The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-11

j. D.. Ii.
Use coal oil and water. or an Infusion OF
tobacco stems; put in s%prinkling can and
sprinkle the hogs. Clean and whitewash
your pens; burn all litter and rubbish.
How can I test vinegar for adulterating
acid?-J. +.
Put SOM of the vinegar in a dish in
which is some white sugar and evaporate
to complete dryhess by placing it on top of
a dish in which water is kept boiling. If
the sugar turns black il indicates the pres
ence of adulterant acid
Can you give me the author and the rest
of the lines OF the following verse:
1T was on the 18th of April,
Before the break Of day.
The guns of old Fort Moultrie
Gave echo for the fray"
/ think it is from the pen of a Southern
sympathizer.-L- NJ.
We have been unable to fn6the verses.
Please state the law in regard 10 the sale
of liquors in a township where a license
by the quart?-Constant Reader.
II a license to retail liquors is refused by
the county commissioners the intending
vendor can sell by the quart only after he
has procured a government license.
How can ink such as is used on backs of
playing cards, or a good substitute for II,
be made in red, green and blue?-Straw-
berry.
These are photographic inks. for which
there are many formulas. If you want TO
experiment use four parts of soap, twelve
parts of wax and four parts of tallow to
one part Of coloring matter. using carmine
for red. indigo for blue and a mixture of
blue and yellow for green.
Does an alien become a citizen when he
first takes his naturalization papers?-A.
F. r
An alien is not fully admitted to citizen
ship until he has resided continuously with
in the United States for five years and for
one year within the State or Territory
where he makes application. but in many
States he may vote after having filed his
intention of becoming a citizen and having
complied with the requirements of state
laws that are imposed on native voters.
What engagements of the war with Spain
and with the Philippines should be called
battles?-R- W. Nc.
The naval fights off Manila and Santiago
were battles and the land fighting at FL
Caney, San Juan Hill and possibly Las
Guasimas were outside the skirmish cate
CORY. In the Philippines most of the fight
ing has been of the skirmish or bushwhack-
ing order, though some Of the meetings be-
fore Manila and Malolos would have re-
suited in battles except for the rebels fleet
ness of foot.
Why was brass discarded in the manufac-
ture OF large guns? 2. How can brass be
melted without a regular blast? Will acid
do 1t? 3. What country furnishes the larg-
est amount of silk?-J. S. j.
Because 1t had not strength enough to
Withstand large charges of high explosives.
2. Nitric acid will dissolve it, but the only
way TO melt IL is to heat it. and many
hundred degrees of heat are needed. 3.
China; between them China and Japan fur
nish more than half of the worlds supply.
Kindly give me a few biographical facts
relating TO Lew Wallace.-T. B.
Lewis Wallace was born at Brookville,
Ind. April 10. 1877, was a lieutenant in the
Mexican war, afterward became a lawyer
and practiced until 1861, when he became
adjutant general of Indiana. Later he was
colonel of the Eleventh Indiana and was
successfully brigadier and major general of
volunteers. He was on the commissions that
tried Captain Wirz n the assassins of
President Lincoln. Later he held several
positions in the government service, and
when not thus engaged devoted himself to
law and literature.
1 have a valuable book that has been de-
faced on the margin with writing fluid. Can
the stains be removed? If so, describe the
processes. 3. j.
1t Is more than likely that these stains
cannot be removed. but it will be worth
while to experiment on very small spots
with one or all of the following ink erasers:
Mix equal parts of oxalic acid and tartaric
acid in powder. To use. dissolve a little of
this in water. dampen a blotting paper with
1t and apply to the stain. Oxalic and cit
rio acids may be similarly used, and so
may cream tartar and citric acid. The first
Of these mixtures is poisonous.
Please state briefly the different kinds of
courts held in the United States, state and
federal. the duties of each and their off,
cers?-O. J. L.
The most important of the United States
courts are the district courts, cir
cult courts, circuit courts of ap-
peals, the Court of Claims and the
Supreme Court. The judicial systems of the
various States are very diverse, agreeing
only in having several classiications of tri-
bunals. So your order is too large for a
filling here, or even from a good encyclo-
| pedia, though from the latter you can get
a good idea of the United States courts.
Reference TO state constitutions and stat
utes will be necessary to get the points on
state courts.
Does a letter carrier have to pass a civil
service examination? 2. Can he be under
twenty-one? 3. What salary does he re-
ceive? 4. Where can / obtain information
in regard 10 the civil-service examina-
tions?-Ro.
Yes. 2. No. 3. He Is first appointed as a
substitute carrier, which he may retain for
several months or several years. While he
remains a substitute he receives 81 a year
and pay for what he actually does at the
rate the man whose place he takes would
receive. As a regular carrier receives $500
for his first year, $500 for his second year
and $1,000 yearly thereafter, the substitute
may be paid at any of those rates, and he
may lose considerable time. 4. OF the civil
service board of the district where you
wish to serve.
Why is the year 1900 not a leap year,
J.. p,
According to the Gregorian calendar every
fourth year is a leap year except such years
as complete centuries and whose numbers
after suppressing the two ciphers, are not
Invisible by four. Thus the years 100 and
1900 were not leap years. and 1900 will not
be. The year 200. being Invisible by four.
will be a leap year. This calculation is
made to provide for the fragment of time
left after dividing the year into 500 days.
1t amounts to slightly less than twenty
four hours in four years, but by emitting