The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-05-24
FACTS IN A FEW LINES.

sembling horn in appearance, is now
manufactured under the name Of mar
lOid.
The marriage rate Of Queensland,
Australia, has been steadily declining
from 14.5 per 1000 in 1868 TO 6.3 per
1000 in 1898.
A contract made over the telephone
is legal and binding. according &c a de-
cision recently rendered in a Pennsyl-
vania lawsuit.
South Africa is Of volcanic origin,
and the land In the vicinity of Kimber-
ley Is so sulphurous that even ants can
not exist upon it.
A bill to legalize marriage with a
deceased wife's sister was read recent
" for the first time In the house o.
keys, Isle Of Man.
Flexible shafting has been put TO a
new use. II is arranged so as to be
attached to a source Of motive power
for tree trimming.
The directors of the Brooklyn Public
library have started movement for
the establishment of a central library
to cost over $1,500,000.
In the city OF Bremen a tax is laid
on all incomes over $3.50 year. 1t is
now proposed to raise the limit to in
comes Of over $225 a year.
Ladysmith received daily during the
siege a dose of three tons Of BOer ex-
plosives, 1900 shells being thrown in
to the town before relief came.
Steam carriages cannot as yet run
freely In Paris. Application has to be
made to the minister Of public works
for permission to run such carriages.
The net earnings Of the water de-
partment at Cleveland last year were
$518,477. The volume of water pump
ed and distributed was 22,525, 239, 600
| gallons.
1t is suggested that a statue be erect
ed in Trafalgar square on a vacant ped
estal in the northwest corner 10 COM
memorate Lord Roberts services to the
empire.
1t Is estimated that Of the 555, 900
feet cut of logs in the Maine forests the
present season, 225,0O0,OOO feet will be
sent to the pulp mills instead of the
sawmills.
Oregon has three forest reserves-the
Cascade range reserve, area 4,492, 800
acres; the Bull Run, area 142,0S0 acres,
and the Ashland, area 1850 acres, or
an aggregate area Of 4,653, 40 acres.
There has not been an execution in
the navy since 1S49, and II is striking
fact that Of the numerous soldiers sen
fenced to death for military offenses
during the war with Spain not one was
executed.
In the canton Of Zurich, with popu-
lation of $4,000, the average annual
number Of deaths is 6,154, 4,043 Of
which refer to people over % years of
age. or this latter number 1913 per
cent, or 442 per year, are due to cancer.
Last year the death rate In the City
OF Mexico was nearly "A per 1000. or
about the same as that of Bombay. 1t
is expected that the opening Of a new
drainage system, which is to take place
soon, will cut down the death rate one
half.
The worst bush fires experienced in
Australia for 90 years have devastated
the Warrambool district, In Victoria.
A million acres of grass was destroy
ed, and 10000 sheep. besides hundreds
OF cattle, persisted. The damage is esti-
mated at 100000.
Rice forms the principal industry Of
Siam. There are 20 steam rice mills in
Bangkok, and although the first one in
the country was started by an Ameri-
can Of these mills today four are Euro
pean, and all the rest are owned or
managed by Chinese.
The English startling has been
brought to New York and is domesti-
eating itself rapidly. Although intro
duced only year or two ago, 1t has In
creased considerably in numbers, and
in many of the up town streets its mu-
steal piping can be heard.
OF 33 bishops of the Church of Eng
land are sons Of temporal peers, Of
bishops, II Of clergymen, 3 of lawyers,
Of doctor. of bankers, of country
squires, of a tradesman, OF farmers
and 2, the archbishops of Canterbury
and York, of army officers.
1t is said that 81 automobile wagons
have been specially built In Paris for
inland service In Africa. They will be
used In the Kongo Free State to trans
port freight and passengers from the
present terminus Of railroad at Ba-
dunbe to the upper and lower Niger.
There is a society with over 300
members in Riga, Russia, each Of
whom pays 3 rubles every time child
is born to one of the other members,
while the one who has the child gets
from 300 to $50 rubles, according to
the number Of payments he has made.
Intense heat has visited the southern
hemisphere. Recently the thermometer
registered 100 degrees Il. in the shade
nearly all day at Buenos Ayres. There
were 102 cases of sunstroke, Of which
50 were fatal, and the next day there
were 219 cases, Of which 134 were
fatal.
Along the docks and piers Of New
York city are to be found ample evil
dences Of the great growth Of our for
elgn trade. Ships are loading there
for ports In every quarter Of the world
and 50 rapidly are the goods being de-
livered that the facilities for handling
them are severely taxed.
An Epidemic Of whocping Cough.
Last winter during an epidemic Of
whooping cough my children contracted
the disease, having severe coughing
er,alla We hed uaa6 Ohafnbeflafn' a