Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-10-08
FACTS IN TABLOID FORM.
~~~~~

In Honduras even IHo
houses are built of mahogany.
Corn is our greatest crop That OK
1908 being valued at $1,616,0OO.O00.
Nine days sickness pei annum II
the average for the human belng'.N
The highest track-laying record on
the Western Pacific railway Is $500
feet a day.
It has been estimated that rats in
England do damage to the extent OK
S75, 0OO, 900 annually.
The figures of the London police
courts show a very decided increase
during recent years in serious crime.
The salmon output of Alaska equals
the combined catch of British Column
bia. the United States proper and
Japan.
The greatest cotton crop in the
States was that of 1908, which,
on the farm. was valued at $722,OOO,-
900.
Irvine King, of G~rovetown, Ga, has
a turkey gobbler sitting on about five
dozen eggs, three dozen Of which are
guinea eggs.
Cats are subject to a form of infu-
enza which is communicable to human
beings, and they can catch it from man
Just as readily.
Cigar boxes of glass are comma
more and more into use. They are
cheaper thar the wooden boxes and
keep the cigars fresh a longer time.
Of the lightweight millions of popu-
lation of the United States, one.third.
speaking in round numbers. are hound
in the thirteen original States.
The amount of blast furnace gas
power lost each year approximates
being reduced by the installation OF
gas engines to utilize the power.
During the fall and winter season
Of 10000, which ended March q, 221
persons persisted by shipwreck and
eighty-nine vessels met with disaster
off the New England and British North
American coasts.
Hoatho, a Chinese physician, who
lived in the third century, gave his
patients a preparation Of hemp, where
by they were rendered insensible dur
Ing surgical operations. The sopor1tic
effects OF mandrake are mentioned by
Shakespeare.
There will shortly be opened in
Switzerland the Wieser viaduct, on the
route from Davos to Filisur. 1t Is
entirely constructed Of stone, at q
height of 80 meters, or 1929 feet, and
has a central arch of 55 meters and
six others EACH of 20 meters, the an
tire length of the bridge being ITS
meters. 1t IS, according to a Paris
contemporary, the most beautiful
bridge in the world.
The extension of prohibition through.
out the United States has caused a
largely increased demand for soda
pop" as indicated by the great demand
for bottles. Two big factories at the
Alton (1ll.) glass works have been
working since last fall, night and
day, manufacturing soda pop bottles.
The prohibition wave has also caused
q big increase in orders for all kinds
of large bottles.
The Institute of Marine Engineers
ject, and H. A. Mayor, of Glasgow, said
that the prospect for electric propul-
sion for ships Is very hopeful. Lead
ing shipbuilders nave been considering
it for some time. w. P. Durtnall said
that in the all-electric Paragon meth.
cd Of driving vessels, the electric mo-
tors are coupled direct to the propel.
lers, and run at equally high efficiency
in either direction. Since the steam
turbine can run in only one direction.
the new method saves the expense OF
q reversible turbine.
A minor drawback connected with
the use of the electric fatiron has
been found to be in the fact that the
temperature varied considerably as 1t
was passed from one piece Of work
to another containing more or less
moisture. This has now been over.
come by an automatic means Of con.
troll by which the temperature is main.
tanned at one point within a fraction
of a degree. When the flatiron is In
use a large amount of current is per.
mitted to pass through the heating
coils, but whenever the heat rises I'm.
duly a switch automatically introduces
the resistance necessary to cut down
the current.
In an article on bees and ants BY
Castor Bouwer in the Revue Hebdo-
madaire the writer contends that these
Insects carry on conversation among
themselves, and that, while this is
done by means Of their f~eelers, they
are not entirely dependent upon them.
"A whole colony" says Mr.. Bouwer.
"ln an ant house or a beehive often
responds instantaneously to a signal
which may have been given without
contact. 1t is interesting to see ar
ant laborer for whom a burden is too
heavy go to a fellow, make a sign or
give a certain touch with his feeler,
and then see the second insect join the
first In lifting or moving the object
Chief Engineer Burgess. of the Hon.
duras National Railway, giving advice
to. engineers working in the tropics,
says emphatically, Don't get lost!"
He adds that a nan should no more
g, - -