Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-21
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS

-shad are selling for $1s hundred down
in Delaware.
Enough bones to fill a cart were found
in fox's den In Birmingham. Chester county,
Pa, recently.
The deepest coal pit in the world is said
to be the st. Andre in the Charleroi (Belgium)
district. 1t is 30S4 feet deep
John Starr, of Pike county, Ca, killed
two owls on Powder creek. some time ago ono
Of them measuring so inches from tip to tip.
Master Jabez Bailey, of FitehYille,
Conn.,, has broken SIX sheep to harness, and he
drives them about the village daily. he Is not
15 years old, but has broken oxen and norses.
me Is gong to tackle pigs next in sh1 tssI es
OF hens, and next geese or turkeys.
Mr.. Willie Coon, ofBrooks county, Ca,
was fishing in stream last week-he tells it
and jerking up his hook suddenly pulled IN
nsh's eye, though he failed to catch the nsh-
Upon close examination Of the find he discov.
ered tnat 1t belonged to trout which must
have weighed two pounds. He is now fishing
for one-eyed trout
Now Rev. A. v. Sims, highly re-
speeted and much beloved minister Of Brooks
county, Ga, tells this: "While fishing had .
| bite. The catch was a curiosity First on the
hook was an eel, and hanging to the eel was
something like huge turtle. It looked like it
would weigh 800 pounds. and had a white head
-
like child's." He ran for help, but when he
had returned his curiosity had escaped.
The court of Leo XIII. is said TO COM
prise ], 100 persons. There are 20 Wallets, I20
house prelates, 17o priVy ehamberlains, cham
berlains, 800 extrahonorary chamberlains. 130
supernumerary chamberlains, 30 officers of the
noble guard. and 50 guardsmen, IA officers OF
the Swiss guard and palace guard, honorary
chaplains, 20 private secretaries, 10 stewards
and masters Of the horse, so door keepers.
While seining in Hollis mill pond,
Warren county, Ga, Jim MeCorkle saw the
tail of large catfish sticking above the water.
He crept upon it, seized it and pulled it out Of
the water. Attached was q huge mocassin,
The snake had swallowed the fish as far as the
fms. The reptile was huge one, and as it be-
gan to loosen its awkward position, MeCorkle
dropped his prize and quit seining for the time
being.
Two sea robins, or grunters, were shown
as curiosities III Fulton Market recently. They
are called sea robins from the two large pecto-
raj fins, which are webbed and resemble wings.
They are called grunters from the noise they
make when caught There are plenty of peo.
pie who will say that sea robins will hy and
tales are often heard Of sea robins flying into
boat at night when bright light Is shown.
These are fish tales.
Black birch oil is being extracted from
the twigs and branches Of the trees at a factory
in Mystic, Conn. Five cans were shipped on
Thursday containing l58 pounds Of oil. valued
at $500. The tree does not yield nearly so much
sap as sugar maple tree. There is . great
deal OF work in getting the twigs and much
labor in extracting the OIL One ton Of branches
will produce only three pounds of oil. The oil
Is shipped to New York and Boston, where it is
used by confectioners to make the Wintergreen
havors.
The restoration of the famous evil.
mington Giant" situate on the Sussex estate
of the Duke Of Devonshire, few miles inland
from Eastbourne, has been resolved upon. The
fgure, which is believed to be Of Celtic origin,
poses in an attitude similar to that of the
Colossus Of Rhodes, but its proportions are
double those of that statue, and It is unlike
any other representation either in barbarous
lineation on one of the ancient Justice gems.
There are in its vicinity British earthWorkso of
lunar form.
There Is an old negress in Clarke county,
Georgia, who prepares herself for death every
night, and this is how she does it: After short
prayer she clothes herself in long. hower-be-
decked gown, plaits her hair carefully, crosses
her hands on her breast, and falls asleep. Two
coppers are placed on the table beside her to
put upon her eyelids. She has directed that
she be buried on the banks OF the Oconee river,
and believes she Is going direct to heaven She
Is angry beyond expression as she awakes each
morning-not having moved muscle during
AoN cAcCp-duu uuub uofeelA dllNes
AT Middletown, Conn, olin j. Clark
has . curiosity which he thinks Is the next
thing to being . miracle Last fall he felle6
an old cherry tree, cut It into cordHood ana
threw the sticks in pile intehis Wo511hs1se,
The other day he happened to look az thu
sticks, which had become seasoned, and Mas
astounded to note that several Of thelsticks
were covered with perfect cherry blossoms.
Twigs had put out from the old logs. and the
Is unprecedented. Mr.. Clark has left the bios.
SONS untouched, humoring speculation that
they may develop fruit.
Joe II. Johnston, worthy colored man
Of Richmond county, Georgia, lost a steer re-
Gently, and while searching on q neighboring
farm for the missing animal, was caught in 0
rain storm and took refuge under an inviting
tree in q grove. Cattle in the adjacent field
also sought refuge under the trees. The rain
lasted some time, and Johnston was worrying
himself about his loss. Glancing at the AMI
mails he noticed that some dark spots were be-
ing washed from one OF the steers. Steadily
big black blotches were disappearing under the
steady downpour, and In half an hour Joe bad
his lost steer on the way home. It had been
stolen and disguised with shoe backing.
Owen Voolfolk, employed as engineer
on the ferryboat v. Owen. running between
Padueah, KY, and Brooklyn, H., relates story
Of his desperate encounter with mad buzzard
a few days ago. Mr.. Voolfolk says he was ac-
companied BY Squire Sidener, and was driving
along the road on the Illinois side Of the river,
between stringtown and the ferry landing, in
the afternoon, when q mad buzzard made
violent attack upon the mule which was draw
ing the buggy The animal plunged and
kicked, and ft was with difficulty that they re-
strained him from running away. After leaving
the mule the bird turned its attention to the
occupants Of the buggy and made repeated as
saults, and it was only by vigorous application
Of the whip and an old sack which happened to
be in the buggy that they were enabled TO de-
fend themselves and finally kill the mad bird
sIFTED DOWN.