MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND FIGURES. 



5D5 



Sq. Miles. 



Germany 1,800 



Belgium 518 



Rest of Europe 100,000 



China 2,000 



Japan 5,000 



The Blarney Stone. Blarney is a vil- 

 lage in Ireland, in the County of Cork, about 

 five miles from the far famed city of that 

 name. It is chiefly celebrated as giving th 

 name to a peculiar kind of eloquence which io 

 said to be characteristic of the light-hearted 

 natives of the Emerald Isle. The old castle 

 at Blarney contains the identical stone, the 

 kissing of which is believed to give the person 

 peculiar skill in speech. It is one of those 

 superstitions which can be traced back until 

 the mind of man runneth not to the contrary. 



The Coal Area of the World. The 

 coal area of the world is distributed as fol- 

 lows : 



Sq. Miles. 



United States 192,000 



British America 18,000 



Great Britain 12,000 



Spain 4,000 



France.. 2,000 



Salaries Paid to Heads of Govern- 

 ments. Various governments pay their 

 chiefs as follows : The United States, $50,000 

 a year ; Persia, $30,000,000 ; Kussia, $10,000,- 

 000; Siam, $10,000,000; Spain, $3,900,000; 

 Italy, $3,000,000 ; Great Britain, $3,000,000 ; 

 Morocco, $2,500,000; Japan, $2,300,000; 

 Egypt, $1,575,000; Germany, $1,000,000; 

 Saxony, $700,000 ; Portugal, Sweden, and 

 Brazil, each $600,000; France, $200,000; 

 Hayti, $240,000 ; Switzerland, $3,000. 



Train Management. STANDARD CODE. 

 A train while running must display two 

 green flags by day and two green lights by 

 night, one on each side of the rear of the train. 



After sunset, or when obscured by fog or 

 other cause, must display headlight in front, 

 and two red lights in rear. 



Two green flags by day and two green lights 

 by night, displayed in the places provided for 

 that purpose on the front of an engine, denote 

 that the train is followed by another train run- 

 ning on the same schedule, and entitled to the 

 same time-table rights as the train carrying the 

 signals. 



Two white flags by day or two white lights 

 by night, carried in the same manner, denote 

 that the train is an extra. 



A blue flag by day and a blue light by night, 

 placed on the end of a car, denotes that car 

 inspectors are at work under or about the car 

 or train, and that it must not be coupled to or 

 moved until the blue signal is removed. 



Colored Flag or Lantern Signals Torpedoes. 

 STANDARD CODE. .Red signifies danger. 



Green signifies caution, go slowly. 



White signifies safety. 



Green and white signifies stop at flag sta- 

 tions for passengers or freight. 



One cap or torpedo on rail means stop im- 

 mediately. 



Two caps or torpedoes on rail means reduce 

 speed immediately, and look out for danger 

 signal. 



Telescopes. The largest refracting tele- 

 scope in the world was presented by Charles 

 T. Yerkes to the University of Chicago, in 

 1893. It has a lens 40 inches in diameter. 

 The column and head of cast iron rise to a 

 height of 43 feet, and weigh 50 tons. The 

 tube is of steel, 64 feet long, and 52 inches 

 in diameter at the center, tapering towards 

 the ends. Its weight is 6 tons. The total 

 weight of the telescope is 75 tons. Cost |250,- 

 000. The lens of the telescope at Lick Obser- 

 vatory is 36 inches in diameter. The largest 

 reflector is that of Lord Ross in England, 72 

 inches. 



Divorces in Different Countries. 

 In Australia divorces have never been sanc- 

 tioned. 



Divorces are scarcely ever known to occur 

 in modern Greece. 



In Hindostan either party, for a slight cause, 

 may leave the other party and marry. 



In the olden times the Jews had a discre- 

 tionary power of divorcing their wives. 



Divorces are scarcely allowed in Thibet, un- 

 less with the consent of both parties. Re- 

 marriage is forbidden. 



In Cochin China the parties desiring divorce 

 break a pair of chopsticks in the presence of 

 witnesses, and the thing is done. 



Two kinds of divorces are granted in Cir- 

 cassia. By the first, the parties can immedi- 

 ately marry again ; by the second, not for a 

 year. 



Among some tribes of American Indians the 

 sticks given witnesses of the marriage are 

 broken as a sign of divorce. 



If the wife of a Turkoman asks his permis- 

 sion to go out, and he says " Go," without 

 adding, " Come back again," they are di- 

 vorced. 



In Siberia, if a man is dissatisfied with the 

 most trifling acts of -his wife, he tears a cap or 

 veil from her face, and that constitutes a di- 

 vorce. 



In Siam the first wife may be divorced, but 

 not sold as the others maybe. She may claim 

 the first child. The others belong to the hus- 

 band. 



Among the Moors, if the wife does not be- 

 come the mother of a boy, she maybe divorced 

 with the consent of the tribe, and can marry 

 again. 



In the Arctic regions a man who wants a di- 

 vorce leaves home in anger, and does not return 

 for several days. The wife takes the hint, and 

 departs. 



In China divorces are allowed in all cases of 



