The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-10-31

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The largest orchard in the world is
In California.
The average number of Alpine ac-
cidents has trebled in fifteen years.
1t Is said that the harbor facilities
Of Montreal are almost as good as those
Of Liverpool, and have cost much less.
The pyrotechnic or decorating toy in
dustry has developed to great extent
within few years at Salaise, France,
on the River Rhone.
Tinfoil, which is used extensively for
wrapping tobacco, certain food products
and other articles Of commerce, Is
combination Of lead with thin coating
Of tin on each side.
A protest has been raised III Ham
burg against the new method of teach
ing drawing in German schools by us
ing dead birds as models. Great dam
age has already been done, the most
beautiful birds-also butterflies
killed for that purpose.
A company has been organized by
New Orleans business man to engage
in the sponge fishery off the coast OF
Yucatan, near the islands Of Mujeres
and Cozumel. The necessary conces-
sions have already been secured and
appliances with diving crews are on
the way.
Vice Consul w. Bayard Cutting, Jr.,
Of Milan, submits the following report
on italian railway appropriations The
law for the construction Of new rail-
ways in Italy, which has been under
discussion for some months, has finally
been promulgated. It provides for the
expenditure of $1O7, 100000 during the
next sixteen years and the construction
of 992 miles of new roads, as well as
the improvement Of existing lines
Consular and Trade Reports.
The more important places in Ire
land are taking steps to encourage the
establishment of factories by foreigners,
who are compelled under the new pat
ents and designs act to manufacture
the patented article in the United King
dom. Some Of the municipalities are
prepared to offer t1attering inducements
to concerns wishing to locate in Ire
land. Labor is plentiful and compare
lively cheap here, while other facilities
for manufacturing are AS good as else
where in the kingdom.
Consul Albert Halstead writes that
the recommendations Of the gas COM
mittee of the Birmingham City Council
for a reduction in the price of gas in
that English municipality will undoubt-
eddy be adopted. With the discount for
600 cubic feet quarter will pay about
1914 cents a 1000, while the price for
power purposes will be about 3612 cents
a 1000. There are $1,000 automatic
(penny-in-the-slot) gas meters in use in
Birmingham, and to these consumers
$4,000 cooking stoves have been issued.
Five hundred children from Sheffield,
members Of the Rechabite lodges and
bands Of hope, have had their annual
outing and fishing competitions at Eek
ington, Derbyshire. This is the six
teenth year Of competition, which be-
gan with thirty-two children. The
children pay 8 half-pence week, and
each child received a prize worth s
shillings pence, while the thirteen
who caught fish received extra prizes
proportionate to their catch. The
catches ranged in weight from a quar-
ter of an ounce to two ounces.-London
Standard.
Cheese must have been rather dear
or scarce article of food in 1902, for
it is recorded in the 'Black Books" Of
the Honorable Society of Lincoln's Inn
that at Easter term, 1902, it was
agreed by the governors and benchers
this term that if any one Of the So
ciety shall hereafter cut. cheese i'm
moderately at the time of dinner or
supper, or shall give cheese to any
servant or to any other, or shall carry
it away from the table at any time, he
shall pay pence for each offense. The
buffers of the society shall present such
defaulters weekly, under pain Of expul-
sion from office. Law Times.
The sea is blue because the water
reflects the blue rays of light, but shall
low seas are green, because the blue
light is mixed with the yellow reflec-
lions from sand and stones at the bot
tom. Green is a mixture Of blue and
yellow. In this green light Of shallow
water all seaweeds grow, and, for want
Of the red rays, they have golden and
tawney leaves. Green and red sea-
weeds are the exception, and blue sea-
weeds are as rare as the blue tree
leaves. At this rate, land plants grown
under green glass ought to turn golden
brown, like seaweed. They do. Elk
pertinent has shown that under green
glass plants grow nearly as well as
under sunlight.