The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-12-24
Facts and Figures.

The State census of Wisconsin has
been taken and the total population is
shown to be 1868, $50, gain over 1880
Of 81 per cent. The largest gains are
in the northern half of the State, where
there have been large openings of
comparatively new country, due in
great measure to lumber interests.
Cooperative associations, or union
stores, for the sale of groceries or dry
goods, are rs popular in Massachusetts
manufacturing towns as building asso-
Citations are in Philadelphia. Some
communities of 5000 inhabitants sup
port two or three. The union store at
Danvers, a minor shoemaking town,
has just declared its fifth annual divi-
dend of $50 on every $50 share.
According to data collected by Mr..
+. W. Best, of the Department of Ag-
riculture, there are in the United States
2S5, 100000 acres Of improved land.
445, 000,0 600 acres of forest, and $780,
100000 acres of unimproved and waste
untimbered land. Incidentally it is
found that forests are disappearing at
the rate of 25,000,0 600 acres each year.
The forest product during the census
year was $4,000, 600, 600 feet board
measure. Last year it was 20, 900, 0OO,-
600 feet.
The earliest recorded protected En-
glish invention is said to be the making
of the Philosophers Stone: That in
the time of Edward III. some alchem-
lists persuaded the King that Philoso-
piers Stone might be made; that tho
King granted commission to two fri
ars and two aldermen to inquire if it
were feasible, who certified that it was,
and that the King granted to the two
aldermen patent privilege that they
and their assigns should have the sole
making Of the Philosophers Stone"
An important series of experiments
has long been in progress at Mindless
borough, England, with the view of
utilizing oil waste from chemical
works, instead of coal, as fuel for
steamers. 1t is claimed that the new
invention will revolutionize the ocean
carrying trade. Several steamers ply
ing between English and Mediterranean
ports have made round trips by the use
OF the new fuel exclusively, and the en-
gineers report excellent results. The
Oil tanks occupy but little room and
the fuel costs only half as much as
coal.
More than three hundred years ago
an English historian gave the follow
ing description of saw-mill: 1.-The
saw-mill is driven with an upright
wheel. and the water that makcth it 90
is gathered whole into narrow trough,
which delivereth the same water to the
wheel. This wheel has piece of tim
Der put to the axle-tree end, like the
handle of 4 brooch, and tasted to the
end of saw, which being turned by
the force OF the water hoisteth up and
down the saw, that it continually eat
eth in, and the handle of the saw is
kept in a rigall of wood from swerving.
Also the timber lieth, as it were, npon
a ladder, which is brought by little to
the saw with another vice."
Three hundred pages of statistics in
the last report OF the Massachusetts
Bureau of Labor Statistics are taken
up with Il historical review of wages
and prices from 1852 TO 1860 Taking
the history broadly we find that wages
have risen far more rapidly than the
price of commodities has advanced.
In thirty years before the war wages
advanced g. per cent. in twenty lead
ing occupations, while commodities
rose but II per cent. in price. Since
1860 the rise in wages has been "a
per cent; in commodities, 145 per
cent. Or, since 1889 there has been a
rise Of S9.4 per cent. in wages, and an
advance OF % per cent. in the price of
commodities. The Same amount OF
human toll to-day reaps larger re-
ward in necessities and comforts than
at any previous era in our history.
Man grows more valuable and things
less valuable with every decade The
general tendency is 10 the equalization
OF condition, IS d.. Carey asserted in
the face of the pcssinist.oai teaching of
the English economists nearly half n
century ago.-1hs A1erieGl.
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