The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-01-29
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. O., Jan. "a, 1878

III bntHb Dbiins nb ihbo tOiBiOuiioC DO-
tween the President and Congress will have
the effect Of doing away with what rem
nants may be remaining. The old rings
are still extant the old favortism still
exists and the same unfair and unequal
treatment is given and received as of yore.
1t has been universally acknowledged that
Secretary Schurz of the Interior Depart
ment has been more earnestly seeking to
root out and tear down the crookedness he
found under his jurisdiction than any other
officer of the present Administration and
purpose giving you little insight into
the workings of his, the purest aud fairest
of all the Departments. 1t will take all
the space allotted to me in your valuable
paper, but perhaps will interest you more
than aught l could write.
A competitive examination took place
the other day for the purpose of filling five
subordinate clerl1ships in the Patent Office,
the applicants examined numbering about
80. | submit the questions given, which
were made public by one of the disappont-
ed applicants CONTRARY to orders from the
examining commttee) and go to show
simply that it was not intended that any
of these applying should gain an Office
save favorites who may have had an inti-
nation beforehand of the questions to be
propounded ; for you will readily see two
things--that not more than one man in
hundred, even were they fresh from college
could answer all these questions, and
that not one single question save the last
relates in any way to the business that
comes before the Patent Office.
THE QUESTIONS FOR TEST.
1. Write letter to the examining board,
stating age, extent of education, previous
business, legal residence, &c.
2. State the difference between chemistry
and physics, and how do changes produced
in substances by chemical action differ from
these produced by action of heat or
magnetism
3. State to what the phenomenon of light
is due when candle, lamp, or a jet of
illuminating gas be burned.
4. What is the best line upon which to
why? What, If the exigencies of the
machine permit, should be the relation in
number of two intermeshng gears Give
reason.
5. What is the difference between the
use of spur-gears aud hands and pulleys in
a machineP Supposing pulleys to be used,
should the surface of the belt be rough or
nearly smooth? Give reasons.
q. Describe platform balance. common
ly called platform scales, and the principle
upon which it works. Give reasons.
Z. Which is most destructive to a bridge
to have locomotive pass at full speed
or slow, and why is any precaution needed
when great bodies of troops are to pass
over a bridge.
8. What is the effective head to which is
due the velocity at the exit end of con-
duit of water supplied from a distant
reservoir, and why?
8. A cylindrical YES sci of tin or sheet
metal filled with water has at certain
height, on the same circumferential line,
three round perforations. One is direct
through the tin metal one is prolonged by
pipe of equal diameter, extending hori-
zontally outward from the opening, the
third, which is slightly larger, is also pro-
longed the same distance horizontally by
two comic frustumes, united at their small
est ends, the outer one being the longest
and the section through their point of
junction having the same diameter, as the
two holes just mentioned, which of these
aperture will discharge the most water in
given time, and why2
QUESTIONS FOR THE AFTERNOON.
10. Machines are often called labor. r.saving.
How should this be understood?
IL. Does any reason exist why, under
present condition, or under any supposable
condition, in which these should be total
absence of friction, machine should not
be constructed capable of originating with
in itself and imparting to other bodies any
desired amount of force?
10. What is differential screw? It's
object? Do you know of any instance of
its use?
13. What causes besides friction operate
in a machine to lessen its working power,
and what in railroad locomotive.
IA. State domestic and utilitarian appli-
cations of electricity, and explain the
principles upon which the devices you
enumerate work.
IL What is the snecific gravity of n hlock