Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1896 — Current Condensations. [ARTICLE]

Current Condensations.

The first discovery of coal is un, known. The ancient Britons seem to have dug for it. A beer barrel exploded in the Rue Dareau, Paris, and the accident resulted in the injury of four persons.A French society is being formed in Paris for the study and improvement of the various breeds of sheep dog. Cuvier is authority for the statement that the life of a whale may extend over a period exceeding 1,000 years. Within a quarter of an hour on Tuesday, March 3, Londoners experienced a thunder storm, a gale, snow, hail, rain and sunshine. In the United States a driver of horses sits on the right and turns his team in that direction. In England the national custom is the reverse. The city of Sydney, Australia, has imposed a fine of £1 upon any person convicted of spitting upon the floor of public buildings or upon the street. As speaking tubes are found not to work on the English -warships, owing to the rattling of the machinery, the admiralty has determined to try telephones. Gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, lead, mercury, surphur, carbon, antimony, bismuth and %inc were the only minerals known at the time of the discovery of America. A groom of 74 and a bride of 50 were married in North Adams, Mass., recently. The groom had outlived five wives, but the bride had only had one other husband. Bears are the most profitable animals for trappers in Maine this season, on account of the large amount of oil taken from their bodies. It is sold for $4 a gallon. Ab Italian company at Florence, wishing to attract Americans and Englishmen, explains on its posters that “La Bisbetica Domata,” the play it gives, is Shakspeare’s “Tamed Shrew.” The Bank of England has 1,160 officials on its pay rolls, which amount to abouts2,soo,ooo a year, and 1,000 clerks. If a clerk is late three times he receives a warning; the fourth time he is discharged at once.

A white coon that nasn’t a dark hair on its body is owned at Weiser, Ida., and is a kind of town pet It has distinguished itself by whipping all the dogs in the neighborhood, and is sure death to cats that stray Into its vicinity. A fine calla lily, dead black in color, is said to be in the possession of a woman at Switzler, Kan. The lily is described as being fourteen inches long and growing on a stem fourteen inches! long and of natural healthful growth. A number of converts walked over the shore ice, scrunched, through the thin edge, and waded opt ley sea at Git's island, Me.y to be baptised a few days ago. Even in the middle of summer the sea in that region is so cold that few people bathe in it. A curate at Bray, County has changed his name of Smith for the older elan name of MacLulich, a branch of the clan from which he Is descended having taken the name of Smith.many years ago. The founder of the clan was Lulach, who is said to have been a grandson of Macbeth.