The times., 1901-06-02

Charles Camille Saint-Saens was born
In Paris. France. October 8. 1875. As a
child he showed aptitude for music max
ing rapid progress under instruction. and
the Conservatory, getting the first prize
two years later. When sixteen he COM
posed mis- first symphony and two years
afterward became church organist. OPP
eras, eantatas. and symphonic pieces are
among his many compositions.
viii you describe the Russian thistle 50 I
viii know it, 2. What is gasoline made OF
It has much-branched spreading stem
and is very variable in size, often reach
ing a height of from four to six feet
1t bears alternate thread-shaped and awl-
long, and in the angle of leaf and stem are
tiny flowers 2 From crude petroleum,
in the process Of distilling kerosene
Did the Shakers originate in this eountry7 II
not. who wese the first Shakers here, and when
did they appear? S. C..
No; their start was made IN EnglaT.<.
about the middle of the eighteenth CEN
Society of Friends. Ann Lee. the first
Shaker leader in this country, came with
seven followers in INA. in response to an
alleged revelation Until her death ten
Natervleit, n. Y.
How is the nectariue related to the peach,
il at all2 9 How many exhibitors at the Paris
Exposition from this country, and how
many medals or prizes did they wing A A. R.
The nectarine sprung from the peach
by bud variation and by seeds, so really
is type Of peach 2. The exhibitors
grand prizes, 547 Of gold, 59s of silver. 511
of bronze. and honorable mention in S4S
cases. total of 2,2O4 awards
What s tba son-oa Of Iapolfna9 poao sfvin-
ping the cork from cork tree kilISthe tree2
3. i friend speaks Of her grandmothers sewing
machine as being in forty years ago; can
this be? L. L
The hydrous fat of sleeps wool. 2 No:
the cork is taken annually without
damage to the tree. 8. Yes; there were
more or less crude sewing machines sixty
years ago, and practically all the we'll
known makes of today had their begin
nings over forty years ago.
What is the method of curing furs? A-F.
As turned over to manufacturers, the
pelts usually have been merely stretched
and dried by the traDpers. or at most
have been treated on the flesh side with
alum. When not to be made uD at once
they are sprinkled with camphor, kept
from dampness ana are beaten every 1eW
weeks. In dressing them for making up,
they first are put in tubs with rancid but
ter and are trampled by mems bare feet
until soft and partly tanned Next the
moved by more tramDlinS in sawdust OF
some very hard wood. Lastly, there is
much beating and eombing of the fur
What is the copai Of varnish? 3 Is sugar cane
native Of Cuba or the Western World II so,
what was done for sugar before its discovery
Z. c.
A vegetable resin: several sorts Of
trees furnish L in varying qualities. z.
The sugar cane was a native OF India. II
is supposed. Columbus took IL 70 san
Domingo on his second voyage, and from
there its cuitvre spread TO Cuba Ihongn
the cane was known since long before
the Christian era, it was so little culti-
waited and contained. compared with the
present sorts, so little sugar, that oees
are to be classed as the world cnleI
until the beginning of the
fifteenth century
As 10 the outside car wheel curve slip
ping enough to make up the difference between
the lengths of inside and outside rail; the
wheel is made with the part next TO the
fange little larger than il Is at the ace, SO
when the hange is against the curve on the
outside the wheel on the inside is running on
part not SO large, as 1t IS near the mango
and does not slip. The moment straight track
IS struck the wheels adjust themselves TO IT
Am not eorrectY u. w H.
You are not. Wheels were once made
with a comic surface TO carry out your
idea but much oscillation and concussion
and now, except Tor an occS-
wheels are made with cylindrical tread
Coming is practiced more in Europe than
here.
Whom was the so-called American Congress
held. what States were parties TO 1t, and what
was done! -
It was summoned in accordance with an
act of our Congress passed in May, lSsS,
and met at Washington. October :, 1879.
DIt our Government gave the visiting DEL
egates a sight seeing trip, so s1tungS did
not begin until November Is, 1883 The
congress voted to recommend to the vari-
lus countries represented the adoption or
, uniform system of weights and meas
ires a common method OF legaliZing doc
iments and a uniform commercial coin
,ge Discussion was had without definite
,esIllts of the protection of copyright and
latent rights, an international bank, the
,doption of extradition treaties and the
natter of subsidies TO steamboat lines:
This country, Brazil, the Republics CT
CENTRAL and South America, San Domingo,
md Haiti were represented. To James @.
3laine, more than to anyone, was the
;athering due
viii you give the names Of the more success
nj inventions made BY women, also the names
# the inventors or information relative TO the
anne? d. A
Assistant Chief Alexander Scott. of the
Division of Drafting of the Patent Of
ice compiled in 1894 a list of the women
INVENTORS from 1890 to January l, 1895.
speaking OF Llle >sttu tndt the OD-
ects patented by women are OF Just as
practicable a nature as those got out by
men," but in naming a score or more pa
ents as evidence of this he did not touch
pon any widely known one, and we do
ot trace a list that answers you. The
rst woman inventor to take out patent
nder our laws was Mary Kies. for cor
ct, i'm 1915. Succeeding patents to women
sere for devices of very varied character,
ut of late culinary utensils. furniture,
and wearing apparel, cover
most of them
VIII you tell me something of the work and
OF the city sweatshops? G.. Il.
The typical sweatshUp of this country is
D the tailoring trade. though the system
t sub-contracting holds in other kinds OF
cigar-making, and the prepa-
nd artificial flowers. In England IL ap-
ears also in the fur. book. chain. and
all trades. In case Of .he typical sweat
hop the wholesale clothier supplies the
10th and often cuts and trims II IN his
wn shops. The goods is then farmed out
rice per garment. In a small room at
ached To his lodgings the work IS done.
[ wages fixed on a piece basis that often
ecessitates a work day OF sixteen or
lore hours for nominal days pay. Often
he profit of the sweater Is so small that
e works as long and as hIrd 10 his
mployes; again, his establishment IS ~
considerable size. Often the workshops
re sleeping rooms, the sweater lodging
is wOrkmen, and VERY often unsanitary
ages that prevail are due, in some de-
rec to the fact that much of the work is
one by women who are only auxiliary
Importers of the family. In the larger
wes tShops the conditions usually are bet
n than in the small ones, becoming more
Ike factory labor and less like a home in