The San Francisco call., 1896-06-28

law, was admitted to the bar OF New York and
in 1853 and from there to Colorado in 1861.
He never held an office until elected to the
United States Senate, when the State was adj
mitted in TO the Union, and took his seat De-
cember a. 1875. He was reelected on the 11th
of December of that year and served until
April z, 1882, when he was appointed Secre-
tary of the Interior by President Arthur, and
served until March 3, 1885, when he was again
elected to the United States Senate as Repub-
lican to succeed Nat w. Hill. Republican.
He took his seat March 4, 1885, was reelected
in 1890, and mis- term will expire March 3,
1897.
MEMORIAL DAY-Ladies of the G. A. R. San
Jose Cal. Memorial day, or Decoration day as
it was formerly called, had its origin from q
custom that prevailed in the South before the
war. Early in the spring the women of the
South were in the habit of decorating the
graves of the dead, as has been the custom in
France for ages. After the war the women of the
South placed flowers on the graves OF the SOL
diers who fell during the war and an unwrit-
ten law fxed the Both of May of each year as
the day OF observance. Similar observances
had been inauguTated in the North without
special unanimity. On the 9Th of May, 1863,
General John A. Logan, then commandeT-in-
chief of the Grand Army OF the Republic is
sued an order fixing the 30th of May of that
ders Of the Uhen WITH flowers 81 and ne a
time the custom has been kept up.
TRADE DoLLAR-M s., Citv. You either name
communication. There were no trade dollars
coined in 1895. The coinage Of the trade dol
lar was authorized by the act Of 1873. which
declares that the silver coins of the Uaited
States shall be the trade 1ollr the half -delIar
the quarter OF dollar and the dime, ana that
such coins shall be legal seuder a. nUnninak
value for any amount not exceeding So in ans
one payment. That statute shows that the
statement frequently made that trade dollars
were originally coined for export only has pb
justification in law BY resolution of botr
houses of Congress adopted in July, 1875 no
trade dollars we're coined except for export
and on the 22d of July, 1877, the coinage OF
trade dollars was discOn nued. Alter that,
however, proof coins wele issued, and these
bear bear date OF 1878, 1873, 1880, 1881, 1882,
1888 and 1884.
ARGoN-E. G. S., Livetmore, Cal. Argon is
a new element, which owes its discovery to in
vestigations by Professor William Ramsey and
Lord Bayleigh. They found that nitrogen lib
Grated from chemical compounds was lighter
than atmospheric nitrogen. Their work led 10
the conclusion that there was an undiscovered
element in the air. 1t Is separated by acting
on air with red-hot copper filings 20 separate
the oxygen. The residual gus is dried and
passed over white-hot magnesium filings. The
magnesium combines with the nitrogen, pro-
duclng solid nitrate and leaving argon as a
gas. The argon amounts to about per cent
OF the nitrogen 1t is treated repeatedly by
substantial duplication of the process de-
serifnSed, fS several days being required to dispose
electric sparks, preferably from platinum ter
mlnals, through the nitrogen mixed with Oxv-
gen. Its oxide can be absorbed by caustic
alKal1, leaving argon as gas Argon has a
characte rist1c spectrum. It's specific gravity
(H-D is between 10 and 81. 1t is two ana a
hall times as soluble in water as nitI 1gen. Its
critical temperature (-121 degrees C.1 and boil
ing point (-1S7 degrees c. are lower than those
OF oxygen. Professor Olszewiski succeeded
In solidifying it to white crystals, melt
ing at 1895 degrees C. at seems to
be incapable of com bining with anything"
says one authority 1t has been found in
clevelte and in meleorite. From the fact that
no argon is found in the nitrogen which can
be extracted from Bessemer- blown steel Pro-
lessor Roberts-Austen holds that argon NAV
have possibly united with the iron and given
1t some of its peculiar properties. 1t is fur
ther supposed by some that argon may con-
tribute to the nourishment ana growth of
plants. But these and other theories as to the
functions of argon in natures processes are
rather indications of lines TO be followed in
investigation than established indnetions
There is still much doubt concerning its true
status. Professor Kysen of Bonn claims that
he has found helium associated in small duan.
titles with argon and nitrogen issuing free ly as
stream into the air in the gases Of Wildbad
in the Black Forest. Professor Ramsey saws
that two of the lines in the spectra OF arpon
and helium are absolutely Identical from
which the conclusion is drawn that they con-
tain as common ingredient a gas not hith.
erto Identified, with probable atomic weight
of ten.