FREELAND TRIBUNE. PUBLISH KI) EVEUY MONDAY AND THURSDAY. 'RHOS. A. BUCKLEY, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. OFFICE: MAIN STREET ABOVE CENTRE, SUBSCRIPTION RATES. One Your $1 60 Six Months 75 Four Months 50 Two Months 25 Subsoriliers arc requested to observe the date following the name on tho labels of their papers. Uy referring to this they can tell at a glance how they stand on the bookß in this ofßco. For instance: (Jrover Cleveland i!SJ\ineU' means that Grover Is paid up to June 2S. IWUi. Keep the figures in advance of the present dnte. Report promptly to this ollice when your paper is not received. All arrenraK** must bo paid when paper is discontinued, or collection will tie? mode in the manner provided by law. Miss Edna llcan I'roctor, poetess, wants to be known as the npostlo of maize as tho national llower. She considers Indian com as being the most distinctive American hroduet. It is said that the Historical Society of Pennsylvania has the most complete collection of Aniercau Colonial laws in the United States. It was made by Charlemagno Towers and includes the laws of tho Danish and British West Indies. Columbia College, .Vow York City, is now in tho 140 th year of its exist ence. It has an endowment of $lO,- 001),000, and spends annually about $500,000 for educational purposes. It has 225 professors, instructors and tu tors. Over sixteen hundred students from all parts of the United Spates and from many foreign countries, attend the lectures and recitations in iis va rious courses. The now opera hnuso at Guanajuato will be opened September 15. It has been in course of construction twenty years and when completed will have cost $850,000. The theatre will bo one of the iiuest in the world, and it is stated that with the exception of the Auditorium in Chicago and the Abbey Theatre in New York there are none that will surpass it in elegance. slex icau mechanics only have been em ployed in its construction, witli the exception of the eloetric light appara tus. The opera house is owned by tko state. If thero wore to bo an etjual divi sion of property in the United States as some of tho socialists recommend, each man, woman and child would re ceive $1,03!) as his share, according to the valuation of Unelu Sam's real es tate and personal property in the cen sus returns. In 1850 tho total valu ationwas a little over $7,000,01)0, or S3OB per capita of population. In 1860 it was $10,000,000,000, of ssll per capita. In 1870 it was $30,000,- 000,000, or S7BO per capita. In 1880 it was $43,500,000,000, or SB7O per enpita, while in 1800 it was $65,037,- 001,000, or $1,03!) per capita, an in crease of 40.02 per (rent in ten years. If all equal division of our wealth should be made in less than a week a few men would have it all and tho majority would have nothing. The New York Tribune savs: "Tho good influence of the Columbian Inhi bition is seen in tho increased intern t taken by tho people of tho United States in showing their industries to I the outside world. Hitherto we have rarely done ourselves justice at world's fairs, but tho good effect of the exam ple of Europe in Chicago last year is shown at tho great llolgian Exhibition which lias just opened at Ant werp. An American corporation has erected on the most choice site of tho grounds nn edifice second only to the chief exhibition buildings. American manufacturers have set up display fac tories, and the principal industries of tho country liavo adequate represen tation. With the exception of tho Belgians themselves no people will ap pear to better advantage than those of tho United States." Tho introduction of am. ll„tios marked a great eru in the pro ~- s „f surgery. Before tho effects of chloro form and other were known it was the great object of the surgeon to operate rapidly, so as to keep the pa tient in pain as little time as possible No time was wasted in deliberation', ! and the knife and saw were used with- I out stopping to check tho flow of I blood. But that has all boon changed. Now the patient breathes in th i vapor of nn anaesthetic forn few minutes,and sinking into a deep sleep, lies a mo tionless,unconscious body, upon which the operator can work carefully and deliberately. Ho knows tlmt ho is causing no pain, and can take all tho time necessary to make thu careful explorations and carry out tho numer ous precautions which are now known be necessary to secure tho best re sults. CH A PTEROFHORRORS FIRST WITCHCRAFT ARREST IN SALEM, MASS. The Most Famous Outbreak of Thin If:" nT " ant Folly—A Tragic Tlmo of Popular j Madness and Superstition— l lie Terrible Death of Giles Corey. Two Hundred Voars Ago, There is nothing more incompre- I betisible to a mini nowadays than tho belief in witchcraft and demoniac , I possess on which, during preceding i, ages, was religiously held by the ma | jurity of people, l'ersecutions for religion's sako ono can understand; ' one can appreciate the process of rea son which makes them possible, hut that any intelligent human being could have ever Iclicved in witch craft and have tortured unfortunato victims as witches, is almost incon ceivable. And yet the fact remains that until a very recent period no WITEHE OII.US COREY WAR EXECUTED. one doubted that old women might have commerce with the devil, and by him bo empowered to work ill to whomsoever they wished; nonedouht ed that witches should be condemned to death or should be tortured to dis cover whether they were ically serv ants of the evil one. It only needed some boy who wished to stay home from school to begin to spit pins to drive a whole community to mad ness; it only needed some unscrupu lous person to have a dislike against another, and accuse such a one of witchcraft-, to insure the victim's death, more or loss speedily. This country has seen outbreaks of this ignorant superstitions several times, hut the most famous took place at Salem, Mass. It is a little over 200 vcars since the first arrests were made there on the charge of witchcraft, and, consequently, a short account of the craze will not he uninteresting. Tha Ikwitched Children. Rev. Samuel Harris was minister over the church at Salem In the year 1989. In several ways he had man aged to get a part of the congrega tion against him and his influence was fast becoming a thing of the past. It was necessary, he felt, to cause a diversion in his favor and in some way regain the ground lie had lost. It happened liy chance in the winter of 1091-'92 that a number of children used to come to Mr. Harris' house to play with his little ones and with his Indian servant. Tituba. This maid, in play apparently, used to instruct tho children in palmistry and they became quite skilled in the art. The people did not understand what was being done and rumors began to ho hoard of traffic with thedevil. These became stronger when tho parents of the children called in the village physician who gave it as his opinion that tho children wore bewitched. Feeling spread like flame and an oc currence in tho village church soon fanned the blaze. This was nothing less than tho interruption of sermon and prayers. "There is a yellow bird sitting on the minister's hat," cried one child. ".Stand up and name your text," shouted another to the minis ter. "Gome enough of that," broke in a third, as Mr. Harris hesitated in his prayer. Mr. Harris took advantage of tho popular uneasiness to divert feeling from himself, and summoned min isters from the neighboring towns to a conference at his house. They de cided that the children were un doubtedly bewitched and must be examined as to tho author of the spell. The children accused Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Ostium. The two latter wore old, bed-ridden women, nevertheless they were ar- I 1 M\ I ~ , "ij V-"' 1 ! hi ' "EIGHT FIREIIRASnB OF HELL." rested, and examined by tho magis l rates March 1, 1992. Tituba con fossi-d that she was a witch and told of midnight rides on broomsticks and various other things of the same sort. The other women denied the charge, hut, as the children screamed when ev-r 111-ought into their presence, their assertions were not believed. Dent>t of Hdvrrnl Victims. A special court was now appointed bv tie- Governor of Massachusetts, Sir William Hhlpps, to try these witchcraft cases and it opened in June, 1992. A law of James I. against witchcraft was revived -a law which had become obsolete —and under this statute these judicial murders were done. Tituba and the other two women were bat the first victims, and others followed, persons of much greater Importance In the community. Next ..■line Martha Corey and Bebecca Muse. The former had said that die did not believe the children were bewitched; the latter was one of the most devout and spotless women of Salem. They were both accused, md, with the rest, thrown into Jail. J'he two latter, with six othcis, were hanged Sept. 9. Before her execu tion Mrs. Nurse was solemnly excom municated and cut oIT from tho :hurch. As the eight bodies swung from the tree where they were left to hang, Rev. Mr. Noyes pointed to them as ho passed some distance be low, saying to his followers; "What a sad thing it is to see eight firebrands Df hell hanging there!" lilies Corey's Terrible Fate. It would be too long to particular ize every case, but it may bo said that, during this excitement, in Sa lem alone nineteen persons suffered loath—six nun, one a clergyman, and thirteen women. Of all these deaths probably the most horrible was that af Giles Corey. lie was an old man SO years of age, who bad been af fected by the popular madness, and his accusations had had inlluonee in convicting his wife. Seeing what had been done ho confessed he had been misled, upon which he was In burn accused of witchcraft. Thrico was he brought into court, but he re fused to open his mouth. Ho was then taken to a spot on the high road, a picture of which is here given is it now appears, and pressed to death. He wasstripped of his clothes, laid upon a board and another was placed on top of him. Tho magis trates then put heavy weights and stones on his body until life was ex tinct. He prayed them, it is said, to put on as heavy ones as possible and shorten his agony. An End of tho Craze. Hut tho end was near, and what finally turned the tide was the accu sation of Mrs. Hale, wife of a minis ter at Beverly. In October charges were brought against her, but she was so unanimously regarded as a ?ood woman and tho people were so heartily sick of liov. Mr. Harris and the bewitched children that a reac tion was only natural. In January, 1993, three more persons were tried in court and condemned, but no exe cutions took place, ami they, with those in jail, 150 people in all, were '. _ , I Wj HOUSE WHERE THE WTTCIICHAET CHA7.B FIRST STARTED IN SAI.KM freed the following May. The ex jiteraent died a natural death; a surfeit followed the repletion of slaughter. Rev. Mr. Harris was tried by tho church in April to llnd out what con nection be had with the craze. Ho could make no satisfactory defense ind was dismissed from tho pastor ate. He wandered about, preaching wherever people would listen to hint, and finally died at Sudbury in 1720. With his death the curtain falls upon this tho strangest and most tragic chaptor in American history and one which no man can read without a feeling of devout thankfulness that his lot is east not In an age of vio lence and superstition, hut In one of quietness and peace. When We May Fly. What is now required is that tho field of research and experiment should no longer be left to unpractical enthusiasts, as for tho most part It has been of yore. It is high time that really competent and well-in formed mechanical engineers should follow the example of Mr. Maxim and Hrof. Langley by turning their at tention to the subject. Once let this bo done and 1 am satisfied that the problem will be in a fair way of solution and cannot fail ultimately of a satislactory Issue. Nevertheless, after some consider, able study of tho question, I have a persuasion amounting to a conviction that whatever partial or temporary success may attend all such machines us Mr. Maxim's, which depend upon locomotion through the air for sus taining power in it, the ultimate solution of the problem will be some thing different. 'lhat is, I believe that a really gate, workable, and reliable Hying machine must be based upon tho principle of dissociating the stable vertical suspension In the air, If required, from horizontal locomo tion through it. Such a machine must be capable of rising vertically in the air In a dead calm, and re maining suspended in it, as apart from, or In addition to, any question of horizontal locomotion through tho air. Moreover, it must ho so constructed that no possible breakdown or failure in any engine, or in any part of the gear, will endanger the lives of the passengers. But theso conditions will no doubt involve a considerable further reduction in the ratio of weight carried to power developed in the motor, and for this we must bo content to await the further progress of science. Once let this vital issue of stablo suspension In tho air he satisfactorily achieved in a really sound, safe, and reliable way, and tho consequences which will follow from the new de parture are enormous and incal culable. —Cop temporary Review. AN' EXTRAORDINARY COAT. GERMANY'S MILITARY AUTHORI TIES FIND IT IS 3ATTLEPROOF. Too Clumsy for Soldiers* Wear, but May Prove a Valuable Protection In Fortresses and Hatteries. WHEN Herr Dowe, tailor of Mannheim, announced last autumn that ho had succeeded in devising a coat that was absolutely bulletproof, his statement was received with general incredulity. Most people thought that tho "invention" was nothing more than an advertisement or a "fake" of some kind, and tho German War Of fice authorities declined even to ex amine it. Tailor Dowe then resolved to convince au unbelieving generation by means of experiments which could not bo gainsaid. The police would not allow him to give a public exhi tion, so at lirst he gave a private se auco during which, cla l iu his coat, ho allowed himself to be twice shot at with an army rifle, tho bullet each time remaining imbedded i u the armor. Those experiments were followed by others of a similar kind before the Surgeons' Congress then in session in Berlin, and again in presence of the Russian Ambassador. Bullets, it is said, which were fired at Dowe'sbreast failed to injure him, even those hav ing steel points being turned aside or (lattonod by the cloth. It is said to have been observed dur ing the trials that the stool point of the projectile dropped as soon as the bullet struck, and that the lead con tents fell in a liquid form. On cooling down the lead became a large ill shaped mass, the steel coating flat tening down to the shape of a short tube. The reports of theso extraor dinary experiments caused great pub lic excitement, and when tho coat was placed on exhibition in Berlin it drew ' crowds of curious sightseers. At last tbe German War Office took the, matter up, aud Herr Dowe sub mitted his material to tests before au exclusively military assembly, which included twenty officers of the War Ministry, general staff aul the ar tillery and engineers, besides the President of tho Germau Ride Testing Committee, who took precautions to have a genuine test. Two non-oom onssioned officers of the Jager Bat talion at Coluiar were present with their own rifles. The cartridges to be used were brought in sealed packages. Herr Dowe was willing to offer himself as a target, but this was refused ou the ground that a slight mistake might cause au accident. Tho bullet proof stuff was placed against a block af oak on a table in such away that it formed an obtuse angle with the table top. It was desired to see whether tho bullet stuek fast iu the stuff or whether it would rebound at the same angle as that at which it j struck. Tho sergeaut's rillo was load- ! cd bv Lieutenant-Colonel Briukuiann, 1 and tho former thou tired two shots at the centre of tho object. Tho bullets stuck fast iu tho stuff. After this Sharpshooter Martin, with his military rifle, fired a shot, this riflo also being loaded by tho lieuteuaut-eolouel. Al- j together fourteen shots wore fired at j a distance of only ton* paces. They struck different spots, some close to j the edge. Tho hack of the stuff showed no signs of being pierced ami tho opinions exchanged among those present after tho experiments were very favorable. One fact which these repented trials have made clear, and which is ad mitted by the inventor himself, is that his material cannot bo used as a coat. The stuff is about half an inch thick and is not flexible, HO that it cannot be used as a garment. Dowe's own idea is that liis stuff, which one ; correspondent has described as a wire netting oncused in a cemontliko mass, should be made into plates of which every soldier would carry one in his knapsack, and at tho commeuceinont of a light fasten it to that part of the hod}' which most required protection. That the material seems likely to prove of value as a shield or screen against bullets is shown by tho deter mination of the Gorman War Oiliee to coutiuue the tests with a view to util izing the invention in fortresses au l ship batteries. Tho so-called coat with which Herr Do wo has conducted his experiments weighs six pounds and costs fifteen marks, or about $ 5 to manufacture. Two rivals to Tailor Dowo arc in tho field. One of these is a fellow citi zen of Mannheim, a certain Herr Hoidei, who claims to have invented a material which is much lighter and cheaper, besides being adapted for in sertion into ordiu iry uniforms. The other is an Austrian euginocr named Scarnes, who brought out a similar invention some years ago. His work was rather pooh-poohed by the mili tary authorities, and he did not im prove his position iu regard to thorn by using insulting lauguage which landed him iu prison, bub he claims nevertheless to have invented a coat of mail such that the now steel cased bul let on striking it was torn to'pieces, the penetrating force of the projectile being absolutely annihilated. "The means by which I achieved this," he said, in a recent interview, "were very simple. I used hemp hydraulically pressed over which I laid a sort of railing of flattened English wire, Against which tho bullet must strike after it has been heated by its passage through the barrel of the rifle. This heat is vastly increased by tho force of the concussion agaiust the steel grating and the bullet is broken up into bits. "The fundamental principle of my system," licrr Scarues went on, "is its enormous elasticity. Hard, com pact bodies are not fitted for protect ing persons or things against projec tiles from tho new rifles; their soft ness jijp] elasticity are characteristics indispensable to efficaciousness. This iR why my invention is of great ser vice, or, at least, will prove itself of great service in the protection of cruisers, line of battle ships, etc., for, among other advantages, it can render them proof against rammers, as well as against such accidents as befell tho Germau war ships on the coral reefs around Samoa. If it he increased in thickness to the needful dimensions it will take tho place of steel armor on men-of-war. For the force of elasticity which it would then develop would bo enormous. It would not split or break as steel plates often do. Now hemp, when pressed liydraulically, loses its inflammable properties and becomes fireproof; and UH it is likewise a very bad conductor of heat it is admirably adapted to keep the interior of tho ship cool iu summer and warm in winter. "Then, agaiu, lifeboats constructed of this stuff arc, by reason of its toughness and elasticity, absolutely indestructible, and the dangers during the launching iu stormy weather and from striking against a rock are, if my material bo employed, wholly re movod. Even straw, when treated ac cording to my method, can be used to great advantage for numerous pur poses for which at present more costly and less serviceable materials are cm ployed— for the construction of light, transportable barracks, for example, touts, vcraiulas, etc. lam now carry ing out an order received from the Hoard of Hungarian State Railways for the supply of 10) square metres of such isolating screens made of straw, for the protection of wine in railway vans, etc. I can assure you that if passenger carriages were constructed with my material (hydraulically pressod hemp), fastenod, instead of wood, to the iron frame, no accidents attended with loss of life would bo I possible." Ilerr Scarnes believes that tho littlo | "Mannheim tailor," as he scornfully calls his Germau rival, has appropri ated his invention, though this does not harmonize with Dowe's statement that he discovered his composition ac cidentally while experimenting with a totally different object in view. Herr Dowo is a native of Westphalia and is thirty-four years of age. When six years old he was employed as a shepherd's boy, but afterward learned the trade of a tailor. He was so poor when he made his discovery that he had to borrow tho revolver with which his first experiments were made. Rut the days of his poverty would now seem to he over, for it is reported that a Berliu syndic it i has purchased his invention for a big sum.—New York llerald. WISE WORDS. Public opinion is a tyrant and a coward. Public sontimout is a manufactured product. Wisdom and women are not homo geneous. Most women aro liable to explode at any moment. Tho "promoter" is one who blows soap bublos for grown up children. Tho scoundrel best knows how much misery may he brought by success. We pity a mail who "goes to the dogs," without a thought for tho dogs. Absolute contentment is absolute rest, and absolute rest is annihilation. It is fortunate for plutocracy that muscle is as slow to act as labor is to learn. Homo faces arc constant reminders of a bow of black ribbon on tho knu> of tho door. Tho littlo wheel must turn faster than the largo wheel in order to m iko the same pace. A man with one bal habit always has two—the habit itself anil the habit of lying about it. Tho l'fo of happiness is still hope, for on the summit of the highest hap piness is the hope of one yet higher. Tho light words of the talkative per son are not meaningless, but their moaning is by n J means complimen tary to the talker. There are two reasons why some people don't mind their own business. One is that they haven't any mind; the other, that they haven't uuy busi ness. Civilized communities aro divided into two equally daugerous classes; those who find fault and do nothing, aud those who hud office and do every body. Like ft nettle fastenod in tho smock is that irretrievably faulty 0110 of kith who has virtues which canuobh> denied and generosity which will no bo repulsed. There is a balance iti nature whiol might ho called a recompense. Til repose is iu proportion to the wear! * ness, the flow has its rellux, an 1 thl mental scale dips equally with iti weight of pleasure or pain. Ask not a prophet where he obtained his authority, or a reformer his dele gation. The word was put iu the mouth, the handle ot' tho plowshare was placed in the hand, an l upon the shoulders was laid the btirdeu of the world. Wlicro Railway Tariffs Aro High. The highest railway tariffs iu the world, outside of the Panama lliil road, prevail ou the Congo River lUil way, in Africa. Its present length is twenty-live miles, and it charges $lO tor the one-way through trip, or forty cents per mile, first-class. The rates lor second-;-lassaccomtno lation, which means standing up iu freight oars, is sl, or four cents a mile,--Han Fran cisco Chronicle. Tho world's coal fields already known and worked contain coal enough to last for u thousand years. pSSIi Tho latest fad among tho protty girls is to talk woman suffrago. Lilly Langtry, tho actress, claims to bo only forty-oue years old. Women gardeners are in great de mand in England and Germany. Butterfly bows aro vory popular this season, and are seon on almost every thing. ! Iu Holland an attempt is being in ado to pass a bill allowing women tc bo elected to Parliament. Mrs. Cleveland, wife of tho Presi dent, dresses her hair in tho style known as the "Diana knot." The Baroness Emma Sporri, of Nor way, is said to bo tho best known wo man painter in northern Europe. Queen Victoria liai sixty pianos at Osborne, Windsor aud Buckingham Palace. Many of them are hired. liosa Young, a direct descendant of ono of tho Pitcairn mutineers aud a woman of more than usual intelligence, is writing a history of tho Pitcairn colony. The first woman to bo elocted a member of the Yacht Racing Associa tion of Great Britaiu is Miss Mabel Cox, of Southampton, who owns tho cutter Fiera. Madam Marches., of Paixs, is tho most famous vocal teacher in the world. She has trained nearly all the great singers of this generation, including Melba, Calve and Eames. The jewels of Mme. Totrazzinc, tho most famous prima donna in South America, were recently seized for debt, when it was found that all tho gems wero made of paste. Miss Baker, who is professor of Greek and Latin at Simpson College, Indiana, is only thirty-two, and it is said that when she was fourteen she translated one of the plays of /TSachylus. Miss Charlotte M. Youge, tho Eng lish writer, is tall aud inclined to ! stoutness. Her hair is white—sho is now in her seventies—and sho has largo dark brown eyes that are full of expression. It is said that the Khedive's mother has picked out as a brido for her son the Princess Naimo, daughter of the Sultan of Turkey, who was born in 1876, and is said to bo beautiful and highly cultured. Tho Empress of Austria has a pa thetic delusion. Sho faucios that hor unhappy sou, the Crown Prince Ru dolph, is still a baby. A big doll has been given hor, which she fondles au l keeps constantly by hor. Satin ribbon, three inches wide, folded to the width of tho ordinary collar and fastened at the side in a saucy butterfly bow, is a change froni the shirred velvet collar, that has re ceived the approval of Mama le la Mo le. Miss Alice E. Hayden, of Madison, Wis., lias distiuguishe I herself and surprised her neighbors by shooting a big wildcat. Miss Hayden, although a fragile Eastern girl, haudles a rillo with the easo an I skill of an old hun ter. Tho Priuc33S Beatrice closely fol lows all the topical songs, and after i dinner at Balmoral tho Queon fre quently listens to a medley of popular airs pluyod by the Princess, who in ; all theatrical matters is thoroughly up to date. The estate of "Priucess" Kaiulani, accor liug to a late report of her trus tee, is not vory extensive. It consists of something like a bushel of jewols, some sugar stock, a little real estate and a small interest in tho property left by her mother. "A Contost of Silonce" is the novol entertainment to bo given by the mem bers of a woman's sewing society iu Indianapolis. Last year tho lirst wo man to speak was quiet for only throo minutes. Tho winner held her tongue for ninotcou minutes and twenty seconds. Mrs. Susan Stewart nracmetou, Milwaukee, Wis., has attaiued great distinction as a potter. She is Presi dent of tho National League of Min eral Paintors, and is tho author of a work which is used as a text book at the South Kensington Art Museum, London. The Empress Frederick has induced Berlin societies of amateur photog raphers to co-operate in bringing about an international exhibition of photographs by amateurs in 1895. Her Majesty has undertaken to be a patroness, aud has requested Princess Henry to act as her substitute on the committee. A blonde requires a softer shade of greou than tho brunette. Too bright a hue would givo to the fair-haired, fair skinued womau a swallow washed out look. But it is well to know that this color, as well as all others, can be softonod aud rendered wearable by either typo of beauty if judiciously combinod with white. Little Kitty Blauk, aged four, painted her doll's choeks with brick dust and water and blackened dolly's eyebrows with ink. An auut iu the family, who rouged her oheoks aud pencilled her eyebrows, believing that Kitty was attempiug a caricature, beat her cruelly. The people of Still water, Mich., warned tho cruel aunt to leavo town. Tho wodding cake of Princess Vic toria Melita was of a royal height. It was mixed, baked, decorated and shipped to Coburg by Messrs. Hun ter. A photograph is appended. It htands five feet six inches in height, and weighs a hundred and fifty pounds, being, therefore, a little big ger and a little heavier than the bride herself. SCIENTIFIC AMI INDUSTRIAL. The spots on the eun wero first ob served in 1611. In South America rain frequently falls in torrents from a clear sky. Tho metals which have been proved to exist in the sun are iron, sodium, nickle, copper, zinc and marium. A species of ape, closely resembling the African gorilla, lias been discov ered on tho Mosquito coast, Nicar agua. One mile of wire, such as is used in tho manufacture of hair springs for watches, would weigh le3s than half a pound. Artificial ice is now so made iu Franco that upon giving it a rap it will separate into small cubes instead of irregular lumps. The lines over which it is proposed to lay submarine telegraph cables are now as carefully surveyed as any line of proposed raiiroad. A doctor says in time tho lungs of Pittsburg folks get a very dark hue, on account of the sooty smoke they are obligod to breath constantly. A late theory of catching cold is that when one enters a cold room after being heated tho bacteria in tho room Hock to the warm body and enter it through open pores of tho skiu. An astronomer calculates that if tho diameter of the sun is daily diminished by two feet, over 3000 years must elapse cro tho astrouomical instru ments now in use could detect the dimunition. Since the beginning of this century no less tliau fifty-two volcanic islands have risen out of tho sea; nineteen disappeared, being submergod; tho others remain, and ten are now in habited. Tho colors of the chameleon do not change instantaneously, but require a considerable length of time. The change is a provision of nature for the protection of a helpless animal from innumerable enemies. The strongest animals in the world are those that live on a vegetable diet. Tho lion is ferocious rather than strong. Tho bull, horse, reindeer, elophant and antelope, all conspicuous for strength, choose a vegetable diet. It has been estimated by competent civil engineers that tho Mississippi River aunuallj* discharges 19,500,01)0,- 000,000 cubic feet of water into the Gulf of Mexico. Of this prodigious quantity the l-2900fch partis sediment. Thus it will be seen that the Missis sippi annually deposits enough mud iu tho gulf to cover a square mile of sur face to a depth of 240 feet. A collection of bird bones recently received by tho Paris Academy ol Science, iudicates that at a period contemporary with man Madagascai contained at least twelve species of the gigantic birds, all capable of flight. Tho conditions under which tho bones were found indicate that the birds lived on shores, with troops of small hippopotami, crocodiles and turtles. It is a remarkable fact in botany that no species of flower over embracos, in tho colors of its petals, tho whole range of tho spectrum. Whoro thero are yellows and rods there are no blues; when blue and red occur thero are no yellows, and when we have blues and yellows thero are no reds. Tulips come nearer to covering tho whole range of tho spectrum than any other species. Thoy can be found ranging through reds, yellows and pur ples, but a blue one has uover been t'ouud. Tho Changeable Flower of China. Tho botanical oddity of the Flowery Kingdom is the flowering true, Known to tho scientists as the Hibiscus inu tabilis. Its beautiful flowers, gener ally double, are pure snow in the moruiug, bright pink at noon and of a deep, blood red at sunset, fading into a sky-blue by bedtime. Tho leaves of this particular tree somowhat resemble those of the grapevine, being deeply notched, or serrated, rough and of variable lengths. Tho tree is not only a native of China and Japan, but is fouud in great profusion in lu dia, Corea and Siarn. The "Cham eleon flower" (so called on account of its changeable colors, because not yet scientifically identified and named), recently discovered iu tho Isthmus of Tehauntopec, is only iiu Amerioun variety of Hibiscus mntabilis. In case of the former, the colors do not pass abruptly from one shade to another, but change gradually from tho soft white of the morning to the pink and rod of noon and evening, and thence to tho blue of night. The Telmuntepec tree is lurgor than its Chinese relative of similar habits, and tho flowers have tho pecnlarity of only giving forth perfume when they arc red. Several other specios of Chineso shrubs and trees bear flowers which change color daily, chief of which is tho Oriental hydrangea, which changes from bright groon to a (loop pink.— St. Louis Republic. Various Hrades of Salt. There is an old boarding-houso joko to tho effect that a chronic grumbler on leaving once said to his landlady that she provided her boarders with the very best salt ho had ever tasted. This was supposed to be funny, but as a matter of fact there is much differ ence between different grades of salh as between different grades* of sugar. Because salt is noarly as cheap as sand, people are apt to consider that it is of very little importance anyhow, but the trade iu it is a very extensive one, nlthough it does not yield much profit. This universal condiment can bo bleached and prepared for tho table so as to make it quite ornamental as well as useful, or it can be served up in a shape unuleasaut to the eye and almost imperceptible to the taste.-- St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
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