The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-02-15
FACTS IN A FEW LINES.

ne Lancet say tne Climate Oh BKypl
may without exaggeration be describ
ed as magnificent.
The rice eating Chlnaman could con-
sumo the present worlds crop Of wheat
and still go hungry.
Potatoes In Greenland are always
very small. Frequently they grow no
larger than marbles.
Siberia, opened by the Russians, may
yet be one Of the greatest wheat pro
duclng countries Of the world.
The grandson OF the first woman to
become n Christian In Zululand was re-
Gently ordained missionary.
st. Paul's cathedral is the most heav-
fly insured building In Great Britain.
1t Is insured for $4,000 In ten Offices.
While cents Is the lowest price at
which one can get shaved In New
York. the lowest price for a haircut is
cents.
The nonsectarlan Protestant Order Of
st. Christopher was recognized at Col
lege Point, n. Y. recently for Christian
work In the prisons.
The government buildings at Cara
cas-, Venezuela, are planned after the
structures at Washington. They are OF
wood, with rough stone steps.
While cutting timber in the forests
near Cromwell. Ky. lumbermen found
n bone in the heart OF n solid oak tree.
How 1t got there Is Il mystery.
Africa Ia the last OF the five great
continents to be opened up to modern
civilization. II lies at the doors OF Eu
rope and claims the oldest civilization
known.
A black lloncss has been added to the
collection OF animals in the Jardln des
Plantes in Paris Lions OF this color
are found only In the interior OF the Sa-
hnra and are scarce even there.
The constitution and laws OF VeneZu-
ella are based upon those OF the United
States The II provinces are represent
ed by senator's. and there Is repre-
sentative for every $1,000 people.
II Is claimed that improved construc-
ton OF vessels is doing away with sea
sickness Scientists claim that a few
generations hence seasIckness Will be-
come an extinct malady In ocean
travel.
South America has greater undevel-
oped resources than any other CONT
nent. Its soil can produce any crop
grown on the earth. and its mines Of
gold and silver and coal have been
scarcely touched.
The wealthy Russians are said to be
extremely profitable to hotel and shop
keepers A Swiss authority insists
that 200 Russians will spend more in
month than 1000 English men and
women for the same period OF time.
The Russian armored cruiser Gromo-
boy, built at ST. Petersburg, will carry
no less than o. guns OF all descriptions,
including four s inch, sixteen O inch,
twenty inch. twenty Founders and
four machine guns, all being quick
frers.
A revolution In bell making Is at
hand. They VIII be tubular. A tubular
bell Of 2N inches diameter and with a
range Of one mile weighs 1910 pounds,
while an old fashioned bell with the
same range would weigh 10000
pounds.
Germany has added pfennig
postage stamp to its new Issue for
1900. II is light gray In color. the de-
sign being the same as for the other
low value stamps, and will be used for
printed matter and postal cards In city
delivery.
In the census oil 1880 the last volume
was published In 1889. Congress stipu-
lates that the four principal reports Of
the coming enumeration-on popula-
ton. mortality, agriculture and manu-
factures-must be ready for publication
July l, 1902.
The most peculiar people Of India
are the Parsls Tor "Parsees," meaning
"Perslans'1, who feed their dead TO
the vultures upon the Towers Of 81
lence. They fed to India from Persia
when that land fell into the hands Of
tue ATdDS Il CeuluTleS hBO.
Brooklyn's postmaster is planning TO
use automobiles for the delivery Of
mail in that borough. IL the expert
ments are successful, the use Of the
trolley mall cars will be abandoned,
and probably smaller automobiles will
be used for collecting the mall.
The United States Military academy
at West Point was founded In 1902.
1t has graduated 1882 cadets. OF these
2,O10 are dead and 1882 living. There
are now In the army ION the active and
retired lists 1852 graduates; in civil
life, therefore, $50 living graduates.
To announce the arrival Of carrier
pigeons at the home nest a whistle has
been patented for attachment to the
bird, comprising a hollow ball Of light
material, with a clamp to secure II to
the tail feathers, an opening being cut
In the front to let air into the whistle.
Water reservoirs are automatically
kept at the proper level by new waste
gate, which is pivoted on either side of
the outlet, with a pocket attached to
the gate at right angles to be lifted
with the overflow, the weight Of the
water overbalanclng the gate and al
lowing II to open.
There are many birds In the Philip
pines, though few songsters. 1t has
been told how the martin was imported
Into the islands and royalty received by
the Spanish government They have
increased and multiplied, but they do
not sing. A few thrushes do sing, but
the MARBLE of the North American
songsters Is missing from the piping.
Many Of the women Of India. and es-
pecially those of Kashmir. are beauti-
full. In a typical Hindoo beauty the
skin is just dark enough to give rich,
soft appearance to the complexion. The
features are regular, the eyes mild and
black and shaded by long, silken lash
a.