Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1866-12-14
INTERESTING NATIONAL FACTS.

IN BhES lNb MAJ IlpNAb FAGlo.
For the benefit Of those OF our reade e
who have not mad time to wade through the
numerous public documents we have hid be-
fore them, we Gull out and condense many
interosting facts bearing upon the national
welfare and progress. We have avoided She
iooings Of the different departments embod-
led In the Presidents message. as we pre-
sumo that all our readers who pretend 20 any
interest in public afdrs will have carefully
perused that document. for their own sake, II
mot for the writer's.
The aggregate area Of the public lands Of
the United States, surveyed and unservcyed,
Is 465, ,I6S 500 acrcs-whch is seventeen
times the whole surface Of Prussia, including
her territorial increase since the war with
Austria.
Only one Of the old Revolutionary pension
ers is now living-SAMuEL DowNING OF Ed
inburg, Sagatoga county, New York. He is
more than hundred years old. OF the Wild
ows Of revolutionary pensioners who were
married before the close of their husbands
military service, only two are living.
The present strength Of the regular army
is only 3s,jf5, which is nearly 1900 short
Of the minimum strength contemplated by
law. The volunteer force is now HOS,
coored and white, mostly oolored. Daring
toe las, four years the Government has sup
piled TO disabled soldi4r@ about 1000 legs,
2240 arms 9 feet and 55 hands --Aad 10 has
about 1000 more limbs TO distribute.
We have nov al ifon-clal A-et OF 81 ves-
sells, and there are 7 more to be completed.
The incomes last year paid revenue Of
$50 S94 1855, which was nearly three times
the revenue OF the year before from the same
source The cigar smokers contributed for
the support Of the Government S3,474,43S,
and the chewers aad tobacco smokers nearly
four times as much. Distilled spirits gave a
revenue Of $40 1873, ,57s and the Commis-
sioner thinks that the Government loses
more by evasion under this head than under
any other, except possibly thst Of income.
IL Is estimated that l50, 600 freedmen and
heir children are now attending school in
the Southern States. The issues Of raions,
on the last Of June. to whites and blacks
were about equal. The Freedmen's Bureau
has nov in its possession for distribution
272 23l acres o land, besides 22S tracts in
Tennessee and lll9 parcels of town property
The Government sold during the past year
Sl2,204,729 worth of postage stamps and en-
vel1pes. We sent abroad S86.9l6 letters,
and received from abroad 1913 $50. We
sent nsarly three millions Of newspapers, and
received q little over one million. The nam
Der Of pos. offices is % ,S2S Of which there
have been re-opsned in the rebellious States
PTS Forty-six have the free delivery sys
tenn, and the plan gives excellent sadsiac-
ton.
The number Of monsy-order offices now in
operation ia 766-abDut double that OF the
previous yeaf Nearly four millions Of dol
lars were thus safely parsed through the
malls The average amount of each order
was SIG 80. The number Of dead letters
was about four and a half millions. They
contained s244 $50; and drafts, checks,
deeds, sc, having a nominal value Of ST.
.826.ssl; and 67,0l6 photographs, articles
Of jewslry, 81. Between eighty and ninety
per cent Of the whole were returned. The
Postmaster General indorses previous esti-
mate that more than three-fourths OF the
dead letters are owing to earlessness in wri-
ting the address.
The expenses Of Congress last year were
Sf,034533 of iho Executive Department,
So 5,92l050; of the Judiciary, 81 627 3D.
Our foreign intercourse cost Us 1888 1888,
The lighthouse establishment of the country
cost Sl,37S SjS The funeral expenses Of
the late President Lincoln were $50, 900 -
The gas for tae Presidents House and the
Capitol is put down at 1913 O00-we hope
the light was in proportion. The fuel for
,he Presidents House cost Sl2 600; the
painting of it $4,000; the repairing Of the
conservatory $4,000; and the re-furnishing
OF the house S76,000-all Of which is calcu1
ated to give an impressive idea OF the size
md appointments of that establishment for
which so many candidates are in training
Boston journal.