The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-04-21
BITS OF IMPORTATION.

lHE Dhuk Oh EN8l6uu WAS IOunOeu IL
1894. The capital Is ETA, $50, 900.
The number Of mites Of telegraph
wires in the world is placed at 402, 573.
The mileage Of telephone wires in til.
United States is estimated at SO, OOt
miles.
THERE are about 1900 locomotive:
running on the railroads Of the United
States, and SOC, 600 cars Of all kinds.
"ARKANsAs" was originally spelled
"Ar-kan-cea" and has always been pro.
nounced Arkansaw" by the old settlers.
The Suez canal is 100 miles in length.
It is seventy-two feet wide at the bot.
tom, about 800 feet at the surface, and
twcnty-six feet deep, easily passing the
largest vessels.
THERE are three Major Generals in the
regular army-W. s. Hancock, Irwin
Mcdowell and John NJ. Schofeld and
six Brigadier Qenerals-John Pope, @.
@. Howard, A. II. Terry, g. G. Augur,
Geo. Crook and Nelson A. Miles.
The Aryan languages are Sanskrit,
whence Hindoostanee Neud, whence
Persian Greek, whence Romaic Latin,
whence Italian, French, Spanish, Portu-
guese, Wallachian; Celtic, whence WEIGH,
Irish, Gaelic Gothic, whence Tentonic,
English, Scandinavian Slavonic, whence
Russian and Austro- Polish.
The average duration Of vitality in
seeds Of some Of our cultivated plants il
as follows: Artichoke, 5 years; broad
bean, 6; beet root, 5; cabbage. 5; carrot,
4; cucumber, 5; lettuce, 5; maize, 2;
melon, 5; onion, 2; parsnip, 2; peas, 4 or
5; radish, 5; spinach, 5; tomato, 5; tnr-
nip, 5; egg plant, Z; cndive, 8; parsley,
3; strawberry, 8.
THE expression "A l." popularity used
to designate the first quality Of articles,
is copied from the symbols Of the Brit
ish and foreign shipping-list Of the
Lloyds. "A" is used to designate the
character or conditions Of the hull Of a
vessel, and the figure IL" to denote
the efficient state Of her anchors, cables
and stores. II those are insufficient in
quantity or quality, the figure -" is
used to indicate the same. When it is
said Of ship, "she is A i" it means
that she is all right ~ to hull, rigging
and equipments.
By estimate, the surface Of an average
sized man contains about sixteen and a
half square feet, or 50, 900 inches. Al
lowing $500 pores or openings to each
inch, we have the aggregate Of 1000
900 for the whole body. Connected with
these are about twenty-eight miles oil
tubing, through which the decaying and
waste matters Of the body-ever dying,
particle by particle, while life remains
pass of, freeing the body of putrid mat.
ter. This waste is gathered up in all
parts Of the body and hurried ont Of the
system, as an important means Of avoid
ing disease and death. It is also esti
mated that Of all taken into the stomach
five-eighths pass of through the pores
FROM 1889 until 1916 the rates oil
postage III America were: For single let
ter THAT il, one composed Of single
piece Of paper) under 40 miles, 8 cents;
under so, 10 cents; under 800, II cents
under 500, Is cents. In 1876, these
rates were modified as follows: A single
letter, not over 80 miles, ST cents; ovcl
80 and under 80, 10 cents; over 80 and
under $50, 12} cents; over $50 and nm
der 400, 18i cents; and an additional rate
for each piece Of paper. II the letter
weighed one ounce, four times the rates
we're charged. Again, in 1915, the rates
were lowered: For letter not exceed
ing half an ounce in weight, under 3O(
miles, 5 cents; over 800, 10 cents, AMI an
additional rata for each additional hall
ounce or fraction thereof. The present
rates Of letter postage were adopted in
1863.
The name Gypsies is . corruption Of
the word Egyptians, and it has been sup
posed that the Gypsies originated IL
Egypt But the conflict of authorities il
50 great with regard to their origin tina,
it is now extensively believed that moth
ing absolutely authentic is known on the
subject. In the year 1427 band of l2(
strangers arrived in Paris, who claimed
to be Christians Of Lower Egypt who
had been expelled by the Saracens. The,
said they had last come from Bohemia.
They professed the gifts Of fortune.
telling and other necromantic arts. and
were great thieves. They were expelled
from Paris, but continued to wander il
France. Other bands succeeded them
and in the course of o century they APP
peared in Spain, England, Sweden and
other countries Of Europe. They were
what are now known as Gypsies. They
are usually great thieves, and have bu
few redeeming traits. They are fond o
stealing children and bringing them vi
as Gypsies, and also take persons int
their tribes who are willing to adopt theil
mode Of life.