Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-22
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

TO salute with the left hand is deadly
| insult to Nohammedans in the East
--China's solitary railroad is 81 miles long
and cost 5000 mile. 1t uses American loco
| motives.
1t is said that the city Of Richmond, Va,
with 100 100 inhabitants, has no city hospital or
public dispensary.
The cultivation of tobacco has been for
hidden in Egypt. and the duty upon the i'm
ported article raised.
Missouri Is now the only State or Terri
tory in the United States where Government
lands may be taken at private entry or pur-
chasedoutright for 81 25 an acre.
"A big fish fry came off on Alcova river,
in Newton county, last week. A snake charmer
was in the party who pulled the heads of live
water moccasins off with his hands.
Two men in Kentucky had dispute as
to whether Russia could whip Austria in case
of war. and. having made bet Of 81 on it. one
of them has written to the Gar of Russia to
ask him to decide the matter.
The oldest inhabitant found by the census
enumerator, ]. SpiIman. in Marietta, is Nancy
Gresham. 116 years old. Census Enumerator
James Hammet found a colored woman in
GIitter district, on W. A Bishops place, who
is LOG years old.
The Independent Republican movement
against the Quay ticket is progressing satisfae-
torily, 4hr. Wharton Barker says, and the assur-
anee is given by Mr.. Barker that the movement
will be largely developed throughout Pennsyl.
Vania within a few days.
The most monotonous city in its build
ings is Paris. the houses there being almost all
alike. An attempt is now being made to vary
this by building houses of the style Of the
Renaissance. and Louis XII, and hope IS ex-
pressed that the example will be followed gen.
orally.
"A wonderful wedding dress was recently
made up in Russia for the daughter Of a great
Russian artist. 1t is Of regulation white satin,
but on the satin are innumerable little pictures
chiefly allegoTical painted by her fathers artist
friends. What may be its value in years to
come?
The use Of electricity is offered to the
lion tanner in the form of light wand, with an
insulating grip for the hand, connected by .
flexible wire with battery of which the power
can be varied at will. An experiment with
this form of applied science has been success
fully made.
AT Neuendorf, Prussia, the lightning
fired the gable end of barn where a pair of
storks had built their nest for years. The
flames soon caught the nest in which the brood
was screaming. but the mother stork, refusing
to leave. spread her wings over the young ones
and was burnt alive.
Smart Washington, a Fernandina,
Fla, negro. is now 1H years old. He has been
married twice, and by his first wife had % chill
dren. His eyes are still good, and he reads
without the aid of glasses. He has not been
an object OF public charity. but now appeals to
the county for assistance.
"A. Monteiore, who has been travelling
in Florida and devoting careful study to the
fruitgrowing districts of that vast State, cal
culates that the Americans eat more meat in
the course of "a hours than all the inhabitants
Of Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria.
Belgium, Holland and Switzerland put to-
gether.
in Maine man has been found who has
sold liquor freely for the past 30 years, and who
has never missed attending district, county and
State conventions and advocating and voting
for resolutions asserting adhesion to the princi-
pies OF pronlDltlon and demanding t13r3pgn
he curiosity?
An oculist in Breslau has recently
treated 300 cases of defective eyesighr, for
which the cause was not apparent. 1t rose as
suddenly as an epidemic, and was confined to
men entirely At last he found the reason for
it in new fashion of very tight shirt collars.
He made the young men unb1tton their col
lars and their eyes got well
1t is proposed now to girdle the globe
in an entirely original fashion. William
Becker, otherwise king of the Tramps," who
lately Travelled from Boston to San Francisco
and returned in q days, without spending
cent for food or railroad fare, offers to wager
$500 that no can do the same thing with the
earth on the same conditions in 1O2 days.
There is an interesting. scheme for es--
tablishing floating hotel at Hong Kong. The
vessel is to have three decks, the lower being
arranged for dining, billiard, smoking and card
rooms. The main deck will contain drawing
room, q bedrooms, each with full-sized bath
and dressing room, while the upper, or spar
deck, has been arranged as promenade.
Nineteen years ago Gratiot county,
Mich, farmer refused to let his daughter go to
a candy pull. She went though and remained
away. Last week she drove up to her fathers
door, lifted out her II children, cody took OF
her wraps and astonished her father by declar-
ing that she had concluded to return and stay
home, and hereafter be an obedient daughter.
English ladies are adopting the fashion
of putting their maids who wait at table in liv-
cry. The skirts plain of these livery gowns
and of the heraldIc eolor of the house. All the
pleats are thrown behi- d Then the wastcoat
and jacket srImme with livery bands, but
tons and crests or monograms in metal. A high
stiff white collar. white cuffs and tiny white
cap like topknot complete this livery.
An extraordinary bank note made its
appearance at the First National Bank in this
city the other morning. IL was a national cur
rencv note on a Kansas City bank, with face
value of $50. but its back was printed from
SlO0 note plate, while the number was inscribed
upside down. Inc note IS Te0aTueu as great
curiosity and such freak, it is said, has never
before been seen outside Of the Treasury De-
partment. Indeed, tho bank officials are at
loss to explain how it could have got into cir
cuIauion II is worth It's face value, S0O but as
curiosity 1t is valued at more than double
that amount.
Frank O'Bryan, solicitor of the Atlanta,
Ga, district, left his home at Sans Souci at II
p NJ in his canoe which was rowed by negro
who had been body servant to George Wash
iugton. As the day was hot. Solicitor OBryan
recllned upon the stern of the boat with silk
handkerchief in his hand, an end of which was
trailing in the water. Feeling jerk, O'Bryan
flung the handkerchief inward. to find that he
had landed with it three-pound trout, which
had attempted to swallow the red end Of the
handkerchief. The solicitor at went
ashore and had ish-fry all to himself, when
he resumed his journey.