Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-09-07

at lnt Pdtcnl OLCC ICNtaio thC
fact that inventive activity Is greatest
just now in processes for the .manufac-
ture Of acetylene and other Illuminating
gases, the motive being to discover meth
DDS Of producing Light cheaper than under
any of the existing processes. There Is
also great activity in the field of auto
motive devices. The great strides which
have been made lately in autovehicles OF
all descriptions seem to have wonderfully
stimulated inventive genius In that field.
In electricity the applications for pat
cnts are mainly for the perfection Of ma
chinery already in use and for the apply
cation Of principles that are already well
known to mechanical uses within some
what restricted limitations. Little inter-
est appears to be taken in storage bat
teries or in chemical electricity at this
time. Compressed air is not, as many
suppose, q new thing, and there is little
new to report in that field. Inventors
tried for a while to perfect safe pro-
ceeses for compressing acetylene. but
they have abandoned that idea on ac-
count of the prejudice against It,
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An interesting story comes from Indian
Territory regarding a United States court
there, Judge, attorney, clerk, sheriff and
marshal, with all necessary assistants
and paraphernalia, which travels from
place to place over the territory, holding
forth as occasion demands. This novel
institution is in the northern section OF
the territory, where the towns are few
and far apart, and where it is cheaper
for the court to go to the people than for
the people to go to the court. Much
money is saved the people each year by
the movable outfit. There is small
house on wheels, resembling a movers
wagon, in which the court travels, and in
which the court records are kept. Here,
also, in towns where there are no better
accommodations, court is held and justice
dispensed. With the court is a complete
cooking outfit, presided over by a first
class culinary artist, who sees to it that
the court does not want for food even If
1t does want for some of the other things
which are common in civilized communi-
ties.
The Masonic ceremonies which are to
take place at Alexandria and Mount
Vernon on the one hundredth anniver-
VI lhc Otuln VI otOl SC w dShihS
ton have practically been agreed upon.
The affair will open with the assembling
of the grand lodge of Virginia in Alex
andria on the evening Of Dec. 13. Early
the next morning the grand lodge, ac-
companied by various local lodges, in
cluding the one to which Washington be-
longed, No. 4, at Fredericksburg, will
proceed to Mount Vernon, where the
funeral services of Dec. Is, 1899, will be
duplicated as nearly as possible. Invi-
tations to prominent Masons in all parts
of the world are to be sent out, and it is
believed that the event will be the most
important the Masons in this country
have been connected with for a number
Of years.
The Department of Agriculture has es-
timated the food losses in Texas at seven
and q half million dollars, and says that
800 farms were submerged, with a total
acreage of 1,3S0,000. About half of this
area was under cultivation at the time
of the floods, $4,000 acres in cotton,
125,O00 in corn, 1000 acres in sugar
corn, and the rest in smaller crops. About
80 per cent of the loss came through the
uColA uNtiOh VI NiOPS, DuL w
stock, ETC., aggregated about $3.50. 900.
The loss to the land by washing and
gulleying is estimated at $3.50, 900, but
part of this is Offset by the increased fu-
ture productiveness resulting from allu-
vial deposits. The loss represents about
"a per capita in the food district, which
has a population of 100000, mostly ne
groes.
Postmaster Gordon Of Chicago will
have to go into his private purse to pay
for the handsome furniture he purchased
for use in his Office and that of his as
sistant. Mr.. Gordon purchased, among
other things, a desk for which he paid
$3.50 and a chair which cost $40. In ad-
dition to this some furniture for the
assistant postmaster was purchased at
rather high rate. When the account
was sent here for approval the officials
held that the prices were entirely too
high. The account was disellowed and
Mr.. Gordon will either have to pay for
the furniture out of his own pocket or
send 1t back to the manufacturers.
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After the recent improvements on
North Capitol street had been made it
was discovered that some Of the work
men had thoughtlessly made away with
the historic corner stone set in place by
George Washington at the time of the
original surveys to mark the northern
boundary Of the city. The stone cannot
be found, but committee of citizens has
been appointed to prepare a suitable pill
lar or tablet to mark the spot where the
stone stood for 30 many years.
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A new-style domestic money order has
been issued by the Postofice Department.
The new form Is somewhat smaller than
the one previously In use. It's dimensions
are about those of the ordinary bank
draft. The color of the order Is blue.
with a ground of very light blue. The
tints and the intricate lathe-work, Il is
said, will render counterfeiting very Diff
cult, but as an additional safeguard a
horizontal watermark, composed of the
initials u. 8. NJ. O., in broad capital let
ters is wrought into the paper on which
the new forms are printed.
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State Department officials decline In
the most emphatic manner to say what
Consul Bedloe's actions were which Of
Tended the Chinese and caused his sus-
pension, but say that the consurs Integ-
rity Is In no way involved. Assistant
Secretary Oridler said that the granting
of an American charter to the Abbe.
which Is now being held by Rear Ad-