Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-11
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS


have been taken from 74foot well at New
Iberia, La.
Jules Millet, nephew of the celebrated
French painter, lives in New York and makes
brierwood pipes for living.
"A Salem county, N. j., woman, past 80
years Of age, saw the railroad and took her nrst
ride In passenger train day OF two ago.
Farmer Harms, Of Kent, Kings county,
Ore. cut down cottonwood tree last week,
from which ne took 700 pounds Of fine honey.
The largest salmon ever taken from the
Tweed were caught recently. The weight Of
four Of them were as follows: 43, "A, 48 and 56
pounds.
-Phonographs are to be put in the post
ofhces of Mexico, to be used by persons unable
to WRITE in order to send messages to friends
through the mails.
"A wealthy Colorado woman saws that
the begging letters which have reached her
during the last six weeks called. in the aggre-
gate, for sum Of money as large as her entire
fortune.
"A citizen of Hawkinsville, Ga, who
was suffering from asthma, was ADVISED TO try q
remedy sometimes used by the NEGROES. He
got hornets nest. boiled it, made tea. drank
the liquid and was completely cured.
AN Augusta, Me-, whist crank has oc-
cupied his time during the past two wears in
the construction of an elegant whist table on
which he hopes to win good many rubbers.
It consists Of 800 pieces of wood no two Of the
same size and OF nearly every variety that
grows.
The feat Of playing 20 games of checkers
simultaneously and winning all but one which
was draw. was accomplished BY Clarence A.
Freeman, in Providence, r. L, few days ago.
His contestants were experts from ali over
Rhode Island. The play lasted jus5 hour and
40 minutes.
Mrs. Bootman, of Hoosick Falls, N.
z, will be "a years old on Sunday, the 18th inst
She is in good health, and woman of much
physical and mental activity. She confesses to
being an old, If not great sinner, and having
been recently converted, will, on her 9th BIRTH
day, be admitted to membership in the Metho-
dist Church on confession Of faith.
George Hardy, a poor hostler, who
picked up a lot on the edge Of Bar Harbor
few years ago for s150 and sold it for $500, built
livery stable on a half acre Of ground bor-
dering on the site of the Malvern Hotel As
his stable became more Objectionable to the
Malyern,s guests the price Of Hardy's prop
erty climbed up. He absolutely refused offers
OF from S. 600 up to as high as $4,000 and finally
thought he was doing the Malvern's owner
great favor when he sold out for $4,000
%. II. Clark, a dealer in pictures,
opened . store in Lancaster few weeks ago.
He tried to get license to sell his goods By
auction, but local law prevented him. He
was determined to have an auction, and he got
around the law by having his clerk issue an ex-
ecution against him for 81. 1.000 and now the
Sheriff will sell his goods at Eauction. Theloeal
picture dealers are greatly exercised about the
matter, but can do nothing to prevent the
Sheriff from selling the goods in that way.
way than if he had an auction Of his own, be-
cause SherifFs sale will draw big crowd.
Frank Gibbons, who died recently at
Hibernia, N. Y, was the greatest guesser Of
the age. His faculty was hrst developed in a
homely way and did not attract great deal Of
attention. It became q recognized character
istic when the boy would stand at the end of a
row of potatoes and guess with singularly close
approaches to accuracy how many Of the vege-
tables would be tound in each hill. He could
guess the number Of eggs in q basket, the guam
tity Of milk in q pail, The number Of sticks Of
would be husKed from a patch. and in "a a hun hun
dred instances he guessed within one or two
how many grains of corn there were on an
ear.
The boys of MiddIetown, N. Y, have
organized kite flying club. They haven't yet
got so deep into the business as they intend to
60, but the other day the club put up kite
1611< feet high and 12feet wide. that was covered
with 81 yards Of canvas and weighed 50 pounds.
Its tail was about as long and luxuriant and
sweeping as that of the frightful comet of a
few years ago; and as the gigantic fabric
now and then slicing with sudden jerk the
whole western perspective Of the universe. as
seen from Terryville, while its tail did dost
gregational Church steeple. good many unre-
pentant Terryville sinners, looking above in
unprepared 7astonishment, entertained the
horrible suspicion for an instant that the
1wa fnfo
village. and would blow his horn in about q
minute.
There was quite an amusing incident
near Oakland, KY, few days ago. The Dunn
ana Edwards families are considerably at outs,
bad feeling having existed for sometime be-
tween them. Mrs. Thomas Dunn had dog
that was accused Of killing sheep belonging to
the Edwards family The Edwards concluded
to kill the dog, and so publicly expressed them
selves. Ollie Edwards rode up to Dunn's door
with gun in hand ready to carry out the threat.
Dunn's wife, taking time by the forelock, hid
the dog and Edwards went of without carry
ing out his design. Mrs. Dunn then set down
and wrote letter to Governor Buekner, set
ting forth all the facts in the case, and re-
quested HIM to pardon her dog. Governor Buck
ner replied in q very sympathetic letter, stat
ing his regret at the animosity Of the two fam
lies, but declined to issue pardon for the dog
for lack Of Jurisdiction in the case and hoped
clear.
The extensive cultivation Of the canaigre
plant, which is found growing without cultiVa-
lion or irrigation in many portions Of New
Mexico, is contemplated. The tubers produced
by this plant yield large percentage OF tannin,
superior to that extracted from hemlock bark,
and not inferior to the oak bark product. This
plant like the mesquite, thrives in the dryest
seasons and in soil where. apparently there is
rery little moisture. After maturity the tubers
Try in the ground, and often remain for years
Without decaying. The properties Of this plant
ike the soap weed, the root Of which is used
)y the natives instead Of soap, have been
Known to the natives Of New Mexico for years
The properties Of the soap weed are only Just
to be known to Americans. While
he Mexfcans have used the bruised roots Of
his plant for toilet and laundry purposes for
Tears without attempting to get it in a more
convenient form, enterprising Americans have
in extracting the useful part, and
raFiety Of toilet preparations having the Mexi-
an amole or soap weed as q basis are on the
narkAk