Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-06
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS

John Lafountain, who died near Hunt
the last chief Of the Miami Indians
AN auetioneer at Bath, Ne, disguised
at the low price offered TOR his goods, sarcas-
tically put up S. bill, which was promptly bid
Two hundred day was the average
number Of tourists who ascended last month
the iVesuFius. Railway to look down info the
mouth of the volcano
AT WaterYille, Me-, a 1000 pound
weight dropped from the clock in the Unitarian
Church, crushing the costly church organ be-
yond the possibility Of repair.
"A resident of Murfreesboro, Tenn, pre-
sented ticket issued in 1855 on the Nashville
and Chattanooga Railroad the other day, and
board that would have secured him passage In
one Of she clumsy coaches Of "a years ago,
Captain e. s. Drake, q prominent
farmer Of Marlboro county, s. c., has gathered
the phenomenal yield Of 254 bushels and 40
pounds OF corn from one acre. This beats the
worlds record The highest Weld heretofors
that is on record at the National Department
oi AgFlcqnltpTe nc n ~ bushels and fraction,
1853 Captain Drake is competing for 8, ,00
prize.
"A freak in the way of handwriting has
Just come under notice in England. A LITTLE
girl Of 4years writes with her left hand and
writes her words backward, as they are 70
nected IN mirror from ordinary writing Her
friends have TO read them by means Of q look.
Ing-glass, The child was tanght writing with a
sister, but would do things in her own way.
with the result that she writes huently IN this
fantastic style.
The smallest, simplest and best pro-
tected postoffce in the world is in the Strait Of
Magellan and has been there for many years.
Il consists of small keg or eask and is chained
to the rocks Of the extreme cape. in the straits
opposite Terra del Fuego Each passing ship
sends boat to take letters out and put others
IN. The postoftice is self-acting and unproVided
Wltn postmaster and is, therefore, under the
pfotecton OF ali the naYles OF the world
"A young man of Warsaw ordered a
dress suit from a tailor, who agreed to deliver
it on . certain day. The latter failed, and
hence curious lawsuit. The plaintiff alleged
tDat ne had arranged to go to an evening party
at which be had resolved to offer his hand to
tAe daughter OF the house. Because Of the
failure OF his dress coat he could not 20, but
the plaintiff considered himself damaged TO tho
value OF the lost bride,
Most of the old houses on both sides of
the Tiber, at Rome, have been removed, fine
embankments Of masonry have been erected,
slightly deepening and widening the river to an
average width of S. yards. and on top of the
embankments, on both sides, esplanades are
formed as on the Thames embankment at
London. One Of the new bridges crossing the
stream is l3 yards wide, and near il. at either
END, stand new buildings seven stories high
ompletely shutting out the views of the Jani.
culum and San Pietro hills.
One Of Georgia's poets will in all prob
ability soon wear conVict's stripes. He s. g.
Leak, whose claim for fame lies in the poem
The Red Hills of Georgia." After it had
been printed over Leaks name in different
newspapers it was alleged that somebody else
was the author. Leak started the Leak
mercantile Agency, announced himself as haV-
ing strong packers and opened handsomely
1urnlsned othces. The furnishing he obtained
upon the latter representations, and as he
Ialle0 TO pay for them he is now sentenced to
the penitentiary for cheating and sWindling
The development Of the accident insur-
ance business in this country of late has been
very wonderful. All over the country en-
ployers in large concerns are insuring all their
employees in the accident companies because
1t can be done for less than by cooperation
among the men of a single concern. The other
day great railroad went to one of these com
panies for its terms for insuring all their pas
sengers-the idea being to issue a policy for
SoOO or Sl00o with each railway ticket. The cost
appears to have been too high for this particu-
lar railroad, but possibly some rival road will
come to the mark and steal its thunder.
Some time ago mention was made of
German project to fit out big steamship as a
floating exhibition palace. which should carry
German products into all the principal ports Of
the world, exhibiting them as novelties and
taking orders for their sale. The project has
advanced so far that an enormous steamer
the Kaiser Wlhelm-is being fitted up for this
use It viii carry passengers as Weu as the ex-
hiblted articles, and those who can afford the
time and money required. may make the tour
of the world in the novel and apparently agree
able way Of passengers on a vessel that in the
nature of things will be the center of interest
in every port visited
France now mas sleeping girl" She
belongs in the Department of the Disc, and her
slumber is not that Of one in peaceful trance,
but is agitated like that of person under the
influence of a nightmare OF the "blues." A
dispatch says: For the past nine days she has
been plunged into this somnolency, during
which she sometimes beats herself on the head
and breast and utters unintelligible exclama-
tions. Bouillon is now and then poured down
her throat when she opens her mouth, and by
this means she is kept alive. The girl, who is
20 years old and a farm servant has had brief
fits of droWsiness before, but none of them
lasted SO long as the present one"
Two brothers, William c. and Sydney
@. King, living at Newport, Washington eoun-
ty, Mimi, were discussing an advertisement for
a Wife which recently appeared, and were soon
in heated argument. Finally Sydney offered
to bet $500 against Williams farm that the lat
ter would not choose wife by a lottery scheme
that he proposed. The offer was accepted and
a contract was drawn up. 1t provides that
William is to make hundred tickets, num-
bered from to 100, which are to be put in en-
veIopes and one given to each lady wishing a
husband, regardless Of her age or nationality.
A certain day is announced for the drawing.
and public notice is to be given of the place
where it is to take place. William must marry
the lady holding the corresponding number to
the One that he draws.
Christmas trees ought to be cheap in
New York this year unless Trust is organized
to control the evergreen market. In the town
Of Orland Me-, at the mouth OF the PenObscor,
a Rockland firm have large crew of men en-
ployed in cutting ir trees, and expect to ship
10000 to the metropolis between now and the
middle of december. The firm pay about half
! cent tree for the privilege Of cutting the
irs, and all the expenses. except for freighting.
are small. The trees range from 80 80 feet in
height, but the greatest demand is for those
from tiYe to eight feet. The bushies5
md most symmetrical trees bring the best
prices, and these are found in abundance along
.he edges of the woods. There are enough
young fir trees along the Penobscot river to
supply the world with Christmas evergreen for
m