The leader., 1903-12-30
FACTS I'M FEW LINES

rect III length, HdS Deeu captured IN
the herring nets of Yarmouth (TGng-
land) fishing boat.
Out of the 13.500000 people in Mex
leo less than 100000 can read, though
the first printing press in the world
was set up in Mexico.
The exports of American -four to
HoEgkong in 1892 were 457 900 barrels
and in 1902 1,298,S93 barrels, an in
crease Of 941 1903 barrels.
An economic census Of the town of
York, England, showed that $4,000 out
Of the 10000 inhabitants live habitu-
ally below the starvation line.
England makes but a third of the
machinery used by it's farmers. OF the
remainder $1,30S,00 worth of it comes
from America and $4,000 from Can
ada.
The average price of cotton in New
York was in 1898 6 cents pound, in
1901 500 cents and In 1902 SD cents.
The speculative price this year has
ranged near 10 cents.
The American investment in religious
and educational institutions In Turkey
is $6,500,000, and more than $20,0OO,-
GOO has been spent in mission work
covering nearly century.
In the northern provinces Of Italy
the illiteracy is not SO great as in the
southern, from which nearly all the
immigrants come In Piedmont the
illiteracy is less than in Pennsylvania.
A De Forest radiogram apparatus In
stalled by Sir Thomas Upton on his
yacht, the Erin, while tender to the
Shamrock handled over $4,000 personal
and press messages at the average rate
Of thirty-two words per minute.
In the interest Of making Australia
"a white mans country" a government
bounty is paid for sugar grown by
white labor. OF the last years sugar
crop of 100000 tons seven-t enths was
produced by Kanaka black 4abor.
It is proposed to reserve a national
park near the eastern coast of Porto
Rico. A representative of the United
States bureau Of forestry has visited
Porto Rico and finds great forest,
preserving natural water supply.
On June 80 last there were ffty-sev-
en- war ships of 319,700 tons displace-
ment in the course of construction in
England. OF this number twelve yes
sells were being built in royal dock
yards and forty-five in private yards.
According to the department of agri-
culture, standard milk is milk contain
ing not less than 81 per cent of milk
fat and 8 per cent of solids not fat and
which has an acidity equivalent to not
more than 2-10 per cent Of Tactic acid.
To the numerous branches Of the In
surance business In Germany-as, for
instance, life and fire insurance, insur-
ance against burglars, against damage
caused by hail and bursting of water
pipes, etc.-the insurance of machinery
has been added.
Today American dried fruits, canned
meats and vegetables, Office furniture,
typewriters, cash registers and many
articles of ironware used in the con-
struction of buildings, ETC., are well
established and in constant demand in
European markets.
Dark stars, although invisible to the
eye, may yet be brought within the
range of human observation, as many of
them, though no longer luminous, must
emit heat and may be photographed
on plates sensitized to the infra-red
rays of the spectrum.
But S.3 per cent of the $780, 697 Ger
man born males in the United States
have failed to become naturaliZed,
while 10 per cent of the English, 35
per cent Of the Russians, SO per cent
of the Italians and 80 per cent of the
Japanese are still aliens.
More than 100000 Of the 13,500,000
people in Mexico do not work. Count
ing out the children and aged there re-
main 3,774, 14S possible producers who
produce nothing absolutely. Then-and
here is an astounding figure-there are
in domestic service 1,4SS,024 as against
10000 Of digniied salary earners.
Jack Rowe Of Charlottesville, Ind,
possesses perhaps the only fishing dog
in the world. Not long ago party,
the guests Of Mr.. and Mrs. Rowe, were
at supper near the big dam on the
river, when the dog pointed some bass
that were in little pool near the camp.
The canine could not be coaxed away
and held the point for some time, al
though tempted with many delicacies.
The floating gardens in the lakes
near the City of Mexico were recently
visited by an English naturalist, who
reports them paradise and accounts
for their existence. Floating tangles
Of peat moss, rushes and grass are
caught by stakes driven into the soft
lake bottom, and upon this mass rich
mud from the bottom is thrown. The
surface is then transformed into mar
ket garden.
The spectroscope is an instrument
which has done much to increase our
knowledge Of the sun and the stars.
By its means the astronomer tells ex-
actly what is the chemical composition
of celestial bodies, Of what metals or
gases they are composed and even as
sures us that in some of the distant
stars-suns, some of them, far more
brilliant than our own-substances are
burning the like of which cannot be
found on our planet.
Sir Wilfrid Lawson, who recently
won fercely contested parliamentary
election ON his old platform of temper
ance. is known as England's Grand
Old Man of Temperance" He is sew
enty-three and has devoted forty
years of his life to the championship
Of temperance. Sir Wilfrid has been
prominent in every parliamentary crisis
for quarter of century, and it is
said that there is little doubt that had
he not identified himself with the cause
of temperance he would have been
many times minister of a cabinet
He has fought with and against Dis
raeli, Palmerston. Bright and Glad
stone.