Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-26
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

miles long and 200 miles wide.
Two aIligators fought for an hour on
Florida river bank one day last week.
South Dakota has now the largest arte-
sian well in the world. 1t shoots water 40
feet from the surface.
"Shares of Paradise are alleged to be
sold by the Salvation Army throughout
France at large profit.
A papier mache trunk is one of the latest
ideas. 1t is terror to the baggage master,
who finds it practically indestructible.
The freight movement in the United
States may be simply expressed by saying it
is equal to POO 0OO001 tons hauled one mile
each day of the year.
Australia delights in a fighting kangaroo,
which boxes, wrestles, knocks out and gen.
orally disports itself after the manner of q
professional prize fighter.
Near Buchanan, Ga, day or two ago,
W. A Keith found solid flint rock near the
center of the heart of pine tree. How the
rock got there is a mystery.
A piece of crown land in Pail Mall, Lon
don. has just been leased for a term of eight
years at an annual rent of sL525, which
amounts to SIS Cd per foot OF the area and is
nearly equivalent toa selling price of s5cO,O0o
per acre.
The N1cksburg papers report curious
accident on the Yazoo Valley Railway, a
branch of the Illinois Central. As the train
was passing through a field frightened
quail flew in through a window and struck
An aged lady in the face with such force as
TO destroy one of her eyes. The bird was in
stantly killed.
Near Lamar, Col, a little girl of 4
years wandered to the platform of an ex-
press train and was blown off while the
train was running at the rate of 30 miles an
hour. A locomotive was sent back. and the
searchers found the child at midnight sit
ting unhurt in a clump of weeds. and keep
ing very still for fear the Indians would
get her.
Two thousand pair of wooden socks are
knitted at the prison at jackson. Mich, each
year. The man who bosses the tailoring
department saws: IF a convict sees some
will not rest until he gets pair. OF know
why he doesn't They tear the toe or heel,
and then they try to make me think it Is
legitimate wear-out
Master Joseph Latham, aged II years,
of South Pasadena, has picked 1900 pounds OF
blackberries this season. Joe Is ambi-
ious lad and means to raise the figure to 2C00
pounds before the season closes II the
above figures are correct, age and size con-
sidered, Joe is probably the champion berry
picker of the country. What schoolboy can
show better record?
"A Congo native who has been taught to
read and write, has just sent q letter, his
first, to the archbishop of Canterbury. 1t
reads as follows: "Great and good chief of
the tribe of Christ, greeting: The humblest
OF your servants kisses the hem of your gar
mehts and begs you to send to his fellow
servants more gospel and less rum. In the
bonds of Christ, Ugalia."
The Milan Museum has recently come
into the possession of remarkable clock.
This unique timepiece is made entirely Of
bread crumbs. a poor italian workman
made it. Every day he set apart portion of
his modest meal in order to carry out his
curious project. The bread crumbs saved
by him he hardened by the addition OF salt,
and at last his tedious task is completed.
There is on exhibition in Detroit peb-
BILE, one side of which is miniture likeness
of face bearing the imprints Of sorrow
This little stone, which is about an inch long
and three quarters of an inch wide, was
found on roadway leading to the cross on
the summit of KofelspitZe. mountain over
hanging the village of Oberammergau and
held in reverence by the simple villagers,
who consider ft their guardian spirit.
There is on exhibition in show win
dow in Butte, Mont, a very large moose
horn grated into the base of a tree. 1t has
been In that position for years, as the tree
has grown around it so as to get such grip
on it that cutting the wood away is the only
means of separating the two. 1t is evident
that at some remote period the monarch Of
the woods was caught in a tree, and in try
ing to e1tricate himself the horn was broken
An old man named Nichols, a resident of
Battle Creek, who buys peacock feathers
and ships them to Chicago for the feather
duster industry. met two young men on the
railroad track Thusday. One of the chaps
held outa tin box on the end of a stick
Nichols attempted to take it when it ex-
ploded, shattering his thumb and knocking
~, uah hnno nnfNr 1uofr,t
hours later only to find his feathers and
money, amounting to about S., gone with
the strangers.
-Mademba, King of Segon, Africa, who
was elevated to his present position by
Colonel Archinard, was formerly in the
French telegraph service in Africa. Ma
demba is D native of the country over which
he at present rules, but was formerly Con-
troller of telegraphs at Senegal. Before
accepting his regal state he made it con-
dition that his name should continue to be
inscribed on the list of telegraph servitors,
and that his situation of King should be
considered as subservient to that of his
original employment
A Georgia man, who was not aware Of
the fact that he was addicted to walking in
his sleep, began to miss his clothes on awak-
ening in the morning. Four suits disap-
peared mysteriously, when he was con-
strained to offer reward Of $25 for the de-
lection of the thief. This prompted his son
to investigate. He saw his sire arise and
dress himself and proceed to a mill pond.
Here the old gentleman would disrobe, stuff
his cloths in q hollow log as far as they
would go and then go in bathing. When he
would emerge he would search vainly for
his clothes finally going home without them.
The young detective fished from the hollow
log every suit that had been lost and duly
received the promised reward.
The length of the carriageway on the
Brooklyn Bridge is 59Ss feet. The number
of carriages and other vehicles crossing
amounts in a day to 1000. From s in the
evening until O'Clock next morning about
800 carriages or wagons cross. Then the
number increases to 100 between and ]. and
200 between and 8, and to 800 in each hour
between in the morning and in the after
noon. From to and from to the crush
is greatest, and reaches 400 an hour. Be-
tween and it falls to 200 and between7
and to IOO after which business again be-
comes dull. These are, of course, average
figures, as the traffic varies according to the
wea ather and the season, but is always great
est between and 6 in the afternoon and
least in night hours.