Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-23
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

| In the reign OF Henry VII. apples Wefe
| worth from Is to % each.
In Bulgaria only IL per cent Of the
population can read and write.
The dancing bears which are so plenti-
full in Kansas do not seem to affect the price
| of wheat.
The one part of the world IN which no
native pipes and no native smokers have
been found fs Australia.
| Soap is not much in favor in India. It
is said that last year the amount per capita
| used there was only one ounce.
The delinquent tax lists now running in
the Kansas papers are smaller than they
have been for a couple OF years.
Makers of porcelain in Limoges, France,
| send their most artistic products to the
| United States. American taste, they say, is
the finest.
An expert electrician asserts that an
electric train, making 125 miles an hour,
would require 1000 feet in which TO come to
a standstill.
San Diego treasury that were taken in at par
over IL years ago, and the treasurer has
never been able to pass them out at par
The same land in California often pro-
duces two or three crops year. In some
localities farmers have paid for their farms
from the sale of small fruits grown between
orchard trees.
The Hawaiian race has been steadily
dwindling in numbers during the present
century, and the latest century gives it O
population of but 1000, or decrease Of one
half within half u century.
A La Cygne woman has a sheet 90years
old which was the property of her grand
mother in Ohio, and was made from FAX
woven at the beginning OF the century. She
will send it to the Worlds Fair.
In London the omnibus fare from Char
ing Cross to the end OF the line has been re-
duced to halt penny. This was rendered
possible by reason of the receipts for adver-
tisements on the back of the tickets.
The detonation of new heavy caliber
gun at Ingolstadt, recently, smashed all the
windows of q railway train that was passing
the military range at the time. fortunately
none of the passengers were injured.
The custom house agent in Duisburg
assessed collection OF butterflies as 'poul-
try" for the reason that they had wings,
and it required much time and patience to
get the collection passed free as an OBJECT OF
science and urt.
I'm DAYS gone by it was the privilege Of
the Sultan TO indulge in the luxury of taking
coffee, there being such Il small quantity
grown. Times, however, have changed, and
now coffee is used in every household
throughout the world.
I'm Corea every unmarried man is consid-
cred a boy, though he should live to be
hundred. No matter what his age, he follows
In position the youngest of the married men,
despite the fact perhaps of having lived years
enough to be their father.
kissing comes high in Atlanta, Ga A
storekeeper there who "stole a sly one" from
a female clerk had toanswer at court for his
audacity, and was fined 500 He paid the
fine without hesitation, though he protested
that he did not kiss the girl, but only
touched her on the shoulder.
"A young girl of IA has died at Dussel-
dorf from excessive joy. She had been
promised one of the most delightful of
Rhine excursions, and the prospect filed
her with such overpowering joy as to pro-
duce strain upon the hearts action, and
she fell to the floor and died.
There are three curious families living
near Milan, Tenn. One family is composed
of four persons. whose average heig hit is
feet inches. The second family consists of
father, mother and daughter, who together
weigh 500 pounds, while the third has ten
members, with a weight of only 5l3 pounds.
"A curious memorial stone has recently
been placed in an old cemetery at Kingston,
Mass 1t is u rough block of granite five
tablet bearing a genealogical inscription OF
the Drew family, the founder of which, 1t is
said, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in
1888.
Lightning does some queer things, but
nothing like the following perhaps has ever
before been attributed to 1t: "a streak Of
Grand Rapids, Mich, lightning followed an
electric light wire into the children's de-
partment of st. Marks Hospital, cody
turned on the gas, lighted it and left for
parts unknown"
A Los Angeles paper saws there are
90 slaves in that city whose owners hold bills
of sale of their bodies and deal in them as
horses and cattle are bought and sold. The
slaves are Chinese women, VINO dare not at
tempt TO escape, as such an attempt would
mean death. They range in price anywhere
from $500 to S3,O0o according to their age and
beauty.
"A house at Richmond, Ind, appears to
be surcharged with electricity. The brass
headed tacks in the carpet, the stove and
the poker are heavily charged, and If one
shuffies his feet across the carpet and then
touches the stove it is at the risk of being
knocked down. 1t is even possible TO light
the gas by pointing the finger ut it. Experts
who have been called in cannot explain tho
phenomenon.
Miss Conant, a shut-in cripple of San
Diego, has made picture out OF postage
stamps WHICH SHOWS COTOnduO
Iona, the Coronado Hotel, and the sea be-
yond with the sun setting, and in the fore
ground the G. A. r. encampment. senti-
mel in full uniform and u G.. A. r. badge are
among the embellishments. The work is an
ingenious one and will be sold at the en-
for Miss Conant's benefit
An English bridegroom has been fined
for disorderly conduct during the marriage
ceremony lie was very shy and nervous,
and to give him courage" quietly took out
a flask while the clergyman was reading the
exhortation, and indulged in nip. The
church was pretty dark, and he thought no
one saw him, but in this he was mistaken,
for the clergyman knew the service by
heart and instead of looking at the book
was looking at him. He was fined IS and
costs.
Mrs William Astor has wonderful
snake ring which literally writhes in con-
slant motion on her finger. Its constructed
of flexible gold wire each scale being repre-
sented by IL loop of wire in which a ruby, an
emerald or an amethyst is firmly set. The
lightest movement OF the fingers sets the
wires uuivering, and the ring scintillates
md seems to go round the finger with a SER
pentine movement that has something eery
in it. 1t was made in Egypt.