Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-12-17
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.
PHOSPHORUG.


of phosphorus. The drug is believed
to be concerned with both the action
and nutrition of the brain. In working
the cerebrum is supposed to absorb
sodic and potassic phosphates, and to
give out phosphoric acid combined with
base. Intellectual work retards nutr1-
ton, because it diminishes the proper
ton of acid combined with alkalies and
increases the earthly phosphates.
AN ELECTRIC RIVER.
The Reese River Valley in Western
Nevada is about 100 miles long, but the
river itself is very much longer. The
valley was evidently not intended to fit
the river, but the river to fit the valley.
In fact, that eccentric stream runs over
and about the valley, up and down,
sideways and all other ways, considera-
bly, on the surface, but frequently tax
ing a dive and disappearing through
some subterranean channel for miles at
a stretch. The stream runs in q con-
tinuous series of bold curves and
angles, without one straight section of
a dozen yards in it's whole length. Ii
pulled out straight it would be forty
times as long as the valley.
STORY OF WATERLOO.
An aid-de-camp to the Duke of Well
ington had, at the peace preceding the
escape of Napoleon from Eliza, gone to
Torquay for the benefit of his health,
being in an advanced stage Of consump-
ton. On hearing that Bonaparte was
again at Paris, the captain sent for his
medical attendant, and asked him how
long, with care, he might hope to live.
with care, several months" replied
the doctor. Several months only"
said the poor invalid; "then 1 may as
we'll die in battle as in my bed" He
joined his regiment, fought gallantly at
Waterloo, received wound that took
away all the diseased part of his lungs,
and lived many years longer.
ONLY ONE CENT.
Twenty years ago James Hutchinson,
of Springtown, Bucks County, Pa, gave
an acquaintance 10 cents, and requested
him to bring package of tobacco along
from the store to which the man was
going. He brought the package, and
the affair was forgotten until last week,
when the man wrote to Mr.. Hutchinson,
inclosing % cents and postal card,
which he said was in payment for l
cent change, which he had received and
failed to return twenty years ago, the
tobacco being only 9 cents, He further
stated that he had joined the Dunkard
Church, and conscience would give him
no rest until he had returned it, with
full interest," Pottstown Leader.
uIru rrxrrrNrur ON OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
English physicians have adopted q
new course in treating consumptives.
Instead of sending such patients to mild
moist climates, like the South of France
where the effects are palliative but moi
remedial, they have come to the con.
clusion that dryness of atmosphere is
the grand requisite, and Switzerland is
now selected as the sanitarium, and, il
is said with surprising results. In nu
merous instances, patients who while in
England were rapidly declining. on be-
ing sent to elevated places in Switzer.
land have begun at once to recover
and in few weeks have not only be-
come free from hemorrhages, but have
gained flesh with extraordinary rapid
ty, taking part in active amusement
and practically ceased to be invalids.
METHoDICAL ANTS.
The Texas agricultural ants go to
work in a methodical manner. They
make nest beneath the ground and
raised several inches above it, and clear
away space on either side of several
fees, from which branch through the
grass several roads. Curiously enough
this grass about the nest is all of one
kind. All the other weeds are cleared
away. Some people say the ants plant
the grass seed. However, they do gath
er it and feed to the young and.store the
grain-houses under ground. Here you
see another evidence of intelligence
The seed stored away would naturally
sprout after rain, but in some cases.
when they become damp the ants take
them to the surface and dry them in the
sun; in other cases they poison the seed
by biting it, so that it does not sprout.
THE ACACIA AS A PERFUME.
In the manufacture of perfume the
acacia is the favorite flower with the
New Orleans makers. 1t grows wild, is
inexhaustible, costs nothing and gives
results more nearly approaching the
delicacy of the violet perfume than that
created from any other flower, except,
of course, the violet itself, which is con-
siderably more difficult to get in suf-
fcient quantities, and which is ex-
pensive, comparatively. In extracting
or distilling the scents, the flowers are
laid in layers of grease, and it becomes
necessary in producing the finer
perfumes to change them as often AS
twenty times, twenty-four hours being
given to each installment. The flowers
are placed in the grease in perfectly
dry condition and gathered after the
dew is dried New York Mail and Ex-
pross.
HOW TO MAKE COPYING INK.
Any common black ink or writing
fluid can be made into good copying
ink by adding some sugar or other sac
charine matter to it. To prepare, dis
solve one ounce of lump sugar into one
and one-half pints of writing fluid.
Within five or six hours after writing
letters or other documents with this
prepared ink they can be copied by
pressure on damp unsized paper. If