Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-11
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.


California will have the largest grape
crop this year ever grown. and SPAN repof''
the same prospects,
Chinese com missioners are examining
American systems of electric fire and pohcs
alarms with a view of introducing them IN
Chinese cities.
1t is said that Cullmsn county, Ala.
is the only level. arabic and fertile tract OF
land in the Southern States in which there are
virtually no negroes. In census population
OF more than $4,000 including an area OF over
loo square miles, there are only IA negroes
"A big fire cracker was dropped into the
water at Devils Lake, Mich, by the side Of a
sailboat loaded with people, and when the
cracker went of it blew such hole into the boat
that it sank. The occupants of the boat were
all saved, ringing wet and hopping mad.
"A man named Cole fell asleep while
sitting in a cart in Altoona county, Michigan,
the other day, and when he awoke both his
jaws were broken. His head. while he slept,
rested upon the side of the cart, and the horse
walked under chute, which caught the man
on the jaws.
The whole apparatus of the new electro
pneumatic signal balloon, including the machine
for making the gas, weighs only 81 pounds and
can be conveniently carried by one man. The
with two electromagnetic acting a cylinder
OF compressed air which works set of signal
arms.
An English paper says: Another case
has occurred of a premiere danseuse's dress
catching fire. Happily the lady is said to have
been only slightly burnt" but even If that be
So the fright occasioned must have been seri-
GUS When Will our ballerine make up their
minds to abandon the dangerous stiff skirts
which have dishgured them so longf With the
ciinging skirts OF the more modern danseuse
there is much less likelihood of accident
Il
becoming estab lished throughout the civilized
world. The English-speaking countries, how
ever, are slower in adopting it than these Of
other lands, and in our own country there is as
yet comparatively little use of the system ex-
cepting in scientific circles. That il is extend-
a recent meeting of the French Academy Of
Science. Countries representing 3O2 700 OF
people have adopted it-a gain of 63,OC0,O0O In
ten years.
Green Dodd, of Atlanta, Ca. believes
in luck. Hei having foundation constructed
in the part of his building which is to be used
as bank. A few days ago he placed a silver
quarter under a stone for luck. Next day he
overheard one of the negro workmen say to the
other: Il tell you dat was a good find, picking
up dat quarter from under dat rock. How
does yer reckon 1t got dereT MI. Dodd said
nothing about the quarter to the workmen, but
handed one of them a nickel-it was as much
as he cared to go on a second turn-and said:
''Put this nickel under stone for luck" And
he stayed there and saw it sealed away under
the masonry.
The conductors on the Third and Sixth
avenue surface lines in New York, tell of the
curious clientage they have every evening
from o'clock until midnight sometimes. On
the open cars during these hours, and espe-
cially on the Third avenue line, whole families
ride up and down the avenue for an airing.
They take the babies with them. After q while
the babies go to sleep stretched out on the
mothers lap. 1t costs 20 cents for husband and
wife for good long ride. The time consumed is
two hours and 40 minutes. 1T is much better
than being shut up in an Eastside tenement
these hot nights" said the conductor the other
night
An Italian peddler, called Americas
Vespucius, and his basket of counterfeit dogs
is one of the street figures of Atlanta, Ga The
dogs are SO fearfully and wonderfully made
that they almost growl at each other. Cats,ar
frightened into epileptic fits by these dogs Of
clay An impounding officer was only kept
from putting them into the dog wagon because
the shrewd Italian had painted collar and tag
on each one of their necks. Saturday Ameri-
Gus Vespucius finds a larger sale than on other
days, and last Saturday he hlled his basket
with big dogs, little dogs and dogs three sizes,
and started up street, smiling and happy An
ugly-looking bulldog that was not well sighted
the fictitious dog that Americus carried in his
hand. and there was trouble. The bull. with a
growl and a snarl, made at the vender, and the
latter tried to defend himself The emeute
attracted the attention of all the other dogs in
the block, and by the time the trouble was
ended the dogs had all skunk off, leaving the
bull master of the situation. Americus had
fed, leaving his basket and the remains of
dozen counterfeit dogs, assorted Sizes scattered
along the pavement.
George NJ. Fleming and wife went to
the country near Smyrna, Ca, the other day in
a buggy. The top was up and they were driv-
ing leisurely along. Behind them. some dis
tance OF they thought, they heard COW bell.
1t rang as persistently as the locomotive bell
rings when the engineer wants you to clear the
track. Mr.. Fleming was conversing with his
wife as pleasantly as one could, when suddenly
he found that the rear end of the buggy
being lifted into the air, and then suddenly it
dropped back again while the top of the buggy
was torn off. Amazed and dumbfounded he
looked to see the cause of this great disturb
ance when he found that his vehicle had been
telescoped by a cow Fastened on her head, in
front of her eyes, was a large board, while
around her neck was the bell that was ringing
at fearful rate. The board had prevented
her from seeing objects ahead, and she unin-
tentionally run into the rear of the buggy; her
horns being fastened under the top of the
buggy she was determined to extricate herself
at all hazards, and she did so in a vigorous
way. Save the top of the buggy being demo-
ished, and the scare it gave Mr.. Fleming and
wife, no other damage occurred.