River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-08-09
Miscellany.

From 1885 to 1890 New York city was
the capital of the United States and con-
seo1euGly that city was the first capital
of the Union under the present constl-
tuition. From 1890 to 1900 Philadelphia
was the seat of government. From $500
till the present Washington city has
been the capital of the United States.
In 1903 the United States purchased
from France for $l5,00o,000 all the coun-
try west of the Mississippi not occupied
by Spain as far north as the British ter
ritory and comprising the whole of the
present states of Arkansas, Colorado,
Iowa. Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota,
Missouri. Nebraska and Oregon, the ter
ritories of Dakota, Idaho, Montana,
Washington and Wyoming. This terri
tory was known as the Louisiana pur-
chase.
The first steel rail rolled i'll America
was rolled at the North Chicago Rolling
Mill Company's works in Chicago, May
%. 1865, eighteen years ago the 25th OF
last May. The steel rail cost those who
made it over half million dollars in
experiments and outlay, and when II
was made there was nothing to show
for the outlay but that the rail was an
established fact. AT the time this rail
was rolled the Albany and Rensselaer,
Works at Troy N. Y, and the Wyan-
dotte, Mich, were experimenting with
the Bessemer converters in making
steel The steel from which the rail
was rolled was made at Wyandotte, and
the plant cost $25O,000. The ingot was
taken ito the North Chicago Mill to be
rolled.
The marvellous rapidity with which
vegetation develops III Manitoba is main
ly due 20 four special causes. In the
first place the weather IS wonderfully
favorable for the necessities of farming
The spring is nearly always dry, and Just
about the time the crops are all IN,
usually the end of May. the wet spells
begins, and there are few weeks oil
warm, showery weather, such as starts
vegetation on the gallop, and one can
almost see the grain and grass grow
ing. The second cause is the great fer
tilitv of the soil. The third is the lar
ger amount of daylight in that high
latitude, the days being about twenty
hours long during the summer months.
The crops this year promise an extraor-
binary harvest.
Virginia City, New, is 1000 feet above
the sea level, and it is difficult to cook
meat and vegetables by boiling, as wa
ter boils at low temperature owning to
the light atmospheric pressure. There
has been great deal OF discussion re-
Gently as to the altitude at which human
beings can exist In South America
there are towns, such as Potosi, placed
as high as the top of Mont Blanc, the
Inhabitants of which feel no inconven-
fence. The highest inhabited spot IN
the world is, however, the Bud
dist cloister of Hanie, in Thibet where
twenty-one priests live at an altitude OF
l6 coo feet. The brothers Schiaglnwelt,
when they explored the glaciers of the
The Genin. in the same country, en-
canned at q 900 feet, the highest alti-
tnde at which an European ever passed
the night. Even at the top of Mont
Blanc Professor Tyndal's party found
If very unpleasant to do this, though the
professor himselfdid not confess to feel
ing as bad as they. The highest noun
fain in the world is Mount Everest
| (Himalayal, 29,003 feet, and the condor
| has been seen winging the blue air ON
| feet higher.
Something like Sl00,000.0O0 is spent
every summer by American travellers in
| Europe, the New York Mail thinks.
/ The amount spent every summer at the
1 New Jersey seaside resorts is by NJ
means insignificant. One paper est
mates that the season receipts iron
! Long Beach to Long Branch inclusive
/ are not less than $S.0 0.000 and the
/ Philadelphia Press thinks s. 800, QJ0
| low estimate of the receipts from Ions
/ Branch to Cape May; so that the 3,OQ0,
/ 900 inhabitants of New York. Phlladet
/ mia and Brooklon pour out from Sl4,
/ 600. 600 to SIS, 100000 every summer up
! IN ! strin of sand less than 200 mileI
long. The truck farmers of New jersey
/ nave huge task to supply fruit ane
vegetables for the multitude Of pleasure
! seekers. but is a noteworthy fact tina
the greater part Of their produce pass.es
through the New York market on u
/ wav to the seaside hotels.