Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-18
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

There are TO- 900 car horses in London.
There are over 5000 cabmen in LON
don.
The '40O' in Paris, Mo-, is composed
mostly of Virginians.
England has 5000 mounted yeomanry
costing s45o,OOO per year.
The snow drifts in North Park, Colo
RADIO, are said to be II feethigh already.
"A canal has just been completed in
Washington that will irrigate 7o0c0 acres
Great Britain received $3.50, ,265 worth
of condensed milk from Switzerland last
year.
The art galleries of the Australian
colonies now represent cash value OF
fl3OO0O
The London Gazette is the oldest En-
giish parer. 1t was first published Novem-
ber !, 1855.
New York is sending to Tacoma, Wash,
for lumber to be used in the construction Of
ferry boat.
There is a fish hatchery in Michigan
that has 5l,OoO,O 900 white fish eggs in process
of incubation.
Between the years 1890 and 1880 no less
than 3,40O women were burned in Scotland
for witchcraft
In the dead letter office at Washington
are more than 100 photographs which
found their way there last year.
The Constitution of Ohio gives the
Governor no veto power, a distinction en-
Joyed by no other State save Rhode Island.
The fare of an English steamship COM
pany is at the rate of six miles for penny.
Th1s is probably the cheapest 1ocomotion
ever known.
-Chimneys are scarce in the City of
Mexico. There are not ten dwelling houses
which have them. Charcoal is the only fuel
USED for cooking and heating.
"A letter carrier in Kansas CITY fell
asleep near an open window with the moon
shining on his face. On awakening, he made
the appalling discovery that he was totally
blind
The largest animal known to exist in
the world at the present time is the rorqual
which averages 100 feet in length. and the
smallest is monad which is only liz 100 of an
inch in length.
One of the oldest ways of getting a liv-
ing is pursued by the salonniers o. Paris,
VINO make profession of tying geltlemen'S
cravats. An expert artist in this line can
earn 4Ofr. an evening, it is said.
London had a peculiar experience of
fog on the sth inst. The suburbs on the
south side of the Thames were brilliant
with sunshine, while those on the north
were invisible in thick black fog.
1t has been roughly estimated that the
amount of English capital which is in
vested in land in New Zealand, either by
way of mortgage or by direct proprietor
ship, does not fall short of s4O,000,0G0.
"A sub-delegate of viIlarica, Chile, re-
ports that the country is swarming with
locusts, which are arriving from the Argen-
leagues of country. The crops are being
ruined by the pests and active measures are
being taken to prevent further damage.
"A grain and half of gold may be
beaten into leaves one inch square, which, if
by parallel lines drawn at right
angles to each other and distant only the
part of an inch. will produce
p, GOO little squares. each of which may be
distinctly seen without the aid of glass.
The New AL pine Railway, the Brenzier
Rothhornbahn, is the highest railway in the
world, and commands magnificent views
1t is 2,351 meters 1885 feet) high at the sum-
nit level. and ascends 1852 meters (5 sos
feet), or 81 meters (223 feet) higher than the
Pilatus Railway. The journey occupies *
hours.
England is now admiring the creation
u
in some sections to be an absolute fac simile
of the original. The whole exhibition covers
)ne and half acres, at the famous Olympia
n London. and the visitor is rowed about in
gondola. The water in the canals is
warmed by the Kosher system OF heating
yater, extensively used in swimming baths.
One of the most ingenious methods
,raeticed by poachers for the purpose of
netting pheasants, is that in which a game
,ock is fitted with artificial spurs and then
,arried to the preserves. Then the game
)trd crows, one or two more of the cock
Immediately respond and adj
rance to fight. In this way sometimes five
n six pheasants are taken, while the game
'ock remains unhurt.
Mrs William Astor, wife of the Amer
can millionaire has q wonderful snake ring
which literally writhes in constant motion
N her finger. 1t is constructed of flexible
old wire, each scale being represented bya
oop of wire in which rubby. an emerald
movement of the fingers sets the wires
ulvering, and the ring scintillates and
GEMS to go round the finger with a serpen-
inc movement that has something eerie in
!. 1t was made in EgXRt.
"A curious return rs just been printed
t Berlin. 1t shows how often German regi-
1ental colors were struck in action during
be campaigns of 1854 1866 and 1870, and also
ow many officers, non-commissioned off
ers and men were killed while carrying the
olors. The memory of these losses is touch
lgly preserved Every staff that has been
lasped in action by dead soldiers fingers
encircled with silver ring with the in
,riptiOn of the mans name and the words:
Died hero's death with this color in his
and.
"A chemist of Vienna has succeeded in
iscovering composition which will make
ven the slight material of ballet dancers
resses f1re-proof. The Prince of Lichten-
-ein gave this composition a first trial on
re stage in his own palace in the presence
+ numerous company. The rise of the
lrtain discovered two nfe-siZed dolls,
ressed as ballet girls, to both of which
ght was applied. One of the dolls was
ell saturated with the protective compost
on, escaped with small hole in the dress.
Some years ago white man was cap
red in the course of q raid made by the
MACON warriors Of Dahomey upon o mis-
onary settlement. A few weeks later his
lxions wife received from him message,
hich consisted simply of pebble, piece
charcoal, a pepper, a grain of parched
,rn and rag. There was no difficulty in
anslating it by tine native code. The pe0-
Q said: 81 am in good hhalth." j. @. hard in
,dy: the piece of charcoal signif1ed: "But
y prospects are very black and gloomy;"
e pepper meant, '1 am very anxious about
70 future, lest be killed or sold into slav-
w the grain of parched corn indicated:
have become very thin,' and the scrap OF
G added: "My clothing is in tatters."
JONELETs FROM JUDGE.