The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-02-16
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

On the 18th inst. the citizens of
Athens, Ga. organiz' ID a company to
build five thousand-spindle cotton
mill at Barnett Shoals, ten miles from
Athens.
There are now in use on American
railroads 26.415 locomotives, 1882
passenger coaches, 6,325 baggage cars,
845, GA freight cars. Their value is es-
timated at S700,000,O0O
-Wood-fiber capable of being spun
is now prepared in Germany. The
preparation of the fiber of pine leaves
as a material for carpets is another
promising new industry. .--Arkansaao
TrGueIer.
The shoe factories of Portland, Me-,
have done $3, $4,000 worth of business
the last year, the local factories contrib
uting 1885, 600. The factories have
turned out 81, 900 pairs of ladies' shoes.
The factories employ AIT males and 1858
females.
We have read q good deal about
the civilization of the mound builders,
and we have seen the mounds. Piling
up million tons of dirt over a dead
Indian and few stone hatchets don't
indicate an advanced state of enlight-
enment The mound builder was only
an industrious savage.-Martha's ZINE
yard Herald
BY means of improved appliances
| the Germans are now able to extract
11.31 per cent. of beet sugar and 0. 65
per cent. of molasses, or total of II. 96
pounds per 100 pounds of beets. The
cost of this sugar is only two cents per
pound. The sugar is produced in
enormous quantities, sufficient for the
home supply and large export trade.
Boston Budget.
Quill toothpicks come from France.
The largest factory in the world is near
Paris. where there is an annual prod
uct of twenty million quills. The fac
tory was started to make quill pens,
but when these went out of use it was
turned into toothpick mill. Wooden
toothpicks are made principally in
Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and
Ohio.
During the past two seasons MIR
e. B. Poulton has made observations
which prove that the silk of at leas
three species of English moths is great
ly affected in color by environment a
the time of spinning. The cocoon
were dark brown when the larvae hat
been placed in black bag or among
green leaves, and white when they hae
been freely exposed to light in the i'm
mediate neighborhood of white sur
faces. Traceler.
The question as to the best widtl
for wagon tires on vehicles used for th,
transportation of heavy loads over dir
roads and farm fields, has become
subject Of scientific investigation. A
the density and hardness of the eartl
over which the tires are to roll ente
largely into the problem. it will take
wide range of experiments to enable in
vestigators to fix upon that precis
width of tire which will be most uni
formly advantageous on all the varie
ties of dirt roads aud farm soils. Blu
that the tires should be much wide
than those in general use seems to b
conceded on all sides.-N y Ledger
The scientific relation of colors
, nerves and temper is attracting after
tion. Physicians sometimes find that
certain color will throw patient int
Mysteries or spasms. In other cases.
person is made sick to the stomach, g
afflicted with headache, at the sight {
I a color that, for some reason, is obno1
ious to him. Others, again, are throw
into spasms of ill temper by colors, th
offending color sometimes being blu,
\ sometimes yellow. but oftener red {
scarlet. Animals are affected in
r similar way by colors. Everybody
q familiar with the fact that the sight I
D red garment or cap will drive bu
frantic with rage, and the red juice
berries is said to have similar effe,
upon an elephant. 7. Ledger.
Q One of the simplest of barometer
1 1 is a spider web. When there is pro
I pect of rain or wind the spider shorter
the filaments from which its web is su
! pended. and leaves things IN this sta
: as long as the weather is variable.
u the insect elongates its thread it is
. sign of fine, calm weather, the duratie
y of which may be judged of by Il
. length to which the threads are let ou
u If the spider remains inactive it is
i sign of rain; but if, on the contrary.
7 keeps at work during the rain the la
u ter will not last long. and will be fe
!. lowed by fine weather. Other obsery
u tions have taught that the spider max
!" changes in its web every twenty-fo'
hours, and that if such, changes a
a made in the evening, Just before su
!. set, the night will be clear and beaut
n ful.-La Nature.