Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-06
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

w nat I3 salu 10 De pure Wnlbe eaBlo
has been captured in Illinois.
The first complete translation Of the
Bible into English was effected by John Wyclif
| In 1880.
| Between 1885 and 1889 four separate
versions of the Bible were put before Engli n
readers.
In the old Roman days the feet of the
bride and bridegroom were washed after the
| wedding ceremony.
! The reformed code of Italy forbids girls
| to marry under is. but most of them feel the
| torments of love at IL.
In the West Indies freAies are caught
| in dark rooms and used as lamps by which theiR
| captors find the match box.
Within the Antarctic circle there has
never been found Towering plant In the
Arctic regions there are 1852 different species Of
| flowers.
| A lady naturalist has demonstrated
that noles are not entirely carnverous by
| starving one until it ate oatmeal, on which diet
| 1t afterward Subsisted-
"A New York man, who had been
kicked by horse and but slightly injured, sued
the owner of the animal for $4,000, and recov-
cred verdict of s6, 500 recently.
DIR. Mathews, who has been studying
suicide finds that it pertains exclusively to
civilized countries, and increases in accordance
with the degree of civilization.
The first French settlers who landed at
Montreal caught muItitudes Of frefies and tied
them in shining festoons before the altar where
the blessed sacram ent was being celebrated.
I'm Winnipeg they ask $40 foot less for
corner lot than for an inside one, because ie
costs SO much to clear of the snow in winter
around corner lots that people don't prefer
them.
For the first time in years the doors Of
the Pitt county, N. C., Jail were left wide open
last week. The term of the last prisoner con-
fined there had expired and there were no new
arrivals.
England is exporting butter from New
Zealand. The butter is found to keep per-
fectly sweet if packed in quantities of So
pounds and upward, and kept at temperature
not greater than e45.
"A German labor editor was fined
| recently for publishing the list Of workmen
killed in a mine disaster alongside of the
amount distributed as dividends among the
owners Of the mines.
When piece of ice taken in July from
an icehouse filed the previous December
melted little fish was found swimming merrlly
about in the water. A correspondent Of Nature
vouches for this fish story.
German railways now aggregate "a 800
miles and employ L, $40 locomotives. 26 0O8 pas
senger cars 556851 freight cars and 61a.000
officials and other employees. In 1880 there
were BOSS accidents of all kinds.
Swiss soldiers are hereafter to be pro-
vided with pocket knife with four blades,
which, besides rendering ordinary service, is to
do occasional duty as a ramrod to the new
| rifle, and as an opener to timed provisions.
The largest grapevine in the world is
that growing at Oys Portugal, which has been
| bearing since 1902 Its maximum yield was in
1884. in which year it produced sufficient
quantity of grapes TO make l65 gallons OF wine.
I'm some parts of Cornwall it is con-
sidered unlucky to have any washing done in
the house between Christmas and New Years
Day, the supersritious believing that X a wash
ing takes place some of the family will be
washed out OF life.
"A man walked into Lowell, Mass,
barroom last week, bought Is cents worth Of
cigars and offered 81. 900 bill in payment. He
was somewhat taken aback when the saloon
keeper pocketed the bill and counted out FOR
change 1893 IS in silver
French scientists are puzzling over
spider which was discovered in a cavity in .
stone. 1t is estimated that the stone must be
1000 years old: this Notwithstanding, however,
| the spider Is quite lively and very youthful In
| its antics. It is blind and has no mouth.
There is horse on farm in South
Dakota which has eight feet; otherwise it is
4 perfectly formed In every respect. N OF unLu
| the fetlock joint Is reached in the descent
| from the shoulder to the foot Is there any
difference between this horse and any other.
The deepest well in the world is to be
drilled near Wheeling, W. Va, by the National
and State governments for the purpose of sci
entidc Investigation The State VIII drill 70
the depth OF a mile, and then the National
Government will take charge, going as far
down as possible.
"A prisoner escaped from the Browns
| town, Ind, jail by cutting hole through the
| roof, after which he walked ten miles TO his
home. Failing to secure bail bond he re-
| Sheriff, and he re-entered by the hole through
| which he escaped.
The humps of camels are mere Jumps of
| fat and not provided for in the framework Of
| the skeleton. When the animal is in good con-
dition the humps are full and plump. On
| long journey where food is scarce the humps
are entirely absorbed. the skin covering them
hanging over the flank like an empty box.
There are about $500 counties in the
Union, with an average size of about LOCO
square miles; but this average is enorm ously
/ exceeded in many instances, and has also fire.
quently fallen below. Leaving out the great
unsettled counties of the West, the average
county would be about 500 square miles in ex-
tent.
"A man living near Tifton, Ca, has a
pointer dog and large brown cat. They go
out hunting together. The dog points the birds
and attracts their attention, while the cat, with
fan k movement In the rear, never fails TO
secur re bird. They never banquet until they
have secured four birds, when each of them
dimes on two birds apiece.
Among the curious trust funds in the
hands of the Overseers of the Poor of Boston Is
one the income Of which is to be applied to the
purchase of tea, coffee, chocolate and sugar
for the refreshment of those persons who, in
the providence of God, are or shall be obliged
to seek refuge in the amshouse after having
lived respectfully, but always giving preference
to the pious poor.
The ether viii transmit speech as we'll
as horse power. The photophone shows that it
is possible to talk along q beam Of light be-
tween two distant points which are not con-
nected by wire. Up to the present time it has
not been possible to speak in this manner for a
greater distance than few hundred feet, but
the wonderful fact has been demonstrated that