Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-23
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

In Japan there is no proper translation
Of the word "God." f"
.-Indian fakirs are able to impersonate
death as long as six and even ten months
Deer are very thick near Hope, idaho.
One party up there killed 25 in single day
last week.
There are 466 sawmills running in the
State of Washington, with total daily cut
ting capacity of al, 900 feet
The nine winds of the writers are the
Etes1an. Harmattah, Khamsian, Mistral,
Pamopero, Puma, Samiel. Siroceo and So
land.
Birmingham, Ala, has passed resolu.
tion taxing and licensing almost every
trade, occupation and profession in that city
for municipal revenue.
Cranes, storks and wild geese fly fast
enough to make the trip from Northern
Europe to Africa in a week, but most Of
them rest north of the Mediterranean.
In the southwestern districts of Africa
large red beads, either of oval or cylindrical
form, are still the favorites; also small beads
OF indigo hue, small black ones and others
with red dots
The water chase in canoes, a marriage
ceremonial of Singapore, is very similar to
the foot race, and both are unusually OF
short duration, for the fair quarry is only
too willing to be caught.
Several species of rhinoceroses, now ex
tinct and only found in a fossil state, used tt
exist which had no horns at all. The name
meaning as it does the horned nose if
rather misnomer in their case.
The color of amber is of all shades,
from pale straw to deep orange. A species
called the Falernian, from its similarity il
color to the celebrated rich, golden wine o.
nrlZe0
Romans.
From the evidence adduced BY botanistf
of high standing it seems highly improbable
that wheat has ever been found growing
persistently in a wild state, although it has
often been asserted by poets, travellers anC
historians.
The largest amount of ground in the
world devoted to the culture of gladiolus is
at Floral Park, y. Y, where J. L. Childs has
so acres planted in that flower. At this
place 150 acres are devoted to floral culture
IN the spring and summer.
-Humming birds mus. misealculate tht
best time for their yearly migration. since
they have been found dead in hollow trees
and outhouses. As a rule, however, they
must contrive to travel a considerable dis
tance IN spite of their short wings.
The Fangs of the Congo have a SAYING
that 'the Fang is he who kills the elephant
their way of saying that the white man i.
rather stupid This expresses their opinion
of many of the traders and missionaries the,
meet.
-Knotted strings were employed by the
ancient people of Peru for messages. They
had no written characters to express singlt
sounds, and so they put words together 70.
purposes of communication and also TO
records by the dexterious tying Of knots OF
cords.
Poodle is derived from the German
pudel, a puddle or pool This dog wa
originally German, and the name was prob
ably given it because of being very closely
allied to what is known as the water-dog
They are WITHOUT doubt the most intelligen
of ali CANNES.
An industry which is probably not cats
logued in the list of trades is that of gra-
hair pulling, but few women in New IOr.
make their living in this way. Eyidentl.
the old tradition that ''for every gray hai
pulled out three will come to the funeral,
does not obtain among the employers
these artists.
1t is said that in China there is a cat tina
has dropping ears. The Mombas cat OF The
west coast OF Africa is covered with stiff
bristly hair. A Paraguay cat is only one
quarter as big as the ordinary cat OF TIL
part of the world. 1t has long body am
short shiny hair In South America there
u
miauow.
1t IS tradition in Austria that has NOR
than the force of law, that "if an unmarrie
man destroy the eye of an unmarried woman
he must within two twelve months mSk
that woman his BRIDE" or "Inourn where'e
he go, his days full of woe: in life or death
shall know no-rest, his body accufst, his soy
unblest; woe to him on earth or air; woe
him fore'er and e'er."
In midsummer some humming bird
stray rs far North as Canada, but after Nc
vember they are hardly ever seen anywher
in the United States east of the Californi
Sierra, and probably pass the winter i
Northern Mexico, in the evergreen forest
of Tamaulipas, for instance, where the viii
oranges and musk-lianas are covered wit
their finest flowers at New Year.
The Kurds, among whom Miss Greer
field has cast her lot, have u very curiou
and somewhat dangerous marriage custom
which one would think would be more hor
ored in the breach than in the Observance
The husband, surrounded by body guar
of 20 or 80 Young men, carries his wife hom
on his back in a scarlet cloth, and is despe!
ateIy assaulted the whole way by q numbe
OF girls.
Least attractive among the insect
which give light are the so-called "electri
centipedes"-black crawlers with many leg
which have been Ikened to serpents' skels
like fashion, forward or backward, leavin
behind them bright track of phosphori
light However, they are most accustome
TO appear in the daytime, when the lluminS
tfon they afford is not visible
The earliest notice of amber we fin
occurs in the Odyssey of Homer, where 18th
gold necklace hung with bits of aInber"i
mentioned in the list of jewels offered
the Phpnician traders to the Queen of Syris
In one of the Greek fables accounting fC
the origin of amber it is related that tn
sisters OF Helid8, on seeing their brothe
hurled by the lighting of Jove into til
Eridanus were transformed by the pityin
gods into poplar trees and the tears the
shed were dropped as amber on the shore
of the river
One of the most persistent beggars i
Portland Me-, is a collie dog which is yer
fond OF doughnuts The collie, in compan
with his mistress, visited bakery one da
last fall and, perceivins some doughnuts
a showcase he sat down and pleaded, b
means of short, sharp barks, for a treat Tn
clerk generously fed the smart dog, but no
he wishes that he hadn't, for every da
since the collie has appeared tobeg for NOR
doughnuts If the shop door is closed h
will wait outside until some one opens
and then dodge in to get his regular fire
lunch. --..-