The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, August 15, 1900, Page 7, Image 7

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SNAKE CATCHING. How Prof. Calmette Secured the Ve nom of Viper* and Cobras. From the Cornhill Magazine. The country around Delhi, with its hot and humid climate, its rocky ridges and numerous ruins (relics of bygone glory) is as well fitted perhaps as any in India for the habitat of Ophidia of all kinds. To those who know when, where and how to catch them, like the remarkable man of whose daring exploits with poisonous snakes I am about to give some descrip tion. quite an easy and honest livelihood is to be made, and it is not surprising that Delhi should have become the home of many a professional snake catcher. With a view to procuring snake venom for Prof. Calmette, Maj. Dennys employ ed, at a monthly wage of £l, the master snake catcher of the district, a low' bred Mahometan of the name of Kullar. For this small pay Kullan undertook to supply the doctor with about 100 living venomous snakes weekly, and had to extract their venom from them. Kulian was a powerfully built little man, aged about 35 years. His name was well known in the neighborhood for his skill and daring in the profession of his adop tion. Ii was generally supposed that he possessed some kind of magic powers over the reptiles he handled daily and from the capture of which he earned his precarious livelihood. A room was specially fitted up at the hospital for the purpose of these experi ments. The floor was of polished Port land cement. This was considered an es sential. as the polished surface on which the snakes were placed rendered them ex traordinarily helpless, and enabled the snake catcher to handle some of them in manner that he would not have dared to do otherwise. Snakes are scarcely able to make any progress on a polished sur face. A Sack Fall of Vipers. On the particular day when I was first introduced to Kullan and his methods the doctor ordered the three snake catchers to biing their crawling buidens into the laboratory., Kullan headed the procession carrying o**er his shoulder an ordinary canvas sack, which was literally heaving and swaying about with the movements of some sixty or eighty vip rs whi h were confined therein. The two other men car re! several small “gharas,” or earthen pots*, their mouths being closed by pieces of rag tied over them. These * gharas” neb contained two, three, and sometimes ns many as four snakes, either cobras or keraits. It seemed a most inciedible that the three men who now sat in the laboratory, surrounded by about a hundred venomous snakes, had really been able to catch thtm all alive during the last week, as th y stoutly alleged they had done. Maj. Dennys was anxious to satisfy himself on this point, and said: “If the process of catch'ng wild snakes is such an easy matter, Kullan. would you be willing to take me or one of these sahibs with you some ir.orn'ng and show us how you do it?” Kul’an hesitated for a moment. “Your henor thinks we breed these Miakcs? Sahibs have ofPn charged me with that before, but your honor is wel come to come to our home and search the place, and, if he finds any signs of what he suspects, put us into prison, snhib. This humble one assures your honor that snake® cannot be bred In captivity. In years gone by this slave kept a number of cobras ar.d other snakes with a hope of being able to breed them, but it was a failure. They ore too timid, and he has never succ ed and in breeding th*m in cap tivity. Your slave admits that he has sometimes taken cobras’ eggs and kept them till they hatched. He has also, kept in captivity a female viper who appeared heavy with young. After a time she pre- your slave with eleven young ones, nnd so he got the reward for twelve vi pers instead of one. But this Is quite a Different thing from breeding snakes, sahib.” But.” said the doctor, in a conciliatory tone “I have no wish to prevent your earning your living by catching snakes if you do not breed them, and are able to catch them as you assert, you have a perfect right to the rewards you receive, und I will help you by making it known to district officers that there is no doubt that you do not breed them. But you must let me satisfy myself first that you &tch them as you say you do.” “Very well, sahib.” said Kullan. “if you are prepared to come with this humble one some morning he will show your hon or how he catches snakes.” A Snake Hunt. A short time after this Kullan demon strated In the most unmistakable man ner his marvelous |iower of finding snakes in their natural homes. Maj. Dennys told Kullan to meet him on a given morning at the hospital and accompany him to a spot previously unknown to the snake man. The doctor then took him to the Delhi jail gardon and set him to work to try to find venomous snakes. Kullan smiled a grin of satisfaction when he realized what was before him. He ad mitted before he commenced his work that he had poached this very garden for snakes some years ago, and that he had made a great bag; but he had been caught treepassing by a jail warder and chastised, hence he had not been there again. The man set to work, followed by a lit tle knot of spectators, consisting of jail officials only. He first approached an or chard of lime bushes armed, as he al ways was, with a small stick, tw'o feet long, with an iron hook at the end. It must be understood that up to the last moment Kullan had no idea whither the doctor was going to take him. After a few minutes of searching he called out: *Tx>ok here, sahib,” and he pointed out a small viper (echis carinata) coiled round the twig of a lime bush, ap parently fast asleep, for it was quite mo tionless. He told the spectators to stand aside, and then with a dexterous and lightning-like movement, he planted the hook between the snake and the twig on which it was coiled, ar.d Jerked the reptile to the ground. The vicious little viper, about a foot in length. Immediately coiled Itself into a little knot, and began slowly rubbing its coils against each other, pro ducing thereby a hissing noise, not unlike the hiss of an angry cobra. Kullan’s method of securing these rep tile* after he has brought them to boy on the ground is peouilar, and quite dif ferent from the way In which he deal* with other snakes. The echis carinata ! # e small viper, seldom more than eighteen inchee in length, and is the most deadly, aggressive and ferocious of ell venomous snake* in Upper India, with the exception of the Russell viper. The latter, however. Is seldom found In the neighborhood of IWhi. Owing to the knotlike condition Into which the echl3 coils itself when on the defensive, it is quite impossible for e'en the dexterous Kullan to seize it by the tail, as he fearlessly does the cobra end the kerait. Then again, the echis keep* Its head almost hidden from sight among ft# coils, and only ahoota it out when it strikes at its adversary or its prey. It also has the power, when coiled the ground, of propelling its whole body forward to a distance of a foot or more "ith a sudden Jerk. Kullan. knowing the habks of this viper so well, begins by dangling a dirty rag in his left hand. Just nut of striking distance, and so engross ing the creature's attention In that direc tion. In hlg right hand he holds the hooked slick, hut this time with the hook reward him He wait* patiently till the viper exposes hi# head for a moment from among its coils, and then In an Instant he pins the head to the ground with the hutt end of hls stick. firmly, but sufficiently roughly to injure the reptile. Then in another half f°rond he seize# it by the neck between his thumb and index finger. He then catches hold of Its tall with the other and while an assistant holds open the mouth of the canvas sack he Jerks the viper to the bottom Having proved, by finding two more dur- DANGER! It is a bad custom to take Blue Pill or Calomel, and trust to clearing out of the sj stem by Salts, Seldlitz Powders, etc. You will retain the mercury In the system notwithstanding, to plague you in after years. Another injudicious system Is the free use of carbonates of Soda, Magnesia and of Salts, and the various mineral waters as laxatives. 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Sold by all drug gists, or sent by mail on receipt of price RADWAY & CO., 55 Dim Street,New York Be sure to get “Radway's.” ing the next ten minutes in the same lime orchard, that to him the rinding of vipers was an easy matter, Kullan proceeded to search for some other snakes. Gropina for Snakes iu a Well. Presenetly he came to an old dry well, cue of those wide stone masonry struc tures so commonly found around Delhi, tvhich were constructed generations ago, in the time of the Mogul emperors. He looked into it for a few moments, and then asked one of the jail officials to take off his "puggree,” or turban, and let him down into the well. It was only about ten or twelve feet deep. At the bottom Kullan remained for a few minutes, exam ining the earth most carefully. He peeped into every crevice and corner, and pushed his stick into many holes. Eventually he howled, "Send me down a ghara, someone, will you?" The ghara was let down attached to the end of a turban. Then began a most ex citing spectacle. Kullan was to be seen at the bottom of the well, inserting his hook gently into a hole between two stones and then Jerking it out again. At last, with one of the outward jerks, he man aged to bring out about four or five inches of the tail end of a dark-colored snake, which he grasped at with his hand. The snake was. however, too quick for him, and withdrew itself before Kullan could seize it. The contest commenced again, and eventually Kullan managed to get a grip on the serpent’s tall, and in another inslant was dangling a large kerait in his left hand. Every time the creature tried lo raise its head to get at the fingers that gripped Us tail and suspended it the man gave it a jerk and knocked the head down again. He. then lowered the head gently down into the mouth of the ghara, and the snake, being only too anxious to get out of sight and harm's way, began to coil itself up inside the vessel, Kullan meantime slowly lowering (he tail till the reptile had vanished. A bit of rag was then tied over the mouth of tha vessel. Kullan could no doubt have found many more snakes that morning in the jail gar den, but time would not permit. Let us now return to the laboratory and witness the process of venom extraction from the hundred-odd venomous snakes tile three snake-catchers had brought. Kullan had taken four large cobras from their receptacles by gently placing his hook round the thickest part of their bodies, and drawing them slowly out. He threw them on the ground in front of him. Each snake Immediately raised its head to its utmost hight, spread out its hood and, facing the intrepid snake-catcher, be gan to hiss furiously, Its beady eyes flash ing and Its forked tongue darting inces santly in and out of its mouth. Pettlngr Cobras. The creatures were on the defensive, but not one of them attempted to strike at the master who sat so serenely in front of them so long as he did nothing to an noy them. He talked to them as if they were hts dearest friends. After a time one or another of them would lower its head, collapse its hood and begin to try and wriggle away, whereupon Kullan would give it a smart little rap on the tail with his stick and bring it instantly to attention again. Whether this man pos sessed any special magic spell over these cobras, or whether the description given below of how he could handle and play with them was simply due to his method, I cannot say. He himself repudiated the idea of magic, and asserted positively that any one who had the necessary nerve and dexterity could do exactly the same. He used no Teed instruments or music of any kind to propitiate the reptiles. He would simply squat on his haunches in front of them, and after they.had been hissing and swaying their uplifted heads back ward end forward for a few minutes he raised hie hands above their heads and slowly made them descend till they rested on the snakes’ heads. He then stroked them gently on the back of their necks, speaking all the time in the most endear ing of Hindustani terms. The serpents appeared spellbound. They made no ef fort to resent the liberty, but remained quite still with their heads uplift, and, and sepmed to rather enjoy it. Presently his hnnds would descend down the necks, about three Inches below the heads, hJs Angers would close loosely around the necks, and he would lift them off the ground and place them on his shoulders. The looseness of the grip appeared to be the main secret. The snakes, bekig In nt way hurt, would then slowly craw! through his fingers and wind themselves round his neck, his shoulders, and his arms. They appeared to realize that no harm was to be done them, and made no further effort to resent the handling. He would pick them gently oft one arm and place them on the other, and, In fact, streke them and pet them as if tlr y had been a pair of harmless worms. On one occasion he made the onlockr’s blood curdle by taking up a large black cobra by the neck and placing its heed toward bis epen mouth. The inclination of thtse snakes Is to trawl quietly out of sight into the first hole they can find and so the reptile began to crawl into his mouth. He waited his opportunity, and then suddenly closed his teeth firmly on the serpent s head. This, it is needless to say, was violently resented by the snak. but It was powerless for harm, aed could only show in Indignation by denerate wriggling of its body, while the man maintained a firm grip of Its head between his teeth, at the same time let ting both hands drop to his side. After a few seconds he r-’zed the snake firmly by the neck and released its head from between his teeth. He never had the smallest difficulty or hesitation In seizing any cobra by the tall. Extracting the lenora. A cobra when thoroughly roused to anger Is by no means the same gentle creature as those I have Just described, which al lowed the man to handle them with Impu nity He Is now a most formidable beast to approach, etrlking out desperately at every moving thing within and even out of hi reach. But even in this condition Kul lan had no difficulty in seizing the largest of cobras. He would hold up and shake a rage In his left hand. On this the In furiated reptile would rivet Its gaze. With his right hand from behind, the man would then suddenly seize it round the neck, about three inches below the head, and an assistant would fasten firmly onto Its tali to prevent it winding round Kill ian's arm. Hl right hand would then elide forward till he had fastened hie fin gers round the neck. Just echlnd the Jaw. THE MORNING NEWS. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15. 1900. He would (hen insert the rim of a watch glass between the jaws, the grip on the neck would be slightly relaxed, and the serpent would viciously close its jaws on the watch glass, and in doing so squirt the whole of its venom through the tiny holes of its fangs into the concavity of the glass. In this manner snake after snake was made to part with its venom into a watch glass. Often between sixty and a hundred snakes were so dealt with in the course of a morning. The watch glasses were then placed on small glass stands in a plate swimm.ng with melted beeswax. Large glass bell jars were then heated so as to drive out most of the air in them, and these were in verted over the plate on to the wax. The entire plate was then placed on a shelf, and the venom allowed to dry in vacuo for sev en days. At the end of that time the dried venom (a flaky yellow powder) was scraped off the glass with a sterilized knife, the pow'der was hermetically sealed up in small glass tubes, the tubes labeled, showing the species of snake and date on which the venom was extracted, and the whole supply forwarded weekly to Prof. Calmette. In this condition the desiccated venom maintains its virulence for months. Bitten by a Viper. It must not be supposed that even in the dexterous hands of a man like Kullan the manipulating of snakes and collecting of venom were unattended by consider able danger. The man nearly lost his life on two occasions during the above opera tions. On the first occasion I was present when the cunning of his hand was outdone by the agility of a particularly ferocious echis. I shall never forget my horror when I realized that the man had been outwitted and had been fairly bitten on the tip of his finger, nor con 1 express my admiration of the ctalm fortitude that he showed on that occasion. Whether it be that he really had no fear or wheth er he was ashamed to show it l know not. It happened thus; He had placed a large, active and very aggressive viper on the l*>lished floor, and was proceeding to pin ion It in the usual way. The snake seem ed to comprehend his tactics, and for a considerable lime Kalian’s efforts were foiled. The little creature made many fu tile attempts to attack its aggressor by springing forward at Kullan’s naked feet. Dut owing to the slippery floor it was un able to make good Its attack. At length, after repeated failures, the man succeed ed in pinning the viper's head to the floor, and his left hand seized the neck. The moment he did this the snake coiled itself vigorously around his hand, and before the assistant Oould get a grip of the tail it had slipped through Kullan’s fingers, and in doing so drove one fang (fortunate ly there was only one fang prick) into the fleshy part of the man’s middle finger, just helow r the nail. In a second he had dashed the reptile to the ground and was sucking with all his might at the bitten finger. The doctor in another instant had placed a ligature around the base of the finger and another just above the ell>ow. The doctor then pulled out a scalpel and was about to amputate the last bone of the finger, but Kullan would have none of it. He smiled placidly and said: “Do not frighten yourself, sahib. T shall be all right. There’s no necessity to prevent my earning my living by cutting off my finger. I have been bitten many times be fore and am still alive, and I’nt not going to die this time, either. Just take that knife end cut my finger open, deeply, right down to the bone, over the spot where the fang entered,” and he held out his finger to the doctor, who promptly did as he was bid. while Kullnn stood there and scarcely winced at the operation. “Now, sahib, kindly tell them to bring me a leech,” said Kulian, all the time sucking hard at his finger. In a few minutes a leech was made to fasten firmly on the bottom of the wound “Enough!” ejaculated Kullan. “Now 1 will ask but one more favor, sahib, and that Is to excuse your slave doing any more work with the snakes to-day. I will return next Wednesday as usual, with plenty more snakee.” On the following Wednesday Kullan. true to his boasting promise, turned up as usual with his two assistants, and (hough his hag was not as large as usual, he had brought with him enough snakes to kill a whole regiment. His hand was in a sling; he had removed the ligatures and the arm was much swollen, but he was otherwise well and only complained of feeling rather weak. He said that three or four hours after the bite he felt very ill and thought he was going to die. His friend sent for a fakir (a holy man>. who fumigated him with a strong incense of sorts and repeated incantations, and in a short time he began to feel better. The next clay he was out catching snakes, again. On another occasion, about a month later, Kullan, having extracted the venom from a large number of vipers at the laboratory, took the creatures to the dis trict magistrate to receive the usual head money. The custom was for him to de capitate all the snakes he brought and then to count the heads in the presence of an official. The heads were all lying about, and Kullan was placing them in little heaps according to the different species. While he was doing this one of the heads (which retain mobility for some time after being severed from the trunk) fastened its two fangs into the loose skin of Kullan’s hand between the thumb and index finger. The official present imme diately placed a ligature on the arm above the bite, and with a pockeiknife freely in cised the skin over the punctures. What Kullan did after this I know not, but he w'as apparently little the worse for the bite, nnd turned up the following week with a good supply of snakes. It is possi ble, of course, that the decapitated viper on this occasion was not very virulent, for it had had all its venom extracted the day previous, and even if more venom had meantime been secreted, it ia a ques tion how far a decapitated head of a snake would be capable of Injecting ven om through its poison fangs. It is more than probable also that ihe man Kullan, who had survived the bites of so many snakes, had by this time become more or less immunized, like Prof. Calmette’s horses. CHILD LIFE IN CHINA. Amusements nnd Education of the Young Orientals. From the New York Tribune. When a Chinese boy reaches his sixth birthday it is considered time for him to go to school. The occasion is looked upon as on© of such importance that a fortune teller is usually consulted, and on a lucky day, fixed upon by the wLe man, the little Chinaman vnsk's his first appeiranSe at school. He looks very fresh and tidy; his hair has been neatly shaved from his fore head. and the rest of it is pirated up ln'o a long black queue-a “pi n-tsz,” he rails it—which hangs down brhind. Whpn ajiy of his school Ml ws want to tormtnt him they will tie his pigtail to the earae ap pendage on another boy’s head, which is vary uncomfortah e for them both. If it is summer tme the b y wears nothing upon his head, and is only cloth ed In a Jacket or vest of loose cotton or grass cloth, with small, baggy trouse s of the same material. But If tho weather Is cold he wears half dozen vests ar.d coats, one above another, and some of them are padded with cotton wool. Upjn his head he wears a small skull cap of CASTOR IA For Infants and Children. The Kind You Have Always Bought black or blue silk, with a 1 tt’e scarlet twist at the top, and very likely a thick tasfol of ii'km ttreads falling dewn be ll nd. His .-hors have thick, white so’e#, and eften the toes are. embroidered with fan ciful little designs of flowers or butter flies by his proud mother. Sometimes he wears in hi? girdle a little purse, which has a’so been embroidered by his mother. His Public Offices. Having reached the schoolhouse. the boy enters, carrying in his band some small present for the grave looking, elderly por i son who. is to be his teacher, und his first act is to do reverence and burn incense before the tablet which has the name of the aged J£onfudus written upon it. The furniture of the room consists of a number of little d<vks or tables, with high stools behind them, which are fre quently provided by the parents. Before the master stands a large tnble. nnd upon it are lying not only books and papers, but the indispensable pipe. Upon each lit tle desk one wlil see not pens and ink such as we use. but Inkstones, upon which the boys rub the cake of India, or rather Chinese, ink, dipping it in a lit tle water. For his pen he has a brush, not unlike our large paint brushes of camel’s hair. He holds It perpendicularly in his hand, poiniing to the ceiling, ns he traces on the thin, soft paper the queer looking char acters on the copy slip.-. • There is no alphabet of the Chinese lan guage for him to learn, but instead 214 rad icals or rcot words, which enter into the formation of nil the other characters. The words are all one syllable, and are writ ten down, one beneath the other, in col umns, instead of across the page, and the beginning of the books is at the end of ours. The first book of all to be studied is tho “San-Tza-King," or “Trimetrlcal Clas sic.” because, to moke it more easily re membered. it is written in lines of three words each. The teacher re peats the first few line*, and the scholars, holding their hooks in their hands and swinging their small bodies backward and forward, fol low his pronunciation of the words. They then return to their seats and commit the words to memory. In order to he sure each small boy is attending to his lessons he is expected to shout o*ut the passage he is learning at the top of his voice. The continual din caused by the arrangement can be better imagined than described, and to pass a schoolhouse in China one is more likely to suspect the existence of Bedlam than o place of learning. The importance of study is enlarged upon, and a sentence occurs to the effect that “to educate with out severity shows a teacher's indolence.’’ The sight of the bamboo rod, which is found in every chool room close to the master’s hand, end in very constant use. is a proof that this maxim of the sage of old commends itself to the teachers of the present day. Chinese boys are taught that there are three great powers—heaven, earth and man; that there are three lights—the sun. moon and stars. They are further inform ed that rice, millet, pulse, wheat, rye and barley are the six kinds of grain on which men sibsist. Various other matters of a similar kind are touched upon, followed by a summary of Chinese history. Chinese boys know something of arith metic. nnd calculate rapidly, but they do this with their little abacus, or counting board. Among other books studied the classic of "Filial Piety” is largely used as a read ing book, and gives graphic glimpses of Chinese life and exemplary character. A favorite Chinese proverb teaches that “of the hundred virtues the chief is filial piety, end no other duty is so carefully and constantly instated into the children’s minds as this. Kite Flying. Kite flying Is -the great delight of the Chinese boys, though not of boys alone, but a ibo of their fathers and grandfath ers. And what famous kites they have, too! Some are in the form of beautiful birds, or butterflies, with wings cleaving the air; others are in the shape of men, or various animals, dragons und centi pedes. Occasionally a tiny paper lan’ern is fas tenel to the tall of a kite. and. being lighted, it has a pretty effect as it rises, shining like a star in the twilight. Somo times a number of bird kltrs are fastened by short ’ines to the principal cord, and v hen flying in the air look like a flight of birds clustering round one common center. When Chinese children want more ao the amusements, they play battledore, and shuttlecock, only the battledore is usually the thick sole of the shoe or the instep of the foot. They manage it so • ■loverly that it is quite common to see the shuttlecock struck some two or three hurdrel tinva without a single miss. * Ta chiau,” or “hitting the ball,” is an other favorite game Mo t boys wculd no doubt, consider It rather monotonous, since It is simply played by striking the ball to the ground with the hand as ma- y times as possible. ‘ Ta-teh-lo ’ is whipping the top.” A Chimse top is made of bamboo with a piece fo wood going through it, ar.d a large hole is cut in the side, which makes it have a fine humming s und as it spins. “Hldi g from the cat ’ is not unlike our familiar “blind man's buff;” one child having h s eyes blinded, and trying to catch the o’ters, who e cape from him in all direc ions Other Amusements. Catching shrimps is another game, In which all the boys have their eyes, cov ered, and tiy to calch each other ”Ta Pan” is not unlike hopscotch. Every child has a small, flat stone or copp-r can and standing on a marked line, tries to strike the stone which has been thrown by the first boy. "Turning the dragon” is the favorite amuoecnent of Chinese hoys in the spring time, and. like most of their pleasures, it has a religious or superstitious signifi cance The pannage-of this fabulous ani mal through the str ats* of thfir cities Is belkved to be very effectual in dispelling all evil influences, especially a tendency to various sicknesses thought to exist in the first month of the year. The body of the dragon is composed of a large number of lant ms fastened tog thr, and cov ered with colored paper and cloth, (t <s frequently thirty or forty feet long. As the many Jointed cr-jature Is carried through the streets, turning and twisting In all dir ctior.s, rearing its 111-favor <d head and gaping mouth, it is pursued by immense crowds of people. The proces sion, accompanying makes a mo3t unearth ly din, healing gongs and letting off a juib< and crackers, to the great amazement of the stranger who for the first time looks up n the singular spectacle. The* performance of the Punch find Judy shows are much appreciated by Chinese children, and many people nre inclined to believe they were introduced into England from China. In any case they were well known in that empire many hundreds tf years ago. As for the peta kept by the Chinese boys some of them are Identical with those which are prized by children here, such as rabbits, kittens and goldfish. Cricketr nre alao largely kept by boys, as well or older people. They have many favorite birds, among others ha canary and lark, and one much prized Is a sort of thrush, called the “bird with tho flower)' eyebrow'.” Often one may see the boys walking on the city walls or other open space#, carrying their caged birds out for an airing. Txxiuks, hedgehogs and tortoises nr# also kept as pets. The tortoise I* believed to attain a great age, and is used, with the stork, as an emblem of longevity. Few Chinese toys are of a dqjrable na ture. There ar# not many toy shop*, but cheap playthings nre sold by an itinerant vender of small ware*, whose nppronch is I announced by 4he beating of a gong, which calls the children it* quickly hh the music of the Pled Piper of Hamelln I* said to have done. Figure# of genii an-l idol# abound, and now and then an extra ordinary figure is seen, whose llgh.j col- ored locks, tight-fitting clothing, and the stick carried in the hand proclaim it to be intended for a "foreign barbarian." Most Chinese children are possessed of the proverbial “sweet tooth," and the de mand for sugar candy tnd sweetmeats i most liberally- supplied. Some are of various bright colors nnd curious shapes, and many contain morsels of ground nuts or walnuts. # Some Chinese Riddles. Chinese hoys are very fond of asking riddles, ar.d some of ihe juvenile prodigies of ancient days are represented as having been very clever in composing the>e enig mas. A few. sonicwhut similar in form to many popular English riddles, are the following: “What is the fire that has no smoke and the water that has no fish?" “A glow worm’s fire has no smoke, and well water has no fish.” “Mention the name of an object with two mouths, which travels by night and not by day?” “A lantern.” ‘What arc the eyes of Heaven, the bone of water und the looking glass of the sky?’’ "Stars, ice and the sea.” “What is it that has a gaping mouth and marches on like an Invading army, devouring nt every step?” “A pair of scissors cutting cloth." If one were to ask a Chinaman how many children lie had in his family, he woyld reply by tellbf; y-ou the number of his sons. The girls among them are not courted. He considers that “a boy is worth ten times as much ns a girl.” Girls in China are married or taken into the families of the little boy# to whom they nre betrothed at such an early age that their parent# see very little of them after the years of childhood are past. If a girl is blind or lame her chances of life are small. Carious Customs. Many Chinese girls have bright, at tractive faces, nnd all have black or very dark eyes. They wear the raven locks dressed in very different ways, according to the province in which they live. In most part# the hair is drawn back and twisted into one heavy strand, which hangs down the back and is tiofi wiih scarlet cord. Frequently the front hair Is cut in a fringe. Sometimes two plaits are made and bunched up at either side of the he id. being decorated with gay flow ers. At other times, especially in the win ter season, they wear a strange little headdress, consisting of a silken em broidered bard, with a thick black silk fringe hanging down ever the forehead and ears. When a girl is about thirteen years ot age her hair is put up in womanly style. It is twisted around curious wire frames of various shapes. Some are like butter files’ wings, others resemble n teapot han dle. Again, girls wear enormous chignons, and Manchu girls have their hair tied In a large bow upon the top of their heads. Until their marriage, most girls wear the hair in front dressed round, keeping the natural oppea ranee of the forehead. After the wedding it is dressed square. This appearance is obtained by pulling out the hair® round the forehead, making it look broad and high. Even little girls frequent ly wear heavy earrings, bracelets and rings if they belong to a rich family. After the age of eight or ten the daugh ter# of the wealthier classes are kept within the walls of their own homes. It is thought improper for them to be een out of doors. They have few amusements, and though they have not to endure the hard, grind ing poverty of the poorer classes, their lives are much more cramped, and they have little variety ini them. Some girls me taught to play on musical instruments and to sing songs or selections from the classics in a high, unnatural key, by no means attractive to the ear. They spend much time in working em broidery. The paper patterns for these wonderful birds, flowers and figures which are used In the ornamentation of Chinese clothing can be purchased at embroiderer#* shops, but the girls frequently originate their own designs. Many women have helped to make the history of China, and stories are related of the various virtues possessed by he roines of past nge-s. —“The most prominent citizen of Sher idan. Wyoming,’’ says a correspondent of the Chicago Record, "is the future Duke of Portsmouth, whose mother was a Mi*s Walker of Chicago, and whose father is Oliver H. Wallop, son of the late Duke of Portsmouth, and brother of the pres ent Duke, tvho is childless. The Wallop youngster, who Is still in kilts, is there fore the hcir-nppftrent to the dukedom, and his father took him over to England last summer to havo him ‘registered,' as he soys, among the nobility. Mr. Wal lop, who in well known in Chicago, his a ranch of 160 acres on Goose creek, near this city." Men’s 24-inch Fall Dress Sait Cases, leath er corners, brass lock, brass catches, $1.50, at THE BEE HIVE, St. Julian and Whitaker Sts. COMFORT For your stock. The fly seawon Is now on us and the time to use Tough on Flies, a lotion when applied will prevent your hor*e* and cattle from being pestered. Try it and be convinced. HAY. GRAIN. BRAN, COW FEED, CHICKEN FEED. etc. T. J. D/Wlfe. Phone 22L ltf Bay street, west Ofe CHICHESTER'S ENGLISH Pennyroyal pills I OrlftTusl •"<* Only Oenulne. WJ /•li>N v ftAFE. Aly r*lia,b)B Ladle*. *• Dr igrlrt V 4( fr <H It Jf ESTKK’K KNGLfrH 1,1 MK Gold metallic t in Mated w,tb b,u * r * bbo * Take no other, it* fnae th w; Daufteroue HuUdltulloe* aad Jinlta- I / W Oene. Buy of ytur DrogfiK. or Mod 4. lo 1 W Jr inii>e for Particular*. Trattnoatalr \*B D end ‘‘Relief for Ladle*,**in Utter, by r ' P Ism Mall. 10,<M0 Trail mental- Sold *y all firugflei* Cblcbenter Che mical Cn., SaatloL thle paper Madlaoa Square. Pill LA.. 1a! pold by L. N. Brubiwlf k Cos., Whole. bragcteU, Sow Orlear.e. UNION HOTEL, Wezi Broad and Haris streets, opposite Central Depot. Modern appointment. Convenient to all (treat car lines. Rates $1.25 and f1.50 and 12.00 per day. Single meal 25c. M. 3. PATERSON. Manager. OPIUM Morphine and Cocaine habite cured pain lrssly in X 0 to 20 days. The only guaran. teed palnleaz cure. No cure no pay. Addresa. DR. J. H. HEFLIN, Locust Grove, Oa. J. D. WEED * CO •XVASIAU, 04. Leather Belting, Steam Packing & Hose. Agenta (or NEW YORK RUBBER BELTING AND PACKINO COMPANY. PRINTING THE Lithograph ami Printing Department of the Morning News is one of the largest in the Mouth. It is equipped to do the best work in all branch es of printing. its plant is modern and is operated by skilled people . . . BANK BOOKS- Bank Books of nil kinds is our specialty. Checks. Deposi* Slips and general bank stationery the Morning News does In a superior style. And no bank, it matters not how small, should be without our lithograph checks and books. MANUFACTURING PLANTS- We make a specialty of doing cut work a* well as lithograph work for all manu facturing plants, not only in Georgia, but In Alabama. Florida and the Carolina*. Under this head is embraced Guano Fac tories. Plow Worke. Turpentine Plants. Saw Mills, Foundries. Breweries. Machine Shops, in fact all kinds of enterprises of this character. COMMERCIAL WORK— A business man, no matter where he doe# business, cau’i afford to tie without neat stationery. If he does nothing but sell egg# he ought to hive it. The Morning New* make# a specialty of doing neat loba for count! y merchant. And it takes pleasure in sending samples with prices from which selections may be made. COUNTY RECORDS- Record Hooks for counties. Tax Books, Official Stationery for towns and cities, Blank# and forms of every descrip tion we are equipped to do quickly and cheap anil well. WAREHOUSE BOOKS— Warehouse Receipts, Books, Warehouse Stationery of .ill kind# we ore especially prepared to do. We make them strong, of good p ip* r, and print then) well. We cheerfully furnish estimates and submit sample# to warehousemen. When writing lo us address the Morning News Joh Department. Do not think that you are consttm* ing our time by asking us questions and writing for estimates. Whether we get your order or not, we shall be glad to offer the best we have Morning News Job Department, SAVANNAH, CA. HEAR HER! If i A WOMAN'S STORY. ]1 , y, Thin Is to certify that I liave been afflicted with Scrofula or Blood Poison for a number of ) £*s£ year*. The best physicians of Mobile and thia hfflJgEfrp —J HpBV city aald nothing could be done for me. I took HSr large quantities * • • but 1-juud no relief. •fbtn *l^n||, HJjja My limbs were n mass of ulcers, and when X MoKf' *|J2| Ha was Sf tit to a physician in Mobile my entire fonts, hody whs a muss of sores. I had given up all ffißu'lrif' firaffl hope, end as a lust resort tried P. P. P., and WZ \r L \ have entirely disappeared, and mv ! MLffUfa. s\] is. 5 hedlth was never better than at ♦ prese a&MSuW fW.IT aUl> * ! ! knti'fe time, and people that know me thit .lnwoa- WWdfy derftal cure. KLI2A TODD, Milton, Fla. * R@4T' / l\\ JPMt What can be worse forJ rci®® awotnanthaum other- I) 11 1* 1 gfcS* | I™** wise beautiful skin cov- g* w* (W “ - ered with oorcs and I A . I -* 7 eruptions? Can you A A ® ,■• vy / k; ■ Bam blame people for avoid- (Lippman 1 # • 'T T iw fl]? ° rcat Remedy.) < if/ / I HIT pitied; but what woman wants pity ? Besides // 7 / \ivWk the humiliation of disfigurement, the Itching // 7 and burning of skin disease ire almost uses* All women ought to know that all facial and WfmE' bodily blemishes arc caused by impure blood. “i are curable. P. P. P. will purify th* ~T blood, and when the blood becomes pure all skin diseases vanish. P. P. P. is a harmless vegetable compound, and never fails to eradicate from the system all traces of Blood Poison, Scrof* Rheumatism, Neuralgia, Dyapepsiu and Catarrhal affections. FROM ONE OF SAVANNAH'S PROMINENT MERCHANTS. TO THE PUBLICS I herewith recommend to the sufferers of Rheumatism and rheumatic pains, Uppman’a P. P. P., as I have carefully tested it and fougd permanent relief. Also my Son, who, for years, has nnffered from Rheumatism, bus used It for the last year with Rood results, and has not suffered since, and is still ueiug it. Would not do without it it cost double, or at soy price. Yours truly, CIIAS. SEILER. Lippman Brothers, Proprietors, Druggist i ■ niock. Savannah, Ga KIMCATION %L. Emor\> Collcoc^-^ ® Forty miles .nut of Atlanta. Sltnstlon high and healthy. No liquors so dln county. Intercollegiate games pro hibited. Foil college courses offered lending to A. H., B. f'li.nndH.K Degrees, Entire necessary expenses with in gjot). tllrd .nnnal session begins sept. IS, IDAti. For cntnlogne ami full Information, address C. E. 2)ovcnian, prestoent. U/JCUIUOTniI OruiUlDV • Hsra*Wl 4ttwn, fc-aool tor Olr U Aufl nb IUN 0L1?' 1 H fi n I Twenty three teachers, graduutes of Wellesley, linwitiiiuiun vkitiiun" i Harvar(l Kandolph Macon and Baltimore Womans College. Primary Academic, Music. Art. Elocution and Bualneas courses. Small <lasses. In dividual v/ork New building Home life. Pupils enter Vassar. Wellesley and Randolph-Ma ion on certificate*. Next b“*aion begins Sept. 0. For illuntrated catalogue address Mrs W. T. CHANDLER. Principal. LLEWELLYN U SOOTT, Associate Principal. LIPPMAN BROS.. Proprietors, InigglMf. Uppman’s Block. SAVANNAH. QL BRRNNAN BROS., WHOLESALB Fruit, Produce, Grain, Etc. *22 BAY STREET. WhL letcpboaeOOS. JOHN C. BUTLER, -PklALan ** Palnto, Oil* ana Ulsoa. *aah. Doors, Blinds, and Builders’ Buppltas. Plain and Decora tive Wall Paper, Foreign and Dorawf- Cements. Lima. Plaster and Hair How Agent for A tie.tin. Cold Water Paint. 10 Congrtos street, nest, and U W. JuUao -treat, wsab B H. Nka r„ F. P. Millard, President Vice President Heniit Huts. Jr Sec'y and Treat NEAL-lIILLARD CO. Builders’ Material. Sasb, Doors and Blinds, Paints, Oils, Varnishes, Class and Broshes, EUILDERS’ HARDWARE, Lime, Cement and Plaster. 'V aid Wkiukn lUMIk UTilldß •*. LADIES REMEDY A safe and powerful remedy for functional I troubles, delay, pain, and irregularities, is I APIO LINE (CHAP OTE MIT) SucceMfiill? prescribed by Specialist* tor DU eases of Women. Price SI.OO of all Druggists, or by mail. P. O. Box soSi, S. Y. Good Goods—Close Prices. Heikl ua your outers. Soaps. Patent Medicine*, L>ru*s, Kubber Goods, Per fumery, Toilet Powder, Combe. Brushes, etc. DONNEJLLT DRUG CO.. .Phone CZS. ’.lberty and Price sta. 7