Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-24
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

|
"A turnip weighing 15 pounds has been
dug in Oregon.
The latest calculation makes the earth's
age 1.526, 600 years.
There are 40, 900 Anarchists and 1,000,-
600 Socialists in France
Last year nearly 100000 artificial
teeth were made in America.
In the Solomon Islands good wife can
be purchased for 10000 cocoanuts
The largest barometer ever made is the
one in st. Jaques tower in Paris. 1t is Al
feet inches high.
The greatest celery gardens in the world
are at Kalamazoo, Mich. They cover nearly
1000 acres OF land. -s..
Aluminium is now being used for beer
mugs. 1t is said the metal keeps the beer
sharp for long period.
New churches in Maine have kitchens
built in them so that suppers, etc., can be
provided on the premises.
1t is expected that the cedar wood from
which lead pencils are made will be unob-
tainable inside of five years.
AT the age of 30 man has spent nearly
and 5000 pounds of meat and has imbibed
1000 gallons of liquids.
There are three places in the world
where woman is on an absolute equality
with man. These are Iceland, the Pitcairn
Islands and the Isle of Man.
The pumpkin in Africa grows on tree
generally about II feet high. The bark Of
the tree is white as chalk and smooth, 50
that they look like marble columns.
Chinese gold miners are doing a rush.
ing business in Nevada. 1t is said that they
average $6 per day per man, while their .ex-
pense for living costs less than % cents.
Tobacco used for years supply of Gig
arettes, at the rate of is to one ounce, would
be 5,s59, ,S75 pounds-or 266 tons cwt. or.
b. London alone consumes 1000 900 per
diem.
IF man abuses his wife in Butte, Mon
tana, half yard of crepe is tackled to his
coor as a reminder that o repetition Of the
offense will be followed by call from the
undertaken.
During the reign of Nero an expedition
was sent from Rome to explore the amber
producing country, and so successful was
the party that present of L, 900 pounds Of
amber was brought back to the Emperor,
including piece weighing 13 pounds.
"A man in Maine who has an aversion to
company has removed the elevated walk to
the front door of his house, and now goes in
by means of a ladder, which he draws in
after him. He has also posted this sign:
mo callers wanted on the Sabbath"
Lake Baikal, in Siberia, is the deepest
lake in the world. 1t only has an area OF
5000 square miles, but it has depth of from
1900 to 5000 feet, SO that is volume is nearly
equal to that of Lake Michigan
Russia most people are accustomed to
regard as a very cold country and so it is in
its northern region, but it has large area in
fI,< 81.
will surprise many to learn that it has an
area OF vineyards amounting to about 45S, $50
acres, the average yield of wine from them
being IS, 300 COO gallons. of which rather more
than half is grown in the Caucasus.
Great progress has been made in photo
graphing the spectra of the stars. BY
doubling the lines Of the spectrum of Beta
Aurigae at short intervals that star has been
found to consist of two suns revolving about
each other in only four days, with velocity
of 150 miles IN q second. The distance be-
tween the components is only 16, 600 600 miles,
or about one-sixth the distance between the
earth and the sun.
-Basking sharks, which at maturity
measure from 80 to 40 feet in length, are
easily approached and harpooned, and on
the west coast of Ireland as many as 500 have
been taken in a single season. The liver
often weighs as much as two tons, yielding
six to eight barrels of oil. A few years ago,
wien sharks oil was of greater value than
it is at present, the oil from single full
sized specimen would often realize from
$500 to $3.50.
The total production of manufactured
silk in the world, per annum, is estimated at
q value of f64, ,0O0, ,000 and of this, at least
f25, GOO eco IS produced in France Tho
French consumption of raw silk in 1890 was
not much under 10, 600 900 pounds, the value
OF which is reckoned at from E 10000 900 to
900 Taking val nj
cotton and other fiber in mixed fabrics of the
silk factories, the total will amount to about
E16 000,0 000
Following are the dimensions of the
four largest dams in the world: al. The Wal
nut Grove dam, near Prescott, Ariz., ITO
feet high, inclosing $50 acres, with capaci-
ty of 1900, 900, ,OC0 gallons. 2. The Merced
high, $50 acres, capacity $500 OOO, 900 gallons
g. Sweetwater river dam, near San Diego,
Cal. 90 feet high, 725 acres, capacity 5000,
600 900 gallons. 4. The Bear Valley dam, in
inclosing 2,250 acres, and will hold l0,0O0.0O0,-
900 gallons.
I'm Canon Diablo, Arizona, hole 625
feet deep, supposed to have been made by
has been found. 1t is 21s miles in
The theory is that from the
appearance of the walls and the fact that
they have found many pieces of meteoric
iron around the hole the meteor pen
etrated the earth to depth of 700 or 500
feet before it exploded, and this accounts
for the strange phenomena. Three pieces of
the meteor, weighing 300, 600 and $50 pounds.
were found on the mesa with
IN two miles of the crater.
in Cuba person with sore or wound
Of any kind will not look upon dead per-
son, fearing that the spot will become in
curable. The rum used in washing q dead
body is, however, regarded as a sure cure
'or all eve troubles. If the light from o
candle or lamp falls on the face Of the dead,
1eath will shortly come to him or her who
vas carryinl the light. Rain during a
burial is considered an excellent "sign"
the islands. If one. measures
mis- own height with n rod which has been
lsed in mea suring corpse for the coffin he
himself will die with the year. A stroke
With the hand of a corpse is believed by the
Vest Indian to be sure cure for all pains
md swellings.
r