The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-01
NOTED BY GERRY"
A Fine Collection Of Interesting and
Profitable News Notes
H. From All Over.
The Lightning Rod Called In-Eng
lish Engineers Take to Amer
lean Electric Ideas.

ish Engineers Take to Amer
lean Electric Ideas.
Fre,s The e. gosr.ss Bureau. Roo"' Is. Posi-
Washington, Sept, 1.-Several months
ago party Of English railroad men came
to the United States to study American
methods of railroading. The Englishmen
were the chief engineers, and managers
OF the Northeastern Railroad of England.
They were seeking some solution of the
great congestion Of traffic at their prin-
| cipal station at Newcastle on-Tyne. AS
a result of the American tour it is learned
that they have decided to substitute cleo
tricity as a motive power for all the enor-
nous suburban service operated by the
| road. The third rail system will be used,
| the American electric concerns have been
| invited to submit bids.
! The Machine Still Going.
| Out in California the republicans are
pretty we'll ripped up over the guberna-
tor1al campaign. The head machine can
| dldate for the nomination, Mr.. Gage, was
defeated, but Mr.. Pardee, who was NOM
mated, is also a machine man and quite
as offensive to the people who fought
Gage as Gage himself It is simply fight
against the machine. The best judges do
not think the fight has reached a point
where the success Of the party is menaced.
\ The state has a very comfortable repub-
l1can majority. At the last presidential
election McKinley's majority was about
100000, which was more than double the
majority in 1896. This will be cut down
In the election Of governor; but, unless the
democrats put up a. very strong man, and
develop unusual strength Pardee will be
elected.
More Platinum Needed.
There is one metal whose production Is
always short Of the demand. This is
platinum. Nearly all OF it comes from
Russia, and the annual world production
is about $4,000 ounces. South America
produces about 10000 ounces, and the
l United States, from mines in Shasta
county, California, about 1,400 ounces. 1t
Is worth s21 an ounce.
Black Diamonds Wanted.
The only place in the world where that
form OF carbon known as the black dia-
mond. or bort, Is found in marketable
quantities is in Bahia, in South America
The substance Is used for points for stone
drills and saws and is powdered and used
to polish diamonds and other precious
stones. There is a wide. and growing de.
mand for 1t. The black diamond Is found
with the ordinary diamonds in the Bahia
fields and brings about ten dollars a carat
| The largest carbon ever found weighee
|
miner for SIG, 900 and was afterwards pur.
chased for 5000, and was sent to Paris
where it was broken up and sold to tn
trade. The average size is about ST,
carats. The annual output Is decreasing
as the demand grows larger. and the pric,
Is mounting. 1t will be only a question o
time probably, when black damon,
trust Is formed to control the very small
area where 1t comes from, and to wor]
this area with modern improved machin
: cry. The present methods are very print
Live.
"a. The song of the Shirt.
Hoods "song Of the Shirt might vel
be revived for the benefit of 1884 children
under 16 years Of age, who, according tt
| the last census returns, are employed IL
1 making such articles Of wear for men, IL
. the United States. More than 5000 O
. these are employed In the factories. Their,
I are 1,145 employed in making women.
, skirts and similar garments. There art
, nearly 5000 in the stocking factories, ant
. over 5000 in the miscellaneous. employ
ments connected. with the production O
ready-made attire.
Lightning Rods Are Out of Date.
: The day of the lightning rod is passing
>, The governments latest census returns
show that B. Franklin's invention fo
f protecting the house Is being less used a!
+ time goes by. No electrical manufactur
, ing establishment reports them among it:
I products, and so far as the census exper
! has been able to learn, only one American
: electrical engineering firm makes a bust
( ness Of setting them UP or designing them
SO far as large cities are concerned, dis
astrous lightning strokes are reported tt
+ be more rare, and the decrease is &C
e counted for by the network Of electrical.
l charged wires and other apparatus with
n which the city Is now interviewer ant
surrounded a h.
=. ! air Is robbed of it's dangerous collection
. Of electricity, and the sudden discharge
: between air and earth are averted.
Growth of the Telephone.
= Taking the United States as a whole
? the census shows that one person in fort.
= has a telephone. San Francisco leads tn
7 world in the generality Of telephone use
d there one in twelve has a telephone. II
9 the one year of 1900 more than SO, 900, 90
|. was spent in telephone apparatus.
+ Talking Machines.
d The manufacture of talking machine
a has grown until in 1900 there was a CAPT
!. tai invested of $3,34S,28 turning out
d product valued at $2,4S6,000
Picture Of Falmouth.
!: "Flatmouth, Chief of the Chippewas Q
II Minnesota" is the wording of a. write
o label on large photograph in a show
IL case on Pennsylvania avenue. The por
10 trait was taken last April when Flatmout
, and other members of the tribe were her
interviewing members Of congress abou
IL Chippewa legislation. Falmouth has O
= all his furbelows, which he had brough
le in his trunk. They included a gorgeousl
y, feathered head dress, beaded trousers an
- moccasins and a beaded pouch hangin
l. at his side. Resting in the hollow of tn
old mans arm is a stone pipe with a lon
stem, instead Of q gun.
Wy VIZ