n
NO. 0.
Local News.
423
regulated with case by the operator, and
the motion continued for hours thus do
ing away with the wearing exertion im
posed by impelling it with the feet.
The invention of the telephone is now
claimed in England for Sir Charles Whit
stone, who, over tweii-j years ago, trans
mitted various sounds with and without
electricity to a considerable distance, and
even called his instrument the telephone. It
does not appear, however, that Sir Charles
ever attempted to transmit the human
voice, and the present agitation is doubt
less set on foot to overthrow the patent'
An application of electricity to prevent
railway-collisions is being tried at the sta
tion at Marseilles. It consists of an elec
tric mirror, in which all the movements on
a line 100 kilometers in length arc
brought vividly before the eye, enabling
the station-master to follow exactly the
progress of every train. It is hoped that,
by this means, accidents resulting
from delays or too rapid runs may be
avoided.
It is a singular fact that ammonia is
produced on the surface of some steels
broken under the hammer. This has
been observed in the breaking of steel
rails, the presence of the gas being re
vcaled distinctly by its well-known odor.
In the case of one hard steel, as reported
by M. Barro, the French steel manufactu
rer, this could be perceived several paces
off; red litmus paper, ami yellow turmer
ic paper, applied to the moistened frac
ture, changed color immediately, the for
mer becoming blue, the latter brown, and
bubbles of gas rose for about a quarter of
an hour. These observations were upon
steel manufactured in a gas furnace by
the Siemen process, but the softest lies
semcr steel has also been known to yield a
pronounced odor of ammonia. The pres
ence of nitrogen in steuls, and the libera
tion of ammonia, have also been noticed
in them when cold, in the presence of
water vupor.
LOCAL NEWS.
-of
The map pcddlars are all short
funds.
They all do it look in their books
on examination day.
TitE Student ofllce dishes up butch
er shop fragrance. Three whiffs free.
The local columns arc mostly filled
with commencement news this issue.
One thousand extra copies of this num
ber of the Student have been ordered.
The commencement this year was the
best the University has ever witnessed.
We arc indebted to Mr. Sturdevant for
his services to the local department in our
absence.
The women want them, the children cry
for them and the hired girls must have
them Maps.
The map-selling fever, excited by Mr.
Haskell, has carried away no less than
thirty of our brightest youth.
As the editors and local were compelled
to leavo soon after commencement the as
sociate editor and typos have some extra
work.
A noted Soph remarked, that thought
was bounded by reason to which a ver
bose Fresh, replied " it must be the reason
you leave no thought."
The people in different parts of the
state take great interest in the wollfaro of
the University as was manifest by' their
attendence at commencement.
Heiie, you senior fellows, down east,
how much will you give us to write your
commencement orations? Liberal dis
count to clubs. Send stamp for price list
and full particulars.
A lady friend pertinently asks which
is worse to slide down tho banisters, or
to help in putting that cannon on the
campus? Really, dearest, wo are not pre
pared to say, for we never slid down tho
banisters.