The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-11-13
FACTS IN A FEW LINES.


year
This is the centenary year of the in
PRODUCTION Of the rifle into the British
army.
The South African war has complete
" destroyed the flour trade with the
Transvaal and the Orange River Colo
ny.
The manufacture Of glass. it is noted.
is one of the youngest industries in
Germany. but 1t already employs 400
factories and $4,000 workmeu
The Salvation Army received a gold
medal at the Paris exposition for its
American exhibit. showing It's methods
in retaining the fallen and outcast
Lightning has killed so many cattle
while they were standing near wire
fences that it is proposed to diminish
the danger by means of ground wires,
which will conduct the electricity into
the earth.
\ stranger In Salina, Kan. had the
local police hunt all one day TO recover
n $40 bill he claimed to have lost.
When the guilty man was located, the
officers learned that there are no SO
bills printed
New Nork'S costliest small building
will be the $4,000 laboratory, % by 30
feet, which the board of health is erect
ing for meteorological experiments 1t
is 10 be steel "bomhproof." with solid
asphalt walls.
a German syndicate has made ar
engagements whereby it secures all the
timber on a large strip Of land in the
mountains in eastern Kentucky. 1t is
estimated that the strip contains about
100000 Of the finest specimens of oak
trees.
glacier flows like any other river
Of water but at much slower rate.
The velocity of the Muir ice river has
been reckoned at 81 feet day for the
middle part of 1t, but this is thought
by some authorities to be an excessive
estimate.
1t is stated that the Duke OF York
has made the selection of the ribbon
which is TO be worn with the South
African war medal. The center Will he
yellow, with blue line on each side
and deep red margin. The ribbon has
been approved by the secretary of state
for war.
Florida. according to local papers, is
becoming one Of the great tobacco
growing states. and the product has
been pronounced in some respects equal
to that Of Cuba. Sumatra wrapper to-
bacco raised in Florida recently took
the prize at the Paris exposition over
the world.
The mlkado's palace is connected by
telephone with all the government Of
fees in the land The electric light has
been established there, and, to the i'm
mense satisfaction Of the Japanese
there are dynamos at work in the i'm
perial house that were made by Japa-
nese wOrkmen.
The village Of Sea Cliff, y. Y, has
unveiled a monument TO the only vol
unteer in the Spanish war. He was
John Henry Geoghegan, who enlisted
as a private in the Seventy-frst New
York regiment at the outbreak of hos
tilities and was killed in the fighting
around Santiago.
The battle of Pavia demonstrated the
suprlOrity of the gun in the hands Of
the Spanish infantry. The musket car
rled a two ounce ball and sometimes
brought down at one fire two or three
mailed knights. The French sent a flag
of truce to demonstrate against the use
of such barbarOus weapons
Glasgow is not so free from taxes as
most Americans believe. for the re-
ceipts from the numerous industrial
plants belonging to the city are not al
lowed by law to be used for the de-
crease of taxes, but must be used for
the improving and cheapenlng of the
article on which the profit was made.
Whale fishing is not extinct in the
United States. but It Is gradually and
slowly becoming so. From 1850 TO 1910
the annual product of the American
whale fisheries fell from 100000 bar
rels Of sperm oil to $1,000, Of whale oil
from 300 900 TO $1,000 and Of whale
bone from 100000 pounds to 100000.
There is a strong movement in Greece
in favor Of the Swiss military system
in place Of the German. The latter alb
serbs three entire years of the life of
young men, whereas the Swiss system
calls for only 100 days of drilling in
the first year and 20 days every second
year thereafter until the age of 81 is
reached.
The latest convenience added TO mod
ern life is found in England AT sew
eral balls recently a professional Golf
feur was in the dressing room to rear
range wilted locks. He had his whole
"batterie de toilette" big tongs. little
tongs and crimping irons of every de-
scripton, and not few ardent dancers
were glad to avail themselves Of his
services.
The new German code of civil law
defines the rights of husband as be-
ing supreme in most social affairs. He
may prescribe the hour for dinner. the
manner of serving it, the number Of
servants and may limit the quantity
of linen to be purchased in the year,
but he may not open his wife's letters
under any circumstances without her
permission.
There is every probability that early |
In next year the site of the Australian
federal capital will be decided and
plans for laying it out
Invited. The idea is that II should be |
one Of the finest cities of its kind in |
the world. enjoying a salubrOus eli
mate and possessing beautiful sur
Only the public buildings |
will be constructed at the cost of the
all others being left to
private enterprise.