Amador ledger., 1909-02-12

nails of Fishes. "A Novel Electric
Lamp. The Rubber 1ester.-A
Sunken Rock Spire in Deep Bay.
The Fifax reflector osoope, an Eng
llsh apparatus, Is claimed to be the
best solution so far of the problem of
rejecting post cards, photographs
and other pictures or designs so that
they may show as sharp and brilliant
as the views projected by the ordinary
transparent lantern slides. The new
magic lantern resembles the ordinary
one in general appearance, but the
picture is placed at the back, where
5000 candle power beam of light is
concentrated upon it by two refiectors
and the image is retransmitted
through the lens to the screen.
Though other powerful lights may be
used gas, with special high h-pressure
burners and inoandescent mantles,
has been found to give the steadiest
and most penetrating beam. The
operation of the high pressure gas
system costs about half a cent all
hour, specially prepared slides are
not needed. the coloIs and details of
the reflected pictures are shown vivid
ly on the screen and magnified as re-
quired. and book pages or other
letterpress printing may be exhibited
as we'll as all kinds of pictures.
novel competition is to be decid-
ed by Halley's comet, which is ex-
pected soon to come in sight for few
months of it's rs year circuit al 1ound
the sun. A wealthy European amateur
astronomer offered prize for the best
computation of this comets orbit
submitted before the close of 1908,
and competing ephemerls for this
year and next indicates very differ
ent route from that expected, showing
the perihelion passage in the middle
of June instead of the middle of
April, 1910.
Accumulating evidence shows that
lightning flashes may have a much
more varied structure than was
formerly supposed. Photographs by
A. Larsen, a Danish photographer,
indicate that flashes may be made up
Of small electric discharges, or
ruches, of which forty may follow
along nearly the same path in halt
a minute.
Considering the industries of the
American aborigines, j. L. Cowan
finds that basketry IS the Grief aud
oldest. and was we'll advanced when
Friar Marcos de Mia visited Arizona
and New Mexico in 1885, The de-
signs, instead of being accidental or
representing personal tastes, have
traditional significance. The cobweb
pattern Is associated with the spider
deity, the deer hunt with gods of the
chase, and even break in the design
is intended to give exit to evil spirits
that 1t is not desirable to keep con-
fined. Colors also have their mean
ings, red-the most important and
sacred-typifying the life of man.
The evolution of pottery from
basketry can be traced, the basket
Icing covered with clay as a protec
tion against fire, but the old artistic
decoration and perfection of form and
workmanship IN pottery are to be
found only among the HopI and Zuni
communities. Blanket weaving is
the latest of the Indian manufacture s.
Plating and weaving we're known be-
fore the Europeans came, but only
after the introduction of sheep and
goats was the skill developed that has
5Iabled the Navajo4 to weave the
finest blankets produced in the world.
A curious result Of the fy-post in
vestigation in London has been the
discovery that Che number of flies 10
house varies greatly from day Eto
day. tie cooking operations and
greater nse and warmth Of the rooms
causing a large or weakened increase.
lhe daily average mated by one OBJ
server was 26 for Friday to Monday,
a from Monday to Wednesday, and
3 from Wednesday TO Friday. Wash
ing days have a marked influence,
and in one instance wedding prepara-
tions decidedly increased the flies.
Horse refuse is the chief breeding
ground of house flies. The numb beI
in some localities is almost incred
ible, and the bulk of a summers
catch with Aypaper in one small
m an, mould houa baaD on annrao in bla