Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-15
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.
-Eggshells are gas stove fuel.

-Eggshells are gas stove fuel.
The torpedo, the ray and the electric
eel are electricians.
-Four times more Irishmen reside In the
United States than Englishmen.
About 1900 varieties of roses have been
prepagated during this century.
The morning star, or spiked club, came
into use in the eleventh century.
About 100000 copies of "Robinson
Crusoe" are sold annually in London.
"A resident of Trappe, Pa, claims to
have clock that has licked since 1776.
The annual consumption of railroad ties
in the United States is estimated at about
S5.25O 1000.
The first lucifer match was made BY
Jonn Komerer in a German dungeon in
Ludwigsberg.
The total annual issue Of copies Of
papers in the United States is estimated to
be 8, 4sl, $4,000.
The newspapers Of to-day are said to
pr int better illustrations than did the magar
zines 20 years ago.
During the last year only one person in
$4,000, 900 passengers was killed by accidens
on British railways.
New York boasts of the largest sur
pliced colored choir in the United States,
and so far as is known, in the world.
"A gentleman in Tacoma recently gave
a dinner TO % people, the dining room being
the interior OF the trunk OF tree on his
estate.
-"Lutetia, the ancient name Of Paris,
means in effect "mudtown," the city when
the Romans found it being chiefly composed
Of mud-built houses.
The grotesque knocker on the sanctuary
door of Durham Cathedral. which bears
rather distant resemblance to q lion, is said
to be of the twelfth century.
Water is so scarce in Balakany, the
center of the Russian petroleum industry.
that in establishments where steam engines
are used it costs more than the fuel.
1t is just q years since the Salvation
Army was founded, and the Salvationists
are about to celebrate the fact throughous
the length and breadth or their oryaniza-
ton.
Pope Leo Kill owns pearl left to him
by his predecessor on the throne of st.
Peter, which is worth 100000; the chain of
80 pearls owned by the Empress Frederick
is estimated at sl75 900.
"A new dish appeared lately on the
menus of Swiss table d'hotes which puzzled
everyone who read only its name-Aroistu.
Those who risked a trial were amused to
find an old friend-Irish stew.
The first deaf and dumb asylum in the
United States was the American Asylum in
Hartford, Conn. The old Columbia College
building recently torn down was one of the
earliest asylums for deaf mutes.
The youngest barber known to work in
a shop was Nellie Wick, aged A, in the Globe
1zr-
She shaved five men in II minutes, and re-
ceived silver medal for SO doing.
One of the largest typographical maps
of New York State ever attempted is under
construction at Wards Natural Science Mu-
scum, in Rochester, n. Y. The map will be
40 feet long and 30 feet wide when finished.
Some sensation has been caused at Cairo
by the discovery that over $4,000 English
sovereigns had been sweated to such an ex.
tent chat the Fellaheen generally refuse to
accept British gold in the way of business.
The produce of wheat, rye, maize. oats
and barley has been lately computed in
millions of quartersUnited Kingdom, ii;
Austria hungary, 81; France. "a; Germany,
10: Russia in Europe, lS9; Italy, 26 United
States, Ais.
Albert Cheval1er, the music hall artistic,
il in the receipt of something like $50 a
week as salary and in addition makes about
ESQ a week in royalties. The sale of his
songs averages 10000 per quarter. and just
lately 1900 were sold in three weeks.
There is an unwritten law among as
tronomers that when new bodies are dis
covered in the heavens they are not to re-
ceive the names of the finders, nor of any
other person. Without exception the celes-
tial nomenclature is taken from Greek and
Roman mythology.
Two expeditions are about to leave
England under the auspices of the South
west Africa Company for the purpose Of
developing the mines and for the construc-
tion of q railway in Damaraland. This SEQ
tion Of Africa is believed to be rich In MIN
erals of various kinds.
Mile. Paulina, a native of Queensland,
Holland, is said to be the smallest human
being in the world. She is nearly Is years
OF age, her height is 18 inches and her
weight seven pounds. Unlike most of tho
"midgets." she is remarkably pretty aud ac-
cornplished, speaking four languages flu
emily.
According to intelligence received at
Marseilies from Alden, Arabia, the slave
trade on the east coast of Africa is again
increasing, owing to the high prices now
offered for slaves, and caravans from the
interior, most of them with quantity OF
human merchandise, are arriving on the
coast daily.
-Durlng tne IaSt year OII peISOuS-Wef0
rewarded by the London Humane Society.
The list includes one Stanhope gold medal,
IA silver medals and 46 pecuniary rewards.
Thirty-five rewards were given to officers
and men of III. NJ. Navy and Coastguard, 49
to officers and meI of the Army and Reserve
Forces, and 26 to police.
The French Minister of Public Instruc-
tfon has decided to preserve the home OF
Joan OF Arc in Domremi as a museum in
which to illustrate her history. 1t will con-
tain models of the various statues raised to
her memory, copies of the paintings show
ing various scenes in her lie, and the pict-
ures of her which are in the Pantheon.
The So called safety matches are only
safe in name. A Berlin chemist has exam
ined 1s different kinds of Swedish and Ger
man manufacture, especially in regard to the
readiness with which they could be ignited
on various surfaces, and he finds that they
NAV be lighsed on almost anything If the
temperature is sufficiently raised by friction
The first square signet engraved on
stone comes from the year 145O B. C., and Is
in the British museum. 1t is supposed to
have been the first engraved gem used as q
sea of which we know. The name and the
titles and charger of Amenophis H. are en-
eraved upon it. The Ethiopians, the Bac-
trians Hindoos and Chinese used engraved
seals before historical times.
PlROUETTES FROM PUCK.