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HOW TO SELECT COLORSThe Natural Laws of Tints, Tones, Shades and Hues.Some combinations of color are pleasing to the eye, and some arediscordant. The reasons for this are based on natural laws and areexplained in a very simple manner in a learned article by Dr. W. K. Carrwhich originally appeared in Shop Notes Quarterly. Impressions continueupon the retina of the eye, says Dr. Carr, about one-sixth of a secondafter the object has been moved. For this reason a point of light orflame whirled swiftly around appears as a continuous ring. Or take apiece or red ribbon, place it on white paper, look intently at it forthirty seconds and suddenly remove the ribbon. The portion of the paperwhich was covered by the ribbon will then appear green. The explanationis that the color sensation in the eye is caused by the almostunthinkably rapid whirling of electrons around their atoms, and that theretina, becoming fatigued by the vibration of the red, is therefore lesssensitive to them. When the ribbon is suddenly removed, the eye sees,not the blue, yellow and red which produce the white surface of thepaper, but, because of the fatigue of the eye to the red, it sees onlythe blue and yellow constituents of the white light. But blue and yellowproduce green; hence the tendency at the eye to see the complementary ofa color. This may be referred to as the "successive contrast of colors."Colors for Blondes and for Brunettes.Now, for a practical application of this knowledge.The hair of the blond is a mixture of red, yellow and brown. As a rulethe skin is lighter, that is, it contains not so much orange, and thetinges of red are lighter. Nature, therefore, very properly made theblond's eyes blue, since the blue is complementary to the orange of herhair.The brunette's skin, on the other hand, has more orange in it, and hencea color favorable to one would not be becoming to the other.What would be the effect of green upon a complexion deficient in red? Itwould certainly heighten the rose tints in the cheeks, but the greatestcare should be exercised in the selection of the proper shade of green,because the brunette's complexion contains a great deal of orange, andthe green, acting upon the red of the orange, could readily produce abrick-dust appearance. Green, therefore, is a risky color for abrunette, and so is violet, which would neutralize the yellow of theorange and heighten the red. But if the orange complexion had moreyellow than red, then the association of violet would produce pallor.Yellow, of course, is her color, since its complementary violetneutralizes the yellow of the orange complexion and leaves the red.But with the yellow-haired blond the conditions are very different. Thecomplementary of blue is orange, which improves the hair and freshensthe light flesh tints. A blond, therefore can wear blue, just as abrunette can wear yellow.In arranging flowers the same law holds. Complementary colors should beplaced side by side; blue with orange, yellow with violet, red and rosewith green leaves. And anyone who successfully selects his wall paperand house furnishings is drawing unconsciously, perhaps, on an intuitiveknowledge of these fundamental facts. Dark papers are bad, especially inrooms with a northern exposure, because they absorb too much light. Thecomplementaries of red and violet are exceedingly trying to mostcomplexions, and orange and orange-yellow are fatiguing to the eye. Themost pleasing effects are to be had with yellow, light blue and lightgreen, for the latter freshens the red in pale skins, and the blueheightens blond complexions, and goes well with gilding and withmahogany and cherry furniture.COLOR CONTRAST AND HARMONY.The following tables will be found useful in selecting colors for dress,decoration, or any other purpose in which the proper application of thetrue laws of contrast and harmony in color is desirable:Contrasts in Color.Yellow contrasts with--Purple, russet, and auburn.Red contrasts with--Green, olive, and drab.Blue contrasts with--Orange, citrine, and buff.Harmonies in Color.Yellow harmonizes with--Orange, green, citrine, russet, buff, and drab.Red harmonizes with--Orange, purple, russet, citrine, auburn, and buff.Blue harmonizes with--Purple, green, olive, citrine, drab, and auburn.THE CARE OF THE TEETH.Decay of the teeth, or caries, commences externally, appearing upon theenamel or bony structure of the teeth. Usually it is the result ofchemical action produced by decomposition of food. Acids found in somefruits will cause decay if allowed to remain in contact with the teeth.Then there are the natural mouth acids, which, although not strong, arenone the less effective if allowed to remain long enough around theteeth. Microscopical examinations have shown that the secretions ofalmost every person's month contain more or less vegetable and animallife that will withstand the application of acids and astringents andwill only succumb to alkalies. A dentifrice or mouth wash should bealkaline.Toothache.Toothache is not always due to an exposed nerve, for in the majority ofteeth extracted because they are painful the nerve is dead. Inflammationis often the cause of the trouble.A toothache due to inflammation is a steady, aggravating pain,overspreading the affected side of the face, sometimes even the neck andshoulder. As there is no nerve to kill in a case of this kind, the toothshould be treated until cured, or removed upon the first symptom oftrouble. Its extraction would be unattended by any danger and wouldafford welcome relief.Tartar, a creamy, calcareous deposit, supposed to be from the saliva,will sometimes cause toothache. It accumulates around the necks of theteeth and eventually becomes hard and dark-colored. It also causes foulbreath and loosens the gums from the teeth, causing them to present anunsightly appearance.The Teeth of Children.Children have twenty temporary teeth, which begin making theirappearance about the sixth or seventh month. The time varies indifferent children. This is the most dangerous and troublesome period ofthe child's existence, and every parent will do well to consult areputable dentist. About the second or third year the temporary teethare fully developed. They require the same care to preserve them as isexercised toward the permanent set.About the sixth year, or soon after, four permanent molars, or doubleteeth, make their appearance. Some parents mistakenly suppose thesebelong to the first set. It is a serious error. They are permanentteeth, and if lost will be lost forever. No teeth that come after thesixth year are ever shed. Let every parent remember this.At twelve years the second set is usually complete, with the exceptionof the wisdom teeth, which appear anywhere from the eighteenth to thetwenty-fourth year. When the second set is coming in the beauty andcharacter of the child's countenance is completed or forever spoiled.Everything depends upon proper care at this time to see that the teethcome with regularity and are not crowded together. The teeth cannot havetoo much room. When a little separated they are less liable to decay.Dentifrices--Useful and Injurious.The habit of caring for the teeth daily, and if possible after eachmeal, should be established early in life.Those who have neglected to do so should lose no time in consulting areputable dentist, and then persistently caring for their teeth day byday. Children especially should be taught to use the tooth-brush andsome reliable dentifrice. The more pleasant the preparation the easierit will be to teach them its daily use. A fragrant, refreshing liquid isrecommended, as it is a mouth wash as well as a tooth cleanser. Thehabit thus formed, neglected for even a single day, will make the mouthfeel decidedly uncomfortable.Cleansing the Teeth.Preparations for cleansing the teeth and purifying the mouth should befree from all acids, and should be saponaceous or soapy, containing asone of the principal ingredients an alkali to neutralize the acids anddestroy the animal and vegetable parasites which, as the microscopewould show us, are in the secretions of almost every person's mouth.A finely triturated powder having slight abrasive properties, but freefrom dangerous grit, should be used as the complement of a liquid. Oneway to use both is to pour on the wet brush or into the palm of the handa sufficient quantity of powder and moisten it with the liquid.Occasionally the powder or the liquid alone could be employed. Becareful to use a liquid and powder of established reputation.Beware of thy teeth.Take good care of thy teeth,And they will take good care of thee.THE PERFECT FEMALE FIGURE.According to the Chicago Tribune, Miss Helen Loewe, a student at theChicago Art Institute, is credited by art critics with closelyapproaching the standard of physical perfection set by statues of thegoddess Venus. Miss Loewe was posed as a model for a series ofphotographs issued for the benefit of the playground fund of Oak Park.Aside from the artistic nature of Miss Loewe, a comparison ofmeasurements with those of the typically perfect figure explains part ofthe success of these photographic studies.
MEN AND COMPLEXIONS.Dr. Katherine Blackford, of Boston, speaking of men's complexions,arrives at the following conclusions. There are, of course, exceptionsto all rules: "As a general rule, the blonds are inconstant. They changetheir minds too often. They get angry one moment and forgive the next.They are impulsive, and when they do commit crimes they are done on theimpulse of the moment. A blond radiates his personality about him. Thebrunette, on the other hand as a rule, likes to concentrate on onesubject. He is a specialist. He prefers his home and family, and hispleasures are more often lectures and kindred entertainments than thoseof a lighter order. He learns slowly, but he retains what he knows farbetter than does the blond."HOW THE BABY'S MIND DEVELOPS.In his book on "The Development of the Intellect," Mr. H. W. Brownpresents a conspectus of the observations of Prof. Preyer on the mind ofthe child which shows chronologically the gradual development of thesenses, intellect and will of the growing child and presents in acondensed form the result of a great number of careful observations.It is recorded that sensibility to light, touch, temperature, smell andtaste are present on the first day of infant life. Hearing, therefore,is the only special sense which is not active at this time. The childhears by the third or fourth day. Taste and smell are senses at thefirst most active, but they are differentiated. General organicsensations of well being or discomfiture are felt from the first, butpain and pleasure as mental states are not noted till at or near thesecond month.The first sign of speech in the shape of utterance of consonant soundsis heard about the end of the second month, these consonants beinggenerally "m," "r," "g," or "t." All the movements of the eyes becomeco-ordinate by the fourth month, and by this time the child begins tohave the "feeling of self," that is, he looks at his own hands and looksat himself in the mirror. The study of the child's mind during the firstyear shows conclusively that ideas develop and reasoning processes occurbefore there is any knowledge of words or of language; though it may beassumed that the child thinks in symbols, visual or auditory, which areclumsy equivalents for words. By the end of the year the child begins toexpress itself by sounds--that is, speech begins. The development ofthis speech capacity is, according to Preyer, in accordance with thedevelopment of the intellectual powers. By the end of the second yearthe child's power of speech is practically acquired.THE WONDERFUL HUMAN BRAIN.According to the novel computations of a renowned histologist, who hasbeen calculating the aggregate cell forces of the human brain, thecerebral mass is composed of at least 300,000,000 of nerve cells, eachan independent body, organism, and microscopic brain so far as concernsits vital functions, but subordinate to a higher purpose in relation tothe functions of the organ; each living a separate life individually,though socially subject to a higher law of function.The lifetime of a nerve cell he estimates to be about sixty days, sothat 5,000,000 die every day, about 200,000 every hour, and nearly 3,500every minute, to be succeeded by an equal number of their progeny; whileonce in every sixty days a man has a new brain.MOURNING COLORS THE WORLD OVER.Black is by no means the only color used by man to express grief ormourning for the dead. In the South Sea Islands the natives expresssorrow and hope by stripes of black and white. Grayish brown, the colorof the earth to which the dead return, is used in Ethiopia. Pale brown,the color of withered leaves, is the mourning of Persia. Sky-blue, toexpress the assured hope that the deceased has gone to heaven, is themourning of Syria, Cappadocia, and Armenia. Deep blue in Bokhara. Purpleand violet, to express "kings and queens to God," was the color ofmourning for cardinals and kings of France. The color of mourning inTurkey is violet. White (emblem of hope) is the color of mourning inChina. Henry VIII. wore white for Anne Boleyn. The ladies of ancientRome and Sparta wore white. It was the color of mourning in Spain till1498. Yellow is the color of mourning in Egypt and in Burmah. AnneBoleyn wore yellow mourning for Catharine of Aragon.CURIOUS FACTS ABOUT HAIR.The hair of men is finer than that of women.The average weight of a head of hair is from 5 to 12 ounces.On an average head there are about 1,000 hairs to the square inch.Hair will stretch about one-fourth of its length and retract nearly toits original length.Four hairs of good strength will hold suspended a one-pound weight. Asingle head of hair, of average growth, would therefore hold suspendedan entire audience of 200 people.THINGS THAT ARE MISNAMEDCatgut is gut of sheep.Baffin's Bay is no bay at all.Arabic figures were invented by the Indians.Turkish baths are not of Turkish origin.Blacklead is a compound of carbon and iron.Slave by derivation should mean noble, illustrious.Turkeys do not come from Turkey, but North America.Titmouse is not a mouse, but a little hedge sparrow.Dutch clocks are of German (Deutsch), not Dutch manufacture.Salt (that is table salt) is not a salt at all, but "chloride ofsodium."Galvanized iron is not galvanized--simply iron coated with zinc.Ventriloquism is not voice from the stomach, but from the mouth.Kid gloves are not kid at all, but are made of lambskin or sheepskin.Pompey's Pillar, in Alexandria, was erected neither by nor to Pompey.Tonquin beans come from Tonka, in Guinea, not Tonquin, in Asia.Fire, air, earth, and water, called the four elements, are not elementsat all.Rice paper is not made from rice, but from the pith of Tungtsau, orhollowplant.Japan lacquer contains no lac at all, but is made from the resin of akind of nut tree.Pen means a feather. (Latin. "penna," a wing.) A steel pen is thereforean anomaly.Jerusalem artichoke has no connection with Jerusalem, but with thesunflower, "girasole."Humble pie, for "umbil pie." The umbils of venison were served toinferiors and servants.Lunar caustic is simply nitrate of silver, and silver is theastrological symbol of the moon.Bridegroom has nothing to do with groom. It is the old English "guma," aman, "bryd-guma."Mother of pearl is the inner layer of several sorts of shell, and insome cases the matrix of the pearl.Sealing wax is not wax at all nor does it contain wax. It is made ofshellac, Venice turpentine and cinnabar.Cleopatra's Needles were not erected by Cleopatra, nor in honor of thatqueen, but by Thothmes III.German silver is not silver at all, but a metallic mixture which hasbeen in use in China time out of mind.Cuttle-bone is not bone, but a structure of pure chalk imbedded looselyin the substance of a species of cuttlefish.America was named after Amerigo Vespucci, a naval astronomer ofFlorence, but he did not discover the New World.Prussian blue does not come from Prussia. It is the precipitate of thesalt of protoxide of iron with red prussiate of potass.Wormwood has nothing to do with worms or wood; it is the Anglo-Saxon"wer mod," man-inspiriting, being a strong tonic.Honeydew is neither honey nor dew, but an animal substance given off bycertain insects, especially when hunted by ants.Gothic architecture is not that of the Goths, but the ecclesiasticalstyle employed in England and France before the Renaissance.Sperm oil properly means "seed oil," from the notion that it was spawnor milt of a whale. It is chiefly taken, however, from the head, not thespawn of the "spermaceti" whale.Whalebone is not bone, nor does it possess any properties of bone. It isa substance attached to the upper jaw of the whale, and serves to strainthe water which the creature takes up.THE LANGUAGE OF THE FLAG.To "strike a flag" is to lower the national colors in token ofsubmission.Flags are used as the symbol of rank and command, the officers usingthem being called flag officers. Such flags are square, to distinguishthem from other banners.A "flag of truce" is a white flag displayed to an enemy to indicate adesire to parley or for consultation.The white flag is a sign of peace. After a battle parties from bothsides often go out to the field to rescue the wounded or bury dead underthe protection of a white flag.The red flag is a sign of defiance, and is often used by revolutionists.In the naval service it is a mark of danger, and shows a vessel to bereceiving or discharging her powder.The black flag is a sign of piracy.The yellow flag shows a vessel to be at quarantine or is the sign of acontagious disease.A flag at half-mast means mourning. Fishing and other vessels returnwith a flag at half-mast to announce the loss or death of some of themen.Dipping the flag is lowering it slightly and then hoisting it again tosalute a vessel or fort.If the President of the United States goes afloat the American flag iscarried in the bows of his barge or hoisted at the main of the vessel onboard of which he is.DEATH SENTENCE OF THE SAVIOR.The following is said to be the sentence of death, word for word,pronounced against Jesus Christ:Sentence pronounced by Pontius Pilate, intendent of the lower provinceof Galilee, that Jesus of Nazareth shall suffer death by the cross. Inthe seventeenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, and on the 24thday of the month, in the most holy city of Jerusalem, during thepontificate of Annas and Caiaphas.Pontius Pilate, intendent of the Province of Lower Galilee, sitting tojudgment in the presidential seat of the Praetors, sentences Jesus ofNazareth to death on a cross between robbers, as the numerous andnotorious testimonies of the people prove:1. Jesus is a misleader.2. He has excited the people to sedition.3. He is an enemy to the laws.4. He calls himself the son of God.5. He calls himself, falsely, the King of Israel.6. He went to the temple followed by a multitude carrying palms in theirhands. Orders from the first centurion Quirrillis Cornelius to bring himto the place of execution. Forbids all persons, rich or poor, to preventthe execution of Jesus.The witnesses who have signed the execution of Jesus are:1. Daniel Robani, Pharisee.2. John Zorobabic.3. Raphael Robani.4. Capet.Jesus is to be taken out of Jerusalem through the gate of Tournes.THE HORSE'S PRAYER.To thee, my master, I offer my prayer: Feed, water and care for me; andwhen the day's work is done, provide me with shelter and a clean, drybed. Always be kind to me. Pet me sometimes, that I may serve you themore gladly and learn to love you. Do not jerk the reins, and do notwhip me when going up hill. Never strike, beat or kick me when I do notunderstand what you want, but give me a chance to understand you. Watchme, and if I fail to do your bidding, see if something is not wrong withmy harness or feet.Do not overload me or hitch me where water will drip on me. Keep me wellshod. Examine my teeth when I do not eat; I may have an ulcerated tooth,and that, you know, is painful. Do not tie or check my head in anunnatural position or take away my best defence against flies andmosquitoes by cutting off my mane or tail.I cannot tell you when I am thirsty, so give me clean, cool water often.I cannot tell you in words when I am sick, so watch me and by signs youmay know my condition. Give me all possible shelter from the hot sun,and put a blanket on me not when I am working, but when I am standing inthe cold. Never put a frosty bit in my mouth; first warm it by holdingit in your hands.I try to carry you and your burdens without a murmur, and wait patientlyfor you long hours of the day or night. Without the power to choose myshoes or path, I sometimes fall on the hard pavements, and I must beready at any moment to lose my life in your service.And finally, O, my master, when my useful strength is gone, do not turnme out to starve or freeze, nor sell me to some human brute to be slowlytortured and starved to death, but do thou, my master, take my life inthe kindest way, and your God will reward you here and hereafter. Amen.A LADY'S CHANCE OF MARRYING.Every woman has some chance to marry. It may be one to fifty, or it maybe ten to one that she will. Representing her entire chance at onehundred at certain points of her progress in time, it is found to be inthe following ratio:
After sixty it is one-tenth of one per cent, or one chance in a thousand.Some hae meat and canna' eat,And some wad eat who want it;But we hae meat and we can eat,So let the Lord be thankit.HINTS ON SHAVING.Learn to shave right.Don't shave in a hurry.Have the water hot enough so that it won't cool too quickly.Wash the face with soap and hot water before lathering, especially ifthe beard is hard.Have the lather very soapy--thin enough to spread easily, yet thickenough so it won't drop. Rub well into the face with the brush, thenwith the fingers. The longer you lather and the more you rub, the easierthe shave.The hair usually grows downward. Shave with the grain, not against it.Use a sliding motion, as well as downward.If you get a "nick," wash with cold water. Rubbing the cut with a pieceof lump alum will stop the bleeding at once and help to heal.Hold the razor properly. Lay it as flat as possible--the back of razornearly touching the skin. Have it under easy control. Don't grab it--aneasy position means an easy shave.A poor strop will spoil the best razor ever made.To buy a good razor and a cheap strop is pour economy.If you prefer a swing strop, pull it as tightly as you can. Better use astiff strop--cushion or solid--if in doubt.A serious mistake made by a number of self-shavers is to hold the stroploose. This bends the invisible teeth and rounds the edge.Strop your razor before and after shaving. This keeps the edge free fromrust.Dip your razor in hot water before stropping and shaving. This dissolvesthe accumulation in the invisible teeth.Press as hard as you like on the back of the blade, but very lightly onthe edge.As you reach the end of the strop, turn the razor on the back of theblade to strop the other side, pulling toward you.Keep rust away from your strop, and remember that a cut in the stropwill ruin your razor. Don't use a strop that is cut.FACTS TO SETTLE ARGUMENTSTelephone invented. 1861.There are 2,750 languages.Sound moves 743 miles per hour.Hawks can fly 150 miles an hour.Chinese invented paper, 170 B. C.A hand, horse measure, is 4 inches.German Empire re-established, 1871.Storm clouds move 36 miles an hour.The first steel pen was made in 1830.Phonographs invented by Edison, 1877.Light moves 187,000 miles per second.Watches were first constructed in 1476.First steamer crossed the Atlantic, 1819.Rome was founded by Romulus, 752 B. C.First musical notes used, 1338; printed, 1502.The first Atlantic cable was operated in 1858.The first balloon ascended from Lyons, France, 1783.Slow rivers flow at the rate of seven-tenths of a mile per hour.Napoleon I. crowned Emperor, 1804; died at St. Helena, 1820.Harvard, the oldest college in the United States, was founded, 1638.The first steam engine on this continent was brought from England, 1753.The most extensive park is Deer Park in Denmark. It contains 4,200acres.Measure 209 ft. on each side and you will have a square acre, to aninch.Albert Durer gave the world a prophecy of future wood engraving in 1527.The first iron ore discovered in this country was found in Virginia in1715."Bravest of the Brave" was the title given to Marshal Ney at Friedland,1807.The highest bridge in the world, 360 ft. from the surface of the water,is over a gorge at Constantine in Algiers.The first volunteer fire company in the United States was atPhiladelphia, 1736.St. Augustine, oldest city in the United States, founded by theSpaniards, 1565.Jamestown, Va., founded, 1607; first permanent English settlement inAmerica.Books in their present form were invented by Attalus, kind of Pergamos,198 B. C.Robert Raikes established the first Sunday-school, at Gloucester,England, 1781.Oberlin College, Ohio, was the first in the United States that admittedfemale students.The first knives were used in England, and the first wheeled carriagesin France, in 1559.The largest park in the United States is Fairmont, at Philadelphia, andcontains 2.740 acres.The highest natural bridge in the world is at Rockbridge, Virginia,being 200 feet high to the bottom of the arch.The largest empire in the world is that of Great Britain, being8,557,658 square miles, and more than a sixth part of the globe.The first electrical signal ever transmitted between Europe and Americapassed over the Field submarine cable on Aug. 5, 1858.Paris was known as Lutetia until 1184, when the name of the great Frenchcapital was changed to that which it has borne ever since.The longest tunnel in the world is St. Gothard, on the line of therailroad between Lucerne and Milan, being 9-1/2 miles in length.Burnt brick were known to have been used in building the Tower of Babel.They were introduced into England by the Romans.The loftiest active volcano is Popocatapetl. It is 17,784 feet high, andhas a crater three miles in circumference and 1,000 feet deep.The largest insurance company in the world is the Mutual Life of NewYork City, having cash and real estate assets of over $350,000,000.The Latin tongue became obsolete about 580.The value of a ton of pure gold is $602,799.21.First authentic use of organs, 755; in England, 951.Ether was first used for surgical purposes in 1844.Ignatius Loyola founded the order of Jesuits, 1541.The first newspaper advertisement appeared in 1652.Benjamin Franklin used the first lightning rods, 1752.Glass windows (colored) were used in the 8th century.The largest desert is Sahara, in Northern Africa. Its length is 3,000miles and breadth 900 miles, having an area of 2,000,000 square miles.The most remarkable echo known is that in the castle of Simonetta, twomiles from Milan. It repeats the echo of a pistol shot sixty times.The first deaf and dumb asylum was founded in England, by ThomasBraidwood, 1760; and the first in the United States was at Hartford,1817.The largest diamond in the world is the Braganza, being a part of thePortugese jewels. It weighs 1,880 carats. It was found in Brazil in1741.The "Valley of Death," in the island of Java, is simply the crater of anextinct volcano, filled with carbonic acid gas. It is half a mile incircumference.The grade of titles in Great Britain stands in the following order fromthe highest: A Prince, Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Baron, Baronet,Knight.The city of Amsterdam, Holland, is built upon piles driven into theground. It is intersected by numerous canals, crossed by nearly threehundred bridges.Coal was used as fuel in England as early as 852, and in 1234 the firstcharter to dig it was granted by Henry III. to the inhabitants ofNewcastle-on-Tyne.The present national colors of the United States were not adopted byCongress until 1777. The flag was first used by Washington at Cambridge,January 1, 1776.Tobacco was discovered in San Domingo in 1496; afterwards by theSpaniards in Yucatan in 1520. It was Introduced into France in 1560, andinto England in 1583.Kerosene was first used for illuminating in 1826.Cork is the bark taken from a species of the oak tree.National banks first established in the United States, 1816.Introduction of homoeopathy into the United States, 1825.Egyptian pottery is the oldest known; dates from 2,000 B. C.Authentic history of China commenced 3.000 years B. C.The largest free territorial government is the United States.The Chaldeans were the first people who worked in metals.Spectacles were invented by an Italian in the 13th century.Soap was first manufactured in England in the 16th century.Julius Caesar invaded Britain, 55 B. C.; assassinated, 44 B. C.Medicine was introduced into Rome from Greece, 200 B. C.First electric telegraph, Paddington to Brayton, England, 1835.First photographs produced in England, 1802; perfected, 1841.First life insurance, in London, 1772; in America, Philadelphia. 1812.Slavery in the United States was begun at Jamestown, Va. in 1619.The highest denomination of legal-tender notes in the United States is$10,000.Postage stamps first came into use in England in the year 1840; in theUnited States, in 1847.The highest range of mountains are the Himalayas, the mean elevationbeing from 16,000 to 18,000 feet.The term "Almighty Dollar" originated with Washington Irving, as asatire on the American love for gain.The largest inland sea is the Caspian, between Europe and Asia, being700 miles long and 270 miles wide.A span is ten and seven-eighths inches.First watches made in Nuremberg, 1476.Pianoforte invented in Italy about 1710.The value of a ton of silver is $37,704.84.French and Indian War in America, 1754.A hurricane moves eighty miles per hour.Coaches were first used in England in 1569.The first horse railroad was built in 1826-7.Electricity moves 288,000 miles per second.Modern needles first came into use in 1545.The average human life is thirty-three years.French Revolution, 1789; Reign of Terror, 1793.$1,000,000 gold coin weighs 3,685.8 lb. avoirdupois.Mormons arrived at Salt Lake Valley, Utah, July 24, 1847.The largest cavern in the world is the Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.Experiments in electric lighting, by Thomas A. Edison, 1878-80.Daguerre and Nieper invented the process of daguerreotype, 1839.First American library founded at Harvard College, Cambridge, 1638.First cotton raised in the United States was in Virginia, in 1621; firstexported, 1747.First sugar-cane cultivated in the United States, near New Orleans,1751; first sugar-mill, 1758.First telegraph in operation in America was between Washington andBaltimore, May 27, 1844.The largest university is Oxford, in England. It consists of twenty-onecolleges and five halls.The first illumination with gas was in Cornwall, Eng., 1792; in theUnited States, at Boston, 1822.Printing was known in China in the 6th century; introduced into Englandabout 1474; America, 1516.The great wall of China, built 200 B. C. is 1,250 miles in length, 20feet high, and 25 feet thick at the base.Glass mirrors first made by Venetians in the 13th century. Polishedmetal was used before that time.Meerschaum means "froth of the sea." It is white and soft when dug fromthe earth, but soon hardens.In round numbers, the weight of $1,000,000 in standard gold coin is1-3/4 tons; standard silver coin, 26-3/4 tons; subsidiary silver coin,25 tons; minor coin, 5-cent nickel, 100 tons.The highest monument in the world is the Washington monument, being 555feet. The highest structure of any kind is the Eiffel Tower, Paris,finished in 1889, and 989 feet high.There has been no irregularity in the recurrence of leap year every fouryears since 1800, except in 1900, which was a common year, although itcame fourth after the preceding leap year.It is claimed that crows, eagles, ravens and swans live to be 100 yearsold; herons, 59, parrots, 60; pelicans and geese, 50; skylarks, 30;sparrow hawks, 40; peacocks, canaries and cranes, 24.The greatest cataract in the world is Niagara, the height of theAmerican falls being 165 feet. The highest fall of water in the world isthat of the Yosemite in California, being 2,550 feet.The most ancient catacombs are those of the Theban kings, begun 4,000years ago. The catacombs of Rome contain the remains of about 6,000,000human beings; those of Paris, 3,000,000.The first English newspaper was the English Mercury, issued in the reignof Queen Elizabeth, and was issued in the shape of a pamphlet. TheGazette of Venice was the original model of the modern newspaper.The Great Eastern, at one time the greatest steamer afloat, and twice aslong as any other vessel at the time of her launching, in 1858, was 692feet in length and 118 feet in breadth. She was too large to be handledprofitably with the motive power then available, but provedindispensable in the laying of the Atlantic cable. She was broken up andsold as junk, although the Isherwood system, on which she was built, hassince been revived, and is now successfully employed in shipbuilding.The seven sages flourished in Greece in the 6th century B. C. They wererenowned for their maxims of life, and as the authors of the mottoesinscribed in the Delphian Temple. Their names are: Solon, Chilo,Pittacus, Bias, Periander, Cleobolus, and Thales.A "monkey wrench" is not so named because it is a handy thing to monkeywith, or for any kindred reason. "Monkey" is not its name at all, but"Moncky." Charles Moncky, the inventor of it, sold his patent for$2,000, and invested the money in a house in Williamsburgh, KingsCounty, N. Y.The "Seven Wonders of the World" are seven most remarkable objects ofthe ancient world. They are: The Pyramids of Egypt, Pharos ofAlexandria, Walls and Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Temple of Diana atEphesus, the Statue of the Olympian Jupiter, Mausoleum of Artemisia, andColossus of Rhodes.In 1775 there were only twenty-seven newspapers published in the UnitedStates. Ten years later, in 1785, there were seven published in theEnglish language in Philadelphia alone, of which one was a daily. Theoldest newspaper published in Philadelphia at the time of the Federalconvention was the Pennsylvania Gazette, established by Samuel Keimer,in 1728. The second newspaper in point of age was the PennsylvaniaJournal, established in 1742 by William Bradford, whose uncle, AndrewBradford, established the first newspaper in Pennsylvania, the AmericanWeekly Mercury, in 1719. Next in age, but the first in importance, wasthe Pennsylvania Packet, established by John Dunlap, in 1771. In 1784 itbecame a daily, being the first daily newspaper printed on thiscontinent."Liberty," Bartholdi's statue, presented to the United States by theFrench people in 1885, is the largest statue ever built. Its conceptionis due to the great French sculptor whose name it bears. It is said tobe a likeness of his mother. Eight years of time were consumed in theconstruction of this gigantic brazen image. Its weight is 440,000pounds, of which 146,000 pounds are copper, the remainder iron andsteel. The major part of the iron and steel was used in constructing theskeleton frame work for the inside. The mammoth electric light held inthe hands of the giantess is 305 feet above tide-water. The height ofthe figure is 152-1/2 feet; the pedestal 91 feet, and the foundation 52feet and 10 inches. Forty persons can find standing-room within themighty head, which is 14-1/2 feet in diameter. A six-foot man standingon the lower lip could hardly reach the eyes. The index finger is 8 feetin length and the nose 3-3/4 feet. The Colossus of Rhodes was a pigmycompared with this latter-day wonder.The largest and grandest temple of worship in the world is St. Peter'sCathedral at Rome. It stands on the site of Nero's circus, in thenorthwest part of the city, and is built in form of a Latin cross. Thetotal length of the interior is 612-1/2 English feet; transept, 446-1/2feet; height of nave, 152-1/2 feet; diameter of cupola, 193 feet; heightof dome from pavement to top of cross, 448 feet. The great bell alone,without the hammer or clapper, weighs 18,600 pounds, or over 9-1/4 tons.The foundation was laid in 1450 A. D. Forty-three Popes lived and diedduring the time the work was in progress. It was dedicated in the year1826, but not entirely finished until the year 1880. The cost, in roundnumbers, is set down at $70,000,000.The great pyramid of Cheops is the largest structure of any kind evererected by the hand of man. Its original dimensions at the base were 764feet square, and its perpendicular height in the highest point 488 feet;it covers four acres, one rood and twenty-two perches of ground and hasbeen estimated by an eminent English architect to have cost not lessthan 30,000,000 pounds, which in United States currency would be about$145,200,000. Internal evidence proves that the great pyramid was begunabout the year 2170 B. c., about the time of the birth of Abraham. It isestimated that about 5,000,000 tons of hewn stone were used in itsconstruction, and the evidence points to the fact that these stones werebrought a distance of about 700 miles from quarries in Arabia.The largest body of fresh water in the world is Lake Superior. It is 400miles long and 180 miles wide; its circumference, including the windingof its various bays, has been estimated at 1,800 miles. Its area insquare miles is 32,000, which is greater than the whole of New England,leaving out Maine. The greatest depth of this inland sea is 200 fathoms,or 1,200 feet. Its average depth is about 160 fathoms. It is 636 feetabove the sea level.The corner stone of the Washington monument, the highest in the UnitedStates, and until 1889 the highest structure in the world, was laid July4, 1848. Robert E. Winthrop, then Speaker of the House, delivered theoration. Work progressed steadily for about six years, until the fundsof the monumental society became exhausted. At that time the monumentwas about 175 feet high. From 1854 until 1879 nothing to speak of wasdone on the building. In the year last above named Congress voted anappropriation of $200,000 to complete the work. From that time forwardwork progressed at a rapid rate until December 6th, 1884, when thealuminum apex was set at 555 feet 5-1/2 inches from the foundation andthe work declared finished. The foundation is 146-1/2 feet square;number of stones used above the 130-foot level, 19,163; total weightstone used in work, 81,120 tons.The largest State in our grand republic is Texas, which contains 274,350square miles, capable of sustaining 20,000,000 people, and then it wouldnot be more crowded than Scotland is at present. It has been estimatedthat the entire population of the globe could be seated upon chairswithin the boundary of Texas and each have four feet of elbow room.The Mississippi River, from the source of the Missouri to the Eadsjetties, is the longest river in the world. It is 4,300 miles in lengthand drains an area of 1,726,000 square miles. The Amazon, which iswithout doubt the widest river in the world, including the Beni, is4,000 miles in length and drains 2,330,000 square miles of territory.THE SINGLE TAX.This idea was first formulated by Mr. Henry George in 1879, and hasgrown steadily in favor. Single-tax men assert as a fundamentalprinciple that all men are equally entitled to the use of the earth;therefore, no one should be allowed to hold valuable land without payingto the community the value of the privilege. They hold that this is theonly rightful source of public revenue, and they would therefore abolishall taxation--local, state and national--except a tax upon the rentalvalue of land exclusive of its improvements, the revenue thus raised tobe divided among local, state and general governments, as the revenuefrom certain direct taxes is now divided between local and stategovernments.The single tax would not fall on all land, but only on valuable land,and on that in proportion to its value. It would thus be a tax, not onuse or improvements, but on ownership of land, taking what wouldotherwise go to the landlord as owner.In accordance with the principle that all men are equally entitled tothe use of the earth, they would solve the transportation problem bypublic ownership and control of all highways, including the roadbeds ofrailroads, leaving their use equally free to all.The single-tax system would, they claim, dispense with a horde oftax-gatherers, simplify government, and greatly reduce its cost; give uswith all the world that absolute free trade which now exists between theStates of the Union: abolish all taxes on private issues of money; takethe weight of taxation from agricultural districts, where land haslittle or no value apart from improvements, and put it upon valuableland, such as city lots and mineral deposits. It would call upon men tocontribute for public expenses in proportion to the naturalopportunities they monopolize, and make it unprofitable for speculatorsto hold land unused or only partly used, thus opening to labor unlimitedfields of employment, solving the labor problem and abolishinginvoluntary poverty.THE MYSTERIES OF HYPNOTISM.A Compend of the General Claims Made by Professional Hypnotists.Animal magnetism is the nerve-force of all human and animal bodies, andis common to every person in a greater or less degree. It may betransmitted from one person to another. The transmitting force is theconcentrated effort of will-power, which sends the magnetic currentthrough the nerves of the operator to the different parts of the body ofhis subject. It may be transmitted by and through the eyes, as well asthe finger tips, and the application of the whole open hands, todifferent regions of the body of the subject, as well as to the mind.The effect of this force upon the subject will depend very much upon thehealth, mental capacity and general character of the operator. Itsaction in general should be soothing and quieting upon the nervoussystem; stimulating to the circulation of the blood, the brain and othervital organs of the body of the subject. It is the use and applicationof this power or force that constitutes hypnotism.Magnetism is a quality that inheres in every human being, and it may becultivated like any other physical or mental force of which men andwomen are constituted. From the intelligent operator using it toovercome disease, a patient experiences a soothing influence that causesa relaxation of the muscles, followed by a pleasant, drowsy feelingwhich soon terminates in refreshing sleep. On waking, the patient feelsrested; all his troubles have vanished from consciousness and he is asif he had a new lease of life.In the true hypnotic condition, when a patient voluntarily submits tothe operator, any attempt to make suggestions against the interests ofthe patient can invariably be frustrated by the patient.Self-preservation is the first law of nature, and some of the best knownoperators who have recorded their experiments assert that suggestionsnot in accord with the best interest of the patient could not be carriedout. No one was ever induced to commit any crime under hypnosis, thatcould not have been induced to do the same thing much easier withouthypnosis.The hypnotic state is a condition of mind that extends from acomparatively wakeful state, with slight drowsiness, to completesomnambulism, no two subjects, as a rule, ever presenting the samecharacteristics.The operator, to be successful, must have control of his own mind, be inperfect health and have the ability to keep his mind concentrated uponthe object he desires to accomplish with his subject.HOW TO CARE FOR A PIANO.By William H. DamonThe most important thing in the preservation of a piano is to avoidatmospheric changes and extremes and sudden changes of temperature.Where the summer condition of the atmosphere is damp all precautionspossible should be taken to avoid an entirely dry condition in winter,such as that given by steam or furnace heat. In all cases should the airin the home contain moisture enough to permit a heavy frost on thewindows in zero weather. The absence of frost under such conditions ispositive proof of an entirely dry atmosphere, and this is a piano's mostdangerous enemy, causing the sounding board to crack, shrinking up thebridges, and consequently putting the piano seriously out of tune, alsocausing an undue dryness in all the action parts and often a looseningof the glue joints, thus producing clicks and rattles. To obviate thisdifficulty is by no means an easy task and will require considerableattention. Permit all the fresh air possible during winter, beingcareful to keep the piano out of cold drafts, as this will cause asudden contraction of the varnish and cause it to check or crack. Plantsin the room are desirable and vessels of water of any kind will be ofassistance. The most potent means of avoiding extreme dryness is toplace a single-loaf bread-pan half full of water in the lower part ofthe piano, taking out the lower panel and placing it on either side ofthe pedals inside. This should be refilled about once a month duringartificial heat, care being taken to remove the vessel as soon as theheat is discontinued in the spring. In cases where stove heat is usedthese precautions are not necessary.The action of a piano, like any other delicate piece of machinery,should be carefully examined, and, if necessary, adjusted each time itis tuned. The hammers need occasional and careful attention to preserveoriginal tone quality and elasticity. Never allow the piano to be beatenor played hard upon. This is ruinous to both the action and tuning. Whennot in use the music rack and top should be closed to exclude dust. Thekeyboard need never be closed, as the ivory needs both light andventilation and will eventually turn yellow unless left open.The case demands careful treatment to preserve its beauty and polish,Never use anything other than a soft piece of cotton cloth or cheesecloth to dust it with. Never wipe it with a dry chamois skin or silkcloth. Silk is not as soft as cotton and will scratch. A dry chamoisskin picks up the dust and grit and gradually scours off the finefinish. In dusting never use a feather duster, nor rub the piano hardwith anything. The dust should be whipped off, and not rubbed into thevarnish. If the piano is dingy, smoky or dirty looking, it should bewashed carefully with lukewarm water with a little ammonia in it tosoften it. Never use soap. Use nothing but a small, soft sponge and achamois skin. Wipe over a small part at a time with the sponge,following quickly with the wet chamois skin wrung out of the same water.This will dry it immediately and leave it as beautiful and clean as new.Never use patent polishes. If your piano needs polishing employ acompetent polisher to give it a hand-rubbing friction polish.The highest mountain on the globe is not, as is generally supposed, Mt.Everest, that honor belonging to a lofty peak named Mt. Hercules on theIsle of Papua, New Guinea, discovered by Capt. Lawson in 1881, Accordingto Lawson, this monster is 32,763 feet in height, being 3,781 feethigher than Mt. Everest, which is only 29,002 feet above the level ofthe Indian Ocean.[Transcriber's Note: The highest point in New Guinea is Puncak Jaya(Mount Carstensz or the Carstensz Pyramid), at 16,023 feet.]SALT-RISING BREAD.The real formula for making salt-rising bread, as set down by thedaughter of Governor Stubbs, of Kansas, and by him communicated toTheodore Roosevelt, is as follows, according to the "Saturday EveningPost":"On the night before you contemplate this masterpiece of baking takehalf a cupful of corn meal and a pinch each of salt and sugar. Scaldthis with new milk heated to the boiling point and mix to the thicknessof mush. This can be made in a cup. Wrap in a clean cloth and put in awarm place overnight."In the morning, when all is ready, take a one-gallon stone jar and intothis put one scant cupful of new milk. Add a level teaspoonful of saltand one of sugar. Scald this with three cupfuls of water heated to theboiling point. Reduce to a temperature of one hundred and eight degreeswith cold water, using a milk thermometer to enable you to get exactlythe right temperature. Then add flour and mix to a good batter; afterthe batter is made, mix in your starter that was made the night before.Cover the stone jar with a plate and put the jar in a large kettle ofwater and keep this water at a temperature of one hundred and eightdegrees until the sponge rises. It should rise at least an inch and ahalf. When it has raised mix to a stiff dough, make into loaves and putinto pans. Do not let the heat get out of the dough while working.Grease the loaves well on top and set your bread where it will be warmand rise. After the loaves rise bake in a medium oven for one hour andten minutes. When you take the loaves from the oven wrap them in abread-cloth."A CURE FOR LOVE.Take twelve ounces of dislike, one pound of resolution, two grains ofcommon sense, two ounces of experience, a large sprig of time, and threequarts of cooling water of consideration. Set them over a gentle fire oflove, sweeten it with sugar of forgetfulness, skim it with the spoon ofmelancholy, put it in the bottom of your heart, cork it with the cork ofclean conscience. Let it remain and you will quickly find ease and berestored to your senses again.These things can be had of the apothecary at the house of Understandingnext door to Reason, on Prudent street.DOING BUSINESS WITH A BANKIn opening your account with a bank it is proper that you should firstbe introduced to the cashier, or some other official. If you are engagedin business, that officer will inquire as to your particular business orcalling, your address, etc., and unless he is already satisfied on thispoint, he may make inquiries as to your business standing. This beingsatisfactory, he will hand you a passbook, and some deposit tickets,whereupon you make your first deposit, entering the amount on theticket. You will then be asked to write your signature in a bookprovided for that purpose, or upon a card to be filed away forreference.The Signature.This signature should be just as you intend to use it in all yourdealings with the bank. If, for instance, your name is John Henry Smith,you may write it J. H. Smith, J. Henry Smith. John H. Smith or JohnHenry Smith, but whatever form you adopt should be used all the time.Once having adopted the form, it should be maintained in exactly thatway. The only excuse for variation from your usual signature is whenpresenting checks or other paper made payable to you. In that case,supposing you had adopted the form J. Henry Smith for your regularsignature, and the check is made payable to John H. Smith, you shouldfirst write on the back of that check "John H. Smith," and immediatelyunder this you should place your regular signature.Depositing Money.When making a deposit, always use the deposit ticket provided by thebank, filling it out yourself in ink. From this ticket, which is firstchecked up by the receiving teller, the amount of your deposit is placedto your credit. Do not ask the teller to fill our your deposit ticket.No doubt he would be glad to accommodate you, but to do so would violatea rule which protects both the bank and the depositor, Deposit ticketsare preserved by the bank, and often serve to correct mistakes.How to Avoid Mistakes.Consider for a moment the vast aggregate of bank transactions, and youwill see that perfect system on the part of the banks and bank officialsis required to insure accuracy and avoid mistakes. Sometimes therequirements of the banks may seem arbitrary and troublesome, butreflection will show that they safeguard the depositor as well as thebank. The simple rules here laid down will enable anyone who hasbusiness with a bank to do so with the least trouble and with absolutesafety.How to Make Out a Check.Checks are the most satisfactory and most convenient method of paying adebt or making any ordinary remittance. The stub of your check book willfurnish a permanent memorandum, and when the check is canceled andreturned to you by the bank, it is an indisputable evidence that thedebt has been paid, or that the remittance has been made. The making ofa check is a simple matter, but even the best business men make mistakessometimes which are as difficult to remedy as they are easy to avoid.The hints here given and the facsimiles of checks printed inillustration will repay careful study.A Check Properly Drawn. The name and amount are againstthe left side of their fields.The first facsimile shows a check properly made. It will be seen, in thefirst place, that this check is written very plainly, and that there isno room for the insertion of extra figures or words. The writing of theamount commences as nearly as possible to the extreme left of the check.The figures are written close together and there is no space between thefirst figure and the dollar mark.All erasures in checks should be avoided. If you have made a mistake,tear a blank check from the back of your check book and use that inplace of the one spoiled.Some business men allow their clerks to fill out checks on thetypewriter. This is ill-advised for two reasons: First, it is mucheasier to alter a typewritten check than one filled in with a pen; inthe second place, a teller, in passing on the genuineness of a check,takes into consideration the character of the handwriting in the body ofthe check as well as in the signature. The typewritten characters offerno clue to individuality.Never mail a check drawn to "Bearer." Remember that if your check ismade payable to "Bearer" or to "John Smith or Bearer" it may be cashedby anybody who happens to have it. Unless it is for a large amount thepaying teller of your bank will look only to see whether your signatureis correct, and, that being right, the bank cannot be held responsibleif the check should have come into the wrong hands.A check drawn to order can be cashed only when the person to whose orderit has been drawn has indorsed it by writing his or her name on the backand the bank will be responsible for the correctness of the indorsement.If you make your check payable say, to William Armstrong or order,nobody but William Armstrong, or some one to whom he indorses the check,can collect the amount, and if through fraud or otherwise some one notentitled to it gets the money which the check calls for, theresponsibility is not yours, but the bank's. It is for that reason thatbankers and business men use such great care in accepting checks.A Check Carelessly Drawn. The text and numbers for theamount is in the center of their fields, leaving of space for extratext.The Same Check "Raised". The amount has been changed fromOne Hundred/100.00 to Eighty-One Hundred/$8100.00.For the same reason you should never accept a check from anybody whomyou do not know as responsible, and you should not be surprised orangered if some one else should hesitate to take a check from you.Checks or drafts received by you should be deposited as soon aspossible. Should you receive a check for a considerable amount and haveno convenient bank account, you should go to the bank on which the checkis drawn and have the cashier certify it by stamping "Accepted" or"Certified" across the face over his signature. That formality makes thepaper as good as money so long as the bank accepting it is solvent.It sometimes happens that a check drawn in good faith by a responsibleparty is withheld so long by the person receiving it that there is nomoney to the account when the check is finally presented.Paying Notes and Acceptances.Make your notes and accepted drafts payable at the bank where you dobusiness. Whether it or other banks hold them for collection, they willbe presented to your bank when due.Pay your notes, etc., on the day they fall due, and early in the day ifconvenient, or leave a check for the amount with your bank on the daybefore your paper matures. Banks will not pay notes or drafts withoutinstructions.Keep a careful record of the days of maturity of all your paper. Banksusually notify all payers a few days beforehand when their papermatures, but this is only courtesy on their part and not an obligation.Exchange."Exchange" means funds in other cities made available by bankers' draftson such places. These drafts afford the safest and cheapest means forremitting money. Drafts on New York are worth their face valuepractically all over the United States in settlement of accounts.Collections.A draft is sometimes the most convenient form for collecting an account.The prevalence of the custom is due to the fact that most men will waitto be asked to pay a debt. If a draft is a time draft it is accepted bythe person on whom it is drawn by writing his name and date across theface. This makes it practically a note, to be paid at maturity.Notes or drafts that you desire to have collected for you by your bankshould be left at the bank several days before they are due, so as togive ample time to notify the payers.Borrowing.Banks are always willing to loan their funds to responsible personswithin reasonable limits. That is what they exist for. There is, ofcourse, a limit to the amount a bank may loan, even on the best knownsecurity, but the customer of the bank is entitled to and will receivethe first consideration.The customer should not hesitate, when occasion requires, to offer tothe bank for discount such paper as may come into his hands in thecourse of business, if, in his opinion, the paper is good. At the sametime he should not be offended if his bank refuses to take it evenwithout giving reasons.Indorsing Checks, Etc.When depositing checks, drafts, etc., see that they are dated properlyand that the written amounts and figures correspond. The proper way toindorse a check or draft--this also applies to notes and othernegotiable paper--is to write your name upon the back about one inchfrom the top. The proper end may be determined in this way: As you readthe check, holding one end in each hand, draw the right hand toward you,and turn the check over. The end which is then farthest from you is thetop. If, however, the check, draft or note has already been indorsed byanother person, you should write your name directly under the otherindorsement, even if that is on the wrong end. If your own name on theface of the check, draft or note is misspelled, or has the wronginitials, but if the paper is clearly intended for you, you should firstwrite your name as it appears on the face, and under it your regularsignature. You should indorse every check you deposit, even though it bepayable to bearer.Mistakes in Banking.Mr. Samuel Woods, a member of the American Institute of Bank Clerks,recently contributed to Munsey's Magazine an interesting article on thesubject of "Mistakes in Banking." From this we are permitted by thecourtesy of the publishers of Munsey's to reproduce two of thefacsimiles shown.One wrong word, or figure, or letter--the right thing in the wrong wayor the wrong place--the scratch of an eraser or the alteration of aword--or any one of these things, in the making or cashing of a check,is liable to become as expensive as a racing automobile.The paying teller of a bank, says Mr. Woods, must keep his eyes open fornew dangers as well as old ones. The cleverest crooks in the country arepitting their brains against his. After he has learned the proper guardfor all the well-known tricks and forgeries it is still possible that anentirely new combination may leave him minus cash and plus experience.But it is not the unique and novel swindle that is most dangerous,either to a bank or an individual. It is the simple, ordinary mistake orthe time-worn trick that makes continuous trouble. Apparently, every newgeneration contains a number of dishonest people who lay the same traps,and a number of careless people who fall into these traps in the sameold way.Check-Raising Made Easy.One of the first lessons, for instance, that a depositor should learnbefore he is qualified to own a check-book is to commence writing theamount as near as possible to the extreme left of the check. Those whoforget this are often reminded of it in a costly way. Some one "raises"their checks by writing another figure in front of the proper amount."Five hundred" might be "raised" to "twenty-five hundred" in this way,even by an unskilled forger.The highest court has recently decided that a bank cannot be heldresponsible, when it pays a "raised" check, if the maker of the checkfailed in the first place to write it out correctly. The treasurer ofthe Bath Electric Company, of Bath, Maine, had written a check for onehundred dollars, which was raised to eighty-one hundred dollars andcashed. The court held that the company, and not the bank, should losethe eight thousand dollars, because of the "gross carelessness" indrawing up the check. Facsimiles showing the check as originally writtenand as it looked when paid are here reproduced.Altered Words and Figures.The altered check is the bane of the paying teller's profession, and itis the general practice in conservative banks to accept no checks orother paper which shows signs of erasure or alteration in either wordsor figures.THE NAMES OF THE STATES.Alabama--Indian; meaning "Here we rest."Arkansas"--Kansas," the Indian name for "smoky water," with the Frenchprefix "arc," bow or bend in the principal river.California--Caliente Fornala, Spanish for "hot furnace," in allusion tothe climate.Colorado--Spanish; meaning "colored," from the red color of the Coloradoriver.Connecticut--Indian; meaning "long river."Delaware--Named in honor of Lord De La Ware.Florida--Named by Ponce de Leon, who discovered it in 1512, on EasterDay, the Spanish Pascua de Flores, or "Feast of Flowers."Georgia--In honor of George II. of England.Illinois--From the Indian "illini," men, and the French suffix "ois,"together signifying "tribe of men."Indiana--Indian land. Iowa--Indian; meaning "beautiful land.'"Kansas--Indian; meaning "smoky water."Kentucky--Indian for "at the head of the river," or "the dark and bloodyground."Louisiana--In honor of Louis XIV. of France.Maine--From the province of Maine, in France.Maryland--In honor of Henrietta Maria, queen of Charles I. of England.Massachusetts--The place of the great hills (the blue hills southwest ofBoston).Michigan--The Indian name for a fish weir. The lake was so called fromthe fancied resemblance of the lake to a fish trap.Minnesota--Indian; meaning "sky-tinted water."Mississippi--Indian; meaning "great father of waters." Missouri--Indian;meaning "muddy."Nebraska--Indian; meaning "water valley."Nevada--Spanish; meaning "snow-covered," alluding to the mountains.New Hampshire--From Hampshire county, England.New Jersey--In honor of Sir George Carteret, one of the originalgrantees, who had previously been governor of Jersey Island.New York--In honor of the Duke of York.North and South Carolina--Originally called Carolina, in honor ofCharles IX. of France.Ohio--Indian; meaning "beautiful river."Oregon--From the Spanish "oregano," wild marjoram, which growsabundantly on the coast.Pennsylvania--Latin; meaning Penn's woody land.Rhode Island--From a fancied resemblance to the island of Rhodes in theMediterranean.Tennessee--Indian; meaning "river with the great bend."Texas--Origin of this name is unknown.Vermont--French; meaning "green mountain."Virginia--In honor of Elizabeth, the "Virgin Queen."Wisconsin--Indian; meaning "gathering of the waters," or "wild rushingchannel."MOTTOES OF THE STATES.Arkansas--Regnant populi: The peoples rule.California--Eureka: I have found it. Colorado--Nil sine numine: Nothingwithout the Divinity.Connecticut--Qui transtulit sustinet: He who has transferred, sustains.Delaware--Liberty and Independence.Florida--In God is Our trust.Georgia--Wisdom, Justice, Moderation.Illinois--State Sovereignty and National Union.Iowa--Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.Kansas--Ad astra per aspera: to the stars through rugged ways.Kentucky--United we stand, divided we fall.Louisiana--Union and Confidence.Maine--Dirigo: I direct.Maryland--Crescite et multiplicamini: Increase and multiply.Massachusetts--Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietam: By her swordshe seeks under liberty a calm repose.Michigan--Si quaeris peninsulam amoeanam circumspice: If thou seekest abeautiful peninsula, look around.Minnesota--L'Etoile du Nord: The Star of the North.Missouri--Salus populi suprema lex esto: Let the welfare of the peoplebe the supreme law.Nebraska--Popular Sovereignty.Nevada--Volens et potens: Willing and able.New Jersey--Liberty and Independence.New York--Excelsior: Higher.Ohio--Imperium in imperio: An empire within an empire.Oregon--Alis volat propriis: She flies with her own wings.Pennsylvania--Virtue, Liberty, Independence.Rhode Island--Hope.South Carolina--Animis opibusque parati: Ready with our lives andproperty.Tennessee--Agriculture, Commerce. Vermont--Freedom and Unity.Virginia--Sic semper tyrannis: So be it ever to tyrants.West Virginia--Montani semper liberi: The mountaineers are always free.Wisconsin--Forward.United StatesE pluribus unum: From many, one.Annuit captis: God has favored the undertaking;Vovus ordo seclorum: A new order of ages.The first named on one side of the great seal, the other two on thereverse.GEOGRAPHICAL NICKNAMES.States and Territories.Alabama, Cotton State;Arkansas, Toothpick and Bear State;California, Eureka and Golden State;Colorado, Centennial State;Connecticut, Land of Steady Habits: Freestone State and Nutmeg State;Dakota, Sioux State;Delaware, Uncle Sam's Pocket Handkerchief and Blue Hen State;Florida, Everglade and Flowery State;Georgia, Empire State of the South;Idaho, Gem of the Mountains;Illinois, Prairie and Sucker State;Indiana, Hoosier State;Iowa, Hawkeye State;Kansas, Jayhawker State;Kentucky, Corn-cracker State;Louisiana, Creole State;Maine, Timber and Pine Tree State;Maryland, Monumental State;Massachusetts, Old Bay State;Michigan, Wolverine and Peninsular State;Minnesota, Gopher and North Star State;Mississippi, Eagle State;Missouri, Puke State;Nebraska, Antelope State;Nevada, Sage State;New Hampshire, Old Granite State;New Jersey, Blue State and New Spain;New Mexico, Vermin State;New York, Empire State;North Carolina, Rip Van Winkle, Old North and Turpentine State;Ohio, Buckeye State;Oregon, Pacific State;Pennsylvania, Keystone, Iron and Oil State;Rhode Island, Plantation State and Little Rhody;South Carolina, Palmetto State;Tennessee, Lion's Den State;Texas, Lone Star State;Utah, Mormon State;Vermont, Green Mountain State;Virginia, Old Dominion;Wisconsin, Badger and Copper State.Natives of States and Territories.Alabama, lizards;Arkansas, toothpicks;California, gold-hunters;Colorado, rovers;Connecticut, wooden nutmegs;Dakota, squatters;Delaware, muskrats;Florida, fly-up-the-creeks;Georgia, buzzards;Idaho, fortune seekers;Illinois, suckers;Indiana, hoosiers;Iowa, hawkeyes;Kansas, jayhawkers;Kentucky, corn-crackers;Louisiana, creoles;Maine, foxes;Maryland, clam-humpers;Massachusetts, Yankees;Michigan, wolverines;Minnesota, gophers;Mississippi, tadpoles;Missouri, pukes;Nebraska, bugeaters;Nevada, sagehens;New Hampshire, granite boys;New Jersey, blues or clam-catchers;New Mexico, Spanish Indians;New York, Knickerbockers;North Carolina, tarheels;Ohio, buckeyes;Oregon, hard cases;Pennsylvania, pennamites, or leather-heads;Rhode Island, gun flints;South Carolina, weazles;Tennessee, whelps;Texas, beef-heads;Utah, polygamists;Vermont, Green Mountain boys;Virginia, beagles;Wisconsin, badgers.Nicknames of Cities.Atlanta, Gate City of the South;Baltimore, Monumental City;Bangor, Lumber City;Boston, Modern Athens, Literary Emporium, City of Notions and Hub of theUniverse;Brooklyn, City of Churches;Buffalo, Queen of the Lakes;Burlington (Iowa), Orchard City;Charleston, Palmetto City;Chicago, Prairie, or Garden City;Cincinnati, Queen of the West and Porkopolis;Cleveland, Forest City;Denver, City of the Plains;Detroit, City of the Straits;Hartford, Insurance City;Indianapolis, Railroad City;Keokuk, Gate City;Lafayette, Star City;Leavenworth, Cottonwood City;Louisville, Falls City;Lowell, Spindle City;McGregor, Pocket City;Madison, Lake City;Milwaukee, Cream City;Nashville, Rock City;New Haven, Elm City;New Orleans, Crescent City;New York, Empire City, Commercial Emporium, Gotham, and Metropolis ofAmerica;Philadelphia, City of Brotherly Love, City of Penn, Quaker City, andCentennial City;Pittsburgh, Iron City and Smoky City;Portland (Me.), Hill City;Providence, Roger Williams' City, and Perry Davis' Pain Killer;Raleigh, Oak City;Richmond, (Va.), Cockade City;Richmond (Ind.), Quaker City of the West;Rochester, Aqueduct City;Salt Lake City, Mormon City;San Francisco, Golden Gate;Savannah, Forest City of the South;Sheboygan, Evergreen City;St. Louis, Mound City;St. Paul, North Star City;Vicksburg, Key City;Washington, City of Magnificent Distances, and Federal City.THEOSOPHY.Much is said nowadays about theosophy, which is really but another namefor mysticism. It is not a philosophy, for it will have nothing to dowith philosophical methods; it might be called a religion, though it hasnever had a following large enough to make a very strong impression onthe world's religious history. The name is from the Greek wordtheosophia--divine wisdom--and the object of theosophical study isprofessedly to understand the nature of divine things. It differs,however, from both philosophy and theology even when these have the sameobject of investigation. For, in seeking to learn the divine nature andattributes, philosophy employs the methods and principles of naturalreasoning; theology uses these, adding to them certain principlesderived from revelation. Theosophy, on the other hand, professes toexclude all reasoning processes as imperfect, and to derive itsknowledge from direct communication with God himself. It does not,therefore, accept the truths of recorded revelation as immutable, but assubject to modification by later and personal revelations. Thetheosophical idea has had followers from the earliest times. Since theChristian era we may class among theosophists such sects asNeo-Platonists, the Hesychasts of the Greek Church, the Mystics ofmediaeval times, and, in later times, the disciples of Paracelsus,Thalhauser, Bohme, Swedenborg and others. Recently a small sect hasarisen, which has taken the name of Theosophists. Its leader was anEnglish gentleman who had become fascinated with the doctrine ofBuddhism. Taking a few of his followers to India, they have beenprosecuting their studies there, certain individuals attractingconsiderable attention by a claim to miraculous powers. It need hardlybe said that the revelations they have claimed to receive have been,thus far, without element of benefit to the human race.THE EVOLUTION THEORY.The evolution or development theory declares the universe as it nowexists to be the result of a long series of changes which were so farrelated to each other as to form a series of growths analogous to theevolving of the parts of a growing organism. Herbert Spencer definesevolution as a progress from the homogeneous to the heterogeneous, fromgeneral to special, from the simple to the complex elements of life, andit is believed that this process can be traced in the formation ofworlds in space, in the multiplication of types and species amonganimals and plants, in the origin and changes of languages andliterature and the arts, and also in all the changes of humaninstitutions and society. Asserting the general fact of progress innature, the evolution theory shows that the method of this progress hasbeen (1) by the multiplication of organs and functions; (2) according toa defined unity of plan, although with (3) intervention of transitionalforms, and (4) with modifications dependent upon surrounding conditions.Ancient writers occasionally seemed to have a glimmering knowledge ofthe fact of progress in nature, but as a theory "evolution" belongs tothe enlightenment of the nineteenth century. Leibnitz, in the latterpart of the seventeenth century first uttered the opinion that the earthwas once in a fluid condition and Kant about the middle of theeighteenth century, definitely propounded the nebular hypothesis, whichwas enlarged as a theory by the Herschels. The first writer to suggestthe transmutation of species among animals was Buffon, about 1750, andother writers followed out the idea. The eccentric Lord Monboddo was thefirst to suggest the possible descent of man from the ape, about 1774.In 1813 Dr. W. C. Wells first proposed to apply the principle of naturalselection to the natural history of man, and in 1822 Professor Herbertfirst asserted the probable transmutation of species of plants. In 1844a book appeared called "Vestiges of Creation," which, though evidentlynot written by a scientific student, yet attracted great attention byits bold and ingenious theories. The authorship of this book was neverrevealed until after the death of Robert Chambers, a few years since, itbecame known that this publisher, whom no one would ever have suspectedof holding such heterodox theories, had actually written it. But the twogreat apostles of the evolution theory were Charles Darwin and HerbertSpencer. The latter began his great work, the "First Principles ofPhilosophy," showing the application of evolution in the facts of life,in 1852. In 1859 appeared Darwin's "Origin of Species." The hypothesisof the latter was that different species originated in spontaneousvariation, and the survival of the fittest through natural selection andthe struggle for existence. This theory was further elaborated andapplied by Spencer, Darwin, Huxley, and other writers in Europe andAmerica, and though to-day by no means all the ideas upheld by theseearly advocates of the theory are still accepted, evolution as aprinciple is now acknowledged by nearly all scientists. It is taken tobe an established fact in nature, a valid induction from man's knowledgeof natural order.THE ENGLISH SPARROW.The first English sparrow was brought to the United States in 1850, butit was not until 1870 that the species can be said to have firmlyestablished itself. Since then it has taken possession of the country.Its fecundity is amazing. In the latitude of New York and southward ithatches, as a rule, five or six broods in a season, with from four tosix young in a brood. Assuming the average annual product of a pair tobe twenty-four young, of which half are females and half males, andassuming further, for the sake of computation, that all live, togetherwith their offspring, it will be seen that in ten years the progeny of asingle pair would be 275,716,983,698.FEMININE HEIGHT AND WEIGHT.It is often asked how stout a woman ought to be in proportion to herheight. A very young girl may becomingly be thinner than a matron, butthe following table gives a fair indication of proper proportions: