The latest naval ordnance fires frozen dynamite, but it is pretty hot stuff' fur the other fellow. Sixty-five persons have committed suicide at Monte Carlo, the world's most notorious gambling report, this season. The fool-killer couldn't have established better headquarters. Robert P. Porter estimates tho loss in income of railroads in the United States from reduction of rates between 1890 aud 1895 at $109,000,000. aud tho loss direct aud indirect to wagco at $1 ->0,000,000 iiuiiiiallv. Russia is employing tho school master to secure her conquests. Schools have bueu established in Mcrv and eight other towns in tho region beyond the Caucasus where tho Rus sian language is used in teaching by tho sido of tho native tongues. In a recent speech iu New York, Lieutenant Peary,the Arctic explorer, said that with $150,000 and a few picked newspaper men and Eskimos he could liud tho North Polo. Cer tainly ho could. It was newspaper men who helped Nansen to liud it. The Slate of Arknusas claims to be first in tho South iu tho production of email fruits ami apples, first iu the Union in quantity of uncut timber, second in the Union in coal, and second in the number of acres required to produce a standard bale of cotton, Louisiana being first,but only slightly in the lead. According to a recent calculation there arc now not less than -18,009 ar tists in tho city f Paris, of whom more than one-half are engaged iu easel work. Tho total number of pictures submitted to the banging committees of tho various exhibitions duriug tho year just ended was some where iu tho neighborhood of 50,000. The New Orleaus Picayune ex claims: By gum ! Tho spruce tree is not in it with the supota. Chicle, an exudation of tho sapota tree of Mex -20, is tho basis of all the chewing gum manufactured in the United States. Over -1,000,000 pounds of this gum are imported into this coun try annually, the produce being valued at $1,500,000. One factory made over 100,000,000 pieces of guui last year. A university professor has testified in a damage suit that the popular im pression that a rushing express train creates a suction calculated to draw under tho wheels a cureless bystander is erroneous, and that the air currents have a repelling rather than an attrac tive effect. In spito of this scientific evidence, very few persons will be in clined to test the matter, as a ligiit niug express train in motion is an ob ject to be viewed at a respectful dis tance, rather than close at baud. London's population continues to iucreaso rapidly, but recent census figures reveal a change iu the charac ter of this growth which has both sur prised and puzzled the English statis ticians. Up to times comparatively locent the city's increase was chiefly at the expense of tl country districts and of other lauds, the number of births within the metropolitan limits, when li it than the number of deaths, being not nearly enough in excess of it to account for the annual increment. Vhus, iu tho period of 1871-80, tho increase in population was more than 100,000 iu excess of the births over the deaths. In tho years 1881-90, however, the balauco wns the other wnv, the addition to Hie population oeiug nearly 118,000 less tbau the natural increase. Iu the period of 1891-5 the excess of births over deaths was 1139,000, but tho ac tual increase iu tho population was slightly less than 200,009. From these figures, it appears that either London-bom children are the victims of an excessive death rate, or elso that tho opportunities to be found in the great capital are no longer attrac tive enough to satisfy lis native in habitants, large numbers of whom, therefore, have been led to seek their fortunes elsewhere. The problem is a ratber obscure one,and tho new social current has not yet been flowing long enough to make easy u determination of its direction, extent, and cau.so. Where Cousins May Not Marry. Tho marriage laws of tho different states in this country are in general so liberal that to most persons it will lie a surprise to learn that iu quite a number of states tho marriage of first cousins is forbidden. This is tho case iu Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Indi ana, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Ne vada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Da kota, Washington, and Wyoming.— Bostou Cultivator. ; WEST POINT LIFE. FOUR YEARS OF RKSID DISCI-, lMdNi; FOR CADETS, The Dleb's Year of Servitude and Submission to Hazing Pro gramme ot Daily Life and Study. "Jk ~T O place exists in the United States tho name of which is so | closely interwoven with the j (. ' history of the country as that lof West Point. It was a conspicuous J place in the days of the Revolutionary i struggle, when its topographical eituu ! tiou made it desirable, ami near and | about it were enacted some of*tho deeds <; heroism which will live to the credit of the patriotic Continentals while the annals of tho Republic shall last. Its situation on tho Hudson, eavs the New York Tribune, i s one of the beauty spots of the country, and, while great changes have been made near it since the days of the Revolution and the re lentless hand of nineteenth century progress has transformed many dis tricts near it into modern, prosaic towns, West Point remains uudeliled and majestic as it left the baud of the great Architect, and even tho modern buildings which have been erected on the heights which overlook the river and the proud monument which recalls the names of departed heroes pale into insignificance before tho picture of natural beauty which nothing cau ob literate while the Hudson winds be neath tho rocky cliffs and verdure and sunlight add their colors to the scene. But to the American West Point is attractive beyond its association with the days tf old arid its natural beauty, because from tbo academy which the Governmeut maintains upon tho reser vation came tho men who wrote their unines in imperishable letters upon tho country's history and repaid in many instances with their life's blood tho benefits which they received there. The cadets come from all parts of tho country; they represent all grades and classes of the community, and there is probably no educational institution on the continent in which a man's social, political or financial standing would count for less than m West Point, and where his advance ment and liual graduation would de pend so thoroughly and exclusively upon his own personal work. Cadets are appointed by members of Congress and by the President; and in recent years it has been the custom to give the places of principal and alternate to the aspirants by competitive exam ination. A candidate must be over seventeen years old and under twen ty-two. If ho is under live feet in height he is ineligible. lie must be perfectly formed and must bo of a "good moral" character. lie must be able to read and write the English language correctly aud to perform, with facility aud accuracy, the various operations of the ground rules of arithmetic, of reduction, of simple and compound proportion and vulgar aud decimal fractions, and have aknowledgo of English grammar, of descriptive geography, particularly of tho United States and of the coun try's history. The regulations pro vide: "No married persou shall be admitted as a candidate; and it any candidate shall bo married before graduation such marriage shall be considered as equivalent to a resigna tion, and he shall leave the institution accordingly." After a boy has passed the prescribed examination and has been found qualified mentally, physi cally and morally to become a cadet, ho must report ou or before Juue 15 following the examination to the Superintendent of tho academy and sign an agreement for service in the following form : I , of tbo State of , aged year.-, months, do hereby engage, with the consent of my parents or guardian, that from the dat> of my admission as a cadet of the United Stats Military .Yaulomy I will servo in the Army ot the United States lor eight years, unless sooner discharged by com petent authority, Tho cadet also subscribes to an oath to support tho Constitution of the United States, and that he will bear true allegiance to the National Gov ernment. The number of men in West Poiut is comparatively small, about 300 in all, and the new student becomes con spicuous at once by tho manner of liis carriage and his lack of military bear ing. This is just as true of those who Miff m - | TIIE MESS IIALfj. had somo experience in so-called mili tary schools before they came to West Point as of the boys who come fresh from their mother's apron strings. The "setting-up ' is done by upper class men, whoso apparent soverity has cnucd many a young heart to beat rapidly and whoso shout of "What do you mean by standing that way?" or "You, J mean, you there," or "Don't you know what your right foot is?" has caused a lump to rise in tho throat of many a new cadet who until that moment fancied that ho was letter per fect and with points tospuro. The now man comes to the academy at that timo of the year when tho hard work lor those who remain is over, and camp life begins. Hard and exact ing work has been tho order of tho day; uuceasing, tireless application to the studies which extend over a wide field has taken the time of the whole year, and the student hails tho advent of June with joy, because it brings tho camp season anil comparative rest. It in particularly welcome to tho men v.ho are just completing tlieir lirat y var, who will emerge from their pleb -4 0 />■ ; ,4 ti?i mmm i THE BATTLE MONUMENT. do in into full-fledged cadotship, who will throw off tbo galling yoke of un derling, and will have a new lot of j pleba with whom to get even for what ; they themselves have endured. And so, with every yearling standing in wait for him, the cadet outers camp for a season of about eleven weeks. If lii 9 heart is not broken by the upper class men whilo in camp, and if j ho passes tho examination which fol lows a few months later, he becomes a ! full-Hedged cadet, with n prospect of j being graduated from tbo school m four years. Tho camp trial is the *-■ I ' "■ >?' 'I- : Yt' . . fcjlfevL ' . •. s •'■■ ' nl !|f 'Ct II !•?' 3"-af"*r Yfv- $$ •.•. jj|P§[Pg :: |' j| lit Ai:- ' ' '' ' ACADEMIC nUILDING AT WEST POINT. most severe test, ami tlio man who ; goes through tho ordeal of the peculiar | hazing to which tho pleb is subjected, I who can control himself sufficiently to take it all in the proper spirit, who j can keep up with his studies in tho i mean time and acquire tuflicient j rudimentary knowledge of military : matters to satisfy his instructors, i shows himself well qualified for tho ' work which will follow and for the i positions of trust and responsibility ! to which he may bo called later. it does not matter who the man is, j whether lie is the sou of a Sountor, ; a General, a diplomat, or a black* J smith, whether rich or poor, he is a j pleb with the plots, and no power can save him from making love to a broom- i stick in the presence of a lot of upper | class men if they decide that ho shall j do so, no influence can gain for him ■ the privilege of sitting in tho presence of an upper class man unless that man ! asks liini to do so, and his aucesfcry, station or future prospects would avail j him "little if ho failed to "sir" tho ! upper class mau properly and respect- ! fully. The pleb is rigidly excluded from all tho social functions, tho little en tcrtainments and jollifications. Ho j has no part in the joys and sorrows of I tho older men, ho can make no visit:-, ; although ho frequently receives such ! and at hours when they arc tho least ! expected. Ho is treated by men who wore possibly Lis i'rieuds a short time : before he carno to tho Academy in a manner which is worse than indiffer-; once, and many a poor fellow, think- ' ing it all over, ami realizing that for I two years ho must remain on the I reservation, with no hope for one | •lay's vacation, has clenched his fists 1 in anger and consented to remain only J because the hardship of it all was j better than tho brand of cowardice j with which he would be marked if he j left. When tho man least expects it, j a number of upper class men may come into liia tent and sir, down where they can find a place. He must stand, nud then may come au order to tell a ; story about his travels in India or Ice- j land or New Jersey, to go through the manual of arms with a lead pencil, to stand on one foot while he names the j principal rivers in South America or j the capitals of the Territories in tho ' United State?. Then there are cer tain calisthenio exercises for which j t he upper cluss men have u great liking when they are performed by a pleb, and men have been kept busy per forming these exercises by their lyiuunizers until they were exhausted. Tho new man worries along and works and plods to keep up with the required standard in mathematics, English studies, French and military i discipline. Ho becomes a housekeeper, also. He must learn to take cure of his room and his outfit. Tho rules prescribe that ho shall have two pairs of uniform shoes, six pairs of white gloves, two sets ol white bolts, eight white shirts, two night shirts, twelve collars, eight pairs socks, eight pairs | summer drawers, eight pairs for win i tor, six handkerchief?, six towels, one j clothes bag, mado of ticking, one clothes brush, otie hair brush, one ; tooth brush, 0110 comb, one mattress, 1 one pillow, two pillowcases, four j shoots two blankets, one quilted bed- I cover, one chair, oho tumbler, one | trunk, one account book and one , basin. He is commanded by regula j tiou immediately after reveille .to hung ! up his extra clothing, to put such i articles in the clothes hag as it is in tended to contain, and to arrange his I Sodding and all his other effects in the ; prescribed order. He may not, no i cording lo the regulation, keep iu bis room any of tho implements used iu chess, backgammon or iiuv other game, and he must obtain a permit beforo any map, picture or piece of writing cau bo posted or attached in any way to tho walls of his room. When camp season comes again many of tho plebs of tho last camp mason have disappeared; some de parted before tho camp closed, others could not stand the strain of work during tho winter months, some failed j to pass tho January examinations, and, with the others who fell by tho way- I 1 wide, they went back to their homes, ! | smaller, possibly, than they were when ' they received their appointment, and, although in many instances it may have taken argument to convince peo ple of tho fact, ill-health is usually j given us the cause for a change iu the | plans which had u generalship for I | their object only a tew months before. For those who have remained iu tho I institution a new era is about to be gin. At the June exercises the plebs ( are allowed to make their debut, i Their bearing has become manly ami : soldierly by that time, they have ac quired so much of tho soldier in the year past that they do not resemble ; tho boys of that time, and pareuts and , friends who come to the Academy hardly know them. They feci a pride j in tho fact that they have lived ! through their year of plcbdom, aud no one greets them more heartily as they enter tho domain of tho upper ! class men than tho yearlings who are ' about to shako the dust of their con j dilion from their boots and enter tho • more dignified sphoro of second-class men. With the graduation hop the plcb's time of probation ceases. The ; upper clues man goes so far as to :o --j euro partners for him, and between j the smiles of pretty girl , tho release j lrom thraldom, tho consciousness of | haying won tho respect of tho older , nieu, and liis anticipation of his good j time in camp with the new men, the j j yearling's cup of happiness is nearly ■ • full. ! But the hop lasts only a few hours, j i the camp season soon ends, and thou I begins tho work again—harder than 1 I the year before and more of it. Not i j only drill regulation?, discipline and ' ; all matters pertaining to tho science of j J j war must bo studied and mastered, but j \ j higher mathematics, French and j , j Spanish and literature must be grappled ' I with and tuey keep every moment of ; ! the cadet's time employed. It is ah- J I Kolutely impossible for a man to keep ■up with his class unless he works j : hard, and tho class as a whole would i i fall behind if tho work wero not con tinuous. ; To bo convinced of the prime condi- j tion of the cadets one must see them ' at a meal in tho largo moss hall,known as Grant Hall. The senior cadet cap- j , tain is superintendent of tho hall, and ! sits at u table facing tho door bur* j ! rounded by his staff. The cadets march to the hall and aro divided when tlioy ' reached there into squads correspond - j ing to the tables in tho mess hall. ! Each squad is accompanied by an offi cer, who is responsible for tho behavior 1 of the men at the table. It is a matter j. i of course that the man who carves, who ! does all tho work and who is served j j last is a pleb. The lmll is decorated i with tho portraits ot graduates who ! have won fame sinco they left the in- i I stitution, and tho pleb, looking upon I these pictures, may console himself j with the thought that tho pictures ; represent men who in their day had to j do what ho was doing. A corps of men ; is kept busy waiting upon the cadets, j ; whoso appetites give proof of their line ; ! physical condition. To be a cadet and a late riser is an ■ impossibility. Tho hours for daily j ; duty are laid down as follows : Reveille j i at 5.30 a. m., and (5 a. m. on Sunday ; j police call, live minutes alter reveille; ; | surgeon's call, fifteen minutes after 1 j reveille; breakfast call, thirty min- : jutes after reveille. After breakfast tho cadets have a ; few minutes in which to "brush up," I j and at 8 o'clock they aro called to I I quarters for study and recitation, j | They have dinner at 1 o'clock. From I j 2 till I o'clock more study and recita. ! : 1 : m " : I - - •*- I'llAVTh AT Wi:sT JOINT. : | tiou, and lhen comes evening parade, 3 j after wkuli the battaliou marches to , supper. After supper they have r i thirty minutes, and are then culled to - i quarters for study until 10 o'clock, a | when "taps" is sounded, and the sig ' ual for ••lights out" finds the cadcls - | tired and ready for sleep. * j On Wednesday and Saturday after h : noons the cadets have no duties 10 i- | perform, and unless they have been 8 j .uilty of some slight infraction of the u | rules they may take u rcbt. But a peep into I'm courtyard of the bar racks on these afternoons will con vince the visitor that all cadet 3 are not angels. While their companions uro at case, those who have trans gressed must pace up aud down a cer tain part of the yard accoutred and armed the same as a regular infantry man on sentry duly, and if the gray walls were transparent they would dis close to view also some who must suf fer for their misconduct by being cob fined to their rooms. The strictest I discipline, tho severe course and the j high standard required are the causes | for depleting the ranks of the cadet j corps, and it is estimated that about sixty per ceut. of those who are fully accepted as cadets drop out before the lour years' term is completed. Those who remain and are gradu ated receive a cush capital ol $192 to ! *-tart with. Out of tho $54:0 a year which is placed to the credit of every cadet $1 is taken every month aud kept for him, aud at tho end of his term at West Point he receives it iu a lump sum. Tho purpose of tho ar rangement is to place the young officer out of need and to enable him to buy his officer's outfit. Tho $5lO a year which a cadet receives from tho Gov ernment never roaches him in the shape of money. His account is sim ply credited with I lie amount, and | against this charges are made lor his clothing, books, board, laundry and all incidental expanses, and the great problem is how to keep out of debt. To buy auythiug with money of his own is an impossibility, beoauso a cadet is kept penniless, and one of the regulations prescribes that no cadet shall apply for or receive money or nuy other supplies from his parents or from any person whomsovcr without i permission of tho Superintendent. I Tho thiid and fourth years iu tho academy are equally severe; but the j men who have outlived the hardships I of the preceding terms are likely to | survive and arc finally graduated aud their names scut to the War Depart ment, with the recommendation of • tho Academic Board for commissic' iu 1 the army, KISSIXU TUB MULE. Hooks Which Ijips of Presidents Touched When Sworn In. Tho Biblo on which McKinley took Hie oath of office as President of the cited iStatos is an unusually luind jomo aud costly copy of the Testa ments made especially for the occasion ; in Ohio and presented to the new i President by Bishop Arnctt, of Wil- I berforce College, a colored institution iu tho Buckeye State, on behalf of the African Methodist .Episcopal Church. Its covers are of blue morocco with satin linings, white satin panels and i gilt edge?, with a gold pitta in the : center, and is engraved with the fol lowing inscription: William McKin ley, President of the United States of ! America, Inaugurated March 4, 1897. The took ou which lie was sworn J in to the highest office within the gift j of the pcoplo was a matter of quite j decided sentiment with President j Cleveland. Mr. Cleveland asked the I privilege of being sworn on a little | ; = a (UNITED STfrW'.r,v*:iK_4Wi 1 s 1 j BIBLE OX WHICH M'KINLF.Y TOOK TIIE OATH. | red Bible which had been given to ! him by his mother in his boyhood, I when he first left the family rooftree, ; and ho took tho oath at tho beginning of both of bis presidential terms on this l ook, which he treasures fondly. Tho custom, however, has been for tho United States Supremo Court to furnish tho Biblo on which tho Presi j dent takes his official oath, and this i tradition has been carried out by the clerk of the court ever since that tri : banal was established, except ou tho j two occasions when President Clevc j land was installed in office. Mr. Mc ! Kinney, Clerk of tho Supremo Court, • who has held the Bible ou which Gar -1 lield was sworn and every President • after him, has always marked the verse which the President touched with his . lips, and after the inaugural has pre ! seated the book made historic bv this ' event to tho President or his wife, j The lirst inauguration of George i Washington in tho Federal buildiup j in Now York on April HO, J7B'.), was : delayed by tho failure to procure a Bible, Jlist as tho arrival of Wash- I iugtou was auuouncsd to Congress, I Chancellor Livingston discovered that j l;hero was no Biblo m tho building. I Ho was Master of St. John's Lodge ; No. 1 of Freo Masons, and happened ; to remember that thero was a Bible iu iho lodge room. A messenger was quickly sent to bring the book, and it i.-s preserved to the present day among ' the relies of the lodge. Tile Sea (lu'ls. Tho big sea gulls, such us are seen about the harbor through the winter, come iroiu lurtber nortu in the fall, and late in the soring they go north again, or far out to sea whan the weather is cooler and the fish upon which the gulls feed are more abun dant. Thero are many fishes that seek deeper, cooler waters in the sum mer, and the gulls follow them. There i are smaller gulls, however, commonly i called blucfisb gulls, tliar remain out s .-ido tlie barber all summer.—New i York Sun. MAPLE SUGAR CAMP. INGENIOUS WAV OK COLLECTING SAl* FROM THE FOREST. Wooden Gutters Arc lluti Through the Sugar Orchard—The 31 ost In teresting Process is "Sugarln;* On"-Yield Per Tree. IN 1850 the ran pie sugar production of Vermont was (5,310,357 pound?, and 5907 gallons of sirup. The production steadily increased, nntil in 1889 it amounted to 1 i, 12 1,9*21 pounds and 218,252 gallons of sirup, valued at 81,248,830. Tho improve ment in quality has been most marked also, for, though there in a great deal of adulterated maple sugar, the makers stoutly maintain that it is adulterated by dealers. There are nearly 15,000 sugar makers in Vermont alone, and there are probably as many in tho other States in which maple sugar is made. The industry, therefore, is one of very respectable dimensions. A properly conducted maple sugar camp in Vermont is well worth see ing. Many improvements have been introduced during the last few years. In tho centre of the "orchard," or "bush," as it used to bo called, is a commodious aud well-equipped sugar house, in which tho utensils are stored when not in use. The process of sugar making, as now conducted, is practi cally as follows: First, two or throe men "tap" tho trees. One goes ahead, and with a three-eighths iucli bit makes an incision about an inch deep on the lee side of the tree. A second man inserts a round, double tin spile or spout, about three inches long, in tho aperture. The spout not only conducts the sap, but has an arrange ment for suspending tho bucket be neath it. Lastly u man bungs the buckets, which arc cither of wood or tin. Gathering tho sap has been much simplified. The old way was to hitch a team of stout horses to a short sled carrying the "holder," a large wooden tub, holding several barrels, in which the sap iu the buckets was poured. Now leaders, or wooden gutters, are run nil through tho orchard, empty ing into a large storage tank at the sugar house. In a brick framework in tho sugar house is set au iron arch with a square, iron chimney. For a large orchard of 2000 trees the arch is about five by twenty feet in area, two and one-half feet deep in front, ami ten inohes dee]) at the chimney on l. In this arch nro set the evaporators, a deep boiling pan in front nud four smaller and shallower pans farther back. The bottoms of the evaporators arc deeply corrugated, nearly doub ling the surface exposed to the heat. Tho boiling is done rapidly, us rapid boiling improves the quality of the sugar. The sap. flows irom the tank through a hose with a straiuer at tached into a regulator, which allows only a certain quantity to llow into tho evaporator. At a certain point tho sap is drawn by a siphon from the largo evaporator into one of the small ouos, the scum and settlings buug left behind. In the last pan the liquid is evaporated to the sirup of commerce, weighing eleven pounds to the gallon. The most interesting process is "sugaring off." Tho tirup is slowly boiled iu a largo pun until the experi enced sugar-maker knows it is "done." J.'ho pan is then lifted off,and the mass is turned into tubs, holding irom teu to a hundred pounds. If it is to be made into cakes it is stirred longer, till it becomes dry euough to retain its shape. Tho whiteness of maple 9iigar does not deteriniuu its price. It is duo somewhat to the difference of soil and the amount of rain that, has fallen luto the sap. Pure maple sugar is a browisli umber iu color, with a line grain. If the grain is not line, and if there nro airholes in it, it lias prnb ably been adulterated by eu r ;o sugar, glucoso or clay—by some wicked deal er, says tho muker. Tlie averago yield per tree is about two pounds per season, the season lasting from four to six weeks, until frosty nights cease und tho buds be gin to swell,when the sap tastes strong and ceases to flow.—New York Led ger. a The Ilrazil Nut Pol U a Puzzler. As the South Water street dealer in fruit aud nuts scanned the object closely he thought that it might bo some freakish cocoanut. Its appear ance was simiiar to a cocoauut, and it was as hard as a cobble stoue. Its ex terior was mudo to assume an antiqua ted appearance by several earthquake like cracks. There was an opening iu it about the size ola hole bored by a gimict. A peep into tho hole revealed nothing but rnoro mystery to the dealer. lie shook the object and heard a dull, rattlo box sound. Then he asked what it was. Tho representa tive of several largo eastern grocery houses, who had offered the object for inspection, laughed. Then ho stopped smiling and said; "How little you know about tiling!- in which you are directly interested. \ r ou are the sixth nut dealer who has giveu up naming the thing. One fel low ventured the guess that it was n shaui bomb. Tho thing is a pod, nud came from 'Brazil where tho nuts como from.' In fact, tho nuts come right with it. It is a Brazil nut pod. The rattlo{thut yon heard in it was caused by eight or ten of tho nuts coining together. The nuts are ar ranged inside tho pod just, liko the sections of an orange, and if you would take one of thorn out it would take a mouth of Sundays to get it back. The pod as you see it is just as it was when taken from the tree down iu Brazil." Over 400 diamonds are known to have been recovered from the ruins ot' ancient Babylon. Many are uncut, but the majority are polished ou one or two sides. POPULAR SCIENCE, Abpolutely pure alcohol, a com pound of carbon, hydrogen and oxy gen, can now be produced at greatly reduced cost by oxidizing tho hydro carbon acetylene. We have scon mention of a new pro cess of lithography, said to have been discovered in Germany, and in practi cal use. Thin plates of aluminum take the place of lithographic stone-'. The now processis called "algraphio." A further study of tho amount, of argon in tho atmosphere has been mudo by Bchloesing, in which a re markable uniformity appear? iu air from different source?. The averago valuo is found to lie 1.181 per cent, of tho total volume of nitrogen and ar gon. A French anthropologist, Dr. Bloch, has examined the records of Madagas car and come to the conclusion that until the middle of this century thero existed on that island a race singu larly corresponding in appearance with the American Jndiun of the Al gonquin or Iroquoisan stock. The mistletoe is a true parasite, formerly never growing save on tho branches of oaks in moist situations. Of late years it is extensively raised in greenhouses, the crushed seeds be ing placed upon slabs of bark in situ ations us nearly as possible approxi mating its original habitat. Measurement of cloud heights by triangulation proves to be unreliable for certain forms. At the Blue Hill observatory, the theodolite gives tho nimbus or rain cloud an average height of ISBIL feet, but kites usually reach tho base of the same form of cloud at an altitude less than 1049 feot. Starting with a knowledge of tho facts that au electric current, may be mudo to impress uscusitive plate with out the aid of light, and that, currents of air charged with water particles or lino dust produce electricity on ini pinging on a solid substance, M. P. do Hecn hns obtained photographs by projeetiug an air current, charged with Jycopodiuiu powder, against a sensitive plate. Oue of the most wonderful things about eagles is their power of vision. Their eyes are much better and stronger than ours, and tliey bear not only to look upon tho suu, but they can seo much more distinctly than wo 3un. Even baby eagles can seo their parents at immense distances coming to feed them, as they plaiuly show by their cries, before u human eyo can possibly make them out in the clearest light. Trees Browing on a High Tower. On the Courthouse tower in Groens burg, Intl., there is a grove of trees growing from tho apex of tho tower, high above nil other vegetation nud without apparent oauso for existence. This is the only thing of the kind, so far as known, in tho world, except ill England, where there is a single yew tree growing from a parish church tower, which lias to bo constantly watched and nourished to prevent its expiring. The existence of the trees on the Greensburg tower is very puz zling, owing to the fact that, there is none of their species within several miles, and their place of habitation is entirely devoid of soil. The building was erected about tbijty-tivo years ego. It stands in the center of the public square, on a gradual elevation reachiug about lift ecu miles around. A grove of maplo trees surrounds the building, making one of the most beau tiful parks to l>e louud in tho section. Nature has, ever since the first treu iii this lofty grove, 157 feet above ground, first made its appearance, af forded ample nourishment to the roots of tho trees. Creeping through tho narrow interstices, botween tho heavy layers of hard rock, the sprouts flourish. Even during tho drought? of recent years, when all vegetation in the neighborhood was suffering an I dying, these troas continued to thrive, notwithstanding the fact that their abode, dovoid of moisture aud so high iu the air, was always hotter in the heated season than that of other vege tation, tho large stones being occa sionally so hot that the birds could not alight upon them. The seeds of these trees are liko those of tho willow and poplar, being small, with a loug, silky down. It is supposed that the Heeds wero carried by birds from so.ue distant place aud dropped between the rocks, where they grew in tho limited amount of soil anil dust gathered there by the winds. Tho tirst tree appeared on the uppermost part of the tower about tho year 1865, and soon mani fested a speedy growth. About a year after, ou a different part of tho tower, a second one was observed to bo grow iug, being followed by another. Tho roots wedged between the stone, tin growth continued until tho largest at tained a height ol' twenty three feet, aud as they moved tho stones consid erably, the tree? were condemned as a serious menace to t-bo stru iLure, an 1 the two largest wore removed. Now, j amid the moss and what little vegeta I bio matter can c-ing to tho elevate I i place, othors havo continued to sprout and grow until danger to tho structure JS again feared, and it is thought thai tho time will soon como when they will all have to be removed. A Remarkable Mniiuincnt. Barto (Vfc.) granite cutters have shipped to Daniel Moriority, a million aire of Now Orleans, lor a mortuary monument, tho largest surface stone ever sent, over a railroad. It is four teen feetsqunre, with a depth of three feet, aud weighs 80,0.10 pounds. A I special car ha i to be built to trans ! port it, and as no weight above seven teen tons is permitted on roadways and bridges of New Orleans, a speOial track had to be run for about u mile [ there from the mam line of the rail road to the cemetery. The slab is a ■part of a monument which will bo seventy foot high. New York Bun.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers