Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-08
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

-Ihere are always 0,5OO,OOO people on
the seas of the world.
The first Kings speech from the throne
Is said to have been by Henry l., 1lO7.
-Four millions Of money are spent in
London in three months in search of pleasure.
In Ireland belt made with a woman's
hair is placed about child to keep harm away.
The present Sultan of Zanzibar is a
young man of 81, and one of the 81 children Of
his father.
There are over 10000 children attend
ing the schools of London who are INSULT
ciently fed.
The Italian clergy, unlike those of
France, and for the most part of England also,
nave never made any objection to cremation.
When steamer passes over the Port
Huron tunnel the noise of the wheel can read
lily be heard in the hole which is at least 4Ofeet
under the water.
The largest reservoir or artificial tank
in the world is the great tank at Dhetar, 20
miles southeast of Udaipur in India. II covers
an area Of q square miles.
1t is stated on good authority that the
factories of England, France. Germany and
Holland produce about 100000 pins daily,
But where do they all go to?
The Arehduehess Marie VALERIE, of Aus
tria, has 1.2OO,C0O forms. which she has been
accumulating since she took to saving her al
lowance instead of spending it.
Warden Durston, of Auburn, has the
chair in which Kemmler was killed. Hence
the one on exhibition as such at Nine. Tus-
saud's. in London, must be slightly apocryphal.
Dozens OF boys, ranging from 5 to 10
years old, make from % to so cents day crab
bling along'the bay shore opposite' Ellis Island.
find nNt-11 l.
lngton Market
In Florida sugar cane grows luxuri-
antly without fertilizing and the average cost
of preparing and planting sugar crop there is
SlO per acre, as compared with SIS in Cuba and
S24 in Louisiana.
AT one time General Custer tanned
tiny field mouse. and kept it in large empty
1nkstand on his desk. 1t grew very fond OF him,
and ran over his head and shoulders, and even
through his hair.
Miss Clementina de We're, soprano in
DR.. Paxton's church in New FORK, receives
a 500 year for her services. This is said to be
the highest salary ever paid to q choir singer
either in America or Europe.
The tramps who gather around the old
Tweed fountain in City Hall Park at daybreak
every morning. lave their swollen feet and
DIoated faces alike in the basin, with scornfuI
indifference to social conventionalities.
While fishing off Fortunes Rocks the
other day at Biddeford young lady lost VAL
liable ring. Having occasion few days later
to visit the place she was more than surprised
to tind the identical ring lying in the sand near
the water.
Mrs. Elizabeth Merchant, who died
lately at Rockford, ILL.,, in the SIth year of her
age, gave a husband and IL sons to the Union
army during the Rebellion. 1t is not necessary
to go to the ancients for examples of exalted
patriotism.
For every ton of genuine ivory I'M
ported into Great Britain there are imported
three tons of vegetable ivory. 1t comes chiefly
from the South American Republic, of Colom-
bia, being the hard albumen of the seeds Of
the ivory nut palm.
1t appears that there are people in Italy
who derive q dismal satisfaction from being
admitted to watch the process of cremation at
a charge of As. head, and that it is the revenue
from this source that defrays the cost of cre-
mating the poor folk of the place.
Some workingmen digging on a road in
Jersey City Heights, N j., Thursday, found as
a depth of IA feet box containing over $4,000
in old State bank currency. 1t had probably
been hidden there years ago by some unknown
miser. The notes have no value now.
"A public clock is to be erected in Phila-
delphia that will take one year to place in the
LOWeTs ne minute naQu 10 De Il I6eI, anu
the hour hand feet in length; the bell Will
weigh ~, 900 pounds; 4 steam engine will be
placed in the tower to wind up the clock.
"A cork rope is the latest invention. 1t
Is made of small corks placed end to end, and
The whole covered with braiding of cotton
wine; over this is a coarser bratding In heavy
strands. According 10 the inventor, rope one
nch thick will stand strain OF 900 pounds.
AT Lake Pearl. Mass, Monday, A. H,
tempt to swim a mile run a mile, walk a mile
and ride bicycle a mile inside of one hour.
Heilborn accomplished the feat in 81 minutes
So seconds, and Richards IN 81 minutes ID SEQ
0nds.
"A prominent Denver man got married
.he other day. With somewhat unnecessary
letail the dispatch sent out stated that he mar
led Colorado woman. The demon of mis-
,hief who is always about on such occasions
,aused the dispatch to read that he married
'colored woman"
The man at the wholesale stamp window
# the st. Louis postoffice was considerably sur
rised to receive an unusually large order for
cent stamps. Frank Ruff, of the Anti Kam-
ia Chemical Company, was the purchaser, and
500 IN 500 bills covered the amount purchased
I took the postof1ice man just one hour to
nish counting the 10000 stamps.
The oldest and smartest man in Colum-
ia is Harrison I. Leighton. He is SO years old
nd has done the following amount of labor the
asst summer: Sawed and split and prepared
or the stove So hOrseloads of wood in sled
sngths; done all of his farming. except the aid
one days work; planted and sowed peas
nough to raise six bushels Of pods; MIXED the
ows and churned the butter.
1t is computed that at the opening of the
resent century there were about q, 900, 900 peo-
lie who spoke the English tongue The
people at that time numbered
bout 81 50O.O00 and the Germans exceeded
D. COO 600. The Russian tongue was spoken by
early 81, ,OC0 600, and the Spanish by more than
B OOOOOO Even the italian had shree-fouTthS
5 large a constituency as the English, and the
'ortuguese three-eighths.
George W. Keene, of South Boston, de-
,ryes to live until he is SO years old in order to
omplete his regard of mines. His father died
, 1859 at the age of 50. and was buried on
anuary %. Mr.. keene himself was married
Law 29 enlisted in the civil war July l9 1863,
as mustered out June %, 1865. and was dis
larged July 9. His son was married October
. On the 9th of August ne received AN injury
hich necessitated his removal to the City
ospital. but he was discharged on the 18th.
e is 50 years old.