Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-15
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.
Africa has 700 languages.


Africa has 700 languages.
-Consulswere first appointed in 1885
The average height of clouds above the
earth is between one and two miles.
Chess is an old game. 1t was played
by the Chinese 174 years before Christ.
November was the ninth,month of the
year at one time.
Water sells for 10 cents bucketful in
some Missouri counties.
Berlin has /, ,315, 600 people who live in
only 800 buildings, an average of 49 to each
house.
Taurus is a fortunate country. Its
women are said to be models of physical
beauty.
Carp that have been frozen solid for 36
hours have been known to hop about in a
lively manner after being thawed out
AT recent auction sale of odds and
ends in Paris a woman bought an old mat
tress in which she found "A 900 francs in gold.
During heavy gales the waves of the
Atlantic are from "a to 36 feet inheight-half
above and half below the mean level of the
sea.
The loss of life on board British vessels
at sea or in rivers and hsrbors in 1ss9-9o
amounted to 4207, Of whom nearly one-third
were drowned.
-Papier mache oilcans, which are now
being made, are very endurable and imper-
vious to any spirit or Oil likely to beused in
q machine room.
The Russian Hebrew must serve in the
army, but can never be more than a private
He must pay taxes but can never be Mayor
or "elder'' of his town.
About 30 years ago there were upward
Of 10000 Irishmen in the British army
Twenty years ago there were "A 600. Now
the number is only 27,7s6.
I'm 1915 skeleton was dug I'D near
Mazrino, Sicily, the skull of which was as
large as a common wine cask. Each of the
teeth weighed seven ounces.
Lake Kenosha. Conn, has a wonderful
serpent. 1t has dogs face and is from Is
to 20 feet long. 1t lives entirely in the water
ana mas been seen several times lately.
The negroes in Louisiana believe that a
frissly chicken will eat mp evil charms that
may put about their houses, and frequently
keep one among their fowls for this pur.
pose.
Pencil tracings cannot be affected BY
acids. There is no solution or agent known
TO science which can dissolve pine carbon or
Its equivalent, plumbage Of which lead
pencns are composed.
There are now 120 women in the Berlin
telephone exchanges. 1t has been decided
their voices are much more audible than
mems, owing to the higher pitch
"A new element, named "damaria, is
said to have been discovered,in the crater OF
an extinct volcano in Damarland. 1t is
reported to have an atomic weight of only
o. or half that of hydrogen; and, therefore,
1t is the nShteSt known substance.
rTl
is believed to be formed of the neither gar
ment of Mohammed, and a pair of his pyja-
mas, which are reverentially preserved at
Lahore, are held by the faithful to have mir
aculously extinguished fire at that place
no longer ago than 1S49
New Jersey has developed an unheard
Of boy of years, who is already gifted with
moustache, and, as If in verifcation of the
common superstition that hair is sign of
can strike powerful blow, as well as lift
barrel of flour and set it on end.
Eight years ago RI. II. Bowles, of
Cherrydeld. Me-, planted in his garden a
small towering shrub. Near the shrub grew
a greengage and cherry tree. Last year
the shrub put forth cherry blossoms, but
bore no Sruit This year it produced lusci-
GUS fruit of the greengage variety.
The British museum was visited last
whom came during the evening This total
is greater than that for any of the preceding
four years. during each of which rather less
than 800. 900 passed the doors, but it is more
than 1000 less than the figures OF 1855.
Observation stepladders are the latest
innovation in the Belgian field artillery.
They are intended to enable the commander
of a concealed battery to better direct the
fire of the gunners. Every ladder is about
seven and a-half feet high, of iron, and
weighs about IS pounds. All ammunition
wagons will carry the ladders.
Judging from the number of children
who attend school the United States is the
best educational country in the world. The
number of children per 1000 population who
attend in the United States is 1877; in sw1tzer-
land, 179; Austria Hungry, l72; Norway, l54;
United Kingdom, 143: Sweden, l42; Neither
lands, 125: Denmark, l23; Spain, l06; Italy, 81;
Greece, 70; Russia, IA.
The number of newspapers published in
all countries is estimated at Al, COO, OF which
number about "a 900 appear in Europe. Ger
many heads the list with 5000, then comes
France with 4, 100, England with 1000, Aus
tria- Hungary with $500, Italy with l,400.
Spain with $50 Russia with 800, Switzerland
with $50 Belgium and Holland with 300 each,
and the rest are puDl1shed IN Portugal, the
scandinavian and the Balkan countries.
The United States have IL 500 newpapers,
Canada has 700, and Australia also 700.
Certain stones, from their magic prop
critics, have long been used as amulets in
different parts of the world. In India the
ssalagrama" stone is supposed to possess ex-
traordinary qualities It is apout the size of
a billiard bail, and is believed TO be found
only in the Gandaki, a river in Nepaul. The
lucky possessor of this enchanted stone
preserves it IN a clean cloth, from which it
Is frequently taken and bathed and per-
fumed The water in which it has been
placed acquires q sin-expelling potency.
and is therefore drunk and greatly priced.
We should be greatly surprised to see
our everyday bread come to our tables tied
with yellow and green ribbons or decorated
with golden stars, but there was time in
England when so simple thing as ginger
bread was treated in a much more extraor-
dinary way. In its earlier form gingerbread
was simply bread paste. with ginger and
sweetening added. A very crude imagina-
rion went to work at 1t, and the market
places were crowded with gingerbread
kings and queens, saints and roosters,
adorned with gilt crowns and scepters, with
halos, wings and tails.
HUMOREsQUE HITS.