Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-23
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

placed q carcass near his barn and then con-
nected it by wire under the snow with bell in
work on that piece Of meat without ringing the
bell whereat the scbemer would wake up and
90 forth to the slaughter. He killed 25 foxes
by that device during the winter
i'm the past few days Oscar Swiney has
plowed up between so and 70 human skulls on
small lot near the Boulevard in the north
eastern part Of Atlanta. So far. no one has
evidence of breastworks or battlefield being
discovered. and the skulls being TOO near the
surface to have admitted the theory that the
place was private cemetery.
Arthur Schleman, of Sanford, Fla,
piloted lady and gentleman out shooting
wednesday. One Of the events OF the day was
a snake fight. which the party witnessed, be-
tween king snake and moccasin The king
snake Killed the moccasin in less tnan gnree
minutes, and was in turn killed by the lady
who had photographed the combat with
portable instrument which she had In the buggy
George P. Rogers. baggage master Of
the New London Northern Railroad. stopped
his train at Yantic, three miles above Norwich,
Conn.,, the other morning. long enough to run
down into the woods and kill a six-foot black
snake. which later he hung up in the yard Of
tice at New London, so that people might in.
spect ii. The snake had evinced ferocious
disposition before 1t died, and met Mr.. Rogers
half way in the woods.
-Gophers are so numerous in Dakota
that they are great nuisance to farmers. Frs-
quently the little animals get in a field and
spoil days labor of the husbandman by dig
ging mp the corn which he has Just planted A
South Dakota man has hit upon the expedient
Of smoking his seed corn, and he says the
gorhers won't touch it, He puts it in sack,
hangs the sack in the upper part of a barrel,
then builds a smudge in the barrel and smokes
it just as he would ham.
AT North Foster, r. l., Mr.. James
Greene's small boy Jimmie went down to the
maple grove for bucket of sap, but came fly
ing to the house in a moment, crying: "Oh, pa.
the woods is full of snakes: one big Teller
chased me clear up ter the pastur' bars. JIM
iny! he's a cracker" Mr.. James Greene, ST.,
took down his double gun, loaded with wild.
goose shot and followed Jimmie down to the
maple grove. He shot three black snakes,
none Of them less than six feet long. Another
reptile got away.
Some Maine lumbermen who were an
noyed by bear stealing their molasses out Of
the camp storeroom put up job on Bruin.
They got an empty molasses keg, filed the
sides Of it full of shsrp-pointed nails, inclined
toward the bottom. poured little molasses
into 1t, and set the whole arrangement out in
the bushes near the pigpen- The novel trap
worked nicely. The next morning It was found
some distance from the camp. The bears
head was inside. He had stuck it in and
couldn't draw it out. A rifle bail ended his
misery and his thieving.
The very interesting discovery of many
years ago Of Jewish colonies in Western China
is now well supplemented by the discovery Of
Christian clans or seets in Africa, south of
Ahyssinia. These wholly isolated peoples have
retained some forms of Christian belief and
worship since the early centuries when Egypt
and the lands of the South were in the hands
Of the followers Of Jesus. Mohammedanism
arising in the seventh century cut of this Sec
ton, and has obliterated Christianity to the
north of them. What is left, however, of the
better faith. is now SO thoroughly degenerate
that it is not worth the preserving. Africa is
full Of wonders.
"A burro and bulldog had fight re-
Gently in Fresno, Cal Burro is Californian for
donkey. The burro was browsing on cookie
burrs by the road side, when the bulldog trotted
along, stopped, and, without a growl, seized
the donkey by the shank bone of the of hind
leg. The donkey Immediately brought its hind
quarters into action, and its legs and the dog
flew through the air in most active way, for
the latter refused to let go. The burro lay
down on his back brought his hind legs up to
his head and seized the dog with his teeth.
Then both hung on. The dog let go first. The
burro arose and rubbed the dog back and forth
over barbed wire fence until it was dead'
"A man was arrested in st. Louis for
passing counterfeit coin. The principal witness
could not speak English. He was Mexican
who understood Spanish. He brought friend
who could speak both Spanish and French.
The trial proceeded in a curious way. The at
torney asked his questions in English and
another gentleman repeated them in French to
the Mexican's friend. The latter converted the
French into Spanish, the witness replied in that
tongue, and the answers were repeated in
French and again in English. 1t was very
roundabout way Of getting at the facts, but the
rpSult a understanding
was said by all parties interested.
"A Chicago mastif named Chester is q
successful detective. The other day a man
named Ryan was arrested on a charge Of
vagrancy, and it was claimed that he was by
profession a burglar. He denied the charge.
Detective Chester was brought IN to have
look at him. Chester closely serutinized the
prisoners face, shifted suspiciously, and
growled in a lTengeful manner, while Ryan
broke down and admitted that Chester and two
watchmen had arrested him three months ago
while attempting to rob Chicago avenue
store. Ryan went to the Bridewen on a S25
fine while Chester licked his chops and again
lay down under the stove. The dog is owned
by private watchman.
They are laughing over blunder of
United States Examining Surgeon in Caribou,
Ne. He vas examining for deafness an ap-
plicant tor a pension, and to test the mans
left ear held a watch at some distance and
asked him If he could hear it tick. The answer
was mo" and the same reply was given to re-
peated questions as the watch was brought
gradually nearer. Put him down totally deaf
in the left cal" )" the surgeon said, and holding
the watch away from the mans right ear, the
same question was asked. To his surprise the
answer was the same. 1t then occurred to the
surgeon 10 examine his watch, and he found
that it had stopped. The examination was be-
gun all over again.