Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 September 1881 — BITS OF INFORMATION. [ARTICLE]

BITS OF INFORMATION.

There are about 150 public libraries in the United States. Gold is a little over double the weight of iron, and is the heaviest of the metals, except platinum, when the latter is fused. The greatest length of the United States from east to west is 2,800 miles; greatest breadth from north to south, 1,600 miles; average breadth, 1,200 miles. Rats are said to have a strong aversion to asphodel, and to banish the rodents plant asphodel near the bam or stable where they are, or put some in their holes. The population of the city proper of London was in 1801, 156,859; 1811, 120,909; 1821, 125,434; 1831, 125,574; 1841, 125,008; 1851, 122,440; 1861, 112,063; 1871, 74,897; 1881, 52,889. The following are the proportions of nutriment contained in 1,000 parts of the articles of food mentioned : Mutton, 290; chicken, 270; beef, 260; veal, 250; pork, 240; blood, 215; codfish, SB0; milk, 72 ; wheat, 950; nuts, 930. The salary of Speaker of the House is SB,OOO. Congressmen receive $5,000 per annum and mileage, 20 cents per mile of travel, each session, to and from Washington. Allowance for stationery and newspapers, $125 per annum. The “Drunken Parliament” was a Scotch Parliament assembled at Edinburgh, Jan. 1, 1661. Burnet says: “It was a mad, warring time, and no wonder it was so, when the men of affairs were almost perpetually drunk. ” The whole length of navigation in the Suez canal is eighty-eight geographical miles. Of this distance sixty-six miles are actual canal formed by outtings, fourteen miles are made by dredging through lakes, and eight miles required no works, the natural depth being equal to that of the canal. The entire cost, including harbors, was about $100,000,000. It is regarded as making a saving of thirty-six days on the voyage from Western Europe to the East Indies.

The capacity of some of the noted buildings of Europe is as follows : St. Peter’s Church, Rome 54,000 Bt. PauPs, Loudon 35,0 iO St. Sophia’s, Constantinople 33,00) Florence Cathedral 24,3'id St. Petronius, Bologna 24,0'0 St. Paul’s, Rome 32,00) St. John Late ran 22,000 Notre Dame, Paris 20,0, o Pisa Cathedral 13,000 St. Stephen’s, Vienna 12,400 St. Dominico, Bologna S 12,' 00 St. Peter’s, Bologna 11,500 Cathedral of Vienna .11,000 St. Mark, Venice 7,0 )0 Milan Cathedral 7,000 “Spun butter ” is the same as “roast butter,” and this was once a delicate test of housewifery. A spit was thrust through a pound of firm butter, and, after being very thickly basted with flour, it was set before the fire. In the days of turnspits and smokejacks it was easy to turn this steadily and constantly. The problem was for the housekeeper I o do this after these contrivances -passed away. The butter was basted constantly, and the heat drew the butter out into the flour. As soon as one baste was browned lightly, another was thrown on. When finished, you had an excellent roll of puff paste five times the original pound of butter, and when perfectly cooked there was a liolloiv at the heart, exactly the size of the original pound. When served, this hollow could be filled with jelly or preserves. The iEolian liarp is composed of a rectangular box, made of very thin boards, 5 inches deep aad 6 inches wide, and long enough to fit across the window in which it is to be placed. At the top of each end of the box is glued a strip of wood about half au inch in height; these strips serve as a bridge for the strings, which are stretched lengthwise across the top of the box, and are made of catgut or wire. These strings should be tuned in unison by means of pegs constructed as in the violin, and with the same number. When the instrument is exposed in a window partly open, so as to allow a current of air to pass over the strings, a mostUgreeable combination of tones is produced, constantly varying in pitcli and intensity with the force of the wind, and forming harmonies of a wild and melancholy character.