Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-26

1852 acres. Some oficial statistician has
reckoned that 101 buildings Of twelve
stories or more (generally more) were
standing at the beginning of the present
year. Fifteen more are now in process
OF construction at a total cost OF at least
$40, 000,0 900, adding 80 acres of available
floor space above the level OF their re-
spective hfth stories. Many others are
projected and will be built as soon as the
supply Of structural steel shall catch up
with the demand"
DR.. George F.. Barker, emeritus professor
of physics in the University of Pennsyl-
vania, in a lecture delivered at Columbia
University last Thursday held up in his
nan a diminutive glass bulb which con-
tanned a small quantity of a white sub
stance. Then he ordered the lights turned
off, in Havameyer hall, where the lecture
was given, took a position where all could
see his hand poised aloft, and the white
substance in the little bulb began to CLEAN,
as a distant star will shine on a dark night
or through a cloud. Then his audience
went wild with applause.
Prof. Barker explained that this was
"radlum," the wonderful element which
was discovered recently. Before he made
his demonstration he had lectured at
length and shown tests on the power OF
cathode rays and Roentgen rays, with
which he has had long experience. In In
PRODUCING radium he said the rays sent
out by that element would make all other
rays look like tallow dips.
Here" he said, 1--WE have an element
which holds within itself apparently the
power to 'give out rays. 1t overthrcws all
the old ideas through it's conservation of
energy, for It's inherent power seems never
to diminish. If you have respect for the
discoveries Of Crooke and Roentgen you
should have exceeding reverence for the
wonderful powers contained in radjum.
THE cathode rays in the highly ex-
haused atmosphere of a Cookies tube can
travel with one-tenth the speed Of light,
or about 10000 900 miles a second. The
speed of the radium ray is 120, 900, 900 miles
in a second. Yet, with all that tremendous
energy within it is so harmless that I can
hold it in my hand or put 1t in my pocket"
After dwelling for some, time on the
wonderful things that might have been &C
complished by means of radium, Prof.
Baker said that, unfortunately, its pros
p~ective usefulness was totally discounted
by the fact that 1t would be almost i'm
possible to produce any quantity OF 1t that
would have practical value. Prof. Barker
said it was obtained from pitchblende, a
mineral that is being mined only in Bo-
hernia and Poland, and that 1t would take
about 200, 900 tons to produce a pound OF
radium.
This little piece of the ORE" said DR..
Barker, holding a piece Of pitchblende up Tn
his hand, contains less than one-tenth
millionth Of 1 per cent of radium. The
largest quantity Of radium 1 have seen was
in Paris. 1t weighed three centigrams,
was the size of a buchshot and was valued
at $780, 00."
The new element was discovered in 1899
by Nine. Curie, a Polish woman, and the
wife Of a professor In the Ecole Industrielle
Of Paris, who had been making a series
Of experiments with uranium.
A woman lawyer. WHO has won her way
to the front ranks and a large practice
was last night telling a club of mer and
women of that remarkable thing in the
life of every lawyer-the first client.
81 had been admitted but a day or So
she said, when Hank from the tomb g
doleful sound'-literally from the Tombs,
and Enthusiastically doleful.
eft was from a man who was incar-
cerated in the city prison. He had seer
my name in print, ard desired to benefit
Of my professional services, ] decided. to
go and see him.
81 did not permit anyone to accompany
me. No one should see my first attempt
or be possibly a witness to my humiliation
or failure. l carried a letter of introduc-
ton to the warden. and found no difficulty
in gaining entrance to the poor, and per-
haps wronged prisoner, who was awaiting
my aid for his deliverante.
sI mas uaharad intO a barred room. III
which sat little groups of waiting people
MY man was ushered ina big, coarse
uncouth fellows, who had no case what
ever. and no chance for defense. And still
more than that, he had engaged three Of
four other lawyers, and one of them ha'
even gone so far as to take his case int
court.
well, / need not say that I was cha
grined and Inundated. l went directl!
home and in the privacy Of my own BET
room. with the door shut, l had a good cry
the first an. the last l ever had in connec
tion with the practice of my profession"
Walking up Lafayette Place. relates tn,
Evening Post, the city man met the starv
ing, weary, but still determined seeker 70
work.
1--WE Just walked in from Jamaica, sir,
said the fellow. 1--WE got a friend at Elev
D enth avenue and Ftfty-ninth street. Whie.
I, way is It.? And I'm pretty hungry an
tired" In his hand he held a crumple
paper with an address on it at the location
mentioned. He got a nickel, so that h
might ride to his friend, instead Of wall
. and get a meal the more quickly.
s Half a block along a prosperous-lookin
merchant accosted the city man, with
smile, Eleventh avenue and Fifty-nint
street," he inquired. affably.
Yves" replied the city man, now per
fectly aware that he was the object c
q amusement.
/ THAT fellows been three years goin