Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 May 1893 — NOTES AMD COMMENTS. [ARTICLE]

NOTES AMD COMMENTS.

The introduction of .firearms caused the use of armor to go out of fashion, and for a long period there has -been a tacit acquiescence in the idea that men in battle cannot be protected from the bullets of the enemy by any device which would not prove "too cumbersome for practical use. The Germans, however, have been experimenting with a cloth invented by a Mannheim tailor, which appears to stop bullets discharged at a moderately short range. A cuirass of this prepared cloth weighs about six pounds, but the soldier will hardly object to the increased burden if it adds to his chances of going through a battle unscathed. No doubt the new invention will stimulate other nations to experimenting in this line, and perhaps the result will be the conversion of every soldier into a walking fortress. And then there may be a reaction from the present tendency of diminishing the size of the ball, and instead of a small-caliber rifle we shall have arms which will discharge bullets big enough to knock a man down. There is no end to man’s ingenuity when he turns his attention to the business of killing. It is proposed to introduce “stamp saving banks” in the Boston public schools. From various offices colored stamps of six denominations and stamp cards will be obtained. To each person wishing to become a depositor the local treasurer gives a stamp card, and sells as many stamps as he has money for. r These stamps must lx; pasted on the card. The card when full will probably contain about ft. As soon as the child has stamps for that sum the money is taken and deposited for him in some savings bank that ho may designate. The $5 once deposited he begins again, and the small sum grows to a larger one unde his hands. If he wishes to withdraw h presents his card and draws all that is an it. Then if he has more money than he cares to use ho calls for another card and redo posits the balance. By this method all bookkeeping is avoided, the* ohild always knows just how much he bas, and the local treasurer can toll in the same manner. If the child loses the card, however, he loses his mouey, or, rather, all that he carried on that card.

Tifß extraordinary circumstances of the death of Miss Mary Weber by a fall from the steep heights of the Parthenon in Athens has excited great interest throughout Greece. Miss Weber was the governess of Prince George of Greece. On the, morning of her death she secured from the watchman of the Acropolis the key of the door leading up to the Pardicnoii and climbed to the top, where ~lie remained for some time gazing at the beautiful panorama at her feet. Then she advanced to the edge of the height, and, whether because of the strong wind blowing or because of her own volition, she fell to the stone pavement, below and soon expired. The next day her intended husband, a surgeon ii» the Greek Army, took his life. There is an impression in Athens that the unfortunate lady committed suicide, and possibly it was a romantic fancy that led her to follow Sappho’s example of plunging from a cliff to cure her love. There is a coincidence in the rate of increase in the uses of wood-pulp and. the rate of decrease of the spruce forests of the Adirondack!!. Wood-pulp is rapidly becoming one of the most universally used of manufactured articles. Not only is it found available for making many of the necessaries and conveniences of man’s life, nsido from newspapers, hut it is also appearing in artistic coffins in which to bury him. It is interesting to note in this connection that there are very few areas of spruce lumber in the United States west of the Adirondack*. A Hungarian inventor claims to bo able to spin ordinary wood pulp, or cellulose, into yarn, from which i(ll sorts of textile tissues can be made in the ordinary way, equaling in durability, appcurunco and fastness of color the best cotton goods. If his scheme is practicable it will revolutionize the textile industry. It is claimed the method is applicable, not only to cellulose, but to every sort of short fibrous material, rags, scraps of cotton and linen goods, and the like, and the fiber can be dyed before being spun into yarn. Tub great ninouut of inventive genius which Ims been exercised in developing sohemes, plans and privileges for use at the World’s Fair has brought out somo odd suggestions, A good Kansas woman wishes to open a “mending bureau" on the grounds to take care of all rips, tears and buttons which need replacing. A hatter wishes the privilege of ironing and blocking all hats injured in the crush, and a dime-museum giant wishes to act as pilot and observatory for short jieople who can’t see exhibits over other people’s heads. A woman correspondent of several German newgpn)>ers went away disappointed after visiting the tenementiiouse districtin New York with a charity physician. She looked in vain for the deep poverty of continental cities, and was astonished at the little attempts at ornament in the tenemunt-houso homes. She was said to be surprised at the sight of oranges vended in the streets. The poor, as.she hud known them in Germany, would regard oranges as an unattainable luxury, according to her account.

The New York Advertiser instituted lately a careful inquiry as to tho prices which the butcher’s paid for meat and those that they charged their customers, and made the discovery that they were making a profit of from 50 to 75 per cent. It proceeded to publish the figures which it had obtained, and demanded that the prices be reduced. One large establishment has made a large cut in consequence and the rest will soon be compelled to follow suit. The Armour Institute in Chicago is an example of the usefulness of practical ideas in the field of education. It offers a thorough practical manual training, and therein differs from the technical schools that are found elsewhere. The leading idea in the course of training at the Armour Institute is expressed by saying that “mentally educated men are a drug on the market, while manually trained and educated men are always in demand.” Tiie new topographical survey of the State of Connecticut shows it to be 250 miles larger than has been supposed. The old surveys made when the country was new were mainly careful not to get any less land than the deeds called for. If they get a little more, land was cheap and it made little difference to anybody. It is believed that mammoth wild animals, now extinct, formerly made their homes in the Okefinokee Swamp in Florida. The work of draining and dredging this swamp is now progressing, and some interesting remains may be disclosed. Any American looking for an extensive European estate, and not particular as to price, may be interested to know that Austria is worth $18(065,000,000. and oould be considered & bargain If purchased for fbat sum.