Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-02
CURIOUS CONDENSATIONS

II
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company
has s., 800 persons in its employ.
-one-third Of all the zinc made in Eu.
rope is manufactured In Belgium.
Two French and one American elevator
viii be used in the Eiffel Tower at the Paris
Exposition.
The city Of Rome consumes an average
of 300 tons Of coal q day in crossing the ocean
at top speed.
-Fifty-two chicks from so eggs is a rec
ord that a Lenawee county, Michigan, man
proudly presents IN behalf Of one Of his hatch-
ing hens.
Three times as much coal as over befors
was imported into St Petersburg last veal, and
q Russian Government commission Is investi-
eating the Russian mines to ind out what ails
them
"A New Englander, after returning
home from attending horse suffering with va
riola, kissed his children, and in = short time
disease.
There are more paper mills running
more machines in the United States than in
any other country in the world Germany has
nearly as many, but no other country has half
as many.
1T is estimated that Sc per cent Of the
anthracite coal is wasted before it get5 to mar
ket Fifty-ave per cent has to be left in the
mines for pillars, and II per cent is lost after IL
gets above ground.
I'm Great Bay, N. H., one afternoon re-
Gently, A. W. Horne, of Greenland, killed at
one shot 8 of a flock Of 16 ducks and wounded
T. Inc three remaining few of, but second
shot brought down two Of them.
The bill requiring street railway esm-
panies in towns Of 250OO inhabitants or over to
furnish 25 rides for 81 has been passed to
frtrf in thn .lsz S-T, Ta
applies almost exclusively to Chicago
George Clements, of Rome, Ca, is the
talk of the State papers. He is 9year-old
newsboy has a bank account, and has Just
proftably invested round sum in real estate
He is very small for his age. His money is all
made selling newspapers.
One volume of liquid benzine will
render Is, 600 volumes Of air inhammable and
5000 volumes Of air highly explosive. but
nothing but contact with fame or a white-hot
body will touch of the most explosive mixture
Oh petroleum vapor and air.
England gets most Of its ice now from
Norway, scandinavian competition having
almost entirely destroyed the business of ship
ping ice from Boston to England. which was
once very profitable. Ice is sold nsLondon for
from 50 to 81 cents per hundred weight
Miss Jane Crawley suicided BY jump
ing In a web, at her home near Social Circle
Ca, the other morning. She was 50 years Of
age. No cause for the act is stated. Her father
suicided at the same place,a year ago. by shoot
ing himself. man was killed while digging
the well.
On Second street, Portland, Ore, is
hitching post with ring at the top. The post
is neatly but not gaudily painted sickly yell
low. and on two-sides is painted in plain black
letters, "hitch no horses" Just what the post
is for is a conundrum, but probably it is to
hitch mules to.
"A team OF four cows appeared in Belle
Vue, Idaho, not long ago, having been driven
from Nebraska, distance of loo miles They
had acted as motive power for prairie
schooner, and had also furnished milk and
butter for the family en- route. They were in
good condition. with the exception of their
feet, which needed shoes badly.
Lewis Bentley, of Maple Rapids, Mich,
reports hen of his that is trying to mother
litter Of pigs. The hen began sitting in the
pig pen, and when the pigs were born they de-
stroyed her nest, and she then began lowering
the pigs and has continued that comical scene.
She will scratch and pick for the pigs'as though
they were chicks, and evidently feels as proud
Of them as their mother does.
Denmark has a new and unique society.
It is called the "Celibacy Assurance Society,""
its object being to provide for women who can't
or won't marry, Premiums begin at the age Of
13 and end at 40 At the latter age an unmar-
r1ed woman receives an annuity for life. If shes
marries at any time after taking out policlF +,
she forfeits all claims on the society. The pro
its of the society are expected to be enough
provide well for members who never marry.
"A pontoon bridge for ordinary traffic
been laid across the Missouri river as Nebrasl
City. 1t is l,074 feet long, 241< feet wiz ..l,
consists OF flooring laid on anchored boats
The scheme was declared to be impracticable
on account of the swiftness Of the current and
the amount Of driftwood but it Is found that
the driftwood passes under the boats without
injuring them. The bridge is built V-shaped
at the channel, and draws allows shipping to
pass through.
The largest moecasin snake on record
has been found near Lake Okeechobee, Fla.
When found it had just completed the task Of
swallowing 10foot alligator, and was there
fore unable to make his escape. It was said
that he measured Is feet in length and feet in
He was captured with great
difficulty, and only gave up the ghost" after
receiving q shots from Winchester rifle. IL
should be added that the above story is froma
Georgia newspaper.
"A st. Louis policeman reports watch
ing the maneuvers of gray old rat in an alley
in that city. Emerging from hole she moved
to pan of water standing near.
Presently five young ones rush9d out and raced
TO see which would reach the water first The
Did rodent seemed very much alarmed, and,
with a bound, leaped to the edge Of the pan,
raised herself on her launches and bit and
scratched at her offspring whenever they at
tempted to drink. After she had succeeded in
chasing the young ones back into their hole
The wet her whiskers In the water, looked
rather suspiciously about, and slipped the water
Tery cautiously, as II to learn whether or not
c contained poisonous matter. Then, after
satisfied glance round. she gave a squeak, and
The five young rats came running out and all