Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-09-17
Items of Interest

still larvae by the benehcent profu-
sion of little fish called millions. "
These two battleships authorized
by the last congress, which will be
laid down this fall, will carry
heavier batteries than any other
warships ahoat or ordered by any
nation.
There are valuable race horses in
England which have teeth filled
with gold. 1t is too risky to have
such horses suffer, and go off their
feed when racing time approaches.
According to official figures, the
number of merchant marine steam
ers of Japan at the end of last year
was 1913. Of these, IoI were
steamers of more than 5000 tons.
On the shores of Cape Cod there
were during a period Of 20 years
following 1881 as many as I,ooo
wrecks of vessels carrying precious
cargoes of human beings and of
freight.
An old Scotswoman was advised
by her minister to take snuff to
keep herself awake during the SER
mon. She answered, briskly:
why dinna ye put the snuff in
the sermon, mon?"
The aluminium coins issued to
Nigeria, East Africa, and Uganda
during 1906 and 1907 have been
found unsuitable for such tropical
climates and are being replaced by
nickel bronze coins,
At present the monastery of St.
Bernard costs about So, 900 a year
to keep up. This money is partly
collected in Switzerland and partly
derived from the revenue of the
monastic order.
Residents of the cork regions of
Spain heat the bark in kettles and
spouts, through which issues a gas
that is used as an illuminant. The
refuse is sold as the Spanish
black pigment.
Ten years ago the St. Paul
building at Ann street and Broad
way, was the tallest in New York,
and is 3o8 feet of altitude looked
on with wonder. Now it attracts
no particular attention.
A patent has been granted in
Germany on starch, lnsoluble In
hot water and unaffected by strong
alkalies, which is useful as a filter
in plastic compositions and in the
manufacture of paper.
The Oberammergau passion
plays will be given next year, from
May II to September IS. The
burgomaster issued a notice the
other day reminding the men that
they must now let their hair grow
long.
Concrete, when brought into con-
tact with water, steadily acquires
compactpess and resistant power
until it attains its maximum IN
those qualities, which it retains in
dehnately and without deteriora-
ton.
A dentist surgeon expresses the
opinion in the Dundee Adviser, that
the chief cause of the increase OF
dental troubles in recent years is
that the bread now generally used
is made from roller ground -four.
In 1905 the average daily prison
population of Russia was IS, 900.
Last February it had increased to
181,137. The great majority of
the inmates are political offenders,
confined without trial or hope of
being heard.
The value of transportation
issued to railway postal clerks at 2
cents a mile would be SI2, 500, 900,
according to the last report of the
postmaster general, which states
that these men have travelled 62o.-
778,443 miles last year.
The most spectacular fire ever
witnessed in the oil industry was
at one of the Dos Bocas wells in
Mexico. About 5000 barrels of
oil was burned up daily for nearly
two months. The flames rose to
heights of 500 to I,4oo feet.
Tee great telescope of the Paris
exposition of 1900, which was built