Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-30
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

"A barber of Ionia, Mich, has broken the
recork by shaving man in 26 seconds
Numerous desertions from the army are
alarming the italian government The
causes are arrears in pay and poor food
Somebody who has kept a notebook
says that 1904 women have been murdered
by drunken husbands since January l. 1889
e. A. Howard, of Belfast, Me-, has a
clock still keeping time that was a wedding
present to his grandfather in the fall of l765.
DR.. G. F. Rand, of Washington, DOS
sesses cur ous relic OF the rebellion 1t is
q piece of "hard tack" that formed n part
OF one OF the doctors rations just 30 years
ago.
Three telegraph poles, two 80 feet and
one 60 feet, were cut from the same tree at
Harlan, Mich, a few days ago. The tree
forked about the stump, which was four feet
in diameter
"A French mechanic committed suicide
because he had lost the power to drink.
| He left letter saying: "One small glass Of
! liquor makes me i'll now. As 1 cannot live
without drinking am killing myself"
Rev. A. X. Bates has resigned the
pastorate Of the First Presbyterian Church
| of Cadiz, o., and will hereafter serve some
congregation that cannot afford to support
pastor. He recently inherited large for
| tune.
"A jeweler at Akron, o., is offering
| gold watch for sale on q novel plan. The
watch is offered at $50, and the price is re-
duced 81 each day until the timepiece is pur-
| chased. II not sold at the expiration of %
| day, the watch is to be given to the first per-
| son entering the store on the morning of the
! 21st day.
"A curious example of natural "inareh-
| ing" of trees exists in Lawrence county, Ill.
The trunks Of two elm trees, standing about
20 feet apart, have met at quite a distance
above the ground, where they blend into
symmetrical trunk of large dimensions The
trunk is nearly 100 feet high and well de-
veloped, and wagons can easily be driven
through the great triangle which forms the
base.
"A curious old character known as
"Walking Davis is regarded as the fastest
pedestrian in Florida. When in his prime
he could walk faster than any river steam
boat could go, and frequently he would
throw the tow line of steamer from one
landing and be on hand at the next stopping
place to take the line up. Among the
darkies Davis has long been credited with
possessing powers of wttchcraft
The belief lately discussed that great
battles are followed by great rains is very
old. After describing the battle in which
Marius defeated the barbarians at Aque
Sextie Plutarch says: "It is observed, in
deed, that extraordinary rains generally
fall after great battles; whether it be that
some deity chooses to wash and purify the
earth with water from above. OF whether
the blood and corruption, by the moist and
heavy vapors they emit, thicken the air,
which is liable to be altered by the smallest
cause"
"A farmer in Hamilton county, o.,
found turtle and discovered the initials on
| the reptiles back, I'D. R." and Immediately
| under them those of "M. W. On the re-
/ or t1ndar shall
\ sulting the old people for several days they
| arrived at the conclusion that the Initials
| stood for "Dana Rossi'' and Matthew Well
| over" These gentlemen were pioneers who
resided in that township about that time,
and took this method of erecting to them
| selves a living monument.
] When Inventor Edison was an unknown
telegraph operator in Boston one of his
| pastimes in leisure moments was the
| slaughter of cockroaches by electrity He
rugged a little arrangement on the wall Of
| the Office which was infested with these
vermin, made of two squares of tinfoil from
/ tobacco packages. These squares were
| pasted on the wall very near together and
! between them was daubed some molasses
\ Each piece OF tinfoil was connected with an
/ electric current by a fine copper wire. The
| cockrosches, attracted by the molasses
/ would march in procession up the wall and
| as the bugs reached the sweet stuff they
/ would connect circuit between the pieces
| of tinfoil, the demise being swift and
i sudden.
Mrs. E " Bellows, of st. Louis, says:
| To any one who has studied botany and
kindred sciences there is nothing either
| miraculous or extraordinary in the finding
| of a diamond ring in watermelon, which
created such a sensation in Union Market
circles the other day. AS to how the dia-
| mond ring got in the watermelon patch no
| botanist knows or cares; but, supposfng
| that some one dropped it or hid 1t, the ring
| could make its way into the melon very
| easily, or rather, the melon could easily
| make its way around the ring Even a stone
is often found in fruit, and as evidence OF
the force of vegetable growth in this matter
may De quoted the action of a tree which
pierces fence through a mere knothole
when young, but eventually expands until as
much as a square foot is hidden.
Amen Rasi, handsome Christian As
syrian, who is now lecturfng in this coun.
try, says that men in his country live on
cents day. Women are sold as slaves to
work with oxen at the plow. In Damascus,
he says, there are 10000 Christians, 10000
Mohammedans and 5000 Jews. There is in
10 a building haunted by John the Baptist's
ghost. The door of the room in which he Is
said to have been beheaded is never opened.
The Mohammedans say that once long ago
some one opened it and the Baptist's blood
flowed out over the city TO the depth of five
inches 1t was the custom of worshipers
There were sometimes 800 or 400 pairs stand
ing in a row, and the poor people hurried
through their prayers first and then care
fully selected the finest footwear in the
row. thereby illustrating the great clever
ness of the Assyrian.
"A two horse van was standing on
Broadway near the corner Of Thirty fifth
street, New York. about o'clock Wednes-
day evening, with only little black dog. q
woodcock spaniel, on the drivers seat.
They were a quiet team, but something
started the off horse. The lines fell on his
back, and he knew, as all horses do under
such circumstances, that he was free. So be
startled to incite his mate in harness to bolt.
The little black dog did not bark, although he
was terribly excited. He scrambled on the
high seat to the street, rushed into the cor
ner store and then barked his hardest The
team started down Thirty-ffth street, but
soon a policeman had rushed to the head Of
the scared of horse, and the driver, coming
out of the corner store, caught the bride OF
his mate. Before they were thoroughly
pacif1ed the little black dog was back on the
drivers seat.