The Project Gutenberg eBook of The handy manual, by Anonymous

Title: The handy manual

A veritable mine of useful and interesting statistics, information, etc.

Author: Anonymous

Release Date: August 8, 2022 [eBook #68711]

Language: English

Produced by: Demian Katz, Craig Kirkwood, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (Images courtesy of the Digital Library@Villanova University.)

Elephant, 100 years and upward; Rhinoceros, 20; Camel, 100; Lion, 25 to 70; Tigers, Leopards, Jaguars and Hyenas (in confinement), about 25; Beaver, 50; Deer, 20; Wolf, 20; Fox, 14 to 16; Llamas, 15; Chamois, 25; Monkeys and Baboons, 16 to 18; Hare, 8; Squirrel, 7; Rabbit, 7; Swine, 25; Stag, under 50; Horse, 30; Ass, 30; Sheep, under 10; Cow, 20; Ox, 30; Swans, Parrots and Ravens, 200; Eagle, 100; Geese, 80; Hens and Pigeons, 10 to 16; Hawks, 30 to 40; Crane, 24; Blackbird, 10 to 12; Peacock, 20; Pelican, 40 to 50; Thrush, 8 to 10; Wren, 2 to 3; Nightingale, 15; Blackcap, 15; Linnet, 14 to 23; Goldfinch, 20 to 24; Redbreast, 10 to 12; Skylark, 10 to 30; Titlark, 5 to 6; Chaffinch, 20 to 24; Starling, 10 to 12; Carp, 70 to 150; Pike, 30 to 40; Salmon, 16; Codfish, 14 to 17; Eel, 10; Crocodiles, 100; Tortoise, 100 to 200; Whale, estimated, 1,000; Queen Bees live 4 years; Drones, 4 months; Worker Bees, 6 months.

Mercury freezes at 40° below zero, and melts at 39°. Ether freezes at 47° below zero; wine freezes at 20°; sea water freezes at 28.3°. Alcohol has been exposed to 110° and 120° below zero without freezing. Granite decomposes at a red heat. The second’s pendulum, of 39.139 ins. is lengthened by 30° of temperature 128th of an inch, or 3 vibrations in 24 hours.

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The heat conducting powers of metals, etc., are as follows: Gold, 1000°; platinum, 981°; silver, 973°; copper, 898.2°; iron, 374.3°; zinc, 363°; tin, 303.9°; lead, 179.5°; marble, 23.6°; porcelain, 12.2°; fine clay, 11.4°.

1 lb. of coke melts 94 pounds of ice; 1 lb. of coal, 90 lbs.; 1 lb. of wood, 52 lbs.; 1 lb. of charcoal, 95 lbs.; 1 lb. of peat, 19 lbs. The capacity of the solar heat all over the globe is the ability to melt an icy covering 46 feet in thickness.

The following shows how easy it is to accumulate a fortune, provided proper steps are taken. The table shows what would be the result at the end of fifty years by saving a certain amount each day and putting it at interest at the rate of six per cent:

Nearly every person wastes enough in twenty or thirty years, which, if saved and carefully invested, would make a family quite independent; but the principle of small savings has been lost[4] sight of in the general desire to become wealthy. By the way, would you like to get a famous book telling how to get rich? We have published a book of 54 great secrets, and will send it postpaid with 11 other books (12 volumes in all) on receipt of only ten cents. Address your order to Keystone Book Co., P. O. Box 1634, Philadelphia, Pa. Each of the books referred to above is excellently printed and sure to give satisfaction.

The Atlantic Ocean includes an area of 30,000,000 square miles. Suppose an inch of rain to fall upon only one-fifth of this vast expanse, it would weigh 360,000,000 tons, and the salt which, as water, is held in solution in the sea, and which, when the water was taken up as a vapor, was left behind to disturb the equilibrium, weighed 16,000,000 more tons, or nearly twice as much as all the ships in the world could carry at a cargo each. It might fall in a day; but occupy what time it might in falling, this rain is calculated to exert so much force—which is inconceivably great—in disturbing the equilibrium of the ocean. If all the water discharged by the Mississippi River during the year were taken up in mighty measure, and cast in the ocean at an effort, it would not make a greater disturbance in the equilibrium of the sea than the fall of rain supposed. And yet so gentle are the operations of nature that movements so vast are unperceived. Another interesting fact is that you can get a beautiful garnet and opal ring absolutely free. This great offer is made by a reliable firm to introduce their goods. Send twelve cents in stamps to W. S. Everett & Co., 113 Munroe Street, Lynn, Mass., requesting them to mail you a sample of their celebrated Perfumery, and they[5] will mail free with it a beautiful garnet and opal ring. Send them strip of paper showing size around your finger.

Duration and mortality of some of the great disasters of history.

EUROPE.

The Danube, 1,800 miles; Dnieper, 1,260; Don, 1,120; Rhine, 691; Elbe, 800; Rhone, 650; Volga, 2,800.

ASIA.

Ganges, 1,970; Irrawaddy, 2,600; Indus, 2,300; Euphrates, 1,750; Amoor, 2,800; Yang-tse-Kiang, 3,300; Hoang-Ho, 2,700; Zambesi, 800; Yenesi, 3,250; Obi, 2,700.

AFRICA.

Nile, 2,500; Niger, 2,600; Senegal, 1,900; Gambia, 1,700.

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AMERICA.

Missouri to the Mississippi, 3,100; Missouri to the Gulf, 4,350; Mississippi, 3,160; Amazon, 3,600; River De La Plata, 2,240; St. Lawrence, 2,100; Orinoco, 1,600; Rio Grande, 1,800.

Kohinoor, 106; Star of the South, 125; Regent, 137; Austrian Yellow, 139; Orloff, 193; Rajah of Matan, 367. Their value is not regulated by size, not easy to estimate, but none of them is worth less than $500,000.

The largest ocean in the world is the Pacific. The largest sea is the Mediterranean. River, the Amazon. Gulf, Mexico. Cape, Horn. Lake, Superior. Bay, Bengal. Island, Australia. City, London. Public building, St. Peter’s, Rome. Hotel, Palace, San Francisco. Steamer, Great Eastern. Desert, Sahara. Theatre, Grand Opera House, Paris. State, Texas. Territory, Dakota. Park, the Phœnix Park, Dublin. Highest mountain, Kunchainyunga, Himalayas. Sound, Long Island. Largest railroad, Union Pacific and Central Pacific. Canal, Grand Canal, China. Suspension Bridge, Brooklyn. Largest railroad depot, St. Pancras, London. Largest room in the world under single roof, military one, St. Petersburg. Strongest fort, Gibraltar. Longest ship, the Romsdal. Sailing ship of greatest tonnage, the Three Brothers. Largest Monument, Washington. Largest statue, Bartholdi.

Here are a few words that are frequently mispronounced:

Acclimate, say ak-kli-mate, not ak-kli-mate.

Bartholdi, say Bar-tol-de, not Bar-thol-de.

Bronchitis, say bron-ki-tis, not bron-kee-tis.

Calliope, say kal-li-op-y, not kal-li-ope.

Conduit, say kon-dit, not kon-du-it.

Conversant, say kon-ver-sant, not kon-ver-sant.

Everybody enjoys fun. Our new prize collection consists of a false moustache, comic songs, funny pictures, photos of pretty girls, money making secrets, guide to dreams, etc. We will send the prize collection, postpaid, on receipt of only six 1 cent stamps if you mention that you saw the offer on page 7 of The Handy Manual. Address: W. S. Everett & Co., 113 Munroe St., Lynn, Mass.

The following table exhibits the population of the United States according to each census taken:

Heights of remarkable waterfalls in this country and elsewhere:

Are you aware that there are in circulation hundreds of dates and varieties of coins which could be sold to coin brokers at rates in excess of their par value? These brokers purchase the coins to sell to coin collectors (numismatists) most of whom are wealthy, and when anxious for certain dates or kinds to complete their sets, they sometimes pay enormous prices, even offering as high as $5,000 for a certain U. S. coin of 1848. It often happens that coins which seem to be very common are wanted by the brokers, and if the ones who handle such only had a reliable list, they could ascertain their real value. Only a short time since the daily newspapers contained a statement about how a shoemaker took a coin in change, as ordinary money, and happening to be in the habit of comparing his coins with a Coin Manual, he found that this piece was valuable, and sold it the next day for $1,100. Even recent dates are sometimes valuable, for instance, quarters and half dollars of 1853 are worth from $5 to $10, a cent of 1856 brings $3, but we cannot undertake to give further examples as there are hundreds of them. Many people have become[10] rich by keeping their eyes open for old coins, why not you? The best places to find them are in the country districts. Numerous Canadian and other foreign coins are worth big sums. We might also add that similarly high prices are paid for old stamps taken from envelopes that have been through the mails. Even the most common kind are saleable in quantities, and if you get the best book of prices of stamps, you will find that there is no humbug in the oft-repeated story of the “value of a million stamps” or even a single stamp, oftentimes. In order to get fully posted get the two most reliable coin and stamp books. They contain information more reliable than any that you can find elsewhere. Both books are revised right up to this month and contain the names and addresses of reliable coin and stamp brokers with whom you can deal. Although the books may be worth many dollars, perhaps a fortune to you, we will send both volumes, postpaid, on receipt of only ten cents, silver or stamps. Send your order for these books to the U. S. Supply Co., Box 329, Lynn, Mass. Although you may obtain these books any time during the next twenty years, it may be best to send at once so as to lose no opportunities.

The earth is inhabited by about 1,500 million of inhabitants, viz:

There are about 3,064 languages spoken in the world, and its inhabitants profess more than[11] 1,000 different religions. The number of men is about equal to the number of women. The average of human life is about 33 years. One-quarter die previous to the age of 7 years, one-half before reaching 17, and those who pass this age enjoy a felicity refused one-half of the human species. To every 1,000 persons, only 1 reaches 100 years of life; to every 100, only 6 reach the age of 65; and not more than 1 in 500 lives to 80 years of age. There are on the earth 1,000,000,000 inhabitants; of these 33,333,333 die every year, 91,824 every day, 3,730 every hour, and 60 every minute, or 1 every second. The married are longer lived than the single, and above all, those who observe a sober and industrious conduct. Tall men live longer than short ones. Women have more chances of life in their favor previous to their being 50 years of age than men have, but fewer afterward. The number of marriages is in the proportion of 75 to every 1,000 individuals. Marriages are more frequent after the equinoxes, that is, during the months of June and December. Those born in the spring are more robust than others. Births and deaths are more frequent by night than by day. The number of men capable of bearing arms is calculated at one-fourth of the population.

The origin of the postage stamp had a tinge of romance in it. It was thirty-seven years ago that Rowland Hill, while crossing a district in the north of England, arrived at the door of an inn where a postman had stopped to deliver a letter. A young girl came out to receive it; she turned it over and over in her hand and asked the price of postage. This was a large sum, and evidently the girl was poor, for the postmaster demanded a[12] shilling. She sighed sadly and said the letter was from her brother, but that she had no money, and so she returned the letter to the postman. Touched with pity, Mr. Hill paid the postage and gave the letter to the girl, who seemed very much embarrassed. Scarcely had the postman turned his back, when the young inn-keeper’s daughter confessed that it was a trick between her and her brother. Some signs on the envelope told her all she wanted to know, but the letter contained no writing. “We are both so poor,” she added, “that we invented this mode of corresponding without paying for the letters.” The traveler, continuing his road, asked himself if a system giving rise to such frauds was not a vicious one? Before sunset Rowland had planned to organize the postal service upon a new basis—with what success is known to the world.

The average weight of an adult man is 140 pounds 6 ounces.

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The average weight of a skeleton is about fourteen pounds.

Number of bones, 240.

The skeleton measures one inch less than the living man.

The average weight of the brain of a man is three and a half pounds; of a woman, two pounds eleven ounces.

The brain of man exceeds twice that of any other animal.

The average height of an Englishman is five feet nine inches; and of a Belgian, five feet six and three-quarter inches.

The average weight of an Englishman is 150 pounds; of a Frenchman, 136 pounds; a Belgian, 140 pounds.

The average number of teeth is thirty-two.

A man breathes about twenty times a minute, or 1,200 times an hour.

A man breathes about eighteen pints of air in a minute, or upwards of seven hogsheads in a day.

A man gives off 4.08 per cent carbonic gas of the air he respires; respires 10,666 cubic feet of carbonic acid gas in twenty-four hours, equal to 125 cubic inches common air.

A man annually contributes to vegetation 124 pounds of carbon.

The average of the pulse in infancy is 120 per minute; in manhood, 80; at 60 years, 60. The pulse of females is more frequent than that of males.

The height, in feet, of the most lofty monuments and other structures in the world is given in the following table:

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English-speaking populations, according to creeds:

The area of the five oceans of the globe is as follows:

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In the following table are given the area and depth of the principal lakes and inland seas of the world:

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