Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-18
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

"A canary that died at East Goshen, this
State, few days ago. was nearly IA years old.
The twentieth anniversary of wedding
is never celebrated. 1t is considered very un-
lucky to do so.
"A Vienna suicide of genius painted his
initials and three crosses on a barrel Of vinegar
and then drowned himself inside.
"A chicken with four legs was recently
Matched out on the farm of l. Hof, in North
ampton township, Bucks county. 1t only lived
a few days
Joseph A. Rice, the popular Perry
county stage driver has been on the box q
years. In that time he has Travelled 247. 500
miles. making distance Of 80 miles each secu-
lar day.
General Fremont never wore glasses.
HIS eyes were as sharp and clear as young
mans. he was perfect physically and ap-
peared at least 20 years younger than most men
of his age.
The school board of shippensburg has
determined to furnish for scholars this year
free text books. stationery, and other articles.
For this purpose one mill has been added to
the school tax.
Union, in Tolland county, Conn, has
no doctor, no lawyer and no minister in charge
of parish. The only minister is an "elder"
with license to preach, who devotes himself
to agriculture.
Negroes of all ages are going to school
at Meansyille. One negro woman, 70 years old.
goes and carries her children. and a negro man,
S5 years old, attends school, and is in his
A B BCs.-Sdudnndh NelUs.
Robert Melhenny, of Plainviev, Adams
county. is the possessor of a turkey hen that
laid ten eggs while she was hatching; she
hatched out an even dozen of young turkeys,
and is still laying an egg every day.
Sam DeGraw is a Lansing man with
Santa Claus whiskers who hunts sparrows six
days a week, and makes comfortable income
therefrom. He furnished a large per cent OF
the 10, 900 sparrow scalps paid for by Ingham
county during June.
A wonderful wedding dress was re-
Gently made up in Russia for the da ghter of
great Russian artist. 1t is of regulation white
satin, but on the satin are innumerable little
pictures, chiefly allegorical, painted by her
fathers artist friends. What may be its value
IN years to come?
An Auburn, Me-, business mas was sur
prised the other day to see an old customer
come into his store and pay HIM bill, with in
terest. which was contracted 40 years ago when
he was doing business in another town. 1t was
small bill. and the one to whom 1t was due
had forgotten all abont it
Mr.. A. Montefore, who has been travel.
ing in Florida, and devoting a careful study to
the fruit-growing districts of that vast state,
calculates that the Americans eat more meat
in the course of "A hours than all the inhab-
itants of Great Britain, France, Germany, Aus
tria, Belgium, Holland and Switzerland put to-
gether.
There is an interesting scheme foI estab-
fishing 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 a drawing
y aOhp fyYI1r h,S6
and dressing room, while the upper or spar
deck. has been arranged as promenade.
English ladies are adopting the fashion
OF putting their maids who wait at table in
livery. The skirts are plain Of these livery
gowns and of the heraldic color Of the house.
All the pleats are thrown behind. Then the
waistcoat and jacket are trimmed with livery
bands, buttons and crests or monograms in
metal. A high stiff white collar, white cuffs
and tiny white cap like a topknot complete
this livery.
Autograph fans, a revival of an old
fashion, are made this season of ivory paper,
an excellent imitation of real ivory, and on
each stick the name sentiment and name Of
favorite beaux or friends can be inscribed with
indelible ink. II you number an artist or
musician among your favOIttes a sketch or a
bar OF music and the autograph can perhaps be
etched upon two or more of the sticks, along
with the name of the etcher.
1t is good deal easier to spoil knife
than to sharpen it. To begin with, a rough
stone is used too freely. Unless knife bas
very round or ragged edge it does not want any
grinding at all. and it can be brought into shape
far more rapidly and surely by the aid of
MILESTONE and little oil. ~ is no use LAYING
the blade fat on the stone and rubbing hard:
hold the back of the knife well up and sharpen
the edge of the blade only. If you know how
To use the back of knife makes an excellent
steel or sharpener, but the secret is hard to ac-
quire.
An electrical engineer of Carphin
claims the invention of mou hpiece for pipes
that will prevent any connection of the nico-
tine deposited in smoking with the tongue. He
makes "a hollow ball, with a short tubular or
slotted stem attached to it, which is inserted
into the usual orihce in the mouthpiece of the
pine or cigar or cigarette holder. so thas the
smoke shall pass out through the tube or
slotted stem and upper slotted part of the ball
and the tongue shall rub against the mouth OF
the orifice. and thus avoid or prevent the saliva
of the mouth from going or working back in
the mouthpiece."
"A discovery in chronological and Ma
sonic lore is announced by Rev Hackett Smith,
a rector of Lincolnshire. While in Lebanon
Mr.. Smith was admitted to the most secret in
tfmacy with the Druses for having saved the
life of a young man by sucking the venom of a
snake bite from his body. He was initiated in
and in these the natives startled him, as free
mason. by using the most characteristic of Ma
sonic signs. Hence he argues that the Druses
are none other than branch of the great
PnGnican race, whose ancestors supplied tho
Lebanon cedars for Solomon's temple.
Bacteria of various kinds have been
found in ice and snow, and DR.. Fontin, Rus
sian observer, has now proved that hallstones
are not free from them He has found that the
water produced by the melting of hailstones
contains on an average 729 bacteria per cubic
centimeter. Neither yeast fungus nor mold
was present. but nine different kinds of bacteria
were found, five of which-B. mycOides, lique-
faciens, luteus. sarcna lutea and aurantiaca-
are already known. As the ordinary dwelling
place of the bacillus mycOides IS the earth, we
are confronted with the fact that microbes Of
terrestrial origin may be carried up into the
air, and thus rain snow and hail may be the di-