Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-25
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

The first steamer that touched Astoria,
| Ore, after the recent blockade, dumped 80
| drummers ashore.
"A young lady Of Portland, Me-, boasts
that she wins enough money at poker to keep
herself supplied with gloves
| An ingenious Maine editors clever dog
prints his paper for him by means Of an animal
power which the editor has invented. One dog
can run two printing presses with 1t, they say.
"A little boy in Georgia who was kic ked
by mule, instead of saying naughty words or
going home crying to his mother. tied the mule
within hVe feet of beehive backed him rOuEd
to it and let him kick.
Philip West broke into the house of
Antonio Gillepi, at Wilkesbarre, on Saturday
night, and stole S160 Gillepi jumped out Of
the window in his nightcOthes and captured
the thief three miles away
The astronomers at the Paris Observa-
tory are in trouble over the projected building
Of a railroad near their establishment They
say that the earth tremblings caused by passing
trains will make their observations useless.
They will try to have the Governments order =
change Of the route.
The theater which the authorities of the
University Of Pennsylvania have decided to
erect will be used for all public lectures given
under the auspices of the University, for con-
certs and for the performances OF classical
VIII be constructed, about 81. 900
Because the Prophet Mohammed has
been represented upon the Paris stage the Mo
hammedans of some Of the Indian provinces
have been forbidden to attend theatrical per-
Iormanees OF any nature whatever under pen
atty of heavy fines for the first two offenses and
accommodation for the third.
Belgian farmers have become alarmed
at the way in which the frogs are beng ex-
hausred by French pot hunters, and have petit
toned the King to forbid killing frogs during
other game. The farmers regard the frogs as
valuable slug and insect destroyers.
The Pope is having his own monument
made 1t is to consist Of . large sepulehral urn
upon which will be life-size statue Of himself.
At either side are two colossal statues OF Relig-
ion and Justice, The statues are Of Carrara
marble, and the urn of pOrphyry. The work
will take three years and will cost S25 600
Henry NJ. Stanley writes to his London
publisher that he believes his new work viii be
in two volumes of from 400 to 500 pages each.
God knows there is matter enough" he says,
"5ut would wish to deal lightly with the whole
from Zanzibar 70 Yanbuya, that the book may
be Of as high interest as the main theme"
The Southwestern Railroad of England
has given up It's battle against the tipping sys-
tenn, and ordered down from its stations the
placaIds thar announced that employees were
Iorpldden to accept tips. In spite OF the pla-
cards the porters are said to have made an
average Of as much as their regular pay from
tips.
-Roneoni, the well-known singer, who
died recently. had but one fault--he sang false
and he knew IL. The first time be appeared in
opera in London with the great basso. Carl
Formes, he took Formes aside after the per-
formance and said: Until this eYening,I have
never been jealous Of anyone. but l am jealous
Of you" "Why?' Because you sing still
more out Of tune than do"
"A new swindle has appeared in Europe.
Prominent persons receive letters dated at the
military prison in Madrid purporting to come
from the late Secretary of the Egyptian Mahdi,
who knows where 40O0OOO of francs are con-
cealed. He asks q small sum to satisfy the
creditors who keep him in prison, in return for
transparent trick makes many dupes.
"A Congo native who has been taught to
read and write, has Just sent q letter, his first,
to the Archbishop of Canterbury. II is as fol-
lows: Great and Good Chief Of the Tribe Of
Christ. greeting: The humblest of your servants
kisses the hem OF your garment, and begs you
to send to his fellow servants more gospel and
less rum In the bonds of Christ, Ugalla.' It
seems to US that the letter hits the nail pretty
efectually on the head.
The directors of the De Beers Company
in the Kimberley, South Africa, mines gave a
Christmas picnic to their 1900 employees at
which were eaten l, 200 fowls. 400 turkeys, $50
geese, 100 hams, 900 pounds of spiced, roast
and boiled beef, and ], 800 pigeon, veal and ham.
and chicken and ham pies, washed down with
400 bottles OF English and German beer, 100
cases Of champagne, 200 cases Of claret, and 100
cases Of Burgundy, besides brandy and whisky.
William Rookie !eIler, of the Standard
Oil Company, kept fine herd of deer at his
former home, near Greenwich, Conn, for a
number of years until this winter. His new
home at TarrytoWn is completed, and one Of
his preparations for removal was the sale of his
herd of deer. Two of the finest Of the herd, a
pair of red deer, as large as American elk. he
has given to the city Of New York for the Gen.
tral Park menagerie. They are the genuine
European red deer, not the misnamed Vir-
Eint3 variety.
"A citizen Of Paris, Tex, aroused by the
barking of his dog. went out and discovered a
man in his apple orchard acting strangely.
When he approached the tree where the man
stood the man suddenly disappeared. Several
times be went up to the 1gure. which became
invisible when he reached the spot where it
stood, though women who we're watching could
see the mysterious stranger standing
BY his side Now he is wondering how the dog
and the women could see ghost that was in
visible to him.
"A French millionaire named Ramoud-
ng. spending the winter at Nice, few weeks
ago ordered a coffin Of special pattern. and
purchased ground in a cemetery upon which he
had vault built under his personal supervis-
on with room for three coffins. Il want room
,nough to be quite at ease" he said TO friend
who asked him Why be made it so large. When
III was done he shot himself dead in his room
It the boteL after having made a will leaving
III his money to the widows and orphans OF
nen killed in the recent explosions in the mines
Vt st. Etienne.
The Highbury Place Strie! Baptist
Church in London admitted to membership
without regular immersion lady afflicted with
which made it almost impossible for
Ter to undergo the ceremony Of immersion.
FOR this the church was expelled from the Or
'anization Of strict Baptist Churches, and,
Ifter long fight, the congregation and elders
ave Just acknowledged their mistake In 'hav-
ng been too ready to accept the plea of impos-
ibility" and the matter has been settled by the
Of the lady seated in specially con-
tructed chair and wearing dress specially de-
igned for the occasion. Upon this the church
as been restored 10 membership.