Phillipine Islands, and takes its name from Manilla, the principal town of the island. 3. At any good bookstore; price about $1.

THAT SETTLES IT.

FARR'S CORNERS, Wis., Feb. 16, 1880. I see by your paper you wanted to know what day of the month of April, 1800, Easter Sunday, came on. I have almanacs of 1800, and Easter Sunday comes on the 13th day of April, 1800. GILMAN I. JELLISON.

NOT 1862, BUT 1864.

We have received several letters from our correspondents stating that the cold New Year's Day referred to several weeks ago was not in 1862, but in 1864, and we conclude that they are correct.

DON'T THINK SO.

ELLIOTT, Iowa, Jan. 25, 1880. In answer to "A Patron," in your last issue, who inquired why you inverted the divisor in division of fractions, the last part of your answer reads: "The inversion of the divisor is simply a convenience of mechanical arrangement for reaching the desired end." I don't think so. I think the principle is that we invert the divisor to find how many times it is contained in a unit, and after having found how many times it (the divisor) is contained in a unit, we say in any other number it will be contained any number of times what it is inverted. Hence the sign of multiplication after the divisor is inverted. A. L. DOUGLASS,

LIEUTENANT H. H. BENNER.

OLIN, Iowa, Feb. 20, 1880.

I wish you to give a sketch of the life of Hiram H. Benner, the man SO prominently mentioned in Mr. Casey Young's speech, in Congress, a short time since. J. W. MOORE.

Answer.-Lieutenant Hiram H. Beuner was born at Woodstock, Ill., Jan. 3, 1844, and removed with his parents, when a child, to Sterling, Ill., where they still reside. He entered the army and served throughout the war in the Eighteenth Illinois Volunteers, in which he was made Captain, March 25, 1865, and was mustered out Dec. 16, 1865. He made a gallant record in the army, and was taken prisoner at the battle of Stone River, where his regiment were severely cut up. He was confined in Andersonville Prison, from which he was finally paroled, but was taken a second time, and confined in Libby Prison, from which he made his escape. On June 18, 1867, he was appointed Second Lieutenant of the Eighteenth Infantry (regulars) and promoted to First Lieutenant, May 1, 1875. When the government called for volunteers to accompany the reliefboat, J. M. Chambers, fitted out under the direction of the National Yellow Fever Relief Association, Lieutenant Benner, then stationed at Atlanta, Ga., was the first to offer his services. The boat left St. Louis Oct. 4, and from the starting until death closed his noble career, he was among the most active in the work of succor and charity. He caught the disease from having given up his state-room to a lady from the infected districts, who, at the time, was suffering from the fever, though unconscious of it. He died at a point some miles below Vicksburg, on the morning of Oct. 17, 1878. He was buried at Vicksburg with imposing ceremonies, the entire people of the South mourning his loss as though he had always been one of her "avored sons, and many a Southern mother wept

bitterly at the news of his death. Nothing has ever touched the Southern heart like the death of this brave man, who, when they were strong, raised his manly arm against them, but when in distress, kindly gave them aid. Perhaps the most melancholy part of it all is that he left behind a loving wife and two little girls, aged respectively 5 and 8. Lieutenant Benner was, as may be readily supposed, of a kind and generous nature, and did not save much of what he earned, so that his family was left in somewhat straitened circumstances. A bill has been introduced in Congress by the Hon. Casey Young, of Memphis, Tenn., to allow his family a pension of $54 per month during the life of Mrs. Benner, but with the customary delay of Congress, it has not yet passed the Senate. Mrs. Benner needsthe pension, and in justice to her, and as a timely recognition for a brave man who risked and lost his life for a suffering and afflicted people, the bill should be speedily allowed. Mrs. Benner and her two children have purchased a small cottage at Rogers Park, near Chicago, where they now reside.

ORIGIN OF "$."

BUFFALO, N. Y., March 10, 1880. What is the origin of the sign of the American dollar? M.

Answer.-There are a number of theories for the origin of the dollar mark. One is, that it is a combination of U. S., the intitials for the United States; another, that it is a modification of the figure 8, the dollar being formerly called a "piece of eight," and designated by the character 8-8. The third theory is, that it is a combination of H. S., the mark of the Roman unit, while a fourth is, that it is a combination of P. and S., from the Spanish peso duro, which signifies "hard dollar." In Spanish accounts, peso is contracted by writing the S. over the P., and placing it after the sum. But the best origin of the sign is offered by the editor of the London Whitehall Review, who recently propounded the question at a dinner-party in that city, at which the American Consul was present. As no one could tell, the editor gave the following explanation: "It is taken from the Spanish dollar, and the sign is to be found, of course, in the associations of the Spanish dollar. We littered the table with books in the course of our researches, but I proved my point in theend. On the reverse of the Spanish dollar is a representation of the Pillars of Hercules, and round each pillar is a scroll, with the inscription, 'Plus ultra.' This device in course of time ha degenerated into the sign which stands at present for American as well as Spanish dollars'$.' The scroll around the pillars, I take it, represent the two serpents sent by Juno to destroy Hercules in his cradle."

TRIBES OF INDIAN.

CRESSON, Kan., Feb. 10, 1880. 1. How many tribes of Indians in the United States? 2. How many tribes in the United States at the time of the first settlement of the whites in the country? 3. How many tribes in North and South America from the first settlement of the whites to the present time? GEORGE KENYON.

Answer.-1. There are at the present time about 100 principal tribes. Some of these, however, are subdivided so that it is impossible to get at the total number of division. 2. This can only be estimated by the number of different dialects. The Jesuit missionaries place the

number at about 300. 3. On the supposition that those of the same language were united together in one tribe, which is a natural and reasonable suggestion, there were not less than 500 tribes, while Garcia has cited authority to prove that there were not less than 5,000 languages in North America. All the tribes coming from one common origin, it may be readily understood where the difficulty of classification arises. It is estimated that there are between 1,500 and 2,000 languages and dialects in South America, and by the same reasoning there would be a corresponding number of tribes. There are about 7,000,000 Indians in South America.

POLISH STATESMEN.

TROY GROVE. Feb. 2, 1880. 1. Who was Kosciusko, when was he born, when did he die, and where are his remains? 2. Give a short biography of Pulaski. By what party was his monument erected; was it by Congress, or the noblemen of Poland? 3. How many kings and rulers did Poland have in all? Please mention some of the greatest of them. 4. Was Stanislas the last king of Poland; also, was he a good statesman and warrior? WM. A. JOHNSON. Answer.-1. Kosciusko was a Polish patriot, born about 1753, and died in Soleure, Switzerland, Oct. 16, 1817. He was descended from a noble family, and counted among his friends many of the distinguished men of his day. In 1816, after an eventful life in both hemispheres, he went to live in Switzerland. His deatn was caused by a fall from his horse over a precipice. His remains were removed by the Emperor Alexander to the Cathedral Church of Cracow, near which is a mound of earth 150 feet high, raised to his memory by the people, supplies of earth being brought from every great battlefield upon which Polish soldiers shed their blood. 2. Pulaski, the Polish patriot, who fought in the war of the American revolution, was born in 1747, and died from a wound received in the attack on Savannah, Oct. 11, 1779. He fought in the service of Duke Charles of Courland, and in the war for the liberation of his country from the Dower of Russia. In 1777 he determined to join the Americans then fighting for independence. At first he served as a volunteer, but after the battle of the Brandywine he was appointed by Congress commander of the cavalry, with the rank of Brigadier General. In the attack

on

Savannah in 1779 he was placed at the head of the French and American cavalry, and during the engagement received a mortal wound. A monument to his memory, voted by Congress, has never been erected, but one was raised by the citizens of Georgia in Savannah, of which Lafayette, during his triumphal progress through the United States, laid the corner-stone. 3. It is usually considered fifty-three. Among the most illustrious may be mentioned Casimir III., John III, and the three Sigismunds. 4. Stanilas Augustus Pouiatowski was placed on the Polish throne in 1763, and died at St. Petersburg 1798, brokenhearted. During his time the existence of Poland was annihilated, and even its name was effaced. Stanilas, though good-natured, and a friend of progress and literature, was feeble to fickelness, and allowed himself to be used as a tool by the designing Empress Catharine I., of Russia. He was the last king of Poland.

WILLIAM MORGAN.

CONCORDIA, Kan., Feb. 12, 1880. What became of William Morgan, the man that has been said to have published a book divulging the serets of Free Masonry? Did the Masons put him out

were near

Fort

Y.,

Niagara, whence all

but it was

of the way, or did he commit suicide or go tcsome far country and die a natural death? Please give the most reliable account. J. M. Answer.-In the autumn of 1826, William. Morgan, a mechanic of Batavia, N. Y., who, it was reported, was about to publish a book exposing the secrets of the order of Free Masonry, was kidnaped and carried off. It was immediately claimed that he had been made way with by the Masons, and committees of vigilance and safety were formed to investigate the matter. Traces of the abductors and their victim found westward to Lewiston, N. traces of him disappear, claimed that Morgan was taken from there in a small boat out upon Lake Ontario, and drowned. This was the final conclusion of those who prosecuted the investigation. though reports were repeatedly current that Morgan had been seen alive and at liberty months after his alleged abduction. One of these reports placed him in Smyrna in Asia. The persons by whose aid be was rapidly and quietly conveyed, in a carriagedrawn by relays of horses, from Batavia to Fort Niagara, were said to have been Free Masons. Prosecutions were in due time instituted against. those whom the investigaion showed to have been in any way connected in the matter, and repeated trials resulted in the conviction of some of them on minor charges, but no murder was ever judicially established. This is all that is known of Morgan's disappearance.

THE NORTH STAR. PIERCETON, Ind., Jan. 26, 1880. 1. Can the north star be seen in the southern hem-isphere as far south as the Artic region? 2. If not, is there a fixed star used as a guide there?

ADAM MILLER. Answer.-1. No. the north star cannot be seen south of the equator. 2. There is a fixed star near the south pole, which is sometimes used, but it is not so directly over the south poleas the north star is over the north pole. There are a number of stars in the northern hemisphere, whose distance being regularly known from the north star, are used by mariners to ascertain the latitude which they are in, the

Answer.-1. Not that we know of. In Washington and other cities experments have been made in running street-cars by compressed air. 2. The water is forced by the engines into this reservoir or upright iron tube, giving force and elevation to the water in the pipes over the city, forcing water to the top of the highest buildings. 3. A distinguished historian in speaking of the American flag, says: "Red is supposed to represent courage, white integrity of purpose, and blue steadfastness, love, and faith."

WHAT USE IS ALASKA?

ONEONTA, Feb. 27, 1880. Will you answer through your columns whether Alaska has been a source of benefit to the United States or not, and, if it has, in what way?

W. H. PRATT. Answer.-So far the United States has derived little benefit from Alaska, but its value is anticipated in its fisheries, timber, furs, and, perhaps, in its coal, the extent of which is not yet determined.

OLD COINS. CHICAGO, Feb. 10, 1880. Can you inform me something on the value of old coins? STREET-CAR CONDUCTOR. Answer.-We have several inquiries on the above which are fully covered in the following letter from Mr. Frederick H. Seymour, of Detroit, who is the owner of a large collection of old coins:

"The value of ancient coins is governed by the prices obtained for them at sales which occur from time to time in New York and Philadelphia. At one sale a certain coin may go for a low figure, there happening to be nobody there who particularly desires it, while at another the same coin may be sold for a very large sum, there perhaps being two or three parties who want it, competing for it. This interferes with a system of standard values, and makes the price of ancient coins somewhat uncertain-in fact, governed chiefly by demand. It is common in Europe for cultivated people to own a collection of coins. The collecting of coins is far more common there than in this country, and ancient coins-say the Roman and Greek seriesare easily obtained; that is, the common kinds. I find that people do not appreciate the fact that what is considered an old coin of the United States-say, for instance, 1793-is a modern coin in the coinage of civilized Europe, comparatively speaking. And many old pennies are brought to me with the idea that they must be very valuable because they anti-date the old United States coins. I am often compelled to inform the owners that they are worth, numesmatically, hardly more than face value. It is not generally known, either that a fine collection of Roman or Greek bronzes, may be obtained at a very small expenditure: much less than would be required to get up a collection of American coins. There is a popular idea, however, that most of them are forgeries, gotten up in Europe to sell to the nnocent and guileless tourist, which has doubt

less occurred. Notwithstanding these coins exist to-day in enormous quantities, and the necessity for forgery does not arise and is not profitable only in the rarer coins, when great art is displayed, and it is often difficult to identify the genuine. The common kinds may be clumsily imitated, but these imitations do not show art enough to dignify them, if you please, by the title of forgeries. They are so clumsy that only a little experience is needed to detect them.

At

To

The reason of the abundance of ancient coins at the present day, is that in those times commerce was conducted by money mainly; the bank check, the draft, and even the bank were then unknown. and in these exchanges an enormous coinage was required. You can hardly conceive of the "volume of currency" required then, which has resulted in preserving to us so many of these interesting historical monuments. the present day they are constantly being dug up in Europe. It was the custom of the ancient soldiers to bury their coins before going into battle: they were buried in the boundaries of land, and, in fact, they were coined by the millions of tons. give an idea of how many, it is stated by historians that during the reign of the Roman Emperor Aurelian there occurred a revolt in the mint at Rome, in which 7,000 soldiers were killed in quelling. It is stated that ancient Roman coins are passing daily in Southern Spain at the present time, so abraded as to be unrecognizable. So much for ancient coins. The value of a coin is conditional: first, on its condition, or state of preservation; second, on its rarity; third, on the demand for it. You will appreciate the fact that a coin that is really rare and valuable may not find a purchaser, except at a great sacrifice on this account. It is therefore to a great extent a matter of approximation to set a value on a coin, particularly foreign coins. Coin dealers in large cities issue catalogues, in which they give their "asking" price for coins. It is generally far below their "giving" price, which can only be got by application, unless rare. You can obtain these catalogues and get a somewhat approximate idea, perhaps, but of course they do not contain but a small part of the coins that are collectable."

CHILIAN AND AFGHAN WARS.

MISSOURI VALLEY, lowa, Feb. 21, 1880. 1. State the causes of the Chilian war and the war in Afghanistan. 2. What work of fiction deals with art and music?

Answer.-1. The Chilian war originated in complications in regard to the niter lands lying in Peru and Chili. Peru, having completed lines of railroad to control the niter trade, laid claim to certain privileges on Chilian territory. There was at first a local misunderstanding, and then hasty action, which resulted in a declaration of war, Bolivia joining Peru in an endeavor to compel Chili to accept the Peruvian interpretation of her obligations. The cause of the Afghan war has been repeatedly stated in this department. The Ameer, or Sovereign, Shere Ali, received a llussian Commission at Cabul, but declined to allow an English Commission to enter his territory. This was in violation of his agreement to retain an attitude of friendliness toward the British Government, and

was accepted as evidence that he was courting Russian influence. Looking upon this as an offensive declaration of hostility, the Viceroy of India ordered the advance of the British army. While the struggle was in progress Shere Ali fled into Turkestan, where he died. His son, Yakoob Khan, was made Ameer, and, after continuing the war for a few weeks, made terms with the British, and signed a treaty at Gundamuk. British army retired, leaving only a small force at Cabul. Against this arrangement the Afghans rebelled, and murdered the English officers and soldiers. This caused the second invasion by the British, and resulted in the capture of Cabul. 2. Hawthorne's "Marble Faun."

SCHOOLS OF INDIAN TERRITORY.

The

LE ROY, Coffey County, Kan., Feb. 15, 1880. 1. Will you please tell me something about the Indian Nation schools-whether public or subscription, how they are conducted, and the wages in the different tribes? 2. If a woman is teaching the natives, will that give her husband more liberty there? Is he allowed to trade in stock among them? FLORA ANTHONY.

Answer.-As far as can be ascertained from the records of the Indian office, the schools of the five nations in the Indian Territory are as follows: Among the Cherokees, seventy-five common schools, held for ten months in the year, with two commodious schools of higher grade, a manual-labor school, and an orphan asylum: among the Creeks, twenty-eight public dayschools, two manual-labor schools, and five mission boarding-schools; among the Choctaws, fifty-four day-schools, one boarding-school with about fifty pupils, besides several private schools; among the Chicasaws, thirteen district schools and four high schools; among the Seminoles, five ordinary schools, four high schools, and one academy. No person is allowed

to teach a public school without passing a satisfactory examination before an examining board. There are in the Territory 200 male and 237 female teachers. A large share of the expenses are Daid by the government, though considerable is received from tribal funds and missionary societies. During 1877 the total amount expended in the Territory for school purposes was $337,379. Ladies receive the same salary for teaching as gentlemen, and the average price in the Seminole Nation is $50 per month, in the Cherokees' $42.80, in the Creeks' $40, and the Choctaws' $26. 2. It would probably give him something of an advantage.

ANDERSONVILLE PRISON.

TORONTO, Ind., Feb. 3, 1880. Will you please give me a description of the Andersonville Prison pen; what was the number of deaths by the treatment received there. Also the name of the head manager of the prison, and what became of him, as this history will be of much interest. D. PEARMAN. Answer.-The first detachment of Federal prisoners was received at the Andersonville Prison Feb. 15, 1864. Soon after John H. Winder, a Confederate General, took command of the fort, with his son, W. S. Winder, as Adjutant. The superintendency and management of the prison was assigned to Henry Wirz, a Swiss by birth, who was tried after the war by a special military commission for his cruel and inhuman treatment of the prisoners, and hung Nov. 10, 1865. The total number of prisoners received at the prison was 49,485, and the largest number in prison at any one time was on Aug. 9, 1864, when they counted 33,006 on an inclosure of about twelve acres of ground, counting out the dead line and anaømire. The total nn.nher of

deaths, as shown by the register, was 12,462 Andersonville is situated in Sumter County, Georgia. The site selected was a pine and oak grove of about twenty-two acres on the side of a hill of red clay. The trees were cut down and the inclosure surrounded by a strong stockade of fifteen or eighteen feet high. Near the base of the declivity was a stream of unwholesome water about five feet wide and not more than six inches deep. The pen was 1,620 feet long by 779 feet wide, and at a distance of 120 feet and surrounding the inclosure was another palisade of rough pine logs, and between the two were sentryboxes overlooking the interior. A wooden railing about three feet high around the inside of the stockade, at an average distance of nineteen feet from it, constituted the "dead-line." Prisoners passing it were summarily shot dead. A cordon of connected earthworks mounted with seventeen guns commanded the entire prison, surrounding the outer palisades. The whole was guarded by from 3,000 to 5,000 Confederates.

NEWSPAPERS-FRED DOUGLASS.

WHEATON, Ill., Feb. 11, 1880. 1. What proportion of the newspapers and period icals in the United States are devoted to fiction? 2 How many newspapers and periodicals are published in the United States? 3. Give a short sketch of the life of Fred Douglass, the great colored man, since the civil war. L. H. M.

Answer.-1. About one-twentieth of the periodicals of the United States come under the class termed literary and story papers. 2. 9.147. 3. Fredrick Douglass, originally a mulatto slave, was born in Talbot County, Maryland, in 1817. He escaped from his master in 1838, and went to New Bedford, Mass. About 1841 he began to deliver lectures against slavery, which attracted a great deal of attention throughout the Northern States. He published his autobiography in 1845, after which he visited England and made many earnest and eloquent addresses against slavery. He afterward edited a paper at Rochester, N. Y., called the North Star. Since the war Mr. Douglass has been employed in various capacities at Washington. He was a member of the San Domingo Commission. was engaged for a time in journalism, and has for nearly three years held the office of United States Marshal in he District of Columbia. For further particulars see his work, entitled "My Bondage and My Freedom."

GIDEON'S FLEECE-HUMAN VOICE. FRUITLAND, Ill., Feb. 12, 1880. Please answer the following: 1. Why is there a space left between the ends of the rails on a railroad track? 2. Was a turkey gobbler ever known to hatch and raise young ones? 3. In what did the miracle of Gideon's fleece consist? 4. What is the cause of the difference between the voice of man and woman?

Answer.-1. To allow for variations in the length of the rail on account of difference in the temperature. 2. We have no record of such an event, though it is possible. 3. Gideon asked of the Lord, as a sign that Israel should be saved, that a fleece of wool which he had placed upon the floor should be wet with dew, and all the ground around be dry, and when Gideon arose in the morning he found it as he had asked. As a second proof that Israel should be saved, he asked that on the following night the fleece be dry and all the ground about be wet with dew, and this was the case on the following morning. If our correspondent does not wish to accept this as & miracle, but desires some scientific explanation, we can say that it has heen enggostod ho AHEA

ent writers that in the first instance the fleece was made cooler than the ground about it, and in the second it was much warmer. But we do not attempt any philosophical explanation, 4. The prominence of the thyroid cartilage in men gives the vocal ligaments of a greater length than those in woman in the proportion of three to two, and from the greater vibration consequent upon this male voices are deeper and heavier, while they are also incapable of the extreme tension which characterizes those of the best female voices.

NEBRASKA INDIANS-EAST RIVER BRIDGE.

NORTH WALCOTT, Feb. 5, 1880. 1. What tribes of Indians are located in Nebraska, and in what counties are they located? Also give the number in said State. 2. Give us a little information concerning the New York and Brooklyn suspension bridge, length, heighth, cost, and how far has the work been finished. A. J. BALDWIN.

Answer.-1. The Omaha and Winnebago tribes occupy and own the whole of Blackbird County, and two and two-thirds townships of Cuming County. They have about 260,000 acres of land in their reservations. There are 951 in the former and 2,322 in the latter tribe. The Otoes and Missouries, now dwindled to 453 souls, occupy the southern part of Gage County, and have 162,854 acres of land. The Pawnee Reservation is between Boone and Merrick Counties and west of Platte, and comprises 283,200 acres; 48.424 acres have been appraised and sold in trust for the Pawnees. There are now 1,788 of them. The Santee Sioux, 791 in number, are located on vation of 115,200 acres in Knox County. 2. Height of towers above high water, 277 feet; clear height of bridge in center of river span above high water, 135 feet; length of river span, 1,59512 feet; length of each land span, 930 feet; length of Brooklyn approach, 971 feet; New York approach, 1,56212 feet; total length of bridge, 5,989 feet. Cost of the bridge will be about $12,000,000. It is expected that it will be completed about Jan. 1, 1881.

A TRIAL BALANCE.

a

reser

CHICAGO, March 12, 1880. Can a correct trial balance be taken off a set of double-entry books where there is no cash account kept upon the ledger? I keep a cash-book, where all receipts and disbursements show and go to the ledger, and this cash-book is balanced every day and agrees with the amount of money on hand, including cash in drawer and in bank. THIRD TERMER.

Answer.-If you make an account with "cash" in your ledger, treating that as a personal account, your trial-sheet should balance.

OLE BULL.

LACON, Ill., Feb. 11, 1880. Will you please give a brief sketch of Ole Bull, the great Norwegian violinist? We would be glad to know somewhat of his career. READERS.

Answer.-Ole Bull, the celebrated Norwegian violinist, was born at Bergen in 1810. He was quite young when he studied under Spohr and Cassel, and afterward went to Paris to seek his fortune. Here he was reduced to such distress that he was on the point of committing suicide when he was relieved by a lady of rank. Soon after he gave a concert, which furnished him with the means of visiting Italy, where all his performances were received with the greatest enthusiasm. Having met with the same brilliant success in Paris, London, and the principal capitals of Europe he set out about 1845 for America. He purchased about 120,000 acres of land in Pennsylvania, where he founded a Swedish colony. to which he sawatha nama of Oleona.

For a time the new settlement was favored by bright prospects, but dissensions soon crept in, pecuniary embarrassments followed, and at length the project was abandoned. In the United States he always received the most enthusiastic receptions. and met with great success financially. He has spent considerable of his time in this country, and has made a number of successful tours. He married a young lady of Madison, Wis., a half dozen years ago.

LEANING TOWER OF PISA.

GRANTSBURG, Wis., Feb. 18, 1880. Will you please state the date of the building of the leaning tower of Pisa, in Italy? For what purpose was it built, the diameter, and the whole height? Was it built as it now stands, fifteen feet out of perpendicu lar, or did it settle after construction? Is the building of marble? By the drawing it seems to have eight stories, and to be very beautiful in its design.

SILAS PECK. Answer.-The leaning tower of Pisa was commenced in 1152, and was not finished till the fourteenth century. The cathedral to which this belongs was erected to celebrate a triumph of the Pisans in the harbor of Palermo in 1063, when allied with the Normans to drive the Saracens out of Sicily. It is a circular building, 100 feet in diameter and 179 feet in extreme height, and has fine mosaic pavements, elaborately carved columns, and numerous bas-reliefs. The building is of white marble. The tower is divided into eight stories, each having an ouside gallery of seven feet projection, and the topmost story overhangs the about sixteen feet, though, as the center of gravity is still ten feet within the base, the building is perfectly safe. It has been supposed that this inclination was intentional; but the opinion that the foundation has sunk is no doubt correct. It is most likely that the defective foundation became perceptible before the tower had reached one-half its height, as at that elevation the unequal length of the columns exhibits an endeavor to restore the perpendicular, and at about the same place the walls are strengthened with iron bars.

base

JOHN ALLISON. TUSCOLA, I., Feb. 16, 1880. Will you please inform me why we always find on our greenback money, "John Allison, Register of the Treasury?" Who was he? M.

Answer.-John Allison was born in Pennsylvania in 1812; studied law, but never practiced any. He was elected three times to the State Legislature, after which he was elected to the Thirty-second and Thirty-fourth Congresses, and declined a nomination for re-election. In 1869 he was appointed Register of the Treasury, and as such was required to attach his signature to all greenbacks or national bank notes issued during his term of office.

GROWTH OF A TREE. Will a given section of a tree elongate after the heart wood has formed? M.

Answer.-Some few weeks ago this question was asked, and we replied that it was doubtful. Since then we have received the following from Professor Burrill, of the State University, on the subject: It is quite impossible for a stem of a plant after it has become woody to elongate by any process of growth, much more so the trunk of a sapling or tree. Hundreds of accurate measurements, cautiously made, show the same to be true. The earth often washes away imperceptibly, and sometimes gives rise to erroneous opinions. Dossibly when tha ronte at the base of the