Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 November 1890 — SOMEWHAT CURIOUS. [ARTICLE]

SOMEWHAT CURIOUS.

Twenty million acres of tho land of the United States are held by foreigners. There are 10,852 school districts, 62,372 teachers and 2,800,000 school children in Japan. The largest boar skin in tho world is in Kansas City. It was taken from an animal weighing 2,800 pounds. Liverpool, England has 250 miles of the best paved streets in the world, and it costa-less than $40,000 a year to keep them in repair. Two of the albums sent to the international exihibilion of postage-stamps in the world at Vienna were insured for £2,590 and £3,000 respectively— H. G. Wheeler, of Odebolt, has under cultivation the largest farm in lowa. It comprises 6,200 acres, every foot of which is under cultivation. The slave population of this country was 2,009.043 in 1830, 2,487,355, in 1840, 3,204,313, in 1850,and 3.953.760. Missouri had 25,091 slaves in 1840, 87,422 in 1850 and 114,931 in 1860. - Dark-haired persons have a bettor chance in the great struggle for existence than those of the opposite complexion, except in contagious diseases, where blondes are comparatively except. Cascade county, Montana, ha 3 been put to an expense of SBOO by lawsuits concerning four tame ducks, between neighbors. One of the parties has been sent to the.jpeniientiary for per. jury. The Chautuqua Literary and Seien tific Circle, which was organized in 1878 with a membership of 700, has now 17,000 circles located in all parts of the world, including a branch in the Cape of Good Hope. A platina coin bearing the image of Antiochus of Syria, who died 164 B C., has been found at Tepe-Kermene, an ancient town in Crimea. It is tho only one of the kind known to exist and therefore of great value. The United States government holds in its vaults a greater amount of gold and silver than any other government in the world. It is the direct custodian of $325,000,000 in gold, coin and bars, and $318,000,000 in silver. Soundings in the Black Sea show that beyond a depth of six hundred feet the water is so impregnated with sulphuretted hydrogen gas emanating From decaying animal and vegetable matter that living organisms are not found there.

Nearly 7,000 pounds of attar of roses were exported from Tui key last year, worth $050,000. Essence of geranium has been employed for adulteration, and tho Turkish government has, now forbidden the importation of this essence, t Some amazingly big pumpkins have been raised in Maine this fall, and the contest for the honors is now on. Mr. Guy Mullen, of Newport, is pretty well to the front in this, having raised seven on one vine whose combinod weight was 102 pounds. The receivable traditions of China go back to 3 r ooo years before Christ; and one of the saored books, the Shuking (treating of history and of the government and laws of the ancient monarchs) begins with the Emperor Yao, 2,357 years B. C. A person born in hot weather stands the heat a great deal better than-one born in the cold months oi winter; of course the rule works vice versa. Those horn in the spring ure usually of a more robust constitution than if born at any other time of the year.