FARM.
m I Kot Only Com fort lint
I la AIM
4 tny Economic t'r.
Tho majority of farmers look on ice
as a luxury only to bo enjoyed by the
rich who live in cities and regard an
ice-houso as a needless extravagance.
Ico in summer is a luxury, but it is
also u substance that promotes health
and comfort and which has many eco
nomic uses. Unless iv farmer has a
spring over which he can build a milk
house lie will find it difficult to make
Drst-olass butter if ho has no ice. He
will also experience much trouble in
keeping the butter in a condition to be
sent to market. With ice
,nI1L- nnAH
"butter can
bo kept in good condition
lie trouble. Cool milk is a
with but little
most desirable drink during the sum
mcr, and one that should be used to a i
greater extent than it is. An ice-,
house or an ice-box is the best place
for keeping eggs, vegetables and small j
fruits. Fresh meat, poultry, fish and I
game can also be kept in one for many ,
days. A supply of ico promotes ecou-'
omy more than it does luxury. It en-1
nbles one to save many things that ,
xvould otherwise be wasted. !
Ice saves fuel during the summer
bv c1!minthSnr lh nmm.nt. nf iwiUjJ
1 11U OllllJIJlVl I
Inrr tt.i i, ,im, ,in,. u i...l
times each dav. All kinds of cooked
provisions as well as those that are
not cooked can be keep a long time in an
ice-box. During the summer we desire
food and drink that are much warmer
or much cooler than tho temperaturo
of the air, and it matters but little in
which one of these conditions theyarc
in. At a hotel table in a city about
half the persons will call for ico tea
for supper, while the other half will
take that which is nearly boiling. To
oe grateful to tho taste its tempera
ture must be much above or below
that of the body and the surrounding
air. During the summer the majority
of persons prefer frozen cream to hoi
puddings, and with a supply of ico it
ia cheaper. Thero is no good reason
why farmers should not havo ico cream
on their tables during the summer.
They have milk and eggs in abun
dance, and the salt that is used for
forming a freezing mixture can be
utilized on a farm.
Ever' farmer who has a crook, lake
or fish pond on his placo can obtain a
supply of ico from it at tho cost of
cutting. If, howovcr, ico is put up
for commercial purposes within one
day's drive from his fnrm ho may find
it more economical to buy it, as it
costs very little. An ice-houso need
not bo an oxponsivo structure, and if
it is only intended to preserve ico
enough to supply ono family thoro is
no occasion for having it of largo size.
Ulocks of ico that form a cako of ten
foot will supply a family for 11 vo
months. A building to hold ico should
bo so constructed as to leavo a space
of from eighteen to twenty-four
inches on each sldo of tho
ico to bo filled with sawdust,
grain chalT, or straw chopped
very lino. A double wall is not neces
sary. Exporioneo has shown that It is
best to havo tho sawdust or other ma
terial conio directly against tho rnko
of ico. As ono pleco of ico Is taken
out tho material employed forprosorv;
ing It fulls and occupies its place. A
tight roof, good drainage, and small
doors In tho gables that can bo opened
and shut at pleasure are necessary.
Thero is economy in largo ice-housos.
Thoy uro cheapor to build and to fill.
There mut bo tho same thickness of
8nwdust or other material around a
small cako of ice as around a large
ono. It costs but littlo moro to con
struct a building that will contain ico
enough to supply ton families than one
that will supply Ico to but ono family.
Somo creamery and cheoso factory
companies have arranged to supply
milk at h low price to all thoir patrons.
A block of ico two foot square will or
dinarily supply a family for throo or
four days. In hoiiio places a dozen or
more farmers havo united in building
and filling an icu-housc. It is located
at some central spot and tho farmer
living nearest to it has the euro of it.
Tho general plan Is to havo it oponod
ono hour In tho morning on alternatu
days. This gives every farmer an
opportunity to get Ico and prevents
waste. Where this plan has ben pur
miod it is always found that consider
able ico can be sold to persons who are
not connected with the enterprise.
Chicago Time.
Good Floors For Stables.
A great deal has been written about
clay, stono, concroto ami brlok as ma
terials for the floors of stalls and lono
boxes. Tho theory is that earth Is
soft and moist for tho horse's feet and
that next to tho original soil other
cool moist material is desirable. In
praotloo a Btall or box with no other
floor than clay soon becomes an of
fensive quagmire, a stono floor is cold
and hard, concroto Is soon broken up
b tho continual stamping of tho Iron
bhod foot, and bricks absorb olTonslvo
fluids to a grositor oxtont than wood.
A floor of good sound. Hpruco or pino
planks, thoroughly soaked through
with crude petroleum, will resist
dampness ami decay for a long tlmo
and keep clean and vvholusomo. in a
stall a double floor is laid, tho lower
course transversely of tho stalls, and
tho upper ono lengthwise and extend
ing back only us far as tho stall itself.
Thoro should bo a very slight slope
to' tho roar for dralnago. It is a se
rious mistake to mako tho slope too
.stoop, ad It compels tho horso to stand
in an unnatural position with a con
stant strain upon jho rear tendons ol
iho logs. American Agriculturist.
--Mud on tho cows should not be
jiliowotl. Uju (ho brush. A uot
tljould bo kpt us clean us u horse.
ICE ON THE
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.
pastern woodworkers are using
naphthaline ns a wood preservative
It is said to be verv effective, leaving
the wood dry and with only a faint
aromatic smell.
The Austrians are constructing
portable electric-light plants to bo
used in entraining and detraining
troops at night, and the Germans are
going to have a similar portable plant
attached to thoir siege trains.
The saving which will result in i
substituting electricity for horseflesh
on the street railways of this country
' , , . ... . i . .1 . i .
nimea hi oy mo iaut umi me uneru-
! tion of ono street ralwa)' in Enirlnnd
i by electricity will result in saving G0.-
tWJ par annum over ana aoovo tne
present host of operating it by horses.
--A Swedish scientist claims to
hare discovered tha secret of petrify
ing wood by artificial processes. Ho
thinks it will be possible ere long to
construct edifices of wood and convert
ihcm into stone. As it takes three
mouths and eost3 about $."09 to petrify
a block of wood of th dimensions of
one cubic inch, it will prob.ibly be
some time before his process will ba
generally adopted.
The curious fact has
bfscn deraon-
ste"
bv Sir John Lubbock thtrt '
certain kinds of ants are unable to
exist without keeping other ants as
slaves, though why this is so ho has
not tound out. On removing tho slave?
from a nest of fifty slave-holding ants
ho found that the latter immediately
commenced todieolT, and wore speedily
reduced in numbnr to six. When the
slaves were returned the mortality
ceased.
A new Parisian industry is the
manufacture of hoar-frost glass, which
Is covered with feathery patterns ro
jcmbllng those naturally produced
upon window-panes in cold weather.
The glass is first given a ground sur
face, either by tho sand-blast or the
ordinary method, and is then coated
with soft varnish. Tho varnish con
tracts strongly In drying, taking with
it tho particles of glass to which it
adheres, and this reproduces very
accurately the branching crystal ol
frostwork. A single coat gives a deli
cate elToct. and several coats yield a
bold design.
A lecturer In the Koyal Institution,
London, attempts to "define poison ac
curately" as follows: "Any substance
which otherwise than by the agency of
heat or electricity is capable of destroy
ing life either by chemical action on
the tissues of the living body, or by
physiological action after absorption
into tho living system." Tho fact
would scorn to bo that "poison" is a
question of quantity, not quality. Very
small quantities of aconite, hydro
cyanic acid, etc., sutllco to destroy life
out usou in limiteu quantities tnoy are
valuable drugs. Ono woll-known
definition of poisons is "substances
which derange tho vital functions and
produco death by an action not mo
chanical."
A curious photographic apparatus,
in which a camera is raised by a rocket
and lowered by a parachuto. Is being
developed by a French inventor. M
Amedeo Donisso. In its experimental
form tho cylindrical camera has twolvo
lonsos round its circumference with a
sensitive plate in its center, and Is pro
vided with a shutter which opens and
instantly closes as tho apparatus com
tnencos to fall. Tho descent is eased
by tho opening of tho attached par
chute, which is drawn hack to tht
oporator by a cord attached before the
firing of tho rocket. For securing
blrd's-oyo views tho photo-rocket offers,
several important advantages over
balloon photography, such as compara
tive cheapness in oporating and free
doin from risk in case of usu for mili
tary reconnoltoring.
How to Obtain Health.
Tho groat secret of unvarying health
is before every thing, to have a body
In a high state of vigor, and onco hav
ing that to keep it. Thoro is loss wis
dom in studying tho ways of curing
an ailing frame than in giving your at
tentlon to those of obtaining a hearty
ono that never becomes ailing. A
proper physique sheds pains, aches,
disorders, Illnesses, diseases, epidemics
as a duck does water, and enables its
owner to laugh at doctor's bills. It
confers upon its possessor happiness
amid the heaviest misfortunes and
gives tho surest promise of longevity.
To obtain It, havo somo regular bus'l-
noss that will give you an interest in
life and make you allvo all over
without over-working you; shun
caro and worry; bo systematli) in
your habits; avoid dissipation; sleep
enough; oat plain, wholesome food, the
best of the kind, and, above all, devote
yourself methodically to sotno athletic
pursuit, such as will give yoa exoroiso
all rounil, ami spend all tho time you
can in tho open air. Thou forgot you
havo a body that can by anj possibility
got out of order, and novor think of
your health. Xewburypoi'l Herald.
John Wcntworth' Sobriquet,
Long John Wentworth, who recently
died in Chicago, used to toll this story
of how ho got tho name by which ho
was so well known: When I was goln
to school down in Connecticut 1 was
tho longest and skinniest boy you ovor
saw, 1 was fourteen years old. I used
to havo u habit in those days of getting
my hools up oa tho scat, so that my
knees towurod above my hoad. 1 was
sitting that way ono day in school,
when ono of tho examiners camo
uround. Ho said to tho teacher;
What's that boy doing stadlng up on
tho bonchP Why don't you mako him
alt down?" Tho teacher said I mu
Hitting down. "Who is ho?" asked the
or.amlnor. 'John Wentworth." said
tho teachar. "UVa a rotty long
John," miid th examiner: iumI evi
since that d ty llio name Las tUvk U
mo. .Y. V. bun.
UNCLE SAM'S GOVERNMENT.
X Description of tlir Kircutlre Powers of
the Different Department".
' The great mass of work Imposed
upon the Executive Power of the Gov
ernment embracing so many distinct
subjects, and requiring so many thou
sands of agents to perform must bear
ranged and treaied in an orderly and
systematic manner. To expect the
President to give it his close personal
attention and directly superintend tho
doings of each agent, would be absurd
Ihe magnitude and diversity of the
work demand its separation into parts,
and tho general supervision or manage'
ment of each part must be intrusted to
a separate olllcer. On this business
basis, and in accordance with the de
sign of the Constitution, Congress has
divided tho work among seven ex
ecutive departments, each in charge of
a general officer or "head of depart
ment." known, respectively, as the
Secretary of State, the Secretary of the
Treasury, tho Secretary of War. the
Attorney-General, the Postmaster-Gen
eral, the Secretary of the Navy, and
the Secretary of the Interior; and (he
work of each department is still further
subdivided and distributed amoug
"bureaus and "divisions ' and minor
"ofllces." in charge of lesser heads or
chiefs, designated as "commissioners,"
"superintendents," "directors," and by
various other general or special titles,
An executive department, then, prop
eriy means one of the grand divisions
of Government work boldlv marked out
or suggested by the express pro vision:'
of the Constitution. J'heso grand di
visions readily arrange themselves.
Tho sovereign relations of the Repub
lic with foreign powers, and its oflicial
intercourse with the Governments of
tho States at home may bo regarded
as ono distinct grand division; accord
ingly, wo have tho Department of State.
Tho coinage, currency, revenue, and
general fiscal affairs suggest another
great branch of work; hence, we have
tho Department of tjic Treasury. The
mention of armies suL'trest work that
in time of trouble is likely to tax the
energy of a separate division; thus, we
very appropriately havo a Department
of War. I ho prosecution of offenses
against tho Unite I States, and other
judicial matters wherein the interests
of tho Republic are concerned consti
tute a genoral division, represented by
tho Department of Justice. The postal
service, as ono of the most intricate
and important branches of Gov
ernment work, certainly forms
another grand division; therefore, wo
havo tho Post-olllco Department
Maritime protection, like the military
or land dofense, forms a separate di
vision; and thus wo havo tho Depart'
ment of the Navy. Tho various mat
tors of domestic concern, not covered
in these other departments, but con
tcmplated by tho Constitution, such as
tho census, public lauds, patents, and
"odds and ends," may bo conveniently
grouped into another general division;
and thus wo havo tho very miscel
laneous, yet not misnamed, Depart
ment of tho Interior.
To somo of thoso executive depart
ments are intrusted matters which, on
their face at least, do not strictly bo
long to tho grand division to which
thoy havo been assigned by law. For
instance, tno "eatnor miroau is a
bureau of tho War Department; tho
work being intimately connected with
tho peacoful interests of agriculluro
and commerce, it is very generally de
manded that it should be taken from
military control and placed olsewhoro.
Edmund Alton, in St. Nicholas.
Witchcraft in Germany.
A farmer in Germany lost several
hoad of cattlo within afow months, and
his family agreed that this could only
bo tho result of witchcraft, oxerciscd
by a nolghbor with whom they wcro
not on friendly terms. A miller from
the vicinity, famed for his power ovor
evil spirits, was consulted, and ordered
the doors to bo painted with a certain
ointment. Tho evil-doer, ho said
would bo tho first porson to enter
thereafter, and could only bo kept from
further mischiof by having his or her
nose squeezed between the door and
tho jamb until tho member was
crushed. The first porson who ontored
was tho neighbor's wifo, who was
duly captured, and who, though tho
attempt at crushing her nose was un
successful, received somo serious
wounds on the head in hor attempt to
escape hor torturers. Chicago Times.
What They Eat.
The tailor Boast gooso.
Tho builder Plumb pudding.
Tho druggist "l'izun" things.
Tho baso-ball man Fowl.
Tho carpenter Piano food.
Tho stock-raiser Bred.
Tho actor Supo.
Tho printer Pi.
Tho singer Oys tor Pattl
The old maid To mate. O.
Tho Quaker Peas.
Tho prisoner Coll-ory.
Tho profane Cussud hard.
Tho acrobat Turn-ups.
Tho Mucker Pipe plant
The roal-estato man ColToo grounds.
Tho dry-goods clerk Flannel cakos.
Tho tramp Hag out of voal.
Tho debtor Owo it meal.
Tho public speaker Toast.
Tho funny innii Cliostnuts. II'mi-
ington Post.
m
Sho (looking over tho nutumn
landscape) "Isn't It jiorfectly beauti
ful, GoorgoP" Ho "It Is simply de
licious! 1 could gnxo on it for hours.
Do you know that ovory tlmo I look on
h gloriously tinted tuitumu leaves
thoy remlHil mu of your" "In wlmt
way?" ' Thoy look ns if tlmy applied
to ono to Ik- pressed." ttoston Courier.
JEWELERS' CUSTOMERS.
How Various Sperlmeii of Femininity Do
Their Shopping.
"Whom do we have the mosttroublo
with? Why, ladies, of course. I'll
guarantee that two-thirds of the time
our clerks spend behind the case they
are occupied in answering the conun
drums propounded by members of the
gentle gender. This would naturally
be a pleasure provided a sale followed,
but such is not often the happy sequel.
During the day I suppose at least half
a hundred ladies come here with goods
purchased elsewhere and use our em
ployes as experts to determine their
quality and value.
"There are three distinct species in
this class of visitors. First in order
comes the matron. Her husband has
given her a watch or a piece of jewelry.
She at once asks the clerk whether the
works are of the best quality and what
such a watch should cost. There is
no beating about the
bush with her.
Her manner is business-like throujrh
and through. Sometimes it happens
that the gentleman who is in charge of
our watch department (he is married,
by-lhe-way.) out of a freak of sympathy
for the husband of his tormenter, places
the value of the article at double its
proper figure. He feels that if he told
the truth and informed the matron
that the wutch was of inferior quulity,
her better half would catch it.1
"Next we have the charming misses.
A pretty girl with eyes brightened at
the prospect of marriage with the
man of her choice, but at the same
time remembering that all is not gold
that glitters, brings in her engage
ment ring. Does she say it is her en
gagement ring? No, sir. She is even
smarter than the matron in finding out
what she wants to know. In the
calmest manner possible she will in
quire: "What will you make me a du
plicate of this ring for?'1 The clerk
feels that he has a customer and he
forthwith examines the stones with
the greatest care. Probably ho will
... ..II T ii.!..! , ...... .1....K..... ..
lujfi,), "uu, i ilium u i;iu uui'inuii;
it for 5.0.' That settles it. With an
'oh. thank you,1 sho smilingly departs.
Hut if sho be informed, 'why, these
stones are paste,1 sho shuts off any
further negotiations by stamping her
shapely foot and frowningly hurries out.
Woo unto her intended, for after that
evening ho will be her intended no
more. In either event she buys noth
ing. "Thirdly, we have Mrs. Shoddy, who
has a visitor from the country upon
whom she desires to make an impres
sion of her wealth and standing in
society, She remarks that Mich and
such a reception is soon to take placo.
and sho really must get a diamond
necklace. From one store to another
sho journeys the whole afternoon, ex
amines goods costing thousands of
dollars, but strange to say she finds
nothing to suit her. The friend goes
homo with an idea that the city lady
has more money than she knows what
to do with. And yot not a single pur
chaso has been made." Jewelers'1
Weekly.
PERNICIOUS WEEDS.
How Their SimmIh A v.t .-iitl ereil bv the Colli
Wlnils or Winter.
Thero is a kind of winter seeding
not generally entering into tho plan of
the average farmer. Winter is in
thought associated with a period of
rost and comparative death in the
vegetable world. Tho winter wheat
lies dormant in its frozon bed beneath
the white blanket of fallen snow, and
the ears of corn soleoted for next
spring's seeding are stored out of tho
reach of tho mice in tho crib. All
meadow and pasture land sleep on
until wakened by the silent quicken
ing of tho spriug. Novortholess thero
is a work going forward through the
short days and long nights of tho se
vere months in tho dead of winter.
Every gust of wind that hurries by
the street corner and dies away In
momentary calm; ovory giant galo
which conies down from tho frozon
North and sweeps whole States with
a bounn of relentless fury, mav carry
with it tho germs of weeds and deposit
them in some secure place where the
spring sun finds and quickons thorn
Into now life.
All sowings aro not confined to the
nowly-harrowed field or tho rich and
mellow garden. If it wore so, farming
and gardening would bo a less serious
matter than it is Many seeds like
thoso of tho dreaded Canada thistle
aro provided with light, feathery up
pendages by which tho ripened seeds
take long flights in tho upper air like
so many miniaturo oauoons. utiior
plants, as tho burdock and bogger's
lico, rely for transportation upon the
passing animals to which they adhere
by hooks, thus stealing a ride. Other-
still aro loft without any special struct
ure for migration, and must thorofore
dopond in part upon tho favoring con
ditions of winter. Tho various sorts of
tumble weeds broak up into a number
of parts, or by a decay of tho main
stem at Its union with tho soil the
whole plant is sot freo and blown by
tho wind where it listoth. Thoro aro
many woods which remain upright
with thoir sood-boaring portion above
tho fallen snow and when tho smooth
crust of ieo forms ovor all, tho seeds,
loosoned by tho oloinonts, are blown
for miles ovor tho frozen surfaco only
to And lodgment in some ditch, hollow
or other place of safety. This helps
lo explain how marvolously weeds
spring up in cultivated ground.
American Agriculturist.
Never sort apples whun first pick
rd. If kept somo weeks they must bo
tortod again, as somo good onus will
khow defotitb ltttr. Grade with care.
Six poor (tuples will HiTcct the grndt o;
an uitirc barivl.
OPENING A MINE. i
An Operation Which Deroan Many Thon- J
and or Dollars. ,
Working a gold mlno sounds very ;
nice, but very few people are aware of
the difficulties and expense attending ,
this operation. I
There are plenty of men in this city J
who have been "bitten" in small mining
schemes, and who do not now under
stand whv they were failures. It is a
very common thing for some hopeful
prospector to stumble across "crop
pings" that show free gold, and that,
from all appearances, could be worked
to advantage with tho expenditure of a
little money.
The first thing the prospector does is
to "think up" some capitalist friend
whom he thinks would be willing to
invest in tho enterprise. He then
writes a letter something after this
fashion:
"I have one of the finest propositions you ever
heard nf T hnvfl ilisnovpreJ cronnintfs that in-
j dicatc the presence of a ledije 8 feet wide, and
which I am certiin will bs found permanent.
' "The cropplnss show that the ore wilt mill at
least i5 per ton. Lt us s iv then that the ore
, will only yi-ld half this amount.
This mine can be worked hit Is. the ore
can be mined and milled at a minimum cost of
13 per ton. This will leave a net protit of. say,
to. Now the cropplnjs show along the surfaco
for-JO) feet, and are so situated that a tunnel
could be run S01 feet below. There is no doubt
that the ore will hold out. and after the tunnel
Is run there will be 'in sight' practically 25.003
tons of ore, which, at $3 a ton, will, as you will
readily see. yield a profit of S-JDO.OjO.
"All I need Is enou?h money to run this tun
nel, lean then haul the ore to a custom mill
(there Is one about a mile distant), and after
that the mine will pay for Itself. I only need
f.'UO i at the outside, and If you will put up this
amount you may have a half interest in the
property."
On paper this is a fine proposition.
A sure fortune for $3,00D. Tho capital
ist is caught and up goes his $3,000.
The first thing to be done is to drivo
a tunnel into the solid rock some 8 feet
square and a distance of 200 feet. A
double shiftof men. sayeight, are hired,
also a blacksmith to sharpen the tools,
men to clear away tho ground, etc.
This can easily bo accomplished for $50
a day. A house or cabin has to bo
built, but this will only cost somo $300.
Powder, tools, timbers, lumber and
provisions will make the first $1,000, to
use a popular expression, "look awful
sick."
For the first few days the work
progresses favorably, and tho capital
ist receives tho mo.st encouraging let
ters from his raining friend. After that
the letters are less frequent and not
near so encouraging.
Tho miners havo "struck a horse."
This is generally somo rock about as
easy to drill through as so much cast
steel. A hole six inches deep may be
drilled into the rock in about ten hours,
and when the giant powder cartridges
are put into this hole they shoot out as
if from a cannon.
Thoro may be 10 foot of this sort of
work, thero may bo 50; at any rate,
before the ditlicultv has been over
come, somo $2,000 or more will havo
been sunk in the enterprise, and tho
ground scarcely scratched.
Of course moro money will bo de
manded, and thon still more until the
capitalist becomes disgusted and quits
th thing all together. This is tho way
it generally works.
Ditllculties aro not only encountered
in ruuning a tunnel or sinking a shaft,
such as tho caving in of tho work,
rebellious rock and others too numerous
to mention; but it is often discovered
after tho tunnel has been run tho do-
sired length that it should have been
run in somo other place.
To estimate tho actual cost of the
opening up of a mino from tho "grass
roots" would be a very difficult matter.
Under tho most favorablo circum
stances, however, unless a pocket or
bunch of very rich oro is encountered,
from$G0,000 to$75,000 may bo set down
as a very close figure to put a mere
"prospect" in paying condition.
As much sometimes ns $200,000 aro
spent In oponing up a mine before any
"money" is taken out. All this refers
merely to thoso "little" mining propo
sitions or "flyers," as thoy aro called,
in which tho uninitiated, in tho hopo
of becoming millionaires on a "dollar"
investment, tomo out in almost every
instance at the small end of tho horn.
X. V. Herald.
Safe Burial of Bowlders.
Having buried many largo stones, I
nfllrm that tho dangers incurred is
very slight if tho work is attempted in
tho right manner. Do not dig uiidor
it nt all. Keep tho excavation about
six inches from tho nearest sido of tho
stone. Mako it long enough, wido
enough and deep onough to contain tho
stono with room to spare. When tho
nolo is dug, thon with long-handled
tools carefully romovo tho six-inch
sholl of earth as low as you can reach
easily without taking any risk of boing
crushed. A plank laid along tho furthor
edge of tho hole may glvo you somo
advantago in digging. Next dig a nar
row trench along tho opposite sldo of
tho stono from tho excavation. Mako
this trench closo to tho stono and part
ly under it. Now pour water into tho
trench, and keep on pouring until tho
carta underneath is softoned into mud,
when tho Mono can usually bo slid
without much troublo into tho hole.
A lover can bo used to give it u start
Farm Life.
According to Engineering, somo
oxporlmonts conducted at tho Ports
mouth (Eng.) dockyard, with a vlow
to determining tho roslstancoof motals
nt different tomporaturos, indicate that
tho strength of iron Inerougos uni
formly up to 500 degroos F while tho
ductility diminishes up to about 300
dogroos; it thon increases until a some
what higher tomporaturo U reached,
and thou remains nearly constant up
to a tomporaturo of nearly 500 dogreos.
Stool, similarity tested, showed no
diminution of trngUi up to 400 do-gre-s.
but at this point hi ductility wu
reduced ou.'-hulf
PONDEROUS MACHINERY.
Preparation Maile ror Work on
Unci
Sm Army and "ry.
Every year the machinery in tha
Iron mills at Pittsburgh, Pa., is being
made more ponderous. Tho necessity
for this lies in tho demand for immense
castings. Every thing is growing larger
than in former times. Ships are big
gcr, locomotives are more powerful,
iron-front buildings are higher, antf
agricultural implements are vastly
larger. The development of mill nj
paratus to meet this increase has been
gradual, but within the hist two years
a wonderful impetus has been given
the forward movement by the building
of the n -w war vessels for tho United
States navy.
Andrew Carnegie has just completed
the building of a mill at Hraddock, one
of the suburbs of Pittsburgh, expressly
intended for the manufacture of this
government work. Thero is not a
3ingle bit of apparatus in it but what is
the largest of its kind in tho world.
The shours, which snap a bar of iron
in two as though it were tissue paper,
exceeds any thing in size that has over
been known by the sons of Vulcan. The
lathes are greater, the rolls aro longer
and heavier than any thing tho remain
der of the country can show, and even
the steam boilers are tho largest over
made by the hand of man. In the Black
Diamond steel works. Thirtieth street,
Pittsburgh, thero is tho largest stenm
hammnr in tho United States. Tho
blow of fifty tons, which it strikes
every second of tirao that it is in opera
tion, shakes tho earth for two squares
around tho mill. Yet it is so easily
controlled, and so nicely adjusted, that
the hammer-man has placed on the
anvil block beneath it a delicate wine
glass containing an egg and, turning
on the steam full force, would let tho
ponderous weight above fall until at a
certain distance, and then shut tho
steam ot7. In this way the hammer
has been kept for several minutes
gently tapping tho glass and egg with
out breaking them.
But now tho Government itsolf is
going to throw all these marvelous
achievements in tho background by tho
improvements at tho navy yard in
Washington City. They will transform
that quiet place into the most power
ful workshop in tho universe. For in
stance, there was not found in the mills
and foundries of tho whole United
States "traveling cranes" big enough
tomove about tho immense castings and
wrought iron parts of large cannons
which the war and navy departments
have prftjected. These cranes are very
familiar objects in the yards of iron
mills everywhere. They aro simply a
block and taeklo arrangement so fixed
upon a steam-car that they will pick
up a heavy piece of metal and rush off
speedily to any part of tho building
with it. The largest of these "travel
ers" in Pittsburgh will carry a burden
of thirty tons with safety to the ropes
and rigging. In tho Midvale steol
works, Pennslyvania
crane of twenty-six
a travoling
tons capacity
has been erected to
handling of castings
war ships. Thoso arc
facilitato tho
for the now
now tho two
largest apparatus of tho kind in tho
country. But work will soon bo com
menced on a traveling crane for tho
Washington navy yard which will havo
a carrying capacity of 110 tons. This
is intended for use in the manufacture
of -a 110-ton gun, which, when finished,
will be the largest in tho coast defense
of tho United States. To "turn" this
wonderful cannon a lathe is now boing
made which will surpass all other
lathes in size. The machine will havo
to be 120 foot long and will have a
"tread" of nine feet. Tho gun itself
will bo fifty feet long and to turn and
bore it the latho will of courso bo re
quired to bo doublo that longth.
All tho tools and machinery to mako
this big cannon aro boing made pur
posely for the job, so largo and strong
must they be. The contract for de
livery of the necessary steel forging
has been concluded with tho Bethlohom
steel works of eastern Pennsylvania.
But before that company could mako
tho forgings thoy had to erect a now
plant large enough for tho big sizes.
The 110-ton gun will bo of 13-inch
caliber, will require a charge of 1,000
pounds of powder, and will throw a
projectilo weighing 2,000 pounds. To
oven make theso projectiles will neces
sitate larger machinery in that lino
than is now in oxistonco. Thon, to
transport tho gun finally ovor tho dif
ferent lines of a railroad (if tho ocean
route is not taken), would require
strongor iron bridges than are now in
uso. So tho work of enlargement goes
on almost indefinitely. Pittsburgh Cor.
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Origin of Electrical Terms. j
The technical terms used in regard
to electricity rofor to units of various
nature. Thus tho unit of enpaoity is
one farad; tho unit of nctivity, ono
watt; tho unit of work, ono joulo; tho
unit of quantity, ono coulomb; tho unit
of current, ono nmpero; tho unit of re
sistance, ono ohm; tho unit of mag
netic Held, ono gnuss; tho unit of pres
sure, out? volt; tho unit of force, ono
dyne. Thoso names nro mostly de
rived from tho uamos of man who havo
boon famous in tho Hold of oloctrical
research. Thus Michaol Faraday,
Jhiuos Watt, and Jnmos P. Joulo,
famous English dlscovorors, glvo thoir
names to tho first throo units men
tioned; Charlos A. Coulomb and Andro
M. Ampere. Fronoh invontors, to tho
two units following; G. S. Ohm nnd
Carl F. Gauss, Germans, namo two
uioro units; and tho. volt is nnmod irorn
t.i Italian disoovwor. VolUi. Tho
u In- , l1
d. . . ...
i- v,..i fi-.,iii the root word of
t ( ni--aiiw,-force, (Mtinao