rrr ' ---'-
The Commoner.
IS.UGUST 7, 1903.
IIRpiMWWIiniMiil Jin
pate. BongTatla says it Is believed that Peter
tiimself used this ring. The first mention of the
ring occurs in a letter of Clement IV., written In
1205. Martin V., who was elected in 1417, left
three briefs, all sealed by the ring of tho flsher
znan. Eugene- lv., his succesor, also left letters
sealed with the ring. In 1448 Gaetano Cenni wrote
a treatise on tho ring and published it in Rome.
Che custom of destroying tho seal of tho popo
immediately after his death is of considerable
antiquity. Each pope has had his own ring and
eeal. It was of plain gold, weighing one and onc
tialf ounces, and had an oval -plate, with a very
shallow representation of tho subject"
NEWSPAPER READERS IN AMERICA HAVE
already been told of the peculiar fad of
Charles Rothschild, a member of the famous fam
ily of bankers. Rothscmld is devoting his life to
the collection of fleas and now he seems to bo
zealously engaged in tho search for one particular
.variety. A cablegram to tho Chicago Inter-Ocean,
under date of London, July 25, said: "Tuere is
one form of arctic exploration little lenown to tho
general public Tho history of famous polar ex
peditions, the trials of the gallant explorers, and
the largo sum expended in fitting out and main
taining vessels, is news familiar to all, but the
iiunt for the polar flea is not so well known as it
deserves to be. More than a year ago the Hon.
Charles Rothschild commissioned the arctic sail
ing whaler, Forget-Me-Not, to hunt for the polar
flea. The hunt was apparently futile, for Mr.
Rothschild now offers a reward, according to tho
Daily Express, of 1,000 for tho arctic fox flea, to
add to tho collection of those insects in tho fam
ous zoological museum in Trlng park, where al
ready there are thousands of fleas, which have been
obtained from birds and beasts in all parts of tho
world. It seems that the flea of the arctic fox is
to flea fanciers what tho egg of the great auk
is to collectors of birds eggs, for only two perfect
specimens are lenown to exist in the collections.
In addition to tho reward referred to, Mr. Roth
schild has again fitted out the Forget-Me-Not,
iWhich is already at work looking for the flea."
a?
THE LONDON TIMES IS AUTHORITY FOR
the statement that the following interesting
memorandum by Lord Roberts has been issued
from the British war office: "It has been brought
to the notice of the commander-in-chief that, on
tho conclusion of the recent war in bouth Africa,
a large number of Boer families found, on re
turning to their farms, that their family Bibles
had disapeared. It appears that the Boer inhab
itants of the South African colonies set great
store by their family Bibles, which often contain
family records of some antiquity, and even in
some cases aro the only repository of such rec
ords, in consequence of the unavoidable destruc
tion of church registers. Lord Roberts feels sure
that if any persons have in their possession any of
these Bibles they will willingly return them when
they learn how they are valued by their former
possessors; and he thinks it unnecessary to em
phasize how much such a kindly act would bo ap
preciated by our new fellow-subjects. Ho there
fore wishes it to bo known as widely as possible
among all officers and soldiers who aro now serv
ing, or have been retired, discharged, or relegated
to the reserve, whether they belonged to the reg
ular army, auxiliary, or colonial troops, and also
among any of their friends to whom they may
have given them as relics, that Mr. W. H. Alexan
der of 12 Bishopgato Without, London, E. C, has
fcindly consented to receive and dispatch to their
owners any such Bibles which may have been
taken from Boer farms. He feels sure that the
above facts, and the knowledge that It is his wish
that all such relics should find their way. back to
their former owners, will be sufficient to ensure
that their present owners, however much they
anay value them, will readily part with them for
tuis purpose."
THE AUDITOR OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT
recently made his annual report in which
some interesting information is given out Dur
ing the past year enlisted men of the army made
121,729 deposits under the act of May lo, 1872,
these deposits amounting-to $3,751,618. During tho
jyear 158,179 deposits were withdrawn amounting
to $4,802,190, a sum upon which the depositors
ihad received $262,378 in Interest The Associated
press gives tho report in full and concludes in
this way: "During tho year the sum of $743,139
was placed to the credit of the permanent fund of
the home under the act of March 3, 1883, being
the sum retained from pay of enlisted men of the
army on account of the 12 1-2 per cent fund, fines
by general court-martial and amount duo desort
crs at large and dishonorably discharged soldUrs.
There was withdrawn from said permanent rund
during tho year for current expenses $254,000. Tho
amount of claims filed by tho sovoral states on ac
count of tho war with Spain was $6,657,027. Of
this amount $4,223,682 were allowed, $1,568,359
disallowed and $864,986 are pending settlement"
A SUBSTANCE KNOWN AS "WOOD SILK" IS
tho latest invention of an Englishman.
Consul John E. Kehl, at Stettin, recently sent an
interesting report on the subject to the state de
partment The Washington correspondent for tho
Chicago Chronicle gives tho report that came
from CoubuI Kehl, who, in describing tho new
Invention, said: "Tho sample shown mo was
very soft and of a cream color. Each thread is
made up of eighteen single strands. A singlo
strand is hardly percoptiblo to tho naked eye. as
to relative strength of a real silk thread and
this Imitation tho real silk Is two-thirds stronger.
It is said to take coloring or dyeing readily and
when woven into pieces has tho appearance of real
silk. Wood silk seems to have a great demand. I
was told that within tho last ten days tho prico
jumped from $3.u to $6.81 per pound. How this
new artificial article compares with tho genuine,
in tho way of wear and prico, I am unablo to say.
It is impossible to got information horo as to tho
process of manufacture, excepting that no partic
ular kind of wood is required and that the pulp
undergoes a chemical process and is pressed
through very fine tubes by hydraulic pressure,
forming tho singlo strands which go to mako up
the thread."
ANOTHER INVENTION IS REPORTED BY
Consul General Hughes at Coburg. This in
vention is in tho form of a now substance useful
in the manufacture of buttons, combs, knife han
dles, balls and rings. Tho correspondent says:
"Tho substance is called galalith and it is mado
out of skimmed milk. The principal albumenoid
of skimmed milk is casein, which Is the raw ma
terial used In tho manufacture of galalith. An
advantage of tho now product as compared with
celluloid is the fact that it docs not Ignite so eas
ily and is entirely odorless. Trials have proved
that even when kept for weeks in water it does
not distend more than tho best quality of buffalo
horn. Mr. Hughes says galalith can bo mado
practically any color black, or Imitation obony,
to be used for knife handles; amber-colored, for
cigar holders; white or varicolored, in imitation of
marble. Tho name commonly given the sub
stance is "milk stone," and Consul General Hughes
says preparations aro under way to mako it on a
large scale. It can bo manufactured very cheaply,
as tho sklmmedmllk which is now fed to cattlo
and pigs can bo utilized and the German peasants
will be glad to dispose of it in a more profitable
manner."
PERHAPS THE LARGEST AND MOST COST
ly wardrobe in the whole world was that
owned by the late pope. It is said that it required
three large rooms at the Vatican to contain this
wardrobe and a special body of servants wero re
quired to keep it in order. Each day In the year
had its appropriate garments. The New York
Press says: "Tho slippers alone aro innumera
ble, all being made of velvet and embroidered,
and the pope has no excuse for not knowing his
left foot from his right, for the design Is different
on each slipper. The gloves are, if anything,
more numerous than the slippers. They aro mado
of the finest white wool, embroidered with pearls.
The wool for tho gloves and for all tho garments
of the pope Into which wool enters, is the prod
uct of a special flock of sheep dedicated for the
purpose by a family who have had tho special
privilege of supplying the pontiffs with wool sinco
the sixteenth century. The pallium, which is tho
symbol of sacredotal authority, is usually woven
fiom this wool by nuns, tho lambs which supply
the wool having been specially blessed by tho
popo on January 21 of each year. Many of tho
most magnificent papal vestments, thick with gold
embroidery and jewels, havo not been worn for a
long time, since the loss of temporal power put
an end to tho great public ceremonies, but they
remain In tho 'guarda roba jealously watched
by the guardians."
ONE OF THE BUSIEST MEN IN WASHING
ton, according to a correspondent "for the
Chicago Chronicle, is Elliott Woods, superinten
dent of tho capitol. Mr. Woods' annual report for
the last fiscal year contains some interesting facts.
The Chronicle writer tells some of theso in this
ShA T1? a5atcmcnt a to Just what tho si
?J a,tendc1nt tho building and grounds Is sup-
Kf n Jfii l00k af tcr flh0W8 that tu0 caP"0! con
tains 430 rooms now dovotcd to office, coramlttco
and storago uses, 079 windows, 650 doorways 140
?nP,ac.e,8: ?Incty t0,lctfl 2G1 wa8 haalnn, four
teen bathtubs, fifteen ventilating fans and cigh-
UiEnnT'Si W h?r8 poW( hollers for
heating and 1 ghting, eight steam pumps for boiler
fnnf ?nrZ?Q' T,h0 1,ght,nS BCrvl I" equiva
lent to 25,000 incandescent lamps of sixteen candle
power each, and thore aro 14,518 square feet of
sky light formed of iron and glass. 'Those items
states Mr. Woods, 'aro thoso that onter Into and
arc operated in tho dally domestic llfo of tho
capitol. Thoy aro tho details that requlro con
stant caro and attention. To stato that 4Co minor
repairs to various of theso foaturos havo boon
wade during the past fiscal year indicates tho
amount of caro and attontlon that Is required to
keep that domestic llfo running smoothly along
with tho dally business life of the occupants of
tho building."
APPREHENSION OF A VOLCANIC
r-, eruption is causing tho inhabitants of tho
Melrose district in England much anxiety. In
this district aro situated tho threo Eildon hills,
famous peaks of Roxburghshire, which for years
geologists havo hold to bo extinct volcanoes. It
s also believed that tho three hills were original
ly one great mountain which was split Into three
fragments by an eruption. , A cablo dispatch from
London to tho Chicago Intor-Occan undor date of
Jul?2o5says: "Tho thrco conc "0 1.210, 1,385,
and 1,327 feet in height respectively, and it is tho
smaller of the three which has now begun to eject
fumos. Should tho present phenomenon culmi
nate in an eruption It would probahly mean the
destruction of tho villages of Melrose, Bowden, and
Newtown, ns well as Eildon hall, tho fine residence
of tho Earl of Dalkeith, situated at the base of
tho hills. Many interesting local traditions cling
round tho Eildons. Sir Walter Scott tells of a
legend which concerns tho Scotch writer, Michael
Scott 'The latter was once on a time much em
barrassed by an evil spirit,' to use Sir Walter's
own words, 'for whom ho was under tho necessity
of finding constant employment' On one occasion
Michael ordered that Eildon hall, which was then
a uniform cone, should be divided into three. It
was done in one night It Is satisfactory to learn
that tho wily Michael finally settled the disquiet
ing demon by setting him to mako ropes out of
sand!"
THE RECENT ILLNESS OF THE LATE POPE
Leo XIII. served to bring attention to at
least ono person, who is now regarded as ono
of tho most remarkable negroes In the country.
The Chicago Chronicle says: "During tho pope's
Illness there was a host of callers at the apos
tolic delegation in Washington. Tholr visits
brought into notice one of tho most remarfcable
negroes in the country, James J. Mattingly, who
answers the doorbell. He Is 21 years old and a
linguist 'of considerable parts.' James can talk
in five different languages and is studying three or
four more. The boy talks fluently in English,
French, Italian, Latin and Greek, and Is now
studying Spanish, Portuguese, German and other
languages. He has a mania for language studies
and Cardinal SatollI, formerly the apostolic dele
gate to this country, Cardinal Martinelll and Bish
op Rooker, who for many years was the secretary
of the apostolic delegation, have all helped tho
jet-black youth to conquer the classic. His par
ents can hardly read or write."
JO K
THE LATE P. M. ARTHUR, GRAND CHIEF
of the brotherhood of locomotive engineers,
died suddenly at Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Just aa
ho was beginning an address at the banquet
board. It is reported that when Mr. Arthur began
his speech he displayed great emotion. His open
ing words were: "Out of tho fullness of the heart
the mouth speaks," and the newspaper dispatches
say: "As Mr. Arthur began the sentence, 'I want
to say a few things, as it may be my parting
words to many of you,' his emotion seemed to be
getting beyond his control. His voice was lower,
but clear, when he uttered his last words, 'We aro
hero tonight, no one can tell when' At this
point tho speaker fell. Several men rushed for
ward to support him. Dr. MacArthur hurriedly
ascended the stairs, and Mr. Arthur was carried off
the platform. Dr. MacArthur examined the pa
tient and pronounced him dead. TBteart failure,
due to overemotlon,' he said. Strong men "who
had faced danger at the throttle of their locomo
tives sobbed like children."
EtiWiiwiflMiirttinaiii in i.nii'a..: i.,i.t,