The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-09-02
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Its tributaries, 10 be used In times Of
drouth, in various ponds and streams,
thus enabling the volume of water avail
able IN dry time, in summer or winter,
TO be largely increased-this is TO be
accomplished by building dams. flowing
ponds, and deepening channels. Ii is
believed that this resort will serve the
purpose in view quite satisfactorily, and
meet the serious difficulty of diminished
power arising from the disappearance OF
forests on either bank of the river and
the increased evaporation. 1t is stated
In connection with this that the river
from Moosehead lake TO Augusta, dis
tance OF ll2 miles, contains many hun
dred water powers which would be valu-
able If the water could be controlled aud
used when most needed. The descent Of
the river from Moosehead 10 the tide is
about ,022 feet, the distance being liz
miles, thus giving mean descent of 9.
feet to the mile throughout the water
power portion Of the river. There are
also stated TO be 152 reservoirs of the
kennebec and its tributaries, covering
357 square miles, the total lake and
pond surface contained in the Kennebec
basin being not far from 450 square
miles.
CALIFORNIA is not conspicuously
known as a tobacco State. but the plant
is grown there to advantage, and
1t is declared to be superior to the
tobacco grown in the Southern States
and to be almost equal in flavor to the
Havana product. A paper on the sub
ject was read recently at meeting of the
State Board of Trade in San Francisco.
The early Mexican settlers cultivated the
tobacco plant, but it assumed no COM
mercial Importance until 1862, when
2,000,00 pounds were grown. The
cost of production is put at $50 an acre,
manure not being so necessary as in the
South to the matur N of the crop.
The average yield is from 1000 to !, 500
pounds of cured leaf an acre, the value
OF which is from twenty 10 twenty five
cents pound. Wrapper tobacco COM
mands higher price, and in favored
localities the smoking kind sells readily
for fifty cents pound. The main criti-
cism of the California product is that it
is too strong, but smoothness of flavor
can be attained by scientific cultivation.
Two crops are raised every year.
THE American Druggist says that we
are indebted to Pompeii for the great in
dustry of canned fruit Years ago, when
the excavations were just beginning,
party of Cincinnatians found in what had
been the pantry Of the house many jars
of preserved figs. One was opened and
they were found to be fresh and good.
Investigation showed that the figs had
been put into jars in heated state, an
aperture left for the steam to escape, and
then sealed with wax. The hint was
taken and the next year fruit canning
was introduced into the United States,
the process being identical with that in
vogue at Pompeii twenty centuries ago
THE nearest living relative of George
Washington is Eoenezer Burgess Hall,
who keeps a little cigar stand in the
rotunda of the Pension Office in Wash
ington. The Sons of the American
Revolution have investigated his claims
thoroughly, and their verdict goes to
support them. He is said to resemble
Washington's portraits much more closely
than any other person claiming relation
ship, and pictures that have been taken
of him dressed in the Continental uni
form have been mistaken by many for
representations of Washington himself.
Mr.. Ball is seventy-six years old, but is
hale and hearty.
ACCORDING to the New York Sun the
forty-four United States owe, collect
lively, 1924, 900, 900, and they pay to the
holders of State securities $40, 900, 600
year as interest. Though the population
of the United States has increased during
the ten years between 1880 and 1890
from $4,000, 900 to $4,000, 900, there
has been no increase in the debt of the
several States. On the contrary, the
total obligations were less in 1890, and
are less now. than they were at any time
between 1880 and 1885. Careful finan-
ciering is the rule in American common
wealths to-day.
In one Of his remarkable lectures
Tesla states that most scientific men now
look upon the various forms of NANTES
tation of energy which are generally des-
ignated " electric as energy manifesto
tions OF the same nature as those of
radiant heat and light. The phenomena
of light and heat and others besides may
therefore be called electrical phenomena,
and thus il is that electrical science has
become the mother science of all, and its
study all.important. The day when we
shall know exactly what electricity is
will chronicle an event probably greater
and of more moment than any other
record in the history of the human race.
WAR is very expensive business
Statistics of some of the great wars of the
past are as follows: The Crimean war
cost So 600 600 600 and T50 600 lives
the Italian war of 1859 $500, 900, 900 and
$4,000 lives, the War Of the Rebellion
COST the North s., 100, 100000 and the
South ~, 300, 900, 900, md together about
$4,000 lives; the Prusso- Austrian war
of 1866 cost 1898, 900, 900 aud $4,000
lives; the Russo Turkish war, 1925, 900,
600 and $50, 600 lives; and the Franco
Prussian war "a, 100, O00,00O and 1876,
600 lives.
ACCORDING to the estimates OF 1894