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6
000. Bight thousand sovon hundred tons wero
mined horo in 1895, at a selling price of ?3G8,000.
Two years ago $1,000,000 worth was exported, or
nearly forty thousand tons, and this industry is
still growing,
IT IS STATED THAT CANADA IS ERODUO
ing about eighty-fivo per cent of all asbestos
mined. The United States sends about 5 per cent
of tho total amount of asbestos to tho market,
and tho countries of Europo supply the other 10
per cent. The Now York Herald writer con
cludes as follows: "Asbestos for building pur
poses Is worked into forms like plaster of pads.
Smooth as glass, hard as marble, and withal
beautiful to look upon, there is apparently no
reason, outside of tho .ncreased cost, why all
buildings of public resort should not bo con
structed of this matorlal within and without.
Damponed asbestos may be handled like felt and
placed around pillars, cornices, staircases, etc.,
rondcring them fireproof as soon as tho mnss
hardons. Tho iron pillars supporting balconies
in playhouses and stories in skyscrapers become,
in coso of lire, by their very naturo sources of
gravo danger, if uncovered by asbestos. For tho
heat Is liable to render thom red hot, bend and
ovontually melt them, so that one story after the
other tumbles in. Asbestos can and does prevent
this tremendous danger, as flro cannot penetrate
to tho iron parts, and consequently their useful
ness as pillars and bracers remain unimpaired."
if r
IT IS BELIEVED THAT BEFORE VERY LONG
tho famous Dead Sea will bo exploited for
industrial purposes. Fronch engineers are at
work on threo different projects with this pur
poso in vlow. According to the Boston Transcript,
tho lovol of tho Dead Sea being more than 1,300
foot below that of tho Mediterranean and Red
seas, it is thought by connecting either of these
two seas by means -of a canal with the Red Sea
a stream of wator would flow with a velocity cal
culated to produce some 52,000 horse power. There
is no danger, it is asserted, of an overflowing of
tho Dead Sea, for tho waters there evaporate at
so great a rate (0,000,000 tons a day) that the in
coming waters would make no appreciable dif
ference in tho levol. One project is to start tho
canal from tho Bay of Acre, lead it southward
past Mount Tabor, and lot it join, at Baisan, tho
waters of tho Jordan. Another plan is to build
tho canal along tho railway line from Jaffa to
Jerusalem. But this would mean blasting a tun
nol of somo thirty-sovon miles through the moun
tains of Old Judea. Tho third project, the cheap
est, proposes to start at Akaba, in tho Red Sea,
and pass through tho Desert of Wady-el-Jebol.
Having obtained power in this manner it is
thought many industrial works would be carried
on.
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FOR MANY YEARS THE SPOT WHERE LORD
Nelson, England's famous naval hero, died
has been pointed out to tourists and others who
made pilgrimages to tho place. Now it has been
discovered that tho spot shown was not in reality
tho oxact place of Lord Nelson's death, and this
dlscovory has caused a great stir among English
citizens. The St. James Gazette of London thinks
thero is occasion to rebuke the fussing ones,
which it proceeds to do in this wise: "Why all
this pother about tho exact spot where Nolson
died? To begin with, none now alivo witnessed
that sad event, and rumor is not to be relied
upon. Secondly, thero being no direct evidence
why disturb tho equanimity of a million pilgrims
scattered over all the world? Their devoted feet
havo hallowedor at least hollowedthe spot
which has for years been confidently pointed out
by expectant cicerones as tho only true and oilg
inal one. Lot us then leave it at that. Tho pil
grim spirit is of more importanco than tho exact
location of Mecca. And the eye of faith can see
what it chooses. What though John the Baptist
soom as many-headed as the hydra? Shown his
real and original head, as served up to Heiodias'
daughter, credulity will not remember having
seen tho same head elsewhere. There is a story
of a skeptic who, on being shown the sword with
which Balaam killed his ass, objected that tho
prophet had no sword, and that, according to Bi
blical authority, ho only wished for a sword
'Well r.aid tho faithful believer, 'then this is the
sword he wished for.' Tho faith of the showman
is surely moro powerful than the skepticism of
tho tourist. Down with iconoclasm, and up with
ACETYLENE GAS USED FOR ILLUM1N
ating purposes, was cMscovered by an acci
.deit according to Harper's Weekly. That Pub
lication tells tho story in this way: "Willson a
The Commoner.
scientific experimenter, believed that nearly all
metallic oxides could be reduced to a .metallic
state by heating them to an extremely high tem
perature by tho voltaic arc in the presence of
free carbon. Aluminum had been successfully re
duced in this way. Mr. Willson wished to obta n
metallic calcium. He therefore mixed a quantity
of quicklime with pulverized coke, and brought
the mixture to a high temperature by the action ,
of tho voltaic arc. He expected to obtain a white
metal, but instead he appeared to produce noth
ing but slag. This was thrown into the yard,
and one day at noon, while the boys were having
their luncheon, they picked up these bits of slag
and throw them at each other. One piece fell into
a pail of water and produced a bubbling effect
and a strong odor. This attracted Mr. Willson's
attention, and upon investigation he found the
strong smelling gas was extremely inflammable.
Further investigation revealed that it was pure
acetylene gas."
THE WHITE PINE IS DISAPPEARING FROM
the northern part of the United States, ac
cording to recent statistics gathered on the sub
ject. It seems that the cut of this wood for 1903
was smaller than for any year since 1878, and but
little more than half that of 1890, when 8,G00,
000,000 feet were cut. The Duluth (Minn.) corre
spondent for the New York Times says that in
1903 only 4,791,852,000 feet of white pine were
cut, and that tho figures show conclusively that
the northern pine supply has declined beyond a
possibility of ever reaching high-water mark
again, and that a continuous decrease must como
until the industry is wiped out. The only two
districts that show no decline for the year in the
whole northern pino region are the Duluth and
Upper Mississippi river districts. Duluth has
made more lumber than ever before, and more
than any other section ever made, with a cut for
tho year of 944,000,GJ0 feet. This far exceeds the
best record ever made by Saginaw, when that was
tho center of the white pine industry of the United
States. The white pino cut of Michigan is almost
at an end. Saginaw, which produced more than
eight hundred million feet in 1893, the past sea-'
son made only about 7 per cent as much. In a
few years, probably less than ten, the Chicago
district will be reduced to a few million feet of
odds and ends, scrapings of the once vast forest.
AN INTERESTING DISCOVERY WAS RE
cently made in the form of a new medicinal
clay. A dispatch to the S't. Louis Republic, under
date of Pueblo, Colo., says that H. H. Bourne is
tho discoverer of this new clay, and "that an
analysis of the material has been made with tho
result of showing a small per cent of silicate of
aluminum. It is claimed that no mineral known
to scientists is purer than this. It is nine times
finer than the finest starch. It is said to be the
purest mineral to be found, with the exception of
diamonds. J. Pierpont Morgan has a piece of the
silicate of aluminum about the size of the end of
a small finger, which is worth more than $20,000,
according to statements made by chemists. Mr
Bourne states that he can drink four gallons of
water now without any discomfort after using the
new material as a medicine, and that his weight
has increased as well as his strength, and though
he is 66 years old, he feels better than when ho
was 40. He claims that he can cure with this
clay any case of typhoid fever or diseases of that
kind within an hour."
CHICAGO MILLIONAIRES ARE PLANNING A
V- philanthropic work on a great scale. This
ZrUoneofr?d0 the conization of the slum pop
ulation of the great American cities upon farms
According to the Chicago correspondent for tho
ew ork Herald, the Field and Work Shop so
ciety is the corporation which has been formed
' cworkut the details. E. 1. Rosenthal who's
responsible for the Industrial Art League has been
the principal sponsor and creator. The organiza
tion will be national. Fifty thousand LS wm
be spent in organizing. The first move of tS
society will be to get land from the UnRed StoS
government That is the crux of the scheme Th
and under the operation of tho homest !,Y e
bo secured at a nominal price. tTo sc1e?v wiS
take care of the settler nnin tiVn HJClely will
themselves. The scheme ta to beanT1
issuance of bonds acainat ??,.? ed by the
settlement. MllltonffiSS ?Z P
bonds in $50,000 lots. ejected to take tho
T NJ?0N, ?ABLEGRAMS REPORT THAT
JL-, Mrs. Maybrick has been toIm; JL 1HAT
son by the British authoritks ft? i.fronl ri"
not been verified olttaMMWlS
yOLUMB 4r NUMBER ;
Maybrick has been removed from the prison in
which she was so long confined, and newspancr
correspondents seem to b unable to locate the
famous prisoner. The impression seems to bo
that if Mrs. Maybrick has not already been re
leased the British authorities are laying plans to
that end. A writer in theDes Moines Register
and Leader says: "Should the report of Mrs
Maybrick's release from prison be definitely con
firmed much of the credit of her release will bo
due Ambassador Choate. Since his first anival
at London as this country's representative ho has
striven earnestly for the woman's freedom, and
his efforts now seem to be crowned with success.
In March of last year the British home office def
initely announced that Mrs. Maybrick would bo
released in 1904, but even then Ambassador Choato
did not relinquish persistent efforts. That her re
lease has come thus early in the year, ir sne is
released, will be a splendid tribute to Mr. Choate's
persistency, legal perseverance and acumen and
popularity with British officials."
MRS MAYBRICK FOR YEARS HAS BEEN
the most famous woman prisoner in any
jail. The Register and Leader writer says: "Sh0
would have served fifteen years had she remained
in prison until next July. There has always been
much doubt as to her guilt, and also a general
belief that even if she did murder her husband
she was forced into the act by his abuses of her
and should not have been convicted of so heinous
a crime. Maybrick died from arsenic poisoning,
he being addicted to the use of the drug -It was
shown that a short time before he became sick
he had purchased 150 grains of poison. - The trial
became largely a battle of experts and was bitterly,
fought. Mrs. Maybrick was defended by Sir
Charles- Russell, who afterward became lord chief
justice of England. The presiding judge was
Justice Fitzjames Stephen. Not long after the
trial the latter wont insane and died in a mad
house. After the trial was concluded the jury,
retired and was out thirty-eight minutes and re
turned with a verdict of murder in the first de
gree. Mrs. Maybrick was sentenced and the scaf
fold for her execution was erected close to her
cell in the prison. At that time came a-reversal
of popular feeling, which had been, strong against
her, which was quick enough and strong enough
that the death sentence was commuted to lifo
imprisonment." . .
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF NEW.
York city has united with-the health de
partment of Chicago in the war against the anti
toxin trust. Health Commissioner Darlington of
New York city has made investigation and as a
result has announced the existence of an anti
toxin trust. Commissioner Darlington offers to
sell such surplus as his department may have on
hand to the Chicago department of health and
such other departments in various cities as may
need assistance. Commissioner Darlington has
issued an interesting statement with respect to
his investigations and he gives the details of an
interview he had with representatives of the three
chief manufacturers Qf anti-toxin.
AC?0RrING T0 COMMISSIONER DAR
lington tho representatives of the anti-toxin
combine presented copies of letters sent to him
by the three firms. These letters deny that there
has been any combination of anti-toxin manufac
turers as to prices. Referring to the statement
made by this trust representative the New York
S d ,ST: He told Dr- Darlington that all
three of these firms had assured him that tnere
was no combination, but when requested to do so
h if6?, Ul0 t0 state definitely upon what
he based liis belief other than the statements of
T?3' "Even supposing that there
was a combination," the agent asked "what
uld yu ?;' 'Mr. Darlington replied,' says
our ontn5enT' ?il1 dUbl3' eble or quadruple
2EJ v ' I wil1 sel1 tt from nero to San FrJn-
Yon VnnIS S that ifc is aBainst the law
X5.P? I ?t; but I toU you lnat tnere a
borik? IZ' fwicV iB above any on the statute
ThR ?ifo n? tbat J?, the necessities of the poor.
SSiti n?f ne Child ls wortn moro tliaD a" the
the innifnn?Ur manuaeturers. The agents of
tint, mS"fact,urers tell me there ls no combina-
bSE" wSTI0, tbey, explain tne act that when
E0e, received in Chicago on January 15 all
t? tndders d.oubled tbeir PriceB and we lden
couiVSeSL Jbeir flBures? No sane man
and PomhSffiU11"6 bad not been collusion
?t twmbinaH?n beteen bidders. You can call
one fnr3 lik6,' buf tbat Is a trust and an evil
Srte whilh !f gDg t0 double thQ PrIce ot an ar-
Sf Sto"c ath?2 consuraer is literally a ?aU
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