Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-14
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

Mr.. Stanley makes the length OF the
Nile 4. 100 miles.
"A permanent library, composed solely
of books written by women, is TO be established
in Paris.
Birds have a special mechanism for
sweeping the eye, rapidly and often, by means
OF third eyelld.
-England's military garrison in ireland
Is numerically larger than the regular army OF
the United States
The largest bear skin in the world is in
Kansas City. 1t was taken from an animal
"eiShing 2SOO pounds
According to a recent Indian statistical
statement the production of coal in all India
last year was 2045, ,359 tons.
The Knights of Pythias are so well
drilled that they could put an army of $1,000
men into the field at two weeks notice.
The tunnel suggested between Scotland
and Ireland would be about % miles long; the
estimated cost is fSOOO,UOO; and the worst
gradient In 1t would be in IS
The first Vermont marble quarry was
opened in 17S7, and the good preservation Of the
headstones in that vicinity is ADEQUATE testi-
mony to the quality of the marble.
-Pasteur's researches on the phenomena
of brewing led him to discover a number of
micro-organisms, the presence of which are the
cause OF serious diseases IN Deer anu OLleT Ter
menting liquids.
There are various degrees Of honor in
the Order of the Bath: it is equally bestowed
upon officers of army. navy, diplomatic and
civil service. difference in the badge distin.
gushing them, all using red ribbon
The Irish Order of st. Patrick was in
stituted by George Ill, 1855 Twenty-Five
knights, besides the sovereign and the Lord
Lieutenant of Ireland, complete its numbers.
Sky-blue is the color of the mantle and ribbon.
Among the measures devised by the
Russian Ministry of the Interior TO prevent
destructive fires in villages and small towns is
a law making it compulsory for every house
owner to have two rows Of trees planted
around his house,
1t is stated that Koch's comma-bacillus,
which is very probably the inducing cause of
that excessively fatal zymotic disease known
as Asiatic cholera, has its power of growth and
development entir ely arrested by exposure Tor
several days to an atmosphere of carbonle acid
gas.
The Garter, the Thistle, ST. Patrick, the
Bath and the Star of India are tine British or
ders conferred by the sovereign, according to
her will and pleasure. The Most Noble Order
OF the Garter ranks first. 1t was constituted
by Edward Ill and limited to the number of %
knights
1t was found some so years ago by
Cagniard Latour and Sehwann that the myste-
rious subs tance known to brewers as yeast or
BARN was really composed of a vast number Of
minute oval particles endowed with the powers
of growth and multiplication. and, therefore,
undoubtedly living.
The statistical reports of the Ministry Of
Roads of inter-communIcation show that from
1879 to 1885, inclusive there were s. 249 vessels
of various denominations built for the internal
trade of Russia Sixty-seven per cent OF these
| fa1r oil norfn Z Nau
The cost of all amounted to 5l90.2 .24S roubles.
The Marine Biological Association is
enclosing large piece OF sea-water at Sheer
| ness, with view to keeping young soles till
they have grown to their full size; but it is evil
| dent that the capture of young sOles to be
| merely retained and killed when mature Will
not prevent the Giminutlon OF the numbers at
| large in the open sea-
-"Corporations have no souls" is much
older expression than most people imagine.
| 1t originated with Sir Edward Coke, who in
| the sixteenth century was considered one of
| the best legal writers of the age. He says in
| one of his treatises: "COrporations cannot COM
| init trespaSs, nor be outlawed, nor excommu-
| nicated, for they have no souls"
Clocks are out of favor in fashionable
Partisan drawing-rooms; they suggest the hour
of departure to visitors too openly. Still, as it
| is inconvenient not to know the time, fashion
| sanctions an old watch hanging the wall,
| framed in an artistic drapery of antique
| brocade. The watch ought to be family heir
loom. the more old-fashioned the better.
In the &c years 1S61-1SS6 the total actual
! number of female suicides in Denmark was
| 2,S03; the calculated number was 2SO9 differ
| en:e of six only. The very modes of death are
| calculabe- For the same period the actual
| number of suicides by han ging was S.1OS for
| men, $50 for women; the calculated number
| was s. .l0T and l,56S, a difference Of one only
| on each.
| The Order of the Thistle has claimed
very ancient date for its foundation-evsn rs
far back as A D. 500; but it was either restored
| or instituted by James ", 1910 when he with
| II knights completed the roll. 1t now consists
of the sovereign and l6 members; st. Andrew
is its patron saint, and the color of the distinct
i've ribbon is dark green. The knights OF this Or
| der are invariably Scotchmen.
The method by which the sole searches
| for food is peculiar. He taps the sandy bottom
with his head, guided apparently by scent only;
when the tactile tilaments find something edi-
ble he Immediately seizes it with a vigorous
| and sudden snap of the lower half of the Jaws,
where the teeth are situated, but never snaps
| at anything not first localized by his feelers.
| He eats marine worms, shrimps and very small
| shellhsh.
1t is only during the last few decades Of
this age that we have become accurately
quainted with the nature and works of these
minute living forms, which we now designate
as heterogeneous, microbes, germs, or bacte-
ria. For much of this knowledge. and more
especially for the groundwork of 1t, are in
debted to the indefatigable energy and mas
terlY genius of Louis Pasteur whose name is
SO familiar in every corner of the globe where
civilization has made itself felt.
I'm strong liquids, such as sewage,
which is rich in food for most micro-organisms,
we Ind no nitrifcation taking place, but on the
contrary an abundance OF ammonia. In such
a liquid, however, the nitrifying organisms
bide their time, waiting until their less dis
eliminating brethren have consumed all the
available store of nourishment and are perish
ing from want; then they step in. make them
| selyes masters of the situation and convert the
| ammonia into nitric acid IN the way already de-
scribed.