The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-01-06
Facts and Figures.

lno State census OF Wisconsin has
boon taken and tho total population is
shown to be 1868, $50, a gain over 1880
OF 21 per cent. The largest gains are
in the northern half of the State, where
there havo been large openings of
comparatively now country. duo in
great measure to lumber interests.
Cooperative associations, or union
stores. for the sale of groceries or dry
goods. are as popular in Massachusetts,
manufacturing towns as building asso-
Citations are in Philadelphia. Some
communities Of 200 inhabitants sup
port two or three. Tho union storo at
Danvers, minor shoemaking town.
has just declared it's fifth annual divi-
dend of $35 on every $50 share.
According to data collected by Mr.
X, w. Best. Of the Department of Ag-
riculture, there aro in tho United States
285. .OOO.O acres of improved land,
446. 600. 900 acres of forest. and $780,
OOO.O acres OF unimproved and waste
untimbered land. Incidentally il is
found that forests arc disappearing at
the rate OF rs, 900. 900 acres each year.
The forest product during tho census
year was $4,000, 000 600 feet board
measure. Last year it was %, 600, OOO,- :
600 feet.
Tho earliest recorded protected En-
glish invention Is said TO be the making
OF the Philosophers Stone: That in
tho time OF Edward ILL., some alchem-
lists persuaded the King that Philoso-
piers Stone might be made; that the
King granted commission to two fri
ars and two aldermen to inquire IL it
wore feasible. who certified that it was,
and that the King granted to tho 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 Middles-
borough, England, with the Wow of
utilizing oil waste from chemical
works, instead of coal, as fuel for
steamers. 1t is claimed that tho new
invention will revolutionize the ocean
carrying trade. Several steamers ply
ing between English and Mediterranean
ports have made round trips by the uso
Of tho new fuel exclusively, and the en-
ginoers report excellent results. Tho
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 tho follow
ing description OF saw-mill: The
saw-mill is driven with an upright
wheel, and the water that maketh 1t 90
Is gathered whole into q narrow trough,
which delivereth the samo water to tho
wheel This wheel has q piece of tim
Der put to the axle-tree end, like the
handle OF q broch, 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
eih in, and the handle of the saw is
kept in rigall of wood from swerving
Also the timber lieth. as it were, npon
ladder, which is brought by little to
the saw with another vice.
Three hundred pages Of statistics in
tho last report OF the Massachusetts
Bureau Of Labor Statistics arc taken
up with historical review of wages
and prices from 1862 to 1860. Taking
the history broadly we fiud that wages
have risen far moro rapidly than the
prico of commodities has advanced.
In thirty years before the war wages
advanced 62.3 per cent in twenty lead
ing occupations, while commodities
rose but IL per cent in price. Since
1860 tho rise in wages has been pa
per cent; in commodities. 145 per
cent. Or. since 1880 there has been a
rise of 1874 per cent in wages, and an
advance Of 2S per cent in tho price Of
commodities. The same amount OF
human toll to-day roaps larger re-
ward in necessities and comforts than
at any previous era in our history.
Man grows moro valuable and things
less valuable with every decade. Tho
general tendency Is to the equalization
Of condition. as Mr.. Carey assorted in
the face Of the pessimistical teaching Of
the English economists nearly half q
century aYo.-Ihe american.