Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-15
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

The first piano was invented as far
back as l716.
The population of the world doubles
itself in 26O years.
The apple crop in several counties in
Wisconsin is unusually large this year.
An Ashland divine has patented an air
brake which can be applied to all vehicles.
-"Slaughterhouse steak" is what young
shop.
The German Emperor has just had
miaagnlneent sword manufactured in Berlin as
glit 10 the Sultan of Turkey
-Roller skates were first patented by q
London iruiterer named Tyers in 1923 and his
pattern had one line Of wheels.
when the railway across Siberia Is
completea; it is estimated that the tour Of the
world In 5O days will be feasible.
"A Chicago cigar man is authority for
the statement that the better class of smokers
are returning to the pipe for comfort.
-Workmen have drilled to a depth of
nearly 100 feet for water at Calvary Cottage.
Wis, and have not yet been rewarded.
"A wild sweet potato found growing near
Paulsboro, N. J.. measured % inches In circuu,.
ference and weighed l21z pounds, it is said.
The Government telegraph service of
Great Britain transmits IL is said. on the aver.
age, l,53S, go words day TO newspapers alone.
"A Mr.. Ranshaw, of Meeosta, Mich,
was wounded while in the army and has ever
since been q sufferer. Last week his leg was
amputated.
1t is expected that the number of bodies
cremated in Milan will soon average one day,
as nearly 1000 bodies have been cremated there
during the last IL years.
"A Clarion man has unearthed cab
bage that weighed IS pounds. measured feet 8
inches in circumference and foot inches in
diameter 1t is Of the Flat Dutch variety.
There is living in Sylvania, Tioga
county. Pa, a veteran of the war of 1872
named David Smith. aged SO years. He is in
good health, but has applied for service
pension.
Among the bills recently presented to
Auditor Lopez of Los Angeles, was one for
sS72 for lead pencils for the public schools. He
refused TO audit the demand. which caused
much caustic criticism.
Among the queer products OF Inyo
county gardens are Mexican cantaloups. They
are two feet long. four inches round the waist,
and are shaped like the horns of Texas steer,
yet they are very fine quality.
There is q girls orphan asylum at Locie,
Switzerland. who receive large quantities of
old postage stamps from charitable persons.
An average Of about ESQ a year is made by the
sale OF the rarer kinds to stamp dealers
The young Viscount Belgrave, grandson
of the Duke of Westminster if he lives to In
herit his patrimony, will be the richest man in
the world By the time he attain his majority
bis income will amount to between $4,000 and
s20, 900 day.
"A Barneyald, Done county, Wis, man
swallowed large darnlng needle and went to
a doctor to have 1t removed. The doctor made
him sneeze, and on the third attempt the
needle appeared and stuck itself into pin
cushion on the doctors table.
For ITO years to come no man, woman,
or child will write the current date withour
using the figure 9; for nineteen years during
that period two mines must be written. OF the
people now living, it is safe to say that not one
will ever write the date of his or her own time
without using as.
"A Piute brave walked into the Colfax
Sentinel office the other day to see the paper
printed. He was in full dress, with feather and
linen duster. The foreman asked "Afraid-to-
why he was not IN the hop
field. He said: ME no like pickum hops, too
much stickum hands. My woman get 81 IS a
day."
Belle River, a little village II miles
east of Windsor, Ontario. is in great state of
excitement over the discovery of natural gas.
Men were boring for water on Eli Trudeau's
property, and at depth of s. feet a gas vein
was struck. The boring machinery was blown
TO pieces, and when the gas was lighted the
flame shot up so feet.
"A number of young men in the vicinity
Of Iowa Falls, Wis, planned to rob the melon
pa.ches of Brother Gardner. The deacon
evsned Of their intentions and concealing
l.leself emptied the contents Of double
)arreled shotgun into the crowd. A number
If young men were struck. The identity
II others were ascertained by the horses left
tied near the spot.
"A number of Sfax fishermen, near
Tuhis, were sitting the other day round fire
which they had kindIed on the shore when
sudden, there was terrible explosion from
the heart of the burning mass, one person
being killed and several seriously wounded. It
was subsequently found to be the explosion of
, she'll which had lain under the sand since
the Frenc,l bombardment in 1881.
1t is reported that three nails of thetrue
,ross have been found in a very singular place,
namely, in the ruins of the theater at Zurich,
which was burned down. They were in little
worry casket, Of admirable workmanship, to-
.ether with manuscript of parchment. and
we're bricked up within little cavity of the sub
1t is presumed that these relics were
hidden by monks during the Reformation.
-aenry McCabe, of Paw Paw, Mich,
las a hen which regularly lays colored, hand
PAINTED easter eggs, of assorted Sizes But she
the feat of her life Tuesday,
yhen she sprang a twin soft-Shelled egg that
the Siamese twins. as the two eggs
we're united by ligament of the same material
Is the shell. McCabe will put this egg, these
ggs, into an incubator, hoping to get Siamese
win chickens
"A singular phenomenon was observed a
ew weeks ago at the farm of J. A. Chase in
'ebec. The sun was gradually going down in
he west. aud as itapproached the horizon, what
ppeared to be small cloud was seen nearly
Inder it. This soon burst into thousands of
lobular forms which were brought apparently
" the air current in the direction of Mr..
,hase's farm building. and were distinctly
cen by himself and the other members of
is family. As they fell upon the earth or
ouched other substances they disappeared in
light smoke. While floating in the air they
Exhibited all the brilliant hues of the prism,
r rainbow. The children caught them in
heir hands but there was no residuum.
RAMBLES IN FCNLAND.