The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-01-07

The fiddle is spoken of as early as
1900 A. d., in the legendary life of st.
Christopher
CHAMois skins are not derived from
the chamois, as many people suppose,
hut are the flesh side of sheepskins.
The skins are soaked in lime water, and
in solution of sulphuric acid fish oil
is poured over them, and they are care
fully washed in solution of potash.
In 1889, when the Federal Govern
ment was organized, heads of depart
ments received 81, 500 per annum salary.
The principal Secretaries who formed
Washlngton's first Cabinet were OF
State, Thomas Jefferson of the Treas
ury, Alexander Hamilton of War, Gen.
Knox Attorney General, Edmond Ran
dolph.
The heaviest loss inflicted upon the
American arms in any battle of the Rev
Long Island g, 900 in killed, wounded
and prisoners. But 10000 Americans
were engaged. AMI the loss was only 20
per cent. At the Battle of Hubbardton,
VT, 700 patriots engaged 1000 British
troops, and 324 were killed or wounded
nearly 80 per cent. At Guilford Court
House, Gen. Greene lost 1,200 out of
4, 400-a loss of 30 per cent.
YELLOW bananas come from Jamaica
and Aspinwall, and the red bananas from
Cuba. The yellow bananas sell the best
because they grow more to the bunch.
A bunch of yellow bananas averages
about ten dozen, and sometimes they
average as high rs twelve dozen, while
the red bananas seldom run over five
dozen. The punches are sold ut about
the same price, SO the retailers can aft. rd
to 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 it
is raised.
The English guinea was so called be-
cause the gold of which it was first made
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, it never
circulated at that value. Sir Isaac New.
ton fixed the true value of the guinea,
in relation to silver, at 20 shillings 8
pence, and, by his advice, the crown
proclaimed that in future it should be
current at II shillings.
The hanging gardens of Babylon con-
sisted of an artificial mountain 400 feet
on each side, rising by successive ter
races to a height which overtopped the
walls of the city. The terraces them
selves were formed of succession of
piers, the 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
lead. Upon this SOLID pavement earth
was heaped, some of the piers being hol-
low, SO as to afford depth for the roots
of the tallest trees. Water was drawn
from the river to irrigate these gardens,
which thus presented to the eye the APP
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 1. Subtract / from the date
and divide the remainder by 400. g.
Point off the centuries from the result
ing remainder and divide the odd years
by A. 3. Multiply the resulting quo
tent by 5 and to the product add the re-
mainder. 4. From the sum subtracttwice
the number of centuries pointed off and
divide the remainder by 7. 5. Add the
resulting remainder to the day of the
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 the 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 u to
the date instead of subtracting from it.