible. Forest green, walnut stain
and gray maple ar(*favorite woods.
Tjginc Field Dnisieu.
The House Beautiful publishes a picf
ture of a table decorated v. ith coramor
I field daisies. The long table has three j
I wreaths of daisies extending to tin
covers at. the ends. In the centre of
the middle -wreath stands a tall glass
vase filled loosely with daisies, while
glass candlesticks stand within the
other wreaths. Green candles are used,
and the green paper shades are
trimmed with daisies sewed.on in a
flat wreath. This furnishes a hint for
like decorations of nasturtiums, violets
and other simple flowers.
To Clean Mattresses.
Mattresses are difficult to clean, and
even some work to brush properly,
owing to the creases around the upholsterer's
buttons. If they are not
constantly and completely covered by
protectors the dust wiil gradually enter
every crease. One piece of unbleached
cotton sheeting should be
stretched over the entire mattress.
The end of the sheeting should first be
pinned to the top of the mattress, the
rest drawn to the foot, under the mattress,
and up again to the top, where
the upper and under ends should be
neatly basted together. After all
wrinkles are smoothed out, the edges
nf tho shpptinc nlnnir tlie sides of the
mattress are roughly basted together.
There should be two protectors for
every mattress, so that when one is
in the wash thie other can take its
place.
Concerning Polished Floor*.
Hard wood floors of either pine, maple.
birch or oak should never be var- *
nished. Therein lies the pitfall which
the landlord, seeking for cheap and
speedy results, prepares for our feet,
since the black corners and white spots
are sure to come in time even with the
best of care. Waxing is the only proper
method if we may start afresh,
and with new floors the process is comparatively
simple. We are advised by
the best authorities to provide against
PnfnwA ffi?ooea cmftfo hv onnlxflnnr fipcf
LULULC {jlCCVOO OJ/lTlia WJ "'ft ?"
two coats of a mixture containing:
equal parts of linseed oil and turpen-^
tine, combined with a japan drier.]
The drier must not be omitted or the
oil will combine with the wax, and the
results will be anything but satisfactory.
After allowing this mixture to
dry over night all the pores of the
wood may be filled with one of the
prepared fillers. The polish is more
even if this is done, but to avoid making
the floors excessively slippery it is
sometimes omitted. Some woods do
not need it. When the floor is thoroughly
dry it is ready for the paste of
wax and turpentine, which may be applied
with a cloth in an even coat, not
too thick, and allowed to dry over
uight. Another'coat is put on the next
morning and allowed in turn to dry,
when the whole is thoroughly polished
with a weighted brush and woolen
cloth, rubbing always with the grain.
If this is thoroughly done it will not
be necessary to repeat the process for
a year, and then only partially if the
floors have not been roughly treated.?
Harper's Bazar.
l?ajr Carpet.
There are in almost every house old
! garments, sheets and pillowcases that
; might be utilized in making a rag cavj
pet. and there is no floor covering
! which in point of mobility or economy
can compare with it., When a
garment that cannot be worn again
comes from the wash, cut off the buttons
and bands, and tear it in strips
from one-half to three-fourths of an
inch wide; the finer they are, the prettier
the carpet will be. Put them in a
bag or box with a closely fitting cover,
so they will be protected from the dust.
The work of sewing them is neither
tedious nor difficult. When you have
enough for a carpet, mix them thoroughly,
that the colors may be evenly
distributed. Take them to the sewing
machine, and lap and sew the euds of
the strips. Continue until you have
about a pound sewed, then clip the
threads and wind into a ball. Rich,
dark colors, sewed indiscriminately
and warped with a dark chain, produce
a good effect, and is desirable for bedrooms,
but is too dark for a room
which is in constant use. A dark carpet
shows dust more than a light
one. Black and white warp, woven in
brick work, is pretty for striped carpets,
or all brown or black may be
used and will look better than bright
colors. Be sure to make the weaver
use lhe best warp, for the warp wears
out first, and have him put five hundred
threads in a carpet one yard wide
One pound of warp will be enough foi
three yards of carpet, and one and onefourth
pounds of rags will weave a
yard of carpet.
c
Fruit Ico Cream?The v?ry best frui>
ice cream is made by whipping ereair
nnd partially freezing it. Meanwhile
mash the fruit with plenty of sugai
and stir it into the cream. and completi
tiie freezing process When cream i5
whipped it goes further, besides mnk
ing a liuriiter ico cream. The fruit doe;
not require much fivezing.
Green Peppers?Who has not learnec
to use green peppers bus .something tc
learn in the cookery line. Peppers cu
in rings with dull scissors and com
bined with lettuce and French dress
ing are as good a simple salad as om
could wish lot. A delicious made-ovei
dish of chicken is constructed witl
tile aid of green peppers. Cut off tht
tops of the peppers and scoop out th?
membrane. Parboil for about fivi
minutes, cut up me L-m ru, un.\
boiled rice. and fill tlie peppers wit)
the mixture. Fl3.ee in a baking p?i
and pour in enough stock or water, iip
murse the papp'ers lialf-way, ard batfor
au lioar
THE OTHER MAN; I
How the First "Made Good" in Place of \
the Second. : i
The Average Sort of Girl said to tlie j
Commonplace Young Man: "I met that !t
very interesting Mr. Yallery about 1 *
three weeks ago. and we?mamma and
I?have seen a good deal of him since I is
then." j b;
"You are trying to make me franti- j e
cally jealous," said the Commonplace t'l
Young Man. "I'm not going to be, , b
though." , Q
"The idea!" said the girl. "I'd like j
to know what right you have to be i
jealous." j u
"I said I wasn't going to be. Wbat b
makes liim interesting?" j x
"He says such nice things." . s
"Taffy, eh?" ? h
"You are horrid." a
"I know I am. I always recognized j c
my own little defects and limitations. 11<
Perhaps I could improve if I had the n
benefit of a good example. Tell me b
what nice thiugs he says."
"Well, in the cause of education per- J
haps I might be excused if I did. He j n
said the gown I wore that night was a n
poem." ij
"What sort of a poem?dialect, hu- 0
morous, short or long? ft seems to me ^
that was a little indefinite." $
"That's your material point of view. s
He meant, of course, that it had a u
beautiful harmony and that it appealed a
to the poetic and artistic nature." f
"Oh, if he meant that it was all B
right. I'd never have thought of it,
though."
"Of course you wouldn't" j,
"No, I don't think I would have no- 0
ticed your dress, even?not while I had j.
something prettier to look at" 2
"You are complimentary, I nu&t 0
say." t
"Your face, for instance." ^
"Well, that isn't so bad. perhaps." ' t
"I don't see anything to make a fuss c
about because you wore something that
you set off to advantage. You do that t
with anything you wear. Now, take ^
that waist you are distinguishing. It's
just a shirt waist isn't it?"
"I think it's rather a nice one."
"I think so, too, but I'm not a judge. *
I wouldn't call it a poem, for instance.
I'd call it a shirt waist If it was on n
any other girl but you I wouldn't give a
it a second look. What else did he v
say?" ?
"He said.I was a3 fair as a flower." k
"There it is again! No specifications e
at oil. What sort of a flower?a holly- J;
hock, a tuberose or what? For all you 1
know he might have been trying to insinuate
that you were a rhododendron.
I wouldn't stand for that if I were a
girl."
"I think it was nice."
"I don't. I think you've got the flower
garden faded. I'm no horticulturist,
but as far as my taste goes I'd quit a r
bower of roses any time you crooked a 3
finger at me. Now, it seems to me so 3
far that your interesting friend hasn't :
made good." 1
"Don't you think he has?" 1
"I do not. Comparing you with mag
azine poetry and climbing nasturtiums!
Honest, I wouldn't compare you with '
anything that I ever saw." >
"No?" 1 * J
"Snr-o nnt When I take a good *
square look at you, you don't put me in '
mind of things. I wouldn't say your :
eyes were as a stack of black cats or 1
that your lips were a coral reef or your '
form bad the grace of a gazelle. My '
mind isn't running on natural history ,
or literature or botany. Your eyes are
in a class by themselves?same way
with your lips and your nose, and that
dimple you're showing now. No, I
throw up my hands. You'll never make j
a good joilier of me."
"Oh, I don't know," said the girl. .
"You're doing very well, I think?bet- ^
tcr than I expected. Go on."?Chicago ,
News. '
I
t
Russian Names Pronounced.
In consequence of a dispute as to <
the proper pronunciation of the namf ^
of the Russian Admiral, a question was ,
sent to the editor of the Moscow Gazette,
who replied as follows:
The accent lies on the syllable "dost."
There are plenty of Russian and Polish
names ending in "sky," but it is only j
the Polish which necessarily have the 1
tonic accent on the penultimate syl- ^
lable. So we have Obolensky, butNainensky,
Meshchersky aud Gagorinsky.
Rojdestvensky is a purely Russian ^
name, common enough in clerical cir- ^
oles. It is derived from the word Roj- .
destvo, Birth (of Christ), and signifies ,
belonging to the (church of the) Birth. *
In familiar parlance, the name is very .
conprniiv nronounced Raschesinski?i.
gv-v.?f
a., the unaccepted "o" of the first syllable
is, according to rule, given an 1
"a" sound; the "j" Is softened into a
French "j," and the pumultlmate "e"
is changed into a short "i." This alone ,
is sufficient to show tliat this syllable
is not of any tonic value.
The following correct pronunciations
of a few well-known Russian uames }
may be added: Nebogatoff, Kuropatkin, .
BatianofT, Gapa, Linievich, Makaroff,
Pobedonosizeff, Mislichenko, Mtiraviefi! j
(or properly Muravioff).?London Stand- .
ard. ,
Caught Pike Between His Knecfl. (
.Tack Schuler went up the St. Louis ,
River fishing yesterday as did many
another West Duluthian, but Mr. Schu- '
lor performed an exciting feat before (
a large number of spectators, who are
eagerly telling one another of it to-day.
A large pike struck Mr. Schuler's hook. '
and after something of a fight was '
landed. Just as the fish was brought
ashore, however, the line broke and | <
thp fish flopped back into the water. I
- -* 1 nnd I
Mf. SCIllUfr arupijeii ma iiwiv.- ?n?v*
jumped on tlio fish. grappling it in the
water with liis bands and knees. Tho
fish knew no new wrestling tricks, =
and with tha death grip that Schuler "
had, the denizen of the depp could not ?
get away and was safely landed at i
only the cost of the ducking that Mr.
Sehuier got while In operation. f
The pike was what a small boy would ?
call a whopper. It measured twentyseven
and a half inches and weighed r
eight pounds.?Duluth Herald. 1
f
A Master of Stripes:
A small boy from tho North who ! L1
was visiting a relative in one of the i,
Southern States whore convict labor ?
is employed in public improvements,
became very interested in the men and ^
their black and white striped clothes. ?
Oae.day he went to a circus and for I
the first time in his life saw a z^bra. ^
"Oh, auntie," he cried, "look at tho f
convict mule!"?Uopincott's Magazine, f
\ v-^wi
Among the results of the recent Britih
Antarctic Expedition, as explained!
y Captain R. F. Scott, was the dlseovry
that the edge of the great ice bar*1
ier met by Sir James Ross, sixty years:
efore, has retreated in piaces as mack,
s twenty or thirty miles.
i
Important tests of the fatal pivpcr-'
,on of carbonic oxide in the air harer
een made by Professor Mosso at the
urin Physiological Institute. A heroic
ubject was confined three times in ai
ermetically sealed iron chamber, the
ir of "fviitclr Was* mixed" with
arbonic oxide, then with l-283th; and.
istly with 1-2330. On .the. last expertlent
the man ceased to breathe, beag
restored only by oxygen. t *' .
TQe snaiie lias one great proiecuua
gainst assailants. He appears to be
lwnys awake and on his guard. ThUr
3 explained by the fact tliat the eye*
f the snake neyer close. Night an?
lay, sleeping and waking, alive or
tend, they are always wide open. A'
nake's eyes are not protected with
ids, but with a strong scale. This iw
s clear as glass, and, of course, afords
not the least impedimenta to*
ight.
' ?
Electrical reactions have been founcl
>y Dr. A. D. Waller, of the University
f London, to serve as a test of life
n both animal and vegetable tissues,
n this way he has shown that bifcr
if human skin for grafting preserveheir-vitality
at least two days, oftei#on
-/Jove inH nrnhnhlv Komptime*
V? MUJ ?
nuch longer. As confirming this contusion,
it is mentioned that carefulljf
(reserved skin has tjeen used after afar
oonths, sixteen transplantations out of f.
wenty-two proving successful. ' j
Recent experiments in the Departnent
of Agriculture have shown that v
he former idea that bacteria in genera*
re not harmed by freezing is untenble.
On the other hand, the effect of
ery low temperatures has been greatly
iverestimated. Messrs. Smith ant* / *
Swingle have observed as destructive
ffects upon bacterial life from the tena erature
of salt and pounded- ice ar
rom that of liquid air. The critical?
loint appears to be somewhere aboot
he freezing point of water. An or;anism
which can pass this point ire
afety may be proof even against absoute
zero.
vJfl
""""" ' j
In Germnny a new use has beeir
ounu ior aceiyjeue gua iu iuk iviut
if an explosive for blasting. Carbid
f calcium in small particles is eulosed
in a. tin cartridge, the upper part
f which contains water separted
from the carbide by a paptitioiu
^.t the top of the cartridge is an elec*
ric percussion device. An iron ptir*
vorked from the outside of the cartidge,
perforates the partition and al*
ows the water to come in contact witfir
he carbide. This is effected "by a blow:
ive minutes before it is desired to
ause an explosion. At the end of that
iir.e, sufficient gau having been de?
reloped in the cartridge, the electric
ipark is fired and the explosion occurs^
THE APPOINTING POWER.,
" ; /
Scncral Grant's Generosity Shown To*
Traru a. roor muo\r.
General Grant's generosity to his '
"oes, bis many private and official kin?i
iiesses to the widows and orphans ol
Sonfederate soldiers, is on old tale.
but it bears repetition in the form of
m incident which Hel(-n D. Longstreef
;Ives in "Lee and Longetreet aMIigS
ride."
The widow of a Confederate officer
applied to the Postoffice Department
to be appointed postmistress in a smali
Southern town. As she heard nothing
>f her application, she went to Waslr
Ington to press it. She was unable to
move the authorities at the Postoffici- Department,
and was about to go hora?
in despair, when a friend suggested
that it might be worth while for bet
to see the President. ,
With much effort she summoned
courage and appeared at the Wbiti
House. The President received hei
n a most friendly manner, and afte*
ioo?.ir>cr hoi- ctnrv tnftk' llor n nnlicatios
md wrote a strong but brief endorsement
on the back of it She hurried
n triumph to tho Pcstoffice Depart
ment.
The official to whom she presented
:he application frowned, and pondered
)ver it for some time, and then wrote
mder the President's indorsemerti
This being a fourth-class office, the
EYesideut does not have the appointing
lower."
The application was handed back to
jer, and she went away in deep dis:ress.
and was again preparing to re:urn
home, when another frierd told
lor by all means to take the paper back
o the President, so that he might see
:ow liis indorsement had been re*
?eived. When the President read it he
ivvote under the last indorsement}
While the President does not have the
ippointing power in this office, he has
lie appointment of the PostmasterToneral."
and summoning his secreary.
President Grant directed him tc
iccompany the lady to the department
aid in person deliver her application
/v 4 1ir* Pnctmn etor-OfMiPrn 1.
She received the commission before
;he left I lie office.
l'rozen Through.
At the boarding bouse on Morrison
itreet they "were discussing climate.
The Portland man declared that the
tround last winter never froae to a
lepth of two inches.
"It froze two feet where I earner
roui," said the man from New Jeriey.
"Up in the Adirondack Mountains.'"
? marked the New Yorker, "the ground
ast winter froze to a depth of tea
eot."
The Iowa man sat quietly munching
lis lettuce while the others expectantv
awaited his fft'ort to outmatch the'
sew Yorker.
' Pshaw!" he said, "that's nothing.
Thy. back down in Des Moines the
;round froze so deep that the Chinese
Smoeror sent a request to Governor
'rimmins to start a fire. He comilaiued
that his subjects had col&
eet."?Portland Or*gonian.
IMIIIMIIIBIIII