The San Francisco call., 1898-02-12
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

COFFEE AND RICE-S., Stockton, Cal. The imports of rice from the Ha- waiian Islands at this port during 1897 were. Free, 5466,700 pounds; dutiable, 36,- 1858 pounds. The amount of coffee from the islands during the same period was 19,211. .99S pounds.
 A CERTIFICATES w., City The certificate asked about was one that was issued when there was a movement to secure the independence of the nation named. It has no commercial value and there being so many in existence it has no market value as curiosity
 BBANS-H Elk Grove, Cal In Cali fornia generally the first crop of beans of the year is harvested in September. The harvesting in this as well as in other States of the Union depends upon the time of planting and the kind of seed. Bayos are raised in the greatest quantity in California.
 GOLD IN SOLUTION A P. H., Campo, Cal. When gold, silver and iron are in solution the gold can be precipi- tated by the use of ferro cyanide. First the solution is put into strong brine or muriatic acid, which throws the silver. Then the ferro cyanide is used to throw the gold.
 HANGING IN ENGLAND-P. McQ., City man named John Lee was hanged in England May 1S 1885, for the murder of a police inspector at Chelm- ford. That is the only man by, the name of Lee who was sentenced to be hanged for murder in England about thirteen or fourteen years ago that this department has been able to discover
 YOSEMITE VALLEY-C. R. B., Oak land, Cal. The Yosemite Valley was dis covered March 21 1851, by Major James R. Savage and Captain Boiling, who were at the head of an expedition that set out to pursue and punish the Yosemite and other Indians Who had murdered a num- Der of whites. An interesting account of
 this discovery and the fight with the In- d1anS can be found in volume of Hit tells History of California"
 THE CUBAN QUESTIoN-A S., Cle-
 ments, Cal. This department has not the space to furnish sufficient material
 on the Cuban question to enable an in- dividual 'to base debate upon" Fur | ther this department does not furnish
 material for debates, for the reason that a person who wishes to engage in a de- bate upon a subject should himself OF herself look up the authorities and not depend upon some one else to do that and furnish the ideas In cases of that kind the debater does not furnish his
 or her own deductions, but those of ane other.
 BOTTLEs-T. o. Y. R., City. Bottles are made in molds. When the glass has been properly melted and skinned, workman dips long iron tube, called a blow pipe, into a pot and takes up & sufficient quantity of molten glass to make a bottle, another workman works this into a pear-Shape by slightly blow ing and turning it on stone or iron table, called a marver. He then places the mass into mold of either cast iron or brass. which is opened ana closed Py means of foot spring. When In the mold the partially distended glass IS made to fill by the workman blowing down the tube, the bottom being pushed up with a pontil and the ring around the mouth afterward made by the addition of a strip of molten glass. After being molded the bottle is placed in the an healing furnace where 1t remains lcr thirty-SiX hours.
 sTEEI-F., Alameda, Cal. There are two processes for making steel from iron. If the material is cast or pig iron an eX- cess of carbon must be taken from 1t; if it is wrought or malleable iron carpon must be added to it. The second IS Tor the manufacture of the finest quality. Two chests of fire brick are fixed i'll dome shaped furnace so that the flames from the hearth below can play efectu- ally around them. A layer or cnarcodl or soot is placed on the bottom or each chest and upon this are ia1d the 9ars U wrought iron. They are arranged nt- tie distance apart, and the interst1ces De- tween are filled up with charcoal, ana the bars themselves are covered an an ha, lnca ,.l and charcoal are placed on these. The furnace heat is raised to 1886 Fahren- heit, the point necessary to e1tect car buratlon. This is maintained from eight to o'i ten days or longer, the period depend ing on the thickness of the iron and the degree Of hardness desired. The ire IS allowed to cool by degrees and the iron is transformed into steel, but not of uni-' form texture. It is made homogeneous by breaking it into small pieces, fuslng It in a fire clay crucible and casting 1t into moldS.
 Cal. glace fruit soc per lb at Townsend's.a