Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-03
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

"A Dowagiac, Mich, farmers cow was
held prisoner six days by the cave-in of .
straw stack, and was only discovered by her
| hldeous wailiug.
No less than SO newspapers have been
started in the State of Washington between
January Is and June Is. of the present year. OF
| mountains.
Pigeon fanciers and flyers are interested
in the statement that swallows have been
trained In France to carry messages in the same
way as pigeons, and fly much faster and over .
\ longer distance.
The pumps in the Gold Hill mine at
Grass Valley, CAL, were uncovered recently
| after lying nine years under water They were
put TO work anu lifted water as well as the first
| day they were down.
1t is said Ed. Osborn, of the Waupaca,
Wis, starch factory will clear cool $4,000 on
| his potato deal this season. He contracted for
all the potatoes in his vicinity at IS to 20 esuts
and the chances are they will be worth 81 this
fall.
John Brunner, who died recently near
Morgantown, lived on the dividing line between
Berks and Chester counties, the line running
through his bed chamber, and it was his boast
that he always slept with his head in one county
and his feet in another.
The body of Eddie Fisher lies buried
beneath the sands in Torch Lake, Mich. Search
for the body proved unsuccessful, for the Cal
umet & Hecla stamp mills discharge into the
lake in three days enough sand to cover an acre
two feet deep, and his little body is there bur-
led forever.
Hearing a tremendous noise in the en-
gine room, an Auburn. Me-, engineer rushed
below to lind the governor belt OF, the engine
running wild and the room filed with steam,
lie Immediately appreciated the situation and
did what few men would-groped about till he
found the stop-valve and slowed the engine.
Dairy Whitley is fortunate Ann Ar
Dor colored man who had saved up $50 in the
| course of his life. The other day he wanted to
see how il would seem to have it all in his
pocket at once. and was walking along with the
air of real millionaire, until he discovered his
pocket had no bottom, and his hfe's savings
had been lost.
"A curious flower has been discovered on
the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Its chief pecu.
harity is the habit of changing its colors DUR
ing the dag. In the morning it is white; when
the sun is at its zenith it is red and at night ID
1t blue. The red, white and blue flower grows
on tree about the size of guava tree, and
only at noon does it give out any perfume.
"A sample of oranges plucked from trees
grown on the place of Thomas E. Halle. at
Kanapha, Fla, are of the early variety, Just
commenced to ripen, and will weigh about one
pound each. Mr.. HaIle's grove covers several
that it has become necessary to prop them up.
The crop is simply wonderful.
OF all the vegetables which furnish
nourishment to man. the banana IS the most
prolific. A single cluster often contains 160 to
lS0 pods, and weighs from so to so pounds. It
is said that 120 square yards of land will pro-
duce 400U pounds weight of fruit while the
same area will rarely produce more than 80
pounds weight of wheat or so pounds Of
potatoes.
"A. C. Christopher, of the Georgia House,
IN Orlando, Fla, has peach tree in his yard of
the large yellow cling-stone variety. The tree
is three years old, and has borne two crops
since the frost in March last, the first becoming
ripe in July and the second in August. and
there will still be another crop IN September.
The tree grew from seed obtained in Middle
Georgia.
"A fire ball, blue and white, fell in
Brooklyn, Conn.,, during a recent thunder
storm. One account says it seemed to come
straight down from the sky and hit the carriage
in which Mr.. and Mrs. Sperrv and children
were driving. All were hurled ouS of the
vehicle. Mir. SpeTry was badly burned and his
wife and two children were paralyzed. Neither
carriage nor horse was mucn injured.
Some very old relics were sold at the
sale of the personal effects of the late
Frederick Fox, at No. 323 Franklin street, Read
ing. waffle iron with long handle and tripod
also a steelyard with weights, I'D years old: a
handsomely ornamented waiter of unusually
large size over 100 wears old. and many smaller
articles. A 'grandfather's CLOCK" over l30
years old, was Kept in the family.
There is tree at Athens, Ga, which is
a property holder. In the early part of the
century the land on which it stands was owned
by Colonel W. H. Jackson, who took great de-
light in watching its growth and enjoying its
shade. In his old age the tree had reached
magnificent proportions, and the thought OF its
being destroyed by those who would come after
him was so repugnant that he recorded deed
conveying to it all land within q radius of eight
feet of ii.
Frank Werren, who lives in Shamoka-
wa, Ore, had little child almost killed by
rooster the other day. The rooster is of the
Leghorn variety and very vicious. and never
hesitates to attack anyone that comes within
its reach. The child, which is about IL years
old, was out in the yard, when the rooster at
tackled her, knocking her down and inflicting
with his spurs two deep gashes over the left
temple, and making an ugly wound over the
right eyeball. Had the rooster struck her a
little lower it would probably nave ruined the
eyesight of the left eye. The child will recover.
AT farm in the district of Forest Hall
one of brood of chickens was lamed. Unable
to follow the hen in search Of food. it was soon
half starved. The chick was recently missed,
and next day was found lying with three kit
tens, the mother of which gave the fedgellng
every attention. Every day the cat has carried
the bird in its mouth into the farm yard, where
IL has obtained food, and as regularly conveyed
it in the same manner back to lie with the
kittens. Through the care of puss the injured
limb is growing stronger and the chicken Is
thriving. The conduct of the cat has been q
matter of great interest TO the inhabitants OF
the farm, who have carefully Watcned puss IN
all her proceedings.