Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-28
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS

for 81 years.
Maine has only 10 cities within its
borders. Portland is the Oldest city and
Deering is the youngest, having just thrown
OF town government.
The condition of the French army is
such, according to Sir Charles Dixie, that in
case of war with Germany the odds would
be IN favor OF France
The best proofreader in the United
States gets SO an hour for his services. and
pays a heavy fine for every typographical
error which he permits to creep into his
books.
-Four hundred intimate friends of
rich man in England were invited to attend
his funeral, but only 90 went. Eight days
afterward the lawyer of the estate an
nounced that according to the will each per-
son who had attended was entitled to a be-
quest, ego to each woman and E2OO to each
man.
The population of the globe (according
to Drs. Ernest and Benin, and Herman Wag-
ner, of the Geographical Institute of Gotha,
is about ,4s0, 600 900. In 1863 Benin fixed the
population of the globe at $50 900 900. IE
1880 he raised it to 1456, 600 0O0 and reduced is
to ], ,434, ,000, COO in 1852.
"A man who is running a clam farm
near Oldtown, Me-, for two weeks feeds the
clans on celery meal and Indian meal, and
then he boils them; bushel at a time. He
puts in one quart of water and takes out
eight quarts OF juice, which sells for D cents
a glass after it has been heated and sea-
soned. He feeds pigs with the meat, and
they grow fat rapidly.
Russia most people are accustomed to
regard as a very cold country, and so it is in
its northern region, but it has large area
in the southern part of the temperate zone.
1t will surprise many to learn that it has
area of vineyards amounting to about AS, $50
acres, the average weld OF wine from them
being $500 900 gallons, of which rather
more than half is grown in the Caucasus.
-Basking sharks, which at maturity
measure from 30 to 40 feet in length, are
easily approached and harpooned, and on
the west coast of Ireland as many as 500
have been taken in a single season. The
liver often weighs as much as two tons,
yielding to barrels of oil. A few years
ago. when sharks oil was of greater value
than it IS at present, the oil from q single
full-sized specimen would often realize from
$500 to $3.50.
The best known of the peaceable settle
ments of international controversies was
that between the United States and Great
Britain, in 1872, on account of the Alabama
Claims" which matter was referred to five
arbitrators named by the United States, Eng
land the Swiss Republic, the King of Italy
and the Emperor of Brazil, respectively. In
dispute between England and France in
1S43 the King of Prussia acted as arbitrator.
A controversy between the United States
and Portugal IN 1850 was referred to LOUIS
Napoleon, who was ut that time President OF
France.
The Pullman Company up to the first
of last August showed earnings close to slO-
900 600 per annum, of which the cars them
selves earn $7,s00,C0O. By manufacturing,
investing, furnishing offices, ETC., this com
pany earns nearly S2,0OOO00 besides, and
earns about $4,000 from its patents. The
company pays -. 600 year in dividends
pays over 81. 600 600 year to sleeping car
sociation5 which iG has leased or absorbed
and it pays over s., 100000 to operate and
keep up its equipment. There was conse-
quently an excess OF revenue last year OF
almost S3,000,0OO.
There is some reason to believe that
tobacco was used in other parts of the world
than America prior to Raleigh's visit to this
country and discovery of the habit among
the Indians. Throughout inner Africa it is
generally used, and, it it thought, has been
from soon after Raleigh's importation of the
weed into Europe, for it was carried far up
the Nile long before white men went there
But, while Africa may have got tobacco from
America by way of Europe, there is reason
to think that the Inhabitants OF some of the
Pacific islands had the plant, and used 1t,
perhaps, earlier than the American Indians,
for they have no tradition of its introduc-
ton, nor of time when it was not used by
their ancestors.
The young man may be int crested in
knowing who were some of the men who did
remarkable things or achieved high posi-
tfons very early in life. Charles James Fox
was in Parliament at 10. the great Cromwell
left the uni versity at Cambridge at IS; John
Bright was never at any school a day after
he was ID; Gladstone was in Parliament at
%, and at "a was Lord of the Treasury; Lord
Bacon graduated at Cambridge at Is and
was called to the bar at 81; Peel was in Par
lament at q, and Palmerston was Lord OF
the Admiralty at %; Henry Clay was in tho
Senate of the United States, contrary to the
Constitution, at %: Washington was Colo
mel in the army at % commander of the
forces at AZ, President at 81
Kalamazoo, Mich, is called "the Celery
City, The crisp, sweet, nerve solacing food
grows better there than anywhere else. f1nd-
ing exactly what it needs Ior its best condi-
tion in the rich, black muck which abOundS
in the region. The celery gardens adjoin
the city on three sides, and consist Of about
5000 acres There are probably at the pres
ent time over 1000 men engaged in the
cslery traffic in kalamazoo, many of them
Hollanders. From June to November 3
steady procession of express wagons can be
seen vending their way from the offices to
the various railroad stations, whence this
in the United States. Many of the growers
are their own shippers, but the majority OF
the heavy-footed Hollanders are content
with disposing of their produce to the
shipper at a fair price.
The largest diamond in the world is the
Braganza weight 1850 carats. 1t was
found in Brazil in 1741, and is now one of the
Portuguese crown jewels. The Nathan, be-
longing to the Rajah of NATHAN, Borneo, is
OF the 'tfirst water and weighs 567 carats.
1t was found near Landak, Borneo, in 1850,
and has been the cause of several sanguina-
ry wars. The Koh-inoor now forms one of
the crown jewels of Great Britain. The his
tory of this gem dates back to 1926 1t orig
inally weighed 793 carats, but was reduced
by unskilllful cutting to 1s6 carats: this
while it was the property of the Emperor
Aurenzebe. 1t was captured by the British
troops during the Sikh mutiny and was pre-
sented to Queen Victoria in 1850. Since COM
ing into Victoria's possession it has been re-
cut and now weighs but 106 1-16 carats. The
Pitt or Regent diamond belonged to the
French crown jewels. 1t was bought by the
Duke of Orleans, then Regent of France, OF
Pitt, the Governor of Fort st. George, for
f135, 900. When in the rough stone weighed
400 caratS.