naked eye, appearing as minute specks. They average in size
one-seventy-eighth of an inch in length and one-thirtieth in breadth,
and it does not require a very powerful microscope to disclose them.
* * * * *
R. A. Santer, Hitesville, Iowa.—To kill white willow, cut it close
to the ground in February or March to encourage the wood growth, and
then cut again about the middle of the following August. If any of
them sprout after that, keep them cut back and the roots must perish.
* * * * *
Minnie Brumfield, Perry, Iowa.—“Sheridan’s Ride” was written by
Thomas Buchanan Read, one of the most delightful of American poets.
* * * * *
John Nail, Xenia, Ill.—Your question has been answered very recently.
A husband and wife cannot, both, make pre-emption or homestead
entries. A married woman can do so only where she is held to be
the virtual head of the family, as in case of the insanity or
imprisonment of her husband, or abandonment.
* * * * *
A Subscriber, Hobart, Ind.—The proportion of butter in milk varies
with the breed of cattle and their food. The average is about 5 per
cent in good milk. It is nearer 6 per cent in the milk of Jersey
cows on good feed. The proportion of butter in cream also varies
considerably. It will average about 5½ pounds of butter to ten of
cream.
* * * * *
C. S. Hasbrouck, Mendon, Mich.—The ancient language of the Irish was
of Celtic origin, and specimens of it are still extant in old legal
documents. As a living written language it no longer exists, but a
corruption of it is still spoken among the natives of the mountain
districts.
* * * * *
S. M., Moline, Ill.—Northwestern Arkansas has been partially
described in another part of “Our Curiosity Shop” to-day. The more
common trees are the poplar, oak, pine, sycamore, ash, elm, and
hickory. This part of the State is watered by the White and Arkansas
rivers, and their tributaries. The principal railroads are the
St. Louis and the Little Rock and Fort Smith. Upon the former the
important towns are: Van Buren, population, 1,029; Fayetteville,
population, 1,788, and Bentonville, population, 784; on the latter,
Ozark, population, 824, and Clarksville, population, 656.
* * * * *
A. B., Chicago—At the census of 1880 the “West Side” division of this
city had the largest population. The Fourteenth Ward contained the
most inhabitants, 56,464; the First Ward, the business center, the
fewest, 14,770.
* * * * *
E. H. Topper, Greensburg, Pa.—Historians disagree as to the number
in Xerxes’ army when he invaded Greece, but no one of them was ever
so insane as to assert that he had 35,000,000 men. According to
Herodotus, the whole number of fighting men in the military and naval
force was nearly 2,500,000. He supposes, and it was evidently a wild
guess, that with the raw recruits picked up in passing through the
territories of Thrace, Macedonia, Magnesia, and other half-savage
districts, who hoped to share in the spoils of Greece, and the
servants and camp followers, there was a total multitude of about
6,000,000 persons. Other Grecian writers regard this as a gross
exaggeration.
* * * * *
James Dunnoon, Davenport, Iowa—The extent of the Victoria Nyanza, or
great fresh water lake at the head of the Nile, is a little more than
that of Lake Huron and a trifle less than that of Lake Michigan. It
does not vary in size 1,000 square miles from either.
* * * * *
De Lesseps, Peoria, Ill.—The average height of the Atlantic Ocean
at the Isthmus of Darien above the Pacific is given in “Haswell’s
Engineer’s Pocket-book” as 6.56 feet.
* * * * *
W. I. Pratt, Tuscola, Ill.—The nickname “gentle shepherd” belonged to
the Hon. George Grenville (born in 1712), and originated thus: He was
a Whig, and while urging a tax upon cider, asked his opponents where
they would have it. Becoming excited, he exclaimed: “Let them tell me
where; I repeat it, sir, tell me where;” when Pitt, who was one of
the opposition, raised a laugh by repeating the words of an old song,
“Gentle shepherd, tell me where.” Your other questions we cannot
answer.
* * * * *
N. Johnson, Peoria, Ill.—The three most level States in the Union are
Delaware, Louisiana, and Illinois; the latter being more broken than
either of the others.
* * * * *
Readers, Chicago—John Wilkes Booth was shot in a barn near Bowling
Green, Va., April 26, 1865 twelve days after the assassination—while
resisting arrest—by Boston Corbett.
* * * * *
L. D. Nickerson, Appleton, Wis.—The name of the author of “Ecce Homo”
and “Ecce Deus” is John Robert Seeley.
* * * * *
A Reader, Freeport, Ill.—The essential difference between a galvanic
and a Faraday battery is that the former uses a connecting fluid
between zinc and copper, and the latter uses the magnetic coil.
* * * * *
“Anxious Mother”—Kansas has established a reform school for boys at
North Topeka. The Nebraska Legislature has voted $10,000 to open an
industrial reform school at Kearney.
* * * * *
F. G. Day, Strahn, Iowa—Cole Younger is working out a life sentence
in the Stillwater State Penitentiary, Minn.
* * * * *
An Inquirer, Joliet, Ill.—Prince Gortschakoff skillfully retreated
with his garrison from Sebastopol when beleaguered by the allied
armies.
* * * * *
Frank C. Mercer, Kansas City, Mo.—1. A troy ounce weighs 480 grains;
an avoirdupois ounce, 437½ grains. 2. Aaron Burr was the third Vice
President of the United States, having been elected with Thomas
Jefferson in 1800.
* * * * *
Samuel Burt, Girard, Kan.—The distillery having the largest capacity
in the United States is located at Peoria, Ill. If the great
distillery at Des Moines, Iowa, were fully equipped, as originally
intended, it would be the largest in the world.
* * * * *
L. D. Crotchett, Edwardsville, Kan.—1. The salary of United States
Senators and Representatives is $5,000 each. 2. The Vice President
and Speaker of the House each receive $8,000. 3. According to a
decision of Attorney General Brewster, a Congressman is not a United
States officer within the meaning of that term in certain statutes;
but in the broader sense of the word he is an officer. See definition
of officer in Webster’s Dictionary.
* * * * *
B. Frank Hoover, Penrose, Ill.—The days you name are not made school
holidays by statute, although they are legal holidays as regards
commercial paper. Saturdays, New Years, Fourth of July, and Christmas
are the only legal school holidays in Illinois, unless the board of
directors agrees to grant other holidays, which it has power to do.
* * * * *
M. L. Karney, Brodhead, Wis.—The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul
Railroad pays Mr. Lawler twenty-five cents for every freight car,
and fifty cents for every coach which he transports across the
Mississippi upon his pontoon bridges at Prairie du Chien. The company
has no other means of crossing at that place.
* * * * *
J. H. Rhodes, Big Rock, Ill.—The Erie Canal, extending from Buffalo
to Albany, has at the western end an eastern flow for a short
distance—from Buffalo to Seneca River, then a western flow from Lodi
to the Seneca River, and finally an eastern flow from Lodi into
the Hudson River near Albany. The motion of the water is greatly
moderated by the numerous locks, which serve to impede the current.
The expense of constructing this canal was much less per mile than
the cost of the Suez Canal.
* * * * *
George W. Robbins, Peru, Neb.—The United States statutes are silent
upon the subject of National holidays, except that they provide that
as to negotiable paper, bills of exchange, promissory notes, etc.,
the effect of July 4, Dec. 25, and Thanksgiving Day shall be the same
as that of Sunday, or the first day of the week.
* * * * *
C. E. Stevenson, Bryant, Ill.—Sam Patch made his last and fatal leap
at Genesee Falls, New York.
* * * * *
P. A. Brooks, Mt. Vernon, Iowa.—The Constitution of the United States
was framed by a convention of delegates from all the States except
Rhode Island, held at Philadelphia in September, 1787. Tom Paine was
not a delegate.
* * * * *
J. R. Cripper.—Adelaide Neilson was a distinguished actress. She
filled several successful engagements in this city, and died in Paris
in 1852.
* * * * *
R. S., Kill Creek, Kan.—The height of mountains is determined from
the relative height of the barometer. Ascending from the sea level
the air becomes lighter, and the mercury in the barometer falls.
Civil engineers, knowing the height of the barometer at sea level,
and also at the place whose height they desire to determine, are able
to compute the elevation of the place. Other methods are sometimes
used.
* * * * *
Harry T. Ashton, Chicago—Emile Gaboriau is a man. 2. “Ouida” is the
assumed name of Miss Louisa De la Rame, an English novelist of French
extraction.
* * * * *
V. G. Bush, Cayuga, Ill.—A young lady ceases to be a minor when she
attains the age of 18. 2. Brokerage is computed on the face, or par
value of stock.
* * * * *
H. Joint, Logan, Kan.—The statutes of California declare the marriage
of white and colored persons unlawful. The Constitution of the United
States does not forbid it.
* * * * *
Milton T. Cox, Fairmount, Ind.—The steamship Alaska, which made the
quickest time on record from New York to Queenstown, viz., 6 days 18
h 37 m, sailed 2,925.7 miles. This may be considered a fair estimate
of the sailing distance between the two places.
* * * * *
Ex-Soldier, Kellerton, Iowa—1. Alcohol thermometers are used for
observing temperature below 38 degrees, though ordinarily they are
not as accurate as mercurial thermometers.
* * * * *
John A. Hughes, Grapeland, Texas—For the election of members of
the lower house of the General Assembly of Illinois the State is
districted so that three members represent each district. Then every
elector is permitted to cast three votes. He may give three to one
candidate, one and a half to each of two, or one to each of the three.
* * * * *
Subscriber, Belmond, Iowa—The real name of Eli Perkins is M. D.
Landon.
* * * * *
G. W. D., Chicago.—As nearly as one can judge from the names, about
four-fifths of the Chicago saloon-keepers are foreign born. As to
their politics, it is hard to tell where to place them, except in a
local election, when a majority of them are sure to be in favor of
low license and anti-Sunday legislation.
* * * * *
F. M. P., Clipper, Iowa.—It is probable Saint John died at Ephesus
during the reign of the Emperor Trajan. Jerome states that he was 100
years old, Suidas 120 years. There is no reference to the age of Job,
save that he lived 140 years after his trials ended. 2. Molasses is a
singular noun.
* * * * *
R. P. Drake, Shenandoah, Iowa—The origin of the word dude, is not
certainly known. It has been in English slang for a 100 years
at least. It has not been widely used in this country until
comparatively recently, but in Salem, Mass., and vicinity, it has
held a place in local slang for many years.
* * * * *
Subscriber, Houghton, Mich.—St. Patrick’s Day is the day set apart in
the Romish calendar for special religious observances in honor of the
founder of the Christian church in Ireland, canonized by the Church
of Rome as St. Patrick. It is probably not the day of his birth,
since it is generally conceded that it is impossible to determine
that.
* * * * *
Mrs. J. R. Dowling, Wheatland, Iowa.—After the death of the great
Roman general and statesman, Cæsar became a title of all of the
Roman emperors, and from them has passed into several other European
countries to designate the chief ruler. In Germany it appears as
Kaiser, and in Russia as Czar. 2. We have lately answered your other
questions.
* * * * *
E. C. W., Garden City, Kan.—The Dry Tortugas and several other
islands off the Florida coast belong to the United States. The
government has a military station, hospital, etc. on the Dry
Tortugas, and sometimes sends convicts there.
* * * * *
A. V. Bacon, Lansing, Minn.—The principal reasons for outgoing
trans-Atlantic steamers from the United States bearing north, are:
the influence of the gulf stream running from the southern extremity
of Florida up the American coast, making to northeastward between
New Foundland and Ireland; the higher latitude of the British Isles;
and in certain seasons the prevailing winds. “Imaginary lines” have
nothing to do with their choice of this course. If the form of the
earth was the only thing to be considered, the steamers would sail
on the great circle connecting the port of departure and the port of
destination, both going and coming, because such a circle marks the
shortest distance between the two points on the sphere. But winds and
currents are more important than shortest distances.
* * * * *
E. D. Vorhes, Peotone, Ill.—We believe Whittier is sometimes
referred to as the “bachelor poet,” but we know of no living poet of
distinction referred to as “the boy poet.” Isaac Watts wrote verses
at a very early age, despite of all the attempts of his father to
reform him of this weakness. Our own William Cullen Bryant, who was
very fond of declaiming some of Watts’ hymns at 7, 6, and even 5
years of age, began to make verses of his own at 8 years, and wrote
a poem for a school examination at 10 years, which was of sufficient
merit to become a stock declamation in other schools. He wrote “The
Embargo” and “The Spanish Revolution” when he was but 13. Henry Kirke
White wrote good poetry before he was 15, and published a volume of
poems when he was not quite 17. Other “boy poets” there have been,
but who is the “boy poet,” so recognized, of this prosaic age?
* * * * *
Fred Cooke, Butte City, M. T.—Probably New York State leads all
others in the quantity and quality of marketable apples produced and
in the prices realized.
* * * * *
Adaline, Moline, Ill.—A lady writing to a person who does not know
whether she is single or married should sign Mrs. or Miss ——, as
otherwise the receiver cannot tell how to address his reply.
* * * * *
A. P. Hargrave, Lowden, Iowa.—The rectangular system of survey was
adopted by the United States Government May 20, 1785, several years
before the adoption of the present constitution. It was put to
practice first in Southwestern Ohio; the first principal meridian
being run from the mouth of the Great Miami.
* * * * *
Theodore Wiltz, Dana, Ill.—Yes, “a person who has resided in the
United States but one year, and has only taken out his first
naturalization papers can pre-empt or make a homestead entry in
Dakota.” He does not need to reside in the country a year; fifteen
minutes is long enough after he has formally declared his intention
to become a citizen: so great-hearted and liberal is “Uncle Sam.”
* * * * *
Charles W. Collins, Louisville, Wis.—In cases of simultaneous
applications to enter under the homestead laws, the rule is as
follows: Where neither party has improvements on the land, it should
be sold to the one who bids highest. Where one has actual settlement
and improvements and the other none, it should be awarded to the
actual settler. Where both allege settlement and improvements, an
investigation must be had, and the lands awarded to him who shows the
prior actual settlement and substantial improvements, each as to be
notice on the ground to any competitor.
* * * * *
Inquirer, ——, Kan.—The law making it necessary for an officer of one
State to have a requisition from the Governor of the same upon the
authorities of another State before he can arrest and take therefrom
any person charged with crime is designed to prevent persons from
being transported to other States, in some cases far from home,
friends, business interests, to be tried among strangers, without
good evidence that a crime of some magnitude has been committed.
Similar reasons, but of much less cogency, apply in support of laws
limiting the authority of sheriffs and constables to the counties to
which they belong, except when armed with special warrants.
* * * * *
L. J. Martin. Bowling Green, Ky.—The following States cast their
electoral votes for Mr. Lincoln for his first term: California,
Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, Vermont, Wisconsin.
* * * * *
J. S. White, Paw Paw, Mich.—The largest ratio of colored population
in Kansas in 1880 was in Bourbon County, being as 7,314 to 8,642, or
nearly 47 per cent of the total. The next was in Christian County,
where it was as 14,639 to 17,043, or a little over 45 per cent. The
ratio in Fayette County was almost as great, say as 12,974 to 16,049,
or over 44 per cent. There were no other counties where it was nearly
so great.
* * * * *
Subscriber, Blendon, Kan.—1. The Penitentiary at Sing Sing, N. Y., is
a State institution. Prisoners convicted in Federal courts are sent
there under an arrangement between State and Federal authorities.
2. Rip Van Winkle is the fictitious hero of one of Washington
Irving’s “Sketch Book” tales, entitled the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
The popular play of the same name is the same story, with some
alterations, as dramatized by Dion Boucicault.
* * * * *
B. F. McCormick, Rock Valley, Iowa.—“Sunset Cox” takes this nickname
from a really vivid but rather grandiloquent description of an Ohio
sunset, which was widely copied into exchanges at the time it was
written, many years ago. “Extra Billy Smith,” not “of New York,” but
ante bellum Representative from Virginia, and subsequently Governor
of that State when in rebellion, fairly won this name from his
predilection for recommending and voting extras in appropriation
bills.
* * * * *
W. I. Pratt.—1. Thomas Green Fessenden was an early American author
and journalist of wide reputation. He was born in New Hampshire
in 1771; graduated at Dartmouth College in 1796; studied law, but
made more reputation as a writer. His poem, “The Country Lovers,”
was popular, as was also his humorous, satirical poem, “Terrible
Tractoration.” He settled in Boston in 1804, where he became editor
of the _New England Farmer_, He died in 1837.
* * * * *
A Subscriber, Walnut, Iowa.—Whether persons who have been shipwrecked
shall be carried free of charge upon other vessels is optional with
the captains of said vessels. If landed in a strange country, they
may seek aid from the consul representing their own government. The
American consul is furnished with funds to help shipwrecked seamen
only, but he is under obligation to do what he can for all American
citizens in distress.
* * * * *
Dicke, Dana, Ill.—There is no “Senator at large.” A “Representative
at large” is one elected by the entire State, instead of a district,
in those States failing to redistrict before the election following
the reapportionment of Representatives according to the latest
census. For instance, the four additional Representatives given to
Kansas by the last Congressional apportionment were elected on a
general State ticket and not from single districts. In Maine, where
the number of Congressmen was reduced, the Legislature having failed
to redistrict the State all the Representatives were elected on a
general State ticket.
* * * * *
David E. Gray.—1. The treaty of St. Ildefonso was an offensive and
defensive alliance between the first French Republic and Spain,
negotiated Aug. 19, 1796, resulting, among other things, in a war
between these allied powers and England. 2. Oregon and Washington
Territory fix the weight of a bushel of green apples at 45 pounds.
Other States and Territories fix the legal weight of dried apples,
but not of green apples, so far as we can discover.
* * * * *
A Reader, Crete, Neb.—The greater weight of a body at the poles, as
compared with its weight at the equator, is attributed, principally,
to two causes, viz., the estimated shorter distance from the pole to
the center of the earth; and the centrifugal force resulting from the
revolution of the earth on its axis, which is zero at the poles and
at its maximum at the equator.
* * * * *
John Steele, Chicago—Yes, a fine watch may easily be ruined by too
close approach to a powerful electrical machine. The hair-spring and
balance wheel become magnetized, and it is difficult and costly to
get them demagnetized.
* * * * *
James McNulty, Chicago—The pitch of a roof is the ratio of its
height divided by its span. Consequently a half pitch roof is one
whose height is half its span, a quarter pitch one whose height is
one-fourth the span, and so on. The answer you refer to was defective
in omitting the word “span” after “foot.”
* * * * *
Charles Seymour, Chicago, Ill.—The Emperor Maximilian I., of Mexico,
had two foreign legions besides his French allies, one known as the
“Belgic Legion,” the other as the “Austrian Legion.”
* * * * *
O. Clark.—In the case of Wright vs. Wood it was decided that “four
pre-emptors may combine to erect a house upon the corner common to
their claims, but each pre-emptor must reside in his own part of
the house.” If you will send your address and a postal-card we will
answer your other question.
* * * * *
Taylor Lee, Sammon’s Landing, Mich.—Great Abaco is an island in the
Bahama group. It is about eighty miles long and twenty wide. Little
Abaco, about twenty-eight miles long, is near it. They are both
specially adapted to the raising of early vegetables for the great
American markets. Being at the northern end of the Bahamas, they lie
directly east of the most eastern projection of Florida. They belong
to Great Britain.
* * * * *
L. J. Worden, Bowling Green, Ky.—The first railroad on which a
locomotive was operated was the Merthyr-Tydvil Railway, England. This
was in 1804. But the first railway built for general traffic was
constructed by Pease and Stephenson in 1825. It was the Stockton and
Darlington Railroad in England. For further particulars see Curiosity
Shop of last year, in book form, page 101.
* * * * *
E. Judkins, Alpowa, W. T.—1. The author of “The Beautiful Snow” is
James W. Watson.
* * * * *
C. L. N., Cresco, Mich.—1. The talent of the Scriptures, or Hebrew
talent, has been variously estimated at from $1,645 to $1,916. 2. To
take care of your live oyster ask advice of the Superintendent of
State Fisheries, Lansing, Mich.
* * * * *
D. S., Winters, Ill.—The inventor of Sharps’ rifles for military and
sporting purposes was Christian Sharps, a scientific machinist, born
in New Jersey in 1811, died in 1874. The manufacture of these rifles
was begun at Hartford, Conn., in 1854.
* * * * *
W. Bird, Bolivar, Mo.—The Maas (or Meuse, as it is called in the
upper part of its course) is a river of Belgium and Holland, which,
after uniting with the River Rhine, discharges into the North Sea
not far from Rotterdam. During the winter months the Dutch travel
and amuse themselves on skates and runners on the ice of their many
canals, lakes, and rivers, these being their thoroughfares in winter
as well as in summer. Owing to moderate temperature and an unexpected
rise in the river in the winter of 1512, the ice suddenly gave way at
a point on the Maas, near Rotterdam, and a large number of people,
some say about 8,000, were precipitated into the water, where the
most of them perished.
* * * * *
Joe Davidson, White Rock, Kan.—1. The District of Columbia contains
an area of sixty-four square miles. 2. The yearly salary of the
President is $50,000; that of the Vice President $8,000; of each of
the members of the Cabinet $8,000; of Senators, $5,000 each, 20 cents
per mile mileage, stationery $125, franking privilege, and expenses
when serving on special committees; Representatives the same as
Senators.
* * * * *
Leonard Smith, Atalissa, Iowa—The fastest time on record for any
locomotive in this country (and we find no faster for any other) is
fourteen miles in eleven minutes, made by locomotive Hamilton Davis
and 6 cars on the New York Central Railroad in 1855. This was an
average of a mile in 47⅐ seconds.
* * * * *
Prosy, Busti, Iowa.—1. Rice was introduced into this country from
Madagascar through the gift of a sack of rice by the captain of a
vessel driven into Charleston, S. C., in 1694, to Thomas Smith, who
planted it in his garden and distributed the seed.
* * * * *
M. V., Suez, Ill.—“Gulliver’s Travels” were written by Jonathan
Swift, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, Nov. 30, 1667; died in the
same city, Oct. 19, 1745. The above named work was a series of
humoristic satires on the weaknesses of human nature, the follies of
society, and the foibles of certain individuals against whom Swift
cherished personal antipathies.
* * * * *