Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-25
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

IN Nearly every vessel clearing from san
Diego, Cal, nowadays, carries fiom lotto IL tons
Of honey.
"A 16-pound cannon ball came up in
Walter DIxon's oyster dredge in Newark Bay
the other day.
w. r. Shadman, Of Glynn county,
Ga, has three acres of olives. His is believed
to be the only olive grove east of the Rocky
Mountains.
In Galway it is considered so unlucky
to catch sight of fox that fishermen will not
put to sea if they notice one while going to
their boats.
"A mid air combat between a hawk and
snake afforded amusement for over 20 min
ntes to party Of pieknickers near Mossville,
Blair county, Pa.
Washington, D. c., has policeman Of
an original turn of mind. Being detailed to
watch dwelling from which the milk can had
been stolen early every morning for more than
a week. he hid in the limb of a large tree in
front of the house, and when the thief ap-
peared lowered himself quickly and took the
rascal into custody
"A story comes from White House, N.
j., to the effect that one Well, living there,
while feeding sick cow last November. lost q
valuable gold ring. He thought the animal
tered and the ring found, none the worse for
having been in the quadruped's possession for
over eight months.
Adrian, Mich, can Just now exhibit
curiosity to the world in the shape of a sun
hower-bearing tree. The freak is located in a
large oak. The sunhower is growing from the
top OF the tree, and has q stalk about five feet
high. 1t is in full bloom. How the seed got
there is question, as it is toe large tree for
any boy to climb
"A remarkable instance Of telephone
communication occurred in Charleston, 8. c.,
last week. A young man employed in the
Western Union telegraph Office in that city
brother, who was in Omaha, 1,5O0 miles away.
The brothers talked an hour with hardly any
pause between questions.
The Babylonian Expedition of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania, which was sent out
year ago. has already made successful explora-
tions. and has secured about 200 tablets bear
ing inscriptions more or less important The
party OF explorers will continue another year
at their work and will bring back all their
trophies to the University of Pennsylvania
One of the most surprising features of
the modern business world is the large use of
cotton seed. formerly considered worthless.
Over 100000 tons of these seeds are now
pressed for their oil. from 36 to 40 pounds being
obtained from each ton. The consumption of
cotton seed oil is increasing both in this coun-
try and in Europe and new uses for the oil are
constantly being discovered
"A Philadelphia drummer got into q
Lehigh Valley car at Shenandoah, Pa took out
his teeth and put them on the seat behind him
to take nap. After the nap he went of, for
getting them. Agent Ferguson found them and
as a joke asked q Hungarian seated near if they
were his: The Hungarian turned as pale as
death, vigorously shook his head and dashed
out OF the depot in thorough fright.
in 1886 farmer Stanley's house and farm
were ruined by the Cherry Mountain landslide,
in New Hampshire He thought that he was q
ruined man, but the exhibition of the devasta-
ton to sightseers, whom he charged for the
sight. brought him enough money with which
to buy small farm in Jefferson. He has Just
sold this farm to a hotel company at a big
profit and invested the proceeds in a large farm
not far from his old home.
"A curious exploration is now being un-
dertaken in vast region of Scandinavia,
which has practically run wild for nearly
hundred years. when whole villages as well as
homesteads and farms were deserted on ae-
count of an epidemic. The tract has been
bought by a London syndicate, who have COM
missioned Sir 81. Pottinger, one of the pioneers
OF Norwegian travel, and Mr, J. SARGENT, the
this almost forgotten territory.
Utopia is a small country station on
the Ohio and Northwestern railroad, In Cler-
mont county, yet it contains among its quiet
Inhabitants, citizen who has bit of interest
ing history and a historical relic. The man al
luded to is John Cheyne, and the relic is the
key bugle that assembled the YeomanryIof:the
Juns 20 iss Mr. Cneyne vi %as sesa ss s6at vd5o s@s
young, man, and a member OF the barracks
band, which furnished music for that splendic.
Iers who sounded the reveille for the mastering
Of the guard that attended the Queen the
way from Windsor Castle to the House of Pal
lament, where, with great pomp and cere-
monies, she was crowned Queen.
A Port Jervis investigator has learned
that Erie men have a nomenclature for all
kinds Of cars and engines and that these names
extend all over the entire road and branches.
"Black Marias" are Pennsylvania coal cars,
which are painted jet black. The Wootten
engines with the double cabs are called
Camel Backs or Hog Scalders." The various
Johns. Exclusive, Standard, Black Marias and
Jimmies- The Long Johns" are the gondola-
shaped cars with sides, BLACK Marias'' are
and are used exclusively for the Delaware and
Hudson coal, standards" are 25-ton cars and
are the present Erie standard coal cars, and
"Jimnles'' are the four-wheeled dumps. of
which there are but few in use.
AN extraordinary case of smuggling is
reported from Sourabaya, in Java A Chinese
having died on board a junk which
was anchored in the roadstead, the health
officer of the port went of, and, after viewing
the body gave the necessary permit for burial
The master of the junk then came on shore and
ordered large coffin of the usual Chinese
kind. During the early hours of the morning,
the crew with the coffin landed and the funeral
procession passed along the streets. After the
funeral the party went back to the junk which
Immediately put out to sea. In the middle of
the day some natives found an empty coffin in
the middle Of the road close by the Chinese
cemetery, which not only smelt strongly Of
opium, but also had small particles of the drug
adhering to its sides. The Custom House au-
thorities found the maker of the coffin, who
identified it as the one supplied to the master
Of the junk, and the dead body of the China
man was washed ashore soon afterward, so that
it was clear that he had been thrown overheard.
and the burial permit used to smuggle on shore