Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-13
CURIOUS CONpENSATIOES

"A New York policeman is scharged with
stealing = Thermometer.
AT rat hunt held in School district,
No. s. of bethlehem township, COshocton coun-
ty. recently, 2O66 rats were killed
William Greer, who is engaged in the
cattle business on the Canadian river, Deers
i Fork district, Tex, shot and killed q white deer
few mornings ago.
Six bushels OF Christmas and New Year
articles that failed of being forwarded on ac-
| count Of lack Of address and care in direction,
are piled up in the New York PostOfiee.
The owner of toboggan slide in Ohio
promised at the beginning of December to give
10 per cent Of his gross earnings this winter to
the missionary cause. In despair be has now
raised his offer to . per cent, and still the snow
doesn't come.
Mrs. Albert Evans, of British CoIum-
bia, is said to be the one woman in that region
who can successfully fight the tiger. She
| fights with lead and not with gold, however
and the winning SO far has been on her side.
The last tiger that she fought weighed 15O
pounds.
Ten thousand men and boys are idle
along the Hudson river who deDend on their
work in the ice harvesting at this season Of the
| sPringlike, and not pound Of ice is visible in
the river mot even on the fats or in the coVes
or inlets
w. NJ. Nordyke, Of Parsons, Kan, fell
on happy manner of collecting bill of an
Iowa man the other day. He wrapped up so
| cent plug Of tobacco and forwarded it @. D. D.
$40 5O. The debtor paid the amount and found
inside the reeeipted bill Of long standing and
the tobacco.
"A farmer living in the southern part of
Douglas county, Kan, has discovered a vein Of
marble and granite about 30 feet in thickness
and about 25 feet below the surface. Success
sive strata developed different colors, begin
ming with a mottled gray and running through
blush, pink, blue, red and clear white.
Owing to the almost unparalleled mild
ness of the present winter the strawberry sea-
son in Southern Alabama will open this year at
an earlier period than ever before known. The
vines are loaded with fruit, and shipping will
commence next week. A large portion Of the
immense crop raised in this section goes to st.
Lonis.
Charley Sprouse, who lives in West
Fork. near Parkersburg, caught q big pike,
which weighed % pounds, in strange manner
day or two ago. The rise in the Kanawhs
overhOWed the picket fence around Sprouse's
garden. When the water fell the pike, which
was captured
Nearly 80 years ago locomotive on the
Erie Railway exploded her boiler near the
depot at Almond. Allegany county, N. Y, kill
ing two men and injurlng another quite severe
ly. Last week mill race at that place was
cleaned out and in 1t was found the bell be-
longing to the unfortunate locomotive which
must have been hurled distance of 40 rods.
The destruction of human life by our
railways is attaining truly alarming proper
tons. According to the estimate Of the Inter-
state Commerce Commissioners, the mortality
from this cause in single year IS as high as
persons injured in railroad accidents reaches
H,SS& or course great proportion IN both
classes is made up of railway employees.
Jay Van Vranken, Schenectady msr-
chant, has in his possession curious old Dutch
Bible, which was published in the year 1887.
The volume is bound in thick slabs of black
oak covered with calfskin. About 40 years ago
the book mystsriously disappeared from among
Van Vrankin got track of it, and to-day the
old cuFio is once more in the proper hands,
Some one who pretends to know whereof
he speaks tells how a railway passenger can
ascertain the speed Of the train upor which he
is travelling. Every time the wheels pass over
a rail-jolnt there is distinct click. Count the
number Of these clicks in 20 seconds and you
have the number Of miles per hour the train is
making. This information may not be OF vital
importance, but will serve as an amusement
now and then during an otherwise weary hour
of travel.
There was an amusing incident the
other day in Justice FeiblemaD's Court at In
dianapolis. A case was on trial. and one Of
the attorneys called: Bring out McGinty.D
r1ar fhofr a - ~
Court, as the Justice reached for an inkstand-
II don't want any Of those old Jokes in this
courtroom" but McGinty is = witness in
this case" persisted the attorney, and then
was sworn to testify.
The Germans have been the pioneers in
scientific forestry, as in 50 many other lines Of
progress. With total forest area of only "a 346-
900 acres of which IL 234 900 belong to the State
the German Empire now has no less than nine
schools of forestry, and during the three years
ending with 1888 it published III books on the
various branches of the subject There are also
ten periodicals devoted to forestry. and gem
eral association of foresters, with annual meet
lngs, and ten local societies.
John Cline, q Harrisburg bricklayer,
has portions Of q brick and mortar, picked up
in the ruins of the palace of the Caesars Pala-
tine Hall, at Rome, Italy, by q son Of the lata
DR.. OConnor, who has Just returned from q
tour of Europe. The material Of the brick il
similar to that Of which American fire prick IS
made, but this ancient brick is only an inch
thick and it and the mortar are ], 800 years old.
Mr.. Cline prizes the relics of Is centuries a.
only an old bricklayer could such curiosities.
-Alanson Haslam, Of Waltham, Me-,
was going to his work recently when he saw .
deer. He fred at it and brought 1t down. On
going up toIt Mr.. Haslam found he had dropped
a 3year-old buck. He laid aside his gun and
procured his knife, when the deer imm ediately
began to get on to his feet Nh. HAslam seized
him by the horn and after stabbing him several
times succeeded in hitting vital spot An ex-
animation showed that the bullet had struck
his horn near the head and cut it OF, at the
same time knocking him down.
Andrew Houston, a prominent ranchero
Of the Upper Platte Valley, Wyo., has issued
an odd challenge 70 the betting fraternity Of
the universe. He will wager his place and
stock against $4,000 that In any stated
hunting season within three years he win, un-
aided kill 80 grizzly bears in the Elk Mountain
and Medicine Bow ranges. Houston has al
ways been q mighty hunter, but has lately
sprung some oear-slaYing yarns, which were
dou bted hence his offer to lay this big wager.
He has caused copies of the challenge to be