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Items of Interest.
Lake Huron contains over 3,000 islands.
There arc in round numbers 10,000 lakes in the
Btato of Minnesota.
A combination of vehicle-axle plants with $10,
000,000 is practically assured.
A monument to Commodore Perry -was recent
ly unveiled at Kurihami, Japan.
Milwaukee, since the publication of its new di
rectory, boasts of a population of 300,000.
The first regular newspaper in the United
States was published in Boston in 1704.
Nearly one-third of our exports or the past
year were products of the southern states.
The oldest university in Europe is the Uni
versity of Paris, founded in the 12th century.
Alexander the Great succeeded to his father's
throne when but 19 and died at 32 years of age.
The largest theatre in the world is the Theatre
Francai3 in Paris, covering three acres of ground.
The largest bell in America Is in the Cathedral
of Notre Dame at Montreal and weighs 29,400
pounds. .
Pennsylvania is the leading state in the manu
facture of glass, employing some 23,000 persons
in this industry.
During thef civil war there were enlisted in
'Arkansas 2,000 more soldiers than the state had
voters in 18C0.
The density of the population of the world is
about one and one-half times as great as that of tho'
United States.
On the ostrich farms the average price of a
bird is $100, and the feathers at a single picking
are often worth $25.
Alfred, B. KJttredge has been lyppointedjby the
governor of South Dakota to' succeed the late
United States Senator Kyle.
It has been estimated by electrical experts
that from-the Niagara Falls a total of 8,000,000
horse power could be developed.
Boston was at one time called tri-mountain
from the three hills in that vicinity which formed
a striking feature of the landscape.
It is estimated that 2,000,000,000 passengers
and nearly 2,000,000,000 tons of goods are carried
yearly by the railways of the world.
The first round trip by steamer from Chicago
to Europe direct has just been completed, the jour
ney, in both directions occupying 34 days.
The highest inhabited house in Europe is the
observatory building which was built in 1880 at
the top of Mount Etna. It is 9.075 feet above sea
level.
From a statement prepared by the internal
re'.enue bureau, the total receipts from the war
revenue act from July 13, 1898, to May 31, 1901,
amounted to $310,053,363.
According to General Booth . the Salvation .
Army is new operating in 47 countries, has litera
ture in 30 different languages, and has more than
7,200 different societies.
The highest mountain peak in the. United
States, outside of Alaska, is Mount Whitney, which
is 14,886 feet high, and is located in California in
the Sierra Nevada mountains.
' The population of Scotland numbers 4,471,957,
of- which nearly one-third is in its four largest
towns. Glasgow has a population of 760,423, Edin
burg 316,479, Dundee 160,871, and Aberdeen 153,108.
The American people are becoming greater
Bugar consumers with each succeeding year. In.
1900 we consumed 2,219,847 tons or sugar, or an
average of 66 pounds for every man, woman and
child.
It has been ascertained by careful weighing
that 5,000 bees without loads will weigh about one
The Commoner.
pound. But when loaded with honey as they come
in from the fields It requires only about one-third
that number to weigh that amount.
The suggestion is made by naval officers that
Admiral Dewey be given command of a fleet of our
largest and finest battle ships and cruisers and be
present with the. same at the -coronation of King
Edward, which is to take place towards the closo
of next June.
The topophone is a new invention for the aid
of mariners. By its aid it is possible to detect
sounds far beyond the range of the human ear, en
abling the detection of fog horns and the nearness
of other vessels, thus lessening the chances of
accidents in dangerous weather.
The Great Bell, or Monarch of Moscow, is the
largest bell in the world. It was cast in 1734, is
over 21 feet in height and diameter and weighs 193
tons. It fell during the fire .in 1737 and remained
in the earth 100 years when it was raised and is
new seen above the chapel which was erected
where it fell.
Information has been received by the bureau of
foreign commerce that a new line of nine steam
ers, varying in tonnage from 4,000 to 11,000 tons,
has been established between Tacoma and Liver
pool. They will travel by the Suez canal route,
touching the ports of the Philippines, India, Egypt,
arid western Europe.
In 1800 there were in the United States one and
one-half persons to each square mite. In 1900
we had over 21.4 persons to each square mTle. In
1800 the density of the world's population was
11.6 persons to each square mile. In 1900 therewas1
an average population throughout the" world of
31 persons to the square mile ' -' '' ' l x '
One of the latest inventions called the gradom
eter is a nickel plated casing containing a glass
tube filled with spirits and operating on the prin
ciple of the spirit level. It can be fastened to any
vehicle, and by its aid one can readily tell the de
gree of slope to any grade over which the vehiclo is
passing at any instant of time.
Denver Republican: Criminals are very ex
pensive members of the community. They cost
the people of this country about $1,000,000,000 a
year. If their increase could be prevented it would
bo a paying investment to give each of the 250,000
criminals a monthly pension of $300 on the condi
tion that tbey take a life vacation from the stren
uous demands of their profession. .
Washington Times: For seven years a unique
pigeon post has been in operation between Avalori
on Santa Catalina island, and Los Angeles in Cali
fornia, a distance of over 50 miles. Over 20 miles
of this distance is across the Pacific ocean. In the
ordinary course five hours are required between
the two towns, but the pigeons often cover the dis
tance in less than an hour. Private messages,
business orders, etc., are forwarded at prices vary
ing from 50 to 75 cents per message.
According to revised computations on the pro
duction of gold and silver throughout the world
during the year 1900, there were mined $255,924,-
654 of gold and $112,205,742 of silver. The United
States leads the production of both these metals,
having produced during the year 1900 $78,159,674
oi gold and $36,576,900 of silver. Australasia ranks
second in the production of gold, her output being
$73,467,110, and Mexico ranks second in the produc
tion of silver, her product for last year being
$34,269,494.
Scientific American: Experiments are being
made in the signaling department of the English
army with acetylene gas for transmitting signals at
night. At present ordinary oil lamps and limelight
are utilized for this purpose, but the recent tests
with 4 acetylene have proved that the latter me
dium is more advantageous. A whiter ray of light
with increased brilliancy is obtained and it is far'
more penetrative than oil or limelight, a'nd signals
transmitted by this means can be read at a much
greater distance than heretofore. Another ad
vantage in Its favor is that tho gas can bo gen
crated in about one-twontieth of tho time required
to prepare a limelight, and it is also so portable
that one man can easily carry tho plant necessary
for two lamps.
All but three small oil-cloth industries of tho
country havo combined with a capital stock of
$10,000,000 under the name of the Standard Tablo
Oil Cloth Company. They have a capacity of near
ly double the amount consumed by the entire coun
try. Tho plants acquired are: The Western Lin
oleum company of Akr6n, O.; the Ohio Oil Cloth
company of Youngstown, O.; the Keystono Oil
Cloth company of Morrlstown, Pa.; Atha & Hughes
of Newark, N. J.; tho Goodlatto Oil Cloth company
of Passals, N. J.; Joseph Wild & Co, of Astria, L.
I , and A. F. Buchanan & Sons of Buchanan, N. Y.
Together these represent nine-tenths of tho light
weight oil cloth industry of the entiro country.
De Careful Mr. MacVeagh.
A Phi Beta Kappa oration at Cambridge is not
the place in which wo usually look for revolution
ary doctrines; yet this is what Mr. Wayne Mac
Veagh said under such conditions:
" 'Our electorate is already beginning to bo di
vided, and must, in obedience to the law of social
evolution,! continue more and moro to bo divided
by that sharp cleavage which separates those
who are; contented with their lot from those who
are discontented with their lot
" 'Undeit whatover disguise, called by what
eTcr names inheriting' or seizing whatever parti
san organizations, the alignment of tho two great
political divisions at American voters who will
sooner or later struggle against each other for
tho possession of tho government will inevitably
bo upon the basis I havo named.
- " 'The party" of tho contented will be ranged
under one banner, and the party of the discon
tented will be ranged under the other, and that
alignment will steadily develop increasing sharp
ness of division, until the party of the discon
tented, being the majority, has obtained tho con
trol of the government, to which, under our sys-:
tern, they are entitled, and then they will be sure
to remodel the present system for the distribution
of wealth, unless wo havo previously done so,
upon bases-wiser and more equitable than those
now existing. The one party will be, under what
over name, the party of capital, and the other
party will be, under whatever name, the party of
labor
"MY. MacVeagh tells tho Brahmins of Har
vard not only that tho party of tho discontented
will obtaiu control of the government, but that it
ought to obtain It, and not only that it will re
model tho system of the distribution of wealth,
but that it will do so upon bases wiser and moro
equitable than those now existing. That is a long
advance upon the state of mind of Macaulay, when
ho predicted that the time would come when this
majority of tho American people would havo no
breakfast and would not know where to look for
a dinner, and condemned tho constitution of the
United States because it seemed to him to pro
vide no machinery for suppressing the efforts of
those people to alter that desirable situation."
New York Journal.
Ne Milk With Lobster.
:n My young friend has evinced a gentlemanly
discrimination in favor of the petite luncheon, and
during his last foray ho shocked the sensibilities of
tho attendant fairy by ordering a lobster salad,
roll and a glass of milk.
"We aro not permitted to serve lobster and
milk," ejaculated the lady sprite.
'xWhy not?" inquired tho young man, "Is it a
general order or solicitude for me personally?"
"Tho combination is poisonous," replied th
sprite. Boston Letter to Chicago Post.
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