Newspapers.—A newspaper is a periodical issued as often as once a week, and contains the news of the day, either local or general, or both. The majority of newspapers are of four or eight pages, but often the number of pages run as high as 24, or even 72, and occasionally 100 pages are issued at a time. In the United States and Canada, there are published over 2,600 daily newspapers, about 75 tri-weekly, a little less than 650 semi-weekly, considerable more than 17,000 weekly. Of other periodicals, about 60 are published every two weeks, somewhat less than 300 semi-monthly, more than 3,000 monthly, about 80 bi-monthly, and less than 250 quarterly. Periodicals published less often than once a week are not considered newspapers, although they may contain news.
New York Stock Exchange.—A single seat, carrying with it membership in the New York Stock Exchange, has been sold for as much as $96,000, and the lowest price recorded is $49,500.
Nicknames of States.—Alabama, "Cotton State"; Alaska, "Eldorado of the North"; Arkansas, "Bear"; California, "Golden Land"; Colorado, "Centennial State"; Connecticut, "Nutmeg"; Delaware, "Blue Hen" and "Diamond State"; Florida, "Gulf" and "Flowery State"; Georgia, "Cracker State"; Indiana, "Hoosier State"; Iowa, "Hawkeye"; Kansas, "Prairie"; Kentucky, "Blue Grass State"; Louisiana, "Creole State"; Maine, "Pine Tree State"; Maryland, "Old Line State"; Massachusetts, "Old Bay State"; Michigan, "Lake State"; Minnesota, "Gopher State"; Mississippi, "Bayou State"; Missouri, "Bullion State"; Montana, "Mountain State"; Nebraska, "Black Water State"; Nevada, "Silver State"; New Hampshire, "Granite State"; New Jersey, "Red Mud State"; New York, "Empire State"; North Carolina, "Old North State"; North Dakota, "Cyclone State"; Ohio, "Buckeye State"; Oklahoma, "Boomer State"; Oregon, "Beaver State"; Pennsylvania, "Keystone State"; Rhode Island, "Little Rhody"; Tennessee, "Old Franklin State"; South Carolina, "Palmetto State"; South Dakota, "Blizzard State"; Texas, "Lone-Star State"; Utah, "Mormon State"; Vermont, "Green Mountain State"; Virginia, "Old Dominion"; West Virginia, "Panhandle State"; Wisconsin, "Badger State".
Nitroglycerine.—Nitroglycerine is made of common glycerine mixed with strong nitric and sulphuric acids, and is extremely explosive and dangerous. It has to be exploded by concussion or shock, and not by fire. It is used for blasting and other purposes, and occasionally is taken in very small doses as a medicine, but never should be used medicinally except by the advice of a physician who should be present when it is taken.
Notes.—A note should be signed in ink, but a pencil signature is good in law. A note is not payable on demand unless it so states. A note may be payable to order or to bearer. If payable to order, and transferred, it must be endorsed. The endorser of a note is liable for its payment, if the maker of it does not pay it. Each signer of a joint note is liable for the full amount. Notes do not bear interest unless so stated. "Value received" should be written in every note, but it is not essential.
Ocean Ownership.—The ocean is common property, and no one has any legal title to it, except that each country has jurisdiction over the sea within three miles of the shore, but these three miles are usually reckoned from promontories, and not necessarily from the coast-line, so that a nation may have control of a vast area of water and several hundred miles from shore.
Old Time Ships.—The glory of the American merchant service, so far as sailing vessels are concerned, has passed into history. Comparatively few sailing vessels, save coasting schooners, ply the seas, as steam has taken the place of sail. The majority of old ship captains are either dead or commanding ocean liners or coastwise steamers. In the old days, sailing clipper ships made the trip from New York to San Francisco in one hundred days, while the voyage of ordinary ships was two or three times as long. The old ship "Lightning" sailed from Boston to Liverpool at a greater speed than that obtained by any steamship of its day, the vessel often logging over 500 miles in 24 hours, and it made the trip in a little less than 14 days. The "James Baines" sailed from Boston to Liverpool in 12 days and 6 hours, and broke the sailing record between these two ports. The same vessel made the trip from Liverpool to Melbourne, Australia, in 63 days and returned in 69 days. The "Red Jacket" sailed from New York to Liverpool in 13 days, 1 hour, and 25 minutes. The "Flying Cloud" and "Andrew Jackson" sailed from New York to San Francisco in 89 days, and the "Sea Witch" made the trip from Canton, China, to New York in 74 days, 14 hours. These early clipper ships were quite small, many of them not being over 200 tons. The first large clipper ship was the "Ann McKim," which was 43 ft. long, and 493 tons burden. Subsequent sailing vessels of enormous size were built, the "John Bertram" having a tonnage of 1080, the "Gamecock" 1,320, the "Staghound" 1,535, the "Flying Cloud" 1,783, the "Staffordshire" 1,817, the "Sovereign of the Seas" 2,421 tons, and the "Great Republic" 4,555 tons.
Palmistry.—The study of the lines of the palm, which the ancients believed indicated character and future. Palmistry is to-day practiced by three classes of people: (1) professional palmists, most of whom are charlatans; (2) as a diversion; (3) by superstitious people who believe in it. A scientific study of the subject does not furnish any evidence that the lines of the hand have any special significance, and no scientific person gives them any credence.
Partnership.—A partnership is an agreement, usually written, between two or more persons, for the doing of business or for the carrying out of any contract or for the accomplishment of any work. The partners may have equal ownership, or it may be unevenly divided. In the equal partnerships, each partner has the same financial interest and share in the profits, and also the same right of control. In other partnerships, the financial investment or interests are unevenly divided; and the one who holds more than half interest controls the business, unless otherwise provided for in the partnership agreement. Partners may be in name only, and not own any of the property. Active partners are those who give practically all of their time to the conducting of the business. Silent partners are not likely to take any active part in the management of the business, but they may control it, if their financial interest is sufficient. Under common law, no partner has a right to engage in any other business which would injure the partnership, unless permitted to do so by the other partners. The acts of one partner bind all of the rest. If one partner commits fraud in the name of the firm, the others are financially responsible, although they may have had no knowledge of his action. The partnership or business may or may not be liable for the private debts of any one partner. Usually a partner cannot be held for more than his interest in the firm. Partnerships may be dissolved by mutual agreement or by judicial act, and it is usual to publish the dissolution of partnership in one or more of the local newspapers, and to send notices of it to the trade. A limited partnership does not hold any partner or the concern itself liable for more than the amount of the property in the business, but a partnership will not be considered limited unless it is publicly announced.
Patent Medicines