MISCELLANEOUS ANSWERS AND EXECUTIVE AND CONGRESSIONAL DIRECTORY.

R. D. M., Edwardsburg, Mich.—The Daily Inter Ocean first took that name in March, 1872.

S. L. Moore, Prior Lake, Minn.—General Sheridan was married to Miss Irene Anna Rucker, daughter of General D. H. Rucker, U. S. A., June 3, 1875, by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Foley, of Chicago.

A School Girl, Westville, Ill.—The Russians held Alaska by the right of Behring’s discovery, in 1741, and the subsequent settlement of the territory. In 1799 Paul VIII. granted this land to the Russo-American Fur Company. The charter of the corporation was renewed in 1839, but finally expired in 1863, and in 1867 Alaska was ceded to the United States for $7,200,000.

Willis Hollings, Albany, Ill.—Greenwich, situated upon the right bank of the Thames, six miles southeast of London Bridge, is a favorite suburb of Londoners, on account of its fine parks and picturesque views. Its meridian was selected as the one from which to reckon standard time because from it navigators generally, the world over, are in the practice of reckoning time and longitude.

G. H. S., McLean, Ill.—Snow-shoes consist of a flat wooden frame, of lanceolate form, from four to seven feet long, and from eight to fourteen inches in width at the broadest part. This frame is filled with wicker-work or thongs, and furnished with straps upon the upper side, for the feet. The sole may be wholly of wood. By the extreme length and breadth the shoe is prevented from sinking in the snow.

S. S. H., Smith Center, Kan.:—“The Little Old Sod Shanty on the Claim” was composed by Mr. F. E. Jerome, and first published in the Smith County Pioneer in 1878, and refers to a claim one mile from Smith Center.

John Stuart, Lyneville, Wis.—The ordinary expenditures of the United States Government for the year 1881 amounted to $178,204,146.41.

Constant Reader, Chicago—The first negro slave owned in Chicago, it is believed, was Black Jim, the property of John H. Kinzie, brought here by him in 1804.

A Subscriber, Morris, Ill.—“Johnson’s Universal Cyclopædia” says that Miles Standish lost his wife, Rose, during the first winter in America.

Daisy, Emporia, Kan.—The sections of one mile square are the smallest tracts, the out-boundaries of which the law requires to be actually surveyed. The minor subdivisions are defined by law, and the Surveyors General, in protracting township plats from the field notes of sections, designate them in red ink, the lines connecting being imaginary.

Mary Maxwell Call, Fulda, Minn., evidently agrees substantially with another correspondent, whose communication on this subject was published a few days ago, as to the origin of the saying “All is lovely and the goose hangs high.” She writes: “It is a corruption of the sentry call, ‘All is lovely and the goose honks high,’” meaning, the weather is pleasant and the high flying of the geese indicates that it will continue so. She thinks, therefore, that it is not “slang.” Webster, however, does not recognize “honk” as an English word in good standing, though we are not sure but he should do so.

W. F. Smith, Manning, Iowa.—The steeple of Trinity Church, New York City, is 284 feet in height.

W. H. L., Springfield, Ill.—“Lady’s Day” is the name given in England to “Annunciation Day,” which always comes on the 25th of March. In France it is known as Notre Dame de Mars. This year it and Easter Sunday corresponded.

James Wilson, Pontiac, Ill.—Journeymen printers on Chicago morning dailies are paid 40 cents, on evening and weekly papers and book work 37 cents per 1,000 ems. Job printers get from $18 a week, the minimum, to $21. The expenses of living are greater in the city than in the country; this is one reason why wages should be higher in the city. Another is that most of the work on a daily paper must be done at night.

W. D. Doane, Kokomo, Col.—The government farms out the seal fur fisheries of Alaska to a commercial company for a stipulated revenue, and under strict laws regulating the business.

C. L. Gilbert, Eau Claire, Wis.—“The Fall of Jerusalem” was written by Henry Hart Milman, who lived from 1791 to 1868.

L. Brock, Oswego, Kan.—Patented articles must bear notice of some kind that they are patented, and date of patent.

S. M. Sinclair, Marshalltown, Iowa.—Homesteaders and pre-emptors must file their claims in person. They cannot legally do it by proxy of any kind.

James Allen, Chicago—The name of the village at the mouth of the Mississippi, Balize, is the Spanish for beacon. A beacon-light has shone here from early times.

George S. L., Attica, N.Y.—The deepest artesian well in the world is at Sperenburg, about twenty miles from Berlin, Prussia. It is 4,194 feet deep.

“Lunatic,” Vermont, Ill.—The nineteenth century began Jan. 1, 1801, and will end with Dec. 31, 1900.

F. P., Amherst, Wis.—The Michigan Central Railroad was completed to Ypsilanti, Feb. 3, 1838; to Jackson, Dec. 30, 1841.

J. F. Clymer, Silver Lake, Ind.—The total colored population of the United States in 1880 was 6,580,793.

M. B. Hilts, Towanda, Ill.—The present capital of West Virginia is Charleston. Wheeling was the capital until recently.

Charles Shick, Imogene, Iowa.—In the contest between John C. Heenan and Tom Sayers for the championship of the prize-ring, Sayers carried off the belt.

Harry, Creston, Iowa.—Dealings in “futures” or “puts and calls” are contrary to the laws of Illinois. These laws have not been strictly put in force. There is a disposition to do that now.

Mr. Thompson, Monona, Iowa—There are about 320 acres inclosed in the Union Stock Yards, Chicago.

G. M. Ford, Chicago.—The total imports of the United States for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882, amounted to $767,111,964; the total exports to $799,959,736.

C. Allen, Rock Island, Ill.—The great earthquake which destroyed so many lives in the Island of Scio in 1881 occurred on the 3d of April. About 4,000 persons perished.

Subscriber, Emmetsburg, Iowa—Chore is a corruption of the old English noun char or chare, derived from the verb to char or to chare, signifying to work by the day, take one’s turn at doing jobs, instead of working as a regularly hired servant.

A. Annubehale, Chicago.—None but native Americans are eligible to the office of President of the United States; but children of American citizens residing abroad are legally regarded as natives of this country so far as this and all other civil rights are concerned.

G. W. Carter, Blair, Neb.—The fastest mile recorded of a running horse was made by Ten Broeck at Louisville, Ky., May 24, 1877, in 1:39¾. The fastest mile recorded of a trotting horse was made by Maud S. at Rochester, N. Y., Aug. 17, 1881, in 2:10¼.

J. S. Ewell, Adrian, Ill.—The term “thoroughbred” means bred to a high point from stock of good pedigree. It may be applied to any species of animals, although, owing to the extensive breeding of horses for speed, there has resulted what is now a distinct class known as “thoroughbreds.”

Blonde and Brunette, Chicago—The phrase “Bread is the staff of life” is attributed to Dr. Jonathan Swift. It is in his “Tale of the Tub.” It is not a Bible phrase. The original of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is still alive. He has published an autobiography. He was in Chicago not many months ago. His name is Rev. Josiah Henson.

Non-voter, Rockford, Ill.—The fact that you are not a citizen and are, therefore, a non-voter does not exempt you from payment of poll-tax in case you do not wish to work out your assessment on the highways. The public roads are enjoyed by citizens and aliens alike, and—so are the taxes for keeping them in proper order.

C. T. Smith, Braddyville, Iowa—The United States Government has erected a line of towers in Illinois on about the meridian of Urbana, and similar towers in other places, including the one near South Bend, Ind., for the purpose of effecting a more accurate survey of the country, and for other scientific purposes.

D. W. Barlow, Nettleton, Mo.—Honey-dew is a sweet substance found on the leaves of certain trees and plants in small drops, like dew. There are two kinds of honey-dew, one which exudes from plants, and the other which is deposited on leaves by an insect called the aphis, or vine-fretter.

H. M. Eastman, Fourche, D. T.—The oldest form of religion now extant is the Hebrew religion. The next oldest, probably, are Parseeism, or the religion of Zoroaster, and Brahmanism. All of these have changed materially as regards ceremonial, but in doctrine they are essentially consistent with the faith of their founders.

“306,” Dana, Iowa—General P. H. Sheridan was at Sedan, by courtesy of the King of Prussia, at the time of the surrender of Napoleon III. and Marshal MacMahon’s army. At the opening of the battle, according to the account of the correspondent of the New York Tribune, written on the field, “the King, Count Bismarck, General Von Roon, the War Minister, General von Moltke, and Generals Sheridan and Forsythe stood in a group overlooking the principal field of attack.”

Leonard Bauman, Clarence, Iowa—The most productive salt region of the United States is the Saginaw salt district, Michigan. The most famous and productive salt mines in the world are those of the rock salt region of Wieliczka, in Gallicia, a province of Polish Austria. Great chambers have been excavated in the solid salt, some of them fully 150 feet in height, and of immense length and breadth. One of these is fitted up as a chapel dedicated to St. Anthony.

An Engineer, Des Moines, Iowa—The assertion that State prisons are filled with criminals of good education is a gross exaggeration. Unhappily, the laws of all the different States do not provide for full and carefully kept statistics, but in all cases where such statistics are kept they go to show that, as a rule, ignorance is the accompaniment, if not the foster parent, of crime. For the most reliable report on this subject write to the Commissioner of Education, Washington, D. C., asking for copy of the paper of Dr. Wickersham, read at a recent session of the National Teachers’ Association.

P. L. Stevens, Montfort, Wis.—Coal oil is much better as a preservative of fence posts than kerosene oil, which is more expensive and is not so effective.

Peter Sanborn, Chicago.—Every soldier who, prior to June 22, 1874, had made a homestead entry of less than 160 acres, may enter so much more as, when added to the quantity previously entered, shall not exceed 160 acres.

S. G. Salisbury, Independence, Kan.—You are right in the opinion that the President may call the militia from one State to another.

Subscriber, Chicago.—The great single span of the Brooklyn bridge is 1,595½ feet, or about one-half longer than the great span in the Cincinnati suspension bridge, which is 1057 feet.

F. V. Noggle, Galien, Mich.—Probably the deepest mine in the world in actual working is a shaft in the Rosebridge colliery, near Wigan, Eng., which is 2,445 feet deep.

C., Muscatine, Iowa—According to the laws of Iowa, one-third of the estate, real and personal, of a wife who dies without issue and intestate goes to her husband as dower, and the rest goes to her parents or heirs on the parents’ side.

A Subscriber, Pittsburg, Ind.—1. The total number of troops called for by the President during the late civil war was 2,763,670 men, and there were 2,772,408 men furnished, besides 86,724 paid commutations, making an aggregate of 2,859,132 men.

A. O. A., Cambridge, Wis.—The total tobacco crop of the United States in 1880, as given by the statisticians of the Bureau of Agriculture, was 446,296,889 pounds, valued at $36,414,615. The crop of 1881 was 449,880,014 pounds, valued at $43,372,336.

A Farmer, Cresco, Iowa.—Trichinæ may sometimes be seen with the 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.

Phillip Blunn, Seward, Kan.—Fremont in early life was a bold, 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.

Lillie G. Hendee, Sandwich, Ill.—1. There is a snake with a straight horn on the end of its tail, which, when in rapid motion, looks like a revolving hoop. It is found in Southern Illinois and Missouri, and the country east and south of the same. It is popularly known as the hoop snake. 2. Naturalists are generally agreed that the worms seen after showers do not fall from the clouds; they are not fully agreed as to the proper explanation of their sudden appearance at such times. For further particulars address Professor Forbes, curator of the Laboratory of Natural History, Normal, Ill.

M. S. H., Chicago.—Pierre, the present Western terminus of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad is the railway station nearest to Deadwood, from which it is about 190 miles distant. The Northwestern Express Stage and Transportation Company runs a line of Concord stages between these points.

C. H. F., Weldon, Ill.—The term creole as used in our Gulf States applies to descendants of French and Spanish settlers, in distinction from French and Spanish immigrants, and mulattoes or half-breeds: also to natives of the West Indies of European descent. But in the West Indies the word is applied to natives, whether of white, black, or mixed races.

George Fair, Fairmont, Neb.—1. The velocity of light, as determined by the latest experiments, is 186,300 miles per second. 2. The velocity of electricity traveling on metal wires was calculated by Wheatstone at 194,000 miles per second. But It travels at different rates on different wires, and as a consequence the reports of different observers do not agree. 3. We can only furnish the Curiosity Shop volumes of 1880, 1881, and 1882.

J. M. Simpson, Cherokee City, Ark.—The present form of government in France is republican. The constitution bears date Feb. 25, 1875. It vests the legislative power in an assembly of two houses, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, and the executive power in a President, who is elected by a majority of votes of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies united in National Assembly. The President at this time is Francois J. P. Jules Grevy.

S. A. Maxwell, Morrison, Ill.—The term “O grab me act” was applied to the embargo act of Dec. 27, 1807. This embargo, laid by our government on all its own ports and vessels in retaliation for certain decrees of France and England sorely restricting the rights of neutral vessels, bore particularly hard on New England, which had been increasing its shipping very rapidly. Inverting the word “embargo,” the malcontents called it the “O grab me act,” referring to the fact that it operated to the advantage of one part of the country at the expense of the shipping interest in another. These murmurings grew until the act was repealed in February, 1809. When Congressmen voted themselves an increase of back salary a few years ago there was an attempt to transfer the name of O grab me act to this law.

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

The Executive.

Chester A. Arthur, of New York, President of the United States; salary, $50,000.

G.F. Edmunds, of Vermont, President pro tem. of Senate, and Acting Vice President: salary, $8,000.

The Cabinet.

Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, Secretary of State; salary, $8,000.

Charles J. Folger. Secretary of the Treasury; salary, $8,000.

Robert T. Lincoln, Secretary of War; salary, $8,000.

William E. Chandler, Secretary of the Navy; salary, $8,000.

Henry M. Teller, Secretary of the Interior; salary, $8,000.

Walter Q. Gresham, Postmaster General; salary, $8,000.

Benjamin Harris Brewster, Attorney General; salary, $8,000.

FORTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS.

March 4, 1883, to March 3, 1885.

THE SENATE.

Republicans (in Roman), 38; Democrats (in italics), 36; Readjuster (in SMALL CAPS), 2. Total, 76.

Term ex. Home Postoffice.

Alabama—

1889 John T. Morgan Selma.

1885 James L. Pugh Eufaula.

Arkansas—

1889 Augustus H. Garland Little Rock.

1885 James D. Walker Fayetteville.

California—

1885 James T. Farley Jackson.

1887 John F. Miller San Francisco.

Colorado—

1889 Thomas M. Bowen Rio Grande.

1885 Nathaniel P. Hill Denver.

Connecticut—

1885 Orville H. Platt Meriden.

1887 Joseph R. Hawley Hartford.

Delaware—

1889 Eli Saulsbury Dover.

1887 Thomas Francis Bayard Wilmington.

Florida—

1885 Wilkinson Call Jacksonville.

1887 Charles W. Jones Pensacola.

Georgia—

1889 A. H. Colquitt Atlanta.

1885 Joseph E. Brown Atlanta.

Illinois—

1889 Shelby M. Cullom Springfield.

1885 John A. Logan Chicago.

Indiana—

1885 Daniel W. Voorhees Terre Haute.

1887 Benjamin Harrison Indianapolis.

Iowa—

1889 J. F. Wilson Fairfield.

1885 William B. Allison Dubuque.

Kansas—

1889 Preston B. Plumb Emporia.

1885 John J. Ingalls Atchison.

Kentucky—

1889 James B. Beck Lexington.

1885 John S. Williams Mt. Sterling.

Louisiana—

1889 Randall L. Gibson New Orleans.

1885 Benjamin F. Jonas New Orleans.

Maine—

1889 William P. Frye Lewiston.

1887 Eugene Hale Ellsworth.

Maryland—

1885 James B. Groome Elkton.

1887 Arthur P. Gorman Laurel.

Massachusetts—

1889 George F. Hoar Worcester.

1887 Henry L. Dawes Pittsfield.

Michigan—

1889 T. W. Palmer Detroit.

1887 Omar D. Conger Port Huron.

Minnesota—

1889 D. M. Sabin Stillwater.

1887 Samuel J. R. McMillan St. Paul.

Mississippi—

1885 Lucius Q. C. Lamar Oxford.

1887 James Z. George Jackson.

Missouri—

1885 George G. Vest Kansas City.

1887 Francis M. Cockrell Warrensburg.

Nebraska—

1889 Charles F. Manderson Omaha.

1887 Charles H. Van Wyck Nebraska City.

Nevada—

1885 John P. Jones Gold Hill.

1887 James G. Fair Virginia City.

New Hampshire—

1889 Austin F. Pike Franklin.

1887 Henry W. Blair Plymouth.

New Jersey—

1889 John R. McPherson Jersey City.

1887 William J. Sewell Camden.

New York—

1885 Elbridge G. Lapham Canandaigua.

1887 Warner Miller Herkimer.

North Carolina—

1889 Matt W. Ransom Weldon.

1885 Zebulon B. Vance Charlotte.

Ohio—

1887 John Sherman Mansfield.

1885 George H. Pendleton Cincinnati.

Oregon—

1889 Joseph N. Dolph Portland.

1885 James H. Slater Le Grande.

Pennsylvania—

1885 J. Donald Cameron Harrisburg.

1887 John I. Mitchell Wellsboro.

Rhode Island—

1889 Henry B. Anthony Providence.

1887 Nelson W. Aldrich Providence.

South Carolina—

1889 Matthew C. Butler Edgefield.

1885 Wade Hampton Columbia.

Tennessee—

1889 Isham G. Harris Memphis.

1887 Howell E. Jackson Jackson.

Texas—

1889 Richard Coke Waco.

1887 Sam Bell Maxey Paris.

Vermont—

1885 Justin S. Morrill Strafford.

1887 George F. Edmunds Burlington.

Virginia—

1889 Harrison H. Riddleberger Richmond.

1887 William Mahone Petersburg.

West Virginia—

1889 John E. Kenna Kanawha.

1887 Johnson N. Camden Parkersburg.

Wisconsin—

1885 Angus Cameron LaCrosse.

1887 Philetus Sawyer Oshkosh.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Alabama—

1 James T. Jones.[18]

2 Hilary A. Herbert.[18]

3 Wm. C. Oates.[18]

4 Charles M. Shelley.[18]

5 Thomas Williams.[18]

6 Goldsmith W. Hewitt.[18]

7 Wm. H. Forney.[18]

8 Luke Pryor.[15]

Arkansas—

1 Poindexter Dunn.[18]

2 James K. Jones.[18]

3 John H. Rogers.

4 Samuel W. Peel.

At Large—C. R. Breckinridge.

California—

1 Wm. S. Rosecrans.[18]

2 James H. Budd.

3 Barclay Henley.

4 Patrick B. Tulley.

At Large—Chas. A. Sumner, John. R. Glascock.

Colorado—

James B. Bedford.[18]

Connecticut—

1 Wm. W. Eaton.[15]

2 Charles L. Mitchell.

3 John T. Wait[18]

4 Edw. W. Seymour.

Delaware—

Charles B. Lore.

Florida—

1 Robert H. H. Davidson.[18]

2 Horatio Bisbee, Jr.

Georgia—

1 John C. Nicholls.[19]

2 Henry G. Turner.[18]

3 Charles F. Crisp.

4 Hugh Buchanan.[18]

5 Nathaniel J. Hammond.[18]

6 James H. Blount.[18]

7 Judson C. Clements.[18]

8 Seaborn Reese.[18]

9 Allen C. Candler.

At Large—Thomas Hardeman.[19]

Illinois—

1 Ransom W. Dunham.

2 John F. Finerty, Ind.

3 George R. Davis.[18]

4 George E. Adams.

5 Reuben Ellwood.

6 Robert R Hitt.[18]

7 Thomas J. Henderson.[18]

8 William Cullen.[18]

9 Lewis E. Payson.[18]

10 Nicholas E. Worthington.

11 William H. Neece.

12 James M. Riggs.

13 William M. Springer.[18]

14 Jonathan H. Rowell.

15 Joseph G. Cannon.[18]

16 Aaron Shaw.

17 Samuel W. Moulton.[18]

18 William R. Morrison.[18]

19 Richard W. Townshend.[18]

20 John R. Thomas.[18]

Indiana—

1 John J. Kleiner.

2 Thomas R. Cobb.[18]

3 S. M. Stockslager.[18]

4 William S. Holman.[18]

5 Courtland C. Matson.[18]

6 Thomas M. Browne.[18]

7 Stanton J. Peelle.[18]

8 John E. Lamb.

9 Thomas B. Ward.

10 Thomas J. Wood.

11 George W. Steele.[18]

12 Robert Lowry.

13 William H. Calkins.[18]

Iowa—

1 Moses A. McCoid.[18]

2 Jermiah H. Murphy.

3 David B. Henderson.

4 L. H. Weller, Gbk.

5 James Wilson.[19]

6 John C. Cook.[16]

7 John A. Kasson.[18]

8 William P. Hepburn.

9 Wm. H. M. Pusey.

10 Adoniram J. Holmes.

11 Isaac S. Struble.

Kansas—

1 John A. Anderson.[18]

2 Vacancy.

3 Thomas Ryan.[18]

At Large—Edmund N. Morrill, Lewis Hanback, Samuel R. Peters, Bishop W. Perkins.

Kentucky—

1 Oscar Turner.[18]

2 James F. Clay.

3 John E. Halsell.

4 Thomas A. Robertson.

5 Albert S. Willis.[18]

6 John G. Carlisle.

7 Joseph C. S. Blackburn.[18]

8 Philip B. Thompson, Jr.[18]

9 William W. Culbertson.

10 John D. White.[18]

11 Frank L. Wolford.

Louisiana—

1 Carleton Hunt.

2 E. John Ellis.[18]

3 William P. Kellogg.[15]

4 Newton C. Blanchard.[18]

5 J. Floyd King.[18]

6 Edward T. Lewis.

Maine—

At Large—Thos. B. Reed.[18]

Nelson Dingley, Jr.[18]

Chas. A. Boutelle.

Seth L. Milliken.

Maryland—

1 George W. Covington.[18]

2 J. Frederick C. Talbott.[18]

3 Fetter S. Hoblitzell.[18]

4 John V. L. Findlay.

5 Hart B. Holton.

6 Louis E. McComas.

Massachusetts—

1 Robert T. Davis

2 John D. Long.

3 Ambrose A. Ranney.[18]

4 Patrick A. Collins.

5 Leopold Morse.[18]

6 Henry B. Lovering.[16]

7 Eben F. Stone.[18]

8 William A. Russell.

9 Theodore Lyman.[17]

10 William W. Rice.[18]

11 William Whiting.

12 Vacancy.

Michigan—

1 William C. Maybury.

2 Nathan B. Eldredge.

3 Edward S. Lacey.[18]

4 George L. Yaple.

5 Julius Houseman.

6 Edwin B. Winans.

7 Ezra C. Carleton.

8 Roswell G. Horr.[18]

9 Byron M. Cutcheon.

10 Herschel H. Hatch.

11 Edward Breitung.

Minnesota—

1 Milo White.

2 James B. Wakefield.

3 Horace B. Strait.[18]

4 William D. Washburn.[18]

5 Knute Nelson.

Mississippi—

1 Henry L. Muldrow.[18]

2 J. R. Chalmers,[18] Ind.

3 E. S. Jeffords.

4 Hernando D. Money.[18]

5 Otho R. Singleton.[18]

6 Henry S. Van Eaton.

7 Ethelbert Barksdale.

Missouri—

1 William H. Hatch.[18]

2 A. M. Alexander.

3 Alexander M. Dockery.

4 James N. Burnes.

5 Alexander Graves.

6 John Cosgrove.

7 Aylett H. Buckner.[18]

8 John J. O’Neill.

9 James O. Broadhead.

10 Martin L. Clardy.[18]

11 Richard P. Bland.[18]

12 Charles H. Morgan.[19]

13 Robert W. Ryan.

14 Lowndes H. Davis.[18]

Nebraska—

1 Archibald J. Weaver.

2 James Laird.

3 Edward K. Valentine.[18]

Nevada—

George W. Cassidy.[18]

New Hampshire—

1 Martin A. Haynes.

2 Ossian Ray.[18]

New Jersey—

1 Thomas W. Ferrell.

2 J. Hart Brewer.[18]

3 John Kean. Jr.

4 Benjamin F. Howey.

5 William Walter Phelps.[19]

6 William H. F. Fiedler.

7 William McAdoo.

New York—

1 Perry Belmont.[18]

2 William E. Robinson.[18]

3 Darwin R. James.

4 Felix Campbell.

5 Nicholas Muller.[19]

6 Samuel S. Cox.

7 William Dorsheimer.

8 John J. Adams.

9 John Hardy.[18]

10 Abram S. Hewitt.[18]

11 Orlando B. Potter.

12 Waldo Hutchins.[18]

13 John H. Ketcham.[18]

14 Lewis Beach.[18]

15 John J. Bagley, Jr.[19]

16 Thomas J. Van Alstyne.

17 Henry G. Burleigh.

18 Frederick A. Johnson.

19 Abraham X. Parker.[18]

20 Edward Wemple.

21 George W. Ray.

22 Charles R. Skinner.[18]

23 J. Thomas Spriggs.

24 Newton W. Nutting.

25 Frank Hiscock.[18]

26 Sereno E. Payne.

27 James W. Wadsworth.[18]

28 Stephen C. Millard.

29 John Arnot.

30 Halbert S. Greenleaf.

31 Robert S. Stevens.

32 William F. Rogers.

33 Francis B. Brewer.

At Large—Henry W. Slocum.[19]

North Carolina—

1 Thomas G. Skinner.

2 James E. O’Hara.

3 Wharton J. Green.

4 William R. Cox.[18]

5 Alfred M. Scales.[18]

6 Clement Dowd.[18]

7 Tyre York, Ind.

8 Robert B. Vance.[18]

At Large—R. I. Bennett.

Ohio—

1 John F. Follett.

2 Isaac M. Jordan.

3 Robert M. Murray.

4 Benjamin Le Fevre.[18]

5 George E. Seney.

6 William D. Hill.[19]

7 Henry L. Morey.[18]

8 J. Warren Keifer.[18]

9 James S. Robinson.[18]

10 Frank H. Hurd.[19]

11 John W. McCormick.

12 Alphonso Hart.

13 George L. Converse.[18]

14 George W. Geddes.[18]

15 Adoniram J. Warner.[19]

16 Beriah Wilkins.

17 Joseph D. Taylor.

18 William McKinley, Jr.[18]

19 Ezra B. Taylor.[18]

20 David R. Paige.

21 Martin A. Foran.

Oregon—

Melvin C. George.[18]

Pennsylvania—

1 Henry H. Bingham.

2 Charles O’Neill.[18]

3 Samuel J. Randall.[18]

4 William D. Kelley.[18]

5 Alfred C. Harmer.[18]

6 James B. Everhart.

7 I. Newton Evans.[19]

8 Daniel Ermentrout.[18]

9 A. Herr Smith.[18]

10 William Mutchler.[18]

11 John B. Storm.[19]

12 Daniel W. Connolly.

13 Chas. N. Brumm,[18] Gbk.

14 Samuel F. Barr.[18]

15 George A. Post.

16 William W. Brown.

17 Jacob M. Campbell.[18]

18 Louis E. Atkinson.

19 William A. Duncan.

20 Andrew G. Curtin.[18]

21 Charles E. Boyle.

22 James H. Hopkins.[19]

23 Thomas M. Bayne.[18]

24 George V. Lawrence.[19]

25 John D. Patton.

26 Samuel H. Miller[18]

27 Samuel M. Brainard.

At Large—Mortimer F. Elliott.

Rhode Island—

1 Henry J. Spooner.[18]

2 Jonathan Chace.[18]

South Carolina—

1 Samuel Dibble.[18]

2 George D. Tillman.[18]

3 D. Wyatt Aiken.[18]

4 John H. Evins.[18]

5 John J. Hemphill.

6 Geo. W. Dargan.

7 Edmund W. M. Mackey.[18]

Tennessee—

1 Augustus H. Pettibone.

2 Leonidas C. Houk.[18]

3 Geo. G. Dibrell.[18]

4 Benton McMillin.[18]

5 Richard Warner.[18]

6 Andrew J. Caldwell.

7 John G. Ballentyne.

8 John M. Taylor.

9 Rice A. Pearce.

10 Casey Young.[19]

Texas—

1 Charles Stewart.

2 John H. Reagan.[18]

3 James H. Jones.

4 David B. Culberson.[18]

5 Jas. W. Throckmorton.[19]

6 Olin Wellborn.[18]

7 T. P. Ochiltree, Ind.

8 James F. Miller.

9 Roger Q. Mills.[18]

10 John Hancock.[19]

11 Samuel W. T. Lanham.

Vermont—

1 John W. Stewart.

2 Luke P. Poland.[19]

Virginia—

1 Robert M. Mayo, Re.

2 Harry Libbey, Re.

3 George D. Wise.[18]

4 Benj. S. Hooper, Re.

5 George C. Cabell.[18]

6 John Randolph Tucker.[18]

7 Vacancy.

8 John S. Barbour.[18]

9 Henry S. Bowen, Re.

At Large—John S. Wise, Re.

West Virginia—

1 Nathan Goff, Jr.

2 William L. Wilson.

3 Charles P. Snyder.

4 Eustace Gibson.

Wisconsin—

1 John Winans.

2 Daniel H. Sumner.

3 Burr W. Jones.

4 Peter F. Deuster.[18]

5 Joseph Rankin.

6 Richard Guenther.[18]

7 Guibert M. Woodward.

8 William T. Price.

9 Isaac Stephenson.

FOOTNOTES: