The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-01-04
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

--NeYada has sent out $3.50, 900, 900 in
silver and gold, over 5000, 900, 900 OF
which came from the Comstock mines.
Minnesota grows every year 45, 900,
900 bushels of wheat, AS, 900, 900 of oats,
22,000,000 of corn, and produces 472,
600, 600 feet of lumber and $4,000, 600
shingles.
Prof. Hazen, of the weather bu-
reau, expresses the opinion that all
the conclusion experiments to produce
rain have been failures, and that those
conducted in Connecticut last summer
seemed to prolong the drought in that
section, while there was plenty of rain
in all the region roundabout.
"A vessel returned to San Francisco
from carrying supplies to the whaling
feet in the Arctic Ocean, north of
Alaska, reports that one whaler found
open water at the mouth of tie Mac
kenzie river, and had followed 1t in a
point a little above 81 degrees, or
farther north than the Greedy expedi-
ton reached. 1t will be interesting to
know whether this report can be veri-
fed. Scientific American.
The whale fleet sailing out of the
port of San Francisco has this year
caught in Arctic regions no less than
353 whales-probabl larger number
than has been caught by whaleships
sailing from all the other ports of the
country. Small steamers made larger
~, les than were known in the his
tory of the whale fishery. The product
of this seasons catch would have been
represented by about s2,OOO,OOO had
prices remained as they We're about
three years ago. San Francisco Call.
Thomas Kelly, of Keokuk, Ia,
writes that evidences of a preglacial
river have been found, which in earlier
ages drained Lake Michigan westward
into what is now the Mississippi river.
Some of the places where this river run
are covered by nearly two hundred
feet of deposit, but the silt which occu-
pies the rivers bed is black, and con-
tains shells which show remains OF
earlier animal life, probable before
men lived on this planet.
1t is a fact of striking magnitude
that more than $1,000, OOO,O 900 of rail
road property in this country is now
in the hands of receivers. There is
likely TO be general reorganizati IN
of insolvent railroads, and the govern
ment proposes to take hand in the
reorganization OF the Union Pacific, in
,,L ~
about So 100000. Five great railroad
systems-thc Union Pacific, Northern
Pacific, Reading, Erie and Richmond
Terminal-which now enjoy the pro-
lection of receiverships, have mileage
of %, 900 miles, combined funded in
debtedness of s5l7 900, 900 and aggre-
gate assets exceeding S1,174,OOO, OO0.-
Pittsburgh Post.
The compensating advantages OF
fog are often overlooked. 1t would
appear that the SPECIAL function OF
fog is to purify the atmosphere. just
as good shower Of rain not only
sweeps the streets. but washes" the
air, so to speak, by disselving such
impurities as are capable rof solution;
so the mysterious fog penetrating far
sand wide searches for and gathers in
its embrace particles of carbon, organic
bases and all kinds of irritating insol.
able 'speclSs, mechanically suspended
in the air. 1t is enough to see the pave
ment after the fog has in measure
subsidized to realize from what impuri-
ties we have been delivered
-Georgias experiments in tobacco
culture have proved successful. A good
crop was raised on the experimental
farm at Waycross. and it has just been
successfully cured by the air-curing
process Experts pronounce the to-
bacco very fine. It is to be made into
cigars at Waycross factory. For sew
eral years the state government has
been doing much to encourage the to-
bacco industry in the state. yet the
present house of representatives in the
state Legislature passed bill week
or two since making it crime to han
die cigarettes, cigarette paper or cigar
cite tobacco, in any way and for any
purpose. The senate, hearing from
Waycross maybe, threw out the bill.
Prof Preyer, whose study of the
infant mind is again attracting atten-
ton, returned 4 somewhat ungrh cious
reply to the American women who
begged that he authorize them to Sc
lect mothers in this country who
should watch the development of their
little ones at home and send to him
the result Of their observations. lie
doubted whether amateur work of
this kind. as it would be in every sense
of the word, could be acceptedsas data
for scientific conclusions, and most of
the mothers who have learned what
Prof. Preyer expects of them in the
way of minute observation realize that
it is only the woman of rare intelli-
gence, skill, patience and ample leisure
who could hope to follow his instruc-
tions.
The Agreeable Women.
4 #. as Frederil<a Bremen says, "the