The times., 1899-01-08

What IS the meaning Qt vanity FAR IN f1t-
grim's Progress? ;. b.
II was meant to stand for European So
ciety as it existed in the days of Charles
III.
What is the size Of the largest tree stump yet
found in Californian READER
The tallest tree of which we find record
measured s52 feet in height. The largest
in the Calaveras grove was. "a feet l.:
inches in diameter, and probably with the
bark would have been 81 feet in diameter.
Why do we gapc when sleepys Az.
Yawns are excited by improper aeratIon
of the blood. and are akin to the uneon-
scious. tired sigh. Both are evidence of
mental fatigue and sometimes are symp-
toms Of brain disease. There is nc reason
| to be worried over a ft of yawning. how
ever for often 1t is brought on merely
by sight Of someone else yawning.
What IS the difference between a minister and
ambassador j. T.. u.
An ambassador is one step higher. The
relative rank OF such representatives was
| laid down by the plenipotentiaries of eight
leading powers in the Congress Of Vienna.
as follows: First, ambassadors, legates or
nuncios: second. ENJOYS, ministers, or
| others credited to sovereigns: third resi-
dent ministers; fourth, charges d'affaires.
| These distinctions are not sharply drawn.
| We send and receive six ambassadors,
| Great Britain, Russia, Mexico, Germany,
France and Italy being thus distinguished.
Did the United States owe any money to the
British government before our civil war2 II so,
| how much2 3 Did foreigners nonresident. own
| land in the United States at that time? II 50,
how much? g. How much does our Government
owe the British government nowg 1. How
much land in this country IS owned by non-resi-
dentsl CoxFED
4
No. .. Very little. We find no estimate.
3. We owe s4i5,0 600. which the Behring Sea
| Arbitration Court awarded to Great Brit
ain as damages caused by our protection
of the seal fisheries. 4. We do not know.
Though some individual holdings are
large, the aggregate in comparison with
the total acreage is really small.
In the recent war did navy capture any
! Spanish waTshIFs; that Is. taAe any that
\ be again put 10 service? 3 We're all Of Ger
Tera's four biggest vessels rendered useless2
| u. H.
Yes, dozen of them; two captured in
| Cuban waters and now at the Ports
mouth, n. H.. navy yard being repaired.
| and ten taken by Dewey, seven of which
| already are in our service. the other
| three being fixed up at Hongkong. Four
| of these measure over 1000 tons each, and
all will be highly serviceable. 3 Prob
| ably; there is still talk of de-Hobsonizing
| tHt VI tutlu, DuI with tne captures lust
mentioned secure. cur Government is very
| likely to conclude that one of Cervera's
cruisers would prove too costly trophy.
Where and when was the first newspaper es-
| tablished2 LF
The Pekin, China, Gazette is said to
| date from the tenth century. but this is
mere matter of tradition than of proven
| fact. Authenticated early starts were for
/ the Frankfurter Journal. Frankfort on
| Main, Germany, 1915; Nieuwe Tyidenhsn,
| Antwerp, 1916; Weekly News, London,
| 1922, and Gazette de France, Paris, 1881
| The earliest attempt in this country was
in Boston, 1859 and 1890. Publick Occur
| rences, which was suppressed by the gov
| ernment. AT the outbreak of the Revolu-
tion there were q papers published in the
American Colonies Pennsylvania had 8.
| Massachusetts I. Connecticut and New
York each. Rhode Island ., and New
| Hampshire /.
! In what years were the half-cents coined?
They were coined from 1898 to 1791,
| both years inclusive; in 1893 and 1890 and
from 1902 TO 1911, these years inclusive:
then none were coined until 1925. In that
| year and in 1926, 1928 1879, 1881, 1883,
| to 1896 the coinage of half-cents contin-
| ued- From 1919 to 1851. with the excep-
| ticn of 1852, the coinage was resumed;
but since the last named year no half
cents have been struck. The total value
| OF the coinage was $50 99-6.11; the whole
| number OF pieces struck was 7.9S5,22e.
What is the difference between 'separatioH'
| and ''divorce:'' r. y ID.
\ divorce is an order of Il competent
court dissolving a marriage and Pacing
the parties to the decree as il they had
never been married. except that one Of
(, the parties may or may not be compelled
| TO pay certain sum or sums of money
| to the other party. \ separation is a
| limited divorce; it recognizes that the
parties cannot live together. and that it
is better for the public welfare that they
| should not; but it does not dissolve the
marriage. 1t gives alimony. perhaps;
but it does not terminate the wife's dow
er rights, as a divorce does. IL simply
| allows the parties to live apart with the
sanction OF the law.
When did the Prince of Wales visit the United
| StatesT ". 4. :.
| In 1860. He landed at ST. Johns. New
foundland. July "A; thereafter, his route
was as follows: Halifax. Ju'y 80; quebec.
August Is; Montreal, August 25; OTTAWA
| September /. He laid the foundation
stone of the Parliament Buildings at OF
| tawa On September > He left Canada on
| September 20. hunted for a week on the
/ prairies Of Illinois, not far frC,l Cnicago.
and visited Detroit. on October 3, he was
| in Washington; October in Phi adelphia,
| October Il in New York. October Il in
| Boston He sailed from Portland Ne, on
his return on October 20. but his ship had
bad luck. and did not reach Plymouth
until November 10, when the passengers
and crew had been put on half rations.
L. ". c.: II your oak table is really fine
| it is a job for only a practiced hand The
| spots affected by heat cannot be restored
| without removing the yarTiSh from the
! whole top repOlishing and reyarnishing-
". NJ. A.: The proposed alliance be-
I tween the United States and England is
not so far advanced that its effect upon cur
I tariff for its benefits in times of peace can
be told. With all the gush of diplomats,
| in which our own have had some share
much of the alliance" is still In John
/ Bulls eye. ID. d. w: Ocean steamships
/ condense sea water and use the fresh wa
ter thus obtained in their boilers. II. l..
I G.: Il am much obliged to you is custom
AIRY, by you never being used in this con
nection. Inquirer: The next leap year viii
be 1901. L. L. B.: Make application TO the
nearest United States court.
Please trace the troubles in Egypt. and say
/ how England became interested there y H. p
The modornzation of Egypt had been
ACCOMPLISHED by IShmail paSha khediVe