t' flteiiis of Interest.
- '
Platinum expands tlie least by heat of any
metal. The essence of lemon .is extracted from the
lemon peel.
The tusks of an elephant 'frequently weigh
from 160 to 300 pounds.
There are 10;000 miles of overhead telegraph
wires in use in the city of London.
An ostrich egg Weighs about three pounds,
equalling two dozen hen 'eggs.
The Wesleyan Female College near Macon, Ga.,
is the oldest college for women in the world.
The Dartmouth Gazette, started in 1800, was
the first college paper published in the "United
States.
The albatross 4s the 'largest of l11 sea "birds,
frequently measuring seventeen feet from tip to
tip of wings.
In proportion to area the state of Florida' has
the groatest amount of land under water and "the
etate of Wyoming has the least.
In some of the countries of -South America
the natives churn by putting the cream in a skin
bag and dragging it behind a -galloping Ihorse.
The great German unmaker, Krupp, has an
annual income Of "$4;000,000, 4i payroll of .80,000
persons and a fortune 'estimated at $50;000,000.
The big floating steel dry dock in Havana har
bor has been purchased tram the Spanish (gov
ernment 'by the naval 'department for $185)000.
Representative "Cy" Sulloway of New Hamp
shire is a powerfully 'built onan, '6 feet 3 inches in
height, and is the tallest man in the Qiouse of
representatives;
Lord Roberts, the, British. commander, has Is
sued .an 'order that N dismounted infantry 'Officers
shail carry carbines instead of 'swords, both on
active service and 'in maneuvers.
A writer in 'the Public Library JBulletin is
authority 'for the statement that 'the first free
public library in the United 'States was estab
lished in 1709 at JPetersboro, New Hampshire.
The traveler's tree, found in 'the island '5f
Madagascar., has from twenty to twenty-four
leaves, each being from six to .eight feet in length,
and containing, even in the driest of weather, a
quart 'or more of pure fresh water.
According to the census, we Ihad 17,065 Jess
Chinamen in the United States in 1900 than in
1890, the number now here being .89,600. -During
the past ten years the Japanese increased from
2..039 to 4i4,300.
The Prince Lucien Bonaparte library 'of 15,000
volumes, said 'to be one of the Tsest philological
libraries in the world, 'has been secured 'by the
Newberry library of Chicago. The heirs of the
prince valued 'the library at $200;000.
The new .government printing office, when
completed, will be the largest in .the world. No
typesetting machines have yet been used in the old
government printing office, which fact is largely
duo "to the successful -efforts of the labor unions.
July 18 the shareholders orthc First "National
bank at "No. 2 Wall street, 'New York, voted tb
increase its capital stock from $500,000 to i$10r
000,000, and this, together with its surplus fund -of
nearly $10J000,000, nnakes it the largest linking in
stitution on the American continent.
Mr. J. A. Fillmore has resigned as -manager
of the Pacific system .of the Southern Pacific Tail
way, having spent nearly a lifetime in fhe;ser.vico
of that company. He is to receive s$l00 .per
'month until the end of the year -ani 45u0 per
month 'thereafter as long as he live.
"While oxcavating for sewera -recently at De
catur, Ala., the workmen found what is presumed
to be a Telle of the revolutionary war. 'Eight feet
The Commoner.
Aindor ground a sabre was found still in the grasp
of a skeleton hand. Other human bones were
found near by, and It is believed that the skele
ton is that of a revolutionary general, as some of
the older citizens state that they have heard their
forefathers tell of a revolutionary 'Officer having
been "killed and buried near that pot.
About five-sevenths of the earth's surface is
covered wiih water. It is conyputod that there are
,3p800,000 cubic miles of water in the whole
ocean, and that if the land and -the "bed xtf the
ocean were reduced to one common level the whole
earth would be covered .by-an universal ocean two
miles deep.
According to an estimate of the United States
fish commission 5,000,000 frogs are annually caught
for the market in this country and the sum paid
out to the hunters each year is about "$100000. The
United States consumes five times as many frog
legs as Franco, and the industry is becoming of
such importance that the Ash "commission -has long
been considering various plans for the artificial
breeding of frogs for the market.
In the year 1889 only seventy-one tons of al
uminum were manufactured. In 1900 7,500 tons
were produced, one-naif of this -amount being
made in the United Statos. On -account of its
light weight it can bo stretched a much 'groator
'distance 'between poles than wire made from other
'metals, and for 'this,, reason it is now Tjehrg ex
tensively used in the construction of tdl&graph
and telephone lines.
From $, "bulletin issued Try if be. census 'p'fflce in
July, it, appears that .28,411,608 people, pr 37l3 .per
ujont'of our entire population, live in oltise of imore
thun'JljOOO'population. 'There are now in this -country
1,158 places of more than 4;000 population, as
compared with 609 in 1890, .and .580 in 1880. The
percentage 'of the population -living in cities of
more than 4,000 tin 1880 was 25.8 per -cent, in 1890
32.3 per cent and in 1900 as .auove istated 57.3 per
cent.
A statement prepared sat the Internal .revenue
bureau shows that the tdtal Teooipts from the war
-revenue act only from July 13, 1898, the 'date the
act went into effect, to May. 31, 1001, amounted to
$310,053,-363, as follows: Schedule A .(documehtary
siaraps), $108,722,674; schedule 33 '(proprietary
stamps), $13,922,138; beer, $97,717,971; special
taxes, -$14,09,5,636.; tobacco, $47,274,780; snuff, $2,
697818.1 -cigars, $9,180,027; 'Cigarettes, $3,818,991;
legacies, r-$8966,420; excise 'tax, $2,-652,982; mixed
flour, $21,536; additional taxes on beer and tobac
co, :$982,385.
'Those who liave read .of the ,great oil gusbers
in the new Beaumont district may not be aware
that the .oil industry is yet comparatively new.
The commercial importance of petroleum dates
from the year 1859. The first artesian oil well In
the United States was "bored 'on Oil creek in Ve
nango county, Pennsylvania, .'and .on August 28,
1859, ioil was struck at a depth of 71 feet. 'The
tflow amounted to "400 gallons per day and sold at
5!) cents per gallon. Prior to 1859 practically .the
only oil produced in this icountry was ananufac
tured from coal and shale, tout lnce the year I860
the manufacture of oil has "been no longer followed.
An interesting report dias ijeen irecejved at the
state department from 'Consul ISonera'l Bellows at
"Ydkohuma, which covers the 'commerce of Japan
for 1900, .and aBide from statistics .gives a compre
hensive insight into conditions in Japan other than
those Jof trade. The year 1900, says -Mr. Bellows,
was an unfavorable tone to commerce and Tmami-
fa'cture in Japan, but nevertheless statistics show
an increase in the total trade of the empire over
1S99 and 1S98. Japan's tdtal exports in 1000 ag-
gragated in value Ol.IOGft? and '21J9 per cent of
this -amount came to the United 'States, or $26,
1T8.Q65 worth. The imports from the United
States .amounted to r$31,625075, making the entire
volume vt trade between the two 'countries nearly
i$57,500;000. The OJnlted States takes each year
9
- ,. v
three-fourths of Japan's ton, nearly all her floor
mattings and more than half her raw -silk and
h ads as a purchaser in many other Hues. On the
other hand Japan gets nearly one-half of her raw
cotton from the United States and most of her
locomotives and other machinery, leather, kerosene
and other oils and flours.
According to WLlliam E. Curtis the royal .fam
ilies of various countries receive as civil rnioney
or as salaries the following amounts: ,
Itussia - v v: $115,751,000
Germany ., . .' .'. : . 3,929,825
Austria , w....... .,-... . ... 3,625,000
England .t , 3;230,000
Italy. .' .J.....,..'.'..'... '3,210J0W
Spain '.L J. I,'85uj000
. Belgium u.'.w 1,375,'OtK)
iSaxony . '., '940,000
Bavaria -...' 700;000
'Sweden ... ..,.,) ' ISGO.'OOO
Portugal '. 400;000
Holland '-.... '........ 330j00O
Denmark ...., . 330(000
France .'.. 12,130,000
A few weeks ago -we Commoner .published
among other items of interest a report printed in
the Chicago Chronicle in regard to 'drunltenness at
Fcrt Sheridan. A roader of The 'Commoner -desir-
ing that the other side of the question shall be
-hoard sends a letter from Mr. Page Milburu of
Washington, D. C, to tlie Christian Advocate, from
vhicn the (following is an extract: "The truth Is
that the stories of outrageous disorder about which
the newspapers nave told us center around Ti very
few of the more than 100 army posts in the United
States. Fort Sheridan, near Chicago, Fort Myer
.and the arsenal near "Washington, 33. C, -are the
three places Where the greatest uegrce 'of increase
or drunkenness and 'insubordination is reported.
I ,am prepared to 'State the truth concerning Fort
"Myer and the arsenal. 'The following astounding
statement recently appeared, bver the -signature of
.a prominent newspaperman, in the 'Chicago Rec-iord-Herald:
"Before the cariteen ws established
-there were Uarge .-groups of -saloons and disreputable
'houses outside the reservations sat the entrances
to the arsenal and Fort Myer. When tlie 'canteen
was opened andthesoldiershadan attractive place
of. resort, where they could obtain pure beer at
cost price, with .-games, mewspapers, magazines,
-and other idiversions to 'occupy their minds when
they were off duty, the low dives 'entirely disap
peared. The Iceepers were compelled to close and
S,o elsewliere, because 'of 'lack of pa'tronage. Within
.a few days after the'Canteens wereeloeed they were
all reopened, with an increase 'Of numbers, and 'ap
pear to be doing an active 'and .profitable business
in the sale of vile whisky and other liquors. As
attractions they "have billiard and card tables, and
jiumerous dissolute women who lie in wait for
the .soldiers as they come from the reservations,
and 'entice them into the drinking places. The
night after the 'last pay day thee places were -a
bedlam Tieyond the control of the police. Snch
disorder Tias not been 'seen for 'several years.-. The
military authorities have appealed to the commis
sioners of the District and the keepers -of the sa
loons near the arsenal.have been warned that their
licenses will be forfeited unless Abetter order lis
kept, tout at Fort layer, being in the state of Vir
ginia, the authorities are powerless.' There is not
a word Of truth in this entire paragraph. Pains
have been taken to find rout the truth, and the Dis
tilct commissioners .and the chief of police 'declare
the statements above made are not true. Not a
new saloon 'has benn -started, no disorder Jias been
mported, nc 'appeal has been made to the city .au
thoritiesindeed, 'the situation Ms now just what
itlias 'been far "many years. $? ot -me mew aloon or
disorderly place .has been started since-the aboli
tion of thocanteen.' No saloons or low dives closed
either near Fort Hyer or the arsenal when the
ccnteen opened within. No new saloons have
opened in the District of 'Columbia since the adop
tion of the anti-canteen-iaw. The District police
recent the statement that these places have been
"a bedlam beyond their control' at any time. Tire
lieutenant in dharge declares that, instead of un
usual disorder in any of the precincts, there has
been rather more quiet and order in saloons near
the 'arsenal since beer left the canteen than before.
The District attorney, who does not claim to be an
'extreme temperance man, declares that there has
been no more disorder in the'saloons than toas '"been
usual during the last five years. The District-commissioners
declare that they nave received no ap
peal from the military 'authorities, nor have they
warned the saloon-keepers in any way."