St. Landry democrat., 1891-11-28
CURIOUS FACTS.

Po"uoi was Hrst maQe by monl
9 at Cologne in 1880.
Painting in oil was invented at BRUCE
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.
Farmers in Oregon have to maintain
an lncessant struggle against the persis-
tent spread of seeding trees over their
cleared land
In Great Britain land bears ten and
one-halt per cent of taxation, while in
France it bears twenty, and in Hungary
thirty 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-fve pounds.
1t is stated that in Sicily pigs are used
as the scavengers of the towns, where
they eat the filthiest of street refuse, over
which little bran has been spread.
The smallest tree that grows in Great
Britain may be seen on the very top of
Ben Lomond. 1t is the dwarf willow,
which, at maturity, reaches a height of
only two inches.
T. G. Kennelley of Lebanon, South
Dakota, sold his eight-legged calf to a
Chicago museum man for $1,000. The
monstrosty is the proud owner of two
heads, two tails and eight legs.
Professor Mendcleff has succeeded in
distilling petroleum from mineral sub
stances which cannot be distinguished |
from the natural product. This revives
faith in the belief that petroleum is of
mineral origin.
A curious white frog was on ex-
hibition in London last summer. It is
fullgrown specimen of a pure white
color, its ruby eyes fringed with a golden
hue, strangely contrasting with its pink
iris and milky cuticle.
In parts of Scotland persons suffering
rom epilepsy are directed to drink warm
water from the skull of person who
las committed suicide. If pieces of the
kull are powdered and swallowed with |
he draught it will be doubly efficacious.
A vertiable curiosity has been cap
ured in Africa. 1t is an elephant larger
han the late lamented Jumbo, pea green
4 color, trunk less, and has tusks that
ranch out something like the horns of
eer. 1t is in possession of native
mo. who will not port with If
Australia, it would appear, has some t
igantic caterpillars. A. S. Orliff, of i
ydney, mentions one moth larva, ! '
oundant during the summer season, t
hich is from seven to twelve inches c
ng. Species are numerous which vary s
ON six to eight inches in length. 0
In Germany and some other parts of t
e continent of Europe cherry trees are v
planted by the roadsides. J
ny passenger may eat of the fruit ex- +
pit that about which the owner has J,
'und wisp of straw in token of reser. c
ton, which intimation is universally ts
spected. tt
Crickets are bought and sold in var =
is parts of Africa. People capture :,
EN-, feed them and sell them, as the "
tives are very fond of their music, ~
mixing that it induces sleep. Super. y"
tons regarding the cricket's chip are 81
lied; some believe that it is ominous te
sorrow and evil, while others consider W W
harbinger of joy. i p
Here IS case of somnambulism for
l that is vouched for by competent
horities: A young man visiting
th, Me-, went to bed with the idea of
sing early and shaving. In the night 20
found himself on the floor. The next
rning he went to the looking glass CO.
prepared to shave, when he dis
cred that his beard had been removed pa
clean and nice as barber would have
lie it. On
IN Austell (Ga.) man boasts of
most wonderful squash of the day. ha,
has been planting the same variety loo
the past five years with the sans un-
wing result. From any one seed o,'
les up an ordinary looking squash 81; lI
3, of the bunch variety. Now upon t to,'
vine, when in full bearing, can be W.
nted seven distinct varieties. Easily -:
be distinguished the Patty Pan, Sill
obard, Gregory, etc. 1ro