W. L. Murphy, Tuscola, Ill.—1. The distance from St. Paul to Portland via the Northern Pacific Railroad is 1,911 miles; from Chicago to St. Paul is 409 miles, making the total distance to Portland 2,320 miles.
M. R. Huntington, Chicago—The five longest rivers in the world are the following, named in the order of length from greater to less: The Missouri, measured from its source to the Gulf of Mexico; the Amazon; the Nile; the Yang-tse-kiang, China, and the Murray, Australia.
A. C. Hess, Central P. O., Pa.—Ginseng is exported to China in large quantities, where it is in high repute as a medicine. It is used in pharmacy to some degree in this country and Europe. In 1880 our export of ginseng amounted to 391,083 pounds, valued at $533,042.
C. F. S., Denmark, Iowa—The autographic process of telegraphing, which transmits a facsimile of the original dispatch, was first brought forward in 1848 by F. C. Bakewell, of London, England. It was improved by Abbe Casselli, of Florence; Lenoir and Meyer, of France, and Professor Sawyer, of Washington, D. C. It is not so economical, so expeditions, or so well adapted in some other respects to ordinary telegraphic purposes as the Morse system with modern improvements.
A. J., Dern, Ind.—1. The eclectic school of medicine lays great stress on the avoidance of depletion, either by blood-letting or severe purging, and the use of agents calculated to build up the system. Vegetable remedies largely predominate in its medical agents.