The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1876-04-07
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
from the Chicago Inter Ocean.

You viii please answer the following
query Which has produced the most gold
since the discovery of gold in Australia
Australia Or the United States?
Alssgsr. We have no statistics, year by
year. showing the production Of gold il
Australia. According to Mr.. Phillips, the
production of gold at the comnencemento d
the century was about 81, 600 pounds, d
which about one-quarter came from New
Granada. In 1860 the production reached
585.870 pounds, of which Australia produc-
ed thirty-seven per cent. and the United
States thirty-one per cent. In 1866 the
product was 559,587 pounds, of which near
" thirty-eight per cent. was from the Uni
ted States and about twenty EIGHT per cent.
from Australia. In 1867 the United States
produced, according to Mr.. Blake, 500, ,50O,-
D0os or forty three and quarter per cent.
of the gold for that year, while Australia
yielded So, $50, 900, or about twenty-four
and quarter per cent. of the entire yield.
In no year since 1867 has our production
of gold been SO large, it being, in 1875,
$4s, 900, 600.
ST. CHARLES, Iowa.
What is the price of labor in Ireland,
England, Belgium, France, Prussia, Aus
tria and Switzerland per day, or month, for
common laborers on farms? In a discus
sion to-day heard it stated that laborers
in some of those countries received better
wages than in this, and I could not be-
lieve it.
Aas.-In England the weekly wages of
agricultural laborers, without board, are,
for men, from $1.93 to 1926 in gold, the
latter price being rare. The rates there for
women range from 90 cents to $2.17 per
week for toll in the field. In Ireland, from
$1.02 to$4.36; for women, SLIGO to s2.1s.
In France, Sc cents to $2.63; for women,
56 cents, with board. In Prussia, with
board, $253 for men for women, so to SO
cents. In Switzerland agricultural hands
are hired only by the year, and wages,
with board, range from S2.31 to $3.08 for
men, and from SO cents to $1.15 for women.
We have not at hand the figures for Bel
gium and Austria, but each of these coun-
tries will make like showing. A further
consideration is the fact that the purchas-
ing powers Of wages for nearly every class
and grade Of food is greatly less in Europe
than it is in The United States, the indus
trial, physical and social condition of the
agricultural laborer here being ON much
birhop Mo na f,au If 10 q broad
CRYSTAL LAKE, Illinois.
/. Is it fact that the land in the south
frigid zone is colder than that in the north
frigid, and if true what is the reason? 2.
What is yoar reason for believing that the
center of the earth is not a molten mass,
and your theory to account for the interior
heat of the earth
Ans.-1. Yes; such is the fact. The
reason is that the south pole is surrounded
by land, while the north pole is an ocean
which is being fed and supplied by the cur
rents of warm water from the equatorial re-
gions. These streams Of water have ten
deney to raise the temperature at the north
pole, while at IFS antipode tho sigers- OF the
winters are influenced by no modifying in
huences from more genial zone. Q. The
general belief now is that the attraction of
gravitation holds the PARTICLES Of matter at
the center Of the earth SO firmly together
that even if the heat was of sufficient in
tensity to produce liquefacsion it would
still, in consequence Of the immense pres
sure, become aud remain solid. The heat
of the interior is owing, probably, to the
fact that the earth was once heated to an
incandescent degree, and that. the process
of cooling has not yet reached the center.
Probably the absorption of the SUMS rays
has something to do with it. This heat is
absorbed during the summer, and is con-
Quoted so far below the surface that it is
not all lost by radiation during the winter.
Another theory that the very pressure
caused by attraction must develop an enor-
nous amount of heat otherwise latent,
which manv believe sufficiently powerful to
cause the known heat of the earth's in
terror.
Polo, Illinois.
1. Please give date, number, aid short
description of the first issue of United
States postage stamps. 2. When was the
first issue of the present one, two, three
and ffve-cent pieces 8. When were the
first and last issues of the old copper cent,
and how many issues of the one-cent eagle
were there? A. Was the United States
debt of the Revolutionary War and that of
1912 ever wholly paid
Ans.-1. Postage stamps were first in
troduced into the United States in 1a47.
The first one was of the value of five cents,
with a portrait Of Franklin; in the upper
corners were the letters q. 81 over the
vignette the words "Post Office;;'' under
the portrait were the words " Five Cents, -
and figure !" 5 !" in each of the lower cor
ners. 2. In various years between 1860
and 1870-answered below. 8. In 1893 the
first cents were issued from the United
States Mint. This coin weighed 264 grains.
The coinage of these large cents was dis
continued in 1857, when new coin, COM
posed of SO per cent. of copper and IL per
cent. Of nickel, weighing 10 grains (being
the eagle cent), was struck. This was
coined until April, 1864, when our present
cent. weighing 45 grains, and composed of
copper s(5o1, I'LL anu Ztuc k01s Inc Two
cent pieces were authorized by the same
act Of Congress, and were issued about the
same time. By the act of March, 1865, the
three-cent coins, weighing 30 grains, and
composed CD of copper and q Of nickel.
The act of May, 1866, provided for the
coinage of our nickel, = weighing a little
over II grains, and made of the same met
ais in the same proportions as the coin val
ued OF three cents. 4. There may be q few
of the bonds of the war outstanding, but
the debts have substantially been paid.
CLARTNDA, Tennessee.
/. About what is the total amount of
coin and bullion in the United States, and
what portion in the hands of the govern
ment? q Is the government obligated to
pay IN coin the principal and interest of all
the issues Of 7-50 bonds? 8. Where, when,
and By whom, was the first steam engine
put in use for railroad purposes? Please
give short account Of first efforts at rail-
roading. 4. Is there duty ON sugar, tea,
and coffee If SO, how much
Ans. II. By recent statement by the