Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-06
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.


AN electric motor has been applied in
Chicago for running brushes used In grooming
horses.
Two girls in Dover, Del. gave . butch
er wheelbarrow ride through the principal
streets the other day. They had made bet
and lost.
AT Jacksonville, Fla, the other day,
Gilbert Montague and Joseph Gregg. two
Chicago men, landed 20O-pound shark on the
pier after tussle OF half an hour on their END
of the line.
The population of Norway exhibits a
higher percentage tsz.25) of light eyes than any
other country In Europe. Flaxen hair occurs
In 57.5 per cent, while absolutely black hair ID
only found in the ratio of per cent.
Pieces Of rock crystal heated in plati-
mum tube and dropped into water ny all to
pieces. but IL drop of melted crystal 10 al
lowed 20 fall into water then. though there II
great commotion,it does not break, but remains
clear.
From recent study of the bones Of an
thropoid apes it appears that the gorilla and
chimpanxee approach nearest to man, but in
different degrees, the orang-outang holding the
third place. But great differences exist be-
tween the proportions Of the human frame and
those OF all the apes.
AN Arizona paper says that at Proctor's
well. Santa Rosa, the shells of l7-year locusts
were brought up from depth Of 7sS feet, 70
which depth the piping extends. II says:
There was quite a. quantity OF them; the
entire shell was perfect, also the limbs and
hairy covering of the back"
"A swarm of butterflies, so thick as to
almost obscure the rays of the sun, passed
through Mott, CAL, recently. There were
myriads of them, and many Of them would
alight on moist spots in the streets. and as they
Strengthened up their wings they looked like
miniature pyramids. They were all uniform
~ to size, color and shape.
Jeremiah Wilcox, of Lebanon, Conn.,, is
90 years old, his wife 73 and both are well. Mrs
Wilcox Is spryer than her husband. One day
last week she slipped the bail of a six-quart tin
pail over her arm, climbed the family cherry
tree to the top of it, and picked the measure
full OF cherries. She didn't need ladder. Mrs.
Wilcox descended, went into the house, and
made cherry pie in quick time.
Edwards Danks, well-known farmer
of Muhlenburg county, KY, recently killed the
largest rattlesnake seen Southern Kentucky
for a long time. He was crossing field and
heard slight Kissing sound in a. bush. He saw
. rattlesnake coiled up, and picking up stout
stick killed the serpent with single blow. The
snake was SIX feet long, and had seven rattles
and three buttons, and was II inches in circum-
ference.
While the wolves at the London Zoologi-
cal Gardens were being fed one afternoon re-
Gently one of them leaped over the headof the
keeper and escaped into the gardens There
were several children near at hand, and but for
the bravery Of the keeper they could scarcely
have escaped injury. This man instantly seized
the animal, and. although his hands were terri
bly, bitten-one hand, indeed, being pierced
through with the VOLTS fangs-he succeededin
mastering the beast ard returning 1t 70 its cage.
"A beautiful live white owl is on exhibi-
ton at music store in Louisville. It was sent
f-A II - all ar.A h.
longs to q very rare specles. 1t was captured by
a young hunter in the woods near Quebec. 1t
was found in a hollow tree, and was secured
with a net. The habitation of the bird Is in the
he sent the owl, and only extremely cold wealth
er drives il as far south as Quebec. So far as
known only seven of the birds have been cap
tured or killed in Canada during the last three
years. The one on exhibition Is perfect speci-
men. It Is snow white, and about the size an7
shape of the common large owl.
John Coon, of Andover, Conn.,, had Q
dog that hunted woodchucks unaided. 1t lay
In the grass, or IN q copse, tirelessly waiting
until woodchuck strayed a dozen rods or SO
from its burrow. then leaped out of its lair and
tried to get to the hole first II it succeeded in
doing so. the feat was bad for the woodchuc'
Mr.. Coon's dog often headed of 80 or 40 grou.
hogs in a season in the way noted. and its fam.
became so great that every woodchnck hui
wanted the dog One man offered Mr.. CO.
Success, 1t seems, turned the dogs head. and
one day last week it tackled the -Washington
express train as it was whizzing through An
dover, but the locomotive got to its hole nrst
just the same.
Oracle, daughter of Baggage Master
Riddle, Of the New York and Long Branch
Raffrusu, I'm Rcd Boulr ss. J., ifas~ ~ nappy
family which would be a small fortune to q
wellregulated dime museum. There are three
members of the family-a dog a cat aud a
bantam rooster. The name OF the dog is Caleb,
that of the cat is Kate. and that of the rooster
is Topknot. When the trio are on dress parade
they are sight Caleb In a sort Of Joseph's
coat, Kate IN train dress OF blue and gold
solferino and Topknot IN his full dress of black
and bronze, highly polished, with a miniature
sword strapped to his right shoulder, make up
a fine array. Topknot is the commander. and
always leads the procession. Miss Oracle, how
ever gives the word Of command between
musical strains upon harmonicon. The
orders are given with great nrmness and they
sorts of military movements with comicaI pre-
cision.
Along the shore ofthe Oneida Lake there
is an Indians grave, where at times q weird and
supernatural light makes its appearance. 1t is
described as q ball Of fire about the size of .
large orange, and sways to and fro in the air
about 20 feet from the ground, connning It's ir-
feet square. People have attempted to go near
enough to solve the mystery, but it would sud-
denly disappear before reaching it. A very pc
culiar story is told by the neighbors near the
spot They claim that many years ago the To-
cality was part Of an Indian reservation. A
man by the name OF Belknap frequently
dreamed that there was a crock In the Indian
cemetery containing immense treasures, and
that if he went there at the hour when grave
yards yawn he could secure it These dreams
were repeated so often that they had . strong
effect and he went there with pick and shovel
according to Instructions, but he failed to
turn round three times when he found the
crock. as the dream directed. He went to pick
it up, but was stunned by q fash OF lightning.
and the crock disappeared. Since that time
the spot has been haunted by this mysterious