The first locomotive in the United States was built by Peter Cooper. 11. The road carrying the largest number of passengers is the Manhattan Elevated Railroad, New York-525,000 a day, or 191,625,000 yearly. 12. The average daily earning of an American locomotive is about $100. 13. The longest American railway tunnel is the Hoosac, on the Fitchburg railway-434 miles. 14. The average cost of constructing a mile of railroad at the present time is about $30,000. 15. The first sleeping-car was used upon the Cumberland Valley Railroad of Pennsylvania; from 1836 to 1848. 16. The chances of fatal accident in railway travel are very slight-one killed in ten million. Statistics show more are killed by falling out of windows than in railway accidents. 17. The line of railway extending farthest east and west is the Canadian Pacific, running from Quebec to the Pacific Ocean. 18. A steel rail, with average wear, lasts about eighteen years. 19. The road carrying the largest number of commuters is the Illinois Central at Chicago-4,828,128 commutation fares in 1887. 20. The fastest time made between Jersey City and San Francisco is 3 days, 7 hours, 39 minutes and 16 seconds. Special theatrical train, June, 1876. NOTE.-Twenty-hour regular train service was established between New York and Chicago, May 28, 1893. Average speed throughout, 51 miles. OUR COAL FIELDS. This country has an area of between three and four hundred thousand square miles of known coal fields, from which one million tons are mined yearly-enough to belt the earth at the equator with a ring five and a half feet thick by five and a half feet wide. The quantity "in sight" is estimated to be sufficient to supply the whole world for a period of fifteen hundred to two thousand years. Immigrants from the British North American possessions and Mexico are not included since July 1, 1885. Of the whole number of immigrants in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1891, 533,164 came through the customs district of New York; 41, 995 through Baltimore; 36,149 through Boston; 28,120 through Philadelphia, and 10,115 through San Francisco. The reported occupations of immigrants who arrived during the year ending June 30, 1890, were as follows: Laborers, 139,365; farmers, 29,296; servants, 28,625; carpenters, 3,776; miners, 3,745; clerks, 3,653; tailors, 3,879; shoemakers, 2,232; blacksmiths, 1,792. The total number of professional immigrants was 3,236; of skilled laborers, 44,540; of miscellaneous, 211,756. NATIONALITY OF IMMIGRANTS DURING FORTY YEARS. (Compiled by the Superintendent of the Census.) As the reports for British North American Provinces and for Mexico have been discontinued since 1885 by the Treasury Department, the figures here represented only cover five years of the decade. An estimate based upon the immigration of the years from 1881 to 1885, inclusive, would give 785,604 to British North America for the decade from 1881 to 1890, and 3,826 to Mexico, making the aggregate for America 817,563, instead of 422,848. Mulhall estimates the number of individuals who emigrated from Europe in 72 years, 1816 to 1888, at 27,205,000. Of these 15,000,000 came to the United States. George Washington... Va Thomas Jefferson. John Quincy Adams.. English Va... 1789 57 Fed... Mount Vernon, 1799. Va.... 1817 59 Rep... New York City, 1831. 75. WARS OF THE UNITED STATES. Statement of the Number of United States Troops Engaged. *Naval forces engaged. The number of troops on the Confederate side was about 600,000. The number of casualities in the volunteer and regular armies in the United States, during the war of 1861-65, was reported by the Provost Marshal General in 1866: Killed in battle, 61,362; died of wounds, 34,727; died of disease, 183, 287; total died, 279,376; total deserted, 199,105, Number of soldiers in the Confederate service who died of wounds or disease (partial statement), 133,821. Deserted (partial statement, 104,428. Number of United States troops captured during the war, 212,608; Confederate troops captured, 476,169. Number of United State! troops paroled on the field, 16,431; Confederate troops paroled on the field, 248,599. Number of United States troops who died while prisoners, 29,725; Confederate troops who died while prisoners, 26,774. GUIDE TO THE CIVIL SERVICE. The officials and clerks-over one hundred and twenty thousand in all--by whom the people's business in the administration of government is carried on, constitute the Civil Service. About five thousand of these are appointed by the President, alone or with the consent of the Senate; about fifteen thousand under what is known as the "Civil Service Rules;" but the great body of officeholders is appointed by heads of departments. Those employed in the civil service have always been theoretically entitled to serve "during good behavior," but practically, until within a few years, their positions have depended upon their allegiance to the political party in power. In 1883 Congress passed a law for the improvement of the civil service of the United States. This act provides for the appointment by the President of three commissioners to have general charge of filling the vacancies in the civil service department, and stipulates that the fitness of all applicants for all subordinate positions in the departments at Washington, and in all custom-houses and postoffices having as many as 50 officeholders, shall be tested by examinations, and the positions assigned with reference to the capacity, education and character of the applicants, regardless of political preferences. According to this, no absolute appointment to office can be made until the applicant has proven his or her ability to fill the position satisfactorily by six months' service; no person habitually using intoxicating beverages to excess shall be appointed to, or retained in any office; no recommendation which may be given by any Senator or member of the House of Representatives, except as to character and residence, shall be considered by the examiners; men and women shall receive the same pay for the same work. The general competitive examinations for admission to the service are limited to the following subjects: 1. Orthography, penmanship and copying. 2. Arithmetic-fundamental rules, fractions and percentage. 3. Interest, discount, and the elements of bookkeeping and of accounts4. Elements of the English language, letter writing, and the proper con. struction of sentences. 5. Elements of the geography, history and government of the United States. A standing of 65 per cent. in the first three branches is necessary to qualify an applicant for appointment. Where special qualifications are necessary for specific work the examinations are adapted to test the knowledge of the applicant in that particular line. No applicant will be examined who cannot furnish proof that he is of good moral character and in good health. There is a board of examiners in each of the principal cities of the United States and several examinations are held each year. Applications must be made on the regular "application paper," which can be obtained of the commissioners, or any board of examiners. Several of the States have adopted the principles laid down in the civil service act and applied them to the State civil service, and it is probably only a question of time when civil service reform will be consummated throughout the United States and the public service will thereby be rendered much more efficient. GOVERNMENT SALARY LIST. The salary of the President of the United States is $50,000 a year, the Vice-President, $8,000; Cabinet officers, $8,000. Senators receive $5,000 and mileage. Congressmen, $5,000 and mileage. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court receives $10,500; Associate Justices, $10,000. The diplomats get good pay; Ministers to Germany, Great Britain, France and Russia, $17,500; Ministers to Brazil, China, Austra-Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Japan and Spain, $12,000; Ministers to Chili, Peru and Central America, $10,000; Ministers to Argentine Confederation, Hawaiian Islands, Belgium, Hayti, Colombia, Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey and |