The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-09-05
Curious Facts.

A burial association" in Paris has automobiles
arranged for the transportation of collins, and in
circular which has been sent to all members of the
Paris Automobile club makes this statement:
There is something almost revolving in handing
for transportation to a railroad the body of
departed relative STILL this must be done in many
instances. How much better to place the coffin in
one of automobiles arranged for the purpose
and prevent its being handled as freight
from England These arrivals in that continent
number billions and great pest. Five
rabbits eat as much grass as one sheep. From
1878 to 1888 the Australian government paid ont
$5,888,O15 bounty for the noxious animals at the
rate of 25 cents each, and from 1883 to 1886 900
for the same purpose. For years the rabbits
died by millions, owing to the drouth, but since
1904, with the rainy seasons increasing they have
again come into notice and bid fair to become as
great pests the past
With statistics any thing can be proved Thus
an English life insurance company recently eStab-
hShed that people who moderately take alcoholic
drinks live longer than the total abstainers Within
the period between 1841 and 1901 the company had
written 31776 policies for total abStainerS from al
cohol These policies comprise 466943 years Among
these there S,947 deaths During the same time
the company insured 29094 persons who drank mod
eratey, the policies comprising 1913, O1O years Among
these only 5124 deaths occurred. Accordingly the
mortality among the total abstaners 80 per cent
greater than among the moderate drinkers.
Artificial diamonds are produced by heating LIQUID
pig iron saturated with carbon to very high tenn
perature and then cooling rapidly When melted
iron solld1fieS it undergoes great expansion similar
to that of water the point of freezing and if
bar OF pig iron saturated with carbon and heated
very high temperature plunged into the water the
outer surface hardens quickly while the inside has
to cool under very strong pressure by reason of its
tendency to expand. Under ordinary pressure carbon
passes directly from the solid to the gaseous condi-
ton when heated, and from the gaseous to the solid
state when cooled without passing through the inter
mediate fluid state, most elements do; but under
the high pressure produced by this method of ex-
perimentation it becomes fluid as it coo1s and hardens
into crystalline form.
number of suggestions have been made from
time to time with view of disnfecting properly
the transmitters of public telephones but the pro-
poSalS have usually involved great deal of ex-
penSe. An Engl1shman has invented an inexpensive
apparatus which be fixed to any mouthpece.
The apparatus consists of small nickel tube re-
semblng cartridge, which be half filled with
a diSnfectant, and which is fixed Immediately above
the mouthpiece. From the tube diminutive blind
soaking III the d1S1nfeCtant is drawn by means of
loop or hook The littebnd is drawn down over the
mouhpiece and fastened to button underneath it, so
that the of the telephone speaks through the
blind which springs back and disnfects itself when
the subscriber has finished his conversation 40
per cent solution of formaln is suggested. The
blind is made of ramie fibre, which is extremely
strong, and becomes even stronger when soaked In
water. Ordinary linen would probably wear badly.
The blind is exactly and seven-eighths of an
inch wide and does not in the least interfere with
the sound.