Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-14
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

A Bradford horse ran q nail into its
foot and died Of lockjaw after several dayS
suffering.
"A colored man, on trial for robbery in
Washington, instructed his attorney to chal.
lenge every negro on the jury. He said he pre-
ferred to entrust his case to white men.
"A Philadelphia clothing store is adver-
Using a novel bait to catch customers. Each
person buying suit is photographed in his
new clothes free Of charge, ana the scneme u
proving paying one.
Prof. Gilbert, of the Geological Survey,
estimates that Niagara Falls are 5000 years old.
One of his colleagues on the survey calculates
that the falls have undergone recession OF lO3
feet In the last A years.
Minnie Taylor, of EIlaYille, Ga, put
pin In her mouth while dressing last Sunday,
and accidentally swallowed it It stuck in her
throat. causing commissions, and the doctors
mad hard work to save her life
Eliza Gardner, colored. aged Al years,
weight S51 pounds. and known as the Alabama
giantess, died at Birmingham. Friday, OF pneu-
monia. Her coffin Is feet inches long, 40
inches wide and 30 inches deep.
"A resident of Kalamazoo county, Mich,
whose name is withheld because of q desire not
to interfere with future conquests, has recently
Deen married Tor the fifth time, and this time
1t was only on two weeks acquaintance
The forest fire scenery around Pittston
these nights Is indescribably grand, but game
has suffered. One huge grounding jumped Oh
Campbelps ledge and tell to a valley below
nearly 400 feet. But the thud merely Jared it.
and it took several lunges of a long knife to
kill it.
Mrs. Morris, of Gobleville, Mich, has
just been reconciled to her husband, from
whom she parted Is years ago. After the ret
conciliation the father obtained his frs
glimpse Of their son, Who was born shortly
after they separated and is now big enough to
lick the old man If he doesn't behave.
"A bill was lately introduced in the Ne
braska Legislature forbidding the firing Of
any pistol, revolver. shotgun, rifle. or any fire.
arms whatsoever, on any public road or high
way, or within 80 yards Of such public road or
highway. by anyone, except to destroy some
wild, ferocious and dangerous beast, or an
officer in the discharge Of his duty"
One of the oldest railroad conductors in
New England is E1bridge A. Towle, of the
Eastern Railroad, who has been in its employ
continuously since March q, 1S47. During all
that long period he has never met with an aeci-
dent, and there has never been single passen-
ger on any train under bis charge killed or in
jured.
"A few weeks ago the agents of Euro
pean Consulate at Chicago, ILL.,, instituted in
quiries after the whereabouts Of one Baron
to San Francisco. where he had acquired dis
tinction in the role Of an accomplished boot
black. His relatives are supposed to regret the
result of their investigation. since an applica-
tion for the promised reward has thus far re-
mained unanswered.
"A man without legs has proved him.
self as persistent an Office seeker as any. His
name is John W. Coombs, and he halls from
Houston, Tex. For II years both of his limbs
have been paralyzed, and he has lost the use Of
them. He travels from place to place in cart
propelled BY himself. On arriving he put up
at the Ebbitt House. He had not been in the
hotel long when he was helped on his cart and
of he sped to the White House to see the
President
~ AT recent meeting of the Paris Acad-
emy Of Medicine, DR.. Dujardine-Beaumetz
exhibited q new alimentary substance, which
he named Fomentine. 1t is obtained from
wheat by the aid of special millstones, and is
the embryo of the wheat reduced TO -four. It
contains three times more nItrogenious SUBJ
stance than meat and large proportion OF
sugar. 1t Is thought it may advants geously re-
place powdered meat as q concentrated food.
1t NAV be employed for making soups and
even for making biscuits.
Last week a large pond near Mr.. Nc
Cartney's, two miles from Abbeville, Ga. let
all its water out through hole in the bottom.
The noise Of the escaping water sounded like
distant thunder and created a sensation in the
neighborhood. Many fine fish were taken
though the greater number followed the reced-
ing water. There was hssure near the edge
Of the lake that bubbled out water, etc, that
suggested an earthquake disturbance. What
caused this phenomenon no one knows, and
where the water went will perhaps never be
known.
Mrs. Anna Boyd, of Bradford, Pa, has
formally preferred charges of witchcrafs
against two Of her neighbors. Mrs. Boyd claims
that by uncanny arts these neighbors have
caused her much annoyance and injury, and
she asks that they be retained by law from the
further exercise Of their witehery. A spirit
ual1stic Alderman entertained her complaint
and issued warrants for the arrest of the al-
legged witches. The form of charge against
them is for surety Of the peace" The COM
plainant is a widow aged 50, who is to all ap-
pearances in her right mind.
The grasshopper which for 147 years has
marked the vacillations of the wind from his
perch an the tower of Faneuil Hall, Boston,
and one day last week toppled into the street,
was restored to the scene of his glory Friday
afternoon with touching ceremonies When
he dropped to mother earth it was found that
the long buffeting by the wind and storms had
robbed HIM of his eyes and broken of the two
hind legs. and bis body had been badly bat
tered. He was properly tinkered up,new glass
optics were inserted, two more legs were tackled
on. and to finish the job properly he was in-
cased in hne new SUIT Of gold leaf.
-mr. Jonn carter, OF batlmore, mas the
model Of a new invention of his. Its danger
signal for railroad crossings, on which several
patents have been taken out. 1t consists of a
very novelan effective tripping device. placed
one mile from and on either side of the cross
ing. The device connects by a lever with a
system of chains and pulleys, which themselves
are connected with an electric apparatus in a
tower by the crossing. When q train passes
over the "trip" an electric bell is set ringing
on top Of the tower, from which a big red flag
appears 1t the same time. The bell may be
heard from q point two miles distant. At
night red light takes the place of the hag.
When the train passes over the trip placed one
mile on the other side of the crossing the flag
or light disappears and the bell stops ringing.
The signal is arranged to work with double
tracks, or more.