The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-20
KNOWLEDGE IN NUGGETS.


KNOWLEDGE IN NUGGETS.
More money is spent for brass bands
than for the schools of the Argentine Re-
public.
1t is calculated that over 100000. Ooo are
invested in cotton mills in the South.
One thousand novels are published every
year In London-that is two and half a
day.
One grain of gold after leaving the gold
beater's hands will cover ffty-six square
inches.
San Antonio CTex) Councils have passed
an ordinance which prohibits physicians
from charging more than 81 visit. 1t
was passed at the solicitation of the lead
ing physicians of the city.
Cast iron blocks are being tried In some
of the most frequented streets Of Paris,
instead of the granite blocks usually
placed alongside tramway rails.
A Frenchman has invented a street car
or omnibus driven with gearing from u
treadmill attached to the rear of the We
hicle. and supported on wheels. The horse,
therefore, rides while he works.
Natural gas has been used In China for
many centuries. 1t issues from fissures In
the earth near coal mines. and is led
through bamboo tubes to the point where
IL Is consumed.
In Switzerland there is a law by which
railway and steamboat companies, factory
establishments, etc, are liable to indem-
nifty their employees in case Of accidents.
or their widows and children in case Of
their death.
In August, 1894, there were 5,7S5 steamers
flying the British flag, $40 the German
5lO the Norwegian. 503 the French. 462 the
Swedish. Ei0 the American. 359 the Spanish
.l3 the italian and ,32S the flags of other
nations.
The Rothschilds smoke the most costly
cigars that are made--"the Henry Clay So
branos, which cost nearly ~ cents. These
are wrapped In gold leaf and packed In
little inlaid cedarwOod cabinets. These
millionaire princes buy three cabinets at
time, containing a, 0OO cigars.
Americans use more than so,OoO,Wo
pounds of tea Il year. For the supply of
this necessity the United States looks to
China and Japan. In 1898 China gave AS
653. l72 pounds Of tea, and Japan $780, $40
pounds. Very small quantities are OBJ
tanned from other countries.
In perforating postage stamps die-pla:e
Is placed below the needles of a machine
carrying 300 needles. As about $50, 900 90
die-plate Is excessive; brass plates wear
out In day. and even steel plates are
rapidly destroyed.
A lens. which will be when finished the
largest in the world, is now being cast at
Jena, Ger. 1t is an objective for an as
Economical telescope. and will be 43 ID
inches IN diameter, about five inches great
er than that at the Lick observatory.
In its rough state. before grinding, 1t
weighs just one ton. and will cost, 1t is
estimated, about $4,000.
Rubber roller skates for soldiers In the
field as substitute for bicycles are ad-
vocated by an English army gymnasium
inspector in the United Service Magazine.
A continuous speed of eight miles an hour
is easily attainable with them, and on COM
ing to impossible places, where bicycles
would have to be abandoned. the skates
can be taken off and flung over the SOL
diers' shoulders.
1t is stated on the authority of the Over
land Monthly that in California 1t costs
80 l-3 cents to raise 100 pounds of wheat
on ranches of 1000 acres. 81 cents on
ranches Of 1000 acres, 75 cents on ranches
OF 5000, GO cents on ranches OF l5.OO acres,
80 cents on ranches of 5000 acres, and 40
cents on ranches of 80, 900 acres.
The earliest passenger boat propelled by
electricity Is believed to have been thai
of Professor jacob, of ST. Petersburg.
Russia 1t was twenty-eight feet long,
seven feet wide and carried fourteen per-
sons. The electric motor was operated by
means of S2O Daniel cells. This was in
1888. on the River Neva. The earliest pas
lieved to be that of Alexander Davidson.
of Edinburgh. 1t was in operation Octo-
ber. 1872
The largest gas engine in the world. ac
cordinS to the Revue Technique Is the
$40 indicated horse power simplex engine.
driving flour mills at Pantin, France, and
taking its fuel supply from a special pro-
ducer gas plant. forming part of the mill
equipment. With regular city illum!nat
ing gas the engine would be capable Of in
dicating about 45O horse power, but even
as 1t is the load upon the engine is now
not more than $50 indicated horse power.
representing actually, 22O horse power de-
livered
A newspaper published in Pekin Is un-
10 be the oldest in the world.
1t dates from period 200 years prior TO
the Norman conquest of England. Nat
urally. its prolonged existence in an au-
governed country like China
has been marked by many vicissitudes.
not the least of which Is the fact, re-
Gently announced in its columns, that dur
Ing the 1000 years of its existence 800
of its editors have been beheaded, or,
speaking, two per annum.
Aguajari, bette: known as La Bastar-
della, had an incredibly high range of
voice. Mozart heard her in ITO and cx-
pressed the greatest delight. She sang b
In altissimo with perfect ease. and per-
formed cadenZaS deemed impossible for
the human voice. During Il great part of
her professional career she received about
five hundred dollars a night. a sum then
equal to about two thousand five hundred
dollars IN the money of our time.
Before the tenth century, organs had be-
come common In England, and exceeded,
both In size and compass, those of the con-
tinent. In the fifteenth century half-notes
were introduced at Venice. The first in
vontion of the organ has been ascribed
to Ctcsibus, of Alexandria, who lived $50