The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-07

plateau one can be had for five or six
goats. One goat equals Is to 20 cents, there
fore one wife equals s1.20.
Mexican capitalists are about to erect
four or five large cotton factories in that
country. The principal ones will be at
Atotonilco, San Martin and Torreon.
In Paraguay cotton grows the whole year
round, and from one planting two crops are
produced. The plant, after 1t has borne, is
cut down, and from its root grows another
plant.
The treaty of peace between the United
as also have been the majority Of interna-
tional documents during the last two CEN
turtles.
In round numbers, the consumption of
iron and steel in the United States for the
current year will be more than 1880 tons.
or five times the amount Of salt used by
the country.
There are about 10000 postoffices In the
United States, of which 10000 are money
order offices. In 1897 these 10000 offices re-
ported 81, 000, 900 financial transactions and
handled over $780, 900.
The common house mouse, when 1t has
once been caught in a trap and escaped,
cannot be caught again by any trap ever
invented by man. Rats are less careful and
sometimes fall a second time.
The burning Of the brides playthings r.
part of the wedding ceremony Of Japan.
The bride lights torch, which she hands
to the bridegroom, who with 1t lights a fire
in which the toys are destroyed.
When ladies go to buy a dress in japan
they tell the shopkeeper their age, and IL
they are married or not, because there are
special designs for the single and double
relations of life. as well as for ages.
/. The Russian photographers have a
strange way of Furnishing those who, hav-
their bills. They hang the pictures of the
delinquents upside down at the entrance to
their studios.
There are 370O0,0Oo sheep In the United
States. Each annually averages six and a
half pounds Of wool. The total wool clip Is
therefore 600 pounds. When pulled,
secured and feeced these figures are re-
duced to ia, 600 pounds.
The value Of fish as a food Is just be-
ginning to be felt among the agricultural
classes. A well-stocked fish pond Is an in
expensive luxury and affords food that Is a
welcome relief from the usual pork or ba-
con that graces the farmers table.
A large Glasgow (Scotland) tea-chest
company has purchased ten thousand acres
of forest land in North Carolina, with sew
enty-five million feet of stumpage. to use
the lumber for veneering Of tea chests. A
factory to prepare 1t will be built at VIII
mington.
Artificial silks are made of wood fiber.
reduced to cellulose by the action OF acids
This is dissolved to a glue-like consistency,
out into threads which dry and harden In
the air just as those of the silkworm or
spider do.
Manufacturers Of structural iron say that
within q short time all the more costly
private houses, at least in the cities, Will
abandon wood, excepting for the most triv-
ial use. and will make use of structural iron
for the framework and the beams that
support the flooring.
Stoves Of the Bolivian Indians are curious
things. A hole is dug in the ground about
eighteen inches deep and foot square,
and over this is built roof OF clay, with
holes of different sizes to receive the vari-
Gus cooking pots Roasting Is done on spits
passed through the holes.
Near Deer Gulch, Wash, the leader of
1000 sheep jumped over precipice and the
remainder followed ii. The narrator says
that after 300 were killed, they made a
pile high enough for the others TO walk
over them and down the incline OF car
cases The dead were burned.
The holly tree is mentioned in the earliest
days of Rome. Pliny wrote OF one that
was standing In his time, and said to be
then ], 200 years old 1t is a tree that will
grow In almost any climate, situation or
soil Many of them in England and Scot
land grow to a height of forty feet.
More people over a hundred years old
are found in mild climates than. in the
higher ATTITUDES. According to the last
census of the German empire, Of a pop
ulation of 550O00 900 only seventy-eight have
passed the hundredth year. France with
a population Of 100000 has 2l3 centen-
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