Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-11-03
STRAY BITS.

Capt Samuel Brooks, of the Arizona, has made 600 trips across the Atlantic, and has sailed ,S30 900 nautical miles
 An endless railway train, consisting of 600 platform cars, is to be one of the attrac- tions at the Paris exposition.
 A track of land containging ,0O0 900 acres in Aroostook county, Me, has been sold for $1,OOO,OO0. The deed recorded contains 25,- 900 words.
 There died in Havana recently, at the age of IA years, a negress, Mercelina Compos. She leaves a 90- year-old son, and a 12year old great-great-great
 Ezra French, engineer on the northern Adirondack. left his engine for an hour one day on a recent trip, and on returning brought fine deer, which he had shot. .
 There are 400 steam and sailing vessels aggregating 999, 900 tons being built in the United Kingdom, as compared with 249 yes sells of 549 900 tons at this time last year.
 The grand vizier at Constantiinople has is sued a decree forbidding the publication of the morning papers in that city, and hereaf- ter only evening newspapers will be allowed to be published.
 It has been found that goose can stand the weather until the thermometer goes to 64 degs. below zero. Then her feathers won't save her. Wild ducks can go 12 degs. lower and come out on top.
 Aunt Til Rulev, colored woman, who lives in Marion county, Ky, is said to be 12l years old. She recently walked from her home to Lebanon and back, twenty eight miles, to attend circus.
 The discovery and utilization of natural gas has proved a powerful stimulus to the manufacture of iron pipes and tubes ill this country. There are now {, 800 miles of mains in the United States for conveying natural gas
 The oldest incorporated business concern ill the world is the Hudson Bay company, which has had an existence of 225 years. The head quarters of the company are at Winnipeg, Man, and the bulk of the stock is held in England.
 Drawing room cars from the United States have been placed on the Chilian railway be- tween Valparaiso and Santiago. It is found to be very difficult to prevent passengers from smoking in them, although a smoking car has been added.
 NJ. Jovis a French aeronaut, is said to be building an air ship in which he proposes to attempt to cross the Atlantic to New York this fall 1t is to be called the Atlantic, and will be POO feet high, with cubic measure ment of nearly 100, 900 feet.
 An envelope that cannot be opened and re- sealed without showing that 1t has been tam pered with has been invented in England. The aap4s cut so long that it laps over to the front side, and after being sealed, the post age stamp is put over the end of the flap.
 The Chinese are making such large de- mands upon soap that ill time they may rank among the clean nations. The importation of foreign soap has increased 153 per cent. in five years and 500 per cent. more is wanted now than was sought after ten years ago.
 A novel electric railway has been com pleted, running from the shore of Lake Lu- cerne over Q bed cut in the solid rock to the summit of the Burgenstock, ,330 feet up. It has gradient of from 32 to 5S per cent The electricity is generated by water wheel in the River Aar.
 Dr. Donald c. Hood has collected many facts relating to the of saGcylic acid for rheumatism. Of FPS patients treated with saicylates 523 wero relieved of their pains within seven days, whereas of 612 patients treated by other methods only 40 were re- ieved within the same time
 Quillstoothpicks come largely from France, which possesses the largest factory in the world. This factory, which is located near Paris, was originally started to make quill pens, but when these went out of use the pro- prietor turned it into a toothpick mill, the present annual output of which is 20,OOO, ,OO0 quills.
 The highest point at which regular meteo- rological observations are made appears to be in the Andes in Peru, at height of 14, 800 feet. Harvard college has weather ob- servatory on Mount Lincoln, in Colorado, at a height of IA, ,297 feet; and part way up tho mountain is another station, 13,500 feet above sea level.
 In cleaning out the lower levels of the caves st Dordogne, in France, there were found great many oyster shells piled in such a man. ner as to show that the Neauderthal man used the bivalve as Q common article of food The oyster is thus demonstrated to be the oldest domesticated delcacy known to man. These relics estimated to be over 60, 900 years old.
 The average watch is composed of 175 diff ferent pieces, comprising upward of 2,4OO separate and distinct operations in its manu- facture The balance has 1S,OOO beats or vibrations per hour, 12, ,96O, ,0S0 in thirty days, 157 ,6S0,000 in one year; it travels 43-1O0 inches with each vibration, which is equal to 01S miles in twenty-fou hours, 2921S miles in thirty days, or 3,55ssl miles in one year.
 There were 1912 patents issued last year, and of these but ,OS3 were granted to south erners. Texas led the southern states, a patent being granted for every COOS Texans. Florida came next. Mississippi's ratio was one patent for every 25, 146 of her population. Alabama, in spite of the recent great me chanical development of the state, was credited with but 54 inventions in the year.
 Larious Smith, who recently died in Yer mont at the age of 92, is thought there to have been the oldest soldier in the civil war In 1863 he enlisted in company I, Twelfth Vermont volunteers, being at that time 67 years old. He didn't look like 1t, being re- markedly strong and vigorous, and at the time of his death didn't appear to be over 50 years old. The Iowa Graybeards had some pretty old men in the ranks, but it's doubtful if any was a old as Larious.
 NlCKNAMES OF STATESMEN.