The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-12-01
CLIPPIyGs FOR THE CURIOUS. .


There are 262, 1865 Indians in the uni
ted States.
One California orchard ships about
twenty tons of peach stones every year.
Seventeen thousand five hundred and
fortv-five stray dogs were taken into
custody in London during 1881.
The Baroness Burdette- -Coutts-Bart-
lett owns the smallest pony in the world
IL stand thirteen inches high and is five
years of age.
It is asserted that the three years end
ed 1880 there were no fewer than 25O
theatres burned, or partially so, result
ing in 4, $40 deaths and about 3, 400 III
juries.
Roots extend much further than may
be supposed. Strawberry roots range
outward five feet, onion from six to nine
and trees send out roots often to dis
tance of thirty feet.
The cactus maguar is a Florida plant,
thd fbers of whose long, thick leaves
make the strongest cord and rope, Its
Juice furnishes a pleasant, but mot in
tOxicating beverage. After the plant
blooms it dies, and the trunk can be Ge-
prived of its heart or pith and makes
water buckets, pitchers and other uten-
sis
With a new apparatus for ascertain
ing the velocity Of railway trains, a
train weighing 126 tons and travelling
at speed of fOrty-hve miles an hour
has been found to run on level track a
few feet more than five miles after the
steam had been shut off.
One of the curious consequences of
the construction of the SueZ canal has
been the introduction into the Mediter-
ranean sea of sharks, which were for
merly unknown there. The sharks are
proving very destructive to the edible
fish, and it is now difficult for the fish
ermen to supply the demand.
A French writer, says that although
dogs abound in the Egyptian cities,
there is no hydrOphObia among them.
Camels, however, suffer from a form of
madness at certain times, and bites from
them during this state is dangerous, but
the disease is not contagious.
A man at Simmons Gap, Va, is liv-
ing with his ninth wife. The patriarch
is eighty years old. has fifty-three child
ren, and at a recent reunion over three
hundred of his defendants we're present.
It is claimed that ne does not know al
of his children, and makes no effort to
keep up with his grandchildren.
The Sutro tunnel. now completed, dis.
charges 10000, 600 gallons hot water
daily from COmstOck mines. This wa
ter has a temperature of 100 degrees,
and is conveyed through a closed pine
fume 20 prevent the escape of vapOr.
After passage of four miles through
the first tunnel it loses seventy degrees
of heat. A second tunnel, l, 100 feet
long, and an open water way mile and
half long, conduct the water to Carson
river. Along its course are hOt-wateI
baths and laundries, and plan is or
foot to conduct the hot water through
pipes under ground, to be made avail!
able for purposes of irrigation and fol
supplying artificial heat to hothOuses.
Tobacco in Russia is looked upon
as a deadly foe. The RaskOlniks call II
the DEVILS herb, and in little Russia the
following legeEd is current as to its or
igin: Certain little Russian carriers
were in danger of being led astray by a
heather woman, and a voice from heav'
en- commanded that she be put to death.
The carriers Obeyed and buried he1
alive Her husband planted tee oveI
her remains it grew and grew and be-
came a large leaved plant, As the
Christian carriers and the heather wild
over passed that way they saw that he
broke off some of the leaves, filed pipe
with them, and smoked it. They fol-
lowed his example. and smoked what
since been known as tobacco. SO de-
lighted were they that they went OF
smoking without c9asing; until at last
the smoke gave way one day to fire and
burned them all up.