Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-15
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

4
The school population of Kansas is
50s,64
"A meteor weighing five pounds was
| found last week on q Belleville, Mass, farm.
Nearly four-ffths of the sugar plant
tions OF Hawaii are owned by Americans, il
is said.
The little town of Morrill,, Kas., will
win give 800 to anyone who will build
| hotel there.
From a cypress tree cut down in Florida
there were gathered 12j pounds Of pressed
comb honey.
"A ladies' regatta at Stockholm the other
day comprised nine bouts, all rowed by
young ladies in pretty dresses.
The ruins of Bluebeard's castle are said
to still remain in lonesome mountain road
near lnterlaken, Switzerland.
"A perfume lamp, which burns cologne
and spreads a pleasant scent about the
room, is among the late household novelties.
The total valuation of the sugar planta-
tions of Hawaii is placed at ss5, 900 900, nearly
four-ffths of which are owned by Ameri-
cans.
The wickedest place in the world, ac-
cording TO all reports, is Port Said, where
outcasts from the four quarters of the earth
are gathered.
The American Bible Society holds in
trust the sum of 1893 796 IS. The income Is
to be used for general benevolent and mis-
sionary purposes.
-Sixty-five cardinals have died during
the II years Of Leo Kills Papacy. The
Sacred College is composed almost entirely
of new cardinals.
The elector of xe-Coburg-G Gotbs has
approved a law filming the father Of lad
below the age of Is ora girl less than IS years
old who goes to a ball l3O marks.
1t has rained only twice in % years in
Alden, and then only enough to lay the dust.
The last time it rained there was three
years ago, after 26 years of drought
Electrical illumination has made great
progress in London. There are now upward
of 225 900 lamps in use, and the capital in
vested in the various plants amounts to sl5,-
100000.
instantaneous photography has been
used to record the movements of the lips in
speaking. and by putting the photographs
in azoetrope deaf mute can easily read the
words
"A tourmaline over two inches in diame-
ter and two inches in length was unearthed
few days ago on a Paris MEL farm. Sew
eral other fine specimens were found at the
same time.
Reindeer flesh, which is said TO be teu-
der, delicious and nutritious. is regularly
exported from the Ar"tic Zones TO Ham
burg. where 1t meets eager demand, at about
sixpence pound.
"A Troy man who had been away from
home for 25 years unexpectedly returned the
other day. He entered his sons barber
shop and got shaved, but the son didn't
know who his customer was until he told
him.
The custom of keeping birthdays is
many years old. 1t Is recorded in the fortieth
chapter of Genesis, twentieth verse: "And it
came to pass the third day, which was Pha-
roahs birthday, that he make feast unto
all his servants"
Butter made from cocoanuts is rapidly
taking the place OF the ordinary butter in
Germany and Switzerland. 1t is said to be
healthful, easily digested. as palatable as
butter made from the milk Of cows, and
much cheaper.
Paper that is absolutely waterproof has
just been invented by a Partisan chemist.
The process caa be carried ou5 either after
the paper is made, or during the operation
of making it. Paper thus made will be very
valuable for packing.
"A most serious obstacle to the proposed
American-Asiatic cable by the Aleutian
Island and Alaska route, has arisen in the
discovery of such an extent Of extreme
depth of water northeast of Japan, as to pre-
clude the sinking OF the cable.
Jupiter is now magnificent object in
the southern sky. A telescope of small
power will reveal the presence of his moons.
Three of the four of which he is possessed
will only be visible, as one or other of them
will be hidden from view by the planet him
self.
"A railway is to be built across England
that will enable passenger to make a di-
rect trip from the Mersey. to the shores Of
the North Sea. 1t will be about $50 miles in
length, and the expense of purchase and
construction will be at the rate of 10000
per mile.
Last winter Port Angeles bank was
robbed of g, 200. A man who had been act
ing as janitor afterward confessed TO the
robbery. Later he was sent to Stellacom as
insane He was dismissed last week as
cured, and now denies that he ever made
the confession
The last thatched cottage of the olden
time in London has been destroyed. 1t
fronted on the green at Shepherds Bush,
and there Is good ground for believing that
Miles Syndercomb, the prime mover in u
plot against the li0e of Oliver Cromwell,
once lived in the house.
. After the passage of an electric storm
there is quite an appreciable amount of
ozone in the atmosphere, so much so that its
presence may frequently be detected by ex-
posing piece Of blotting paper, previously
dipped in a solution of starch and iodide Of
potash, when it will be turned blue.
In the course of an interview with a
representative of the EcLuir, on the opening
up of African territory, Mr.. Stanley, who is
in Paris, declared that the center of Africa
teemed with riches, which, however, could
not be utilized before the construction of
railways but this construction would be
easy.
"A most remarkable alloy of gold and
aluminium is now under the examination of
scientists. It is of beautiful, rich purple
color. This royal metal will make hand
some addition TO those now used for pur-
poses of adornment. From all accounts it
seems amendabie to the methods of jewelers.
in making their gold ornaments.
The "depopulation" of France and the
means of checking the progress of the evil
are subjects that have for some time en-
gagged the attention of the Academic de
Medicine, but the deliberations of that body
have not yet led to the discovery Of the
effectual remedy. In the meantime NJ.
Ternier the President of the Academic, has
offered a bounty of 100 francs to every
married couple in his native commune who
shall enrich the French Republic with an
additional citizen during the year 1888.