Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-02-27
FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS.

In Northumberland, England, they
atill retain the old custom of holding in
quests over fires.
The oldest dwelling house in the
United States is situated near the San
Miguel church. 1t was built before the
Spanish conquest.
A peculiar black paper of Siam and
Burmah, made from the bark of certain
trees, is used very much as are states in
Europe and America. The writing upon
it may be rubbed out by the application
of betel leaves, just as the slate writing
is erased by means of sponge.
Young alligators are raised and tanned
for Northern visitors by Sanford FLA
man, VINO finds it quite lucrative bust
ness. He has now a hundred of the ami
mails under training, and reports that his
sales last season would have been five
times that number could he have procured
the alligators.
Majendie the celebrated scientist, took
two dogs, one of which he fed on white
flour, while to the other he gave flour
made of the entire wheat In forty days
the dog who had received the white flour
died of starvation; the other remained in
perfect health and could have lived in
definitely with no other food.
There seems every probability that st.
Valentines day, with its many customs.
came down to us from the Romans, but
was fathered upon st. Valentine in the
early days of the church in order to Chris
tianize it. In France St. Valentines day
was movable feast, which was called
jours des braAdons. because the boys
carried about lighted torches on that day.
A girl, thirteen years old, who has
grown only an inch in height since she
was two years old, and has gained but lit
tie in weight, was before the Concord
On. H.) medical society at its annual
meeting a few days ago. The girl
weighs thirty five pounds and is twenty
two inches high, has never been severely
sick, and is unusually healthy. Her
mind seems also to have stopped grow
ing at the same time.
One of the officers of the British force
in Burmah concludes that stomachachc is
a widely prevalent malady in that region.
At koonlah he found an idol which eff
fects miraculous cure when sufferer
plasters flake of gold leaf upon the part
corresponding to the seat of his own dis
order; and the abdomen of the idol had
been caused to protrudc in a most extra
ordinary degree by the plastered offerings
of health seekers.
Bees found in tree belong to the
owner of the tree, and another person ac-
quires no ownership in them because of
marking the tree. Game found in snares
belongs to the owner of the land, and
not to the trespasser who may have set
the snares. A swarm of bees leaving their
hive and setting upon the land of another,
are the property of the original owner so
long as he can keep them in sight, and
thus establish their identity.
Certain insects seen to possess the re-
markable and little understood "electric''
power Of the electric eel. General Davis,
of the British army, received a shock
from wheeling that parllyzcd his left
arm for considerable time, red marks
being left on his hand as impressions of
the insects feet. This popularity is also
mentioned by Kirby and Spence, and
other naturalists have received shocks
from some of the luminous beetles Such
IA shock was given by an unknown cater
pillar picked up by Captain Blakcncy that
his entire right side became paralyzed,
and he was dangerously ill for a long
time