Burroughs' Encyclopaedia of Astounding Facts and Useful Information, 1889

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Burroughs' Encyclopaedia of Astounding Facts and Useful Information, 1889, by Barkham Burroughs This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: Burroughs' Encyclopaedia of Astounding Facts and Useful Information, 1889 Author: Barkham Burroughs Release Date: November 19, 2004 [EBook #14091] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BURROUGHS' ENCYCLOPAEDIA *** Produced by Alicia Williams and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. BARKHAM BURROUGHS' ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF ASTOUNDING FACTS AND USEFUL INFORMATION 1889 For Melba Conner Universal Assistant and Treasure-House of Information to be Consulted on Every Question That Arises in Everyday Life by Young and Old Alike! Including: 521 Recipes * 236 Remedies * 150 Themes for Debate * How to Be Handsome * Mother Shipton's Prophesy * The Cure for Baldness * How to Distinguish Death * PLUS 20,000 Things Worth Knowing, and Much Much More. [Illustration: THE HIGHEST BUILDINGS IN THE WORLD. 1. An imaginary tower, 1000 feet high. 2. Cathedral at Cologne, 501 feet. 3. Pyramid of Cheops, 480 feet. 4. Strasbourg Cathedral, 468 feet. 5. St. Peter's, Rome, 457 feet. 6. Pyramid of Cephren, 454 feet.7. St. Paul's, London, 365 feet. 8. Capitol at Washington, 287 feet. 9. Trinity Church, N.Y., 286 feet. 10. Bunker Hill Monument, 221 feet. 11. St. Marks, Philadelphia, 150 feet.] CONTENTS HOW POOR BOYS BECOME SUCCESSFUL MEN, 6 THE ART OF PENMANSHIP, 7 ORNAMENTAL PENMANSHIP, 18 HOW TO WRITE A BUSINESS LETTER, 19 ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS IN BUSINESS, 28 DETECTING COUNTERFEIT MONEY, 32 HOW TO ADVERTISE, 37 HOW TO BE HANDSOME, 39 MULTUM IN PARVO. (110 MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS), 41 HOUSEHOLD RECIPES, 71 HOW TO DESTROY HOUSEHOLD PESTS, 73 ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES (236 ITEMS), 75 THE FAMILY PHYSICIAN, 83 LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS, 93 MASTERPIECES OF ELOQUENCE, 94 SUNDRY BRIEF ITEMS OF INTEREST, 95 PHYSICIAN'S DIGESTION TABLE, 95 THEMES FOR DEBATE (150), 95 COOKERY RECIPES (521), 98 HOW TO COOK FISH, 106 HOW TO CHOOSE AND COOK GAME, 108 HOW TO MAKE ICE CREAMS, WATER ICES AND JELLIES, 109 HOW TO SELECT AND COOK MEATS, 111 HOW TO MAKE PIES, 113 HOW TO MAKE PRESERVES, 114 HOW TO BOIL, BAKE AND STEAM PUDDINGS, 116 HOW TO PUT UP PICKLES AND MAKE CATSUPS, 119 HOW TO ROAST, BROIL OR BOIL POULTRY, 121 SAUCES FOR MEATS AND FISH, 121 HOW TO MAKE SOUPS AND BROTH, 123 HOW TO COOK VEGETABLES, 125 HOW TO CALCULATE, 128 20,000 THINGS WORTH KNOWING (20,000 ITEMS), 130 * * * * * [Illustration: How Poor Boys Become Successful Men] HOW POOR BOYS BECOME SUCCESSFUL MEN. You want some good advice. Rise early. Be abstemious. Be frugal. Attend to your own business and never trust it to another. Be not afraid to work, and diligently, too, with your own hands. Treat every one with civility and respect. Good manners insure success. Accomplish what you undertake. Decide, then persevere. Diligence and industry overcome all difficulties. Never be mean--rather give than take the odd shilling. Never postpone till to-morrow what can be done to-day. Never anticipate wealth from any source but labor. Honesty is not only the best policy, but the only policy. Commence at the first round and keep climbing. Make your word as good as your bond. Seek knowledge to plan, enterprise to execute, honesty to govern all. Never overtrade. Never give too large credit. Time is money. Reckon the hours of the day as so many dollars, the minutes as so many cents. Make few promises. Keep your secrets. Live within your income. Sobriety above all things. Luck is a word that does not apply to a successful man. Not too much caution--slow but sure is the thing. The highest monuments are built piece by piece. Step by step we mount the pyramids. Be bold--be resolute when the clouds gather, difficulties are surmounted by opposition. Self-confidence, self-reliance is your capital. Your conscience the best monitor. Never be over-sanguine, but do not underrate your own abilities. Don't be discouraged. [Transcriber's Note: The original text reads 'Ninty=nine'] Ninety-nine may say no, the [Transcriber's Note: The original text reads 'hundreth'] hundredth, yes: take off your coat: roll up your sleeves, don't be afraid of manual labor! America is large enough for all--strike out for the west. The best letter of introduction is your own energy. Lean on yourself when you walk. Keep good company. Keep out of politics unless you are sure to win--you are never sure to win, so look out. * * * * * THE ART OF PENMANSHIP _How to Become a Handsome Writer._ The subject of the importance of good writing is as broad as its use. Reaching out in every direction, and pervading every corner of civilized society, from the humblest up to the highest employments, it is a servant of man, second only in importance to that of speech itself. In the world of business its value is seen, from the simplest record or memorandum, up to the parchment which conveys a kingdom. Without it, the wheels of commerce could not move a single hour. At night it has recorded the transactions of the Bank of England duringthe day; of London; of the whole world. Through the art of writing, the deeds of men live after them, and we may surround ourselves with the companionship of philosophers, scientists, historians, discoverers and poets; and their discoveries, and reasonings and imaginings become ours. In the amenities of social life, through the medium of the pen, heart speaks to heart, though ocean rolls between. Thoughts of tenderness and affection live when we are gone, and words and deeds of kindness are not preserved by monuments alone. What fountains of grief or joy have been opened in the hearts of those who have read the records of the pen! The pen has recorded the rapturous emotions of love reciprocated. The pen has written the message of sadness which has covered life's pilgrimage with gloom. The pen has traced the record of noble and useful lives, spent in humanity's cause. The songs of the poet, the beautiful tints of his imagination, the flights of the orator in the realms of fancy, and the facts of history, would all perish as the dew of morning, without this noble art of writing. As a means of livelihood, there is perhaps no other department of education which affords such universal and profitable employment, as writing. From the mere copyist, up to the practical accountant, and onward into that department of penmanship designated as a fine art, the remuneration is always very ample, considering the time and effort required in its acquisition. Teachers, editors, farmers, doctors and all persons should possess a practical and substantial knowledge of writing, and should be ready with the pen. Business men must of course be ready writers, and hence, in a treatise on business, designed for the education and advancement of the youth of the country, it seems eminently fitting to first make the way clear to a plain, practical handwriting. Neatness and accuracy should characterize the hand-writing of every one. Botch-work and bungling are inexcusable, as well in writing as in the transaction of business. No person has a right to cause a tinge of shame to their correspondent, by sending a letter addressed in a stupid and awkward manner, nor to consume the time of another in deciphering the illegible hooks and scrawls of a message. Every one should have the ambition to _write_ respectably as well as to _appear_ respectable on any occasion. MATERIALS USED IN WRITING. Having a suitable desk or table, arranged with reference to light, in order to learn to write, it is necessary to be provided with proper materials. Writing materials abundant and so cheap in these times that no excuse is afforded for using an inferior or worthless quality. The materials consist of _Pens, Ink_ and _Paper_. PENS. Steel pens are considered the best. Gold pens have the advantage of always producing the same quality of writing, while steel pens, new or old, produce finer or courser lines. Notwithstanding this advantage in favor of the gold pen, steel pens adhere to the paper, and produce a better line. The pen should be adapted to the hand of the writer. Some persons require a coarse pen, and some fine. Elastic pens in the hand of one writer may produce the best results, while a less flexible pen may suit the hand of others best. Pens are manufactured of almost an infinite grade and quality, in order to suit the requirements of all. About the only rule that can be given in selecting pens, is to write a few lines, or a page, with each of the pens on trial, and then comparethe writing. If it be shaded too heavily, select a less flexible pen, if the hair lines are too delicate, select a coarser pen. INK. Black ink is always preferable. That which is free from sediment and flows well, should be selected. Use an inkstand with broad base as being less liable to upset. With persons in learning to write it is perhaps best to have a quality of ink which is perfectly black when put on the paper, in order that they may see the results of their labor at once. Business men and accountants prefer a fluid ink, however, which, although not black at first, continues to grow black, and becomes a very bright and durable black, notwithstanding the action of light and heat. Avoid the use of fancy colored inks, especially the more gaudy, such as blue, red or green, in writing all documents which you desire to command attention and respect. PAPER. There are almost as man