Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-11
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

The La Plata county, COL, Treasurer
paid out $40 in bounties for bear scalps during
the month of May.
Sixty thousand blue gum trees have
been planted tins year on one ranch in Los
Angeles county. Cal.
"A bolt of lightning in Kansas town
recently struck house and set it on fire. and
at the same time touched off the fire alarm
The last day of February and the 4th OF
July always occur on the same day of the year,
The same is true Of May Day and Christmas
"A 4O-year-old wagon is seen daily on
the streets of Denison. Tex. 1t was made OF
bois dare, known in the North as Usage orange.
The census enumerator in East Andover.
N. h, made the acquaintance of man and
his wife who were rejoicing over the birth Of
their twenty-ffth child.
Twenty acres of cotton in full bloom,
with pink and yellow blooms hanging on the
same stalk, is a beautiful sight, and one that
can be seen at st. Francis, Fla.
"A diver who was working at the founda.
tion Of a railroad bridge near Boise City, Idaho,
gave signal to be hoIsted quickly When he
got TO the surface he held fast a 65pound
salmon that he had caught by the giIs.
The reason given why birds do not
fall from their perch is because they cannot
open the foot when the leg is bent Look at
hen walking, and see 1t close the toes as ID
lifts its foot and open them as 1t touches the
ground.
Standing near the yard at Jonathan
Farmers in ogiethorpe county, Ga, is a red
oak tree which measures q feet in circumfer-
ence feet from the ground. 1t is hollow, and
the recess within is sufficiently large to accom-
modate halt dozen people.
Down in Florida negro tried to steal
ride on cowcatcher. The engineer did not
see him until the train ran into a COW on the
track, when the COW few one side and the
negro the other, exclaiming, "Oh Lordy" 40
times before he hit the ground. He was left to
Keep the bovine company.
1t is reported that the petrifed remains
Of man have been found on Jack creek, so
miles from Rawlins. The body is that of a
man seven feet in height, and of proportionate
build. The find will be unearthed and taken to
Rawlins, Wyo. T., and will finally be sent to
the Smithsonian InstitutiOA. 3
"A dispatch from Pierre, S. D. SAYS:
About 7:30 o'clock last night clouds began to
gather and in 10 minutes rain began to pour,
accompanied by strong wind. Just about the
time the rain ceased small snakes from II to I6
inches long fell to the ground in various places.
These were coiled and when they struck the
ground seemed to he somewhat stunned The
snakes have blush color.
Last winter Luman Foote aseertained
that it would cost him SIS to fill his fcehouse
with ice, therefore he filled it with damp snow,
well trodden down, at a cost of sL25. The snow
has kept very well and half of it yet remains.
OF course he cannot use the snow in his refrig-
orator and ice pitcher but he places meat, fish,
milk, bntter, etc, on the snow in the icehOuse,
and such articles keep as well as they would on
ice.
"A Methodist church at Lowell, Mass,
has decided to use water instead of wine in the
communion service. One of the members, who
had been a drunkard, according to his own
statement, and had twice returned to his old
habits through the temptation placed in his
way at the communion service was the cause
OF the change. The minister said he could
never pass the wine to him again, and the
church unanimously consented to use water in
stead.
Last week, saws a California paper. a
negro killed a monster rattlesnake, six miles
this side of Glover Valley, on the Union Pacific
extension from Milford. The only weapon
which the darky had was in the form of earth
clods, but he succeeded in crushing out the life
OF the rattler, and upon examination found the
snake to measure 10 feet in length with 90
rattles and button on the lateral extremity
This would give an almost phenomenal age TO
the snake, making it about 100 years old. The
skin and rattles have been taken north to Salt
Lake, from whence it will be shipped to the
East.
MIR. Joe Mercer, living nine miles north
east of Hawkinsville, Ca. has a pig three
DAYS old that has eight feet. The hind legs
and feet are all right, but the fore legs have
three feet on each of them. Two feet On each
of the fore legs are perfect and touch the
ground; the other foot on each leg is imperfect
and does not reach the ground. The other pigs
of the same litter all right; and Ilis IS also
except i'll the number of feet. He gets about
as lively and as easily as the others. Mr..
Mercer is going to take particular pains to
raise this pig, and Barnum may get hold Of
him yet.
Last week Georgia editors little SON
caught two young mocking birds several hum
dred yards from the house and carried them
home and put them in a cage, which was left
out of doors. Next day the two young birds
were adopted by two old mocking birds and
they have been feeding the young ones ever
since. The same day the old birds began feed
ing them blue jay few up to the cage with a
blackberry in his mouth, and wanted to help
feed the Young ones. which so enraged the old
birds that they tackled the blue jay with great
fury and drove him away. While lighting the
blue jay the mock1ng birds plainly showed their
anger by making 4 shrill, di>cOrdaDt noise that
had no resemblance to the beautiful songs they
sing.
H. A. Martin, of Bennington, VT, has
started a somewhat novel enterprise. He has
secured large tract of land right above Ben
ington in woodland valley, erected hotel
and number of cottages, furnished. There
are numerous trout streams and a large lake,
plentfully stocked: in 1t anyone can angle by
paving So much per pound TOR their catches.
Up on the mountain about one mile there is
another large lake on which has been estab-
lished hatchery, from which the lake will be
stocked every season. Fishing
privilege can be bought. As this is somewhat
of the nature of a club a very attractive lodge
has been erected on the shores of the lake for
the convenience of the members. A number
Of gentlemen from Albany are interested in the
enterprise.
"A Glastonbury fisherman saw o big
water snake catch a trout the other day. The
serpent gided through still reach of meadow
water on the stream, few inches beneath the
surface, and sInuously and without making
ripple, darted on the sleeping trout near an
Dyerhanging bank of turf. The fish had not
time to make a movement before the black
serpent caught it by the tail. Then came the
watchful Glastonbury mans chance. He
dipped his trout rod suddenly under the snake
and threw both serpent and trout out on the
brink of the stream. Thereupon the enraged
water snake dIsgOrged the uouf, whose tail was
about half way down his throat, and started
Viciously toward the sportsman with jaws
agape But the Glastou bury man was ready
for the attack with club he picked up on the
bank and easily dispatched the serpent. The
trout was half-pOund fellow. 1t was the first
time IN his experience. the fisherman said later,
that he ever fshed for trout with a water