Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-02
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

Uncle Jerome Smith, Of LOvington,
Mo. is 81 years old. He has been married
three times and is now looking for fourth
wife
The will of the Indiana man who left
$4,000 to found home for old maids has been
declared invalid by the Court, the testator hav-
ing been OF unsOund mind
Frank Erb. of CUNNINGHAM. Mo-, 80
years old, recently won prize at a shooting
mateh. some Of the best marksmsn in the State
being among the contestants,
Jane Detheridge. of Kingston, j Jamaica,
mas refused 81 offers of marriage. Jane has
u ,OOQOOO and is an orphan. She does NOT think
she can AFFORD husband who cares ONLY for her
money. '-' ~ 10
Mrs. Elizabeth Webb, who died at Kali
amazOo last week, az, 81, Is believed to have
oeen the Oldest member OF the Methodist
Church In point Of years Of membership in the
country. She had been COMMUNICATE for 81
years. - -
William Arendt and Mrs. susan IseIev
were married the other day in the Diskinson
county. Kan, poor house. The groon, is 71and
the bride " years old. 1t is Comforting to hear
a wedding occasionally to which M suSp1cion
OF mercenary motives attaches.
"A Pittsford, Mich, man has inst ab-
stained from swallowing food for 81 eonseeu-
tive days. and still lives. 1t wasn't because he
naG no9ning 70 eat either, but because he had
ATE Dig turkey dinner Thanksgiving Day.
About two months ago Mrs Ed Wez-
sells. OF Frost. Clare county. Mich. moved tn
Tennessee. She took her dog with her bnt lost
tt in Cincinnati. A few days ago the doo n,aoe
us appearance at the old home in Frost a pood
bit the worse for wear, but happy to ret bome,
How did the dog find its way back?
DIR. A. Worden, of Petoskey, Mich. has
invented novel ras trap. Itruns with a spring.
and as fast as the rodents are captured theyare
thrown into barrel OF other receptaele On a
trial trip the other night the doctors SLAYER
caught 10 rats, and PetOskey folks will now
form stock company and manufacture the
traps.
AT Charlottesville, Ind, the other day.
the members of the City School Board pre-
sented Miss Nellie Contant with a handsome
set of Tennyson's works Miss Constant at
tended the Charlottesville schools for eleven
years without being absent or tardy a single
Time, and the presentation was made on that
occount.
The old gunboat Condor, which under
the command of Lord Charles Beresford. did
such efficient service at the bombardment of
Alexandria, has been condemned and sold. The
Condor will be broken up for the old iron that
IS IN her. Lord Beresford takes command Of
the cruiser Undaunted and win do duty in the
Mediterranean.
"A young lady of Augusta, Me-, has re-
ceived bill amounting to over 500 that tells a
little history. The bill came from Peter Clark.
OF New York, and in it she is charged with p
yarus OF silk dress goods, two gold bracelets
worth worth s4U, one diamond ring, hat and several
other Items. Clark was a rejected suitOr of
the lady, who claims that the above named
arueles were presents from him.
"A "coal palace" 15Ox3OO feet and
three stories high, is to be erected in East St
Louis. This palace will be a decidedly novel
structure. The coal companies will furnish the
material for the uperstructure-black coal Of
every kind, and wrought out by saw by
mason 8 hammer and inio artistic forms BY the
carvers chisei. The first floor will be polished
coal, and pillars of coal Will support the floor
coal, coal everywhere. The purpose of the
building Will be to continually exhibit the agri-
cultural and mineral products of Southern
Illinois.
There is a pretty little wild flower COM
mon to Oregon and Washington, that blooms
much earlier than any other 1t is the Feb
ruary Flower" (Synthyeis Houghtoniana.l
This interesting plant never fails to put forth
its pretty blue racemes early in February
and In sunny hooks 1t often anticipates that
time, and opens in January. 1t is found abund-
antly IN that region, but, like the lovely ar
OutuS OF the East, seems somewhat capricious
IN its choice OF home large spaces being lit
orally carpeted with il, while others near and
seeming equally favorable, present not a
single specimen.
Mr.. Jack Geiger, who is teaching school
vt Clay Hill near Highland. Fla, was attracted
'y the cries of some of his pupils the other day.
md proceeded to ascertain the cause of their
larm. 1t proved to be a monster rattIesnalxe
ack got pole and struck at the snake but the
ole broke. the impetus OF the blow throwing
ack, who has but one leg down TO the ground
n m nd hara Iu ur1fza n
ar, and before the snake could strike again
ack had rolled out of danger. The snake was
1lled, and measured feet II u inches in length.
md had IL Tattles and button.
"A party encamped near Jeannetta, Tex,
Witnessed phantom lynching the other night.
'wo men dreamed of seeing men strung up by
mob and awaking related their experience
As they discussed it, some one observing that
he ground was very damp, put out his hand
nd rubbed it lightly over the short, coarse
rairie grass, remarking as he did so that ir
las the heaviest fall of dew he had ever seen.
Iut as he raised his hand, to the horror of the
arty, the light OF the fire showed it to be drip
ing with what looked most sickeningly like
loOd. On Investigation this bloody dew was
Ound thick and Viseid all under the tree be-
cath which they sar. They broke camp and
eparted in haste. On looking back they saw
nree ghostly eorpseS dangling from the tree
nder which they had been camping Return
ig the next day they discovered no trace of
be specters. but on talking with an old hunter
armed that three men had been hanged on the
zee Tor cattle stealing away back in the SOS.
-Plainfeld, Ind, has a genuine sensa-,
on in the belief among the superstitious that
house owned by Mrs. Susan Morrison, and oe-
lpied by William HOrnaday and family, is
aunted by an apparition which bears resem-
anee to a man without head. This belief
IS been current among a few for some time,
ut it wasrkept quiet SO as not to injure the sale
the property. Mr.. Hornaday and family re-
1rt that lamps are lighted and extinguished.
'ticles of furniture are moved about and dis
ranged and members Of the family are an
Dyed at night by having the bed clothing
hisked of them while asleep, etc. Ellis Jes-
p formerly owned the house, and while he
i'll not sayit is haunted, be reports that if any,
le will live there as he did, they will observe
me very strange things. Families heretofore
nants Of the property corroborate much that
said of the supernatural VIsitations ana give
is as the reason why they vacated so
Omptly
THE LAUGHING PHILOSOPHERS.
did Won come out in