The Holbrook news., 1910-02-11
THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW.
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Covered carriages were first used in England in 15SO.
 The hrst dictionary was made by Chinese scholars in 11O9 B. C..
 Formic acid is being used more aud nore in the dyeing trade as a substi- lute for Rcetic acid.
 In the last nine years. since. the striking of the famous Lucas-Guffey gasher at Beaumont, the Gulf coast country has produced 5.OOO.OOO bar rels of oil.
 During the last two years the oil production has doubled in America Tie production is S16.OOO,OOO greater h value than the output of gold and silver in the United States.
 Certain lands in East Barnet are ex- smpt from tithes. b7t Sir Thomas Lip ton, who owns them, has to be ready when called upon to provide "fagots Tor the burning of heretics-"
 4 famous wistaria in Japan is that to De found at Kashukabe, northeast of 1okio. The vine is five hundred years old. and grows over trellises covering a space of four thousand feet It's pendent clusters are more than fifty inches long.
 The rent payable by the Munros of Foulis is a snowfall. which must be presented at any time of the year 1pon demand. This condition is not 30 hard to fulfill as would appear, in- Rsmuch as Ben Wyyis, upon which there is always snow. Is situated on the Foulfs lands.
 In southern Tunis lies an extensive salt marsh desert called the Shott Jerid, of which the Arabs stand in terror. for many a caravan has been lost in the salt incrusted morass. which, according to De Lesseps is as much as 1900 feet deep in places. This region has been crossed for the first time in small automobile by woman. -Myriam Harry. a well-known French novelist.
 The highest vIaduct in the world was opened to trafic a few days ago by the French minister of labor. It Is situated at Fades on the Orleans rail- way system. The viaduct is 144% yards above the river Sioule. It has taken eight years to build and has cost about sSOO.OOO. Previously, the highest bridge over which railroad passed was the Chokteik viaduct in Birmania. 139A yards high.
 When Sir Herbert Tree, then Beer bonm Tree, put on "Herod" in Lon don he asked Sir Henry Irving to look in on the show. The setting has B great stairway What do you think of the 2iece?" asked Tree. Irving's wicked eye twinkled, as the othey eagerly awaited the verdict. "Um-- 1mi An! Um," muttered Sir Hen ry. A fine flight of steps-um! Mag niticent flight of steps! Um-um! Ahl Umi"
 On Jan, IS every year. the anniver- sary of the battle of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington Is bound to pre- sent to the sovereign a small flag, which Is the annual rent in petit sargeanty' by which the estate of Strathfieldsaye is held of the crown. The flag must be a miniature tri- color or eagle of the Napoleonic army, lringed with gold, with a gilded eagle pn the head of the staff and the num- Der of the year embroidered at the top corner of the flag near the eagle.
 For the last fiscal year the exports of petroleum and its products from the United States amounted to 1,4S3,- S67,S1 gallons. valued at $1O1 ,9S3.- 1O7, as compared with 1.39O.O37. .369 gallons. valued at S1O1, ,165, ,164. for the preceding fiscal year Last year the oil producers of the United States lighting in the neutral consuming countries of the world, exported oil of the value of S1O4.OOO,OOO. Since oil production began we have exported s4,OOO,OO 900 worth of oil. - Oil World
 Apropos of Mir Harriman's short. simple will. it Is Of interest to note that Lord Mansfield found half sheet of note paper ample for the disposal of his worldly possessions. Sir James Fitzjames Stephens will began and ended in thirteen words A dozen lines served to dispose Of Lord Rus sell of Killowen's estate of nearly l g15O,OOO, while Lord Brampton of the court of excheauer. the brother of An thony Hope. disposed of his estate of nearly 9I42.0OO In four hundred | words.
 In 1269 the entire width of the Bal ! tic Sea was crossed by sledge. lnI 1889 a great many persons were fro-d zen to death in England. In 1409 the | Danube was frozen up from her ! source to her estuary in the Black | Sea In 1869 all vines in France were | killed by frost. In 1909 and 1889 the port of MarseiIles was frozen over. | and there was great suffering and dis tress. In 17O9 France was icebound l