The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-10-08
CURRENT GLEANINGS.

Corienne. Mexico, on June 10Th.
1t is a great mistake to think
that Lucifer is profane or satanic
title. The word means light
bearing and has often been ap-
piled to the Savior.
Birds are moderately long on
earth. An eagle died at Vienna
at the age of 1O6. A crow lives
to be 100: parrots live as long: one
swan lived to be over 300.
In the jungles of Sumatra, the
largest spiders are found. Some
of the largest specimens measure
eight inches across the back and
have seventeen inches ofleg spread.
Any great fright, SO the natu-
ralists say, will cause the lobster
to purposely drop or amputate his
greatclaws. During thunder storms
thousands of them thus drop their
claws and swim for deep water.
Recent explorations in Rome
are said to Justify a belief that
some of the tenement houses of
the city in the days of the Caesars
were more than 100 feet high. The
skyscraper, therefore, is not a new
thing under the sun, and Chicago
must take a back seat.
The statement has been fire.
quently made that many of the
new artesian wells on the desert
of Sahara occasionally eject small
fish. This statement, which has
been generally discredited, has
been proved to be true by M. De-
sor. the Swiss naturalist
The human brain contains a
considerable proportion Of phos-
phorus. varying from one-twenti-
eth to -thirtieth of the whole
mass. If the average weight Of
the brain be taken at A.! ounces,
it will then contain phosphorus
amounting to about one and half
ounces, Phosphorus is found to
be almost entirely wanting in the
brains of idiots.
The most explosive substance so
far discovered is chloride of nitro
gen. which properly consists of
three parts Of chloride, united with
one Of nitrogen. It's terribly ex-
plosive character, which has so
far prevented it's accurate analy-
sis, is due to the fact that it is a
combination of one of the most
active with one of the most inert
elements in nature.
Piscatorial authorities of the
highest repute say that fishes and
mollusks living at depth of more
than three miles under water have
to bear pressure of several
tons. the weight being that of the
superintendent brine, which en-
erts its power from all sides alike.
The reason that they are able to
bear this tremendous weight is be-
cause they have exceedingly loose
tissues which allow water to flow
through every interstice. thus
equalizing the weight. When the
pressure is removed they die al
most instantly.
There are several wells in the
world that are upward Of a mile in
depth One at Potsdam. Germany.
is exactly 5,27O feet in depth, or
within ten feet Of mile. In Pow
eshiek county, Iowa, there is
stock we'll on the farm of Fairhall
which IS over three-quarters of
mile IN depth. George Westing-
house, the famous air brake man.
has a we'll at his place near Pitts
burg which is 1850 feet deep, or
only six hundred feet less than a
mile. The great trouble in drill
ing a we'll more than a mile deep
Is Che WelSnI OF the cable used IN
lifting and lowering tools. This
eventually becomes so great that
it snaps of its own weight and
both cable and tools are lost.
The following, by Rev. R.
{. Barr, a reputable writer, is
from the North British Monthly
Register for March, 1850: Early
this year (176O) there was brought
to Avignon true lithophagus, or
stone-eater He not only swal-
lowed flints an inch long and half
an inch thick, but such other
stones as he could reduce to pow
der with his teeth, such as COM
mon pebbles, gravel, sand, etc.
fIhn Cnftar ctonoc ho ohouod Wit |