Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-23
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS,

The crying need of this country isa
back gate that nobody can hang joke on.
"A steel mat for the office of the Hotel
Richelieu. Chicago, is Al feet long and feet
wide, the largest ever made in the world in ons
piece.
A colored boy in Jacksonville, Ind.
swallowed lead pencil. The pencil and the
boy were saved but it took TO ur doctors several
hours to do it.
"A Portland, Me-, business man lost
$50 gold coin on his way to @ork few days
ago, and, returning at night, found the same
piece on the pavement, where it had remained
unnoticed ali day.
"A soldier belonging to a detachment of
the Austrian army in Transylvanis was recently
killed by bullet from a Manlieher rife dis
charged during target practice at distance OF
more than 215 miles.
"A shaving match took place in the first
week of this month between two prominent
English BARRIERS for E25 side The winner
shaved his IL men In minutes 40 seconds, and
then shaved two blindfolded in 2 minutes 10
seconds
John Franklin, of Athens, Ca, was
very much surprised when he went to his home
the other night to find that during the day q
swarm Of bees had taken possession of his
house. They entered through knot-hole In
buc HodGuoE DOaIQlnR.
The Poughkeepsie IN. W Horse Rail-
road Company has just disposed of horse that
has travelled 1900 miles on the road in that
city, having been in the service oi the company
10 years. During all that time it has been
sick but four days. The animal was still in
good condition.
MIR. Armory Brown, Of Taylor county,
Ga, has hen egg that seems to be magnetized.
Tk kruil1 or lfa fha oT6 fIn1
but when it Is put down it immediately turns
mp on the small end. 1t makes no. difference
in what position it is placed it will turn until IL
stands on the small end.
"A veritable thunderbolt is said to have
been seen by farmers wife in Cumberland,
says an English paper. AS she was going to
the cowsheds "she saw black mass descend
ing. and IL burst with loud report so yards
from where she was Standing" Fortunately
the farmers wife was not hurt, only terribly
scared.
"A recent device for the preservation of
paper.covered books is a case of seal or other
soft leather, made to fit tightly over the book,
and removable when the book has been read.
1t is flexible. and does not interfere with the
book being slipped into the pocket or carried
doubled up in the hand or in a satchel, but it
saves the paper covers from being soiled or
torn and Keeps the leaves from getting dogs
cared.
The prize recently offered by Little
Rock, Ark, paper 'for the largest family IN
the State has just been awarded to w. D.
Green and wife, of Murfreesborough, Pike
county. They were married in 1885, and have
had % children, Is of whom are living. More
than 80 families applied for the prize. Green,
who is blacksmith, has lived in the one town
for 40 years, and his statement is attested under
the seal of the county clerk.
The fishermen who find sport and meas
in the Withlacoochie, in Florida, are regrettiny
the fact that the sucker fish in that stream are
dying in great numbers. They appear to be af-
fected by some disease which gives them the
appearance of having smallpox or a similar
disease, as they are covered by hundreds Of
bumps and pimples. No one seems to know
the cause of this strange disease among them,
and some people are found who believe that it
is the result of the explosion of dynamite in
the water This is hardly the cause, for the eff
feet of that substances is instantaneous; others
advance the belief that It is natural for fish Of
that species to die after spawning.
An odd case was tried at the Justices
court at Jasper. Ca, the other day, between
Uncle Stephen Kirby and the Marietta and
North Georgia Railway Company for damages
to hog by reason of the loss of one of the hogs
feet in q collision with the train. After
strong legal fight for three hours, the defend
sessing damages was the loss in weight of the
hog by reason Of being run over, which was one
foot weighing half a pound, at 10 cents per
pound, cents; the plaintiffs counsel insisting
that the rule for assessing damages was the
value of the hog when hurt with the cost Of
nursing and medical treatment in curing the
hog, together with such damages as the en-
the mental pain and anguish ofsSfe hog 4Ss
jury gave the plaintiff So --.-~.-l y
Some extraordinary scenes at Holyh
head over the burial of woman named Hughes
were terminated by the nephew stealing a
march on the stepson and burying the old lady
a day earlier than was fixed. A dispute arising
over the will, both parties claimed possession,
and each sought to effect the burial. The
townspeople took Sides and the street outside
was crowded with a shouting mob. Two collins
were ordered, and two graves were dug. The
nephew took possession Of the premises. and
held it against all corners. The first coffin ar
rived three hours in advance of the other, and
into this the remains were put The second
coffin was received by the crowd with ironieal
cheers. The funeral by order of the nephew
was kept profound secret, but Immediately 1t
had gone away the stepson's friends burst in
the front door, and when the funeral party re-
turned there was row. Both nephew and step
son are now in possession, and refuse TO bulge.
There have long existed IN Germany
and elsewhere societies for collecting cigar
ends-the tips cut of to permit of suction on
lighting, and the parts left when the smoker
dare not proceed further out of mercy to his
mustache. 1t is customary to have boxes for
preserving these remnants on the tables Of
hotel smoke-rooms, as well as IN private houses
They are collected at given times and sold to
the manufacturers, who make snuff of them. or
cut them up after kindly sleeping for smok-
ing mixtures. Their price goes to orphan in
or other charities Now the news
comes that an organization of the kind, and
that on grand scale, has just been started in
Sweden. The Queen IS President, and young
ladies and gentlemen throughout the country
are members. Fathers and brothers and sweet
hearts are to be prayed not to throw away
cigar-ends. These are to be gathered from the
streets. The money to be got for the product
will nourish and educate 500 children. Here is
a chance for some nhilanthronic person 10