The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-15

money. Nor would he did he pay a great
deal more. A high grade ruby weighing a
carat-that is. about 80 grains-will retail
for 500 to 5000. fine diamond of the same
weight being obtainable for $50 to $1o0.
Oriental rubies, according to apologize jew
elers, are scarce, nearly as much so as
emeralds.
Would it be possible under any circum-
stances to throw water back into tank
through hose by reducing the end of the
hose to one-half or even one-quarter of
an inch diameter The tank in question
stands thirty feet at bottom from the ground
and is intended to attach hose at the ground
and then standing on the platform the tank
rests on, throw water back into the tank.
Can it be done?-R. u. e.
1t can be done with pressure on the water
in the tank. Lacking that, the water from
the pipe will not rise higher than the sur
face of the water in the tank, and once
the nozzle is lifted above the level of the
tanks contents the flow will cease,
Why was Dakota divided into North
and South Dakota? 2 What are the neces-
sary steps for a person to take in order to
become a collector of the census in his dis
trict?-Constant Reader.
The division was made in accordance with
the wish of the residents as expressed
through various conventions, the territory
being regarded as too large for a single
the establishment of the census bureau as
a permanent department. Until this is done,
or a superintendent of the twelfth census
is appointed, you can do nothing toward
securing an appointment as a collector.
Is there a state law in Indiana giving
honorably discharged soldiers the privilege
of peddling throughout the state without
other license?-J. c.. w.
There is no such law at present in In
diana, but a bill to grant the privilege
named has been introduced at this session
of the Legislature -
A correspondent is informed that the pos
tai laws allow fourth-class postmaster to
hold another position if it does not inter-
fere with the proper discharge of the duties
of the office. A state law defines a lucrative
office as one whose compensation is over $50.
This would seem to mean that a man hold
ing a postoffice the compensation of which
is $50 or less can hold a state, county or
township office.
In the late war with Spain, was an Aus
trian war ship in Cuban waters? If SO, what
was her name? Was she ever fired at by
an American war ship?
Yes: the cruiser Marie Teresa, command
ed by Captain Ripper. She was sighted at
a moment when the American boats had just
finished polishing off Cervera's squadron,
and was supposed to be another Spanish
craft. So the American vessels that APP
preached her bore down with men and guns
ready for fight, but the Austrian showed
her colors before she was freedom. Later she
took several boat loads of foreigners from
Santiago, including three consuls. This
was done after permission had been asked
of and given by Admiral Sampson. who then
was about to lombard the city.
l. How can 1 solder aluminium? 2 Where
@E j. K 0- ''i''90 'i'1' i"s''i - 9lee'9
l. With any one of several aluminium
soldiers each of which is composed of alum
mum and zinc. Proportions in use are:
Aluminium, parts; zinc, go parts; or u to So,
10 to IS and 20 to 80, the lesser part in each
instance being aluminium. In making the
solder the aluminium is melted first zinc
is added gradually. then some fat is intro
duced, and finally the metal is nodded.
This f1ux is recommended for the soldering
process, the soldering iron to be dipped into
1t: Copaiba balsam, 8; Venice turpentine,
1, and few drops of lemon juice. 2. Alum
inum is to be had of many dealers; almost
any dealer in metals would sell or put you
on the track of it.
Please name in their order ten Of the
2. What is the total number of miles of
railroads in the United States and the
world: 6 HOW many n 1n OF 5elegraph
ard in the world?-Sam Jones.
/. Pennsylvania, 1888 miles; Chicago &
Northwestern, 1871; Chicago Burlington &
Quincy, 1922; Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
1885, Southern Pacific, 6,7S3; Missouri Pa
cific, 5,325; Southern Railway, 5,236; Great
Northern. 1852; Illinois Central, 4,615; North
ern Pacific, 4,361 2. There are in the United
States 1857 miles, and in the world APT, 374
3. There are more than 100000 miles of
telegraph wires in the world, more than
half of it in this country The telephone
mileage for this country is close to coo, 900
miles. The mileage for the rest of the world
is not obtainable, but would not equal this
figure.
/. Which is the first day of the week?
2. What originally determined the length of
week?-Etta and Others.
/. Sunday is the first day of the week
2. Since the week dates back to the earliest
times and was in the calendars Of the Hin
dus, Assyrians. Persians and Egyptians, the
reason for its length is not positively known
but it is supposed to have been taken as
quarter of a month. The lunar MONTH
twenty-nine and a half days, approximately
was in all the old calendars but our week
was not, the Greek week being ten days
and the Roman eight days. Up to the time
of Christ the Jews were the only people to
give religious significance to the week. and
they had no names for it's days, merely
worshiping on the seventh day and calling
it Sabbath. With other nations the seventh
day was, at most, day of recreation.
What States have adopted state flowers?
e. S. II.
The most recent list we have gives these
as the flowers of the various States: Cali
fornia, California poppy; Colorado, column
bine; Delaware, peach blossoms Idaho,
syringa Indiana, corn; Iowa, wild rose;
Maine, pine cone and tassel: Michigan APP
pie blossom; Minnesota, moccasin flower;
Montana, bitter root; Nebraska, goldenrod;
Nevada, sunfower; New York, rose; North
Dakota and Oregon, goldenrod; Rhode
Island. violet; Utah, sego lily; Vermont, red
clover; Washington, rhododendron. Okla
homa Territory has the mistletoe. In most
cases these flowers are adopted by vote of
school children, though with Michigan it
was case of legislative enactment.
When and from what did Halloween
originate?-J. 7. u.
1t is the evening of All Saints day. which
originated in the seventh century when the
Pantheon at Rome became a place of Chris
tian worship. 1t was celebrated on May l,
but later was changed to Nov. l. On that
day it is the custom in some Roman Catholic
countries to visit burial places for devo-
tons or for placing flowers on graves This
practice holds in some parts of Louisiana.