The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-20
OUT OF THE ORDINARY.

The City of Mexico. with a population of
nearly 10000, still has an annual death
rate of 52.2 per 1000.
Meteors which reach the earth almost in
variably contain a large quantity of iron
and a smaller amount of nickeI.
The world has six lakes more than 10000
square miles. The Caspian is the largest or
these and Lake Huron the smallest.
The largest parliament in point of num-
bers is the Hungarian House of Magnates,
which has Isl members. England comes
second with $40.
Cinnamon are the merchant seamen of the
future, says a consular report from Shang-
hal. Over 1900 British vessels entered the
port last year manned by Chinese crews.
Workmen's clubs are being extensively
boycotted by brewers in the north of Eng
land. The reason assigned is that such
clubs attract custom from the tied public
houses.
Banana bread is now on sale in some
ground down into flour, and is considered
twenty-five times as nutritive as ordinary
White bread made of wheat.
The growth of Dawson City is indicated
by the fact that the First Methodist Church
of that city has called 10 the paStorate the
Rev. James Livingstone. of Windsor. On
tario. at a salary of $1,000 a year and a par
sonage.
A mother of eighteen children told a
Hull (England) jury that she had no idea
that roast beef and potatoes, on which she
fed her six-months-Old baby, would do 1t
any harm. She had fed all her children
that way. Eleven were dead.
American ginseng is worth. wholesale, &
to Sc a pound in Hong-kong. Sang is con-
sidered a necessity by the well-to-do Chi
nese, who use 1t for a stimulant, and at
tribute TO it many medical virtues. Korea
sells to China about $350.OOO worth of it
each year.
Another meritorious so-called modern in
vention-the water-tight buIkhead-is now
| attributed to Chinese experience. In a
paper presented to the Institute of Marine
Engineers the use of the bulkhead principle
on Chinese junkS from time immemorial
was pointed out.
Garment, is the most sacred place in Tur-
key, for it shelters the mantle of the
prophet Mohammed. his staff. his saber,
his standard, and, among other relics, two
hairs from his venerable head, which are
inclosed in a casket Of gold.
The value of coal mined in Japan is al
most equal TO that Of all other minerals
combined. 1t varies from the hardest an
thracite to peat, but the quality is usually
inferior to that of American coal. Modern
machinery and methods have been intro
duced in the operation of many mines.
The throne room of the Sultan at Con-
stantinople is a gorgeous sight. The gild-
ing is unequaled. and from the ceiling
hangs a superb Venetian chandelier, the 200
lights of which make a CLEAN like that of
a small sun. The throne is a huge seat
covered with red velvet, having arms and
back or pure gold.
Engineering estimates that the population
of the United States and its dependencies
now exceeds $4,000, 900 inhabitants. The Phil
ippines contain more than 100000 inhab-
itants, Porto Rico has 953, 0O, Hawaii 154, COO
apd Alaska 1852. China stands first in
population, the British empire second, Rus
STA third and the United States fourth.
Upon the graves of the dead in the Turk
ish cemeteries little vessels of water are
placed for the benefit of the birds, and
| cnron &c tho /, - n~1hE have 0cfn chic
eled out for the same purpose, the supersti-
ton being that birds carry messages about
the living to the dead, and, like everybody
else in Turkey, are suspected of being spite
full unless something is done to curry their
favor.
The aborigines of the Malabar islands en-
ploy a perfect whistling language by means
Of which they can communicate with each
other over long distances. A stranger wan
dering over the islands is frequently sur
prised to hear from a hilltop the sound of
loud whistling, which is quickly repeated
on the next hill, and so is carried from
summit tc summit until it dies away in the
distance.
According to an old document just dis
covered in Australia gold was first found
by a convict near Parramatta in 1883. The
unfortunate fellow was at once charged
with having stolen a watch and boiled ii
down." and. being convicted by the rude
court of those early days, was given 15
lashes for his pains. In later years the
record of this incident was closely exam
ined by an undoubtedly competent author
ity, who was quite convinced of the gen
uineness of the convict's story.
The transplanting of big trees on the
worlds fair site at st. Louis is an interest.
ing work. A deep trench is cut around the
tree four or five feet from its base, and
the earth dug away beneath. Then a huge
truck is backed up to the tree and securely
fastened. The entire tree, forty or fifty
feet high, is then tipped over on TO the
truck and another pair of wheels attached
in front. Then, with sufficient teams tc
pull the heavy load, the tree is drawn &c
the place where wanted and restored to al
upright position. Much care is required in
the work, and the trees will receive con-
slant attention until again well rooted.