The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1881-02-04
BITS OF INFORM ATION.

Tur fiddle il spoken ot as early as
l200 y H. in the legendary life Of St.
Christopher.
GHkMois skins nre not derived from
the chamois, as many people suppose,
hut arc the flesh side of sheepskins
The skins arc soaked in lime water, and
il n solution nf sulpluric acid fish oil
is poured over them, md they are care
fully washed ia q solution of potash.
In 1889, whom the Federal Govern
mont wns organized heads Of depart
ments received S3, 800 pernnnum salary.
The principal Secretaries WHO formed
Wasliington's first Cabinet were OF
State, Thomas Jefferson of the Treas
ury, Alexander Hamilton 81 War, Glen.
Knox Attorney General, Edmond Ran
dolph.
Inn heaviest loss inflicted upon the
American arms ii any battle Of the Rev
olutionmy war was 1T tho battle of
Long Island 1000 III killed. wounded
and prisoners. But 10000 Americans
were engaged, anA the less was only 20
per cent. All the Battle Of IIubbardton,
VT. 200 patriots engaged / 200 British
troops, and 32l were killed or wounded
nearly 30 per cent. AL duilford Court
House, Gen. Greene lost 1900 ont Of
4, 4,400-a loss of 30 per cent.
YELLOW bananas come from Jamaica
md Aspinwnll, and the red bananas from
Cuba. The yellow bananas Rell the best
because they grow more to the bunch.
A bunch Of yellow bananas averages
about ten dozen, md sometimes they
average as high aA twelve dozen, while
the red bananas seldom run over five
dozen. The lunches arc sold at about
the same price, SO theretailers can afford
10 sell the yellow ones for less and still
make better profit than they can on
the red ones. The flavor Of the banana
depends greatly On the soil in which il
is raised.
The English giiinea was so called be-
cause the gold of which itwas first nude
was brought from Guinea by an African
trading company. Originally it was in
tended that the guinea should be worth
20 shillings, but, owing to a number Of
errors in calculating the proportion Of
the value Of gold and silver il never
circulated ut that value. Sir Isaac New
ton fixed the true value of the guinea.
ii relation to silver, at 20 shillings s
pence, and, by his advice, the crown
proclaimed that in future it should bo
current 1T q shillings.
THE hanging gardens Of Babylon cons
sisted Of an artificial mountain 400 feet
On each side, rising by successive ter
races to height which oyertopped the
walls Of the city Tho terrnces them
| selves were formed Of succession of
piers, tic tops Of which were covered by
flat stones sixteen feet long and four
feet wide. Upon these were spread
| beds of mating, then thick layer Of
bitumen covered with thick sheets Of
lend. Upon this solid pavement earth
was heaped, some Of the piers being hol-
low, so MS to afford depth for the roots
of the tallest trees. Water was drawn
from the river TO iITigate these gardens,
which thus presented to the eye the mp
pearance Of mountain covered in verdi
ure.
The day upon which any historical
event referring to the Christian era hap
pened may be determined by the follow
ing rule j. Subtract / from the date
and divide tile remainder by 400. 2.
Point of the centuries from the result
ing remainder and divide the odd years
by 4. 3. Multiply the resulting quo
tient by and to the product add the re-
mainder. 4. From the sum subtracttwice
tie number of centuries pointed off and
divide tho remainder by Z. 5. Add the
resulting remainder to the day Of tho
year upon which the event happened
and divide the sum by 7. 6. To the last
resulting remainder add l. Then will
the sum be tho number Of the day Of the
week required. When the first quotient
is zero, or when it is and the centuries
pointed off 3, unless there be a remain
der, to avoid negative results, add 27 to
the date instead OF subtracting from it.