The evening times., 1899-12-02
NOTES OF THE DAY.

Temperance has been promoted In the French
army by controlling the canteen and substituting
coffee, tea, and cocoa for intoxicating drinks-
During the past spring season not less than
through the efforts Of the Tree Planting Associa-
tion.
At the great Ecumenical missionary meeting
to be held in New York. which is to commence
its sttings on April q, 1900 about 5000 delegates
are expected.
The ancient city of Frankfort is preparing to
celebrate in style Of considerable magnifcence
the one hundred and hftieth anniversary OF the
birth Of Goethe.
The new International Code OF Signals will
shortly be issued. Embodied therein will be
system OF night signaling at sea based upon the
Morse principles.
The demand for laborers throughout all Sec
tions Of the West continues TO be greatly in ex-
cess of the supply. in spite Of the fact that the
winter season Is coming on
The worlds record for the production Of steel
rails by one plant in twenty-four hours was
beaten by the South Chicago mills on October
25, when they turned out 2.609 tons.
Having several pairs of shoes and changing
them daily regularly at longer intervals, will
enable the quite frequently 10 avoid corns.
even after they show signs Of formation
A fire exiingusher which may easily be made
and kept stored in bottles ready for use consists
OF three pounds Of salt and one and one-haK
water.
The cost OF moblizing 81, 900 English soldiers,
transferring them 6,00O miles, equipping them
and maintaining them for four months in a land
destitute OF surplus supplies, is estimated at
ES, 100000.
America sells nearly three times as much -
she buys; Germany buys over e50,0o0.0oO worth
more every year than she sells; while Great
Britain last year actually bought twice as much
as she sold
In 1898 Roumania produced 10000 tons of raw
petroleum. and it is believed that the output Of
the present year has exceeded this. The price
of Roumanian raw petroleum is only about $40
wagon OF ten tons.
The Transvaal campaign is the first in which
bicycles have been used by British regulars In
the Transvaal and Free State there are many good
worn tracks, but on the Natal border the country
Is too hilly for cyclists.
1t is pretty fashion TO give the first boy Of
the family his mothers surname for a Christian
name. II the name is not TOO masculine il may
often serve for a girls first name in a family
where there are no boys
marked peculiarly of the Boer's clothes is
that they never fit, according to modern ideas,
and apparently attempt is made to make them
do So This peculsrity is noticeable in aIInost
all the Photographic portraits of most Boers.
The hesviess rainialls 80 far observed with
scientific accuracy occur in India. At Cherrapunji
in the Khasi Hills in Assam the mean annual
precipitation IL 39 feet inches. at Debundia, 30
feet 10 inches and at Bibundi "a feet inches
One method adopted by the Irish Dairy Asso-
eiaton to maintain their reputation is to arrange
surprise competitions. Samples are obtained
quietly at local markets and are then secretly
tested, prizes being awarded for the best speci-
mems
A Bradford England lady has hit upon new
and wonderful machine for sheep shesring A
kind of blade is made red hot by electricity and
this being pushed along mOws down the wool. the
operation being quick that neither the wool
nor skin is injured.
The proposal to bring sea water to London il
taking definite shape. The channel will be
tapped at Lancing. and the sea water will be
pumped TO level OF 500 feet at the top Of
Steyning Hill. IL will then fow by gravitatioe
through main aqueduct 10 London
Although in the United States no rank superior
to major general exists. there is no dearth Of
lieutenant generals in the English army There
are 50 many OF them in South Africa at tho
present time that some not commanding many
more troops than in this country go at present
to make up a brigade
The average Boer. it is asserted. does not un-
dress when he retires to rest: consequently his
whole attire is of the frowziest. He is untrirn-
med. unwashed, and unbrILshed and his skin and
clothes are of the same hue in close affinity
to the ground and hence the appropriateness OF
the name, ''Son OF Toll
Queen Victoria has commanded that osprey
plumes shall no longer be worn in the army, but
that the plumes for officers of hussar regiments.
the Royal Horse Artillery. and rifle regiments
shall be made from ostrich feathers. which viii.
however approximate closely a. possible TO
the osprey pluIres now IN Use.
The Uses of the metric system OF weights and
measures by pharmacists in the United States
is increasing, and it was found recently that Of
!. eos 500 prescriptions examined per cent en-
sidered formed the returns from apothecaries in
ortytwo different States, and il is stated by the
in all the American colleges OF pharmacy, but in
only few of the medical schools.
Major Ronald Ross, who has been studying the
causes of malaria in Sierra Leone, has all hut
completed his Investigations, and has come 10 the
conclusion that the malarial fever in that locality
coud he got nd of by little activity on the
part Of the authorities. The researches that
nave been made prove that the local species OF
Anopheles (moequitoes) carry malaria, and that
these insects breed in a few slagnant pudd.es-
The truly malarial fever. according TO Major Ross.
S caused in this place solely by the mosquito.
Arcola. H., with a population of $500, is prid-
ng itself the fact that within twenty-one
lays. ending October 81, its two banks handled
business amounting in the aggregate to SS,054,-
90. vi this total the of sl,i0o.oo0 in cash
vas paid out by broomcorn buyers. The price OF
he corn at the beginning Of the season was $50
ton Later it lose until 500 a ton was paid.
md in few instances larger prices were
secured. With land renting at - acre. the
lverage cost OF raising ton Of broomcorn Is said
o be SIS.
material for electrical resistance has re-
entity been devised, which is believed TO be
uperior to the platinum alloys so extensively
lsed, which are not altogether satisfactory. ow-
ng to their actual resistance. The new resistance
Material is made by mo.d ding Cay containing
y per cent TO 10 per cent of Platinum into
,enciis and then heating about l, ,25o degrees
IL reducing atmosphere. In this way piari-
lum silicon alloy is formed which serves Is
CONDUCTOR The material can be used up to red
ieat. and as the temperature rises the resistance
Increases until a certain point is reached. when
{ begins to fall owing IL Is suggested, to tho
orInation of more OF the platinum silicon alloy.
The following objections TO the Nernst lamp
ire made by correspondent of Industries and
ron." and are worthy of consideration: There
5 no automatic heating arrangement 10 the small
'ower lamps. and they each require about eight
.cOnds Of artificial b. ating before they can be
,rought to incandescence; there are a. vet no
amps of small candle power; each amp has
hree wires. their connection to exis,in. stand
rdS is not convenient; there have been 10 prac-
ieal tests Of the lite of the lamp outside # the
laboratory; there are as yet no lamp. Of this
esign in commercial us; there Is dsnSaf that
he Nernst patent cannot be held valid. owing to
he same principle being involved in the J4b,och-
of candle.
On the Trans-Siberian Railway transfer steam
r will be employed at Lake Baikal, and is being
ompleted that it may be used next summer.