The National tribune., 1898-06-30
PUZZLES HuD QUERIES.
Some Problems Which are Really
Worth While Working Out.
GueStiOUS.

Questions
81. Why is it difficult to cook beans at
high attitudes?
81 What State leads in ship building p
So What is the length of one edge of the
largest cube that can be cut from sphere
nine inche; in diameter Nathaniel
Pierce.
81. Where is the lowest portion of the
earth's surface, and how low is it?-
Reader.
SIS. If the Capitol at WASHINGTON is 63s
feet long and the walls are built plumb $50
feet, is the top larger or shorter than the
bottom; and, if so, how much. Diameter Of
the earth 7,912 miles.-Reader.
Answers.
The original telephone, as first made by
Bell, is, believe, now public property, the
patent having expired. 1t Is sufficiently
effective to answer for the short line (40
rodS) proposed BY Mr. Grossly. piece of
ferrotype plate-tintype plate, the photo
graphers call it's cut into a disc about
an inch and half in diameter. This Is
firmly fastened to a supporting piece OF
wood by the edges. To the center of this
plate is fastened one end of thin steel
bar m agnet an inch long and as thick as
knitting needle. Ii must be peTpendicu-
lar to the disk and firmly fastened.
Around it in as close proximity as possible,
but not touching it, is cOiied a number of
turns OF very lDln WlTc, HIS SuidbSu, OF
course This coil Is fa aStened TO the sup
port. The magnet is thus free to vibrate
back and forth. inside the coil, carving
with 1t the center of the disk. Ii now the
two ends of the wire be connected with
precisely similar structure at the other
end of the line by means q double
wire, the two will he found 10 constitute a
telephone. Instead of using double
wire, a single one can be used If one end
of each coil is carefully "earthed," as
telegraphers call it. Signals can be pro-
vided for by using the same line wires for
an ordinary electric call bell.-Xenotime.
10. The areca nut is the fruit of genus
of palm of which there are several species.
The variety used for chewing bears a nut
as large as q hens egg covered with huSk
a half inch think. The meats are scraped,
then spread on the green leaves OF the
spread over with a paste of Guick-Gme OBJ
tanned by burning sea-Shells. The leaves
are then rolled up and are ready to carry
around in a box like snuff or tobacco.
BeteI chewing has been practiced by the
SiameSe $500 years. it destroys the teeth
at an early age, and makes the teeth and
saliva red, as though covered with blood
Asa W. SlaytOn.
The betel leaf is from vine of the pepper
family. HaShiSh reddens the saliva and
blackenS the teeth. 1t Is chewed by
millions of people in India.-H. I. Mat
thewS.
The areca palm is found both in the
East and West lndieS.-Wm. HaSpham.
II. "Glauber salts is sulphate of soda,
an effective cathartic. 1t may be made by
directly treating carbonate of soda with
sulphuric acid.-O. Heiser, kratZervllle,
Pa.
1t is named for the German chemist
who discovered ii about 250 years ago. It
is used in medicine as cathartic; IS
comm only called "saltS"; IS made from
common salt by the use of Sulphuric acid;
the sulphuric acid taking the place of the
chlorine changing sodium chloride TO
sodium Sulphate. About seven miles from
the entrance in MammOuth Cave are
springs of strong ulphur water, and there
we gathered a fair quality of "SaltS in
| tS6@-Asa W. SlaytOn, Grand Rapids,
| Mich.
Is a constituent of many mineral waters,
and occurs in small quantity in the blood
| and other animal tiuidS.-Wm HdSDham.
II. "Grimm's law " says that in many
words in the Aryan languages some of the
| mute conSonantS have undergone gradual
change, as the sound of p in one language
would give place to- in later tongue,
then to b, and later still return to p, per
| haps Take our word father; 5000 years
! ago il was "pitri in Sanscrit; 2,500 years
ago it was "pater in Greek and Latin;
| later in Gothic il became fadrein later
| in High German vatar. Asa W. SiaytOn
| and VIM. HaSpham.
| 1t was discovered by Jacob L. Grimm,
| noted philologist.-O. Heiser.