Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-02-10
INDUSTRIAL, STATISTICAL AND
TECHNICAL.

r.
NEARLY all the iron mills at Troy, n.
Y, are now at work and the condition of
the poorer class in the lower part Of the
city is reported much better than it was
last year at this time.
DUNNO 1875 there were received in
New York, 452,371 beeves, 5,OS6 COWS,
118, 7S9 calves, !, 1885, sheep, /, 1886, 514
swine. Beef averaged for the year 81 .13
per 100 lbs dressed; sheep, 1854 live
weight; corn fed hogs, fat, $7.76 per 100
lbs live weight.
THE American Bridge Company of Chi
cage have contracted to build the pro-
posed bridge across the Hudson River at
Poughkeepsie. With approaches it will
be mile long, with longer spans (525
feet each) than now exist, and is to cost
from 100000 to $5,O00,O00.
A LIGHT that will burn on or under
water has been made, which will be Of
incalculable use at sea. A small box,
weighted at one end, and ending in
small copper wire at the top, is filled with
phosphate of calcium. When thrown
overheard, it stands upright in the water,
and on removing the nib water penetrates
the box, and the phosphuretted hydrogen
escapes through a perforated tube in a
brilliant jet Of light.
A WRITER in the american Naturalist
notices an interesting instance of intelli-
gence in the hawk-moth (Sphinx) While
watching the sudden unfolding of the
flowers Of the Gnottera La7nark5ana, he
observed that the hawk moths never Wis
tied the same flower twice, even when
frightened away by some motion made by
the observer. On returning, they would
go on y to those flowers that had opened
during their absence or that had not been
visited before their flight.
THE Union Straw Works at Foxboro,
Mass, will soon be sold at bankrupt sale.
These works have been in existence more
than twenty years, and are by far the
largest Of the kind in the United States,
their production averaging 10000 hats
day. Onc-third of all the straw goods
manufactured in the country are the pro-
duct Of these works, and in the busy sea-
son they give employment to over $500
sewing girls. The bidding promises to
be spirited, as there is rivalry between
straw goods men to obtain possession of
the property.
THE streets of London have an aggre-
gate length of $500 miles, requiring
about 5000 miles of gas mains, and up
wards Of $4,000 public lamps, which con
sumo something like 100000, 900 cubic
feet Of gas year, or about 100000
day The gas supply of the entire me-
tropolis is about IA, 900, 600, 900 cubic feet a
year, or So, 500, 0O0 cubic feet day, re-
curing forts production the coking of
100000 tons of Newcastle coal. The
cost OF the coal is reported to be S., 100
600. The value of the residual products,
such as coke, breeze, tar, and ammonia
liquor is as much as $500, 900. The gas
rental OF the city is $15,0O0,O 900, of which
$3.50, 900 goes for street lamps.
TWELVE StateS-IoWa, Kansas, Louisi-
ana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mime
SOFA, Nevada, New Jersey, New York,
Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Wis
consin-took a census in 1875, which
shows the following increase over the
Federal census of 1870: Iowa, 156,524;
Kansas, 168, 1914; Louisiana, 40, 1874;
Massachusetts, 1914, 551; Michigan, $780,
1872; Minnesota, 158,7 1873; Nevada, 9,845;
New Jersey, 100, 400; New York, 332, 446;
Rhode Island, 40,896; South Carolina,
217,841; Wisconsin, 1872 ,059; total in
crease, 1857, ia. In 1870 these States
had nearly one-third the population of the
whole country, and, if we may assume
that the increase of population in the re-
naming States has been proportionate,
the centennial population of the country
ought TO be about Al, 900, 900.