Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-05
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS

OUnlVUD AS@tk@
There ia a man in Hart county, g
who spells his entire name with two lette
"A recent census taken by French Con-
suls shows that only 40, 200 Frenchmen are re-
siding abroad.
-Four million pounds q day will be the
capacity of Claus Spreckels' new Pnnadeipnla
sugar refinery.
"A bluff near Big Meadows. Cal, is said
to be alive with bees that have filed every
crevice with honey.
During a recent storm "a stone weigh
ing IL pounds dropped from the clouds into
the yard of farmer living near Essex,
Iowa"
"A bali of fire that exploded with loud
report when within few feet of the ground is
reported to have fallen in Bridgeport, Conn,
last week.
Mitchell Bros, of Cadillac, Mich..
thought the water in their cistern had
peculiar odor and they investigated, finding an
alligator four feet long, which had probably
escaped from travelling show.
In Hartford, Van Buren, county, Mich,
barn was destroyed by lightning last week,
and to prove that '1ightning doesn't strike
twice in the same place. 4" it's asserted that four
buildings ON the Identical spot have been de-
molished by the fluid.
"A year ago Ira Marsaw's house, near
Caro-, Mich, was struck by lightning and some'
what damaged. Since that time Mrs. Warsaw
has refused to live in the house, and she per
suaded the family to move out. Last week the
deserted house was again struck, and in suck
manner as to make 1t probable that, II it had
been occupied, somebody would have been
hurt. Mrs. Warsaw now says: Il told you So"
The clerks in the distributing depart
ment of the st. Louis postoffice found a bottle
in the mail the other day and examined it to
find out what 1t contained, since the rulings Of
the department on the sending of glass vessels
through the mail are very strict. Thew were
both frightened and surprised, when they took
on the wrapper, to discover large, healthy and
vigorous ceutipede which some careless per-
son In the Indian Territory was sending East.
1t was promptly Withdrawn from the mails.
Several Troy merchants are conducting
a novel sign war. They seem to vie with each
other In seeing who can put up q sign that will
most obstruct his neighbor's view. A few days
ago one merchant piled up a large number Of
boxes and baskets almost In front of his neigh
boris window. The other merchant then put
up sign extending the whole length Of his
window and extending out from 1t about three
feet. The other merchant, not to be outdone,
put MP board partition between the two
stores Friday morning before daylight, which
is about Is feet high and at least feet wide.
While it shuts out his neighbor's view in one
direction, it obstructs his own from the other.
The only person on record who did not
have to wait for his turn in a barber shop was
Scipio Africanus, for it was in the year 800 B.
c. that the Romans commenced shaving. and,
according to Pliny, Scip was the first of the
Romans 20 submit to the razor. Alexander
vent the enemy from catching them by the
beard. Peter the Great, after returning from
one Of his tours. issued an edict ordering COM
pulsory Observance in relation to the beard.
He taxed the hirsute appendage. and after
ward ordered all those he found bearded to
have the hair plucked out with pincers or
shaven with blunt razor.
AT Newington, Conn.,, the other day
black spider had curious adventure. The
matron of family lay down on her lounge and
slept The spider crawled over her. Along
her side he crept, up her cheek, around to the
side Of her head then he climbed on the rim Of
her ear and gazed down into the aural crater.
1t was a spacious one, and he went in. Then
the lady got up with a shrek and a bound The
family ran to her aid. She told them that
something. fly possibly, was walking about
soap suds and pour I'd most of it down ner back
and some of 1t into her ear. Thereupon the
black spider rushed out wet astonished. but
rs lively as ever. de leaped to the noor and
got into his hole in the padding of the lounge.
"A subterrsnean chamber has been dis
covered under house on the hillside at Ma
Piles. Along the center runs a mosaic pave
ment, and on each side there is a double row bf
sepulchers hewn in the rock, the fronts of
which are succeed and painted and decorated
with terra Gotta and marble reliefs. Within
the tomDs were perfect skeletons. vases and
other objects. the antique lamps being in such
good condition that when the new find was in
spected by q party of German archaologists
the workmen made use Of them to light up the e
vaults. The many well-preserved inscriptions
are chiefly in Greek. with some Latin, and
prove that the epoch of these tombs was about
lOO0 B. c. Other tombs in the second chamber
have not yet been excavated, Similar cata-
combs have heretofore been found in this 10
cality.
Judge Landrum performed a funny
marriage ceremony at Atlanta Wednesday.
He was at the foot of the stairs leading to his
Office, when party of seven or eight country
people approached him and asked him If he
was justice. After being informed that he
was. an old man. who acted as spokesman, said
he wanted to have a marriage ceremony per-
formed. The crowd then went up to the
Judges office, and a young man and q young
woman stepped forward to be united. The old
man handed out the license, saying that the
groom was his son. As soon as the knot was
tied the old man made a break for the street.
followed by several Of the others. The bride
and groom then started for the door, but the
Judge stopped them, throwing out a gentle
hint that he was in the habit OF receiving some
thing for performing such a service. The
groom's brother spoke up and said he didn't
know that, but If the old man wanted to give
called back, but didn't feel disposed to comply
with the custom. and the others, declaring that
they hadn't any money at all, the party left the
office.