Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-12-15
TIPS ON MANY TOPICS

POSTAGE stamps were invented By Row
land ELL. who was the founder of the En-
glish postal system.
CASTLE GARDEN, New York City, was
opened as an euiigrant depot August 1, 1855,
the great influx OF immigrants at that time
making the establishment of such u place
extremely necessary.
"PUBLIck OCCURRENCES vas the name
Of the first newspaper published in the
United States. It was issued September
Is, 1000, by Benjamin Pierce, at Boston, ap-
pearing but once, it beng Immediately sup
pressed by the Government.
TIE first furnace for the cremation in
America of the bodies of the dead was
erected at Washington, Pa, in 1876, by DR..
F. j. LIE Nome, at a cost of 81 900. The first
cremation THAT of Baron dc Palrl) took place
December 6 of the same year.
THE Suez Canal was opened in 1869. 1t is
not yet fully completed, or rather is I'M
perfected, and has a depth of twenty-six
feet. 1t has been thirteen years in the
process of construction. and forty hours are
required for the passage of a vessel.
Co22EEHEAD; was the term applied in
the North at the beginning of the re-
bellion to those who sympathized with the
South. 1t was adopted in analogy to the
serpent of that name which stings without
giving notice, and is very venomous.
''Tu. permanent constitution of the Con-
fedcrate States of America was adopted
at Montgomery, Ala, March II, 1851, was
ratified by Alabama, March 13; Georgia,
March IL; Louisiana, March 81; Texas,
March 25; Mississippi, March 80; South
Carolina, April 5, 1851.
As Is well known, the art of skating is a
prehistoric one. Il many parts of Europe
bones Of domcSticatcd animals have been
found which had been used as skates or as
runners of small slcdgcs 1t is of consid-
erablc interest to learn that similar nipple
ments are found still in use in several parts
of Northern Germany.
THE practice of burying the dead with the
head toward the west is OF Christian origin
The rising of the sun in the cast was be-
hevcd to be the sign thu the second appear
ancc of Christ will be in that direction, and
that those who arise from their graves will
face Him. The custom is not followed as
rigidly as heretofore.
BELOW IS given the capacity of number
of the larger church cdi.iccs of the world !:
st. Peters, Rome, will accommodate $1,000
persons; Duoma, Milan. $1,000; st. Paul's,
in Rome, p. 200; st. Sophia, Constantinople,
23,G00; More Dame dc Paris, 2i.OG0; the
Dome of Florence, 2a,000; the Cathedral of
Pisa, 1900; st. Marks, in Venice, 1000
WHAT are known as "Bluc Hill Weather
Predictions " are those issued from the pri-
waite observatory on Blue Mountain, near
Milton, Ore. This observatory and the pre-
dictions sent out arc entirely distinct from
the United States Signal-Service, and arc
supported By 4 gentleman whose interest
in weather matters has led to the establish
ment of the observatory and the prosecu-
ton of the work to which it is devoted.
THE press upon which Benjamin Frank
lin worked il London, in 11225, is preserved
in the Patent Office at Washington. 1t is a
clumsy structure. almost entirely of wood,
known as the Ramagc press, of which
many were still in use more than a century
later. Iron was subsequently used for
some of the parts until the beginning of the
present century. Printing machinery, now
brought to such high degree of perfection,
was half-century ago not much ahead Of
Frankiin'S time.
A WHITE squat is one which produces no
diminutiOn OF light. This furious and dam
gerouS gust appears i'll clear weather with
out any other warming than the white foam
it occasions on the surface Of the sea and q
very thin haze. 1t usually breaks upon Il
vessel when she is totally unprcparcd for
such !; strain upon her canvas and conse-
quently proves one Of the most dangerous
forms OF the sailors existence. A black
squall is far less dangerous, as it is usually
preceded by an accumulation of dark clouds
and accompanied by heavy rain. Time is
thus given to trim sails and to avert peril.
A COMMON glass eye may be had for ten
dollars, but they arc not a good imitation
and do not last long. \ tirst-ciass eye costs
fifty dollars CT even more. The best will
not last over tao years, because the secrc-
tions in the hollow of the eye rOughcn the
glass by chemical action, and this rough
ness irritates the flesh. Glass eyes are all
made abroad, principally. in Germany and
France, no factory having been started
here, although there is a great demand for
them in this country. A skillful Oculist
can put glass eye into the cavity SO that
very close observation is necessary to de-
tcct it. Not only arc the size and color of
the natural eye countcrfeited, but even the
general expression.