The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-12-27

SINCE Calico first turned a telescope
upon the moon, the lunar craters have
been among the wonders and mysteries
of astronomy. With each increase of
telescope power, more and more craters
have been seen, till now almost the whole
surface of the moon may be said to be
pitted with depressions of all sizes, from
mighty quits 800 or 400 miles across
down to minute, saucer-shaped shadows,
such as only the most powerful telescope
can reveal.
SINCE last August Paris has expended
upwards Of $4,000 in experimenting
with the electric light The avenue of
the opera, the theatre Francais and Corps
= Legislstif were lighted up at the cost of
from twenty-five to thirty-fve cents
hourly for each burner For the. same
money from sixty-eight to ninety-fve
gas burners could have been used, with
far greater illuminating power The
city council is negotiating for fresh ex
periments at reduced rates.
IL Joe Emmett's play of q Fritz" as
now performed, a donkey is introduced
in one of the scenes, and, in order to
render a particular situation striking,
the animalsmust bray. In order that he
may respond oPportunely to mis- cue, !
singular ruse Il said to have been |
adopted. The donkey is exceedingly !
lond of carrots, yet none are ever given |
him during the day, but when it comes
his turn to "speak his line" some one
steps to the wings and shakes bunch of |
the vegetable. An enthusiastic bray at
; once foliows, and when the curtain drops /
|. the-carrOts are given him as areward.
A RECIPE to produce giddiness is
kindly furnished by Nature. Stand in
the middle OF soft field, and putting |
both hands on the top of an umbrella or
walking stick, bend down until your
forehead rests on the back of your hands.
Now move with sidelong gait three
times around the umbrella as an axis.
Finally raise your head quickly and try
to walk straight ahead. What will occur
is frightful giddiness and sickness, a
sense OF the ground rising up tumuItu-
ously on all sides, a wild rush to save
yourself, and a headlong tumble. Ap-
preciative spectators are requisite to the
entire success o. the experiment.
In his True Law. OF Population
Doubleday points out that populations {
are universally found thin in pastoral !
countries, where the food is chiefly ami
mall denser where it is mixed still :
denser where vegetable and plenteous' {
densest of sll where it is vegetable and
scarce The natural inference is that !
in the plethoric state pro5uctiyeness is
arrested, while in the deplethoric it is L
In the poorest times b
Irish families subsisting on potatoes and :
meal averaged seven, against hve in h
and three in France. In rice d
eating countries the population isdense 2
A NEW and useful application of cleo Il
tricity has been made by7an American
inventor to the apparatus for reeling ?
six from the cocoon. The delicate fla g
ments of silk are carried over wire arms il
which are 20 nicely balanced that they Fl
10 not press against the silk strongly q
enough to break it, and in this relation a :,
.uErsn3 Is sSt1s- open, bl1s Il tie liIaz1eHt n,
,reaks the arm falls, the circuit is closed, u
md an electro magnet instantly stops el
he reel until the; break is repaired. As ttJ5
he work is now done, the detection of \
oroken flament depends entirely upon vs
he skill of the workmen, and the work hi
onat Nc oTr;ed ~, .so sIovvlv +bo+ 4ba Al
sye can note any break. a.