Dark Bilious Vapors

US News Wire had this bit'o'trivia about them new-fangled things: Pencils.

"It's hard to think of a more universal item than the common lead pencil -- used by everyone every day, from school children to corporate CEOs. The pencil as we know it, dates from this week in 1858. That's when Hyman Lipman was granted a patent for a pencil different than those used for centuries -- his had an eraser at one end.

That simple improvement created something that endures in every home, school and business in the country, in spite of the explosion of electronic technology and the increasing popularity of computers, laptops, and hand-held devices. Each year, $1.5 billion worth of pencils and art supplies are sold in the United States. Making these items provides jobs for 8,300 people.

You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web at http://www.census.gov. ------

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments ready to air on a monthly CD or on Internet at http://www.census.gov (look under the "Newsroom" button). For further information, contact Rick Reed at e-mail at rreed@census.gov."

Karen on 03.30.05 @ 06:55 AM CST