The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-02-07
FACTS IN A FEW LINES.

oNOSh AlOih nhipS NulNu blluS ~ AlOuh
the mountain lakes OF Norway.
st. Louis now claims to be n greater
literary center than Chicago, on the
ground that 1t has more writer's.
July Is a month of thunderstorms in
Hungary. Last July SO persons and
2S6 sheep were killed by lightning.
Nearly $4,000 tons Of corks are need
ed for the bottled beer and aerated wa
tiers consumed annually in Britain.
Oil for combustion is now supplied
to Los Angeles factories at 81 per bar
rel. About 100000 barrels month are
used.
There are 10000 islands between
Madagascar and India. SO far as
known at present only COO of them are
inhabited.
Eight million pounds worth Of fish
are landed at English ports every Il
months. This includes shellflsh. but
not salmon.
Up to 1880 France had only private
high schools for girls. Now there are
40 lyceums supported by the state and
2S by cities.
According TO Blanco's works on the
fora of the Philippines there are %
genera of palms, with 81 species. on
those islands.
A family Of five generations is now
living at Sunderland. the ages Of the
representatives Of each generation be-
ing respectively 80. 6S, 80. 30 and 10.
The Fayal mine, located at Eyeleth,
Mimi, has cleared shipments of trife
over 100000 gross tons of iron ore
for the season. This is the largest ship
ment in point Of tonnage ever made
by any mine In the world.
War vessels are more "tOnnable"
now than they were only n few years
ago. Nelson required one man for ev-
cry four tons of burden in his ships.
Modern machinery enables vessels Of
today to do with one man to every II
tons.
a London paper commenting on the
fact that upward of 100000 horses
had persisted in the South African war
up to date sees in this condition of
affairs a potent reason for the success
of the motor vehicle as a military adj
junct
The remnant of the once great Penob-
scot tribe of Indians now living on an
island near Oldtown, Me-, have their
own form of government. At their
recent election they chose a prohibit
zionist chief named Mitchell Attean
by vote of % to %.
Salmon skin is about the best water
proof material that can be worn. The
Eskimos use it for both boots and
shirts. Should it become the fashion
outside of the arctic regions, however,
the chances are that the expense would
be too great for general utilization.
A balloon fitted with automatic In
struments was sent up recently in
Paris and came down safely. The In
strument showed that it had risen to
$4,000 feet, or over 10l2 miles. At that
height the temperature outside the
balloon was 102 degrees below zero.
In the course of the demolition of the
gasometer in the old town gas works
at Mayence large bale of cloth, well
preserved, and a great number Of
French bayonets and chassepOt rifles
were found between the inner and out
er containers Of the gasometer. They
must have been there for at least 80
years.
The best collection Of Chinese coins
to be found outside of China has been
given to the Archaeological museum Of
the University Of Pennsylvania by
Rev. Z. W. living, Honolulu mission
airy. The collection goes back to time
over $500 years ago and includes those
odd early Chinese coins which were
made in the form of spades. razors,
keys, shirts and tools.
A dispatch to a London newspaper
from Rome says that the pope has or
dered that about 10000 old swords.
halberds. spears and battleaxes in the
Vatican armory be melted and the
iron sold. A furnace for the purpose
has been erected in the Vatican gar
dens. The weapons are useless ex-
cept as curios and cost great deal
TO keep them polished.
Western timber Is composed almost
entirely Of conifers. Forests of the
western coast probably are the densest
and heaviest on earth. They may be
compared with those of tropical re-
gions, such as the forests of the ANA
Eon and Kongo basins. While the jun
gle of the tropics may be denser, the
trees are by no means as large. nor do
they contain as much lumber.
Automobilism and the increasing
necessity for some form Of traction for
goods and passengers better suited to
cities than that furnished by the horse
have given another impetus to the
search for a storage battery that com-
bines ligbtness with high output and
enough mechanical and electrical
strength to insure long life. Nothing Is
more urgently needed, and nothing
seems further from attainment.
Modern Christmas customs are large
" Of pagan origin, partly Scandina-
Wan and partly ancient Roman, with
an admixture of early German and
Druidical suggestions. AT the old Ro-
man festival in honor of Saturn can
dies were lighted. wreaths and gar
lands were distributed, and gifts of
dolls were exchanged. 1t was a dis
reputable sort of celebration. but Is
now completely transformed. with the
greeting Of "Bona Saturnalla" convert
ed into merry Christmas"