Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 December 1879 — USEFUL INFORMATION. [ARTICLE]

USEFUL INFORMATION.

To drain land in level places sink a well down to the first porous stratum. The water from the upper soil will flow readily into the well, especially if draiu pipes or tiles be lai l in its direction. AN astronomical day commences at noon, and is counted from tho first to the twenty-fourth hour. A civil day commences at midnight, and is counted from tbe first to the twelfth hour. A nautical day is counted as a civil day, but commences, like an astronomical day, from noon. It is quite commonly supposed that before the time of Columbus the true form of the earth was not known. This is an erroneous notion. Aristotle, a Greek philosopher of the fourth century beforo our era, gave many of tho now-accepted reasons for believing the earth to be a sphero. Elevated situations are most suitable for the growth of coffee; the trees are raised from slips, which are allowed four or five years to grow before they are cropped; they attain the height of ten feet, and bear from thirty to fifty years. It is chiefly cultivated in Arabia, the southern states of North America, South America, Java and Ceylon. The saying “ Let the cat out of the bag” originated in England in this way: Formerly dishonest countrymen practiced the trick of substituting a cat for a sucking pig, and bringing it to market in a bag, so that he who, without examination, made a hasty bargain was said to “ buy a pig in a poke,” and might “ get a eat in a bag.’ Aud the discovery of this cheat originated the expression “ Letting the cat out of the bag.” Carat is a weight used by goldsmiths and jewelers. Originally tbe Kaura bean was used for this purpose; hence the name. A carat is a weight of four grains, w ben used iu weighing diamonds, and when used in reference to the fineness of gold, pure gold is supposed to weigh twenty-four carats of twelve grains each. Coin is usually twenty carats fine, while gold used for ornaments and jewelry varies from eighteen carats down as low as twelve and even ten carats. The alloy is usually silver. The first railroad in the United States was a short road built from the granite quarries of Quincy, Mass., to the Neponset river, for the purpose of conveying the blocks of granite that were used in building tho Bunker Hill monument, at Boston. It was a small affair, with wooden rails. It was constructed about 1M27, and was a single-track road three miles long. The ties were of granite, seven and a half feet loDg, placed eight feet apart, and the gauge was five feet. The rails were of pine covered with oak, on which was placed wrought-iron plates. To rid a well of foul air, bqild a furnace of stone, brick or sod, to hold a bushel or two, ten feet from the mouth of the shaft Let there be a closed channel, or arched-wav connecting with the furnace, to within a foot or so of the shaft or well. Attach to the end of the channel, near tho shaft, a hose three or four inches in diameter, to reach within five or six feet of the bottom of the shaft. Build a fire in the furnace of dry wood, and you can have all the fresh air at the bottom you please. If you please, you can add slush or kerosene to the fire until the well digger will say: “ Hold on; Ido not want so much wind down here.” As the shaft deepens, add new sections to the hose. If you have to make hose, light cotton duck will be sufficient.