The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-01-05
FACTS IN A FEW LINES.


catch on record-320, 400 Grams, valued
at over $1,5O0OO0.
Australians hold a worlds record in
tea consumption, drinking nearly eight
pounds head yearly.
Only one colored soldier wears tho
Victoria cross-Lance Sergeant Gordon
of the West Indian regiment.
The population Of Berlin will COM
plete its 100000 by the end Of 1902.
The present figure Is about 1,S43,00c.
A writer IN a Buffalo paper says that
hardly one person out Of % in that
city who claim TO waltz really knows
how"
Merchants In London are still sell
ing Boer relics, and, however little
their intrinsic value may be. they bring
high prices
The city Of Bern, Switzerland. Is
making the sOclalistic experiment Of
building free-or practically free
workshops for artisans.
Vermont continues to be a rural
state 1t is the only state In the north
that does not contain a city with
population Of $4,000 or more.
The growth OF grass that comes In a
long, mild, moderately rainy autumn IS
said to be far more nutritious for cattle
than the spring grass, 1t is richer.
Some Of the leading horsemen and
stock raisers Of Cedar Rapids, Ia, have
organized a movement for the purpose
OF giving a great stock and manufac-
turing exposition each year.
One-fourth Of the laborlng population
Of Colorado Is said 10 belong to labor
organizations. The State Federation
Of Labor claims that Colorado Is the
best organized state I'm the Union.
Only eight states have been uniform
" Republican In presidential years
since 1860 Maine, New Hampshire.
Vermont. Massachusetts. Rhode Island,
Pennsylvania, Iowa and Minnesota.
Fifty-dve carloads of coal are ship.
ned from Lehigh, |. T.. daily. The
town has also bought 5000 bales Of
cotton this season and expects to have
electric lights in 30 days. New coal
mines are being opened.
Among the black hunters n kanga-
roos in Western Australia are p wo-
men. II Is professional business,
and there are about 125 persons who
make II their regular business to hunt
and capture the animals.
Reports Of the organization of n
fanatical international society. whose
object IS to see that China will not be
divided among the powers and that
Korea shall remain Independent, have
been received at Moscow from Japan.
Rotterdam. from its favorable situa'
ton, has gradually pulled ahead Of Am
sterdam and Is now the most prosper
Gus harbOr In Holland. II has captur-
ed most Of the German trade and does
an immense business with the United
States.
A German engineer has rendered it
possible to use monograph Instead OF
a guide at exhibitions. Visitors to the
exhibition will only have TO call the at
tendant, who will put the roller con
tanning the description of the exhibit In
question into the photograph.
The Netherlanders stand In the fore
most rank as coffee drinkers, using $40
ounces n year to each lnhabitant. We
are but fourth on the coffee drinking
list, using 725,OOOOO0 pounds a year,
or 1876 ounces apiece. Russia. however,
allows but three ounces to each person.
The retired list Of the MasSachu
sets volunteer militia Is increasing
rapidly. There are on the list Mt
present 1 major general, brigadier
generals, II colonies, s lieutenant colo
nels, 90 majors, "a captains, 2 first
lleutenants and lieutenant command
ers.
A London plumber has arranged a
new system of burglar alarm by means
Of compressed air When the modern
Bill Skies opens a window or door,
the compressed air blows policeman's
whistle and lights an electric lamp to
act as a guide so that the man In blue
shall know where he Is wanted.
The largest and finest collection Of
meteorites on this side of the Atlantic
is the one In the Harvard Neurological
museum In Cambridge. Reckoning
European collections, 1t ranks about
fifth or sixth in the world. The British
museum has the best collection, and
the cabinets In Vienna and Paris rank
next.
Cats are having a bad time In Ger
many Just now. Ten thousand fur
lined greatcoats and as many each Of
fur gloves and CATERS have been or
dered for the troops In China, and pus
sy has to shed her skin for 1t all. For
every greatcoat II catskins are used,
two for each pair Of CATERS and one
for each pair Of gloves. Cats are go
ing up In the German market.
Cellulith is a substance produced by
a long and continuous beating of wood
pulp. 1t is transparent and elastic,
hardening slowly until II attalns the
consistency of horn. its specific gravity
being about As. The cellulith may be
worked as Is horn or ebonite. Com
bined with sawdust and 30 per cent
lampblack. the result is kind Of dark
ebonite. This is dense and may be pol
lshed.
The year 1899 was a record breaker
In Germany as regards strikes. No
fewer than 1927 strikes took place
against 9S5 during 1898. In the strikes
of 1899 the number of workmen partic-
ipating was 1OO,779, and lib estab-
Ilshments were involved. Nineteen
hundred and twenty-eight were obliged
to shut down completely, while the rest |
were able, at least partly, to continue
operations.