St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-05
ODD THINGS.


The oldest inhabited town in the
world is said to be Damascus.
A Chicago lady gathered some Span
lSh moss in Florida and brought it
North with her. She hung it on a
chandelier in her parlor and it bloOmed
in the room. The moss retained its
vitality for over year.
Five varieties of the alternanthera, a
plant native of the Cape of Good Hope,
are used to border flower beds and lawns
IN the Alcazar grounds ut ST. Augustine.
The bright cOlors produce pretty eff
feet.
An aged lady of Elmwood, near Gin
cinnati, being taken i'll while out driv-
ing, requested her driver to take her to
the office of an undertaken whom she
knew well. He did so, and she died a
rev minutes after her arrival.
A New York dry goods merchant says
that frequently some of the subordinate
employees receive larger remuneration
than the men in whose hands rests the
main responsibility for running bust
ness. The men who usually make the
most money in the very large firms are
not the superintendent and his chief as
sistants, but the buyers of departments.
The biggest edible oysters in the
world are found at Port Lincoln, in
South Australia. They are as large as
dinner plate, and the same shape.
They are sometimes more than foot
across the shell, and the oyster fits his
shell SO we'll he does not leave much
margin. 1t is new sensation, when
friend asks YOU to lunch at Adelaide,
to have one oyster set before you fried
III butter or eggs aud bread crumbs. But
1t is very pleasant sensation, for the
flavor and delicacy of the Port Lincoln
mammothS are proYerblal i'll that land
of luXuries.
The last pearl fishing season in Cey-
Ion could not have been more success
full than it was. The season only lasts
twenty-five days, and during that period
11,000,000 oysters were brought to the
surface by fifty divers. They are paid
by one-fourth of the number. This
season the whole produce was sold at
the rate of "A ShillingS for 1000 shells.
The government received go, 900 as
their share and the divers $1,000. The
largest pearls are worth in Ceylon from
$40 to EGO, and in Europe they fetch
three time the price or more.
AT AnsOnia, Conn, some old women
got. together and cured child of mem
branous Group, after the doctors had
given iJup. The patient was thoroughly
and throat were rubbed with goose
grease. A dose of the stuff, mixed with
vinegar. was with difficulty forced down
the child's throat. In a short time he
vonited up large portion of mucus
and broke up the clogging matter in the
throat. Being placed in bed he soon
went to sleep, and the next day he was
playing about the house, and appeared
to be far from dying.
Salem, Mass, formerly had a large
trade with Africa. All that trade was
gradually transferred to Boston. 1t is
just as large as it ever was, but because
the country has grown so enormously it
has become small i'll comparison with
other lines of trade. One of ourmodern
ships will take a cargo to Africa as
large as all the ships of Salem in the
old days could carry in year. There
are over dozen vessels engaged in AT
rican trade from Boston. There is close
competition with the English for this
trade. Ships take out miscellaneous
goods. Rum is the chief thing. Then
bright calicoes, beads, music boxes and
so on. The return cargo is mostly palm
Oil, gold dust, furs and ivory.