Part 1

Chapter 13,976 wordsPublic domain

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1000 THINGS WORTH KNOWING

"That all who read may know"

BY NATHANIEL C. FOWLER, JR.

AUTHOR OF "HOW TO OBTAIN CITIZENSHIP," "STARTING IN LIFE," "THE ART OF LETTER WRITING," "HANDBOOK OF JOURNALISM," ETC.

NEW YORK SULLY AND KLEINTEICH

PREFACE

This book contains more than one thousand facts, many of which are not generally known to the average person; but all of them are of interest to humankind, and a knowledge of many of them is essential.

The author has used the simplest English, and has avoided, as far as possible, all technical or scientific terms. He has endeavored not to fall into the common error of making his explanations harder to understand than the subjects treated.

This book is not intended for the scientist, nor does it claim to be exhaustive.

In the space of a few hundred pages the writer has presented the thousand or more things which are really worth knowing, and which are usually described at unprofitable length and without that simplicity of expression so essential to clearness.

To find what you want consult the Index.

Abbreviations in Common Use

Abbreviations given are those which are frequently used. For complete list of abbreviations, the reader is referred to any unabridged dictionary.

A. B. or B. A.--Bachelor of Arts.

A. D.--In the Year of Our Lord.

Agt.--agent.

A. M. or M. A.--Master of Arts.

bbl.--barrel.

B. Agr.--Bachelor of Agriculture.

B. C.--Before Christ.

B. D.--Bachelor of Divinity.

B. L.--Bachelor of Laws.

B. M. or B. Mus.--Bachelor of Music.

B. Pd.--Bachelor of Pedagogy.

B. Ph.--Bachelor of Philosophy.

B. S.--Bachelor of Surgery.

B. S. or B. Sc.--Bachelor of Science.

Capt.--Captain.

C. E.--Civil Engineer.

C. O. D.--Cash (collect) on Delivery.

Col.--Colonel.

D. C.--District of Columbia, District Court.

D. C. L.--Doctor of Canon Law.

D. D. S. or D. M. D.--Doctor of Dental Surgery.

D.D.--Doctor of Divinity.

D. Litt.--Doctor of Literature.

D. M. or D. Mus.--Doctor of Music.

D. Ph.--Doctor of Philosophy.

Dr.--Doctor.

D. Sc.--Doctor of Science.

D. V. S.--Doctor of Veterinary Surgery.

E. D.--Doctor of Electricity.

E. E.--Electrical Engineer.

F. O. B.--Free on board.

G. A. R.--Grand Army of the Republic.

Gen. or Gen'l--General.

Gov.--Governor.

Hon.--Honorable.

i. e.--that is.

int.--interest.

J. C. D.--Doctor of Civil Law.

J. D.--Doctor of Laws.

J. P.--Justice of the Peace.

Jr. or Jun.--Junior.

lat.--latitude.

lb.--pound.

Lieut. or Lt.--Lieutenant.

Litt. B. or Lit. B.--Bachelor of Literature.

Litt. D. or Lit. D.--Doctor of Literature.

LL. B.--Bachelor of Laws.

LL. D.--Doctor of Laws.

M. Agr.--Master of Agriculture.

Maj.--Major.

M. C.--Member of Congress.

M. D.--Doctor of Medicine.

M. P.--Member of Parliament

M. P. C.--Member of Parliament in Canada.

M. S.--Master of Science.

ms.--manuscript

Mus. B.--Bachelor of Music.

Mus. D.--Doctor of Music.

Pd. B.--Bachelor of Pedagogy.

Pd. D.--Doctor of Pedagogy.

Ph. B.--Bachelor of Philosophy.

Ph. D.--Doctor of Philosophy.

P. M.--Postmaster.

P. O.--Post Office.

Prof.--Professor.

P. S.--Postscript.

Rev.--Reverend.

S. B. or Sc. B.--Bachelor of Science.

Sc. D.--Doctor of Science.

S. T. B.--Bachelor of Sacred Theology.

S. T. D.--Doctor of Sacred Theology.

Rt. Hon.--Right Honorable.

Rt. Rev.--Right Reverend.

V. Rev.--Very Reverend.

yd.--yard.

yr.--year.

=Acetylene Gas.=--Acetylene gas is used largely for the search-lamps on automobiles. It is composed of carbon and hydrogen.

=Adventists.=--A religious sect whose members believe that the second coming of Christ is near at hand. There are over 100,000 communicants and ministers.

=Æolian Harp.=--This instrument was invented in the 17th century and was named after Æolus, the god of the winds. It is of the simplest construction, and its music is produced by the vibration of the strings automatically moved by the winds. In construction it is a rectangular box of thin boards of a few inches in depth and width and of sufficient length to extend across a window so that the breeze may pass through it. The strings are stretched lengthwise across the top of the box, and may be tuned by increasing or decreasing their tension.

=Age.=--About 50 per cent. of the persons living in the United States are under 20 years of age, 45 per cent. from 20 to 60 years, and 5 per cent. over 60 years, the average age being about 25 years. This average seems low, and is due largely to infant mortality. If the percentage was taken excluding those under 15 years of age it would be very much higher.

=Agricultural Implement Industry.=--Capital invested, about $260,000,000, and an annual output of about $150,000,000. About 60,000 people are employed.

=Alaska.=--Alaska is the only territory of the United States, the Hawaiian Islands, Porto Rico, and the Philippines being known as Possessions. It has an area of over 590,000 square miles, and a population of about 65,000. Its climate is semipolar.

=Algebra.=--The discoverer or the first user of algebra is unknown. It is said that Diophantus wrote it in 170 A. D., and he may have been its inventor. It was brought into Spain in about 900. Its signs are said to have been used first in 1544, but algebra did not come into common use until 1590. Descartes applied algebra to geometry in 1637.

=Almanacs.=--The word "almanac" is of Saxon origin, and probably the first almanac was published in 1470, and the first in English in 1673.

=Amazons.=--An ancient body of warlike women, ruled by a queen, who allowed no man to live with them. They were opposed to marriage and resolved to form a female state. They burned off their right breasts that they might better use the bow and javelin. This custom is the origin of the name "Amazons" or "breastless ones."

=Apostles' Creed.=--Considered by most Biblical students as the earliest form of Christian creed. It is attributed directly to the Apostles. It is doubtless the formula of belief that existed in all the early Latin churches. It was made a part of public worship of the Christian church at Antioch, and introduced into the Roman Catholic Church in the eleventh century, and subsequently into the Church of England.

=April Fool's Day.=--Its origin is unknown, but it is supposed to follow an ancient pageant custom of playing tricks on the first day of April.

=Arbor Day.=--A few years ago the United States and Canada officially set apart one day in the year for the planting of trees, shrubs, etc. It was the intention to have this day observed chiefly by the children of the public schools. Its observance has resulted in the planting of millions of trees.

=Arithmetic.=--While the inventor or discoverer of arithmetic is unknown, it is said that it was brought from Egypt into Greece in 600 B. C. Euclid is the author of the oldest treatise upon arithmetic and wrote it about 300 B. C. The arithmetic of decimals began in 1482, and the first arithmetic in English was printed in 1522.

=Artesian Wells.=--An artesian well is one made by boring perpendicularly into the earth. The oldest known well of this kind was sunk in Europe in 1126. Probably the most famous one is near Paris, which was bored in 1833, bringing water from a depth of 1792 feet. From this well 516 gallons of water flow per minute. In Missouri there is one well 2197 feet deep, and another nearly 4000 feet deep. The invention of the artesian well is undoubtedly due to the Chinese.

=Artificial Ice.=--The artificial manufacture of ice is of somewhat recent origin, and there are over 2,000 ice-making plants in the United States, exclusive of those used by breweries, packers, and others for the making of their own ice. Artificial ice-making showed an increase of 81 per cent. during the last few years.

=Atlantic Cable.=--The original or, rather, the first permanent cable, was laid in July, 1866, connecting Ireland with Newfoundland; but an earlier cable was laid between the foregoing points, which was lost in construction. This lost cable, however, was recovered and completed.

In 1868 a cable was laid from France to Duxbury, Mass. In 1873 the fourth Atlantic cable connected Ireland and Trinity Bay, New Foundland. Several cables have been subsequently laid, and are maintained.

Considerable difficulty was experienced in obtaining the right kind, and a sufficient current, of electricity, which would carry the message several thousand miles under water, and not pass from the cable into the water itself.

Two keys are used, which, when depressed, transmit respectively positive and negative currents coming from the connected batteries. The current does not pass directly into the cable, but enters what is known as a condenser, and from there reaches the wire itself. This increases the force of the current and overcomes interfering earth currents.

Originally the messages were received by a reflecting galvanometer. Upon the magnet of this instrument was placed a small curved mirror, and in front of it was a lighted lamp behind a frame with a vertical slit. The light from the lamp passed through the slit and fell upon the surface of the mirror. The flashes of light moving with the movements of the suspended needle, indicated the message sent. Because of the delicacy of the instrument, it was difficult to translate the telegraphic code. The system has been entirely superseded by the use of the syphon galvanometer. This needle is affected by the currents, and moves in response to the opening and closing of the telegraphic key. It consists of a small hollow needle, which swings between two fixed magnets. A very soluble analine ink is allowed to flow through the tube. The mouth of this tube is suspended a very small fraction above a strip or roll of white paper, which moves automatically. The vibration or movements of the needle allow the ink to flow in irregular lines or curves upon the moving paper. These irregularities or curves indicate letters, which are easily read by the receiving operator.

Cable dispatches now are recorded, when formerly they had to be read as they were seen, with the impossibility of retaining an automatic record of them.

Professor Morse, the inventor of telegraphy, may be considered the inventor of the cable, although he had little to do with its mechanical construction. To Mr. Cyrus W. Field must be given much of the credit, for its accomplishment was largely due to his foresight and energy.

The cable consists of several copper wires imbedded in gutta percha or similar substance, which is one of the best nonconductors of electricity. The cable, with its several wires and coverings or insulation, has a circumference equal to that of the old-fashioned three-cent piece. Several wires are imbedded into the insulation, so as to insure better connection.

The cable is laid by steamers built for the purpose. They travel over a charted route, and, unscientifically speaking, throw the cable overboard. Of course, no cable could be constructed of a length that would reach across the ocean. New pieces are, therefore, spliced in as conditions require. If the sea is too rough for the laying of the cable, the end is buoyed and picked up when the weather changes. The cable lies upon the bottom of the ocean, and, as the bottom of the ocean is as irregular as the surface of the earth, with its mountains, plateaus, and valleys, there is always danger of the cable being broken or injured, although there is, of course, absolute quiet at the bottom of the ocean. Then, many feet, or even a mile, of cable may be stretched between two projecting points, and the strain may part it in time.

The process of locating a break or injury is very interesting. The cable fails to work. The operator stationed at either end discharges electricity into the cable, and, although it does not reach the other side, he can, by a delicate instrument, locate approximately the place of parting or where injury has occurred. The repair steamer sails for the place. With grappling irons it brings the cable to the surface; but as the location of the break cannot be determined accurately, the electrician on board must determine which way to sail to locate the place of the trouble. He attaches the cable to a battery on board, and opens connection with the land. If the break, for example, is between him and Europe, the European operator will not respond, but he will receive a reply from the American operator. He then directs the vessel's course towards Europe. The cable, when it is taken on board, is run on pulley wheels, one in the bow and one in the stern of the vessel, and the vessel sails slowly under the cable. As the vessel is two or three hundred feet long, several hundred feet of cable will be exposed. The cable is watched carefully, and the break or injury will be easily located. When it is, the operator connects the cable with the batteries, and then telegraphs in the direction opposite to that from which he received a reply. If his message goes through, the receiving operator will respond. If a reply comes, he knows he has located the break; if no reply is received, there must be other breaks in the same direction. The break is repaired, and the steamer sails on until it finds another break or injury. I have attempted to explain this in the simplest words. It is obvious that a scientific explanation would be unintelligible to the average reader.

=Atmosphere.=--While accurate figures are impossible, and while astronomers somewhat differ, it is generally conceded that the earth's atmosphere extends from the surface to an altitude of about 40 miles. It is theoretically or scientifically accepted that the density of the atmosphere at only a few miles from the surface of the earth is not sufficient to support life.

=Aurora Borealis.=--Until electricity was discovered, the origin of the aurora borealis was unknown, and was supposed to be of supernatural origin. Even to-day its exact composition or source is more or less of a mystery, but it is generally supposed that it is caused by the recomposition of positive and negative electricity. It exists only in the regions of the poles, although its light is seen to a moderate degree over the greater part of the earth.

=Automobiles.=--All vehicles used on the common highway, and propelled by any mechanical power, whether it be by steam, gasoline, or electricity, are known as automobiles or motor cars, and are frequently called "autos" for short. The invention of the automobile is very recent, although steam-propelled carriages were in existence more than 50 years ago. Exceeding a million are in daily use in the United States.

=Bank of England.=--Established in the city of London in 1694. Although a private institution, it is under Government control, and constitutes the Treasury of the Empire, England having no national treasury like that of the United States. It is managed by a governor, deputy-governor, and twenty-four directors.

=Bastile.=--The name given to a French prison, built between 1370 and 1383, originally as a fortress, but later used as a regular prison. It was destroyed by a mob in 1789. It was the seat of the terrible cruelties practiced in the early days.

=Bayreuth Festival.=--A musical festival held at the National Theatre in Bayreuth, Bavaria, which was built for the performance of the works of Wagner. The foundation stone of the building was laid in 1872, and Wagner himself opened the theatre in 1876 with a grand production of the "Nibelungen Trilogy."

=Bible.=--Between the eighth and tenth centuries parts of the Bible were translated into Anglo-Saxon, and in 1290 appeared an English version of the Psalms. In 1380 the New Testament was finished, and a little later the Old Testament was fully translated. The so-called King James Bible was published in 1610, and remained in common use until the present revisions were made.

Bible Statistics

Old New Testament Testament Total

Books 39 27 66 Chapters 929 260 1,189 Verses 33,214 7,959 41,173 Words 593,493 181,253 774,746 Letters 2,728,100 838,380 3,566,480

The shortest chapter is Psalm cxvii; Ezra vii, 21, contains all the letters of the alphabet except j; Esther viii, 9, is the longest verse; John xi, 35, is the shortest verse. There is no word of more than six syllables in the Bible.

=Bi-Metallism.=--A monetary system in which gold and silver are put on the same plane as regards mintage and legal-tender.

=Birth Stones.=--January, garnet; February, amethyst; March, bloodstone or jasper; April, diamond or sapphire; May, emerald or carnelian; June, agate or chalcedony; July, ruby or onyx; August, sardonyx; September, chrysolite; October, opal or beryl; November, topaz; December, turquoise.

=Blind.=--In the United States there are about 65,000 blind persons, a little more than half of whom are totally blind. Of this number about 37,000 are males, and about 28,000 females.

=Blood-heat.=--The normal temperature of man is about 98-1/2° Fahrenheit. This temperature is maintained with a variation of not more than two degrees, whether one lives on the Equator or in the Arctic regions. Any great deviation is likely to prove fatal. Animals have about the same temperature as man, while the blood of birds is from eight to ten degrees warmer. Reptiles, fishes, and all invertebrates maintain temperatures about the same as that of their environment.

=Blue-Grass Region.=--An undulating plateau in the north-central part of Kentucky, covering about 10,000 square miles, is known as the Blue-Grass Region. The underlying rock for 150 or more feet is blue limestone, very rich in phosphate of lime. This rock crumbles on exposure to the air and enriches the soil. Tobacco and hemp have two crops a year and grow to a great height. Meadow grass grows continuously. The Blue-Grass Region for many years has been the centre of the blooded stock of America.

=Boxers.=--A Chinese secret society supposed to be semireligious and semipatriotic. The Boxers originally believed that they were immune from death or physical injury, and that they could, with safety, attack any foreign foe.

=Brain.=--As the action of the brain has not, as yet, been seen by man, no one, at the present day, knows just what it is, beyond its merely physiological or mechanical substance. It is said that the brain of the normal man contains over 300,000,000 cells, and that about 3,000 are destroyed every minute. If this is the case, then a new brain appears once in 60 days. The normal brain has a volume of from 58 to 105 cubic inches. The brain of the Anglo-Saxon and German, and of other civilized nations, averages the larger number, while the negro brain occupies a space of about 96 cubic inches, and some Australian natives have brains of only about 58 cubic inches. The male brain is about ten per cent. heavier or larger than that of the female. The most intelligent animals have only about 16 ounces of brains. The size of the brain, if it is not below normal, does not appear to influence the intellectuality of its possessor. Men with small brains may have larger mind capacity than some of those possessing brains weighing several ounces more. It would appear, then, that the size of the brain, unless it be unusually small, has little to do with its quality.

=Bread.=--It is said that the Chinese were the first bread makers, and that they made bread from wheat and rice as early as 1998 B. C. Probably the first bread made from yeast was baked in England in about 1634. Aërated bread, which rises from carbolic acid gas injected into the dough, became somewhat common in 1857, but practically all bread, bakery-made or home-made, owes its leavening to yeast or baking powder.

=Breakfast Foods.=--Breakfast foods in the main are composed of either corn, wheat, or oat products, a few being made of barley, starch, and tapioca. They are sold under trade names, and most of them need no cooking by the consumer, as they were properly cooked at the mill. Usually they are made of only one grain, and to some of them is added a small quantity of salt. Most of them are pure products and are unadulterated, but few, if any of them, are any better than the grain sold in bulk, which can be purchased for about 4 cents per pound.

=Brook Farm.=--A famous socialistic community, originated by George Ripley and others in 1841 and located near West Roxbury, Massachusetts. The estate consisted of two hundred acres, and a company of educated men and women settled here to work out an experiment, in which each person performed a certain share of necessary manual labor. The enterprise was abandoned as an utter failure in 1846. Among the persons connected with the movement were George Ripley, Charles A. Dana, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, George William Curtis, Theodore Parker, Margaret Fuller, and Dr. Channing.

Calculating Interest

To find the interest on any sum, at any rate per cent., and for any length of time: 1st. Multiply the principal by the rate per cent., expressed in hundredths; this will give the interest for one year. 2nd. Find the number of days remaining by consulting the calendar; and multiply the principal by as many hundredths as there are days, and for 3 per cent., divide the product by 120; for 4 per cent., divide by 90; for 5 per cent., divide by 72; for 6 per cent., divide by 60; for 7 per cent., divide by 52; for 8 per cent., divide by 45; for 9 per cent., divide by 40; for 10 per cent., divide by 36; and for 12 per cent., divide by 30. This will give the interest for the days. 3rd. Add the two items of interest, and the sum will be the entire interest.

To find the number of days from any day of any one month to the same day of any other month.

FROM Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. -----------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+----- To January | 365 | 334 | 306 | 275 | 245 | 214 | 184 | 153 | 122 | 92 | 61 | 31 February | 31 | 365 | 337 | 306 | 276 | 245 | 215 | 184 | 153 | 123 | 92 | 62 March | 59 | 28 | 365 | 334 | 304 | 273 | 243 | 212 | 181 | 151 | 120 | 90 April | 90 | 59 | 31 | 365 | 335 | 304 | 274 | 243 | 212 | 182 | 151 | 121 May | 120 | 89 | 61 | 30 | 365 | 334 | 304 | 273 | 242 | 212 | 181 | 151 June | 151 | 120 | 92 | 61 | 31 | 365 | 335 | 304 | 273 | 243 | 212 | 182 July | 181 | 150 | 122 | 91 | 61 | 30 | 365 | 334 | 303 | 273 | 242 | 212 August | 212 | 181 | 153 | 122 | 92 | 61 | 31 | 365 | 334 | 304 | 273 | 243 September | 243 | 212 | 184 | 153 | 123 | 92 | 62 | 31 | 365 | 335 | 304 | 274 October | 273 | 242 | 214 | 183 | 153 | 122 | 92 | 61 | 30 | 365 | 334 | 304 November | 304 | 273 | 245 | 214 | 184 | 153 | 123 | 92 | 61 | 31 | 365 | 335 December | 334 | 303 | 275 | 244 | 214 | 183 | 153 | 122 | 91 | 61 | 30 | 365

N. B.--In leap year, if the last day of February comes between, add one day to the number in the table.