The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-08-15
Some Things That Seem Strange.

Stick pin in the northeast corner of the
map of Texas draw string from the pin
to the most western corner of the map, then
swing the line to the north and you will
reach point in Lake Michigan above Chi
cago as far north as kenosha. Carry the
| line half circle to the east and you will
reach the Atlantic ocean east of Savannah,
! Ga.
A line drawn from the extreme southern
| corner to the northwestern corner, II turned
| southwark would reach across the Gulf of
| Mexico across the southern end OF the State
of Mexico into the State of Guatemala. III
| the same line were turned due west it would
| cross the State of Mexico the Gulf Of Cali
| fornia and about half way across Lower
| California. A line drawn across the map
| of the United States from north to south, in
| the CENTRE would come west OF San Fran
cisco about fifty miles. That cold country
| lying to the north of us dips as far south as
Providence, r. l., and the southern end OF
| Nova Scotia is about the same latitude as
Concord, N II. Halifax is the same lsti.
tude as Burlington Vt. 1t is about 800
miles from Montpelier to Halifax. Alaska
is as large as all the States east Of the Miss
issppi and north of Ohio, with 1900 miles of
| coast line. The Yukon is long enough to
reach from New York to San francisco.
1t has the only forest covered glacier in
the world and the highest mountain in
North America. 1 has the best yellow ce-
dar, the greatest seal fisheries, salmon fish
the largest river in the world, The Yukon
700 miles from its mouth is twenty miles
| wide; $50 miles from its mouth man
standing on the bank of the river cannot
see the other bank. 1t discharges one-third
more water than the Mississippi. The wa
ter is fresh fifteen miles from its mouth.
Its color is a beautiful blue to its junction
with the White river 100 miles from its
mouth.
Alaska runs 1900 miles west of Hawaii.
No laan t,Na
with two kinds of poisonous flies. No
snakes are found in Alaska. In central and
northern Alaska the ground is frozen to
depth Of 200 feet. Snowfall in the interior
is very light.
All climbing vines such as hop vines,
beans, morning glories, etc, always climb
the poles, or strings, one way from left to
right. A snake when undisturbed climbs
tree the same way, and water running down
through hole like for instance, through
sewer chimney, if undi4turbed by any cur
rent forms little whirlpool always one
way. In going through the woods men
turn one way, when going around trees or
rocks, and generally TO the left. So when
lost they travel in a circle and come around
to the place OF starting to the left.
In this latitude the sun never shines on
the north side OF tree, consequently 1t is
on the north side OF a tree the moss grows,
and it is the spruce and hemlocks and f.s
that send up little spire on the very top
most point which leans tritie to the east.
The first blood in the American Revolu-
ton was shed at Manchester, VI, March 10,
1875, thirty-six days earlier than that at
Lexington April 10, i775. The first British
flag lowered from any fortress was to Yer
monters at Tconderogs May TO- 1775 one
year and tifty-four day before the Declare
| of Independence and thirty-seven days be-
fore the battle Of Bunker Hill. Those COM
petent persons who took account of the Or
dinance, warlike stores, etc., taken at Ii
conderoga set the value at 10000 equal to
81 500 900. Vermont exceeds in area the
state OF Massachusetts by 1850 square miles,
enough to make thirty-four towns of thirty
six square miles each. In February, 1881,
Pizarro sailed from Panama to invade the
great empire Of Peru. The empire extended
above 1900 miles along the Pacific ocean.
He marched into the heart of the country
attended by his followers, consisting OF six
ty-two horsemen 1902 foot soldiers, OF whom
twenty were armed with Cross bows and
three with muskets
On the I'd of April, 1919 Cortes arrived at
, San Juan de Ulwa in Mexico. The poverty
, of the preparation was such as must aston
I ish the present age and bore no resem-
blance to an armament destined for the
l conquest OF great empire. The fleet con.
! sisted OF eleven vessels, the largest OF 1OC
l tons which was dignfied with the name oil
Admiral. Three OF seventy or eighty tons,
and the rest small open barks. On board
!, OF these were GIT men, Of which 508 belong
4 ed to the land service, and 100 were seamen
or artificers. AS the use OF firearms among
d the nations of Europe was hitherto confined
Q to a few battalions Of regular disciplined in
II fantry, only thirteen soldiers were armed
: with muskets, thirty-two were Cross bow
d men and the rest had swords and spears
l. They had only sixteen horses and ten small
. ield-pieces
It In 1926, only "a years after Columbus dis
d covered America. the Spaniards landed OF
the coast OF Peru. They beheld peopl,
g fully and decently clothed, a country full!
IL peopled and cultivated with an appearance
3 OF regular industry. The place OF landing
Il was distinguished for its stately temple an'
~ palace OF the Incas. While at the SAM
7. time the inhabitants of the eastern coast 0
North America were bowling savsges.
BY carefully examining where animal
have cropped the grass one may be able T.
decide whether animals having teeth oil
both upper and lower jaws like the hors
who always, in biting off grass, swing tn
10 head toward themselves, or like the bovine
Il. who always swing their heads from them
1t selves in feeding on grass.
r. Ia consequence OF repeated solicitation
from several towns in New York whic
It. bordered on Vermont to be taken into III
10 ion with this State, the Legislature OF We
IL mont had, on the 14th OF February, 178
C. laid jurisdictonal claim to all the land
le west OF her present territory, and east
d. Hudson river, to the head thereof, an
n thence east of a north line extending to TIL
a. forty.fifth degree OF north latitude, with I'll
ce promise that this jurisdiction should not
as exercised for the time being. But Vernon
to having now completed her eastern uniol
he once more turned her attention to that O
n. the west. On the 18th OF April, 1871,
committee was appointed by the dener