Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1910-01-01


have insisted that their twelve at
tendants shall each be presented with
a diamond ornament. with the result
that smart society bridesmaids have
become most fastidious in regard to
the gifts rendered for their services.
The bridegroom Of to-day. even when
he IL q rich man, resents signing big
checks for gifts to q dozen young
women Of whom he frequently knows
little. He 10 putting his foot down In
good solid English fashion.
After the wedding Of q well.known
baronet a few months ago the BRIDE
groom's presents were returned by the
bridesmaids. The gifts rendered were
silver gilt bags Of very beautiful work.
manship. When sending them back
the principal bridesmaid replied for
the lot that It was impossible they
could think Of wearing silver gilt arti.
cles." The girls were under the i'm.
preston that the man would have
these bags exchanged for 1s-carat gold
ones. But they made mistake. He
took the twelve bags to the shop where
they had been purchased and exchang.
ed them for gift for his wife.
~a
OF all the queer materials which ma.
ture seems to have provided for no
other purpose than that man may
show his ingenuity In their use. moth.
ing compares to that meteorological
vegetable asbestos. which In Ito native
state is both fibrous and crystalline.
elastic and yet brittle. stone which
will float, and which may be carded,
spun and woven like nax or silk.
Asbestos IL mined in practically every
section Of the globe. and the asbestos
Of the various countries differs al
greatly in appearance as does the
foliage Of the trees and plants native
to each. 1t Is alike in but one feature
that 1t Is absolutely indestructible,
no known combination Of acids even
affecting the strength or appearance
OF its fiber, and the fiercest flames
leaving It unscathed.
| Some varieties of asbestos are al
compact as marble, and will take the
highest polish; others have loose
silky fibers. Mountain wood" is q
variety presenting an irregular. fila
mentous structure. like wood, and
other varieties taking their names
from their resemblance to the various
materials. are rock cork. mountain
leather, fossil paper. and fossil fax
Asbestos Is really a variety Of am
phibole or hornblende. composed oi
separable filameuts. with silky luster
Its colors are various shades Of white
gray or green. passing into brown
red or black. Although ~ perishablt
% grass. 1t 10 older than any order o.
animal or vegetable life ON earth. i
has been put to o thousand practica
uses. In London and Paris hremen
clad In asbestos clothing and masks
practically defy the flames. being abl'
actually to pass through blaxe II NJ
longer time 10 required than the pc
riod during which they can hold theil
breath. Asbestos roofing will elimi
nate all danger Of IRE from falling
sparks. Millions Of feet Of steam
pipes. boilers. etc.. are covered Will
asbestos. which causes them to retail
all heat, while the same materia
forms q frost.proof protection for Ga
land water pipes. Asbestos would seen
almost indispensable to the electrica
engineer. as many parts Of electrica
devices through which the curren
passes become heated. and were It no
for the non.conducting and heat'resist
ing qualities OF asbestos. which is In
troduced, the apparatus would b
either put out of commission or com
pletely destroyed by short circuitinG
One OF the thousands of special use
to which asbestos Is applied is for GOV
ering walls. Instead of plaster. whicl
must be tediously applied. allowed +
dry, finally covered with plaster o
paris and polished. a single coat o
asbestos is put on the raw bricks. Tn
wall may be covered as soon as built
and room the walls of which wer
completed in the morning can have b.
night smoothly finished interior. a
smooth as glass and as hard as stone
} This glossy surface will not crack. fol
while perfectly Arm. the asbestos
elastic. and It is. moreover, fireprool
Among the many geographical p'
culiarities In the United States ther
are some especially interesting.
The two largest counties In th
United States are Custer County. MOI
tana. and San Bernardino County. Ca
ifornia. Each Of these is little MOI
than 10000 square miles In extent, an
the States OF Massachusetts,. Rhod
Island. Delaware and New Jerse
could be put inside the boundaries
either of them. The smallest count
In the Union Is Bristol County. Rhod
Island. which has only 20 squa'
miles.
; The county In the United States ha
Ing the largest population 10 Ne
York, which has 100000 people In