Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-21
CURRENT CONVERSATIONS.

Will Reed, of Shelby, Mich, has pear
tree in full blossom.
Denver will initiate Chicago by build
ing a vast auditorium.
Berlin drank in 1889 269. 274, 100 quarts
of beer-that is about l5O quarts to every man,
woman and child.
The average hotel guest begins and con-
cludes his dinner in a half hour. Some, indeed,
in much less time.
1t is expected that the census DOW about
to be taken in the City OF Mexico will show
population of about 100000
The Government of India has decided
to discontinue the annual grant devoted 10 the
search for and purchase of the Sanskrit manu-
scripts.
In London the attendance of school
children is not satisfactory. rarely rising above
~ per cent; SO that every day some $1,000 chill
dren are absent
"A st. Petersburg journal states that
RUSSIAN civil engineer. NJ. de Nicaloff, has
Succeeoea In producing fuel from peat great
ly resembling anthracite coal.
The cost OF the West trial to Washington
county. Pa.. has reached 81. 100 %, and the Dis
trict Attorny's and Clerk of Courts fees and
some other expenses are yet to be paid.
1t has been calculated that it would be
possible to take from a section of the River
Negro lakes, occupying about nine square
leagues. upward of 100000 tons of salt.
There are from !, 500 to 1000 children
under Is years of age employed IN the manu-
facture of paper collars. while of those between
10 and 20 years the number reaches about 5000.
1t is now more than 1000 years since it
was first proposed to cut a canal through the
lsthnius of Corinth. but the work is at last un-
der way, directed by a Polish engineer, and
promises to be completed In 1892
The third sensation of the optic nerve
experienced by those using the electric light is
said to be due to the fact that the luminous
waves are of great intensity, and not to pre-
pondefance OF violet chemical rays.
"A correspondent of the London Specta-
tor claims that by mere suggestion of age be
can make hyDnotized youth suddenly look
oid 10 the extent OF his face muscles failing
in" and the "hue OF age" oVerspreading it.
"A lawsuit involving the possession Of
S2lOOOOOO worth of securities and gold, of l2OO-
600 sheep, and hundreds of thousands of acres
OF land in all parts of European Russia will
come 10 trial IN st. Petersburg in about week.
DIR. Mays, of Philadelphia, has recently
been conducting investigations to determine
what proportion of deaths among firemen are
due to pulmonary consumption. And he has
found that fremen are singularly prone to this
disease.
In 1889 there were CSC, ,OOO, 900 poupds of
tobacco consumed in the United States, 20. OOO-
OOC pounds of which was imported. There
were 4.eO0. 200 cigars consumed here in the
same period all but 10000, 900 of which were
homemade.
e. NJ. Carter, a colored man who lives
at Jumbo, Pa. is said to be the most accom-
plished whistler in the State. He can carry on
two and three parts of a tune at one time and
his trills and MARBLES equal those of the most
enchanting birds.
1t is not generally known that ink
stains can readily be removed from the fingers
with the head of parlor match. Moisten the
ink-statned spot and rub it gently with the
head of the match, keeping the skin wet so
that 1t Will not be burned.
The annual report of the Commissioner
of the General Land Office states that nearly
100000 acres have during the year been
transferred to settlers. The area of coal and
mineral lands patented has been largely in
creased over that of the previous fiscal year.
The Rail,ray Age, OF Chicago, reports
S,7S2 miles of railway constructed in this coun-
try during the first nine months OF the year, or
470 miles more than in the same period last
year. The South leads the wayin railroad con-
stru ction, and Georgia takes the palm with S23
miles.
The Montreal Chamber of Commerce
wants the Canadian Government to put a duty
OF . cents dozen on eggs from this country,
which is the size of the duty laid on Canadian
eggs by the Mckinley bill. Meanwhile, the
importance of the hen on either side Of the
border is exalted
In filling out the statistical sheets to be-
forwarded to the bureau at Washington, it is
found that there are ten public parks in Oak
land. CAL. with a total area of ISL acres of
winch seven are improved, with total area of
nine acres. One hundred and sixty acres si4 IN
the water park OF Lake Merritt.
The United States have ZIG, 500 miles
of telegraph wire, and in 1889 no less than S.
OOO,UO0 messages were sent through the country.
France has go, 500 miles of wire or which in
1859 were transmitted 3005O.CO0 dispatches
Great Britain has 10000 miles of metal line,
and in 1889 sent 30. 600 COO messages.
The extensive preparations for railroad
building in the Northwest have induced the
Seattle Press to make some calculations That
paper is informed that in the next three years
fully S6o.O Will be expended in railroad
building in the Northwest. The Great North
ern and the Union Pacific, it is said, will ex-
pend $50, 200. .OO0.
In 1864. while the Union Army was
lying in frone of Petersburg, Va, gentleman,
who is now Washington attorney found an
old family Bible, in which was a genealogical
tree of the Hatcher family. He did not sue
ceed in locating the owner until a few days
ago. when he forwarded the priced volume to
Thomas c. Hatcher, of Chesterfield county,
Va.
Several attempts have been made to es-
tablish the tack industry in the South, but they
have failed from difficulties in handling the
This branch of the iron trade is in
the hands of New England manufacturers and
is practically confined to Massachusetts. More
than two-thirds of the tack business is con-
trolled by the State and fully three-quarters
by all of New England.
Paris and London may soon be con-
nected by telephone. The two capitals have
already been connected with their respective
coasts by aerial lines, and Il cable to complete
the circuit is being manufactured. The cable
will be double one, and will be laid between
Kent and Sangate, the French and English
sharing the cost. The circuit be-
ween the two cities will be metallic one. and
will have the resistance of $500 ohms.
-Speculators have bought, for exhibition
the side-wheeler Beaver now lying
m the fats at Victoria, 3. G. According 10
ian Francisco paper, the Beaver was the first
teamer on the Pacific, and Came around the
orn in 1885. in which year it Is CANNED she
ras built in London for the Hudson Bay
trading Company She is 10I feet long. 20 feet