The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-04-11
Facts and Figures.

A writer says that more than 100000
acres of the best timber in America are
cut every year to supply the demand for
railway sleepers alone. In a single year
the locomotives in the United States
consumed S60,000,000 worth of wood.
The total number of hogs packed in
the West for the season just closed was
4,820,55 against $685. the previous
season, being an increase of 1,125,304.
Of the number packed in Illinois, L.
519,527, Chicago packers make returns
of over 100000.
The bullion production of the Pacific
States and Territories for 1869 and 1870
averages from $4,000, 900 to 75,000000.
There is reason to believe that last year
it reached $S0,0OO,0O0, and there is good
ground for expecting that this year it
will aggregate from $90,000,000, and
may possibly reach $100000,000.
The land of Dakota is largely prairie,
ranging from one-third bottom" and
"bench" lands, one-third gently sloping,
dry, rich and productive higher prairie,
to one-third more rolling and elevated
prairie, part of which is second or third
class in quality. The timber is found
along the streams and in places other
wise protected from prairie fires.
The Western States are now delibera-
ting whether the Disagreement of
wifes complexion by smallpox ought
not to be added to the list of legal
grounds for divorce. The question has
been brought up by the action of sever
al estimable Chicagoans who claim to be
inc+iEnl ~, Incor+incr +ha,, In4f,, holfo
for this reason +; and it is plausibly az
gued that since much less obnoxious
conduct on mans part is daily admit
ted as good cause for freeing his wife
from nuptial bonds, she ought not to be
allowed to pit herself against him for
life without any chance of his escap-
ing.
The Chinese carte de oisite is curiosi-
ty. 1t consists of huge sheet of bright
scarlet paper, with the owners name in
scribed in large letters-the bigger the
more exquisite. For extra grand occa-
sions this card is folded ten times, the
name is written in the right hand lower
corner with a humiliating prefix like
"your very stupid brother,'s "your un-
worthy friend who bows his head and
pays his respects" etc., ETC., etc, the
words your stupid" taking the place
of our "yours respectfully" 1t is eti-
quette to return these cards to the visit
or, it being presumable that their ex-
pense it too great for general distribu-
ton.
There is an embryo Snowman out in
Virginia City, Nevada, who has already
made his mark in the world. He is an
interesting boy of nine summers, who
painted his little brother in the latest
style of the fierce Sioux, and exhibited
him as a captured son of "Spotted Tail"
at % cents ticket. The exhibition
was great success, and the Juvenile
Barnum was drawing in the quarters at
a rapid rate, when his mother came to
see the show and recognized her Off
spring through the red ochre and lamp
black, whereupon, circumstances over
which the young manager had no con-
troll, put an end to his great enterprise
for the entertainment of his fellow citi-
zens.
A Western editor, during the late
frozen period, thus accounts for the
dearth of local news in his paper: "Our
reporter started out this afternoon in
search of local items After an unusually
long absence he returned but, alas in u
most deplOrable condition-frozen stiff
as poker and minus one ear. We
stood him up against the wall behind
the stove, and ordered the devil to
pile on the fuel. We finally succeeded
in prying his mouth open with the ash
shovel, when dosen or so of words fell
out upon the floor and broke into pieces.
We set the devil at work putting the
pieces together, and he finally reported
the following as the result of his labor
Coolest day Of the season; everything
froze stiff saloon keepers selling hot
whiskies by the stick"
A Kentucky country paper gives the
following: Recently one of our most ex-
cellent housewives had occasion to send
to Louisville for O cook. The latter in a
few days put in her appearance, arrayed,
apparently, in large quantity of cast-of
masquerade fnery of the Queen of
Sheba dilapidated paniers, hounces,
hoops, and with stunning head-dress,
that would have fitted the Queen of
Hayti-jute curls, ringlets, frizzles, CHG
mons, and rats in alarming profusion.
The former looked on the newcomer in
astonishment, and when sufficiently re-
covered, informed her that she did not
think she would suit as mistress for tho
kitchen, as her appearance indicated
that it would take three-quarters of the
day to get up her elaborate head toilette
alone. "Why, la, ma'am, / nerer combs
my head" was the response. The fash
ionable cook returned to Louisville.
A writer has taken the trouble to give
the actual material used in constructing
pianoforte In every instrument there
are fifteen kinds of wood-viz., pine,
maple, spruce, cherry, walnut, white
wood, apple, Eastwood and birch, all OF
which are indigenous; and mahogany,
ebony, holly; cedar, beech and rosewood,
from Honduras, Ceylon, England, South
America and Germany. In this combi-
nation elasticity, strength, pliability,
toughness, resonance, ightness, durabil-
ity and beauty are individual qualities,
and the general result is voice. There
are also used of the metals, iron, steel,
brass, white metal, gun metal and lead.
There are in the same instrument Of sew
en- and half octaves, when completed,
two hundred and fourteen strings, MAX
ing total length of seven hundred and
eighty-seven feet of steel wire, and five
hundred feet of white covering wire).
Such piano will weigh from nine hun
dred to one thousand pounds, and viii
last, with constant use (not abuse,) If
teen or twenty years.