Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-08
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.
Japan has $50 newspapers.

The Assyrians had 72 different kinds of
wine.
The first pipe organ was made by
Archimedes 3. C. 220.
About two-thirds of the men in this
country use tobacco.
The line between Idaho and Washing
ton is being surveyed
The British Museum has 50 miles Of
shelves filled with books.
The largest thermometer in existence
is owned by the New York Sun.
-Joseph's coat of many colors is said by
rabbis to have been made of came's hair
The military expenses of France since
the war OF 1s7O-7I have been about $780,.
600 900.
Complete cable communication was es.
tablished in 1872 between Australia and Eng
gland.
"A Russian can plead infancy for a long
time. as he does not come of age till he is Is
years old.
The value of infantry was not fully
recognized by medieval commanders until
the fiteenth century.
Fleetwood, Pa, claims to have quincs
which weighs % ounces and measures la
inches in circumference.
The population of many South Sea
islands manufacture their entire suits from
the products of palm trees.
r Homer mentions Thracian wine 50
strong that even Ulysses was obliged to di-
lutte it with 20 parts of water.
I'm hot climates Roman soldiers wore
sandals: in cold regions they were provided
with excellent leather shoes.
In a year the food eaten BY horse is
nine times his weight; that OF COW nine
time-; that OF an OK six times.
On a clear night red light can be seen
at a greater distance than a white light, but
on a dark night the reverse is the case.
From 1861 to 1890 it was customary In
England to return the price OF admission TO
persons who left before the close of the first
act.
During the second Carthaginian war,
B. C. PIG, the Roman legion was 500 men;
under Marius, e. c. IS, it was $500 foot and
100 horse.
"A giant sewing machine has lately been
finished at Leeds, England. The machine,
which is to be used for attaching cotton
betting, is said to weigh j4 tons.
-Pliny mentions wines made OF honey
and 6-year-old rain water; of honey, sea salt
and vinegar; OF honey and myrtle seed; of
palms, dates, figs, wUrmwood and snails.
1t is said that smoke spots can be re-
moved from kalsomined or painted ceiling
by gently brushing the spot with water in
which a handful of soda has been dissolved.
The latest whim for the owners of dogs
is to make them wear shoes in the house of
the purpose of protecting the polished
floors. They are made of chamOis, with
leather sOles.
There is an old married couple in Por-
spoken to each other for 25 years. although
they live in the same house and eat from
the same table
MILAN is to be supplied with electric
lights by the utilization of the water power
of the Villoresi Canal. at its fall at Tessin.
1t is estimated that 80 coo horse power can
be developed at this point.
"A singular and fortunately unusual cir
cumstance was reported by farmer in lIe8
wheat field of II acres near Kingston was
found to have no grain in the ear, and was
consequently cut Gown for straw.
1t has been found by French physician
that the bilious fever so characteristic OF
tropical countries is due to special bac-
terium, which, though motionless itself, is
accompanied by numberless moving spores.
There are said to be more than 5000
prehistoric buildings in Sardinia. They are
almost all in the fertile districts and built in
groups, which are separated from one an
other by wide and generally barren places.
The salary of the Prince of Wales is
s2O1,OGO per year; Duke of Connaught, Sl25s-
COO; Duke of Edinburgh, sI25,000, and the
Duke of Cambridge, the Queens cousin, $780,
0G0 The royal family cost British Taxpayers
$4,000 Il week.
-Three-auarters of a second is the time
occupied by the fall of the knife in the
guiliotine. The knife is weighted by l20
pounds of lead, falls nine feet, and cuts
through flesh and bone as easily as through
bar OF soap.
One of the features of a recent church
fair out West was grab bag, and among the
contents was slip of paper on which was
written: "GOod tor one grave. VIII be dug
any time during the ensuing year. John
Smith, sexton"
In Bohemia there are 160 societies and
clubs which have Tor their object tho adj
yancement of the cause of women. 4 great
deal is done in this way to procure for the
women of Bohemia better employment and
greater Independence.
Leap year makes an important differ
ence to the various departments of the
State. Fifty-three weekly pay-days fal!
within the financial year, and this in the
navy pay-sheet alone involves an additional
expenditure oil f35.OOO.
In Turkey if man falls asleep in the
neighborhood OF poppy field and the wind
blows from the field toward him he becomes
narcotized and would die if the country peO-
pie, who are well acquainted with the Cir
cumstances did not bring him to O well or
stream and EN- PITY pitcher after pitcher OF
water on mis- face and body.
About 1886 Thomas Conecte, preach
ing friar, instituted q crusade In Paris
against the pointed caps, or hennins, and
granted absolution to the small boys who
pulled off the ladies' caps in the street. Many
duel5 resulted, together with several riots,
and the fashion was temporarily abolished
to reapear on the departure OF Conecte-
The obtaining of tortoise-shell involves
intense cruelty to the tortoise. When the
creature is caught it is fastened down TO the
ground, and covered round the she'll with
leaves and grass, which are set allght. The
heat forces the scales Of the shell to separate,
and they are then cut off with q knife. The
poor reptile is then released to grow fresh
scales.
Mud baths were common among the
ancients, the mud on the seashore and the
slime of the rivers being especially priced
for this purpose. The Tartars and
Egyptians still use them in certain diseases.
They are taken by the people at many
places ON the continent OF Europe, among
which may be named Driburg, Eilsen, Neun-
dorf Pyrmont, Spa, Marienbad, Franzens'
braun, Eyer, Kissingen and Teplits.