Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-29
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

An expert says that the easiest way 70
clean rubber shoes of any kind is to rub tnem
with vaseline.
Fiji Is beginning to cultivate tobacco,
the enterprise being assisted by the concession
Of Government land TO the planters on easy
terms
Five hundred applications have been
made to the Department of the Interior at
Toronto for the privilege of boring for oil in
the Kootenay country.
"A pair of wild moose are being trained
and broken into harness in South Sioux Falls,
s. D., for the benefit of foreign visitors at the
Worlds Far in Chicago.
The British authorities have been sd-
vised of renewed activity in the ranks Of the
dynamite party in America, who are said to be
actively preparing 10 resume operations
Terrific snow storms have prevailed
recently throughout the southeastern portions
Of Russia, and whole villages and numbers
of isolated houses have been almost buried in
snow.
The season thus far has been very favor
able for transportation by the lakes. and an un-
usually large amount of freight is being carried
BY the boats between Milwaukee and Grand
Haven.
The statement issued by the Census
Department for Alabamas population gives
whites, 6Sl, Al are colored. $50 are Indians and
40 are Chinese.
According to a yarn sent out from Fort
Jefferson, KY, a skeleton in armor has been
unearthed there, together with sword with a
golden hilt. bearing on its handle the name
"Hernando de Soto"
The lobstermen on the Maine coast are
in luck this winter. getting II cents apiece for
their 'lobs.' Their occupation is hazardous
ND iu nau IS mn T1n
than they deserve.
Parties at South Haven, Mich, are
about to build yacht this winter for the ex-
press purpose of making four-years' cruise of
the pricipal ports and countries Of the world.
They expect to set sail in May.
An English bacteriologist who is nota-
BILE as the discoyerer of taxalbumens, and who
is now studying the Koch method at the Hy-
gIenlc Institute, Berlin, announces that he has
discovered remedy for anthrax.
"A printer put penny in the slot of q
machine which was intended to prove a mans
striking power. He then punched the pad
which was presented to receive the blow, but
the spring didn't work, his wrist was broken,
and the jury gave him $50.
-Drs. Berlin and Picq, of the Nantes
faculty, who recently injected 15 grains of
goats blood into the muscular tissue OF the
thighs of two patients suffering from tuber-
newing such injections every ten days.
Henry johnson, a slave with history,
who was set free by his master, Mr. Foxall,
and who waited upon Clay, Webster. Calhoun
and other great men. and who is said to have
come in contact with every President save
Washington, IS living in poverty at the age of
W years IN Washington.
Alice Wilson Pryor, to whom Guiteau,
assassin of President Garfield. paid attention
and proposed marriage, died last week at Jas
per- Tenn. 1t is stated that she was of good
family and a beautiful girl, gay and spirited,
but that she became reeluse, with shat
tered nerves, after the trial and execution OF
Guiteau.
Lady Marjorie Gordon, the 10-year-old
daughter of the Countess of Aberdeen. edits
the children's page of paper styled OrGWGrd
and Upu0ard, published in London. Little
Lady Marjorie writes lively letter to her
young constituents, and tells them interesting
stories about her pet animals, being probably
the youngest editor in the world
Germany has 6, ,275 breweries in opera
tion. against 9.556 in January, 1890 The total
beer product of the whole country last year
was 1872 073 600 quarts. against 400 900 in
capita was 1903 quarts, against s7.9 quarts in
| the preceding year. The largest brewery in
| Germany paid last year tax Of $50, 600
"A clever swindle was perpetratsd on
| several professional gentlemen in Adrian,
Mich, by an agent purporting to represent an
| English syndicate, with headquarters at De-
troit. He took orders for carpets at about 30
some cashmeres. They received the cashmeres
from the agent, and paid cash, about double
their value. The carpets never came, and some
of the customers are out about 500
The British Government has Just re-
fused TO restore to their native country the
". n
Ever since these chiefs were sent to st. Helena,
nearly two years ago, the Zulu Defence Fund
has been endeavoring to secure a revision of
| the heavy sentence. One of the chiefs is young
Dinizulu, the son of the famous King Cetywayo
| Their offence was fighting Uspedu, who was
| supported by the British Government.
Richard Golden quelled panic in the
Fail River. Mass, Academy of Music during
the performance of "Old Jed Prouty' one even-
ing recently Five boys had secretsd themselves
in a closet under the gallery duringI the after
noon and tried to come out after the perform
ance had begun. One stepped through some
glass. and another trod on wire that set bell
ringing, and there was instant confusion in the
audience. About 200 people rushed out and
others jumped to their feet. Upon this the
star rushed to the footliehts and criea: "Sit
was. would be first to get outP' This diverted
attention. the crowd settled down. and mean
while two of the youngsters escaped The
others were 1ound hanging. IKE DatS, TO the
rafters, and were arrested.
The platypus. a small, mole-like beast
of Australia, has been voted the palm for being
the most extraordinary mammal in the known
world. For the last 20 years its skin has been
highly priced as an article of commerce YET
during all OF that time scientists have been
trying to settle the question whether it is born
alive or Matched from an egg. Mr.. Caldwell
was sent out to Australia by the British Asso-
citation for the express purpose Of studying the
life history of this wonderful creature, and
was finally rewarded by the discovery of the
egps and nest of this contradiction OF nature.
The body of the platypus resembles that OF the
mole and is covered with close, short gray
isb-brown fur. Like the beaver, its tail is
broad and dattened. A horny extension OF the
| laws form beak like that Of a duck, their
margins being sheathed with horn and supplied
with transverse horny plates, TWO in each jaw,
| hut these are not true teeth. The toes are
| united by a membrane or web, so the animal Is
| enabled to swim with great ease. II inhabits
small streams and ponds, living principally. If
NOT wholly on insects. When the young are
| hatched they are blind and quite naked. The
method by which they obtain milk from the
mother is still obscure, as the creature has no
| nlDples only a fat surface; nor IS there any
marsupIal pouch. The beak of the young Ia
Wholly unlike that of an adult. 1t cost the
British Association over 10000 to ascertain the
above facts.