Funding for the digitization of this title was provided by R.J. Taylor, Jr. Foundation.
About Schley County news. (Ellaville, Ga.) 1889-1939 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 1893)
A NEW INDUSTRY. Why Sparrows Are Disappear ing from New York Streets. Captured in Large Numbers and Sold for Reedbirds. jt has been noticed lately that the common sparrow lias greatly decreased in numbers iu its downtown haunts. Some people have arguod that this diminution in the numbers ot the foreign pest is due to the fact that an epidemic of cholera would break out in the city in the spring and point to the migration of birds which wa9 late ly noticed in Hamburg and in many towns of Persia, where that disease killed thousands of people last sum mer. The dccrese in the sparrows is not duo to migration. The fact of the matter is that the American gourmet is wonderfully fond of the reedbird. Thiscxoollent little bit of bird-food can only be procured in the Southern States, and though it is fairly plenti ful the supply would hardly meet the demand if that were the only field for its production. The tawny-visaged Neapolitan who has made his home among Americans has grasped the opportunity and is reaping a rich harvest. lie watched the large flocks of sparrows which all day long hopped about the cobblestones almost indolently picking up the grain which was scattered around and then flying up to some neighboring bough, just to sleep and grow fat. A diabolical idea entered the mind of the Iialian, and after consulting With a friend, they purchased rice,and also the strongest aguardiente that could be procured in “The Bend” iu Mulberry street. The rice was soaked iu the spirits, and before sunrise the Italians went to the Battery. They first carefully swept away any grain that might have been left from the previous day, and then with a lavish hand scattered the rice around the usual feeding ground of the spar rows. Wid) the earliest dawn the birds began twittering and quarrel ling, and as the tramps arose from the benches in the Battery and slunk ofl to the alleys of South and West streets, the birds, hungry for their breakfast, soon covered the cobble stones and wore busy picking up the delusive rice. Gradually the sparrows became unsteady in their gait. Then they began to sec things double, and as a bird pecked at a grain he missed it and nearly fell over oil his head. Soon bird after bird lay down on the cobblestones and slept, oblivious of all around it. Then the Italians, picking up the birds, wrung their necks and with smiling faces wended their way to Washington Market, where a poul terer gave them four cents apiece for the birds, which after being plucked were arranged in batches of 12 in ueat cardboard boxes. That night those same birds sold for 60 cents a pair in the uptown res taurants and the trade in drunken sparrows has been “booming” ever since. Sparrow-pie is a dish much thought of iu England and as long as the epicure hero does not complain of tho fraud imposed upon him nobody else will, for unconsciously he is rid ding the community of a bird that has become a pest in the city and a terrible marauder on the farmer.—[New York Tribune. Vegetable Boa Constrictors. Portions of the South Pacific Ocean produce a wonderful species of the seaweed called the “vegetable boa constrictor.” According to recent published accounts they are likely to be met with at any point between the lower point of Southern California and the Sandwich Islands on tho one side aud between Chile and Australia on the other. These vine-like stran glers arc frequently found tightly en twined about the body of a dead whale, shark or porpoise, but whether they had fastened upon the bodies of these dead sea animals before Jifo had become extinct, or bad only ventured to attack the remains after the vital spark had fled, arc conundrums which, of course, cannot he answered. Ex periments made with this curious vine •mi the carcass of a porpoise washed ashore in the harbor at Apia tend to Prove that the vine, like that of our common bean, will not entwine itBelf •round anything dead, whether that thing be of vegetable or animal crea tion. Dr. Cliadbourne, iu hit “Annals of the Caroline Islands,” says: “I have often seen monster specimens of macricystis (the giant seaweed) with every vo-tige of life squeezed out of them by that ocean demon, the ‘constrictor’ vine, which is itself a species of seaweed. Mac licvstis often grows to be from 20 to 30 inches in diameter, and 1500 to 2000 feet iu length, while the con strictor vine seldom exceeds 100 feet in length, and is never larger in di ameter than a pound and a half salmon can. It is the ‘squeeze snake’ of the ocean, however, and woe to the un lucky man, animal or plant that comes within its reach.” At Apia the piles driven in the harbor all show marks like those yon have seen made by the ivy on forest trees—marks which the natives gravely inform you were made by the constrictor vine. Cases wherein human beings are said to have lost their lives as a result of coming iu contact with the vegetable boa constrictor are like the cases of death attributed to centipedes and tarantulas—often reported but seldom conclusively proven. — TSt. Louis Re public. Railroad Building in the Northwest. The lollowiug may prove an inter esting description of how track is being laid on the Great Northern ex tension: First comes a flat car, upon which is a derrick and engine, then three or four carloads of steel rails; then the locomotive, followed by a dozen carloads of ties. Along one side of the train is a system of revolv ing rollers, and the ties placed upon these rollers are hurried to the front, where the men place them in position. Along the side of the two cars hearing the rails, on the other side of the train, is another sys tem of live rollers, which carry the rails to the front, where a gang of men take hold of them and place them in position. Other men take the fish plu:es and insert the bolts, while still others drive the spikes, just enough to hold the rail in position. Two sharp blast of the donkey en gine whistle is the signal for the loco motive engineer to proceed, and when the proper position has been reached one blast is the signal to stop. A large gang of men follows spiking and bolting, and the track is ready for the ballast and straightening process. The construction train can run at the rate of nearly thirty miles an hour on its way back to the camp for more vails and ties. About a mile and a half of tiack is being laid daily, but it is thought the speed will be increased to two miles daily when the force gets more accustomed to their duties.— [Helena (Montana) Herald. What an Irish Boy Eats. Have any of the Ledger children had the pleasure of ever seeing a real Irish boy—not a boy who is merely born of Irish parents, nor one who has been in this country many years, but a real Irish boy, fresh from the shores of the Emerald Isle and with the breezes of old Erin still clinging to him? Well he is the most refreshing ob jeet you can imagine. Ilis cheeks are es red and hard as the finest fall pip pin you ever saw. His skin is a9 clear as the Lakes of Killarney, and ho is also so sturdy that it makes you feel strong just to look at him. He is a fine fellow, the real Irish boy, and upon what do you suppose he lives principally? Not upon pies and cake, you may be sure, noi jet upon ice cream and candy. Oh.no! Though, no doubt lie would like them. But tho Killarney boy seldom gets these things. In place of them he gets but termilk—just buttermilk. He cau have potatoes with it, or he can have oatmeal, but buttermilk is his principal food. Just fancy living upon buttermilk t Yet, what splendid, sturdy fellows it makes!—[The Ledger. His Inference. “I understand that you think your wife made a mistake in marrying you,” said Brownley to Yeliowley the other day. “Who says that?” asked Yeliowley, bristling up. “Why somebody told that you said she was a splendid woman, one of tho kind of women who deserve good husbands.”—[New York Press. SCHLEY COUNTY NEWS. SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS. There aro now 462 electric railways in existence, with a trackage of 5446 miles. The process of engraving on gluss by electricity is exhibited at the Amer ican Institute Fair. It is estimated that about 150,000 incandescent lamps are bur nod in New York every night. Dr. Elliott Cones, the ornithologist, says the feather of a bird is merely the scale of a lizard or serpent modi fied. A hippometer, to record the number of a horse’s paces and the distance lie lias travelled, has been invented by an oflieer in the French army. Gold 5s so very tenacious that a piece of it drawn into wire one-tenth of an inch in diameter will sustain a i weight of 500 pounds without break ing. It lias been discovered that the Con go River is 1452 feet deep at its mouth. The mouth of the Mississippi has a depth of thirty-three feet and the Thames of forty feet. In New York City liio fastest eleva tors are in the Union Trust Company’s building, on Broadway, near Wall street. They shoot up or down, carry ing 3000 pounds at a speed of GOO feet a minute. In view of the fact that electric omnibuses operated by storage bat teries have been introduced in London, the Electrical Review advocates a sim ilar motive power being employed on the Fifth avenue stage lino in this city. Fog and rain have given a boom to London electric lighing companies recently. Forty miles of wire for in candescent electric lights have been run in Sinithfield .markets, and tne current was turned on for the first time last week. Tho Lord Mayor was present, and the inaugural ceremony was quite imposing. A Baltimore man has applied for a patent on asleigh to be run by elec tricity. The power will be stored under the seat and be transmitted to a smali wheel in front by means of an endless chain, The face of the wheel is provided with cutters, which will pull the sleigh along, The in veil tor claims a speed of from twelve to fifteen miles an hour. Curiosities About Cattle. The first cattle that were brought into the American colonies were land ed at the James River plantation, in ! Virginia, in the year 1607. They came from the West, Indies, and were the descendants of the cattle taken to those islands by Columbus on his sec ond voyage, in the year 1193. In 1610 several cows were landed, and again, in 1611, about 100 head more were brought to the plantation. This, therefore, was the genesis of the cat tle business in America. In order to encourage the industry to the fullest possible extent an order was passed forbidding the slaughter of any animal of the bovine kind un ! dcr penality of death. Under this re striction the number of cattle in creased to 30,000 in Virginia alone before the end of the year 1619. The first cattle brought into the New England colonies arrived at Plymouth in 1624, and were imported from England by Governor Winslow. Three heifers and a bull made up the cargo: “in color,” the old record says, “they were black, black and white, and brindle.” In 1826 12 cows were ^ ^ Cap(j A[)n> and h| 1629 30 more Ia KJ30 about 100 more were j m p 0l q ed <<f 01 . the exclusive use of the . 0 f Massachusetts Bay.” Dur ing the same year 103 were sent from Holland to New York, so that by the year 1630 there were a good many head of “horned cattle,” in the different colonies. The reader naturally thinks of these animals as superb specimens of tho bovine race, but they are not. History, that is, the curious aud interesting part of history, tells us that the average weigiit of fat cattle in tho Liverpool market as late as 1710 was only 370 lbs. What an evolution in 182 years. — [American Dairyman. How to Preserve It. “Oar friendship must never die,” lie said. “It mast be kept green for ever.” “Then we must be Garcful that it does not ripen iuto love,” she replied. — [Indianapolis Journal. / 3 ftllin. For fifty years carriage makers have tried to invent a“short-turn ’ vehicle that would not be a “turn-under.” Success came with the invention of Sfli ?“33 art fpi l o m e uj”!J 0 ag o n. Tb,» short-torn device ami the other merits, of which there arc manv, are described inmn illustrated catalogue, which, with addressof local agent, wilt be sent tree to any one. The Bartholomew Co.. Cincinnati. O. The Standard ?asl; leister, ^Patented In United State* and Cannda.l I* n Practical Machine, Apprecia ted by Practical ICiii»?iicm*i Men. m I Desk. bination It is Money ft handsomely Lock Drawer and Registering and furnished Cashier, Attachment. Combination with Com It records both cash and credit sales. It records disbursements. It itemizes motley paid iu transactions on account. in dii# It enables you to trace ^ It will keep different lines of goods separate. 'V-5«2 '■ Hi will enough It It It It sliows keeps not will makes to stay save pay an tlie a where careless in honest for transactions convenience, itself it man is. man many honest careful. of time each tiiiu-s and and clerk. over. money, a thief 1* w ' : * Each machine boxed separately and war ranted for two years. For full particulars address STANDARD M F G. CO • 9 EAST STROUDSBURG, PA. 9 k M a if i V. UMIYED ,1 m i i ma a r 7 Jt Manufact urers \x. xamk Tft!fcUEL|5 wn I L i m 0fAL -j k itJ WM 10.000 A ICES PER Y|AR; OWA$ 1 ON LX _ * '"V? It 0 D Fine. Worka / BE. ODS Send For (ATA12GUE' °6 of* 6Vz 6 0LD * IMITED. OO THE BEST nlDING THE BEST LOmiHB a FOR THE STRONGEST BUILT This is Ever before offered. – a spe cial offer. We *#**##*> F sell them at ULL this price them, to in- ^Rubber Top, troduce Eliptic Springs, regular price is Piano B o d •), $75.00. # upho’stered in j WE ARE * nt/" / a f!r,c (~rs.d3 of wholesale, / cloth,or leather SYSAMU-ACV'C if preferred. •i Three four •AvfV" or *. bew top. Either wide or r arrow track. We would also furnish Corning body in place o' Piano body if desired. K* ^ Catt f „n J for FREDOHIA MSH'JFSGTURING YOUNGSTOWN, GO. OHIO. ! jue. y Pite yy A HORSE ? DOES HE ENC° U JW THE HITCH GREAT HIM TO SuN gb gdespeci'allyfor Exercising __ andSpeedino, m'f Pronounced By All HORSEMEN To Be • The Most PERFECT SULKY CART In use SSff teSF-COKTLASDWco^ ’ '1 **$§•%' . AGENTS «[«60N WANTED. C9 <9 Scientific American . Agency for 4 Patents rD Ifc A DE PAT R K S E N E N T S COPYRIGHTS, etc. Information and free Handbook write to MUNN – CO.. 3til Bkoadway, New York. bureau for securing patents In America. Every patent taken out by us is brought before public by a notice given free of charge lc th« jitumaii circulation of any scientific paper ; n the world. Splendidly illustrated. No tatelLirent nan should be without It. Weekly MUNN #3.01“» – OO, year; VninupjiiKEs, S1.W six mouths. Address New ;m Brorthray, V Giant- ci, i r^llGYCUS. l®tl rrr 'V -GwlM [Laci£S BsYs • Gentlemen . C^LiGUEOllM^ I application CleN/elM!!-' ■ M i\ • t!-A-LGZ' EF -GKIO - –t So * J SE Mr lltt mm “ ■» *, a V - f-v— ■ -a*» k? r
