Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-28
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

1t has been discovered that almanacs
date back to the year "A. D.
Statistics prove that only one man in Q
million lives to be lO8 years old.
Del Pardo, Mexico, has a Frenchmsn
with three arms and six toes on each foot.
1t is reported that large quantities Of
diamonds have been discovered in North Lap
land.
"A new business has been started in
Florida Of harching alligators' eggs in an incu.
bator.
The production of phosphorus by elec-
tricity is said to be both profitable an d salts
factory.
The annual report of Chicago's Chief of
Poll ce shows that 81 $50 arrests were made dur.
ing tn year.
The astonishing statement is made that
the public library of Plymouth, Mass, does
not contain a copy of the Bible.
A resident of Decatur, ILL.,, proposed
marriage to a woman to whom he had never
been introduced, and became insane when he
was refused.
"A bride in Montreal appeared at the
altar with her pet canary fastened to her
shoulder by golden chain. During the mar
riage Ger emony the bird broke into song.
"A farmer near Americas, Ga, has a
turnip in his garden measuring seven feet
across and with top SO high and strong that
the small boys climb it pair Of mules will
have to be used TO pull it up.
The smallest of all the States, Rhode
Island. has the largest population per square
mile, or 318 A persons. The figures of the last
census show that if the whole Union were as
densely populated 1t would contain 945, ,766, 800
inhabitants.
The works of watches are now plated
with palladium, which is a whittier. lighter and
more fusible metal than platinum. About one
seventeenth of grain of palladium will, by
electrical deposition, coat the works of an or
binary watch.
"A colored man carrying a whisky Jug
was struck by a locomotive the other day
Fort Val ley, Ga. caught up by the pilot and
flung 20 yards into ditch, from which he
emerged perfectly unharmed, but bewailing
the loss OF the Jug.
"A woman with Catholic parents and
Hebrew husband and daughter. died the other
day in Grand Rapids, Mich, and as her rela-
Hebrew funeral, they compromised on Sp1r-
itualist, who conducted the funeral.
"A young colt, somewhere near the Ohio
and Indiana line, had novel ride somewhere
on the cowcatcher of engine yesterday,
while the frantic mother chased along, over
fences and bridges, until her offspring rolled
awry.
Mica is now extensively used as nom
conductor for all sorts of electrical appliances
but, curiously enough, the demand for 1t has
been stimulated not for the North Carolina
article. which has been found to be not tough
enough, but for Canadian and other foreign
mica,
According to the statistics Just pub
lished by the Ministry of Finance at Paris
sumption OF tobacco during the last two or
three years. 1t is estimated that each head OF !
the population consumes two pounds weight Of
the weed per annum.
The Texas Legislature q short time ago
set apart a day for memorial services in honor
of JEFF Davis. During the delivery Of a lauda-
tory speech on the late lamented chieftain
somebody indiscreetly giggled; and the next
day bill was introduced and passed 'increas-
ing the penalty for disturbing public worship"
The disinfection OF passenger cars is re-
ceiving the serious attention of foreign railway
and action in similar direction
would not be amiss in this country. Owing to
the tenacity of disease germs. it is wholly un-
known as to how much they are disseminated
by our luxurious upholstered sleepers and
coaches.
Mention is made of Englishman who
is a monomaniac on the subject of seeing fatal
accidents. He has been travelling for seven
years in the hope of gratifying this ambition.
A few days ago he arrived at Mosbach. in
Baden, an hour after a railway accident bad
killed and injured number of people. He
burst into tears, declaring that Ill
luck constantly pursued him.
"A new ore concentrator operates by
crushing the material to about quarter Of an
inch in size, which exposed to the action of
powerful magnets separates the particles Of
iron ore. The particles Of ore are again crushed
to finer state, and again exposed TO magnetic
action, resulting in highly concentrated con-
uniform and economic results.
"A flute that was discovered lately in an
Egyptian tomb was in so good a state of prsser-
vation that it could be played upon as well as II
It had been made this century, instead of 1900
years ago What is equally interesting Is that,
while the sound differs from the flutes of this
day, its notes are said to be based upon the
rules of the modern scale. If this should be
verified it would, to some extent. revolutionize
sxlsting notions about Egyptian music.
The largest firm in England is Bolckow,
Vaughan & Co.. and the report of its opera
lions last year is of interest as exhibiting the
,xtent of a business under one management.
There were employed in the various depart
nents 13, 3,075 workmen, receiving over 81 500 900.
rhe chief products were l.877, ,694 tons of coal
49, 056 tons of coke, LIB 686 tons of iron ore
I78 749 tons of pig iron and l94. OF tons of fin
shed steel. The net prontS Tor the year were
!, 800 900.
Edinburgh people are looking snx-
ously for the day when the electric light will
elieve them of the troubles caused by gas,
which, while being high in price, is poor in
lualty. The gas every evening about 10 o'clock
indicates its displeasure of late hours by grow
ng weaker and weaker in some parts of the
own, and finally dying away entirely. Those
Who do not take the hint and retire are COM
,elled to depend on the penny dip for light
Turing the remainder of the evening.
"A family Bible, which was buried under
he head of Susanna Randall who died In 1855,
las been dug up and removed. 1t was not seri.
usly decayed. The family records IN It estab-
ished the right of Lewis Randall to the prop
rty of Isaac Phillips, who died in 1884, leaving
|. large fortune, most of which is still on de-
,osit in the Manhattan Bank. New York City.
Phillips had no Immediate family and Randall
nd other relatives now lay claim to his prop
rty in the Manhattan Bank and in Sc. Ste.
hens, Ala
"A groom's right to wear q mustAche
as been tried in England, with the courts de-
ision in bis favor. When groom was en-
aged he was smooth shaven. but after a cold
e grew a mustache by his DOCTORS advice,
,hereupon his employer ordered him to shave
r go without notice. The Judge held that the
emand was unreasonable. II he had been .
ouse servant. wearing powder and white silk
tockings he might have been required to
have; but groom was an outdoor servant, and
mustache was natural protection against
he weather. The plaintiff got SIS damages.
SMILES AMI SATIRE