ck of flint glass three
inches thick has been pierced with the 28-inch spark.

* * * * *

FRENCH PROPERTY OWNERS.

The financial strength of the French is a constant marvel to other
nations. Political economists point to the single standard of coinage or
to the double standard, according as they consider France to adhere to
one or the other of these systems, as the source of this strength. But
the difference between that and other nations is probably more
conspicuous in the management of government loans than in any other
thing. The French government does not depend on syndicates. More than
four million French men and women have subscribed to the public debt,
and whatever arrangements are made with great bankers, the common people
of France are always invited to take a part of the bonds at a fixed and
fair price. That country is noticeably distinguished from Great Britain
by the equally wide distribution of land. There are more than five
million peasant proprietors in France, while the United Kingdom is owned
by about 200,000 persons. In England one person in 130 probably owns
land, as distinguished from mere house property, and outside of London
one in 30 owns a house. In Scotland one in 400 is a landowner, and one
in 28 has a house in his name. In Ireland one in 315 owns land, but only
one in 120 has title to a house.

* * * * *

TRIGONOMETRICAL SURVEY OF NEW YORK.

The board of commissioners in whose charge is placed the projected
trigonometrical survey of New York State report that preparations have
been made for beginning the work in ten counties westward from the line
of the upper Hudson river to Seneca lake. The starting points are the
four United States Coast Survey stations at Mt. Rafinesque, near Troy,
Helderberg, Princetown, and Greenwich. The position of these points has
been very accurately ascertained by means of two independent lines of
triangles carried from New England and Fire Island through Connecticut
and Massachusetts. The State Survey, therefore, enjoys the advantage of
starting from points that belong to the great chain of stations
established by the general Government, and these are so placed that the
first line of triangles which crosses the State will connect directly
with another chain of similar stations on the great lakes. The plan
followed includes the selection of prominent elevations of land for
princ