St. Landry democrat., 1888-02-04
OF GENERAL INTEREST.

| oi e'PPAoPlltstt uouuiuoAs
over Horace Greeley's grave.
"A cricket match between Amer.
lean and English players was played ON
board the Aurania during its last trip
to this country. 1t ended in draw.
Washington (or rather the District
of CoIumbia), on basis of three peo-
pie to every name in the new city di-
rectory, claims a population of 252, ,030.
1t is estimated that discoveries, in
ventions, and compounds patented
each year in the United States and
never amounting to any thing cost
100000
The editor of the Halifax Herald
says that the Halifax Gazette, now
known as the Royal Gazette, is the old4
est paper now published on the conti-
nent OF America.
The petritied remains of huge
monster have been discovered neat
Knoxville, Iowa. The body was be-
tween fifty and sixty feet long and two
and half feet wide, with four eyes.
The sockets of the eyes are eight
inches in diameter
Some hunters caught bear in
Athens, Me-, after a long chase. He
was found to have only two sound legs,
one hind leg having been cut off, ap.
parently, at the joint, and one fore leg
near the body. Yet he was able to run
about as fast as the average bear.
"A stone weighing FIVE or six tons,
which had apparently recently fallen.
has been found near Bearbrook, on the
line of the Canada Atlantic railway. 1t
is almost entirely beneath the surface
of the clay soil on which it struck, and
the ground around shows signs of great
disturbance. The stone is of dull
gray.
In the stomach of cow killed in
La Crosse, Wis. were found one silver
piece, two wood screws, each an inch
in length, six carpet tacks, twenty-three
shingle nails, two large knitting need
les, and one street railway spike three
inches long. One of the needles had
pierced the cows lungs and caused the
formation of a big tumor.
"A witness against Philadelphia
saloon keeper, who was on trial for
violating the Sunday law, wore a false
beard. A lawyer detected it and pulled
the beard off his face. When ques-
toned as to his reasons for appearing
in disguise, he said he wanted to pre-
vent saloon keepers who might be pres
ent from recognizing him thereafter.
There are fully fifty centenarians
known to be living in New England at
the present time. Of this number
eleven live in Connecticut, four in
Rhode Island, ten in Massachusetts,,
sixteen in Maine, five in New Hamp-
shire and five in Vermont. The Oldest
of all is Giles Benson, of Castleton,
Vt, one hundred and fifteen years of
age.
The ubiquitous Office boy has dis
covered new use for old business let
ters, which he now sells to various
firms at from ten to fifty cents hun
dred. The buyers use them for the
addresses contained therein, which are
duly copied and in turn sold to sewing
machine and patent-medicine men,
who use the lists in sending out cir
culars.
The narrow roads in some parts of
The Menominee range have evolved
the invention of peculiar cutter, long
and slim as a toboggan and called the
'Fore-and-after," because it accomo-
lated but two people, one sitting be-
hind the other. This makes it very
unpopular with the girls Of the district,
but the vehicle is convenient all the
same, for the lumber-cutters.
-Bavarian horses are celebrated for
general worthlessness. A dealer sold
one to a German officer during the
Franco-Prussian war, and warranted
him to be good war horse. The soldier
came afterward in towering passion
md said he had been swindled. "And
1owP" said the dealer. "Why, there's
lot a bit of go in him, and yet you
him as good war horse
Yes, Ibid, and by George! he is good
var horse; he'd sooner die than run"
Two boys recently, in search of
'abbit, removed the rear steps of St.
nary's Church, in Kittanning, Pa.
ind found bundle containing three
yold watches, two gold chains, one sill
,er watch, adark lantern and jimmy.
r..fa :: wears -ago ~Ae. articles were
roreas rne Thief sent to the peni.
entiary, but the property was never
covered. Two of the watches be-
onged to Kittanning parties. and the
bird is thought to belong to a Brook
lille man.
1t is reported that in Peru and
ther parts of South America this
ears fruit has been avoided by birds, y
Vhile it has caused the death of sheen
nd cattle when fed to them in large
Quantities. These observations have
'een cited as tending to show that the
instinct of birds, with respect to the
vholesomeness of fruit, is frequently a ]
worthy guide for human beings to fol-f
ow. The possibility is suggested thst
he variation in the fruit of differeht
'ears may have something to do With
~, ,%I,roa 1yo cf obolnra