The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-03-17
OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
English fakirs paint sparrows yellow and
sell them for canaries.

English fakirs paint sparrows yellow and
sell them for canaries.
A Florida vegetable-grower has contract
ed to deliver three tons of watermelon seeds
to northern seed-houses next autumn.
Mineral paint of various hues has been
discovered on the borders of Bayou ChieOt,
in Florida. 1t has the appearance of clay.
A sea-gull mistook the shining bald
head of Alfred Hollister, at Seabright.
NJ. for stone, the other day, and dropped
mussel on on it, cutting his scalp severely.
man has died at Cherry Tree, Pa. who
was ninety-three years old. His death will
be mourned by - sons. 100 grandchildren.
SO great grandchildren aud 8 great-great-
grandchildren.
"A whale ninety feet long. the first seen
there in twenty years, lately went ashore
in the Copenhagen Sound, and was killed.
Its skeleton is to be forwarded to the CO.
penhagen Museum.
The sale of eyestones is brisker in March
than in any other month. The "stOnes" are
the mouthpiece of a certain species of shell
which is gathered in great quantities on
the Venezuela coast.
An oyster recently dredged up in English
waters measured seven inches In length.
the same in breadth, and twenty and half
inches around the outside edge, and weighed
three and half pounds.
A fragment of meteor which recently
fell in Chicago was analysed, and found to
contain 70 per cent. of iron, 81 of nickel,
Ofmanganese and small quantities of alumni
mum, cobalt, tin, copper, arsenic, etc.
Capt. Samuel Staplins of Stonington,
Conn.,, found pearl In round clam for
which he has received an offer of SOS. All
bivalves now taken in that neighbOrhoOd
have to pass close scrutiny for precious
gems.
Sandhill cranes are made pets at Orlando,
Fla, and roam at will about the houses.
One man has had four for some time and
the other day they were joined by q wild
one, which has made itself perfectly at
home.
A little boy living near Ontario. San Ber-
nardinO county, California, was badly
burned and knocked senseless by a stroke
of lightning, the other day, while not q
cloud was in the sky or the air disturbed by
wind.
Glass furniture is manufactured especial
ly for India, where the rajahs like glitter
ing and snowy rooms. Glass bedsteads and
chairs, huge glass sideboards and other ar
tlcleS of domestic use are made to suit
Oriental taste.
Arthur Cronk. Gloucester fisherman. re-
Gently found in the stomach of a Goldfish
which he caught on the Grand Banks a
Victoria Jubilee medal. The small maltese
crosse with photograph of Queen Victoria
in the center, and even the ribbon attached
were but slightly harmed.
In store in Perry, Ga, there are some
young Irish potatoes about the size of a
common acorn that have grown this season
in the barrel in which the seed potatoes
were shipped. There is no semblance of
bush, but the young potatoes have simply
grown out from the old potatoes.
Mrs. Il. w. Corbett went to the rescue of
young hooking bird in a cage upon her
back piazza, at ST. Augustine, Fla, the
other day. A small hawk had him by the
wing endeavOring to pull him through the
wires. while the young bird br aced him.
self in opposition and Justify squeaked.
In Ware, n. H., six-pOund cat saw an
owl in a tree and decided to eat it. So it
scrambled up the tree, and, after short,
sharp fight. fell to the ground dead. The
OWLS big claws had been too much for it.
The bird was captured, and found to meas
ure SIX feet from tip to tip of its extended
wings.
There is man living at Petoskey, Mich,
under peculiar circumstances. His best
friend had enlisted. but as his wife was
very sick the Petoskey man took his place
in the ranks. served faithfully under the
name of his afflicted friend and was honor
ably dischar ged.
Two gentlemen of Greensboro, Ca, have
been batting fish-hole in creek near
there. At recent visit to the hole the
bobbing noses were so think that one of
the gentlemen could not contain himself,
and struck a terrific blow at the water with
his walking stick. He killed and took
home four large fish.
According to report from Sunderland,
Mass, there is n certain farmer down there
in very hard luck. A flock of partridges
has taken possession Of his orchard and its