Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-16
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.


Snow at Rowland Flat, Sierra county,
Cal, was IS feet deep at the last measuring.
An English railway company has set
apart a special fund from which TO reward acts
Of bravery on the part Of its employees
"A Springfield, o., dispatch says that
James Moffat, farm hand living near that
estate of slO,OO0OO0.
"A bill will soon be introduced in the
English House of Lords providing Government
assistance for peers and people of rank who
have fallen into poverty.
The historic lime tree at Munchenwyler,
in Freiburg. under which the Swiss Federals
assembled before the battle of Murten, in 1476
has been uprooted by storm.
Last Tuesday swarm of bees belong
ing to Colonel ]. K. Smith, Of Fetterman,
W. Va. left their hive, gazed about them. and
winged their way to some new abode.
Christopher Columbus lives at Egg
Harbor City, N. ]. He recently testified there
in q murder case. Christopher said that death,
in his opinion, was not TOO great punishment
Tor an extraVagant wife.
Farmer Becker, of Coolbaugh, Luzerue
county, found 3O0pound bear under his hay
stack a few days ago He and his son, a strap
ping young fellow OF q, had tussle with lt
j. Hayes, Sr., Of Birmingham township,
Chester county. planted a patch Of potatoes on
February ), and if the seed does not die from
influenza or be blown to New Jersey by the
by April /.
Harry Burgess, 10-year-old, living at
Martin, Allegan county, Mich, can draw a
caricature almost equal to a Mast, and Olive
Williams, years old living in the same town,
can reproduce any piece of music she hears, no
matter how difficult.
For some years past several gentlemen
Of Chester county have been stocking the
streams with trour, bass and other fish. At
least 20 streams have bad trout placed in them.
Last year probably 700 trout fry were brought
into the county and distributed
1t is not an uncommon thing for party
Of pieniekers to be caught IN a storm and have
their clothing drenched, but it remained for
Colorado picnic party to be caught in blizzard
and have their ears frozen. January and Feb
ruary pienics may be very funny, but they are
attended with considerable danger.
-Hendriek Lunstroo went to a fancy ball
in London in the costume Of a prince, and be-
came so imbued with the spirit Of the char
acter that early in the morning he was found
by the police knocking at the doors Of Buck
ingham Palace, demanding admittanee. After
being locked up while he recovered his
sanity.
Vienna is in danger of becoming as
grimY and as sooty as London. For the journey
men chimney sweepers have begun general
strike, and it is impossible to find any one
possessing the qualifications necessary for the
performance OF their duties. Indeed, the
geography of the old Vienna ehimneys is so in
tricate and wonderful that it requires years Of
apprenticeship TO become even an ordinary
sweep.
Originality is on its native heath down
IN South Carolina. The Coroner Of q certain
county in that State owned potato patch, and
the other night when he caught man stealing
the product thereof he shot the thief dead.
He was arrested, but secured his liberty on a
writ of habeas corpus and proceeded to hold
an inquest on the dead thief. The verdict re-
turned exonorated the Coroner, and the Cor
oner signed it
The fellow who predicts the weather 70
year in advance has been set in the shade by
a venerable prophet whom newspaper men ran
across at the railroad station In Springfield,
Mass. He can read paper four years before
it is printed, and he can penetrate the future
to such an extent as TO learn that his death
won't occur until the middle of next century.
He didn't tell where he lived, but they all took
it for granted that it was in = hospital for the
insane.
"A saints skull is In litigation in Lyons.
It belonged originally to Saint Jean Soanen,
reVered by Jansenists because he had protested
against the Bull "UEigenituS" 1t came after
his death into the possession of an ancient
family by whom it was handed down, until re-
Gently an unworthy scion sold it to local
dealer in bric-a-brao, who, in turn, disposed Of
it for 500 to woman who already chanced to
own the lower jaw Of the same saint. The
broker who brought this customer TO the
dealer rejected the latter's offer Of So commits
sion, and has sued for more.
AT the Fitchburg Railroad Car Shops,
in East Fitehburg, one Of the largest and
strongest fat freight cars ever built for the
road has Just been finished. Iti a special car
built to carry large wire cable Weighing $1,000
pounds, from Worcester to q mine near Den
yer, Col. The car is Is feet long, feet 81
inches wide, has eight sills running lengthWays,
each 43zx1 inches, end sills 9x9 inches. The
floor Of the car is covered with two-ineh oak
plank. II has two trucks with three pairs Of
wheels each-the trucks and journals weigh
about twice as much as those on common car.
Physicians at Fairmount, small town
In Grant county, Ind, are puzzled at two cases
Of suspended animation Mrs. Mary Ann
Smith, widow. aged 81, and John Dean, aged
IS, dwelling in different houses one-half mile
south OF yarmouth, have been in trance for
three days. Since Saturday it has been impos-
sible to awaken them, though to all appearances
they are sleeping and breathing in perfectly
Natural IuauncI. Inc bHO are Olu plOu6oEs. n
few days previous to falling in the trance Mrs.
Smith had been suffering with the grip, bus
vas supposed to have fully recovered. When
Mr.. Dean retired at o'clock Saturday evening
le was apparently enjoying as good health as
be had experienced for years.
1t was reported to the Kansas City Hu-
name Society recently that sick man was
living in box out in an open field near the
Exposition building, ard Officer Marian was
ent TO investigate. Just north of the building
large field which has been vacant for years
md which is oVeEgrown with weeds, through
which runs well-dehned path. Following this
,ath the officer came upon the abOde OF ]. @.
who for ten years has been hermit
n the midst of the city For house he had
wo drygoods boxes nth the cracks and joints
hatched with barrel slaves. Around this
TRANCE den the old man bad dug trench to
.eep the rain from washing over his floor. For
bed he had board Two feet wide and long
nough to allow him to lay at full length This
'oard, two pieces of burlap and tub com
rised the furniture of the novel house When
he officer went to the place he found the old
nan Kneeling over the tub sorting out pile Of
often potato peelings, onions and apples One
pecial delieacy was an old cabbage which had
cen food for the rats before it came into the
ID mans DOSSeSsiOn.