The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-15
Curious CondenSentions

The ordinary brown kitchen soap
is a strong disinfectant.
a letter opener. mail scale and six
inch rule have been combined in a
handy desk implement.
Meats may he sliced evenly in res
taurants by a machine that an Indi-
ana man has patented.
For joining lead and iron pipes
there has cen invented an easily
applied coupling which is a combina-
ti"n of union, joint and nipple.
Bellows worked by the feet to blow
air into the mouth To help a musician
play n wind instrument have been in
vented by a German.
That it looks rs we'll as a gasoline
torch is the claim for a new Kerosene
torch for plumbers that an Illinois
man has patented.
Hollands 1911 herring catch was
a disappointment. the total catch of
the Dutch herring fleet being only
$50, 900 barrels. against $50, 900 for
1910.
Greece has a beautiful blue and
white striped flag, a white cross on
a blue field. 1t dates from 1880 and
represents freedom from the cruel
Turks. who ruled Greece for 500
years.
The menu of a meal given lately
by the London Vegetarian association
included walnut outlets with brown
sauce. caulifower and new potatoes,
asparagus on toast, spaghetti on toast,
tomato farcie and young carrots.
The Spanish minister AT Washing
ton has called attention to a holiday
course for FOREIGNERS" which has re-
Gently been organized by the depart
mont of public instruction with the
object OF a!fording To foreigners an
opportunity t" acquaint themselves
with the fundamental ideas Of Span
ish literature and The beauties of the
OUR museums and the monuments
of art in Toledo, tho Escorial. Avila
and SegnNia.
Sinlplitied spelling * progressing in
Australia. The education department
of Victoria has issued a circular to
its teachers ~emi,odyine II list of words
that must he taught in future on "nu
spclin" principles. The gu" is to be
dropped out uf all such words as
"honour" and favour" Plough is to
become pillow" and entire is to he
Americanizcd into "ccnter.' Critics
want TO know why theatre is not also
AmericaniZed.
y Id Deem uttlttI iS Australian
MAGISTRATES that eggs are not mis-
siles." Yet Sir James Murray defines
a missile as anything capable Of be-
ing thrown from the hand or from
Il machine or engine" Eggs are ca
pable Of being thrown. Missiles"
like villain" is a word originally
pleasing and respectable, that has
changed for the worse in the course
OF the centuries. "Missila'' were the
sweets and perfumes thrown by the
Roman emperors among the people,
and a missile" and a mission" are
only things sent.
Extensive tracts Of land in Siberia
are threatened by the encroachmest
OF the great Cobb desert, n n plan
has now been drawn up for a series
Of forest ramparts to hold back the
salt sand drift. The only effective
defense. according to the report. is
in tree belts at least two miles broad,
1t Is proposed to plant one of these
from Samara to the Caspian sea,
while other are recommended extend
ing in intervals of about forty miles
right up to the Chinese frontier
Springfield Republican.
Near San Antonio Texas, a uninue
scheme is being tried for getting rid
of mosquitoes, and incidentally the
malaria that they carry. and at the
same time making the process pay
for itself. 1t is we'll known that bats
are great enemies of mosquitoes, and
so h idea is to cncouraGe the bats.
For this purpose roOsting houses for
them have been built. These houses
hay" sides made of slate with spaces
between, so the bats can be kept near
~ dark. Numerous roosts are pro-
yided and there are sleeping accom-
modations for 1000, 900 bats in each
house-though the guests do not
number quite that many yet. The
bats sleep on the roosts all day and
at night they fly out and feed on the
mosquitoes.