Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-03-13
IN GENERAL.

Last year over a million and half of
cats were killed for their SKINS which have
become valuable as fur lining.
The Rome IN. W Sentinel reports that
two men who served on jury at a trial in
Utica the other day, after they retired voted
on verdict in direct opposition TO their real
sentiments because they did not know the
difference between the terms plaintiff" and
defendant in the case.
The United States has II, 900 dentists,
who use a ton of gold and five tons of other
metals and make 4, 900 600 artificial teeth an
uually. Only one American in eighty is
found to have perfect teeth, and one third of
the population make more or less use Of the
artificial product.
"A well-known scientific man in England
has lately given an order to a dealer for a
hundred specimens of the electrical eel, for
the purpose of closely studying the singular
power possessed by these creatures. Hither-
10 this has not been investigated 30 far as to
determine very positively what is the nature
of the marvellous emsnation that has gener-
ally been accepted as electricity.
Luminous paint is imported in large
quantities by regions where earthquakes are
prevalent. In the Philippine islands small
metallic plates coated with the paint are so
disposed about the houses as to afford ready
quake for the inmates to reach the street.
doors and make their escape from the build
ings in danger Of becoming ruins suddenly.
The experiment of substituting the la
Dor of cOlored people for that Of Chinese is
being tried by a San Franciscan, on his
ranch in Los Angeles county, Cal. He took
there thiTty-two families of colored people
from the South, built them cabins in South
ern plantation style, aud thus far is much
pleased with their work. Labor on a vine-
yard and fruit farm, says a correspondent
writing from San Francisco, is not so severe
as on a cotton or sugar plantation, and the
climate of southern California is milder than
in most parts of the South.
-Quails are now so abundant in Califor-
MIA that they throng the roadvays. While
rewards are offered by farmers in southern
countries for killing this bird, which destroys
uudh grain, the Alameda aud Contra Costa
farmers say the quail is useful to them. 1t
attacks their grain only as a last resort, and
chiefly subsists upon insects. Their dshtrl ot-
ion OF ants is of incacuable importance. Toe
| quairs great foe is the wildcat. A quail nest
,ug will cover fifteen to twenty egg, aud
nearly every egg will hatch. They nest once
4year, and during such periods the male is the
most pugnacious defender of the mother and
young. The willy wildcat, a. large as four
| ordinary cats, will stretch himself out and
| put out his tongue the male quail will sp-
pear aud peck it, whereat the cat seizes his
toothsome prey.
The Russian oil region covers an area of
over 400 square miles, with fOry-two oil
wells in one district, over q hundred in au-
other, and four hundred In q thlTd, while
here are still richer regions waiting to be
developed TO produce still greater results
| One spouting we'll produces 2, 900, 900 gal
| ona dav rha nu ia found IN f,laaal AZ q
depth of hundred feet, and no we'll has
gone below eight hundred and seventy We
feet. Three s Redish brothers aud few AmeF-
cans and Russians who have been in Ameri.
"a have introduced method aud system, pipe
ines, oil-oarrying barges aud steamers, tank
'arts, refneriea, joint stock companies, rail
roads, and nov produce 800 600 tons of crude
and 200, 600 IONS of refined etfoleum AID are
rapidly finding new markets. To ok we'll In
Russia costs now 50, 900 to $l5, 900, and tnat
in region so poorly supplied that the own
ers have to house their men in barracks.
The London Times pronounces the new
Brazilian vessel the Rachuelo, the most
perfectly constructed ship of war ahoat, pos
sessing in respect to speed, coal, endurance,
and arrangement and fire of her guns spe
oial advantages such, in fact, as are mol
contained in any other ship. She is a twiI
screw turTet vessel of six thousand tons and
4ix thousand horse power, built of steel
three hundred and i've feet long, fifty fee
vide and thirty feet deep. She eau make
fifteen knots an hour, and run at that speed
some four thousand hve hundred miles with
out reooaling. Her armor plates are ten ant
eleven inches thick, and the armament con
ssts Of fve nine inon twenty-ton breeoh
loading rihed guns in two revolving turrets
aud siK six inch breech- leaders, besides At
teen Nordenfelt machine guns. In addition
to this superb and effective appointment, thu
vessel is also provided with q number o.
] Whitehead torpedoes.