Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-28
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

Florida has new crop Of Watermeions
ready for the market.
"A wine company in California last week
received an order from England for 5000 gal
lons Of sweet wine.
-Twentv-seven New York teachers were
docked days pay for time spent in attending
the fuueral Of an assistant superintendent.
Nearly 80 members OF the present Con-
gress were in the Confederate army In stations
ranging from private soldier to Major General
AT frst-elsss restaurant in PhiladeI-
phia patron ordering terrapin is shown
box full OF the reptiles and allowed to select
his minds fancy.
Prof. John s. Newberry, in lecture at
Columbia College. Saturday on the "Geoloxi-
cal History Of Man" said there are signs that
man lived $1,000 years ago.
The scientists at Harvard University
are engaged in experiments which they are
confident viii result in determining the exact
location Of the North Pole.
-"Cigarettes for ladies' smoking are
sold in London. provided with specially pre-
pared mouthpieces. They are perfumed with
musk and violet, and they are enjoying very
extensive sale.
The Secretary Of the Navy has adopted
o new design of the flag Of the navy to take
effect July l. 1891. It will be applied to the flag
and the union jack Of the navy. and consists OF
rectangular arrangements Of the AZ stars
In the cemetery Of one Of the churches
OF Philadelphia there is planted the lower limb
of prominent Grand Army man. who religi-
toon the burial place Of his sdeeeasedmember.
Mr.. Joseph Myers butchered for his son
Caleb on the John George farm; near Irwin,
Pa, on last Wednesday, and made a sausage
measuring 6S feet, and on the day previous
Simon Highberger, of Penn township, made
one which measured 70 feet from tip to tip.
"A registered letter, supposed to contain
something valuable, was returned to the Balti-
more postofiee the other day. 1t was sent
from there to New York city for party there
as far back as March Is 1881. The regulations
require registered letters to be returned to the
sender within 30 days If undelivered. The let
ter had no explanation or Endorsement after its
nearly nine years Of sleep in New York. If the
woman who sent 1t calls at the postofice she
can get it back now, but she will be required to
identify it.
The standard Of size for lady's watch
Is little over an inch in diameter. A Iady's
watch usually has a hunting case or half
hunting case, circular opening in the center
OF the lid showing the hands, and figures are
enameled on the outside; thus the time is seen
without opening the watch. Chatelaine
usually have open faces. In some
cases the monogram Of the owner is engraved
in long, slender letters on the outside Of the
smooth case, or the watch is elaborately deco
rated IN enamels or jewels
The new regulation British small arm
Is about to be issued to all Governments forces.
It appears, however that no good smokeless
powder has yet been discovered. or at least
adopted BY the British. Some of the foreign
critics say that England is not in the same con-
ditlon as continental nations; that the ammuni-
tlon OF the former has to be stored and used in
all sorts Of climates, and ALL OF nearly all, the
nitrate explosives are very sensitive and very
ugly under climatic influence. The critics
do not see, however, why black powder should
not be used abroad and nitrate powders be
Kept for home or European service.
The electric light is to supersede gas in
Rome. The motive power win be derived from
the waterfalls at Tivoh, and the station for the
distribution Of power will be near Porta Pia.
Rome does not in this case lose in picturesque
ness what it gains in modernization, for the
few electric lights already established-as, for
Instance, on the Qulrinal Hill and in the Piazza
ColOnna-lend a singularly new and beautiful
aspect to the Eternal City as seen IN the even
ing from the neighboring hills OF Frascati and
The other "Castelli." The spectacle of Rome
with It's mighty oVerhanging eupola. illqmin-
lted by the electric light, across the wide Gam
pagna, will be remarkable.
The women of the Russian telegraph
service are raising great outcry in the press
against the hardship Of the law in force in
Russia that they may only marry telegraphists.
Ind that, too, only those who are engaged at
The same station, the official idea being that
they thereby in case of need, would be able to
axe the place of their husbands. A young
Russian woman writes TO Noygorod paper:
ny situation, first 70 fall in love with an elee-
rieal swain, then to manage that he falls in
owe with me; next to arrange that he is trans
,irl who is riveted IA hours every day TO her
apparatus and does not wish to lose her pit
ance Of 728 roubles year."
-Messrs. White and Elder, of Gridley,
Mont, went hunting for an eagles nest in the
3uttes. They found it on top OF the highest
,eak, and three little eaglets were comfortably
lomiciled therein. The mother bird was alb
ent. Elder took one Of the little birds and
,egan the descent of the mountain Ere tbey
lad traversed 2O0 yards the old bird returned
nd assaileu them. White carried both of the
aglets while Elder tried to keep off the mother
y throwing rocks at her. The scheme worked
cry well for while, until the latter. instead
f swoOping down at them, began picking up
Ocks weighing from to 10 pounds and letting
hem drop at them from an elevation of 80 to IS
eet, when the daring spnrtsmen concluded
were better to quit, and dropped the eaglets
nd ned from the scene.
The French Government has authorized
he construction BY contract of three battle
hips Of 800 tons each, four torpedo vessels.
en- sea-going torpedo boats, and 30 ordinary
oats. OF this grant, NJ. Weyl, in lie Yacht
avs there is much question as to the type of
be battle ships. and many are considering
'hether more attention must not be given 20
he health and comfort of the crews than is
ow bestowed upon the subject Surmises are
lade, too. that the low free-bOard at the end,
s in English types. for the purpose Of an ex-
ended arc of fire. is not too dearly bought As
Dr. the force which It is proper for France
maintain for naval war; NJ. Weyl declares
rat as England measures her force by that Of
ny two naval powers combined. France should
leasure hers SO as to match those Of Italy ard
ermany combined.
Perhaps no more significant evidence
7 the onward march of civilization could be
1orded than the lighting by electricity Of the
alaee of the Guikwar Of Baroda, in India, and
TAT, too, on a scale of unstinting splendor.
he interior ia lit with 2I5 I6eandle-power in
lights. The large hall is illuminated
it'll two large I2-light electroliers made in
ronze and laequered work. while the light 10
,ftened and dfffused by dioptric shades. Sin
e lights are also pendent from the ends of the
,lumns of the gallery. In thenumerous rooms
'e three and four light eleetroliers, made in
sriety of designs to suit the surroundings In
lie bedrooms the mirrors have been specially
tied with brackets which will admit Of their
sing shifted from one room to another;
nd an electric hand lamp is also provided,
hIeh can be moved about at pleasure. An
lportant feature Of the installation Is the
Jmplete arrangement OF switches and safety
ses, thus the overheating of wires and con-
quent danger from fire are rendered tmposst-
e.