Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 February 1906 — FOR THE CHILDREN [ARTICLE]

FOR THE CHILDREN

Animal*' Winter Home*. “In the autumn,” remarked a naturalist, “the birds and beasts of the countryside occupy themselves in preparing their supplies of winter clothes and bedding Just as human beings would do. “And by their winter clothes," he continued, “I do not mean merely the extra thick suits of fur or feather, but all kinds of artificial rugs and blankets, which they manufacture themselves. “Take, first, the water rats, which are famous blanket makers. They fill their lairs in autumn with sheets of the gray vegetable down that grows on various plants in the marshes and by the banks of rivers and brooks. Their beds are often composed of the soft heads of reeds that have been dried and ripened by the autumn sun, with rushes and vegetable down for bedclothes. “Then there are the field mice, which make their winter beds with layers of dried grass and dead leaves. They are also fond of a few stray feathers and moss, but most of all they prize the white fluff of a kind of grass which makes for them a luxurious mattress. Curiously enough, they do not care for sheep’s wool or the hair of any animal, warm as it would be. “Weasels, ou the other baud, despise feathers and are partial to hay and also dried thistles (a prickly sort of bed, one would suppose). They hunt for wool or hair and when they have collected sufficient weave it up with the hay into a very snug bed.” How the Chinese Boy Recited I*. There was a rich merchant who became interested in a bright little Chinese boy and told his father that he would take him into his employ when he could speak good English. “Not pidgin English,” warned the merchant. By the way, “pidgin English” is what is known as “business English,” and is pronounced “pidgin” by the Celestial as the nearest he can come to saying “business.” One day the father brought the little boy to the merchant, telling him that be now could speak most elegant English. The merchant did not bblieve it from the short time be had been at it, but to give him a chance said: “All right; say ‘Little Jack Horner’ for me. Do you know It?” The little China boy smiled delightedly, proud to be able to show off his knowledge, and this is what the merchant heard: “Ittee Johnny Homer B’long Insldee corner, Makee show chow one Cllsma* pie. He put Insldee turn, Catchee big plecee plum. Hi yah! What one good chllo, my!” Why the Sea I* Green. The green color of ocean water depends upon the number of medusae and other minute animal forms which inhabit it. The deep green northern seas literally swarm wdth these miniature creatures. In some places as many as 128 of them have been found in a single cubic inch of water. In this proportion a cubic foot of water would contain 221,184, a cubic fathom 47,776,744 and a cubic mile 48,776,000,000,000. From soundings made in the districts where these creatures are found in such Immense numbers it is probable that the waters will average a mile in depth. Whether these forms occupy the whole depth is uncertain. Provided, however, the depth to which they extend is but 250 fathoms the above immense number of one species may occur within a space of one square mile. Finger Trick*. Sit in a chair and rest the tip of the first finger of either band on the top of your bead. Ask a person to raise the hand by grasping your wrist. Sandow, with all his strength, could not lift the hand of a child. He would raise the child from the floor, but its finger would not be moved from Its head. Another trick shows how easily the strength in the fingers of any ordinary person’s hand can part the fists of a strong man. Place your fists together at arm’s length, let another person strike simultaneously your left fist with one finger in a downward direction and your right fist with one finger in an upward direction. No matter how hard you press your fists together, they will fly apart. Why «O” I* Round. As every one knows, the letter “o” is the fifteenth in the English alphabet It has four sounds, eve of whjch, as in go, is probably one of the oldest and helped td fix its shape. 7 The letter in the Hebrew and Phoenician alphabet that corresponded to the long o was called ayn or eye and was represented by a rude drawing of an eye. Of course this was often rendered simply as a circle with a dot in the middle, and at last it became the custom to omit the dot, which gave us merely a circle, the present form of the letter. Strength of Ice. Winter brings ice, and ice brings skating, which makes the bearing strength of ice a subject of Interest A conservative estimate is as follows: Two Inches in thickness will support a man; four inches, a man on horseback; five inches, an eighty pounder gun; eight inches, a battery of artillery with carriages and horses attached; ten inches, an innumerable multitude. A Sad Conditio*. ‘TH be a nurse,” said little Vic, “And cure the family so quick!" She donned an apron long and white And tied a kerchief cap on tight. But then, “Oh, dear," cried little Vie, “There isn’t anybody sick!" —Youth's Companion.