The leader., 1900-03-21
FACTS IN A FEW LINES.

New Zealands export Of gold was
81, 100000 greater in 1890 than in 1898.
The mineral resources of Venezuela
consist of great mines of iron, copper
and gold.
a statue of George Washington Is
erected in the public park in Caracas,
Venezuela.
Cards and dominos are the favorite
means for losing pennies by the Eng
lish soldiers.
From Costa Rica come the best and
largest bananas that are sold In the
American markets.
The last was the greatest year for
have had for n decade.
The president Of Switzerland only
gets s2,7OO a year, and the law for
bids him to succeed himself.
The lumber consumed In the United
States last year is estimated to aggre-
gate $500, 0OO, 900 cubic feet.
The New York postoffice did busi-
ness Of s143,2OO,OO0 In 1899. an In
crease of s per cent over 1893.
In Kaffirland cattle constitute the
chief currency. In old Russia skins
were used In buying and selling.
Nearly $500 residents of Minnesota
shared in 1890 In the tree planting
bounty, receiving $40 an acre.
A New York florist says that the lily
of the valley is poisonous. and its stem
should not be placed In the mouth.
One of the greatest borax deposits
In the world is in the mountains just
north of Daggett, In the Mohave des-
ert.
The burning mountain" of Montet,
In Aveyron, France, is a coal mine
which has been burning for several
years.
About 400 sets Of Christmas cards
that is to say, over 1000 new designs
are placed upon the market every year
by one firm.
The leading products Of southern
California are citrus fruits, dried
fruits. canned fruits and vegetables,
grain, beet sugar, gold and petroleum.
There were SO emigrants for every
1000 persons in Germany last year,
against 43 In 1897 and 232 in 1891.
Bremen and Hamburg furnished most
of these.
A project Is on foot to connect Ice
land with northern Europe by cable.
The Northern Telegraph company Of
Copenhagen has made a proposition
for contract.
A confederation of hotel proprietors
in Italy has sent petition to the gov
eminent asking for better protection
and encouragement of foreign travel
ers In the kingdom.
The board of education and the po-
lice department Of New York are the
two most expensive departments OF
the municipal government Collective
ly their maintenance costs $4,000. 900
a year.
Owing to the oversupply of potatoes
In New Zealand the farmers and otL-
ers who have stock have taken to
feeding them with potatoes. including
horses, cows and sheep. The potato
diet gives the horses sleek coats.
Both in British Columbia. and in
| Washington the more important POSI-
tons in the salmon canneries are filled
by whites, while the Chinese furnish
nearly all the labor, being rapid and
expert workers and content with mod.
crate wages.
A notable feature Of the present ap'
plications filed for appointment to the
New York police force Is the small
number of clerks among the candi
dates. There is a smaller number than
at any previous time in the history OF
the police department
New York's park commissioner L
issuing permits to automobile owners
to the number Of two or three q wetsk
Up to the present time only electric
carriages have been permitted to EN-
ter the park. as it is thought the 9aso'
line carriages are noisy.
A number of firms in the shopping
districts Of New York VIII shortly
present to the Manhattan Elevate'(
Railway company petition requesting
that company to adopt some measure
that will lessen the roar and din OF
trains passing on the elevated struc.
ture.
within the next five years Missouri
will startle the world" prophesies
State GeologSt Gallagher in a recent
interview. with the great amount OF
lead, zinc, copper. nickel cobalt and
coal mined in the state. Missouri II
rich in these minerals, the richest Of
any state In the country"
Vermont in maple sugar stands frs
in the Union, making nearly 2.000A)0
pounds annually. More butter per c. "
is made in Vermont than in any 9th, ,
state, more pounds of wool per shea
are clipped than in any other state
and more bushels of potatoes are rails
ed per acre than in any other state.
Second only to the French are the
Chinese when 1t comes to culinary
skill. and with simple materials they
will contrive to put together a meal
which would shame an ordinary Amer.
lean cook. In peasant families the
wife or daughter does the cooking, but
in all large establishments the cooks
are invariably men.
The North Carolina Pine association
composed of lumber manufacturers OF
Virginia and North Carolina, has de
cided to make an exhibit In the forestry
department Of the United States at thu
Paris exposition. The exhibit will In
clude hundreds OF specimens of dress
ed and undressed pine humber and will
be forwarded ON special ship.
There is an industrial awakening OBJ
servable at present in Ireland. Tht
passing Of the local government ac
has benefited 1t in many ways. and
as a result of its operations a syndi
cate is now in the course Of Formation
for the opening up and working Of
granite and slate quarries in certain
districts throughout the COUNTRY.