Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

French statesmen have offered n reward
of 1000 francs for the best new athletic game.
The electrical industry of the United
States requires u capital of over $500 100000.
An Australian photographer is reported
to get excellent pictures of objects at distance
! of IS miles.
New York now has larger area and
mileage of asphalt pavements than has either
London or Paris.
During rain the water works reservoir
at Moberly. Mo-. caught enough water to run
the city six weeks.
"A retail firm in Rome, Ga, did busi-
ness of many thousand dollars last year and
lost only IS in bad debts
-Pleasanton, No, has the champion
pie eater. He is small coIored boy, and
swallows large pie at Two mouthfuls.
Kentucky has lost its proud position as
the best horse State in the Union. Missouri
furnishing the Test equines for either peace or
war.
Robbers are becoming so bold in ST.
Joseph, Mo-, that the business men of that city
walk in the middle of the streets in broad day
light.
AS soIons, under the new dispensation
in Kansas, the lawyers do not cut much figure.
The Legislature is reported to have only 8
lawyers and l15 farmers.
Important deposits of "smokeless" coal
have been found in the hills fIingng the Gulf
of Tonquin, China. one of the veins being l52
feet thick. The coal is anthracite, and contains
81 per cent of carbon.
"A Christian Science victim, who died in
Des Moines, Ia, few days ago, was fed by his
attendants while he was delirious with typhoid
fever, on sausage. turnips, crab apples,
saur kraut and pigs feet.
"A Japanese scientist has discovered a
new method of distIlling alcoholic liquors, and
claims to be able to make whisky twice as
strong and twice as cheaD as is now done with
out deterioration of quality.
"A wigmaker SAYS that the bulk of the
hair used in this country for wigs and switches
is imported from France and Germany. This
hair is less brittle and lasts longer than the
hair of New England women.
There has been invented a safe de-
posito:y for sleeping cars. 1t consists of semi
cylinder fastened under the window and
which can be locked. into which passengers
can put their pocketbooks, etc.
"A Philadelphia man has invented a
machine which he calls a readerscope. 1t re-J
fleets the contents of daily papers upon the
ceilings of barber shops, SO that the man in the
chair can read the news as he reclines.
"A prehistoric smelling furnace has been
| discovered near Albuquerque. N. NJ. Near by
a bar of pure silver was found. The furnace
had been filed with ore and never fired. It is
not larger than a common bakers oven.
The Russian Government discourages the
importation of machinery tools, books, pic
| lures, and even of fine goods. declaring that
| if the common people begin to get new thoughts
| they will be sure to plot against the Gar.
"A young man in Hannibal, Mo-, has
| made three attempts within aweek, while on
the street, to break away from a sweetheart for
whom his love has grown torpid, and IN the
4 f0f1a
| time.
The Arab ponies which the Sultan re-
Gently presented to the three elder of the Ger
| man Emperor's six sons are said to have
| pedigree which dates back TO the sacred
mare" on which Mohammed He'd from Mecca
| to Medina.
"A resident of Owensburg, KY, swal-
lowed pin years ago when he was child, and
| the other day 1t was removed from his side by
| a surgical operation. 1t had travelled all
| through his BODY. and phosphates had gathered
around it until it was as large as mans little
| finger.
More than 100 arrests have been made
in this country since Valentines Day of parties
| who "got even" by sending earicatures on that
| day. It's offense against the postal laws
\ and it is this practice which has brought the
custom into such disrepute that it won't be
heard Of after year or two more.
| "A Philadelphia lady, who has many
boarders, was telling friend in market re-
Gently what troubles she bad. 81 had pair Of
| chickens ready for the oven. hanging from the
| second story back. and somebody in the third
| story dropped bottle of hair renewer
them; and now I'll have to sings them all over
/ again."
The Mahoney family, of Chicago, seem
to have an inside track in the matter of getting
| offices. Twenty-six Mahoneys are employed In
! various municipal and county capacities the
| list being headed by State Senator j. B. Ma
| honey, and running down through building in
spectors. health inspectors. policemen and fire.
| men, to school teachers.
Recently in Portland. Me-, two ladies
| who had not seen each other for So years met
| accidentally. After mutual recognition, one of
| them recollected that at their last meeting she
| borrowed so cents of her friend and that the
| debt was still unpaid The lender had forgotten
/ the circumstance, but the borrower insisted
| upon payment of principal and interest.
| "A Chinaman of Omaha, Neb., received
postal card bearing polite invitation to at
| tend church, and stating hat he would never
| forget the lesson he would be taught. He went
| to church and returned home to find that in his
| absence he had been robbed of property worth
| SIS The postal card had been sent by the rob-
Der for the purpose Of Turing his victim away
| from home.
One of the electrical applications which
! will presently come into as general requisition
| as that now enjoyed by the electric motor Is the
| electrical heater, 1t dispenses with all dirt in
| the house, and can be turned off aud on Inst
| when it is wanted. A large percentage of the
| heat from a stove goes up the chimney and is
wasted, but as the electrical heater is light and
| handy, and can be moved from place to place
with ease, the full advantage of its heat can
always be secured.
Electricity is now being much used for
| the unloading of lumber and other freight
| from vessels in conjunction with a whip hoist
| ing drum. The power used is an electric motor,
| which is connected by belt with the shaft
| which operates the drums. Each drum is op-
/ Grated by lever and can be stopped iu an in
| stant When the lumber is drawn from the
| vessel a large hook from the wharf derrick Is
| attached and the sticks are transferred to any
| part OF the yard. The entire pulling. twisting
and transferring is done by electric power.
! "A new apparatus for water has appeared
in the form of a still, which is described as con-
| sisting of series of large hat disks of metal
| placed upright and kept in position by pipes
/ running horizontally on the top and bottom.
Water is boiled in a vessel and the steam is con-
| Quoted from the same to the dish through a
| pipe. The steam radiating from the water Is
| condensed in the disks by current Of air and
| the water is collected IN the bottom pipe" The
| size of still designed for family use has eight
disks and is SAID to disll gallon OF water in an
| hour
| An automatic machine which forms,
nils, weighs and seals packages has been in.
vented and is intended for use where large
quantities of tobacco soda, starch. ETC.. are put
| up. Its operations, while curious, are simple,
| the working gear consisting of a series of form
| ing blocks receptacles folders. gummers and
| feeders, which produce the packages smoothly
! and continuously. The forming blocks size the
| paper, which ls afterward instantly wrapped
| around them and folded and gummed at the
| end. The paper sacks thus made are then
| plunged into receptacles. filed, folded on top