Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-13
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

There are no mules in the New England
States.
"A French professor announces that he
can photograph the entire spectrum.
AT Phoenix, Ariz T., during the recent
storm 80 houses fell. but no lives were LOST
In 35 parishes of Louisiana the coIored
people outnumber the whites in some cases in
proportion OF 10 to l.
-Atchison sets up a claim to the smallest
calf ever born in Kansas It weighs only eight
pounds, including the tail.
Texas has appropriated $4,000 for the
destruction Of wolves. coyotes and other wild
animals within her borders.
A resident of Washington, D. c., has
lust received from his ranch at Le Mesa, San
Diego county, Cal, an orange weighing l6N
ounces.
Kentucky is coming out For the first
time in the history of the State coiored man
has been drawn on the grand jury in Adair
county.
A Frenchman has recently discovered.
near Thebes, in Egypt, a large grave containing
24O sarcophagi, the oldest of which dates back
$500 years B. G.
During the past year IA Alpine Mount
ain climbers met death by accident or by freez-
ing. In no previous season have there been so
many disasters in the Alps.
In the Tombs Police Court, New York,
a few days ago, prisoner, who gave a Bowery
lodging house as his residence, said his oceupa-
ton was "a one-legged man."
Boston is so much exercised over the
reported injurious properties of wall paper
containing arsenic that, it is said. persons are
making business of testing papers Tor nervous
householders.
"A resolution has been offered in the Ne
IL, r, lad
duel oath heretofore taken by all officers IN Ne
vada. If this is repealed duelist will be eligi-
BILE to hold office in that State.
"A Glendora, Cal, young man took to
Los Angeles California condor that measured
feet and IL inches from tip to tip. 1t
found in path with thick brush on each side,
and, being unable to fly, was caught
"A suit about calf in Texas has re-
suited in wiping out all the parties involved ex-
cept the calf. One of the litigants shot the
other, and the Sheriff shot the survivor in try
| ing to arrest him. The calf was valued AZ s6.
The Jackson, Kv, Council, at the last
meeting ordained that the playing at ball and
marbles be forever prohibited in Main street
and the Court House yard, and that upon Sun
day neither of these games should be played
within the town limits.
The other day the town of Auburn,
Ala, was entirely enveloped in darkness at
"A. u
ran out of their homes screaming aud frighten-
| ed, thinking the day of Judgment had come.
| The phenomenon was purely local.
"A rabbit fled from dog at Rich Hill,
| Neb. and took shelter under a hen with
| brood of chickens. When the dog strOve to
get at the frightened rabbit the hen scared
| him of by picking at his eyes. Now the rabbit
| and the hen are warm companions.
"A peculiar accident happened to rail-
road train near st. Paul, Minn. The passenger
| and smoking cars left the track, owing to a
| broken rail, ran some distance the ties,
| struck switch and regained the rails. Ire
| engine and tender had not left the rails.
The value of the horses and mules,
| milch cows and other cattle, sheep and hogs on
| the farms of our country, according to the De-
| partment of Agriculture for January and Feb
ruary 1891, Is 81 800 OO0 GOO being enough to pay
!. the national debt and leave surplus OF
| $1,000, ,00C, 900 of money.
There are spiders in Ceylon that spin
| webs strong as to prove painful check to
anyone moving quickly against them. Hats
| have been knocked off the heads of travellers
| by a single thread, and cane thrown into one
| of these webs will remain suspended. Some OF
tho spiders are eight inches across, and spin SILK
as thick as ordinary sewing cotton
| AN English naturalist who has been out
| to see the whale in his native pastures esti-
\ mates that full-grown whale, driving ahead
| at full speed, could break down any break
| water ever built, and that the sweep of his
| lower Jaw is equal to the force of 30 horse
! power engine working at full speed. If you
| meet a whale while out in your canoe, give 'em
! the road.
A young woman of Athens, Ga, de-
| tects the presence instantly Of any feline that
| enters the room where she is. She need not
| see or hear the animal when it enters, but has
| intimation of its disagreeable presence by
| strange sensations that she invariably expert
| ences when she is brought into contact with a
cat, and she entertalns an unconquerable re-
pugnance to these animals.
-Olfactory sensations are probably re-
ceiyed from material emanations from the
| odoriferous substance the emanations being
| absorbed by the fluid in which the microscopic
| ends of the olfactory nerves are constantly
| bathed. This moisture is so essential to the
proper action OF the nerves that its absence, as
in certain stages Of cold, may for the time
quite destroy the sense Of smell.
The report of the London Fire Depart
meut states that the number of calls for fres
or supposed fires received during the last year
has been 3.546. Of these 767 were false alarms
223 proved to be only chimney alarms and 2,555
were calls of fires of which 15S resulted In
serious damage, and 2, 402 in slight damage.
These figures only refer To regular call for fires
or supposed fires, involving the turning out Of
firemen.
"A singular discovery, it is said, has
heen made in Central Asia by distinguished
Russian traveller and his companions They
claim to have discovered a large tract of land
which is several hundred meters under the
level of the sea. They are expected to arrive
in St. Petersburg some time this month Their
arrival is eagerly awaited. as the discovery has
created very considerable wonderment among
students of physical geography.
I'm DeKalb county. Ala, lives q 16-
year.oId boy whose every bone and muscle,
even to having two rows of teeth, is Gouble and
his head is an elongated mass with little
sunken eyes in it, and no cheek bones at all.
The boy can utter no sound at all save that
peculiar to the grounding, and though he has
a mouth within a mouth, he has never chewed
a morsel of food, his mother chewing every
particle of food that he eats, and puts 1t In his
mouth with her finger
"A would-be literary contributor i'm
periled his chances of success by sending
manuscript TO a journal, written upon the re-
verse side of printed sheets, each OF which bore
the legend: 'The editor returns the accom-
panying manuscript with thanks and regrets
his inability to use it" Whether the aspiring
writer was economical or ironical or merely
tboughtless the coincidence caused smile In
the sanctum as the editor regretfully added one
more slip TO the writer's collection.