The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-23

MISCELLANEOUS.

"A thief was tracked in. New York
tho other night by tho trail no left of
stolen silver spoons.
Forty millions of humming- birds,
sun-birds, orioles, gulls, sca-birds, wax
wings, birds OF paradise and fly-catchers
are annually used in decorating women's
hats.
"A farmer near Atlanta, Ga, not
needing coffin he bought for his sick
child, tho latter getting we'll, mounted
it on four legs and used it as watering
trough for his COWS. With the lid he re-
paired his fence.
Tho Paris tailors arc organizing
against tho swallowtailed black coats
for dinners, thoatcrs, concerts. etc.
They intend to Introduce q garment of
lively colors, with silk Innings, cmbroid-
cry and brass buttons
According to q correspondent of tho
Topeka Capital, stock raisers have no.
ticed in the last three years an appar-
ent increasing sterility in hcifers. 1t is
ascribcd to the practice of dchorning.
The horns on the cattle must fulfil some
useful function or they would not have
been provided by nature.
"A laurel trcc growing on the crest
OF Sonoma Mountain is said to measure
around at the base thirty feet, and is
forty feet high. 1t Is estimated that
tho trco will make forty cords of wood,
and Mr.. Rickott has been offered So for
it standing. 1t is thought to be tho
largest tree OF that variety on tho coast.
"A dangerous adulteration of food is
found in Il baking powder sold under
tho namo of 'French Tartar" which,
according to the American Analyst, con-
tains varying amounts of oxalic acid as
one of its ingredients, somc samples
showing as much as forty per cent. of
this extremely poisonous substance
Popular Science Ncws.
"A Saginaw lady who by great effort
had procured pair of tho new French
gloves -thirty-two buttohs--was sur
prised and somewhat disguised tho other
day TO find them upon her little sons legs.
The shaver had put them on for leathcrn
lcggins, and they made him agood pair,
coming we'll above the knees.
1t is said that Stiles McNalon, nine
ty-four years of age. of Barre, VT,
lately walked from Montpelier to FL
moro Pond, a distance Of twenty miles,
before $50 p. m. He refused several
offers to ride. and only stopped to take
breakfast He says he never had "a doc
tor in his life, mover woro glasses and
can hear rs we'll as over.
The disappearance OF tho mackcrel
gull from Maine waters is DUE accord
ing to tho Biddeford Times, ''to the
mcrcilcss work of the mon who supply
the milliners with plumcs. For tho
mackerel gull they paid ten cents each,
price so renumcrativc to professional
gunncrs that these birds wcro in tho
short space OF two years practically OK
terminated. All of tho snipc family
were also in great demand: even tho lit
tie oX-eyc did not escape, for single
order was placed for coo, coo of these ut
three cents each to fill an English con-
tract"
Tho printing press has mado Prcsi-
dents. killed poets, furnished bustles
for beauty, and polished genius with
the sandpapcr Of its criticism. 1t has
made tho world get up to roll-call every
morning, and 10 tho pulpit it has given
lungs OF iron and Il voice of steam. 1t
has set the price on bushel of wheat.
and made tho country postonicc tho
glimmering goal OF tho rural scribe. 1t
has curtailed the power of kings, ON
bcllishod tho pantry shelves and burstod
rings; but it can't get n woman's name
right i'll marriage notice to save it
Rams Horn.
"A strange bird that camo from tho
swamps OF lower South Carolina is Mon
toned by the Charleston News and
Courier. Roughly described, it is about
tho size of hen, but with wings twice
tho length. The wings present hand
some plumage of yellow and black. with
small polka dots over the feathers Tho
feot arc like those of an eagle, with
long. sharp claws. Tho most peculiar
thing about the bird is it's head which
has the remarkable shape Of heart,
and is covered with white feathers. Tho
bill is shaped like that of human
nose, so that the head, with tho almond
shaped eyes, looks moro like tho face OF
a human being than of q bird -