Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-10
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.


from the Joliet prison this month, q of whom
are from Chicago.
Mrs. Morris, of Sheboygan. WIS has
in her possession a meerschaum pine that be-
loDged to King of Denmark 23S years ago
The new State ofIdabo has about 100 OOO
population, "a, 900 square miles of land. but less
than 50O0,00O acres are adapted to agriculture.
Tons of soft coal have been washed
| ashore at St. Simons, Ga. 1t is the general
belief that a vessel went down Dear the island.
Mrs. Sarah Libby, of Naples, Me-, 81
years of age. went from that town to Portland
the other day. II was her first ride on the cars,
both railroad and horse.
"A swarm of butterflies halted near Pla-
cerville, Cal, the other day, and for time
they were so thick about the springs and most
places that teamsters couldn't see their leaders,
Three convicts in the county Jail at
Leesburg. Ga, under sentence of the Criminal
Court. burned holes through the floor of the
jail and dug under the side walls They made
good their escape, and at last accounts were
still at large.
There are $50 authorized guides in the
Alps. One hundred and four of them have
taken regular course of instruction in their
profession and have received diplomas. Thirty.
nve OF them are between 60 and70 years of age,
and SIX are over 20.
"A bridal couple in Springfield, Mass,
were SO anxious to avoid the curious glanees Of
the ne1ghbors on leaving the house that they
climbed over the back yard fence, and, passing
through the adjoining yard, entered the car.
rage, which was waiting on the next street.
"A tramp whose Intellectual caliber was
far above his profession was recently found at
Bangor, Me. His only baggage was a small
but choice collection Of books, including THE
Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau" the
works of Balzac, Dumas, a copy of Shakespeare
and the Illiad
Judge j. Gadsden King, of Atlanta,
Ga, is SAID to own a pipe that belonged to
Prince Bismarck away back in 1895. His brother
and Bismarck attended college together at
Frankfort-on-the-Mai and ON parting ex.
changed pipes. King brought the one be re-
ce1Ved home, and gave it to the Judge.
Milo Smith, OF Chesaning, Mich,
stirred up bees nest with his moving ma
chine and the bees settled in a cloud on the
infant child belonging to Mr.. Smith. They
clung with such tenacity that Mrs. Smith was
obliged to submerge the child in a creek near
Dy to drive the insects away. The rest of the
family were badly stung in the shuttle.
-Experiments by means of Photographic
plates in the Mediterranean Sea show that in
the middle of sunny day in summer the rays
OF the sun do not penetrate the waters of that
sea depth of more than $50 fathoms. In Sep
TENDER the distance penetrated is much re-
duced, the depression on the plates at the
above depth not being greater than that made
by starlight.
One ardent fisherman is to be made
happy by the gift of a watch with a unique
dial. His name has just eleven letters in it,
and these letters have been placed in the place
OF the hour figures on the watch the company
IS making. while rod and trout basket indi-
cate the fad of the receiver. The name and
illustrations are very eleYerIy executed by hand
with the finest of brushes.
The July fly, large insect with gauzy
wings. resembling somewhat the locust, has
made its annual appearance in Georgia. The
July fly makes peculiar shrill, rasDing noiso
with its wings and there is a belief current
with many people that frost will fall exactly
three months from the time it IS first heard.
When heard in the early morning it is pretty
good indication of extremely hot weather for
that day.
"A matchmaker in Newcastle, England,
recently completed a set of three gold shirt
studs. in one of which is a watch that keeps
excellent time, the dial being only threesix.
reenths of an inch in diameter. The three
studs are connected by strip of silver inside
the shirt bosom, and the watch contained in
the middle one is wound up by turning the
stud above. The hands are set by turning the
one below.
DR.. j. G. Brooks. of Belfast, Me-, has a
wicked parrot that will swear even when ladies
are passing the house. The nsher day GENTLE
man passing tried to get Polly to talk. but
never word would she say. The man walked
OFF, shaking his fist at the bird and said, You
are too d-n ugly to talk" Then Polly got in
her fine work, and called the man all the hard
names imaginable until he was glad to beat
hasty retreat.
1t is strange how badly we get import
ant matters of history mixed Ask any well.
informed person who invented the sewing ma
chine, and the reply will be Elias Howe. which
is far from the truth in the case. The first
sewing machine was patented in England by
Thomas Saint in 1890 30 years before Howe
was born. One of Saints old machines is now
on exhibition in the Royal Agricultural Hall
IslingtoD, England
AT Norristown. Me-, W. B. Logan, q
horseshoer. made nine miniature horseshoes
from silver 10-cent piece. Each shoe has the
number of holes usually drilled in horseshoes
of the ordinary size, but strange to say the
smallest needle is too large to be used as nails
for these little wonders. Logan has made affi-
davit that each and every one of the miniature
shoes were made with the same hammer and
punch used in making the largest-sizsd real
horseshoes.
MIR. Johnston, Of Round Valley, Idaho,
has sheep with but two legs, both on the hinder
part of the body, and constantly walks erect
much after the manner OF kangaroo. The
legs and tail are smooth as those of dog, not
showing the least trace of wool. The head IS
woolly and is provided with but one eye, which
solitary optic is set in the center of the head.
The neck has a good showing of feathers re-
sembling those of guinea fowl. The shoul-
ders and the place where the forelegs should
be are as woOlly as the head, extending back to
where the smooth, dog-like hair begins.
"A Winston county, Ala, farmer bought
some Chinese lily bulbs, and after getting them
home threw them into the hog lot with
bucket Of spoiled potatoes. A few days after
ward one of the largest hogs became SICK re-
fusing food. and, laying down in a corner,
grunted as If in constant pain. No signs of
disease could be discovered, but a few days
later the hog died. 1t was decided TO cut up
the hog and find out what caused death. This
was DONE when it was discovered that the ami
NAL had swallowed a bulb whole, and there was
sufficient moisture in the stomach to cause is
to grow The bulb had not only swelled and
sprouted, but leaves had actually formed.