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Travelers' Tales

Travelers' Tales image
Parent Issue
Day
7
Month
January
Year
1897
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Ia Ceylon there is a mountain over 7,000 ieet high, which is named after the flrst man. The summit is a bare mass of granite, ending in a narrow platform, upon which is a hollow somO five feet long and two and a half feet broad, bearing a rough likeness to a man's foot step. Aecording to the Mohammedans, after Adam had been driven from Paradise, he stood on this very spot for one thousand years, do ing penitence for sin, and so caused the mark. The Buddhlsts say this is, a. mistake, for the footprint was made ty their holy teacher, Prince Buddha, when he left Ceylon. Not to be outdone, the Hindoos claim it as the footmark of their god, Siva. However all that may be, every year crowds of devotees of these different creeds flock to the peak as to a sacred shrine. The Hottentots. ■Vhen the Dutch landed at the Cape (wo centuries ago, the most important in number and most widely spread of the natives were the Hottentots, a email wiry folk, with yellow faces, iack wool in little hard knobs on the Bead, protruding jaws, low foreheads, and small eyes. Their condition of civilization was not high compared with that of many other African peoples; they had large flocks and herds on whose flesh and milk they lived, but they had little agriculture. Their round Aouses, made of slight wooden frames, with mats fastene'd over them. could at any moment be taken up and removed, and the little clothing they wore was of skins. But they were a versatile, excitable, lively little folk, as their few remaining descendants are to-day, rather gentle than fierce, and very emotional, and loving dancing and song. Paper Making in Corea. It is not generally lcnown that the best kinds of paper "met with in China and Japan are the produce of Corea. Varat says that "the Corean paper excels the vcry best that is made in China and Japan. It is produced entirely by manual labor, and without the use of any machinery. The raw material used for the better kinds is obtained from the bark of Broussonetia papyrifera, which is collected in spring and beaten in water containing a large mixture of wood ashes until reduced to thick( pulp. This is taken in large ladles and spread upon frames of bamboo so as to form thin sheets. Another paper is made from old scraps trodden into pulp much in the same way that grape juice is expressed in some countries, and though this process of pulping is slow, it has the advantage of not breaking the fibre so much as when machinery is used. After the pulp has been made into paper the sheets are piled up to a height of six feet, and then cut into pieces, to be again subjected to the stamping with the feet. At the same time the roots and seeds of a plant called "tackpoul" are added, the soluble parts of which are supposed to gi tenacity and toughness to the paper. The Parrot Knew a Good Hand. Parrot stories are always good so loag as they are true, says the Pliiladelphia Inquirer. And, of coursc, none but a true parrot story ever finds its way into print. A well-known resident of Tioga is telling one which he declares he is willing to stake a hardearned reputation for veracity upon. This particular parrot is the property of a Tioga household, the head of which is inordinately fond of a quiet ittle game of poker. Por years it has Deen his custom to get three or four of his friends together at least twice a week in the snug library of his house and while away four or flve hours of am evening by means of 5-cent ante with a quarter limit. The parrot's cage üangs in the same library, except on state occasions, when lt is taken into the dining room. The man's wife is as devoted to the church as he is to nis favorite game. She never misses a meeting and as often as the good man will come, has her pastor at her home for Sunday dinner. He was there two or three weeks ago. So were a number of other friends of the family. The master of the household presided over the dinner and the conversation was as lively and vivacious as the sanctity of the day would permit. The clergyman was, and is, one of the liberalminded, up-to-date class of men who are bringing religión into closer touch with the masses, or the masses in closer touch with religión, than lt has perhaps ever been before. His utterances when out of the pulpit are frequently punctuated with everyday expressions the use of which by a preacher would have been thought strange a decade ago. He also goes so far as to attend the theater occasionally. It was he who was talking at the table and all the others were interested listenera. The subject was the morning service at his ehurch, the attendance upon which had 'jeen very large. "Yes," he said, "I couldn't help reparking to myself as I entered the pulpit: 'Well, this is one time I've gat a lull house.' " "That's pretty good," quickly oame in all too distlnct 'tones from the parrot's cage. "Take the money Dick!" The presence of the preacher, the parrot's profanity and the fact that "Dick" is her husband's name sent the mistress of the house into a fit of hy;teriqs, which neaiiy broke up the dinlar. As it was, only the peculiar pat'ss of the bird's sally saxed the day

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Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register