The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-11-23
FACTS IN FEW LINES


t. commence operations In London.
Steam dredges costing S25O000 ar,
being INTRODUCED in Alaskan gold 70
fons.
Vast forests Of rich yellow and sug
ar pine are being opened mp In eastern
Washington.
The first fire engine used In thi'
country was brought from England tC
New York IN 1881.
To commend anarchist crime In n
public place is n punishable ofrensf
according to French law.
The New Zealand government j.
raising the wages OF It's railway EN-
ployees 10 the extent OF 100000.
The Belgian government Is drawing
up bill providing for the total sup
preston Of Sunday newspapers.
The assessed valuation Of the state
Of Idaho has increased $4,G49,5S0 in a
single year. and the total now Is
So. 19j. 1856.
The government agricultural experts
are hard at work trying to evolve an
orange tree that Will prosper under
cold weather.
The Ink Of the Greeks and Romans
was merely lampblack mingled with
gum I'm the proportion OF three parts OF
the former TO one OF the latter.
Dundee. Scotland. has started an
electric street sweeper and watering
machine. II Is worked by trolley
nrm which runs on the tramway wire.
Coffee merchants figure out II worlds
supply Of coffee this year Of 24,OOO,OOO
bags. with demand for only 1900
O0O bags. and they do not know what
70 do
Sweden spends $i5.OOO00 a year In
coal and has 100000 to 100000 cleo
trical horsepower going TO waste. The
government Is thinking about utilizing
some Of II.
Californlas state flower Is the golden
POPPY. and one Of the professors OF
Stanford university has published a
book devoted exclusively TO the flower
aud ts legendary history.
The skin OF the musk OK. which II q
dcnizen of the Barren Grounds and
the arctic region OF Canada. has taken
the place Of that OF the extinct bur
falo for sleigh robes. II varies In price
from $50 10 as low as 81 for poor ar
uclc.
The industrial depression In Germany
is reaching serious proportions. EN-
plOymcnt agencies are deluged with ap
plicants. From the mining regions
come reports OF numerous dismissals
and reduced work The same Is true
in iron aud steel work.
Gigantic water power Developments
are projected In the Alps. There are
now in the French Alps fOrty-eIght fac
tories supplied by 100000 horsepower
electrically generated. Engineers est
mate that 3.0OO.OOO horsepower is now
running TO waste in the Alps.
The royal library at Windsor castle
Is about TO be enlarged by the inclusion
Of room adjoining hitherto used by
the lord in waiting. This will enable
many thousands more volumes TO be
added to the hundred thousand valu-
able works now on the shelves.
SO great has become the demand for
American coal in Europe that II has
been decided to build an immense re-
celving station for unloading, screening
and grading coal In northern France.
Rates have been made on French roads
which will drive German coal out OF
central Europe.
DR.. Bizarre Of Corr has published a
pamphlet In which he tries 10 prove
that the Adriatc has for more than a
thousand years been rising and en-
croaching on its shores. The lowest
parts Of Triest are experiencing trou'
bic already, and In course Of time Ven
ice will he buried in the mud Of the Ia
COON
II is reported from the City OF Mex
leo that Senior Sabine Osuna has in
vented an ingenious and yet seemingly
very simple affair styled the "COntador
Rapldo Slglo Xxx" twentieth century
rapid calculator. The apparatus. which
resembles the ancient Chinese counting
machine. is for the purpose Of rapid
computation
New York state has more cows than
PENNSYLVANIA and New Jersey COM
bined and more than any other one
state in the Union, Iowa being second.
Illinois third and Wisconsin fourth.
The entire number OF cows In the states
and territories in the exact census fig
ures is 1920, 300. with a total valua-
ton Of S5l4.8l2. LOG.
The beaver. the staple fur or the
French regime. Is now becoming scarce
end its price varies greatly according
10 fashion. Even the skin OF the In
offensive rabbit has now positive
market value rs il Ii dressed. clipped
and dyed deep brown. almost black.
and then becomes what Is called cleo
trio seal" much In vogue for ladies'
jackets.
The trees now growing on the farm
near Franklin. y. H.. where Daniel
Webster was born are to be cut up
into friction matches. manufacturing
company having paid 1880 for the
standing timber upon IT, The legisla-
ture Of New Hampshire refused at its
last session to pay $4,000 for the en-
tire farm, though many patriotic citi-
Gems Of the state petitloned TO have 1t
preserved as n perpetual memorial OF
New Hampshire's great son.
An exciting scene was witnessed IN
the Romita ring during bullfght on
bicycles. Two OF the chulos placed the
banderill6s, or short stabbing sticks.
into the necks of the bulls. When the
second bull entered the ring, Jose Ba'
surto. maneuvering his bicycle clever
". placed the sticks with great daring.
while his comrade coolly sat on his
wheel, which was prepped to stand
upright in the ring. Luckily the bull
La