Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-19
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS

"A colored man has been nominated for
Burgess of Marietta, Pa
Spring poets are encouraged at Lancas-
ter. A literary society offers prizes.
"A baby born at Spadra, Los Angeles
county, Cal, last Wednesday was ehriStened
La Grippe Brown.
twenty-five hundred amateur photog-
raphers have taken out permits to use their
cameras in Central Park, New York
The number OF German emigrants in
1889 was 90,259 In 1883 it was 98,5I5 Last
years emigration was less than during any year
since 1881.
Among the voters who cast their ballots
at an election held last week at Roxbury, Del
aware county, N Y, was Erl Gray, who is re-
puted to be los years old.
New Haven policy players have found
a new mascot in the numbers 72-6-1l. This is
known as the Nellie Bly, gig. and represents the
time made by that young lady in her tour
around the world.
AN American just returned from st.
Petersburg says there are only Is citizens
of this country resident in that city. If the
Minister only had to entertain his eountrymen
be could lay up some Of his salary.
"A farmer near Chanute, Kan, sold a
beef for 2 cents pound to a butcher, agreeing
to take quarter of 1t for his own use The
butcher charged him regular rates for the
beef, and when they settled the farmer owed
him 81
The winnings of Melehior Farkas. the
lottery swindler who was arrested short time
ago in Temesvas, amount, all told, to 655.OOO
gulden. During the quarter of a century in
which he carried on his nefarious practices.
he paid 100000 gulden for tickets and chances"
The rigid enforcement of the game laws
in the state of Massachusetts, will at no late day
result in restocking the nearly devastated
woods, which especially in the region from
Plymouth to the Cape are magnificent. AL
ready deer are seen stalking about near Sand
wieh, and In a few seasons quail and small
game will again be plentiful.
The family of Lyngos have long been
famous as bandits in Greece. The most re-
noWned was the old chief who was killed in 1870
BY his nephew, who gained reputation for
daring bravery in the Peloponnesus almost
equal to that of his far famed uncle. He was
captured, however, few days ago and now
awaits his fate behind prison bars OF one of the
villages which he often pillaged in days gone
by.
Two barrels of fish entirely new to New
YORK markets were received lately at the Full
ton wholesale fish market from the Bermudas.
They looked little like porgies and everyone
who bought them supposed they were porgies,
though four months ahead of the season. They
were pinfsn or Charleston Dream. These fish
are usually SO small of the South Carolina
coast that they are not used as food, on the
Bermudas they grow large and TAT.
1t is a strange coincidence that several
American clowns, and at least one English
pantomimist, have all died insane. Hitherto
the general belief among professionals has
been that the quantity of blsmuth used in
making up" particularly in America, where
the hair is cropped close and the bismuth
rubbed into the side Of the head, had great
deal to do with the disease. But one old pam
tomimist still living solemnly attests that, SO
far as his experience went, the bsmuth not
only left his faculties unimpaired but had the
merit of healing sores and cracks in the skin.
AT Montreal, Canada, an action of a
novel character is to be brought up before the
courts. The plaintiff is a farmer, who claims
from peddler the price of a nights lodging
and two meals on the ground that defendant
obtained the accommodation under false pre-
lenses. The arrangement it appears was that
the peddler was to kill all the rats in the prem
ises before he left next morning. When the
time came for the fulfillment of his part Of the
contract he cOolly asked his host TO bring the
rats before him and he would kill every one of
them. The farmer says he has been swindled,
and wants revenge.
Louis Crawford. an old colored man, liY-
ing on a farm five miles from Birmingham. Ala,
has a freak of nature in the shape of q razor
back hog, for which he has refused 500 cash.
The hog is a natural-born possum hunter, and
Uncle Josh has no less than 50 hides this season
as evidence of his hogs pr0wess. He was in
the city yesterday with his skins and his razor
back, which follows him around like a dog.
The old man tells very simple story Of how be
has discovered the animals queer instinct. One
night while going through the woods, he dis
covered the hog under tree grunting furi-
ously and rearing up against the trunk. Ap-
preaching the tree and looking up he discOv-
cred big, fat possum. Having a similar ex-
perience several times he came to the concIu-
sion the animal was natural born pOssum-hog.
and. making pet of it, he took it to the woods
frequently with splendid success.
The Allan Line steamship Scandi-
navian, which plies between Philadelphia and
Glasgow. made a narrow escape from total de-
sGruetiOn on her last voyage from Philadelphia
owing to the explosion Of a meteor on the
decks Of the vessel on the night of January q
last. She was in latitude Alag, longitude $500
At the time of the occurrence the sea was run
ming high and the wind blowing furiously.
Chief Officer Miller, who was on watch at the
time. says that a sudden gale sprung up from
the Northwest, accompanied by dense show
storm. with occasional squalls of hail and rain.
The night was exceedingly dark. In a twink
ling ball OF fire descended from the heavens
with a Kissing sound and exploded on the
decks between the main and mizzen masts.
Sparks we're scattered all over the ship and
hundreds Of pieces of metal few in every direc-
tion. Holes were burned in the decks, and the
widest CONSERVATION prevailed among the cat
tie that were being carried on deck. Several
of the crew were burned, and IL was only
through the persistent efforts Of the officers
that order was maintained. The vessels head
was kept before the bowling gale with the
greatest difficulty.
One of the longest law suits ever tried
in Austro-Hungary was recently brought to an
end in Buda-Pesth. Bishop Ladislaus Demendy
died in 1419 and besides the ancestral estates Of
lesser and Demendy, left more than 10000
acres of land to his heirs. The sway Of the
Turks, however, who seized the land, prevent
ed the family from gaining possession Of the
vast inheritance at the time. But after the
Turkish sway was over they took their case TO
the courts, demanded their rights and secured
a Judgment recognizing their title and order
ing the restitution in integIum. The division
Of the land was, however, no easy matter. The
number of heirs had increased greatly in the
meantime and 1t was difficult to decide who
was entitled to share in the settlement. The
first suit brought by the various pretenders,
was begun on September 10. l76S, and the final
decision obtained after a lapse OF III years.
The estate has been controlled, in the mean
time, by family council, but the costs of ad-
have been SO great that only 3S, 900
horins remain 10 represent the former great
fortune. Three hundred Of the 2 900 heirs at
tended the final meeting few weeks ago. The
awyer of the heirs laid before them a huge
Folume containing the family tree in all its
numerous branches. For this he received TO-
100 forms, in addition to 6,O0O forms voted him
Tor his services during the last three years.
bus 2, 900 forms remain to be
divided among the 1000 heirs. The share Of
zach amounted to II forms. after waiting 40
1ears
FANCIFUL OR FUNNY.