Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-19
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS

Ontario, Ore, has been shipping fruit
trees to India.
"A Philadelphia tailor makes this dis
tinction: Pants, 50 so; trousers. So,
Land v"lues in Berlin are said to have
increased IS per cent in the last ten years.
Since the first of the year over COG. 900
timber trees have been set out in San Diego
county, Cal.
One of cultured New York's musical
papers recently spoke of Kansas City as being
IN Nebraska.
The Michigan Agricultural College has
ordered 800 kinds of weeds and grasses from
Berlin for the use of the class in botany.
After recent rainstorm at Folsom,
CAL. gold nuggets were picked up in the
streets. A lucky boy found one that he sold
for SO.
The first carload Of cedar wood was
shipped from Arkansas to Europe the other
day. IL will come back in the shape OF lead
pencils.
1t is said that the large bananas, such,,as
are shipped to us, are seldom eaten in Cuba,
being considered too coarse. A very small
banana, which is a favorite fruit there, never
reaches US, being too tender for shipment.
For startling enterprise, a certain Harlem
merchant is unapproachable. His latest scheme
to draw custom is the checking of babies while
their mothers spend money over his counter.
The little ones are numbered Just as If they
were wraps or umbrellas at ball. and are
only returned to persons holding duplicates Of
the tags around their necks.
London is said to require adaily supply
of more than l5O, 100000 gallons OF water. OF
this IL, 0O0, 600 gallons come from deep wells in
the chalk, the rest from other sources, princi.
pally from the rivers Thames and Lea. The
water from the chalk, though very free from
organic impurities. is exceedingly hard, and
If not sofrened costs the householder endless
expense tor cleaning boilers and obstructed
pipes.
In 1890 there were struck at the st. Pc
tersburg mint gold coins to the value of % l5O..
900 roubles, silver coins OF the valee of 81, $50
roubles coins part silver (ive.tenths standard)
to the value of 2,OO0OO0 roubles, and copper
moneo TO the value Of 130OO3 roubles The
mintage for the last ive years has been as fol.
lows; In 1885, 20 9l6,04l roubles; 1887 2S 1655 544
roubles; 1883, 28, III l29 roubes; 1889 0947 785
rou bles, and in 1890, sO.S7l, ,S56 roubles.
According to statistics, large propor-
tion of soldiers OF all arms in the AusIro- Hun
garian regiments who have received medals and
decorations for conspicuous bravery on the
battle field are Hebrews. further striking
Tered by the fact that the only gold medal for
bravery possessed among the l6 different hussar
regiments adorns the breast of Hebrew who
has only recently been elevated to the peer
age.
The report of the council Of the Society
for the Preservation Of the Irish Language,
says that during the past year over 1000 more
books have been sold than in the previous year,
thus bringing the total number of books sold
einao fh for1p lad
Though difficulties and drawbacks still hamper
and impede the spread of the national language,
nevertheless the movement advances Nearly
]. 900 pupils presented themselves for examlna-
ton In Irish during the past year in the national
schools.
"A resident of Chatham, n. j., few
DAYS ago, 1t is reported. while making so me re-
pairs in his house, came across an old IRON
bound chest, about one foot square, firmly i'm
Dedded in the masonry of the wall. The cover
was securely fastened with large old-fash-
loned paddock. On opening 1t there was found
a small box in which was a roll of paper yellow
with age. 1t was an old land grant, written on
parchment and signed by William Penn. The
grant consisted of 40 acres of Philadelphia
property made to an ancestor OF the finder. In
the same box there was also found quantity
of wampum Qndian money!, and a beautifully
carved Indian pipe.
The origin OF the French fashion OF
taking before breakfast some beverage, which
either takes the shape of coffee or chocolate,
or some less innocent' fluid, is curious and
The custom is still popularity called
"killing the worm." 1t is explained in an old
diary of the time of Francis L, in connection
with the sudden death of the wife or one Of
the Kings court officials. When she was
opened living worm which had pierced her
was found upon her heart. Then they put some
mithridate upon the heart in order to make the
worm die. But it did not die Then they put
'ome bread, soaked in wIne and from eating it
the said worm died. 1t therefore follows that
It is expedient to take bread and wine in the
morning, at all events IN times of danger, for
fear Of the worm.
"A merchant of Moscow sent for the
copy of a deed to the st. Petersburg Criminal
Court and received it from the clerk, for which
he transmitted one rouble by mail, as a fee.
But the furnishing of copies by that court Is
free, and so the rouble was mailed back, for
which the postoffice charged kopecks. The
merchant had gone to Twer and the remaining
2 kopecks followed him at a charge of 8 kO-
1ecks. Meanwhile he had gone to st. Peters
burg, and the Sc kopecks went after him and
to ~. He had left the capital for
Iharkow, and Twer and Moscow. The money
followed him. shrinking continually by the
charges of the poStOff1ce for transmission till,
inally. reduced to one single kopeck, it was de-
,osited to his order in the Government Office
It Moscow.
Some euriosities are collected in an ar
icle on ''The Censuses of the Century" One
Inglishman, 50 years of age, ed himself
s deaf-a touching trait OF his truthfulness,
hough, of course, deafness, as an infrmity of
Id age, did not come within the scope of CEN
us inquiries. On the other hand, a clergy
nan refused to return the schedule to the par
,h clerk, who was the enumerator, and sent it
irect to the central office, alleging that if he
ad done otherwise his wifes age would have
ecome topic of gossip in the beershops of
he village. In Devonshire a middle-aged
nan refused to make out his schedule, saying
hat he did not know either his name or his
lace of birth, land he would not perjure
imself bv making false entry" An author
dded to his return note stating that his wife
aid he was "both idiot and lunatic."
The approaching marriage OF a couple
rho have been engaged for so years has been
fficially announced IN Berlin. The man IS 70
ears of age and the woman 73 In 1S4l, when
roth was plighted, the prospective bridegroom
1as a superintendent of a large farm q few
lilies from Berlin. His tiance was the daughter
+ a Government official, who opposed the
iatch. The father and the young man had
iolent quarrel and the lovers were separated,
Though both refused to terminate the engage
rent. The young man became tired Of life
ear the scene of his disappointment and came
D America. 1t was reported in Berlin that he
ad died here. At the same time word was
snt TO him that his old love had married.
bout Eve years ago he returned to Berlin and
1ok bachelor quarters. He heard nothing of
ne woman whom he loved until at reception
4 University short time ago he met her.
he was unmarried and still loved him. The
Engagement, which had not been broken, is to
ave its happy ending.