Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-26
FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS,

AT q recent Pennsylvania sale, s. cloca
over loo years old brought SITS. The
hands were made of two $50 gold pieces.
AT New York christening party Oh
Fifth avenue, the infant was, brought
before the company in cradle composed
entirely of the rarest flowers, the baby
reclining on a blue satin blanket covered
with lace.
The people of Charleston, W. Va,
paved q street with bricks placed on
edge upon tarred planks, resting on sand
and stone. ten years ago, and it is il
first class order to-day, Notwithstanding
hard usage.
A SHORT distance from Buena Vista,
CAL, is q cave inhabited by spiders of all
enormous size. The spiders are about
the size Of small birds, and makea strange
sound while weaving their web. H.,
webs are SO tough and the fbers 81
that it is almost impossible 70 -.
| them.
The highest building in EUROPE i, a.
hospice of the Great Saint 3 ~ All.
which is in the Alps, 8, 900 fee, =,
the level OF the sea, and is cousj ',y... =.
great curiosity, but the city OF Lao, =,
| stands nearly 5000 feet higher, ami
there are many mining camps far above
that line.
A BOY with telescope eye is said to
be among the wonders of Paris. One
eye is as large as silver dollar ana the
other as small as French pea. Up to
few months ago this large eye was of
no use. But after an operation upon it
On astonishing change occurred. The
eye became telescope in its range. and
the boy could expand or contract the
pupil at will. At night he could see the
| rings AID moons OF Saturn, and the
newl undiscovered satellites of Mars.
Then it was discovered that the other
eye was microscopic, a drop of water
appearing to him through it as a world
OF life.
WgY do birds eat so much? It is
because more nourishmeat is required
to supply feathers than flesh or lair.
The heat Of the blood is 5 degrees
greater than that of man, and the rapid
ity of digestion is in ratio proportionate
to the greater energy of their move
ments. As it has been terse.y stated.
"Their life engine works under high
pressure, and demands much fuel" Ac.
cnrate experiments by Prof. Treadwell,
OF Cambridge, show that those species
that are fed in the nest will, during -.
six weeks of their growth, eat Il -
cent. more than their own wois.t r =.
sects in day. A pair of old .,.uio.,
with the usual number of four >:.t, :,
! ones, would require, according f, ~
consumption of this bird, $50 vri.A
their equivalent in insects Or 9TH. -
daily.
CE1LU1o1D.-This remarkable and
most useful material is produced by mix
ing gum camphor with pulp of gun
cotton and subjecting the combination
te high degree Of pressure and heat.
Me result is hard product of extraor-
binary elasticity. It can be made plastic
again and nodded into any required
form. Any color can be given it by the
use Of ooloring matter during the pro-
cess of manufacture. The uses to which
celluloid is put are numerous and are
constantly increasing. It is extensively
used IS a substitute for ivory, which it
resembles so closely that it is sometimes
difficult to detect the difference. It is
said to equal ivory in strength and elias
ITCHY and not to warp or discolor with
time. 1t has proved good material for
piano and organ keys, billiard balls,
backs of brushes. looking glass frames,
umbrellas, handles for knives, forks and
many other articles. For some pur-
poses it is even better than ivory. it is
used with much success to initiate tor
toise shell, maiachite, amber, pink coral
and other costly materials. In imitation
Of tortoise shell it is made into combs.
napkin-rings, match boxes, card. cases,
etc. limitations Of pink coral jewelry
are made and sold at prices much below
those of the genuine. The same is true
OF limitations Of maIachite and amber.
Mouth pieces for pipes and cigar ho,,d.
ers, etc, are common. It is also ,..c.i as
substitute for porcelain in n.aAl-g
dolls heads. The frames of eye 81 as $.
opera glasses and spectacles are D4;t.o Il,
it. New uses are found for this inv...n-
able compound from time to the.