Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-29
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.
Ice is s7Oa ton in Colon.

of every million people in the world 300
are blind.
-Gatchins, the Cars home, contains
700 rooms.
"A negro in Alabama lived for nearly
two weeks after drinking quart of whisky on
wager.
India takes the palm for cheap postage.
Postal cards cost half cent each, and letter
goes for cent.
of the 26 mobiles who signed Magma
Charta all but three had to make their mark"
being unable to write.
TO such an extent is ether drinking
practised in Ireland that it is now being includ.
ed in the teetotal pledge.
"A combined chemical engine and hose
cart has been patented by Chief Engineer
Attchison of Hamilton, Ont
London has 5000 families that live in
cellars; in some cases as many as II persons liv.
ing and sleeping in single apartment"
There are in the United States 81 CITED
with population exceeding 5000 Half
century ago towns Of that size were COMPARE
lively scarce in this country.
"A surgeon says he can take any human
face an with four cuts of the knife and a few
STITCHES so alter its original expression that
mans mother won't know him.
"A lady who advertised for girl f'to DO
light housework" received a letter from an ap-
Pile ant who said her health demanded sea air'
and asked where the lighthouse was situated.
Lancaster has soup house from which
ch arity dispenses bountifully of its products to
the poor, the material for making the soup be-
ing contributed in large amounts by the pupils
OF the public and private schools.
"A news5oy named Armstrong took Mrs.
nraO trvI,O 1Il -Ial
frmary at Cleveland, O., the other day. and es-
corted her home because she was too feeble to
go well by herself. Mayor Gardner heard eff
the lads kind act. aud "rigged him out" in
new suit of clothes.
There is temple of silva, near AlIaha-
bad, In India, surrounded by a high mound,
composed wholly of the fragments IF earthen
bottles. On one of the last days OF February
from ~, OOO to 10000 pilgrims assemble, each be-
ing provided with two or three eaTthen bottles,
con tanning water from the Ganges, and few
copper coins.
"A swimming glove, which insures swift
movement in the water, has been invented by
Spaniard. The glove has webbed fingers like
the feet of waterfowl. so that on spreading
out the fingers during the propelling stroke in
swimming. comparatively large surface will
be presented to the water, and consequently
the propelling action will be greatly increased.
A half acre of ground and $40, 900 worth
Of buildings slid OF the earth at Iron Mountain,
and into the lake and quicksand. Parts of the
buildings were carried so feet. Fortunately the
occupants were forewarned, and no lives were
lost. The bluffs are underlaid with quicksand.
which is frequently carried out by springs.
causing acres every year to move into the lake,
where the shore is not protected.
The Gar of Russiais said to have given
his son quantity of advice before he started
on his "globe-trotting' expedition. Among the
was the necessity of showing almost prodi-
gal profusion in his expenditure. The Gar
has also attached a photographer to his sons
SUITE and he has requested that all the letters
sent to him by the Czarewiteh may be accom-
panied by photographs of any scenes or cere-
monies Of especial interest
Rev. Mr.. Osborn, of Three Rivers,
Mich, is Baptist preacher who believes in
tackiing the sin of the world as he sees 1t and
thinks there is as much opportunity for mis-
sionary work in Three Rivers as anywhere
else. This style of preaching did not interest
or please the pillars of the church. and they
invited him to go elsewhere He went, but
not far. Organizing crowd of strong Christ
ians around him he built nice little chapel,
and that chapel was opened Christmas night.
In Scotland the parlor of the Comte de
Paris is exactly like a schooroom- Each mem
ber of the family has desk-table of pitch pine,
at which to read and write. Nobody must med
die with the table of anyone else. Silence is
the rule unless when the Comte or Comtesse de
Paris gives leave to break it. French visitors
get very tired of the domestic example set by
their royal host, The royal hostess, they say,
enjoys her field sports too thoroughly not ID
drop asleep the moment she leaves the dinner
table.
The possible danger in the wearing of
cheap combs and bracelets made OF celluloid
was most euriously illustrated recently in Paris.
young girl sat down before the fire to study
bar IaSsop She had on what is caIIed a sscror,
comb" As she leaned forward. the comb be-
came heated. and burst into flame. The girls
hair was partly bnrned off. and for a long time
afterward no hair would grow. as the skin of
the head was much injured. CeHuIoid must be
at 180 degrees Fahrenheit before it will burn.
The appliances for extinguishing fires
that are now attracting greatest attention In
Boston, as well other American cities, are
the chemical engines, which have been found
to give eminent satisfaction. their use resulting
in the rapid suppression of fires, while avoiding
the usual vast damage caused by water. The
officers of the Boston department. are very
warm in their praises of these machines, which
they claim have prevented very large losses,
which would certainly have occurred if the
hremen had to depend on the ordinary appar-
atus.
"A church society not far from Chicago
has struck method of raising the wind and
its church debt that beats fairs, kirmesses and
grab-bags all hollow. They extended their
large church debt for five years at 6 per cent.
Then raising $4,000 cash among the members.
they intrusted it to a sharp Chicago real estate
dealer and he went West. Near the limits of
one of the booming Western towns he pur-
chased 40 acres at $500 per acre. In other words
the church went speculating in dirt. 1t is Cum
fidently believed that IN five years those 40
acres will be so badly needed for building pur-
poses that people wanting homes will pay the
church $40 per foot or Sl60,00O.
The day after the tobacco factory in
Madrid was burned, 10000 women invaded the
palace courtyard. and Queen Christine gave
orders that delegation should be allowed to
come to her. It was a strange sight, says
eyewitness, to see these cigarieres, with their
shawls crossed on their hips and their red
foulard handkerehIefs on their heads, mount
ing the staircase of Charles V.-never before
so invaded. They brought with them little
boy about the age of the young King, who,
mounted on the shoulder of his mother, lisped
out little speech to the Queen Queen Chris
tine much touched, took the little fellow on
her knee and kissed him several times. The
Queen promised help, and IN the meantime
paye 81 600 to the cigar1ereS.