original spirit, as is fully shown by his daring and at times almost
reckless adventures during the explorations by which he discovered
the overland route to California and opened up the regions of the
great Salt Lake and Upper California to American settlement. He
chafed under the restraints of military discipline, and was charged
with disobeying or exceeding his instructions, which he sometimes
undoubtedly did: and in his case it nearly always turned out
fortunately for the country. He was placed under military arrest and
found “guilty of mutiny and insubordination” for acting as Governor
of California by appointment of Commodore Stockton in 1846, contrary
to orders of General Kearney. The “Old Pathfinder,” as he was
subsequently called, rather gained by the event.
* * * * *
Soper Bros. & Co., Chicago—In the destruction of the Southern Hotel,
St. Louis, April 11, 1877, thirteen lives were lost and thirty-five
persons seriously injured. The hotel was rebuilt, and was reopened to
the public about one year ago last summer.
* * * * *
P. L. F., Swan Lake, Dak.—1. There are two State Normal schools in
Illinois—one at Bloomington and the other at Carbondale. 2. There is
no part of the earth’s surface where the sun’s rays, if unobstructed
by some intervening object, would not shine into a north window at
some time in the year.
* * * * *
M. L. Scott, Boulder, Col.—1. The Chief Justices of the United States
since 1789 have been John Jay, John Rutledge, Oliver Ellsworth, John
Marshall, Roger B. Taney, Salmon P. Chase, and the present incumbent,
Morrison R. Waite. 2. The corner-stone of our first Federal Capitol
was laid by George Washington Sept, 18, 1793. The corner-stone of the
extension of 1851 was laid by Millard Fillmore.
* * * * *
A. C., Streator, Ill.—Inauguration Day, of the 4th of March, on
which the term of office of the President of the United States
must necessarily begin, has occurred on Sunday fourteen times this
century. It occurred so the last time on the occasion of President
Hayes’ inauguration, and he quietly took the oath of office in the
White House Sunday afternoon. The inauguration ceremonial at the
Capitol took place the next day. Inauguration Day will not fall on
Sunday again during this century.
* * * * *
James Harman, Central City, Neb.—The total receipts from saloon
licenses in this city in 1880 amounted to $182,226.40. The expenses
entailed through pauperage, damage to property and person, increased
cost of police, jails, etc., cannot be accurately determined. It is a
matter of estimate.
* * * * *
A Subscriber, Chicago.—In the Massachusetts gubernatorial election,
Butler received 133,946 votes: Bishop, 119,997, and Almy, 2,137,
making Butler’s plurality 13,949, and his majority 11,812.
* * * * *
The ten-mile race at the State fair held at Minneapolis last fall was
won by Miss Belle Cook, with five horses, in 20:02. Little Cricket
won the twenty-mile race in 40:59.
* * * * *
John Allen, Topeka, Kan.—The real name of “Mary Blake,” contributor
to the _Century_, is Mrs. Blakesley.
* * * * *
A. B. E.—The authoress of “Curfew Must Not Ring To-night” is Rose
Hartwicke Thorpe.
* * * * *
J. M. H., Stanberry, Mo.—The President pro tempore of the Senate
draws the same salary as the Vice President when filling the same
office. You are right as to the apportionment of members of Congress.
The whole question is explained on page 75 of Our Curiosity Shop
of 1882, in book form, costing 25 cents, postage included. It
answers hundreds of such questions as you and your fellow-students
are discussing. There is no instance of a State’s returning to the
condition of a Territory, unless the rebel States were in that
condition before they adopted their “reconstruction constitutions”
just after the war, when they were under provisional governments.
Your other questions have all been answered very recently.
* * * * *
“She-cau-oh,” Chicago, Ill.—We give your note just as it comes
to us: “Man-i-_to_-ba—that is not the way it is pronounced, but
Ma-nit-a-_bah_. Chicago should be She-cau-_oh_ (Potawatome)—‘all
gone,’ ‘far-off-place.’ Sioux, pronounce Sou. I could speak the
Indian language better than the English once.—She-cau-_oh_.” It
is too late in the world’s history to change the pronunciation of
Chicago back to the original, and, for that matter, the pronunciation
of Manitoba is hopelessly anglicized into Man-i-_tow_-ba. Still we
thank you for your note, and will preserve it in our bound Curiosity
Shop as another witness for the original pronunciation of all these
names, and what is admitted to be one of the Indian meanings of
Chicago, the others, vouched for by good authority, being “strong”
and “wild onion,” the sense in each case being dependent on the
connection.
* * * * *
Ida, Milo, Ill.—1. George III. was King of England during the whole
period of the American revolution. His Prime Minister from 1770 until
after the surrender of Cornwallis was Lord North, and two other of
the principal members of his Cabinet were Lords Gower and Weymouth.
In 1779 the latter, seeing the hopelessness of the effort to subdue
the Americans, resigned, but North continued in power until after the
capture of Cornwallis at Yorktown, when he resigned March 20, 1782,
and was succeeded by the Marquis of Rockingham, who at once opened
negotiations for peace.
* * * * *
Alfred Gates, Lafayette, Ind.—The dower right of a married woman
in her husband’s real estate has been abolished in Indiana and
California. In States where married women are entitled to dower, it
is the general rule that relinquishments of dower made by any such
woman under 21 years of age are of no effect unless ratified by her
after she has attained that age. Even in most States where women are
“of age,” or become mistresses of themselves at an earlier age than
21, they cannot convey real estate until they have attained the full
legal majority of 21 years.
* * * * *
Martha J. McCoy, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.—If the paint is scaling off your
recently painted house it proves that there is not much pure white
lead and good boiled linseed oil in it. Unless one employs an honest
painter and contracts for these substantial ingredients he is almost
certain to get white lead adulterated with earths, sulphate of
baryta, or other cheap materials, mixed with worthless substitutes
for linseed oil. The lowest-priced paints are usually the dearest in
the long run, particularly for outside work.
* * * * *
Georgia L. Brown, West Salem, Wis.—1. The salary of the President
was increased to $50,000 a year—making it the same as that of
the Governor General of Canada—on the last day of the first term
of President Grant, who drew pay according to this law from the
beginning of his second term.
* * * * *
S., Greenfield, Ill.—“Red Line Poets” is a trade name given to
certain editions of selected poems printed on pages bordered with
red lines. There are one or two English books of this description,
and one or more American books. No two of them embrace the same list
of authors. A Boston red-line edition contains only selections from
Longfellow, Whittier, Bryant, Holmes, Lowell, and Emerson.
* * * * *
Amateur Antiquary, Chicago, Ill.—“Empire State of the South” is a
popular appellation for Georgia in allusion to its being the leading
State in wealth and enterprise. Tennessee is sometimes called the
“Big-bend State,” in allusion to the spoon-like bend of the Tennessee
River. West Virginia is sometimes called the “Pan-handle State,”
because it includes that singular strip of land between the Ohio
River and the boundary of Pennsylvania.
* * * * *
H. N. Kinney, Mantone, Ill.—The leading corn county of this State in
1881 was McLean, with a crop of 9,750,000 bushels; the next largest
was Livingston, with 6,983,522 bushels. The same year Kankakee County
produced 2,743,300 bushels.
* * * * *
R. D. Silsby, Modale, Iowa.—Your friend is right in asserting that
there are yellow and brownish varieties of cotton. The valuable
Orleans cotton staples are naturally white, but there is cheap yellow
and brownish staple used for nankeen cloth, and one sort known as
Bourbon cotton.
* * * * *
A Reader, Glenwood, Iowa.—1. The great Chicago fire of 1871 began
Sunday evening, Oct. 8, and lasted until Tuesday morning. 2. Henry
Wilson, the late Vice President, changed his name, by birth Colbath.
Why, he always treated as a strictly private matter. His childhood
was one of extreme poverty, and he was apprenticed when he was but
ten years old.
* * * * *
Normal Student, Stanbury, Mass.—There is no State in the Union where
a man can vote before he is 21 years of age. However, if a man’s
birthday is Feb. 1 he becomes of age Jan. 31, as the law takes no
account of fractions of a day in a matter of this kind.
* * * * *
C. H. Martin, Cheboygan, Mich.—St. Patrick was sent by Pope Celestine
as a missionary to Ireland, after being a monk in the celebrated
monastery of Lerius, in France. His father was a deacon in the Church
of Rome, and his mother was a sister of St. Martin of Tours.
* * * * *
A Reader, Chicago.—In Wisconsin it is not necessary to take out a
marriage license.
* * * * *
A. G. Damson, Vienna, Ill.—W. H. Russell, war correspondent of the
London _Times_ during “the recent unpleasantness,” is called “Bull
Run Russell” because of his overdrawn description of the first battle
of Bull Run, and prediction of the speedy collapse of the Union as a
consequence. He is still alive.
* * * * *
Geo. T. L., Attica, N. Y.—The President of Mexico at this time is
General Gonzales; installed Dec. 1, 1880, for four years. There is a
Senate composed of the Vice President and two members of each of the
twenty-seven States. The House of Representatives consists of one
member for each 80,000 population, and in 1879 numbered 331. During
the recess of Congress a Council of Government, composed of the Vice
President and half of the Senate, sits, to advise the President.
* * * * *
A. C., Englewood, Ill.—The silkworm spins its cocoon and passes into
the torpid state of a chrysalis or pupa. If allowed to remain in this
state too long it becomes active, begins to gnaw its way through the
cocoon, and finally comes forth in the butterfly state. The cocoon
is then of little value. But if, just before the chrysalis begins to
grow active, the cocoons are dropped into boiling water the insect is
instantly killed, and the silk is easily unwound and reeled for the
market.
* * * * *
B. B. Williams, Parsons, Kan.—The Golden Horn is the name of the
inlet from the Bosphorus, which divides the city of Constantinople
and constitutes its magnificent harbor.
* * * * *
A. M. A., Union Grove, Ill.—When Governor Ford’s term as Governor
expired, in 1846, he moved to Peoria and went into the practice of
the law. He had been called from the office of Associate Judge of the
Supreme Court to that of Governor, but although a good judge, he was
not well suited for an advocate. Moreover, he had become addicted to
overdrinking and during his gubernatorial term had made many violent
enemies in his own party, some of whom spared no opportunity to wound
him. He had retired from the Governorship “poorer than when he was
inaugurated,” and failing to secure a remunerative practice against
all the discouragements above mentioned, he fell into despondency,
and died at Peoria in 1850 in indigent circumstances, but not “a
pauper.”
* * * * *
N. K. Pierce, Mentor, Kan.—The most elegant Pullman palace cars cost
from $20,000 to $25,000, but such cars have been made in only a few
special cases. The ordinary Pullman car costs from $11,000 to $15,000.
* * * * *
Inquirer, LeRoy.—1. The American Almanac for 1883 states the total
number of churches in the United States at 92,477, omitting the
churches of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, which numbers about
8,000. 2. The membership of all the Protestant churches is stated
at 8,974,400, and the “adherents” of the Roman Catholic church at
6,370,858, according to the Catholic Directory for 1882. Protestant
churches enumerate only those who become members by profession of
faith or letters from other churches; Roman Catholics enumerate
all who have been baptized in their faith, either in infancy or
after years. 3. Church attendance can only be estimated from church
sittings, which average for the United States about two and a half
times the membership. 4. The total number of newspapers, magazines,
and other periodicals published in the United States in the census
year is given as 11,314.
* * * * *
Old Subscriber, Lincoln, Ill.—In most of the States the marriage of a
female partner in any business firm dissolves the partnership.
* * * * *
J. L. Orr, Glen Haven, Wis.—Evidently the north window of a house
situated on the north pole would be a sky light. All side wall
windows would look to the south.
* * * * *
J. J. Stark, LaCygne, Kan.—1. The most celebrated picture of “Christ
and the Last Supper” was painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1497. 2.
Your second question we cannot answer.
* * * * *
E. Finley, Pontiac, Ill.—The total precipitation of moisture for the
year 1882 observed by the officer of the Signal Service at Riley,
McHenry County, Ill., was 35.36 inches, or 1.46 inches above the
annual average for twenty-one years.
* * * * *
A. N. Smith, Davenport, Iowa—To destroy chicken lice keep the
hen-house clean and well ventilated and sprinkle the dusting bins
with carbolic acid.
* * * * *
T. L., Winona, Minn.—You are wrong. B wins the wager, because “a son
born to an American minister while his parents are on official duty
abroad” is in the eye of the law as much an American as if born in
this country, and is eligible to the Presidency of the United States.
* * * * *
Mrs. S. E. E., Fredericksburg, Iowa—For some years there was no
general agreement as to the time of observing “Decoration Day,” but
when it became desirable to settle on a specific day to be kept every
year, May 30 having been fixed upon by one or more Legislatures, it
was adopted generally.
* * * * *
Charles Hallas, Adrian, Minn.—1. Congress raised the salary of the
President, by act of March 3, 1873, to $50,000 per annum, at the
same time cutting off certain allowances made to former Presidents,
aggregating several thousands a year. Before that act the salary of
Congressmen of both houses had been $5,000 and mileage, but by this
act they were raised to $7,500. By act of Jan. 20, 1874, the salaries
of Congressmen were reduced to the old amount.
* * * * *
C. J., Topeka, Kan.—It certainly is customary when ladies or
gentlemen write to any one for information for them to inclose a
postal stamp or postal card for the reply. It is quite as much as
one should ask of a business man that he take time to give desired
information. To request this much and expect him to pay postage
on the reply is what is termed in the emphatic vocabulary of the
slang-slinger, “cheeky.” The very fact that postage is such a trifle
makes the omission to inclose it all the more inexcusable. But while
postage is a mere trifle on the single letter, to a person in a
public position, called on to answer thousands of questions in a
year, the aggregate postage would be a serious matter were it not for
the above rule.
* * * * *
E. J. Bristo.—The whites of Virginia number 880,858; the colored
population is 631,616. That State has one of the most healthful
climates in the world. The water is excellent except in the swamp
regions in the eastern part, and the soil of about two-thirds of
the State is fertile except where worn out by long tobacco culture
without proper use of fertilizers and alternation of crops. Virginia
can produce anything that grows in the temperate zone.
* * * * *
Wm. G. Miller, Arkansas City, Kan.; No method of manufacturing
merchantable diamonds has ever been discovered. A French chemist
claims to have made very minute crystals of diamond by an extremely
expensive process, simply to prove that the thing is possible, but
the crystals, whether diamonds or not, were of no value as gems or
for any other commercial or mechanical purpose. For anything more on
this subject see Our Curiosity Shop for 1882, page 147. Price per
mail, 25 cents in paper covers and 50 cents in cloth.
* * * * *
George H. Gifford, West Point. Neb.—1. The total net ordinary
expenditures of the United States Government in 1880 amounted to
$171,885,382.67. Figure out for yourself “the cost per minute.” It
will be a delightful pastime for idle moments; editors have none.
* * * * *
Jacob Vanaernam, Mount Morris, Wis.—In Illinois the State is
districted for State representatives, so that three representatives
are chosen from one district. Every voter may either give each of the
three candidates one vote, or one of them all three of his votes,
or he may give one and a half votes to each of two of them. This
explains why you saw “half votes” in Illinois election returns. This
system of voting is designed to place it in the power of a minority
party to secure at least one out of three representatives, where by
the old method all three representatives might be elected by the
majority party.
* * * * *
A. Tyler, DeWitt, Ill.—The Declaration of Independence was not
adopted by Congress until the 4th of July, 1776, about 2 o’clock p.
m., as fully explained in Our Curiosity Shop some weeks ago. It was
not adopted on July 2. A resolution was adopted on that day asserting
that “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and
independent States,” but the Congress sat the rest of that day, all
the next, and a part of the Fourth, discussing the Declaration before
It was adopted. Some of the delegates to that Congress never signed
it; others not until some time after July 4.
* * * * *
W. L. Murphy, Tuscola, Ill.—1. The distance from St. Paul to Portland
via the Northern Pacific Railroad is 1,911 miles; from Chicago to St.
Paul is 409 miles, making the total distance to Portland 2,320 miles.
* * * * *
M. R. Huntington, Chicago—The five longest rivers in the world are
the following, named in the order of length from greater to less: The
Missouri, measured from its source to the Gulf of Mexico; the Amazon;
the Nile; the Yang-tse-kiang, China, and the Murray, Australia.
* * * * *
A. C. Hess, Central P. O., Pa.—Ginseng is exported to China in large
quantities, where it is in high repute as a medicine. It is used
in pharmacy to some degree in this country and Europe. In 1880 our
export of ginseng amounted to 391,083 pounds, valued at $533,042.
* * * * *
C. F. S., Denmark, Iowa—The autographic process of telegraphing,
which transmits a facsimile of the original dispatch, was first
brought forward in 1848 by F. C. Bakewell, of London, England. It was
improved by Abbe Casselli, of Florence; Lenoir and Meyer, of France,
and Professor Sawyer, of Washington, D. C. It is not so economical,
so expeditions, or so well adapted in some other respects to ordinary
telegraphic purposes as the Morse system with modern improvements.
* * * * *
A. J., Dern, Ind.—1. The eclectic school of medicine lays great
stress on the avoidance of depletion, either by blood-letting or
severe purging, and the use of agents calculated to build up the
system. Vegetable remedies largely predominate in its medical agents.
* * * * *
M. K. C., Park, Col.—The air-tube of an argand-burner lamp should
always be open, as its use is to supply air to the inside of the wick
while other air is being furnished upon the outside. If the wick be
turned too high the oil will rise in it by the principle of capillary
attraction (not siphon) too rapidly to be properly consumed. Some of
this oil passes off as unconsumed carbon, and some may drip, in its
original form. 2. The amount of carbon in the atmosphere varies with
local circumstances, such as population, rainfall, sewerage, etc.,
from 2 to 10 in 10,000 volumes of air. The oxygen and nitrogen of the
atmosphere are invariable in their proportional parts: twenty-three
parts (by weight) of oxygen and seventy-seven of nitrogen.
* * * * *
Lile E. Argile, Kilbourne City, Wis.—The final cause of the war of
1812 was the search of American vessels by the English, and the
impressment of United States sailors into the service of Great
Britain. All of this trouble, however, probably grew out of the
ill-feeling that had existed between the two nations since the
Revolutionary war. The cause of the Mexican war was the annexation of
Texas to the United States.
* * * * *
R. L. Stevensun, Quincy, Minn.—Half-morocco binding consists of a
fine quality of cloth covers with morocco corners and morocco spring
back. Library binding is all leather.
* * * * *
P. S. Williams, Fort Lyon, Mo.—The largest ship in the world is the
Great Eastern, described on page 63 of Our Curiosity Shop for 1880.
Length, 680 feet; breadth, 118 feet; height to top of bulwarks, 70
feet.
* * * * *
E. E., Stralm, Iowa.—The first watch was made by Peter Hele, a
clockmaker of Nuremberg, Germany, in the year 1477.
* * * * *
George Searle, Langworthy, Iowa.—After the war Horace Greeley
advocated a general amnesty and a policy of conciliation. As a step
in this direction he advised the release of Jefferson Davis on
bail, and when this course was determined upon he became one of the
bondsmen.
* * * * *
E. H. T., Greensburg, Pa.—1. The Dead Sea is 1,312 feet below the
Mediterranean, and the Caspian Sea is 84 feet below the Black Sea. 2.
The two rivers which unite to form the Upper Amazon are the Marancon
(or Tunguraguas, as it is called by some writers) and the Ucayale (or
Apurimac).
* * * * *
M. B. J., Union Hill, Ill.—1. The direct cable from Ireland to Rye
Beach, N. H., is 3,060 miles in length. 2. The length of the Union
and Central Pacific Railroad, extending from Omaha to San Francisco,
is 1,916 miles.
* * * * *
R. Hancock, Columbus, Wis.—Andrew Johnson was impeached, but not
convicted. See definition of impeach in Webster’s unabridged
dictionary.
* * * * *
Samuel Adams, Chicago—Francis Hanford was killed by Alexander
Sullivan in this city, Aug. 7, 1876, about 7 o’clock in the evening.
* * * * *
U. W. G., Union, Iowa—At the Battle of Cold Harbor, General Meade
ordered some of the troops to advance; but they by common consent
refused to obey.
* * * * *
S. B., Oconee, Ill.—Illinois has had three State constitutions,
including the one now in force. The first went into force in 1818:
the second in 1848, and the third in 1870.
* * * * *
W. H., Brockport, N. Y.—A painting may be copyrighted by sending to
the Librarian of Congress a full description of the work, together
with $1, the price of recording the application and issuing the
certificate.
* * * * *
Subscriber, Verdon, Neb.—By a Joint resolution of Congress, adopted
Dec. 29, 1845, Texas was declared to be admitted to the Union.
* * * * *
Edith Allen, Milwaukee, Wis.—The highest mountain in the Philippine
Islands is 4,531 feet higher than Mount Washington, N. H. It is a
volcano, named Alpi, and has been ascended recently and found to be
10,824 feet high.
* * * * *
S. N. W.. Deep River, Iowa—Read verse 49 of the thirty-first chapter
of Genesis and the marginal note, and you and she will understand the
beautiful appropriateness of Mizpah on an engagement ring.
* * * * *
Lizzie J. Clark, Lawrenceburg, Tenn.—The nightingale proper is a
migratory bird, common to Northern Africa, Western Asia, and the
greater part of Europe. The European nightingale spends the winter
in Northern Africa. It may be said to be a native of all the regions
above named, although its hatching places are in Europe. Your other
question will be answered elsewhere.
* * * * *
George E. White, Englewood—There is more silver in a trade dollar
than in the standard United States silver dollar, but it is at a
discount in business dealings because it is not a legal tender for
debt. Congress has the constitutional authority to declare what coins
are a legal tender and what are not. In this case it has outlawed the
trade dollar; whether wisely and justly or not is a matter in dispute.
* * * * *