The leader., 1900-01-17
FACTS IN A FEW LINES.

! 50G, 159 square miles. 1t is larger than
any country in Europe except Russia.
1t has been discovered that the bark
of the acacia tree, which will grow In
| almost any soil, is an excellent tanning
material
The navy yard at Charlestown. Mass.
is to have an immense water basin
where ships can connect with the
Fitchburg railway.
One of the rules Of the new geologic
al park established In New York is that
1 no visitors are permitted to take photo
graphic cameras into the grounds.
Austria is the country most lenient
! to murderers. In ten years over SOC
persons were found guilty Of murder
of whom only % were put to death.
! Inquiries for space are larger than
was expected by the management OF
the printing exposition to be held next
May and June in Grand Central palace
! New York.
Men are still 1ogged in the British
army. Recently Thomas Mcclellan, a
stoker on the cruiser Doris, was fog
/ ged at Slmonstown for the offense OF
malingering.
/ The last great war of the world, that
/ between Russia and Turkey, cost alto.
/ gether 100000, 900 and 1S0, 900 lives, OF
which Russia paid f133,0O0,000 and
10000 lives.
One of the three old ash trees which
mark the site of Lincumdoddie, on the
upper Tweed, Scotland, immortalized
In Burns willie Wastle," has beer
! destroyed by a storm.
| Several English companies engaged
/ in building automobiles have refused
/ to accept any further orders unless q
nine months contract delivery clause
Is inserted In the contract.
| There are 400,0OO,000 people In the
British empire. 1t is said that the
/ queen would have to live another &C
years to enable her to see them all pass
before her night and day for all thai
/ time.
A young Danish engineer has con
structed phonograph which will take
/ telephone messages. 1t Is much sim
pier than the Edison phonograph and
! instead of wax roller has steel banC
from which the message can be wiped
off after it has been delivered.
1t Is said of old curiosity shops In
general that nearly half the objects are
! spurious, expressly manufactured fol
sale. The ingenuity of the forger Of
antiques Is remarkable. Furniture
china, prints, bronzes, armor, ivory and
tapestry all are initiated successfully.
| The fastest cruiser in the world has
recently been completed for China
The new cruiser Is to be known as the
! Hal Tien, of 4, 400 tons, and under nat
ural draft will have a speed of 23.t
! knots per hour. At this rate she could
cross the Atlantic in about four and 8
half days.
An English society has improved Oh
the S. z. c. A. 1t calls itself the So
ciety of United Prayer For the Proven
/ tion of Cruelty to Animals and in a re
cent circular urges members to pray
that "the masters Of Eton college may
no longer countenance cruelty among
their pupils"
| The deposit of vapor and hoar frost
! on window panes is prevented by coat
! Ing the window with composition re
/ Gently patented by a Belgian, consist
/ ing of water glycerin, sugar and coma
rim, the resulting compound being
transparent and rendering the window
/ clear at all times.
American refrigerating machines
American pumping machinery, al
American dynamite plant, $50 miles OF
American railroad laid with American
rails on California redwood sleepers
the Yankee products to be seen at the
/ South African mines.
Krupp. the great German gunmaker
recently completed a number of paper
fieldpieces for the German infantry
| Their caliber is five centimeters, a lit
tie less than two inches, and the pieces
are so light that soldier can easily
carry one. Yet they are stronger thar
steel cannon of the same size.
In Russia a sentence not exceeding
one months arrest or payment up tc
100 rubleS will be imposed on those
who sell. prepare or store fax for com
mercial purposes which may contain
foreign matters, and a fine not exceed
! ing 100 rubles will be imposed on such
| as contravene the other rules and regu-
! lations.
/ The Militaer Zeitung states that there
/ are at present in America over O,0OC
men who fled to this country from
+ Austria Hungary to escape conscrip'
| ton and who should be in the Austria.
Hungarian army of reserves. On one
occasion at the mobilization of a body
of reserves only 1900 men out of 5000
appeared.
The portion of the state of Washing
ton west Of the summit Of the Cascade
range is covered with the heaviest con
tinuous belt Of forest growth in the
United States. This forest extends
over the slopes of the Cascade and
| coast ranges and occupies the entire
drift plain surrounding the waters oi
Puget sound.
Great Salt lake is receding on &C.
count of the excessive drain made up
on it by irrigation enterprises. This
lake is not fed by underground springs
but by the Jordan and other rivers. and
when the waters of these streams are
intercepted for Irrigation purposes the
water supply OF the Salt lake is oi
course diminished.