Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1899-02-16
FACTS IN A FEW LINES.

The name Holland is an abbreviation
of Hollowland.
Afghanistan has a regular army Of
about 90, 006 zen.
There are only three structures in the
world 500 feet in height.
Korean paper is SO Gtrong and dense
that il can he used TO cover umbrellas.
Asparagus grows wild in the Russian
steppes in such abundance that it serves
as feed for cows.
Munich is increasing in population
very rapidly, having at the present time
430. 600 inhabitants.
The civil population of Gibraltar
amounts to 10, l00 10 which il to be
added garrison of about A, 600 men.
Tramway companies in Buenos Ayres
are not allowed to build any tracks ex-
cept such as can be used by ordinary ve-
hioles.
The Russians are enormous eaters,
| feeding about seven or eight times dur
ing the day. an average Of once every
two hours.
A prince" in Russia is as common
place as plain "Mr." in England or
the United States, and it denotes just
about as much social rank.
The wooden bicycle used by Blondin
in his famous ride across the Niagara
falls on rope is still In existence and
was sold in Paris not long ago for half
crown.
| An English writer, who for / 8 years
or more has been a student of criminal
anthropology, says that large. volumin-
Gus ears are the most marked character
istic of the criminal.
In New York cit there are more than
/, 100 churches, including all denomina-
tions. There are more than rs, 600 con-
gregations, about 400 of which hold
services in rented halls.
The whole of the blood in the body
passes through the heart in about 30
beats. In man of 70 years of age about
675, 92O tons of blood will have passed
through his heart during his life
"All is fair in love and war" is one
Of those proverbs TO which no author
ship can be assigned. In various forms
and language it is found in many
poems. 1t is cited in "Cbristy's Prov.
cribs" as of very ancient origin.
In the forests Of Guiana dwell some
very large and exceedingly ferocious
black ants, which throw up hills 10 and
20 feet in height. They will not hest
tate to attack man, and their headquar-
tiers are usually given wide berth.
A turban generally consists of from
10 to ID yards of cloth and is as rule
only worn by emaums (priests), those
who have made the badj or pilgrimage
to Mecca and among theological stu
dents; also by some eastern nations.
A matrimonial lottery takes place
four times year in Smolensk, Russia.
A young maiden is rallied for, 5000
tickets being issued. at / rouble each.
The money is given to the girl az her
dowry, and the holder of the lucky
ticket marries the girl.
Foreigners in Oh ina buy nearly every
thing on credit, giving signed "chits''
for every purchase, the reason being
their unwillingness to load themselves
down with silver or native coin, while
paper money fuctuates too much.
The most curious agency which hat
been inaugurated in Paris for some time
past is that for the supply of the four
tenth guest. Parisians, like some othel
people, have a superstitious objection
to dinner parties of -. The agency
supplies q fourteenth guest when de
sired.
In connection with Iii Hung Chang
mission-to inquire into the overflow o.
the great Yellow rivera Chinese mer
chant in Boston says that the stream
has always been Of its present color, ex
cept one day about 5000 years ago, OF
which occasion a great man was borI
and the river was perfectly clear.
The czars of Russia have been the ia
vorite game of the assassin. The noble
attacked Car Paul in 1901. Aleyande
III was attacked four times before h
was finally killed i'll 1851 by boml
thrown by man. who was himsel
tlled in st. Petersburg. Two attempt
we're also made on the life of the lat
car, Alexander Ill
IL Jerusalem was the birthplace o
Christianity, Antioch was the place o
baptism. Antioch was the greatest cit,
in the empire after Rome and Alexan
dria. 1t possessed-as was computed
some half million of inhabitants. |
was vast emporium of trade and com
merce, and ranked practically as th
metropolis of the east.
One Of the most beautiful sights il
the world is the annual migration 0
butterflies across the isthmus of Pana
ma. Toward the end of June few scat
tered specimens are discovered flittinI
out to sea, and as the days go by til,
| number increases until about July /.
OF 10 the sky is occasionally almos
obscured by myriads of these frail in
scots.
The best hotel in San Juan, Port
Rico, charges So day, but the sleepin
rooms all open into courts, have no out
side windows and are to the last ex
tremely hot. Under Spanish law, ii
towns where houses join no outsid
windows are allowed This is to avoi