Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-11
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

at Amsterdam. n. Y, on account of low water
in the city reservoir.
"A boy in Peeksville, n. Y, is said to
have hooked in succession two eels whose COM
bined length was II feet.
1t is claimed that Tulare county. CAL,
will lose round half million dollars this year
for want of ships TO carry its grain to Liver
pool
AN excellent way of testing tea is to put
a teaspoonful in a glass of water and shake it
thoroughly. If the tea is pure the water will
be pure amber tint, but if adulterated, strongly
colored.
"A coroner's inquest in Chicago revealed
the fact that the supposed mother of the dead
palmed off child from an orphan asylum as
their offspring. The husband was intensely
angered and refused to be reconclled.
Miss Mary Lee, the youngest daughter
of General r. E. Lee, possesses wonderful
memory for faces and names. Even a casual
acquaintance met years before is not forgotten,
and meeting him several years afterward, she
at once speaks his name and recalls all the de-
tails of their former meeting.
Edward Orrin's American circus in
vaded the State of Zacatecas. Mexico. and the
day after its arrival an epidemic of measles
broke out among the inhabitants. Now all the
old-tlmers in ZacatecaS declare it was a punish
ment for allowing the show to come into the
State on some special saints day and break up
religious procession.
Henry Zuidema, 81 years old, OF Grand
Rapids, met a horrible death yesterday. He
left the elevator at one of the upper floors in
Rindge q Bertsch's shoe factory and coming
back moment later, did not stop to see
whethertt was there or not and walked OF into
the open well. He lived but a short time after
his fall. his back being broken by striking the
car in the descent.
Waterbury, Conn, has adopted an eco
nomical plan for securing new signboards on
the principal thoroughfares leading into the
place from the adjoining country towns. The
selectmen have authorized an advertising agent
to erect 30 of these boards. on condition that
the town IS put to no expense. The agent has
sold the advertising space on "a of the boards
TO Two merchants.
"A curious and unsa tisfactory state of
things has been brought about by recent
changes in the mail service in the northern part
OF Somerset county, Maine. AS the service is
now arranged, any person at the Forks wishing
TO send letter to Jackman or Moose river i2
or 10 miles away, must have it carried 40 miles
by stage and 200 miles by rail- so that it trayerses
four counties in its roundabout journey.
"A flower has been discovered in South
America which is only visible when the wind
blows. The shrub belongs to the cactus fam
lily and is about three feet high. The stem is
covered with dead, warty-looking Jumps in
calm weather.; these Jumps, however, need but
a Slight breeze to make them unfold large
flowers of a creamy white which close and aD-
pear dead as soon as the wind subsidies.
The new Masonic temple in Chicago is
to have Is stories and the roof will be 24O feet
from the pavement. The ground dimensions
will be 17O by III feet. The structure will be
facing will be is not yet decided. 1t may be
terra Gotta, stone or a special brick made for
this particular building In any case the ex-
terror will be but freprOofing, not bearing
any part OF the weight Of the building.
"A youngster of years broke into
house in Syracuse week OF so ago and stole
lot of jewelry. He was reprimanded in the po-
lice court but allowed to 90. Last Monday
however, he cut hole through a store door
filled satchel with plunder and placed it
where he could get it at night. The theft was
discovered and he was again arrested and con-
fessed to the charge of burglary and larceny.
This time he will be sent to some refOrmatOry.
AN Americas. Ga, citizen has a couple
of relics that have been handed down for zoo
years. One is a small hatchet, resembling the
one George Washington used, that given
him by his mother. who died Is years ago at the
age of So. 1t was given her by ner grandmother
when she was quite young. The other is pint
flask that is known to be l25 years old, as it has
been in his fathers family that long. 1t is a
queer-looking. short, round flask, with the face
of George Washington blown in the sides. He
will now give these relics to his children.
An interesting Indian relic was found
near Clark's station, Wilkes county,
Ga. 1t is an earthen pot that will hold little
more than a gallon, burned hard, and in almost
D perfect state of preservation. Some think it
was shaken in a willow basket as the small in
dentatious all over the outside indicate. Por-
lions of the outside are blackened from being
used on the fire. This pot was buried under
field that has been in cultivation for perhaps
half century, and the washing of the soil dis
covered 1t.
-Lightkeeper Rogers, of Straitsmouth
Island, off Rockport, Mass, reports that while
sitting on one of the headan Sunday morn
ing he experienced peculiar sensation, The
air seemed exhausted and he bad great diff
Guilty in breathing. There was a rushing sound
like that made by skyrockets, and there was
shower resembling millions OF stones falling
into the water, after which Mr.. Rogers noted
that the water was boiling. as If some large
heated body was submerged therein. He is OF
the opinion that it was meteor.
Michigan has entered the lists as against
Georgia for the shortest name on record.
Georgia scored on the name Asa Low and
thought it scooped the pile. Chicago stepped
In with Ed Six, which went Georgia several
better Michigan as usual goes better again,
and Coldwater trots out Ge Re, while Eaton
county comes up smiling with j. Ug. Eaton
shuttle. and has citizen whose name is John
Hole who writes the j. for John, and then
punches hole in the paper. Aaron Mark is
still living in Wayne county and makes line
On paper for his signature.
The long continued drought in Central
and Southern Iowa has brought to light the
petrifed remains of some antediluvian mon
ster over which the waters Of the Des Moines
river have rolled for centuries. The resting
place of this original first settler is in the bed
Of tbe river near the little village of Percy, in
Marion county. During the great drought Of
three years ago. when the river was lower than
it had ever been within the memory of white
men. S R. Dawson, gentleman living near
Percy claimed that he had found queer
thing" in the river near town. The present
iry spell proves that Dawson was right, and
that his queer thing" is an extinct monster OF
ripantie proportions. The head has become
detached and lies 40 or so feet from the body,
which is now about Is yards in length, notwith-
;tandlng the fact that several joints are miss
mo-. At distance of l3 feet from the tip of
he tail the stony monster is feet inches In
breadth.