The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-25
NUBS OF KNOWLEDGE.

Chicago has contributed nearly 1000, ,OOO
50 far in war taxes.
The French death rate exceeds the
| BIRTH rate by nearly 10000 annually, and
there is no immigration to make up the
| deficiency.
Russia's Asiatic possessions are three
times the size of England's. but hold
| only 23,OO0OOO inhabitants, as compared
with England's 297,OOOO0O subjects.
In Kansas, since 1859. every year end
| ing with the fiugre Q has been a great
corn year, while every year ending with
a cipher has shown a failure of the corn
| crop.
| Successful experiments have been made
| in Paris with an automobile watering
cart, and 800 of these will be put in SER
vice. replacing 800 horsepower carts now
| in use.
The English promoter does not intend
to be outdone by his American brother.
and many Klondike companies have been
| formed with an aggregate capital of
many millions
| The official records of Kansas show
| that there are 81 counties in that state
where there is not a single bicycle. 1t
| follows without saying that in 81 of the
| 1O5 counties of Kansas the roads are
| practically unnt Tor travel.
The kissing bug was invented by
| band of Washington correspondents, to
| give them a sensation for the dull sea.
son. They even invented its alleged
scientific name. Entomologists say such
| ar insect does not exist
| In Manitoba there are 100000 acres
under crops, of which 100000 is wheat.
| Charles p. Jones and Charles Virgin,
two amateur divers of Astoria, ore.
have found $4,000 in the hulk of steam
er that was sunk off Portland more than
| 80 years ago.
A famous Chinese doctor asserts that
| the use of soft soled shoes by the Celes-
| tials is accountable for the fact that
| they seldom suffer from nervousness.
The hard soes worn by the Anglo-Sax-
ons are said to be the cause of their ex-
treme nervous temperament.
The X-ray besides being used as a de-
tcctive for living smugglers, is coming
| into play as a mummy illuminator and
| will prevent the Arabs from palming off
plebeian clay as the genuine, If not only
| daughter of the Pharoahs. but even the
amulets on the breast being plainly visi-
BILE
An examination Of a sample of roasted
| coffee berries" recently seized in Paris
showed them to be entirely artificial A
| chemical analysis disclosed the presence
| therein of ashes, gum, deXtrine, etc, and
the microscope showed grains OF wheat
starch, vegetable debris and animal
hairs The berries were beautifully
| nodded.
Some large English timbermen who
have been making tour through the
lumber regions of the United States were
struck with the enormous waste of tim
Der due to the stave industry, which
slaughtered the trees, taking only the
best without regard to other uses which
might be subserved by a more conserva-
tive method of operation.
A London capitalist has offered to con-
struct at Southend huge sea wall at a
cost of 100000 and asks in return per-
mission TO use the tidal force for working
a generating plant to supply London with
electricity. He guarantees there shall
never be less than three and one-half
feet of water on the beach: in fact, it
will be a huge marine lake
-Four agents of the Nashville, Chatta-
nooga and St. Louis railroad measure in
height respectively 6 feet 3 inches, feet
3 inches, 6 feet - inch, and feet 3l5
inches, and their aggregate weight is
lois pounds, They have been photo
graphed together, and would like to hear
from any other railroad that can furnish
a group of four their equals in feet and
pounds,
Fifteen cents seems to be a pretty
steep price to pay for one banana; yet
that Is the price charged at Boston for
bananas of the red color of the first
, quality, while those Of the second quality
are sold for five cents. The reason given
for the higher prices for the red bananas
} is that great damage was done to the
crops in Cuba by the war, and that the
banana output has suffered like every
thing else,
Army Doctor Barth, of Koeslin Ger
many, has discovered that singing pos
sesses health giving properties. 1t inten-
? SITES, he says, the respiratory move
ments, thus rendering the lungs capable
of dealing with more air This increases
and strengthens the action of all the or.
: gans Of the body, appetite and thirst in
, crease, and the more frequent movements
of the diaphragm and the wall of the
abdomen materially aid digestion.
Compared with the enormous capital OF
some of the English banks the largest
1 American institutions dwindle into In,
, significance. The National Provincial
Bank of England has $40 900 900; Bank OF
: England, S73 100000; London and West
D Minister Bank, $7OOO0OOO: London join
I Stock, and Lloyds, each 10000, 900; Unior
Bank of London, S55 0O0, 900; London ant
l'County Banking Company and Bank al
2 Liverpool, each S4O,OOOO 900, yet the salarie!
B Of American bank presidents range from
$4,000 to $4,000, while the president OF
the Bank of England receives but $4,000