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Items of Interest
Shoes were worn in Egypt 2,200 years before
Christ.
Glasgow has penny tr'lley cars. They are
double-decked.
The Bible is being translated-into ten Philip
pine island dialects.
Paul of Russia was insane during the greater
portion of his life.
Tea made from cabbage leaves is popular in
Siberia in hard times.
London is said to be the healthiest of the
world's great capitals.
Manchester, N. H., claims to have the largest
ehingle mill in the world.
The hat factories of the United States give em
ployment to 125,000 people.
The newest and largest school in St. Louis has
been named after Eugene Field.
The estate of the late Marquis of Bute has
been officially valued at $25,101,883.
A cubic yard of oak weighs 1,100 pounds. A
cubic yard of coal weighs 3,504 pounds.
California lemons yield 50 per cent more citric
acid than the famed Mediterranean lemon.
Last year the railways of the world carried
two billion passengers and 950,000,000 tons of
freight.
When the Bank of France cashes a check it
compels the customer to take 20 per cent of the
amount in gold.
The harbor of Cherbourg, finished by Napol
eon, cost $15,000,000. It is the most expensive har
bor in the world.
Sixteen solicitors of London had their names
removed from the rolls in one day because of dis
honest practices.
Zircon is the heaviest precious stone, its weight
being four and one-half times greater than an
equal quantity of vater.
Fifty years ago 1,000,000 people in Wales could
talk no other language than 'Welsh. Now only
500,000 speak the language.
Natick, Mass., was founded by John Elliott 250
years ago. On July 4 next the citizens of the old
town will celebrate'the anniversary.
It is not surprising that the United States
leads the world. It grants 25,000 patents a year,
or more than all other countries combined.
W. Robertson is 78 years old, but is serving as
a private soldier in the ranks of the British army
in South Africa. He is a veteran of the Crimean
war.
Twelve hundred acres of canteloupes have been
planted in the Pecos Valley, New Mexico. It is
estimated that the melons will yield a carload to
the acre.
The state flower of Louisiana is the magnolia,
of Missouri the goldenrod, of Arkansas the apple
blossom. Nebraska's state flower should be the
alfalfa blossom.
The average age of man has been increased
seven years and' six months in the last hundred
yea,rs. This is due to increased sanitation and
advancement in medicine and surgery.
A pine tree bough swept in the face of a baby
ie considered an emblem- of good luclc in Spain. In
this country a hickory switch swept on the other
side is considered an emblem of good luck.
Scientists are excited over the discovery of a
well defined human footprint in a vein of coal near
Joliet, 111. It has always been contended that man
did not exist during the carboniferous age.
John and Mary Burkett of Kokomo, Ind., have
been married four times and divorced three times.
They are now living happily together and say
they have no further use for the divorce courts.
The Commoner.
Tea was introduced into England about tho
middle of the seventeenth century. At first it was
sold only- in public houses, as beer Is now sold.
A policeman in New Orleans owns 100 acres
of land in the Beaumont oil region. He has re
fused an offer of $1,000,000 for the property and
continues to patrol his beat while waiting for a
better offer.
Thomas A. Edison has taken out 744 patents in
the United States. His nearest competitor is Pro
fessor Elihu Thomson, who has taken out 444.
Thirty-eight inventors have taken out over 100
patents each.
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Low of Fayette county,
Pa., were born on the same day. They were mar
ried thirty years ago and were never separated a
day during their married life. They died on the
same day last month.
Atheism is running riot in Japan. A majority
of university students deny the existence of God.
But Japan is young yet All young men pa
through a season of doubt, and the doubt is strong
in proportion to their idea of their own Importance.
New York city annually- drinks more "im
ported French champagne" than is bottled in
France. Where the French champagne that tbo
rest of the country drinks comes from Is not
known, but California wine sellers could probably
tell.
The human body is said to be shorter in tho
evening than in the morning, due to tho fact that
during the day the cartilages between the joints
are compressed. The average man is three-quarters
of an inch taller in tho morning' than he is
in the evening.
Professor Crook, the Northwestern University
Instructor who won fame because he was re
ported to have said that he had never kissed a
woman, bears the Christian name of "Alja." This
name is a combination of the initial letters in the
name of Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson.
Frofessor Crook's father was a great admirer of
Lincoln and Jackson, and he bestowed upon his
child this strange name by way of tribute to his
patron saints.
The president has pardoned Joseph N. Wolf
son, Walfson was sentenced to eight years in the
penitentiary for participating In tho wrecking of a
bank at New Orleans. He was charged with over
drawing his account to the extent of $35,000; also
with collusion. Pending an appeal to tho United
States supreme- court, Wolfson enlisted in the
army, making a good record in Cuba and the
Philippines. Upon the recommendation of At
torney General Knox, the president granted Wolf
son a full pardon on account of his distinguished l
services as a soldier.
An interesting story is told by the New York
World as follows: "There never was a prouder
rooster than that of Phineas Robinson, of East
Patchogue, L. I., when one of his wives came off
the nest a week ago with a brood of twelve beau-tifu-
chicks. There never was a sadder one when,
two days later, the mother hen sickened and died.
He brooded in grief half the day, then roused him
self to duty as the nearest surviving relative. Giv
ing his best imitation of a clucking hen, he led
the brood out for food. He scratched like a
prodigy, he worked like a Trojan, he fairly stuffed
the chicks with fat worms. At night he led his
downy babes to the coop, stretched his wings
over them and put them to sleep. This he has
done ever since. There is no prouder father in
East Patchogue."
The Chicago Tribune of April 24 contains the
following interesting statement: George S. Dob
bins, who has been blind for eighteen years, was
given a degree by the Chicago Homeopathic Medi
cal college yesterday at the graduating exercises
held in the Studebaker theatre. To secure his de
gree Dr. Dobbins took the four-year course in med
icine, supplying his lack of sight with a won
derful memory. He is now about to begin a post
graduate course in his work, and at tho conclu
sion of that he will enter upon the pmctico of
medicine. His highly developed sense of touch
and smell worked with his memory to enablo him
to complete hi3 studies. Dr. Dobbins was born in
Peoria, his father, T. S. Dobbins, bolng president
of (he Chicago and Pacific railroad company, in
whoso service Dr. Dobbins formerly was an ex
pert telegraph operator. Ho lives at 81 Park
avenue.
Richard Doylo McCarthy, tho theatrical man
ager, died recently in England. McCarthy was emi
nently successful In his lino, and was the business
representative of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sulli
van, the famous writers of comic opora. The
twelve operas on which tho fnme of Gilbert and
Sullivan principally rests were produced under
his management at 'the Opera ''omlque and Savoy
Theatres. The twelve operas and the year of their
production are: "The Sorcerer," 1877; "Pinafore,"
1878; "Tho Pirates of Penzance," 1880; "Patience,"
1881, at the Opera Coraiquo; and "Iolanthe," 1S82;
"Princess Ida," 1884; "The Mikado," 3885; "Rud
dygore," 1887; "Tho Yeoman of tho Guard," 1888;
"Tho Gondoliers," 1889; "Utopia Limited," 1893,
and "The Grand Duke," 189G, at the Savoy. "Pina
fore" was the cornor stone of the foundation of
Gilbert and Sullivan's fame, but when it was first
brought out in London it did not have D'Oyly
Carte's stronger indorsement, and failed to gain
that extraordinary success which it obtained in
this country.
The "American Grocer" has compiled statistics
showing an increased demand for spirituous and
malt liquors, and a small gain in the use of non
alcoholic beverages iind a decrease in the consump
tion of coffee. The Grocer says: Out of $1,228,
674,925 spent for beverages, about 80 per cent is
spent for alcoholic stimulants, of which 50 per
cent is for beer, 30 per cent for whisky, 4 per cent
for wines. More coffee (gallons) was consumed
last year than any other sort of drink, amounting
to 1,257,985,296 gallons, as against 1,221,500,160
gallons of beer, its greatest competitor. Tho
United States consumed in 1900 alcoholic and non
alcoholic stimulants to the value of $1,228,074,925,
as follows: Alcoholic drinks, $1,059,563,787; non
alcoholic stimulants, coffee, $125,798,530; 'tea, $37,
312,608; cocoa, $6,000,000. Total, 1900, $1,228,674,
925; 1899, $1,14G,897,822; 1898, $1,177,661,366.'
The above represents a yearly per capita expendi
ture for beverages of $16.17 for tho 76,304,799 in
habitants of the United States, or little less than
4 cents per day.
The Philadelphia North American relates an
interesting story of a suit for damages recently
brought against a Philadelphia trolley company.
A little boy, Johnnie Fcehl by name, was struck
by a trolley car. His parents brought suit In the
sue, of $5,000. The defense placed one of the lad's
playmates on the stand and brought out the fact
that after the accident, Johnnie Foehl ate pie.
The North American gives the examination and
testimony on this point as follows: "'Could ho
oat a whole pie?' was asked of Willie. 'Why, yes;
he ate five within, a few minutes, last week,' the,
boy replied. The three lawyers who represented
Johnny were on their feet in an instant, demand
ing of the court to know what mince pie had to
do with Johnny Foehl being injured by a trolley
car. They wanted this portion of tho testimony
stricken out. 'Well declared counsel for thoi
trolley company, 'any boy who can eat five mince
pic3 at one sitting is not much of an invalid Tue
court admitted tho mince pie testimony. Having
gotten into tho case, the pies remained to a finisn.
Counsel for the plaintiff wanted to bring witnesses
to prove tho pies were small five-cent ones. They
were willing to send for a pie to show the jury.
The railway company's lawyers conceded that tho
pies were small, but contended that even so no
invalid could eat five of them." On this- testi
mony the judge took the case from ihe jury and a
verdict for tho trolley company wj the result.
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