Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-02
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

Births exceed the deaths by three every
minute.
-Cherra Poonjee, in the Assam hills, has
rainfall of over 500 inches per annum.
Including the native troops, the English
establishments in India is about 10000 men,
Indian elephants cannot live in Central
Africa, the home of a larger and more hardy
species.
The yield of gold in Victoria for 1890
was $50, 10 ounces, which is the lowest yield
for Ten years.
The total amount of life insurance in
Great Britain is nearly identical with the
total national debt.
I'm propoption to population, Buenos
Ayres has the largest number of daily papers
OF any city In the world, viz, %.
AT recent English marriage ceremony
the bride was exactly twice the age and
twice the weight Of the groom.
AN artificial ice rink has been prepared
for the amusement of the Emperor Will
Jams sons in the garden attached to schloss
Bellevue, in the Thiergarten. The young
Crown Prince and Prince Fritz are good
skaters.
"A Burlington woman refused to con-
tribute to the fund for the support of her
pastor because he sometimes practices law
while engaged in the ministry She holds
that no man can be good Christian and
practice law.
The Congregationalists are the longest
pedigreed people in Kansas. They all trace
to the Maydower- Deacon Bradford, who
used to keep a music store in Atchison, Is
chief He traces to old Governor Bradford,
Of Plymouth colony.
With the issues of silver coin during
1890 the entire amount of the silver coinage
Of the new designs delivered by the English
Mint has been raised to E5.2j6 0C0 and of
this fS, 1872 900. or more than half, has been
taken by the bank of England.
ALFRED Tennyson has been England's
Poet Laureate since 1850, longer period than
the honor was held by any of his predeces-
sors. Colley Cibber enjoyed the distinction
1873 TO 1913; all the others from Edmund
Spenser down, for much shorter terms.
"A return has been issued at the instance
of Mr.. Herbert Gladstone of the number OF
Her Msjesty's ships which have been lost
otherwise than in action since 1s4O 1t is
shown that 70 vessels have been wrecked in
that time, beginning with the Spey in 1s41
and ending with the Serpent last November.
"A novel instance of spontaneous COM
bustion was a short time ago reported from
Irvine, N. B. 1t appears that a wagon of
limestone, having been exposed to rain in
the night, took fire and was Qufto burnt 1t
is supposed that the Stacking Of the lime was
sufficient to set fire to the woodwork of the
wagon.
Americans use an alloy of one-tenth
copper in making coins-to harden them.
The English use less-one-twelfth. Some
time ago the English Government filed two
spinning cylinders. one with English coin
and one with American, and set them both
revolving. The former wore away much
did.
The supply of human hair sent from
China to Europe amounted to ESQ 900 during
1890 It was exported from Canton and II
Consul Alabaster may be credited, most Of it
came from the heads of "beggars, criminals
and dead persons" The hair used in London
chiefly comes, it Is said. from South Germany
and the Pyrenees. Little is produced by
London hospitals.
"A sergeant, a 1ance-corporal and pri-
vate Of the balloon detachment of a Berlin
Regiment had very dangerous journey
lately. They went up at noon, intending to
go to Hamburg; but at height of 1000 feet
perature Of 11o below zero tCentigrade), and
were driven to Thuringia, where they
landed at about O'Clock.
"A pneumatic chisel has been intro
duced into stone-cutting establishment in
Germany. It resembles in appearance, q
syringe, which the operator holds with both
hands, and as he lets It slide over the sur
face Of the stone or metal the chisel chips
OF splinters and particles. Compressed air,
from 10000 to Il 900 revolutions per minute minute. %
The salary on appointment to the second
division of the civil service in England is
f70, and 10 rises by annual increment to
f100 On advanoement to the next grade
the salary rises by annual increments of f7
los to ESQ. On further advancement the
salary rises by increments of fl0 to ESQ
and there is still higher grade in the sec
ond division, In which the salary rises from
ESQ to ESQ.
The most prolific novelist the world has
ever seen was Lope de Vega Q5621635). 1t is
that 2, 300 900 of his lines were
actually printed, and no less than 100 plays
of his composition were acted upon the
stage. Montalvan records the fact of his
having written 10 acts in Is days making
FIVE plays in fortnight. II not remembered
for quality of work, Vega holds high place
In literary annals for quantity.
1t is stated that in India soap is regard
ed almost in the light of natural curiosity,
for It Is rarely II ever to be obtained of a
shopkeeper there. OF course, it is sold in the
larger towns; but the amount used by the
natives must be very small. seeing that the
total consumption Of soap in India last year
was only 5000 tons. This means that the
amount used by each person for the year
was considerably less than one ounce.
"A bit Of post mortem humor was
brought to light recently, when the viii of "a
doctor was read. In this docu.
nent the doctor leaves his entire estate to
mis- two sisters, and concludes with a clause
this extraordinary language: ITO
my wife, as recompense for deserving me
and leaving me in peace, / expect my sister
to make her gift of 10 shillings to
buy q handkerchief in which she may weep
after my decease.n
"A small collection of walking-stieks,
formerly the property of George Ill and
George ~, brought astonishing prices at q
recent sale. An ebony walking-stick with
,old top, engraved &c. R." and crown, con-
aiming the hair of the Princess Augusta
Elizabeth. Mary Sophia and Amelia, and in
cribed 1.-THE gift of the Princess Mary, 1904"
'old for ELS; an ivory walking stick, with
Engraved top, Ell; Malacca cane, with gold
op, Es; bamboo cane, with bloodstone
op inlaid with gold, and hazel walking
tick, with gold top, s13 los; tortoiseshen
tick, with amber top, and a cane with ann