The Mineral argus., 1883-08-30
Miscellany.


The wood pavement Is to be given up
in London. 1t has not only failed TO
realize the promised advantages, but
mas led, according to Professor fyn-
dalrs report, to serious affections OF the
eyes and lungs. By continual waterihg
The wood became saturated with the
nastiness Of the London streets. and
then under the influence Of the hot sun,
ave forth a species Of dust which was
sernicious. The old macadam system Is
to be restored.
II is estimated that the salmon fisher
les Of the Columbia river give EN-
ployment 10 1900 people, about 1900
Of whom are Cinnamon. The capital In
vested is 81, 900 and the sales for
1881 a1d 1882 netted $6,OOO,OOO. Or an
average l,50O, 600 fishes are caught year
" and no fish is accepted which does
not weigh at least 10 pounds. The sea-
son begins April /. and lasts until Aug.
l, The nets used have meshes with,
knots 4 10 inches apart, making a total
length of Z l-2 inches to each mesh, so
the small fishes, which have no COM
mercial value, escape. The salmon OF
commerce found in this river is called
the chinvok, a. word Of Indian derlva-
ton.
Beer and song seem to go well to-
eether if we are to judge by the sale OF
the beverage during the recent saenger-
fest at Buffalo. This musical festival
lasted one week, during which the con-
sumption OF lager exceeded that Tor the
corresponding week OF last year by p
| 1870 barrels. This is equivalent to an ex-
cess Of 81, $50 gallons, OF 1855, 4SO glasses
over the ordinary consumption. The
expenditure for beer was $50 SPA more
than usual. Besides this an immense
quantity Of wine, alcoholic liquors and
mineral waters WAS disposed OF. IL Is
estimated that Buffalo protted by the
festival 20 the extent OF SOO,OOO.
Great excitement prevails among the
attorneys employed in a suit for $4,000
now pending between the Parsons es
tate and the Erie Dime Bank, at Erie
Pa, owing to the discovery that a pag'
is missing from the Orphans Court re-
cords. A leaf corresponding TO the ont
torn away has been pasted in, and with
such skill that by glasses only could The
imposture be detected. The abstracte'
leaf has an important bearing on the
case, but TO what extent the final ISSUE
will be affected lie o a matter OF con
lecture.
The baot ab, or monkey bread tree
grows to the height OF forty feet, but IT
girth is entirely out Of proportion TO il
height. some ,rees being thirty feet !
diameter. An old baobab in Africa
then more like a forest than a singl
tree. Their age isincaluable. Humooid
considers them as 1.-THE oldest living OF
ganic monuments OF our planet. Som
trees are believed to be 1000 years Ole
You can cut a good-siZed into
baobab. with comfortable accommodi
tions for thirty men, and the tree lives 0
and i~ourishes. II produces airuit about
foot lon which is edible. As an exam
pie of slow growth in England, a 6aoba
in Kew, though more than eighty yeal
old. has only attained the height OF foJ
and a half feet A kindred species I
the African baobab grows in Australl
: They have been measured, being thlri
: feet high, with q girth Of eighty-hN
feet.
+, A correspondent writing from Leb
8 non Springs, n. Y, says: THE glory
u former days has departed. Other hes
ING waters and places of pleasure al
4 resort have opened and are openll
every year in all parts OF our count
= and along our ~seashore, so that u
once iamous place is almost forgotte
n aud can V again command the nur
r bers and popular influence ofthe form
+ DAYS. The great hotel, with its spaclo
. p%aTlors. its piazZas commanding supe
n. views, and its comfortable and elega
o old-stvle rooms, and long upper al
lower prazzas, stands now empty a.
and uEoecupied. II has fallen und
n financial embarrassment and been %
10 a gentleman in Philadelphia, W
has not opened it this season for v