## RATES OF POSTAGE.

POSTAL CARDS, costing 1 cent each, can be purchased at any Post Office, and sent to any part of the United States or Dominion of Canada.

LETTERS TO ANY PART OF THE UNITED STATES or DOMINION OF CANADA, 3 cents for each 1-2 ounce or part thereof.

LOCAL or DROP LETTERS, 2 cents for each 1-2 ounce, at all letter-carrier offices; at other offices, 1 cent.

VALUABLE LETTERS may be registered on application at the office of mailing, and the payment of a registration fee of 10 cents, in addition to postage, on domestic letters. Fees on foreign letters variable.

TRANSIENT NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS, Pamphlets, Proof Sheets, Books, Book Manuscripts, Circulars, Blanks, Engravings, Articles of Merchandise, Seeds, Cuttings, Bulbs, Roots, and other mailable matter, 1 cent for each ounce or part thereof.—Newspaper, Magazine and Music Manuscripts are subject to letter postage.

NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS, mailed from a known office of publication or news agency, and addressed to regular subscribers or news agents, issued weekly and oftener, two cents a pound or fraction thereof; less frequently, three cents a pound or fraction thereof. One copy of a newspaper to each actual subscriber within the County where the same is wholly or partly printed and published, FREE, except at letter carrier offices.

ALL PACKAGES of mail matter not charged with letter postage must be so arranged that the same can be conveniently examined by Postmasters; if not, letter postage will be charged.

NO PACKAGE will be forwarded by mail which weighs over 4 pounds.

ALL POSTAL MATTER, for delivery within the United States and Dominion of Canada, must be prepaid.

LETTERS TO GREAT BRITAIN OR IRRELAND, OR THE CONTINENT OF EUROPE, 5 cents for each 1-2 ounce. Prepayment optional. Double rates if unpaid.

POSTAL CARDS may be sent to Newfoundland, Great Britain or Ireland, the Continent of Europe, or Egypt, by adding a 1-cent postage stamp.

LETTERS TO OTHER FOREIGN COUNTRIES vary in rate according to the route by which they are sent, and the proper information can be obtained of Postmasters.

## U. S. MONEY ORDERS.

MONEY ORDER POST OFFICES are established in all the large cities and towns, at which orders can be obtained upon any other office, at the following rates of commission:

On orders not exceeding $15, . . . 10 cents.
Over $15 " " $30, . . . 15 " "
$30 " " $40, . . . 20 " "
" $40 " " $50, . . . 25 " "

When a larger sum than fifty dollars is required, additional orders to make it up must be obtained.

## MORNING AND EVENING STARS.

MERCURY will be visible as Morning Star about February 2, June 2, and September 26; and as Evening Star about April 15, August 13, and December 8.

VENUS will be Evening Star until February 20; then Morning Star till December 5; and Evening Star again the rest of the year.

JUPITER will be Evening Star until January 5, then Morning Star till July 25; and Evening Star again the rest of the year.

## FIXED AND MOVABLE FESTIVALS.

<table><tr><td>Epiphany,</td><td>Jan. 6.</td><td>Low Sunday,</td><td>April 28.</td></tr><tr><td>Septuagesima Sunday,</td><td>Feb. 17.</td><td>Rogation Sunday,</td><td>May 26.</td></tr><tr><td>Shrove Sunday,</td><td>Mar. 3.</td><td>Ascension Day,</td><td>May 30.</td></tr><tr><td>Ash Wednesday,</td><td>Mar. 6.</td><td>Whit Sunday,</td><td>June 9.</td></tr><tr><td>First Sunday in Lent,</td><td>Mar. 10.</td><td>Trinity Sunday,</td><td>June 16.</td></tr><tr><td>St. Patrick,</td><td>Mar. 17.</td><td>Corpus Christi,</td><td>June 20.</td></tr><tr><td>Palm Sunday,</td><td>April 14.</td><td>St. John Baptist,</td><td>June 24.</td></tr><tr><td>Good Friday,</td><td>April 19.</td><td>First Sunday in Advent,</td><td>Dec. 1.</td></tr><tr><td>Easter Sunday,</td><td>April 21.</td><td>Christmas,</td><td>Dec. 25.</td></tr></table>

## CHRONOLOGICAL CYCLES.

<table><tr><td>Dominical Letter,</td><td>F.</td><td>Solar Cycle,</td><td>11.</td></tr><tr><td>Epaet,</td><td>26.</td><td>Roman Indiction,</td><td>6.</td></tr><tr><td>Golden Number,</td><td>17.</td><td>Julian Period,</td><td>6591.</td></tr></table>

## THE SEASONS.

Vernal Equinox (Spring Begins), Mar. 20th, oh. 34m. A.
Autumnal Equinox (Autumn begins), Sept. 22d, 11th. 13m. A.
Summer Solstice (Summer begins), June 21st, 8th. 55m. M.
Winter Solstice (Winter begins), Dec. 21st, 5th. 33m. A.

Given in Washington time.

## AREA OF THE UNITED STATES.

Original limits of the Thirteen States................... 820,680
Louisiana, purchased of France in 1803, for $15,000,000........ 899,579
Florida, purchased of Spain in 1819, for $5,000,000........ 66,900
Territory confirmed by the Oregon Treaty in 1842 and 1846.. 308,052
Texas annexed in 1846 (Texas debt $7,500,000)............ 318,000
New Mexico and California in 1847 (cost of the war $15,000,000) 522,955
"Gadsden Purchase" of Mexico in 1853, for $10,000,000........ 45,535
Alaska, purchased of Russia in 1867, for $7,200,000........ 577,390

3,559,991