Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-16

OF the entire creation will have to live
IN the bowels of the earth in the persuit of
air and water, which will slowly descend
toward the center of the earth. Deprived
OF atmospheric fluid, the surface of the globe
will thereafter have for temperature only
that OF interstenary space, say 100 centigrade
degrees below zero! And while our human
race will be reimmersed in the inhility from
which it had emerged for few thousands of
centuries, other humanities will succeed one
another upon the innumerable stars that
people infinite space.
POLLY TO THE REscUE.-A bashful
man, of Attica, n. Y, says he owes his
life's happiness to polIparrot 81 visited"
he says, sat one house where the girls, or
rather, two of them, romping, high-spirited
misses, took the keenest delight in playing
upon nv bashiulness, but secretly adoring
the other sister-the eldest-I bore this
patiently, for, while she could not always
refrain from laughing at her sistsrs' pranks,
and the confusion they threw me into, she
herself never teased me.
but to get to Miss Polly. She was a
green bird with a yellow head and a wicked
eve and habit OF walking in the flower
garden, where, in little summer-house
fitted up as parlor, the girls were fond OF
entertaining their company during the
pleasant months. This bird was sitting one
day on a trellis near by, when in a state Of
the greatest excitement, came to this sum-
mer psrlor, and meeting a servant, sent
Miss Nellie word to please meet me there.
had heard that rival had appeared
on the scene, and that it was thought
that the girl 1 had loved so long
In silence was favoring the newcomer,
but l had made up my mind to find out
the truth of the report by speaking at last in
my own cause. 1 had fully determined in
doing this, which seemed easy task till
caught sight of her sweet face as she ad-
vanced toward me, then my courage fed,
and in abject terror 1 waited for her. /
stammered out some foolish speech intended
for an apology and sat looking at her, dis
mayed to see how unusually quiet and de-
pressed she seemed, while Polly, walking
up and down the trellis, watched us both
suspiciously. At last, Just as l decided to
put it of, as had decided hundred times
before, that parrot paused in her strutting,
and, leaning over, urged, Kiss herl kiss
her, quick! you goosep My heart stopped
beating and scarcely dared steal glance
at Miss Nellie, but when 1 did she was
blushing SO divinely. her lips were so tempt
ing and, well, there was a look in her eyes
q
den courage, / leaned forward and with a
May l, Nell?' followed Polls sage advice.
Yes, my wife's name is Nellie, and Poll,
now gone the way of all flesh, now stands
upon our mantel, beautifully stuffed and
priced most highly.
CATCHING TURTLEs.-The most success
full method OF hunting the big sea turtles is
by means of boat and spear. The hunter
strikes his game and then the fun COM
mences. The monsters are not easily gotten
into the boat. One Of the means bv which
the struggle for liberty is counteracted is
exceedingly interesting and nearly always
successful, for when the turtle Is struck
down goes the diver, cleaving the water
like knife, and from depth of five to six
fathoms OF water he will almost unfailingly
bring the turtle to the surface. This trick
is in fact much easier than it looks, for all
the diver has to do is to seize the shell be-
hind the neck with his hands, lift the fore
part as much as possible, press his knees
against the turtles back and up he comes,
his fore hipperT violently beating the water
1t is then an easy task TO lasso him aboard
The best turtle divers In the Gulf of Mex
leo are the Seminole indians. They have
been known to bring an S00-pound turtle
from depth of 40 feet; but the Bahamians
are even more daring and successful. The
easiest way in which novice can acquire
the art is to jump on turtle while it is
sleeping on the surface and then hold on
like traditional "grim death" 1t may be
that thus rudel- awakened it will attempt
to get rid of its unwelcome jockey by plung-
ing downward, but you have only to press
the knees against the lower part of the back
and lift the front and you will master the
situation and the turtle, too. -.a..s ...-
THE PREHISTORIC MoA.-In the Mu-
scum of Christ Church, New Zealand, there
is on exhibition the remarkable skeleton of
a bird known as the moa, which was indigo
nous in that country, but is believed to have
been extinct for 1000 years. Even the ira
ditions of the natives fail to give US any
account OF this gigantic bird while it lived,
though their own tribal existence is traced
back for hundreds of years. The head of
the skeleton stands 16 feet from the ground,
and its various proportions are such as to
harmonic with the extraordinary height.
The bird must have been six feet tails, when
standing erect than the average cameleopard.
It's bones are still found in various parts OF
the country, and especially in caves where
they have been protected from the disinte-
grating forces of the weather.
The moa skeleton at Christ Church forms
the grandest ornithological wonder in the
world. What Niagara is to waterfalls, the
moa was to the bird tribe. 1t belonged to
the Titans who dwelt upon the earth, per-
haps in the days of the mastodon and the
dodo The extravagances of Baron Num-
chausen and Jules Verne can hardly exceed
the fact OF the moa's existence. It was
long time before the incredulous naturalists
could be induced to admit of the existence
of such bird upon the earth at any period,
but the writer has seen and measured this
skeleton in the museum of the thriving New
Zealand city.
THE WONDERFUL ALBATRoSs.-The
popularity of the flight of the albatross is
obvious to the most casual observer. 1t
scarcely ever plies its wings in vibratory
manner but sails upon the wind in any
direction it chooses, though what mysterious
power propels it with or against the wind,
who can say? If for a moment the bird par
tally aIights upon the water to seize some
object of prey, there is a trifing exertIon
evident in rising again until few feet in
height is attained, when all visible effort
ceases. 1t has been said that the albatross
might breakfast at the Cape of Good Hope
and dine in New York, SO swift, untiring
and powerful it is upon the wing.
The writer saw one of these birds cruelty
wounded by bullet fred from the ships
deck, causing it to fall bleeding Into the
sea. Singular to behold, it was then demon
strated that albatross nature is like that OF
the Russian wolf. The wounded and help
less bird was instantly fallen upon by its