The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-05-26
PUZZLES IND QUERIES.
Some Problems Which are Really
Worth While Working Out.
Questions.

If. How can gold be identified or its
minerals distinguished when out prospect
ing, far away from assay Offices?-B. F..
Beaumont, Pearl, Pope Co, Ark.
~. How far is the Southern Cross from
the South pole? How far north of the
equator is il visible?-Joel Byrns, Topolo-
bampo, Mexico.
43. Is there such thing as straight or
a crooked line?-O. A. III.
a. How much salt can be obtained from
n ton (2,G00 pounds) OF water from the
Atlantic? How much from a correspond
ing amount from the Pacific, Arctic, or
Antarctic Oceans, or from the Dead Sea?-
A. o. III.
As How does the value of platinum
(wire) compare with that OF gold?-A. o. IL.
46. How much burning oil does crude
petroleum yield2-O. A. III.
Answers have been received from Mr..
Heiser, KratZerville, Snyder Co., Pa, who
answers Nos. 2, 6, 8, 8, II, II, Is, IA, Is,
ls, II, IS, 20, %, 23 "a, 25, 26. ~. Mr.. Joel
Byrns, Topolobampo, Mexico, submits a
question. "a. O. H. submits four ques-
tons. Mr.. Asa W. Slayton, Grand Rapids,
Mich. answers Nos. IL ~, 13, ID, Is, l6,
II, is, 10 and 20. Mr.. Slayton also writes:
Sorry am To again appear to complain;
but where | wrote that Glaisher ascended
with a balloon seven and one half (IHD
miles, il was printed one and half
miles; about as high as | could throw d
stone, ii was mad enough"
Answers to questions 2, 3, 4, 5, o, 7, 8, 9,
10, II, II, 13, Ii, 10, Is, II, Is, 10 and 20
have been received from VIM. Haspham,
Co. f, 55th Ohio, Guthrie, Okla.
Answers. Second series)
/ 9S Bacteria aid in fermentation (good for
the brewer bad for the rest of the world);
they help in the ripening OF fruit; they aid
i'm giving life to the new cells forming in
our bodies at all times, and especially in
the healing of wounds and recovery from
sickness; they have mostly expunged the
former theory OF spontaneous generation.
Some bacilli are peculiar to certain dis
eases, and by using the antitoxin that will
detroy them, the disease can be cured. -
Asa W. Slayton.
80. Call the amount of water discharged
by the Thames I, then the ST. Lawrence
would be 112; the Mississippi, 1888; the
Amazon, 1880. Or, for remembrance, we
will call the Amazon /; the Mississippi, u;
the St. Lawrence, fi2.
100 Bromine is a chemical element, the
only one known except mercury that Is
liquid at ordinary temperatures. 1t is
darkIed liquid is times heavier than
water; very volatile, the bottles containing
it being always filled with the deep purple
vapor. 1t is a rank poison in the stomach
or on the skin; is now obtained from the
bittern or refuse at the salt wells OF Ohio
and West Virginia, and is used in medicine
and phOtography.-AsaW w. Slayton.
L more Is dnOt0tf Euiu tttutciltr Souic-
times it is noted. Gallium held in the
hand. melts and once melted will stay
fluid for long time, even if cooled. Sodium
and potassium both solid metals, when
alloyed together become fiuid.-Editor.
Answers. Third seriesJ
3. By the expressions SO penny, ""6 penny"
"8 penny" nails we mean nails whicn are,
respectively, II inches, 2 inches and q
inches in length.
tacks seem, also, to have reference to
size.-Wm. Haspham.
Penny is the Yankee Interpretation OF the
English nail makers brOgue of "puntS" or
punt, meaning pound, and it meant that
1000 nails, as made by hand century ago
and more, weighed about 3, o. or 8
pounds. Two or, o., OF. tackS, ETC.,
means that 600 of them weigh about so
many ounces.-Asa w. Slayton and o. A.
HeiSer.
8. The lunar cycle, or the cycle of the
moon, or golden number or metonlc cycle,
(so called from its inventor, Meton,) is a
period OF - years which, being completed,
the new and full moons return on the same
days of the month. The solar cycle, or
the cycle of the sun, is q period of Is years,
which, having elapsed, the dominical or
Sundays letters return to their former place
according to the Julian calendar.-H. t.
Matthews KinSman, O.
The solar cycle is a period of % years,
after which the same days of the week will
occur on the same days of the year, and
the dominical letters recur in the same
order. The lunar cycle is a period of 10
years, after which new and full moon recur
on the same days of the month as before
Asa w. SlaytOn and VIM. III. HaSpham.
L. The tropics are located % degrees %
minutes, nearly, from the equator, because
the axis OF the earth is inclined exactly so
much from line perpendicular to the plane
of the ecliptic or plane Of the earth'S
orbit.-ASa W. Slayton.
On June II the suns rays are perpen-
dicuar at places on a line 23H degrees
north of the equator. This line, after reach
ing which the suns rays appear to turn
south, is called the Tropic Of Cancer. 1t is
Summer in the north and Winter in the
south at this time. On Dec. II, the suns
rays are perpendicular at places on line
23H degrees south of the equator. This
line, after reaching which the suns rays
appear to turn north, is called the Tropic
Of Capricorn. 1t is then Summer in the
south and Winter in the nOrth.-Harry t.
Matthews and VIM. HaSpham.
5. The cause of the weather not being so
hot on the 20th of June as it is later is the
fact that the earth at that period Is not SO
much heated as it is when the Summer Is
farther advanced.-Wm. HaSpham.