Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-13
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

The province oL Auof-N"O~ 10 WIG
Chinese Switzerland.
1t is stated that over S1,OO0,O0O are
spent annually in New York in public ban
quets.
An English company has made pro-
posal to the Legislature Of the Island Of Nassau
to lay cable to the coast OF tlorloa II an an
nual subsidy is granted them.
"A Connecticut boy is famous just now,
because he has tin whistle II inches in diam
eter several inches long in his stomach He
swallowed the toy while playing on 1t.
There are more than 200, 900 persons in
Italy who inhabit dark cellars, and 1850 COM
munltles which are poor that meat IS never
seen on the table, and bread only on Sundays.
"A ball was drawn 4,O96 times out Of an
urn containing an equal number Of white and
black balls, with the result that 2O66 drawings
gave white and 2,03O black ball SO that out
OF l,OOO balls there were 5O4 white and 496
black.
1t is an old remedy for the hiccough to
hold ones breath. and if that fails then to
eargle with a little water and if the hiccough
still continues to tickle the nose to the point Of
sneezing once or twice, when the hiccough is
sure to go.
In discussion lately carried on in Eu-
rope as to the distance at which large objects
on the earth's surface are visible, it was stated
that the Himalaya Mountains have appeared
to view from the great distance of pa miles,
and Mont Blanc 2l0 miles.
AN exploring party sent by the Govern
ment of Quebec to the head waters of the OF
tawa and the Gatiman rivers reports that there
are magnificent forests of pine timber in that
region not under lease, which ought to prove to
be valuable sources of revenue TO the province.
1t seems to be hardly so well known as
1t deserves that the sole is a very chameleon
among fishes. Like the leopard, he cannot
change his spots. though he can vary their
shade: but, unlike the Ethiopian, he can
change his complexion, and that to marvellous
extent.
Not few Of the phrases in use at this
day originated with Lyly, and are found in his
"Eupheus." a popular book published in 1850.
Among them might be mentioned "caught nap
ping" "a crooked stick or none," brown
study" catching birds by putting salt on their
tails" etc.
-rhlrty-four years ago the first expert
ment with telescopes at a high altitude was
made at Teneriffe by Piazzi Smyth far up on
the lava-covered side of Teyde, and the account
of his residence and successful observations
above the clouds forms part Of every astronom-
ical library.
Il. is reported that a colony of about Is
Northern farmers have purchased 200 acres of
land in Cullanan county. Ala, and will begin
cooperative farming. There IS to be joint
stock company with capital of S200,000 limited
to 200 shares, and no person can have more
than one share.
The meteorological observatory at the
Massachusetts, Agricultural College has re-
ceived delicate and expensive apparatus for
the measurement of the electric potentiality OF
the atmosphere. This instrument is the only
one of its kind in the United States, and one Of
the few in the world.
The percentage of Danish widowers to
bachelors marrying IN the years 1889 was 6S
per cent, as against s; and while out Of 100
bachelors of % who reached 40, II remained
unmarried, out of 100 widowers of the same
age. there was only l. A similar tendency shows
itself among widows.
In Paris it is not customary for patients
to wait In the ante-chamber of great physi-
clans, but inquiry has to be made by letter.
In some cases numbered tickets are given out
at in the morning. The physicians servants
do a thriving business selling sandwiches, etc.,
to the waiting patients.
Birds stand between beasts and reptiles,
but are widely distinct from both All beasts
possess, as we possess warm blood but the
blood of bird is warmer still. and thus birds
differ greatly from reptiles, in spite of their
possessing certain structural characters in
common with that cold-blooded class.
The INTRODUCTION of the custom of bless
ing water before the principal mass on Sunday,
and sprinkling the people with it. is commonly
there are learned writer's who trace it TO a far
more remote antiquity, and regard the words
of that Pontif as referring to an existing GUS
tom.
"A strange story is told of a marooned
Dutchman. The crew that put him on shore
at the same time buried officer. As soon
they had gone, the man dug up the coffin,
tumbled the corpse out, launched the coffin as
a boat and using the lid as paddle, overlook
the ship, which was becalmed. He was par
doned.
SO careful is the packing process in
| birds that the parts which grind the food and
act as teeth are placed. not in the jaws but IN
| the center of the body-in the gizzard These
parts consist of small stones. which most birds
| swallow for this purDose-alI those, that is,
| which feed on grain and other substances that
| require grinding.
The two sides of the human face are not
exactly alike, and German biologist asserts
that the lack of symmetry, as a rule, is confined
to the upper part of the face; in two cases out
of five the eyes are out of line and seven persons
out of every ten have stronger sight in one eye
than the other. Another singular fact is that the
right ear is almost universally shorter than the
left.
The term "blue-stocking" was originally
used in Venice about the year 400, to desig-
nate literary classes by colors. In Mills His
tory of Chivalry'' we are told that members of
Inc NaIlOuS dCdueiuIeS "eIe ulSLlnRulSneu Dy
the color of their stockings, blue being the pre-
Vailing color. The application of the term to
women originated with Miss Hannah More's
admirable description of blue Stocking
Club" in her "Bas Bleu."
Work has been begun on the most for
midable piece of excavation on the Nicaragua
Canal. 1t is solid rock cut about 13 miles
from the Atlantic end of the canal. A great
deal of dredging has already been done in the
low land from the shore inward The climate
is agreeable the health of the surveying and
working parties good and the progress made
thus far equals expectations. The engineers
confidently predict that the work can be COM