Transcriber’s Note
Italic text displayed as: _italic_
THE INTER OCEAN
CURIOSITY SHOP
FOR THE YEAR 1883.
[Illustration: Decoration]
EDITED BY
WILLIAM P. JONES, A. M.
[Illustration: Decoration]
SEVENTH EDITION.
[Illustration: Decoration]
CHICAGO:
THE INTER OCEAN PUBLISHING COMPANY,
MADISON AND DEARBORN STREETS.
1891.
PREFACE
So well known now is this little annual cyclopedia of facts in
agriculture, manufactures, commerce, politics, literature, science
and the arts, that this sixth volume of OUR CURIOSITY SHOP needs no
preface, except to make due acknowledgments to the many who have
aided the editor with information, and to explain to such of its
readers as are not yet fully advised of this fact, that these pages
constitute but a part of the several columns of questions and answers
published every week in the DAILY, SEMI-WEEKLY and WEEKLY editions
of THE INTER OCEAN. To have all such answers for the year, one must
be a regular subscriber to, and reader of, the paper. Hundreds of
disputes, raised in political gatherings, in debating societies,
in Sunday schools, in social and sporting circles, at the village
postoffice when waiting for the mail, on railway cars, in club rooms,
around pioneer camp-fires, and in all kinds of places are referred
to THE INTER OCEAN for amicable settlement. When none of the several
thousand books on the shelves of THE INTER OCEAN and the Chicago
Public Library give response to such questions, original sources
of information are appealed to; and, again therefore, the grateful
acknowledgments of the editor of OUR CURIOSITY SHOP are very heartily
made to the Heads of the several executive departments at Washington
and many of their chiefs of bureaus, to State and city officials, to
his obliging associates of THE INTER OCEAN staff, and to that daily
companion and efficient assistant, his daughter.
Every answer given here is in response to at least one person enough
interested to call it forth. Not one started up at the editor’s own
bidding, but each of them might use the speech put into the mouth of
King Philip of Pokanoket, when summoned to meet the General Court of
New Plymouth: “You sent for me, and I am here.” So, being here in
response to popular call, the editor hopes this volume will have as
cordial a welcome as the public has accorded to its predecessor of
last year, of which, already, the second edition is nearly exhausted,
and to the still earlier volumes of 1878 to 1882, inclusive. It is
now a matter of regret that the volumes of 1878 and 1879 were not
stereotyped, as all succeeding volumes have been; since that fact
renders it impossible for the Publishers to supply the repeated calls
for the entire series of six volumes. Readers will take note that the
first two are out of print, but all the others will be supplied as
fast as called for.
THE EDITOR.
OUR CURIOSITY SHOP.
NATURE’S STORM SIGNALS.
Recent questions and answers in Our Curiosity Shop about the aurora
borealis and the Government Signal Service have moved S. H. Ruple,
M., M. D., of Oquawka, Ill., to give the result of his observations
as follows:
Falling weather follows the aurora borealis, because the lower
stratum of the atmosphere at such a time is sufficiently rarified
for the manifestation of aqueous vapor, as is indicated by the
evolution or liberation of so great a quantity of electricity as is
necessary to produce conspicuous and extensive “northern lights.”
A continuous south wind, in most localities, will in a few days
cause rain, because by its warmth it rarifies the cooler and denser
atmosphere of more northern or elevated localities, and reduces its
capability of sustaining moisture. A continuous north wind dispels
all rain signs for the time being. This is no new theory. Solomon,
3,000 years ago, put it on record in Western Asia. (Prov. xxv., 23.)
And a careful observation during twenty-five years has convinced me
that it is true for this age and country as well as for his. Flaky
clouds, or low-running ones, from any direction but the north, denote
rain or snow. Salmon, leaden, or silvery colored clouds denote
falling weather; bright red, clear. When the sunset is followed by
bright lances or streaks of light of various hues radiating from the
point where the sun disappeared, continuing across the heavens and
converging to a common point in the opposite horizon, there exists
a storm-cloud in line with the sun, though it may be so distant as
to be for awhile entirely hidden from view by the rotundity of the
earth. If the rays of light are evenly divided north and south of the
line between the observer and the radiating point, and continue so
till they have faded out, the cloud is approaching. A few years since
the writer, becoming interested in an exhibition of this phenomena,
sat up to watch the results of his calculations. About 1 a. m. the
storm (a moderate cyclone) reached the Mississippi River, about
five miles north of his residence, having, according to telegraphic
reports, crossed the State of Iowa in five hours and a half.
When “heat lightning” is visible you may be sure that there is a
storm-cloud in the same direction, though you may neither see it nor
hear the thunder. When the lightning is continuous and very brilliant
the storm may be regarded as a violent one. In this event the track
of the destructive elements may be from 100 to 200 miles away. Some
five years ago the writer’s attention was called, a little after
dark, to an extraordinary display of heat lightning in the southern
horizon, and he ventured the opinion that a devastating cyclone
was traveling eastwardly, probably in the vicinity of St. Louis.
Though residing in Oquawka, Ill., fourteen miles above Burlington,
Iowa, within twenty-four hours THE INTER OCEAN, ever watchful and
intelligent, was in his hands with telegraphic reports corroborating
his theory and predictions. Jefferson Barracks were reported damaged
by the cyclone, and across in Illinois a whole village was laid waste
and several lives lost. This was, to say the least, pretty accurate
guessing. If the old pioneers of Colorado, traveling at the rate of
twenty-five miles a day, had to toil from five to seven days after
catching their first view of the snow-cap of Pike’s Peak before
gaining the mountain foot hills, how far off may not one see the
intensely white, dazzling, and flashing illumination capping a cloud
that is from three to five miles above the earth.
LEPROSY.
LIDELL’S GROVE, Ill.
Please state some facts regarding leprosy and the leper settlement
on the Hawaiian Islands. Is the same disease prevalent among the
Chinese in California? Are Caucasians liable to contract the
disease?
S. GRAY.
_Answer._—There is no other malady so loathsome and so dreaded among
mankind as the terrible disease of leprosy. A little blotch appears,
often on the face of the victim, which gradually extending covers
the whole body. Scales drop from the sufferer; his limbs become
frightfully swollen, his voice grows hoarse, his eyes almost burst
from their sockets, as the irresistible decay saps his life’s blood.
While thus afflicted the victim suffers no physical inconvenience,
except the gradual loss of his limbs. His body is numb and he does
not feel the hand of the destroyer; his appetite is as good as ever,
and he sleeps with as much relish as he did when he was in health.
But in Eastern countries that which is almost as unbearable as the
disease itself is the leper’s exclusion from society, even from
that of his nearest relatives. In most countries leprosy operates
as a divorce of husband and wife. Although it does not fill the air
with contagion, yet the possible inoculation by personal contact or
by handling the same objects, has led to the banishment of lepers
not only from communities but from their homes. Whatever discussion
may still be maintained as to the contagiousness of leprosy there
exists no reasonable doubt of its transmission by heredity or
licentiousness. During the past twenty years and more the Hawaiian
Islands have received a large influx of Chinese coolies of the basest
sort through the coolie traffic. Many of these associated in the
loosest manner with the lower classes of natives, and in 1868 the
authorities awakened to the fact that leprosy was spreading at an
alarming rate. They determined on the Asiatic remedy of isolation.
The western portion of the island of Molokai was selected for this
purpose, and here to-day are found over 2,000 lepers shut out from
all hope of ever seeing their friends, unless the latter become
similarly afflicted. Three times a week a steamer visits the island,
carrying provisions and mail, and the latest victims. Among these
sufferers is William Ragsdale, the first Governor of the colony. In
California a few of the Chinese have been afflicted with the disease,
but it is not considered prevalent among them. In Salem, Mass., there
is a pitiable case. Charles Derby was living in the Hawaiian Islands,
when a slight blotch on his left temple revealed to the experienced
islanders the fact that they had among them another leper. To escape
banishment, Mr. Derby sailed for San Francisco; but was offered
no refuse there, that city following the example of Honolulu. He
then went to Salem, where they knew nothing of the disease, and
there remained until discovered by two medical students from the
Hawaiian Islands. His swollen and decaying face presents a frightful
appearance. What is to be done with him is a question which the Salem
authorities have not yet decided upon.
THE MILITARY ROAD, ARKANSAS.
ORION, Miss.
By whom and for what purpose was the road known as the Military
Road, extending west of Memphis, Tenn., laid out? Where does it
terminate?
J. F. MC.
_Answer._—When the Creeks and Cherokees were being transferred to
lands west of the Mississippi, under the command of General Jackson,
this military road was constructed to facilitate the movement. The
road terminates at Little Rock, Ark.
AURORA BOREALIS NOT A MODERN DISCOVERY.
LOWELL, Mich.
I am informed, on what appears to be good authority, that the
aurora borealis has been seen for only about two hundred years, and
that we have no record of its previous appearance. Is such the case?
W. A. D.
_Answer._—The aurora borealis is not a phenomenon peculiar to modern
times. The ancients used to call it chasmata, bolides and trabes,
names which expressed the different colors of the lights. The scarlet
aurora was looked upon by the superstitious barbarians as an omen of
direful slaughter; so it is not unusual for descriptions of bloody
battles to contain allusions to northern lights. In the annuls of
Cloon-mac-noise it is recorded that in 688 A. D., accompanying a
terrible battle between Leinster and Munster, Ireland, a purple
aurora lit the northern skies, foretelling the slaughter. To the
Latins and Greeks of Southern Europe the phenomenon rarely appeared,
and therefore their writings are almost, if not entirely, silent
concerning it, yet it was not unknown to them.
WHERE WAS EDEN.
VIRGIL CITY, Mo.
In what part of the world was the Garden of Eden located?
C. A. SHARP.
_Answer._—This is still a matter of dispute among Biblical scholars
of the highest reputation. Some have endeavored to locate it by means
of the fruits and mineral productions named in the description given
in the second chapter of Genesis, verses 8-17. But the main question
in the opinion of most investigators is, What are the four rivers
mentioned? The weight of tradition and scholarly study inclines to
an agreement that the Tigris and Euphrates, which, after flowing in
a southeasterly direction, unite and empty into the Persian Gulf,
are the third and fourth rivers mentioned in the sacred word. But
those who agree so far differ widely as to what rivers should be
regarded as the Pison and Gihon. Some affirm that the River Pison is
the Ganges, and the Gihon the sacred river of Egypt: others that the
Garden of Eden was located on the high table-lands of Armenia, from
which rise the Tigris and Euphrates. By choosing two rivers which
flow into the Caspian Sea, or by giving the name Gihon to one river,
and the name Pison to the sea, and extending the boundaries of Eden
so as to take in these waters and the head-waters of the Euphrates
and Tigris, they consider that they have solved the mystery that
veils the cradle of our race. The fact that all the European races
of the Aryan family, and also the Semitic races, trace back their
origin to this region gives color to this solution. A few scholars
of some distinction have argued that the Adamic paradise was in the
vicinity of the mountains of the Moon in Africa, regarding the Nile
as the Pison, and the Niger as the Gihon, and reconciling it with the
views of former scholars by affirming that the Assyrian rivers at
that time had their source in the mountains of the Moon, but flowed
underneath the ground to their apparent source in the continent of
Asia. Others locate Eden in the vicinity of the ancient city of
Babylon, considering the doubtful rivers as the two channels by which
the united Tigris and Euphrates empty into the Persian Gulf. But two
things have not been explained by any of these theories. The four
rivers flow from one river, and the River Pison “compasseth the whole
land of Havilah.” Until these questions are solved the location of
the Garden of Eden will continue to remain a mystery.
THE GLACIAL PERIOD.
HEBRON, Neb.
Please give some information in regard to what geologists term the
ice or glacial period. What evidence have they that such a period
ever existed?
JAMES KNOX.
_Answer._—The loose soil which covers so large a part of the surface
of the northern continents to a depth varying from 30 to 100 feet,
over which lie the vegetable deposits of later ages, is considered
by geologists the effect of glaciers that in the quaternary, or
latest geological age, slowly moved southward across the country.
Upon examination it is found that the erratic boulders scattered
over the Western prairies and other northern regions are unlike
the native rock of the same region, being entirely foreign to the
localities where they now appear. Sometimes the nativity of the rock
is traced hundreds of miles north of where it now rests showing that
some powerful agency has carried it southward. Again, if the native
rock be uncovered and closely examined, it will be observed to be
polished and grooved with parallel marks, running north and south, as
if chiseled out by some coarse and heavy instrument. These marks are
attributed to sharp, hard rocks projecting through the lower surfaces
of the moving glaciers. That glaciers do produce such markings is
proven by examination of the rocks which the moving ice fields of
Switzerland and other glacial regions have worn and are marking
to-day; also, the general appearance of the loose, unstratified,
heterogeneous deposit is similar to that of the moraines that the
modern glaciers leave as they slowly melt away. Geologists are
generally agreed that long before the advent of man parts of the
northern hemisphere were elevated several thousand feet higher than
they are at present, causing the cold of the arctic zone to extend
far southward into the present temperate regions, and that a vast
glacier rising in the vicinity of Hudson Bay covered our whole
continent north of the 40th parallel. In New York and other Eastern
States the rocks are scratched from a northwesterly direction, in
Ohio from a northerly, and in Iowa from a northeasterly direction,
showing in each State the direction of the origin of the glacier.
Afterward there followed a subsidence to a few hundred feet below the
existing level, followed by a gradual elevation to the situation of
the present era. These elevations and subsidences are evidenced by
stratification and fossil remains.
MAYORS OF NEW YORK.
CHICAGO, Ill.
How long has New York City enjoyed a city charter? How many mayors
has it had, and who have held this office since the villainous
Oakey Hall, under whom Boss Tweed flourished?
E. D. WALKER.
_Answer._—The lower portion of Manhattan Island was incorporated
as a city under the original Dutch regime, in 1652. Charles II. of
England, claiming all the country from the French possessions south
to Florida and west to the Pacific as belonging to the English crown,
granted a charter covering New York to his brother, the Duke of
York, who suddenly appeared before New Amsterdam and took unopposed
possession in August, 1664. The name of the city was changed to New
York. The Dutch recovered the place in August, 1673, and changed its
name to New Orange. The next year it was restored by treaty to the
English, and ever since it has kept the name of the city of New York.
Since the office of mayor was created there have been seventy-two
mayors, of whom the first one elected by the people was Cornelius W.
Lawrence. Since Oakey Hall’s administration the following persons
have held this office: Wm. F. Havemeyer, Wm. H. Wickham, Smith Ely,
Edward Cooper, Wm. R. Grace, and the present Mayor, Franklin Edson.
TENDENCY OF DUTIES TO INCREASE.
DOW CITY, Iowa.
When were the present tariff duties passed? Was it not when
Congress was Democratic? Are the duties now greater or less than
formerly?
_Answer._—The first United States tariff law on imported goods was
approved July 4, 1798. A small tax was then imposed, according to
the suggestion of Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury,
upon sugar, coffee, tea, salt, manufactured iron, glass and wool,
silk goods, and several articles of minor importance. While the
rate of duty has fluctuated, the general tendency has been toward
an increase. This is shown by the different enactments from 1832 to
the present time. In the latter year the duty on sugar was made 2½
cents per pound; in 1841, 20 per cent; in 1842, 2½ cents per pound;
in 1846, 30 per cent; in 1857, 24 per cent; in March, 1861, ¾ cent
per pound; in August, 1861, 2 cents per pound; in December, 1861, 2½
cents per pound; in 1862, 3 cents per pound; while the present rate
ranges, according to grade, from 57½ to 61¾ per cent. In 1832 the
duty on woolen manufactures was 50 per cent; in 1841, 20 per cent
ad valorem; in 1842, 40 per cent; in 1857, 24 per cent; in March,
1861, 25 per cent and 12 cents per pound; in 1862, 30 per cent and
18 cents per pound; in 1864, 40 per cent and 24 cents per pound; in
1867, 35 per cent and 50 cents per pound, while the present duty
upon woolen imports ranges, according to value, between 41 and 80
per cent. The same gradual increase is observable in silks, which in
1832 were admitted on an ad valorem duty of 10 per cent; in 1841, 20
per cent; in 1842, $2.50 per pound, changing in the same year to 25
per cent. In 1857 it was 19 per cent; in March, 1861, 30 per cent;
in August, 1861, 30 per cent; in 1864, 60 per cent, and in 1881,
58 to 70 per cent. With the exception of a few years when Andrew
Jackson was President, the different Congresses, Democratic as well
as Republican, have sustained the duties upon the imports of this
country. While the Republicans are mainly responsible for whatever is
good or bad in our present tariff laws, Democratic Representatives
from manufacturing districts have of late years, as a rule, given
cheerful aid to the maintenance of a protective tariff.
WHAT IS A CARAT.
CHICAGO.
Is a carat a measure of weight or fineness?
J. A. YOUNG.
_Answer._—It is used by jewelers to express both. A carat weighs
4 grains, or the 120th part of an ounce, troy. In determining the
fineness of a precious metal 24 carats is considered the standard of
purity; hence an 18-carat gold ring would be a ring containing 18
parts in 24 of pure gold.
INSTITUTIONS FOR FEEBLE-MINDED.
HOWARD CITY, Mich.
Do any of the States support asylums for weak-minded or imbecile
persons?
C. J. BURTCH.
_Answer._—The State of Ohio supports such an institution at Columbus,
and the State of Illinois at Lincoln. Several other States have
similar asylums.
DUTY ON GUNS.
LOWELL, Ind.
Please give the amount of duty on imported guns and gun material.
F. CASTLE.
_Answer._—The rate of duty on guns is 35 per cent; gun barrels,
wholly iron, 35 per cent; gun blocks, wooden, rough-hewn, or sawed
only, 20 per cent; gun locks, steel, 45 per cent; plugs and nipples,
for guns of iron and steel, 45 per cent.
HENRY JAMES, SENIOR AND JUNIOR.
DENVER, Ind.
Will you please mention the titles of the works of Henry James,
concerning whom an article recently appeared in THE SEMI-WEEKLY
INTER OCEAN.
R. F. OPLINGER.
_Answer._—Henry James, concerning whose death an interesting article
recently appeared in this paper, was the author of “Moralism and
Christianity;” “Lectures and Miscellanies;” “The Church of Christ not
an Ecclesiasticism;” “The Nature of Evil;” “Christianity, the Logic
of Creation;” “Substance and Shadow;” “The Secret of Swedenborg,”
and “Reminiscences of Carlyle.” He was a clergyman and not a writer
of romance; but his son, Henry James, Jr., is a novelist, and has
written the following popular works in this line: “Watch and Ward;”
“The American;” “Daisy Miller;” “An International Episode;” “The
Diary of a Man of Fifty;” “Washington Square;” “A Bundle of Letters,”
and other works of fiction; also, “Transatlantic Sketches,” a volume
of travel; “Hawthorne,” one of the series entitled “English Men of
Letters,” and “French Poets and Novelists,” a book in the nature of a
criticism.
THE LANGUAGE OF GEMS.
ALDEN, Iowa.
Please give the language of gems and precious stones.
C. L. F.
_Answer._—The language of the various precious stones is as follows:
Moss Agate—Health, prosperity, and long life.
Amethyst—Prevents violent passions.
Bloodstone—Courage, wisdom, and firmness in affection.
Chrysolite—Frees from evil passions and sadness.
Emerald—Insures true love, discovers false.
Diamond—Innocence, faith, and virgin purity, friends.
Garnet—Constancy and fidelity in every engagement.
Opal—Sharpens the sight and faith of the possessor.
Pearl—Purity; gives clearness to physical and mental sight.
Ruby—Corrects evils resulting from mistaken friendship.
Sapphire—Repentance; frees from enchantment.
Sardonyx—Insures conjugal felicity.
Topaz—Fidelity and friendship; prevents bad dreams.
Turquoise—Insures prosperity in love.
PHRENOLOGY.
MT. AYR, Iowa.
Give a short history of phrenology, mentioning in particular its
more prominent advocates.
E. E. DAVIS.
_Answer._—The history of phrenology is embodied in the lives of
its expounders. Although the prominent thinkers of mediæval Europe
acknowledged many of its principles, it was not until 1796 that
phrenology found an able and persistent advocate. Franz Joseph Gall,
who in 1758 was born in Baden, began in his childhood to study the
human face and head, and connect the various dispositions of men
with certain prominences noticeable in the shape of their skulls. He
studied medicine at various colleges, receiving his degree at Vienna.
Eleven years after his graduation he delivered a lecture in that
city, expounding his views on the subject which had been his constant
study. It was not well received, and his subsequent writings and
lectures were subjected to considerable censure and ridicule. They
were, indeed, to such an extent unpopular that in 1805 the Austrian
Government interdicted them, and he was compelled to refrain from
further advancing his views in that country. With Kasper Spurzheim,
a talented young man, who had embraced his doctrines while attending
the school of medicine in Vienna, Dr. Gall changed his abode to
Paris. In that city, with the aid of his pupil, he succeeded in
making a considerable impression. He afterward became a citizen of
France, and died in 1828, near Paris, leaving several works valuable
to the student of phrenology. In the meantime Dr. Spurzheim visited
England. His lectures were listened to with considerable interest and
many in that country adopted his views. In 1832 he came to the United
States; but soon after his first lecture, which had created quite a
sensation, he died in Boston. His efforts in England and Scotland
were continued by George Combe, a lawyer, who wrote and lectured in
those countries, and who also visited the United States. But he to
whom most credit is due for extending the tenets of phrenology in
this country is Oscar Squire Fowler, who was born at Cohocton, N. Y.,
Oct. 11, 1809, was educated at Amherst College, and has spent most of
his life in advocating his views. In 1876 he made his home at Boston,
although much of his time was spent in lecturing in various parts of
the land. Although one of the fundamental principles of phrenology is
that the mind is material and inseparable from the body, yet many who
deny such a conclusion accept some of its inferences.
THE CAPITOL OF NEW YORK.
VALPARAISO, Ind.
How much has the State of New York expended on its State House?
What will be the total cost of the building?
J. M.
_Answer._—In 1880 a report presented to the State Legislature of New
York in reference to the State House declared that $13,000,000 had
already been expended and that the ultimate cost of the building
would be fully $20,000,000. With all this lavish expenditure the
State House is said to be inadequate; its lower rooms are dark and
unwholesome; the acoustics of the Senate Chamber render it difficult
to hear a debate; and considerable complaint is made because the
building, which covers three acres, is three-fifths halls and
corridors.
SILVER POLISH.
CHICAGO, Ill.
What chemical used in boiling water will polish German silver.
A SUBSCRIBER.
_Answer._—To clean and polish silver, silver-plate, and alloys, the
following method is often employed: To 1 quart of water is added 1
ounce of carbonate of potash and ¼ pound of whiting. This is heated,
and the silver immersed. When the liquid has boiled for twenty
minutes it is removed from the fire and permitted to cool. Each piece
is then taken out and polished with soft leather.
THE FAMOUS BURLEIGH.
COLFAX, Ind.
Give me a short history of Lord Burleigh.
SAMUEL SMITH.
_Answer._—William Cecil Burleigh, who, Hume declares, was the “most
vigilant, active and prudent Minister ever known in England,” was
born in Lincolnshire in 1520. He studied law and graduated at
Cambridge. When only 28 years old, he became Secretary of State, but
at the accession of the Catholic Queen Mary he resigned. Although he
was a stanch supporter of the Protestant cause, he was one of the
few who was not persecuted. When Queen Elizabeth in 1558 succeeded
her sister, Burleigh again assumed control of the state and became
virtually the Prime Minister. For forty years he retained this
office, until his death. To his ability much of the credit of
Elizabeth’s wise and prosperous reign is due. He was a man in whom
“the Virgin Queen” could place entire confidence. He was rewarded in
1571 with a barony and in the following year was made Lord Treasurer.
His rule has been severely criticised in some particulars, and
especially as regards his treatment of Mary, Queen of Scots; but his
integrity and statesmanship have never been called in question by
well-informed, impartial historians.
STATISTICS OF RELIGIOUS SECTS.
CORNING, Iowa.
Please give the names of the various religious denominations in the
United States and their respective membership.
J. B. G.
_Answer._—The denominational statistics of the census if compiled
are not available. The Rand-McNally Index of the World gives the
following data for Jan. 1, 1881, which may be considered a fair
estimate:
Roman Catholic 6,174,202
Baptist 2,133,044
Methodist 1,680,779
M. E. South 828,013
Lutheran 684,570
Presbyterian 573,377
Christian 567,448
Congregational 383,685
Protestant Episcopal 323,876
United Brethren 155,437
Reformed Church in U. S. 154,742
United Evangelical 144,000
Presbyterian South 119,970
Protestant Methodist 118,170
Cumberland Presbyterian 111,855
Mormon 110,377
Evangelical Association 99,607
The Brethren 90,000
United Presbyterian 80,236
Reformed Church in America 78,917
Freewill Baptists 76,706
Friends 67,643
Second Adventist 63,500
Anti-Mission Baptist 40,000
Universalist 37,945
Church of God 20,224
Wesleyan Methodist 17,847
Moravian 16,112
Seventh Day Adventist 14,733
Jews 13,683
Free Methodist 12,120
Adventist 11,100
Reformed Episcopal 10,459
Seventh Day Baptist 8,606
Reformed Presbyterian 6,020
New Jerusalem 4,734
Primitive Methodist 3,370
New Mennonite 2,990
American Communities 2,838
Shaker 2,400
Independent Methodist 2,100
Six Principle Baptist 2,075
THE ITALIAN POET TASSO.
CHARLESTON, Ill.
Will you please give something of the life and writings of Torquato
Tasso?
H. B. GLASSCO.
_Answer._—Torquato Tasso, the unfortunate Italian poet, was born in
1544. With the intention of practicing law he studied at Naples,
Rome, and afterward at Bergamo. The wonderful popularity of his first
poem, “Rinaldo,” written when only 18 years old, led him to abandon
jurisprudence and devote himself entirely to literary pursuits.
This production was a lively epic composed of twelve cantos, full
of the romance of mediæval times. Soon after he began to labor on
his “Gerusalemme Liberata,” or Jerusalem liberated, his chief work,
which he completed in 1575. He was for a time in great favor at court
and in the Vatican, and the Pope bestowed many favors upon him, and
King Alfonso II. gave him a pension. The Duke of Ferrara became
his especial patron, and treated him as a member of his household,
until Tasso conceived an uncontrollable affection for the Duke’s
daughter, which she did not reciprocate, while the Duke was offended.
In despair he yielded to melancholy, which soon grew into a species
of insanity, so that it became necessary to remove him to the home
of his sister. Here he partially recovered, but he would not be
satisfied until again admitted to the Duke of Ferrara’s household,
where his malady returned, and the Duke, in 1579, removed him to an
insane asylum. There he remained seven years, while all Italy was
singing his praises. After his release he resided at Mantua, and
then at Naples. In 1594, the Pope, Clement VIII., invited him to
come to Rome and be crowned; but before he could go to receive the
promised honors, he died, April 25, 1595. Two of his dramatic poems
“Aminta” and “Torrismondo,” were received with great favor; but that
which contributed most to his fame was the “Gerusalemme Liberata,”
translated into the English by Edward Fairfax as early as 1600 and
by J. K. James as late as 1865. Tasso takes rank among Italian poets
next after Dante.
THE GUITEAU JURY.
DUNLAP, Iowa.
Give the names of the jurors in the Guiteau trial.
JOHN KEITGES.
_Answer._—After three days’ labor the following jury was selected
for the Guiteau trial: John P. Harlin, Fred W. Brandenburg, Charles
G. Stewart, Henry J. Bright, Thomas H. Langley, Michael Sheehan,
Samuel F. Hobbs, G. W. Gates, Ralph Wormley, William H. Browner, T.
Heinlein, and Joseph Prather.
THE ERIE AND MICHIGAN CANAL.
FAIRMONT, Ind.
Is there a prospect of a canal connecting Lakes Erie and Michigan?
What would be the length of the canal? What would be the distance
around the lakes between the mouths of the proposed canals?
C. T. COX.
_Answer._—There is no prospect of an early union of Lake Erie and
Lake Michigan by a canal. The length of such waterway would be about
200 miles. The distance around the lakes, from the eastern mouth of
the proposed canal to the western mouth is about 700 miles.
A RETIRED CONGRESSMAN.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.
Who represented the Ninth District of Ohio in Congress in 1864 and
1865? Please give a brief sketch of his life.
A READER.
_Answer._—Warren P. Noble, who represented the Ninth District of Ohio
in Congress from 1861 to 1865, was born in Pennsylvania, June 14,
1821. He received a common school education, and in his youth moved
to Ohio, where he studied law. He began to practice at Tiffin, where
his abilities were soon recognized, and he became a member of the
Legislature of his State, serving in that capacity from 1856 to 1860.
He was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-seventh Congress in 1860,
re-elected in 1862, serving in both Congresses on the Committee on
Patents. Being defeated by the Republican nominee in 1864, and this
party having grown powerful by the success of its wise and patriotic
policy before another biennial election came around, Mr. Noble
retired permanently from politics.
SAMUEL J. RANDALL.
BLOOMINGTON, Ill.
Send us a few facts in regard to ex-Speaker Randall, one of the big
chiefs in the Democratic camp.
S. MOORE.
_Answer._—Samuel J. Randall is undoubtedly one of the leading spirits
in his party. He is a shrewd, sagacious politician rather than a
great statesman, but in statesmanship he is one of the prominent
figures on the Democratic side of the House. He is shrewd enough to
know that a Democrat of out-and-out free-trade professions would have
no encouragement to aspire to any office in the gift of Pennsylvania,
but besides this it is only fair to grant him credit for knowing
that it would be ruinous to the enormous mining, manufacturing,
and farming interests of his State for this country to practice
free trade. So he has been instrumental in keeping a considerable
following of Democrats who will vote with him against violent
reductions in the present tariff. Mr. Randall is a Philadelphian by
birth. He was born Oct. 10, 1828; received a fair academic education;
was for a time engaged in mercantile business; was for four years a
member of the City Council; then a member of the State Senate for
a year; was elected to the Thirty-eighth Congress, and has held
membership in the House ever since. In the election of 1880 he
carried his district by 13,661 votes, against 9,880 for B. L. Berry,
Republican, and he was re-elected last November by a still larger
majority. He has sat on several of the most important committees
in the House; was Speaker for the last session of the Forty-fourth
Congress, for the Forty-fifth and the Forty-sixth Congresses, and has
a fair prospect of being Speaker of the next Congress.
CAN A JEW BE A GERMAN?
ROCK FALLS, Ill.
Is it possible for a Jew to be a German, or a German a Jew? And how
is it in other countries?
L. E. C. ROE.
_Answer._—A German may be a Jew, or a Jew a German, Englishman,
Frenchman, Italian, American, or of any nationality under the sun.
As a Jew his nationality embraces the world; in many respects he
still observes the laws of Moses, and by marriage and other peculiar
institutions he maintains his race distinctions and national
feelings. At the same time he is now in most Christian states a
citizen of the land he happens to be born in, and in most such lands
is permitted to enjoy all the rights of other citizens, as is the
case with American Jews. It was not always so. It is only since
the establishment of the German Empire, in 1871, that the Jew has
enjoyed full civil equality in Germany. France granted it in 1790,
and confirmed this grant in the constitution of 1795. In all but a
few petty, contemptible particulars, since 1858 English Jews have
enjoyed all the privileges of other British subjects. In Russia and
some other European countries the Jew is still denied the rights of
citizenship.
DUTIES ON FARM PRODUCTS AND COAL.
REST, Kas.
Give the present import duty on the various kinds of grain, also
potatoes, butter, cheese, and coal, and oblige several readers.
JOHN F. COULTER.
_Answer._—The following are the import duties on some of the
principal farm products and coal:
Wheat, seed or other 20 cts. per bu. of 60 lbs.
Wheat flour 20 per cent
Corn 10 cts. per bu. of 56 lbs.
Corn meal 10 per cent
Barley, 48 lbs. to bu. 15 cts. per bu.
Barley, patent 20 per cent
Barley, pearl or hulled 1 ct. per lb.
Barley, pulverized 20 per cent
Oats 10 cts. per bu. of 32 lbs.
Oatmeal ½ ct. per lb.
Rye 15 cts. per bu. of 56 lbs.
Rye flour 10 per cent
Rye shorts 10 per cent
The import duty on potatoes, seed or otherwise, is 14 cents per
bushel; on butter, 4 cents per pound; on cheese of all kinds, 4 cents
per pound; on salt in bulk, 8 cents per 100 pounds; in bags, sacks,
barrels, or other packages or in brown earthenware jars, 12 cents per
100 pounds; on bituminous coal, 75 cents per ton of 28 bushels of 80
pounds each; on dust coal, 40 cents per ton; on cannel coal, 75 cents
per ton.
ST. HELENA.
RACCOON, Ill.
What are the area and present population of the island of St.
Helena? What is its history? Was the banishment of Napoleon just?
SUBSCRIBER.
_Answer._—The island of St. Helena, whose name always recalls the
gloomy downfall of Napoleon I., contains an area of about forty-seven
miles. It supports a population of 6,241 souls. It was discovered in
1501 by Juan de Nova Castella, a bold Portugese navigator, who gave
it the name St. Helena, because he first saw it on the day sacred to
that saint in the Romish calendar. In the following century the Dutch
took possession and retained it until England seized it in 1673. When
Napoleon Bonaparte was first banished to this island and held here
as a political prisoner under British surveillance, the population
was but about 800,200 of whom were soldiers and 300 slaves. The
importance to a maratime nation like Great Britain of St. Helena,
lying as it does in the path of European, South African, Australian,
and India and China trade, developed as years passed: its value as a
naval station and its other strategic advantages have become more and
more apparent, and now it is looked upon as one of the strong keys of
English power in the South Atlantic.
HOW SLAVERY AFFECTED CONGRESSIONAL APPORTIONMENTS.
HENRIETTA, Neb.
Were slaveholders entitled to extra votes for the slaves which they
possessed?
INQUIRER.
_Answer._—In Congressional apportionments before the war, five
negroes were counted as equal to three whites. Of course the slaves
were not permitted to vote, but the voting power of the whites was
plainly magnified over that of an equal number of whites in the free
States. For example, the first Congressional apportionment allowed
one representative for every 30,000 inhabitants; but in the South
21,000 whites owning 15,000 slaves counted the same as 30,000 whites
in the North where there were no slaves, or 15,000 whites holding
25,000 slaves were granted the same representation in Congress and
the electoral college as double the number of Northern whites.
JEFFERSON AND JEFFERSONIANISM.
BELLE PLAINE, Iowa.
Please give a brief biography of Thomas Jefferson.
A SON OF VULCAN.
_Answer._—“Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of American
Independence, of the statute of Virginia for religious freedom,
and father of the University of Virginia,” is the inscription upon
Jefferson’s tombstone. He was born April 2, 1743, in the county of
Albemarle, in the interior of Virginia, then a desolate forest. His
diligence and study was encouraged by his parents, who placed him
under the care of a talented Scottish clergyman. When he was 17
he entered William and Mary College, and after graduation studied
law. In 1759 he was chosen to represent his county in the House of
Burgesses, where he continued with but little interruption until the
days of the revolution. Like George Washington, disappointed in his
first love, he married a widow, in 1772. Three years later he was
sent as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress. As Chairman
of the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence, he is
said to have written the whole of that document, which, with a few
minor amendments, was adopted by Congress and sent to the King of
England. In October he resigned and retired to his farm, but only
again to be forced into civil life by his election to the State
Legislature. During the war he was not only busy in originating and
advocating measures to aid the cause of liberty but also he began a
thorough revision of the statutes of Virginia. From 1779 to 1781 he
served as Governor. After a short term in the House of Burgesses he
was sent to the Confederate Congress, which, in 1784, thought fit to
appoint him as one of the three commissioners to negotiate treaties
with European nations. Upon Franklin’s return Jefferson was made
Minister Plenipotentiary to the court of Louis XVI. He watched with
eager interest the progress of the French Revolution, and when given
a leave of absence in 1789 returned filled with democratic ideas
from the new republic. Upon his landing he was immediately tendered
by Washington a position in his Cabinet as Secretary of State. Soon
it became evident to Jefferson that among the President’s advisers
there existed a radical difference of opinion on nearly every
important subject. Hamilton was regarded by the Secretary of State
as a man in favor of a constitutional monarchy, and the latter’s
ideas of centralization were construed to mean the destruction of
the existing Constitution and the formation of a government like
that of England. The Secretary of the Treasury, on the other hand,
believed Jefferson to be infused with the socialistic democracy of
France, and one whose principles if put in practice would overthrow
the Constitution and produce anarchy. To Jefferson the financial
policy of Hamilton was very aggravating. The recommendations of
the Treasurer to Congress he believed to be in the interest of the
speculators and the moneyed classes. On New Year’s Day, 1794, he
resigned his office, greatly to the annoyance of Washington, who
was reluctantly compelled to acquiesce, and returned to his farm.
The position occupied by the first President was a peculiarly
embarrassing one. He had in his Cabinet Jefferson and Randolph, the
leaders of the Republican, or Anti-Federal party, and Hamilton and
Knox prominent Federalists. With such associations the administration
as a whole was comparatively little criticised, although Hamilton and
Jefferson were the targets for the denunciations of their respective
opponents. In 1800 Jefferson and Burr each received 73 electoral
votes to Adams’ 65, which threw the election into the House.
According to the decision of that body Jefferson was inaugurated
March 4, 1801. His frugal administration increased the popularity
of his party, which continued to remain in power twenty-four years.
After having served two terms he again retired to his farm, a poor
man, considerably burdened with debt. Congress purchased his library,
which their committee valued at $23,000, although its cost had been
nearly double that sum. Mr. Bacon, who had charge of the removal,
says that there were sixteen wagon loads, each wagon being required
to carry at least 3,000 pounds. The remainder of his life he spent
in endeavoring to introduce schools and colleges, and in general,
the New England system of local government into his native State.
After witnessing the establishment of the University of Virginia, he
died July 4, 1826, upon the same day that John Adams passed away. In
politics Jefferson was considered by the Federalists as a theorist.
Speaking of his administration, Gouverneur Morris says: “There is
just now so much philosophy among our rulers that we must not be
surprised at the charge of pusillanimity.” In religion he was very
bitter against the Calvinists, and held Unitarian views.
WHAT IS MICA—WHERE OBTAINED?
AURORA, Neb.
What is mica, and where is it found?
B. O. B.
_Answer._—Mica consists of a silicate of alumina, combined, according
to species, with small proportions of potash, soda, lithia, oxide
of iron, oxide of manganese, etc. The most common and serviceable
variety is known as potash mica. It is a constituent of granite,
gneiss, mica slate, and several other kindred rocks. It is found both
disseminated and in veins. It is very widely distributed, especially
in composition with other minerals; but there are comparatively few
localities where it is known to exist in such quantities and form as
to be mined with profit. Its most valuable form is that of muscovite,
in which it appears in translucent lamina or plates. The larger and
clearer these plates the greater the value of the mine or quarry. In
Siberia they have been found more than three feet across, and they
have been obtained of great size in Sweden and Norway. This is also
the case at Acworth, Grafton, and Alstead, N. H., and mica has been
found large enough for economic use in Canada. Mica is used largely
for the doors of stoves and the sides of lanterns. It is employed in
some countries as a substitute for window glass, and its toughness
recommends it for this purpose on board vessels of war. It has also
been used for spectacles. When ground it makes a cheap bronzing
powder. There are some mica factories in North Carolina, near
Mitchell County mica mines. In the state of a fine powder it is used
to give a brilliant appearance to walls, and as a sand for drying ink
on manuscripts. Lithia mica contains a small proportion of lithia,
which gives it in many cases a fine rose or peachblow color, so that
it is used for ornamental purposes.
WHY THE GREAT DIPPER SPINS AROUND THE POLE.
COLDWATER, Mich.
Please explain the apparent revolution of the Dipper about the
Polar Star.
J. C. A.
_Answer._—The Great Dipper only appears to revolve, owing to the
revolution of the earth. Of course, it makes an apparent revolution
every twenty-four hours, the same as the sun. It is visible
throughout the entire night because it is within what is called the
circle of perpetual apparition, or that part of the heavens which is
always in sight to the observer. This circle enlarges as one travels
from the equator, where it is nothing, to the pole, where it takes in
the whole northern hemisphere.
THE OLD UNITED STATES BANK.
CRESTON, Iowa.
Please give the location and explain the government of the first
and second banks of the United States.
M. M. MCKEE.