The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-03-20
CURIOUS AND SCIENTIFIC.

Ii,
electrical conductor.
If gilt frames are varpished with
copal varnish, they can be washed will
cold water without injury.
To cement metal to glass, mix two
parts powdered white itharge and one
part dry white lead into dough will
boiled linseed oil and lac copal. The
metal is to be coated with the cement
and then pressed upon the glass.
A RECENT test of the relative strength
of oak and Oregon pine, made at Sar
Francisco, with bars each one incl
square and three feet long, showed that
the pine was equal to the oak. Both
broke under the same weight placed il
the middle of each bar, namely, 26(
pounds.
THE MARTIAL SEAs.-M. Meunier has
recently advanced the theory that the
planet Mars is much older than the
earth, because of the ratification of its
atmosphere and the small extent Of its
seas. The form of the latter, he says,
is exactly that which the terres' rial
oceans would assume after partial alb
sorption by the earth's crust. If, for
example, the Atlantic were absorbed so
that only that portion included in the
contour inside by the uniform depth Of
IL, 900 feet were left, the shape would
be exactly similar to that of some of
the seas recognized in Mars.
| EXTENSION OF UNDERGROUND RAIL-
WAYS IN LoNDoN.-At the enormous
cost of $12, 500, 900 the Metropolitan
Inner Circle railway company is busily
engaged in carrying out its plans. In
addition to the construction of lines,
stations, etc., this company in c,m-
| PEELED to make an entirely new street
from Fenchurch street to King William
street, and also to widen Tho streets
right and left which branch therefrom.
| The Importance attached to this enter
| prise may be gathered from the fact
| that the metropolitan board of works
and the corporation of the city of Lon
don have subscribed the sum of ST.
500, 900.
A New USE For MINERAL OILs.-In
| late number of the Australian Medical
journal, DR.. John Day maintains that
certain mineral oils, gasoline especially,
are of great use as disinfe Giants, their
value depending, he believes, on the
fact that they are rich in peroxide Of
hydrogen. He employs the gasoline in
various ways as disinfeetant, applying
it to walls, to articles of furniture, and
to clothing; also, as a wash for the
hands after treating infections diseases,
allowing the moistened hands to dry in
the open air. A peculiar and valuable
property of these oils as disinfec.ants
is their continuous action, while they
improve and gather force by exposure
to the air.
No Coal IN CALIFORNIA DIR. j. G.
Cooper, who has made the most careful
of hn lot thnf %I,n
logical facts are all against the proba-
bility Of the existence of any true coal
measures in California. In ninety nine
cases out of a hundred, the alleged coal
discoveries are of no value whatever.
In other countries, the true coal of the
carboniferous rock is formed of tree
ferns, alg@, and other plants of low Or
ganizatiop. None Of these remains are
found in California, but in their stead
are found the remains of coniferous and
dicotyledonous trees, or those having
double-lobed leaves, the beds in which
they are found being classed by geolo-
gists as lisnites. In some parts of the
state this Ignite is found in useful
quantities, and may be employed, like
peat, for local consumption.
SAGAcrrY OF THE PARTRIDGE.-In-
stances of the sagacity of the partridge,
woodcock, and other birds have often
been related. But the most singular
illustration of the deception pracdced
by the first of those willy species to pro-
tect their young is given by Mr.. Hen
shaw, of the government survey west
of the one hundreds meridian. While
riding through pine woods, brood of
partridges, containing the mother and
eight or ten young of about week
old, was come upon SO suddenly that
the feet of the foremost mule almost
trod on them. The young rose, flew
few yards, and, dropping down, were in
an instant hid in the underbrush. The
mother meanwhile began some peculiar
tactics. Rising up, she fell back again
to the ground as If perfectly helpless,
and initiated the actions of o wounded
bird go successfully that for moment
it was thought she had really been
trodden upon. Several of the men,
completely deceived, attempted to catch
her, bnt she huttered away, keeping
just out of reach of their hands until
they had been enticed ten or twelve
yards off, when she rose and was of
like bullet. Her tactics had success
fully covered the retreat OF her young.
CUTTING FI1Es.-Tbe exactness and
skill shown In file cutting attest the
dexterity that can be reached by con-
slant practice. Files are cut by hand |
and by machines, but the latter have |
not achieved any greater regularity or |
precision than those cut by hand, and |
by many artists the machine cut files |
are considered inferior. The expert |
billiard player makes countless false |
strokes but none of the errors remain |
on the record they perish as soon as
made. But the file cutters work lives |
after him. The blanks, as they are |
technically called, are steel strips in
the shape Of files, and the teeth are
raised upon them by small chisels,
held in a peculiar way and struck by a
hammer. The frequency of the teeth
Is determined by the force of the blow,
which raises q furrow in the blank
the chisel is then slipped along until it
strikes the back furIow, and another
blow is given ; and so on until the file
is completed. The whole process is as
rapid in the hands of an expert as
writing, and goes on continuously from
till night with no cessation.
An uneven blow does not destroy the
file, but Injuries the workmanlike sp-
pearance. Any one who examines the
lies of commerce will see their reg
llarity. Some files are SO small that
hey will float in water, being little
over an inch in length. They vary
rom this size to thirty inches in length,
he latter being used in the heaviest
machine and steam engine works.
Mexican Railroads..