The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-02-23

An ancient and remarkable clock
has been recently set up in the read
ing-room of the municipal library of
Rouen. A single winding keeps it
running for fourteen months and some
odd days. 1t was constructed in 1882,
underwent alterations in 1916, was
brought by Rouen for 1000 francs In
1888, and has recently been repaired
and just set going.
The enormous multiplication of rab-
bits in New leland has caused such de-
struction to the crops that the colonial
government has asked the Govern
ment of India to send out for aclima-
tlZation number of mongOoSe, ami
mails chiefly distinguished for their dis
position and ability to destroy the par
ticular pests from which New Zealand
is suffering. So urgent is the necessity
for war of determination that it has
not been thought worth while to con-
slider whether an exchange of rabbits
for mongooses will not be jumping
from the frying pan into the fire. The
mongooses meanwhile are being COL
lected from various parts of Bengal
and carefully kept in the geological
gardens at Calcutta, whence as soon as
a hundred couples have been gathered
they will be sent to their new home.
A New York paper estimates the
night-laboring population of the city
at about acknowledgement operators,
printers, teamsters, observation-disclosures
and others. The work is hard on boys,
but not uncomfortable by men on the
condition of taking plenty Of sleep in
the forenoon in a quiet, dark ened
room. Neither is this kind of work
necessarily bad for the eyes. They
can be used as much by an artificial
light as by sunlight, if care is taken to
have the lamps or gas-burners properly
"iidiScu' llot, tHtIc oHOulu NC
plenty of light, which will not often
be provided, without the necessity of
it is pointed out to the employer. A
great point is gained when the walls
of the room are white. The light
should be so placed that no shadows
fall on the paper, and so evenly
balanced that there is no strain on
either eye; that is, there must not be
more light from the left than from the
right. There should be no Pickering
of flame, and shade over the eyes will
serve to keep the heat from drying the
eyeballs. The eyes should be perfectly
clean. If the dust has blown into
them on the way to the Office they
should be carefully washed in cool
water. The eye is delicate instru-
ment, but hardy, and if common-sense
precautions are taken it can be used
almost steadily, without harm, by day
or night.
The New York Herald declares that
"the accounts in late English journals
of the newly discovered process OF
making cheaper aluminium leave little
doubt that this metal will have, as the
Engineer suggests, "a vastly extended
USE 1t is true the new process doe:
not cheaper aluminium so as to bring
its price anywhere near that of iron OF
steel. But the discovery by Mr.. Web
ster that aluminium, hitherto ranking
Almost rs one af the precious metal.
may be deposited on several metals anC
soldered and welded adds very greatly
to the value of his discovery of th'
cheaper and quicker method of pro
ducing the metal itself. BY the new
process aluminium is obtaintd at a cos
of about five hundred dollars per ton
reduction of about eighty per cent OF
the old price. These figures bring i
when used as an alloy, within the pos
| SlDllltN VI tNOuoiilt IL
many manufactures for which it il
preferable to any metal now known
It's conductivity to the galvanic cur
rent is set down as eight times bette
than that of iron, and as it does no
rust it may be highly useful for tele
graphic purposes. Already samples o
wire made from Mr.. Webster's alumni
mum bronze have been sent to Glas
Cow and London, and are being tested
it is said, in the latter city for electri
purposes. But the great tensility ant
lightness of aluminium, as well as it
being rust-proof, indicate, perhaps,
large demand for it for ship fittings
and especially for steamship propellers
This alloy will bear a strain, it is said
&c fortv tOpc 70 tho cnpara inch n