Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-03-18
CURIOUS FACTS.
sawdust buildings are announced.

The Chinese Emperor is called 'The
Son of Heaven" by the Celestials.
In the Chicago Qll.) militia privates
are not allowed to dance on the same
floor with their colonies.
The first idea of electricity'was given
by the friction of two globes'of quick
silver in the year of 1467.
An alligator measuring nine feet five
inches In length was found in a small lake
in Lonoke County, Arkansas.
The paper tree of the South Seas is
kind of mulberry, with an inner bark of
peculiar delicacy and softness.
Cream of tartar is often mixed with
sand, phosphate of lime, quartz, starch,
flour, tartrates and sulphate of lime.
The first book containing musical
characters was issued in 1495 from the
press of the celebrated "Wynkcn de
Worde."
Seals when basking place one OF their
number on guard to give alarm in case of
danger. The signal is quick clap of
the hipperS on rock.
A copper rod projecting from the face
Of a cliff in Saline County, Mo-, indicates
that at some date in the Far West, be-
yond the ken of man, copper mining was
carried on in that vicinity.
A curious fad for obtaining Indian
relics has taken possession of the people
about Reading, Penn, who 90 out in
numbers, armed with spades and pick
axes to dig for arrow heads and other
remains of the red man.
Spectacles were first used in the latter
part of the thirteenth century. There is
no certainty as to who was the inventor
of them, but the distinction is generally
claimed for Alessandro di Spina, who is
said to have made some about 1885.
1t is reported that lamb was born at
Hornitos, Merced County, Cal, recently,
that had eight legs, three eyes three
ears, with two perfecc bodies attached to
one head. One of the ears and also one
of the eyes were on top OF the head. 1t
lived several hours.
Pens were first used carly in che seventh
century. They were, of course, quills,
and steel pens did not come into use un-
til 1920, when the first gross of them was
sold wholesale for S36. The quality of
these pens was greatly inferior to that of
those for which the English now pay
twelve cents a gross.
The Island of Fowkave in thc Gulf of
Siam has a peculiar kind Of dogs. They
are sleek haired and resemble fox ter
riers in size and build, but are prick
cared, reddish brown in color (the fe-
male being of a lighter shade), with
black muzzles and dark lines on the fore
head, like those sometimes seen in bull.
dogs.
Coke is the name given to coal from
which the volatile constituents have been
driven off by heat The best kind is OBJ
tained from coal when carbonized in
large masses 10 ovens constructed for the
purpose. 1t is also obtained, though of
an inferior quality, from the retorts Of
gas works after the gases have been
separated.
In Abukir, Egypt, three colossal
statues in rose .colored granite, each about
ten feet high, have been discovered. The
first two represent King Rameses IL and
Queen Hentmara sitting on their throne,
a unique group, the like of which has
not yet been discovered in Egypt. The
third statue represents Rameses standing
in military garment and position, with
sword and scepter. The statues are cov-
cred with hieroglyphlc inscriptions.