Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-09
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

The Empress of Austria's new palace at
Corfu cost $4,000
They have introduced the bicycle into
the militia of Connections.
NO bank can hereafter be established IN
Canada with less than ss5o,o1o capital.
In Vasten, in the Kongo State, the
first newspaper has recently made its ap-
| pearance.
"A New York clergyman has married
H. 600 couples and received over 10000 we'd
ding fees. ---.-
In Georgia barnyard is young fowl
| that is half guinea chicken and half just
plain chicken.
Smuggling continues to prevail to
great extent along the Canadian boundary
| In Washington.
The census report of Indiana is surpris-
ing, showing an increase Of population Of
less Than II per cent.
The eoldest known spot on the earth's
surface is near Werkhojansk siberia-sle
peioW Zero, Fahrenheit.
The Aerica1 Fisaancier says that the Nor
mons are making wonderful progress at col
ohiZa1ion III that country.
AT recent English marriage ceremony
the bride was exactly twice the age and
Mexico has a rock that serves ss Q
weather prophet by changing color with
every approaching change In the weather."
In Alaska huge brown bears, driven to
fury and desperation by the little Alaskan
mosquito finally tear their flesh and die In
agony.
"A Brunswick, Me-, young woman is
said to have found 500 different kinds of
flowers in a recent botanizing exploration
of Mt. Kineo.
AN old lady Of Salina, Kan, began her
prayer by saying: 20. Lord. Thou hast prob
ably read in the morning newspapers how
Ihy day was desecrated yesterday"
There are S5, 900 yards of cubic masonry
in the two ends of the bridge. The distance
between the New York anchorage and the
brooklyn anchorage is 8, Isl feet. The
weight OF the span Is 1000 tons.
The United States leads the world in
the numbe and extent of its Libraries. The
publibraries Of all Europe put together con-
tain about 2l,O00,O00 volumes those of this
country contain about 80, 900 COO.
The shell of an oyster in its native
haoltat is always little open, and micro
seopic, waving hairs set up currents which
carry the food plants to its mouth, where
tney are engulfed and afterward digested.
"A trial recently made In the German
army showed that dispatches can be sent
more speedily by horsemen than by bicy-
clists. The horses were not ridden at high
speed, while the bicyclists went ut full
speed.
1t is estimated that the output of logs
In the Saginaw district this year will be S4O,-
600. OC0 feet. decrease of about A. 900 900 feet
as compared with last year. The demand
for woodsmen is good, wages being from se2
to $26 month.
The San Francisco Bulletin directs atten-
tion to the queer circumstances that the de-
cline in the character and the capacity of
the State Legislatures is coincident with a
steady progress in the culture and morals OF
the community.
"A magistrate in Horncastle, England,
sentenced a man under the vagrancy laws
to seven days imprisonment for having
slept in stable. 1t was shown that ha had
slept there by permission of the owner, but
the justice said there was nothing in the va
graney act about permission, and to jail the
man went.
The statistics of the average size of
families in the various countries of Europe
are as follows: France, 3.O3 members; DEN
mark, 36l; Hungary, $40: Switzerland, 394:
Austria and Belgium, 4,O5; England, 4Oe;
Germany, 40: Sweden, AZ; Holland, Az;
Scotland, 446 Italy, 456; Spain, 465; Russia,
4S3 Ireland, $40.
"A "potato walk is the latest feature in
Southern Virginia. 1t is described as a
most novel and amusing diversion. To take
q large, knOtty potato from the floor in a
small teaspoon In a given length of time and
carry 1t the entire length of the room may
seem easy, butit is not. Prizes are given to
successful contestants.
Georgia is going totax bachelors. A bill
for that purpose has been brought into the
Georgia Legislature and the House Commit
tQa nm nd Can hos
it favorably. Under its terms it will cost a
Georgian S25 to begin the bachelor business
at 30 years Of age, and on a rising scale OF SIS
for years man of so and over will be at
the expense of 500 per annum for the priyi-
lege of going without wife.
In the new iron and steel works which
San Diego has just secured by raising bonus
of s2O0OOO the direct" process will be used,
iron and steel being made from ore withont
blast furnace operations. The ore is to come
from the neighboring county of San Ber-
naFdinO, or from Lower California Grade
petroleum will be the fuel used. The plant
is to be operated six months. and 5000
worth of iron and steel turned out before
the subsidy is paid. 1t is claimed that iron
will be made and sold for not over$l q ton in
excess of the PIttsburg prices.
-Iti not generally known. we believe, says
the Montesany (Wssh.) Democrat that a
woman contractor was engaged on the rail-
case Sophie johnson is the name OF the
lady, and she is now erecting q handsome
two-story building in South Aberdeen with
the money she realized from her contract
ing superintendent Clayton gave her q
contract for 10 stations but seeing she would
not get it done in time cut her down to ten,
which she completed in good condition. It
was q little strange to see a woman shovel
ing dirt on the railroad, but she seemed to
enjoy it. The limit for woman Is evidently
not drawn here.
Out at the Junction roundhouse in a
stall all by itself, at Jacksonville, Mich, all
festooned with eobwebs and covered with
dust stands one of the most interesting
pieces of "scrap iron'' in this region. It Is
an old switch engine used by the Michigan
Central company in its yards at Bay City 10
years ago. The engine proper is encased
and looks very much like a street car, save
for it's huge proportions. The water tank 10
after the saddle" pattern. and is directly
over, and confronting to, the curve Of the
boiler. When I'm condition, the funny look.
ing iron horse could pull 20 loaded freight
cars, but, nevertheless, was considered too
light for further service. 1t is many moons
since there was steam in the boiler of this
relic, and there probably never more will be
within it's iron stomach. Iron rust like
dyspepsia, has eaten away and DESTROYED its
staying qualities. The engine looks woe
fully lonesome in its dtngy stall.