The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1900-08-16
MAIL BOX.

A>O' 1sIO. ~ SuA1Oo wac tSA
English gold coin, SO called from
having been originally coined of
gold brought from the Guinea
coast in 1868. Its value has
varied at different periods. At.
first it equaled twenty shillings, it
was in 1856 worth thirty shillings,
and in I'LL twenty shilling, be-
yond which price it was by an Act.
of Parliament in 1911 forbidden to
be sold, or exported. The issue of
the sovereign (181D virtually
abolished the coinage of the guinea.
No. 5O2O:-Insurance is a con-
tract under which one party,
called the insurer or assurer,,
agrees, in consideration of a sum
Of money called the premium, to
pay a larger sum of money to.
another party, called the insured
or assured, on the happening Of a
designated contingency. Insur-
ance has sometimes been said to be-
akin to gambling, but it is really
the converse. The gambler seeks,
excitement and gain by the artifc-
ial manufacture of hazardous spec
ulations. The prudent man re-
sorts to insurance in order to Sc
cure peace of mind and immunity
from the loss which might arise,
from contingencies beyond his
control. The gambler creates or
exaggerates risks; the insurance
Office equalizes them.
No. 3OO6:- The American bison
is interesting as the only living
species Of the OK family indigenous
to America, except the musk OK Of
the subarctic regions. It is COM
monty called buffalo by Americans,
but must be distinguished from
the true buffalo. The bison was
within recent times very abundant.
in America, especially in the
prairies beyond the Mississippi.
and from 60 degrees n. lat. to New
Mexico. Now it is nearly extinct,
"a result of hard winters, cattle
ranching, railways and immigra-
ton.
No. 4741:-As a process Of
mining and engineering blasting
is the method of loosening or
SCATTERING masses Of solid fractur-
able matter by means of explo-
sive compounds. It is an op-
GRAFTON of fundamental import
ance, for, without the agency
of powerful explosives, many Of,
the greatest undertakings Of
modern times would have been
practically impossible. The great
est blast ever exploded was in the
removal of Flood Rock at He'll
Gate, in the East River, New York,
when 80,166 cubic yards Of rock
were tunneled out and 270,717
cubic yards were blasted. The
resistance offered equalled 100000
tons of rock and 100000 tons Of
water
No. 469O:-Coupon is a term
signifying any billet, check or
other slip of paper cut off from it's
counterpart. It is, however, ap-
piled chiefly to dividend or in
terest warrant, which is presented
for payment by holders of bonds.
of indebtedness.
No. 355O:-A new substance
called valzin is now being manu-
featured in Berlin under patent,
and it is claimed to be two hum
dred times sweeter than sugar and
free from certain Objectionable
properties of saccharin.
No. 1885, Anthracite, called i'm
America hard coal, as opposed to-
bituminous or soft coal, has it's
largest fields in Pennsylvania. It,
has only small proportion Of the,
constituents of bitumen and con-
sists almost entirely of carbon. IT.
burns nearly without smell, smoke,
or fame and gives out an intense
heat.
No. 1474:-Rum is a kind Of
spirit made by fermenting and
distilling the Sweets that accrue,
in making sugar from cane-juice.