The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-09-30
CURIOUS FACTS.
:::z:ifrica has nearly 700 languages.


Gunpowder was first made by monk
1T Cologne in 1880.
Painting in oil was invented at Bruges
by John Van Eyck in 1410.
A squad of policemen in Philadelphia
now rush over their beats on bicycles.
A thunderstorm in hot weather travels
at the average rate of thirty miles an
hour.
The railroads of the United States
carry 1, 500: 600 passengers and 2, 900, ,00G
tons of freight every day in the year.
Farmers in Oregon have to maintain
an incessant struggle against the persis-
tent spread of Seeding trees over their
cleared land.
In Great Britain land bears ten and
one-half per cent of taxation, while in
France it bears twenty, and in Hungary
thirty y-eight per cent.
Defiance, Iowa, claims living skele-
ton in the person of man who is five
feet eight inches in height, and weighs
but sixty-five pounds.
1t is stated that in Sicily pigs are used
as the scavengers of the towns, wherc
they eat the filthiest of street refuse, ovcr
which little bran has been spread.
Crickets are bought and sold in var
ious parts of Africa. People capture
them, feed them and sell them, as the
natives are very fond of their music,
thinking that it induces sleep. Super.
stitions regarding the cricket's chip are
varied; some believe that it is ominous
of sorrow and evil, while others consider
it harbinger of joy.
q curious white frog was on ex-
hibition in London last summer. It is a
fullgrown specimen of pure white
color, its ruby eyes fringed with golden
hue, strangely contrasting with its pink
iris and milky cuticle.
In parts of Scotland persons suffering
from epilepsy are directed to drink warm
water from the skull of person who
has committed suicide. If pieces of the
skuR are powdered and swallowed with
the draught it will be doubly efficacious.
A vertiable curiosity has been cap
tured in Africa. 1t is an elephant larger
than the late lamented Jumbo, pea-green
in color, trunk less, and has tusks that
branch out something like the horns of a
deer. 1t is in possession of native
king, who will not part with it.
Australia, it would appear, has some
gigantic caterpillars. A. s. Orlitf, of
Sydney, mentions one moth larva,
abundant during the summer season,
which is from seven to twelve inches
long. Species are numerous which vary
from six to eight inches in length.
In Germany and some othe: parts of
the continent of Europe cherry trees are
commonly planted by the roads!des.
Any passenger may eat of the fruit ax-
cept that about which the owner has
bound wisp of straw in token of reser-
vation, which intimatioH is universally
respected.
Here is a case of somnambulism for
you that is vouched for by competent
authorities: A young man visiting
Bath, Me-, went to bed with the idea of
arising carly and shaving. In the night
he found himself on the floor. The next
morning he went to the looking glass
and prepared to shave, when he dis
covered that his beard had been removed
as clean and nice as barber would have
done it.
An Austell (Ga.) man boasts of
the most wonderful squash of the day.
He has been planting the same variety
for the past five years with the same un-
varying result. From any one seed
comes up an ordinary looking squash
vine, of the bunch variety. Now upon
this vine, when in full bearing, can be
counted seven distinct varieties. Easily
can be distinguished the Patty Pan.
Hubbard, Gregory, etc.