Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-16
Reptiles That We're frequently Con-
verted Into Medicines in the
Orient of Ages Gone
AND USED TO DETECT CRIMINALS.
Bow an Italians Monkey Succeeded in
Knocking Down Portion Of
His Masters Receipts.
PRETTY POLLY TO CUPID'S RESCUE.
Wonderful Powers Of Flight Of the Abatruss and Mon.
stsr Prehistoric Bird

CtuLlg dcQulIeu Two specimens OF al alll-
gator from the Ysng-tse-Kiang, which are
the first living specimens that have ever
reached this country, saws Chambers Jour
nal 1t was only in the year 1879 that the
existence of an alligator in China was
definitely made known. Western biologists
were in this matter far behind their Chinese
brethren, for some of the earliest native
works contained records Of the presence Of
these animals; and there are even illustra-
tions which, although decidedly imagina-
tive in detail, portray with considerable ac-
curacy an animal evidently of the crocodile
kind. The N'go or To is said to reach an
extremely green old age, and it has fur
nished an expression in common use COM
parable to "Methuselah" with us.
The chief use of the N'go among the
Chinese, not only in olden times, but to-day,
is in medicine. But as you must first catch
your alligator before converting him into
drugs, elaborate methods OF chase are given
in some OF these old books. A work entitled
the "Pen Tsao," ignoring the question of
how TO catch the alligator suggests q quaint
recipe for killing it: "Pour boiling water
down its throat; after 4 certain time it will
die; then you can peel of the skin"
The Venetian traveller, Marco Polo, wrote
about these alligators; but his information
was apparently set'down from hearsay only.
He, too, recommended the use of the body
in medicine; the gall, he says, is an excellent
remedy for the bite of mad dog. But its
use Is not confined to this disease, for there is
hardly a COMPLAINT to which Chinese flesh is
heir that il will not cure.
Not only is this alligator useful when
dead, but it has its uses when alive; its bel
lowing foretells rain; and perhaps there is
some truth in that statement. Another old
traveller, Martini, relates a curious use to
which these reptiles were put. In certain
part OF China was a lake in which was kept
herds OF alligators. When his crime could
not be definitely brought home to a sup
posed criminal, the unfortunate individual
was thrown into the lake, in order that the
reptiles might decide his guilt or innocence
If innocent, he was let alone; but if guilty,
OevOured. This test sayors somewhat of the
ordeal by water Tor witchcraft; in both cases
the results must have been somewhat uni
form.
Alligators and crocodiles have great power
OF swimming, and can exist for long period
without food. Within the last few days, a
crocodile, which must have swum for some
hundreds Of miles, was recorded as having
been seen at the Cocos Islands. 4 somewhat
alligator at the mouth OF the Yang-tse river
within reasonably short period after leav.
ing hls ancestral home in America. But
there is no need to postulate even this feat of
endurance, for there is a natural bridge, now
incomplete, which once must have connected
the American and Asiatic continents By
this route, In earlier times, when the climate
was warmer, alligators may have migrated
and permanently settled in North China,
where they are now met with, though no.
where else in the Old World.
The MONKEY WAS A THIEF.-Frank
Fancy, an Italian organ grinder, 79O Win
ton street, was yesterday held in $500 bail
BY Magistrate Kane, upon the charge of
keeping a vicious monkey, which bit Harry
Mann, years, son of Mrs Kate Mann, 52S
cambridge street, and also for assault upon
Mrs. Mann, says the Philadelphia Sun of
last Sunday. PancY was performing with
mis- monkey at Fifth and Bainbridge streets,
on Friday. Young Mann was bitten on one
of his thumbs, and his mother pitched into
the italian, who retaliated by striking her
in the lace.
Policeman Ferris, Second district, ap-
peared on the scene at the height OF the
fracas and marched the combination of man,
raOnkey and organ to the station house. In
f.he pocket OF the monkeys red Jacket was
found fifty pennies This discovery as.
tonished the Italian, who glared at the ami
NAL and exclaimed: "It a thiefa 1t
kuocka dOwna on me. Giya me the penua."
Instead of turning over to the master the
pennies collected on the streets, the monkey
had sArewdly pocketed a percentage of the
receipts. Fancy attempted to capture the
i,tle rogue, but it fed TO the top OF book
case aud shrieked. Pancy was sent to prison
5r 1at1Y1I- Of bai1 ba 8
trouble is at the station house.
TRAPPING THE MINNow.-An ingen-
ious inventor has come to the relief of fish
ermen lately, by producing a minnow-trap
that is hard to beat. First of all it is who'll
" composed of transparent, colorless glass,
and is in shape much like big cartridge,
with pointed bullet in it. 1t is about two
and one-half feet long and as big around as
mans leg above the knee. 1t is hollow,
Of course, and what would be the fat end OF
the cartridge is punched in, like the bottom
of a glass bottle, and there is a small round
hole In the apex OF the cone thus made The
other and the pointed end of the trap is fitted
with little sliding door. This big glass
cartridge is intended to be set on
its side in the bottom OF a brook where
minnows abound. The cautious ones soon
become accustomed to ii, and the reckless
fellows don't see it'll they bump their noses
against it. Some nice bait is put inside the
trap, and the minnows soon find their way
into 1t, through the hole in the punched-in
end. The little door at the other end is shut
OF course.
The mInnows are unable to find their way
out because they follow the sides of the
trap and this leads them into the cul-de-sac
at the fiat end, all around the bottom of the
cone. They are easily poured out, how
ever, with the water in the trap, by holding
the thing mp, pointed end down, and OPEN
ing the slide door. Wire is twisted around
the outside OF the trap, and forms a handle
by which 1t is conveniently carried, and the
wire also protects the glass from injury.
END OF THE WoRLD-The air and
water OF the moon have long since passed
into its interior by the force of grayitatiop
and through its low temperature. By and
BY, having passed this stage, the dead star.
cracked in all directions, will break in
pieces, and the fragments will be scattered
along its orbit. This destiny of the earth is
still a thing of very remote future. Yet it
seems as il Tie natural evolution OF our
globe will cause the disappearance of life
long before the extinction OF the sun. 1t is
moreover, easy to see that in the geological
epochs lost in the night OF ages the vital
forces were more powerful than those OF our
days. We have pooot of this in the exu-
berance of life that then gave birth to ami
mails and plants beside which the present
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