Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-08
OUR LETTER BOX.

OCEAN LEvEIs.-M. p. desires some one
to give the difference, exactly, between the
liSht of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at
the Isthmus OF Panama.
TRANSLATION. D., Auburn, desires
the usual and accepted meaning OF the
words faciLe pr'inceP8.
AnslOer.-Ihe recognized chief.
CHEmIsTRY.-L. II. s, Butte City, asks
what is meant by naturalization
Anslcey-In chemistry, the {, m5lnauon
of an acid and aikah in such proportions
that the peculiar properties OF each are
rendered inert.
A CATCH -Elph, Sacramento, asks il
there any three figures, which multiplied
by four will give five as result?
Anseoer, Yes, by catch, for viii do
it. or III decimals / %.
VorE.-A local correspondent asks what
vote Charles Francis Adams received for
Governor OF Massachusetts III 1879.
-Ans,oer.-None He was not a candi-
date but j. Q. Adams was, and received
1888.
REPUBLIC S. T. L., Red Bluff, asks for
a sketch OF the Argentine Republic accord
ing to latest statistics.
Ans7rer Rather long answer becomes
necessary longer than usually granted IN
this coIumn-bat given now Tor lUs news
value. The Argentine Republic mas an
area as great as all Central and Western
Europe combined (abouJ l,6l9, 500 square
milesl, and population OF Jos. 6ol by
census of 1862 now estimated al =, 3UO OOU.
Ii abounds in remarkable fertile plains,
called pampas, with rich asluvlai soil four
or five feet thick, formed by decay OF lux
urious vegetation. 1t consists OF fourteen
provinces the province of Buenos Ayres
is the most populous. having over halt a
million population, with capital city
Buenos Ayres-of 100000, estimated for
1878. The vast extent OF Indian country
is very sparsely populated. The popula-
ton of Buenos Ayres and the riverlne
provinces is largely European, aud inml-
grafton has increased enormously OF late
years, attracted by the fertility of the
soil and the prosperity Of the free instiJu-
lions OF the Republic By the last census
there were 2l2, eco people OF foreign birth,
occupying 2, 600, 000acres of land, III the pro-
vince OF Buenos Ayres alone, and owulDg
30 900, 900 sheep, besides mulEltudes OF
horned cattle, buildings, etc, acquired IN
a few years by men VINO, on arrival, did
not own dollar. Eminently a pastoral
country, with about lS0OO. 600 horned
cattle, and 100, 600, 600 sheep, the exports
are largely OF wool, hides and tailow.
The premium on gold varied from 30 10 80
per cent in 1878. Tire exports in 1877
were So, 1913, COG, and the imports 500 3U9,-
l4l. Twelve lines of steamers run TO
Europe, the passage occupying ~ days.
The Republic has nearly 800 miles of
railway, and s 600 miles of telegraph, be
sides an Atlantic cable communicating with
London. The revenue tor 1879 was Sl6,-
so GOO derived almost wholly from import
and export duties. The expenditure IN
1877 was ST., 1913 2S4, aud the total ma
tional debt SCI III, SOP. The government
is Federal Republic, modelled on the
Constitution of tae United States, except
that the ministry is responsible to Con-
gress, an adverse vote IL the Senate and
House leading TO the formation of new
Cabinet. The laws are the same Tor all,
native or foreign; immigrants are free to
naturalize themselves as Argantines or to
maintain their foreign nationality.
INFANTRY. Some weeks age in this de-
partment the question was asked, What
is the origin OF the word infantry ," a
military student replies g 1t is the gem
eral name for soldiers who serve on foot.
1t is in all probability derived from the
Italian word faate, signifying child or
young person, and was originally conferred
on the young Italian peasantry who served
in the wars on foot. Other accounts are
given, however, Of the origin of the term. y
INFINITE QUANTITY.-J. G. c., Truckee:
An infinite quantity IN geometry Is prop
erly That which is greater than any assign
able magnitude. As no such quantities
exist in nature it follows that an infinite
quantity is merely an abstraction of the
mind, formed by excluding the idea OF
limit or boundary.
BLACKSTONE Who was Blackstone
l know he was great English commenta-
tor, but nothing of the detail of his life.
NJ Nj.
AnS,oer Sir William Blackstone was
born in London, July 10, 1928; in l746 he
was admitted to the bar, but obtained
small practice he became in l75S Profess
sor OF Law at Oxford, OF which he was
graduate, and in l76l he was elected to
Parliament in 1863 he was appointed So
lieItor- General, aud Ill 100 vas made
Justice of the Court Of Common Pleas, and
died February Il, 1850. His chief work
was " Commentaries on the Laws of Eng
land. )"