Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-07
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

"A Missouri man has carried the same
knife for SO years. eff
The Persians have different name for
every day in the month.
Fifty tank steamers are now carrying
oil in bulk from this country to Europe.
Japan has now over !, 100 miles Of rail-
ways, but the investments have never
proved to be profitable.
AT the next Presidential election it In
Estimated that more than L, 900 men will
have the right to vote.
"A blacksmith in Philadelphia while
shoeing a horse recently found $50 gold
piece lmbedded in the hoof.
"A petrifed baby was found the other
day near the ella Hot Springs. The Smith
sonian Institution has obtained it.
The Oldest living lawsuit is on for this
term of the Supreme Court. 1t involves the
possession of SIS, ,7O2, and was first tried in
May, 1914.
AT this season of the year, on the aver
age, about 800 London policemen are inca
pacitated. At present there are ], SEQ on
duty from the Influenza.
-Bernhardt astonished the people Of
Macon, Ga, by spending sE 81 for a cable
gram to relatives in Cairo, Egypt, inform
Punch on one occasion, made a fippant
allusion toan eminent statesman who figured
In its pages often, and who had died three
days previous to the date borne by the
paper.
The people of Rome get their supply of
water, which is said to be remarkably pure
from the Apennines through an ancient
aqueduct that was constructed by their fore
fathers.
The famous lotus eaters, when they
found themselves about to die threw them
selves into the sea. The Cherokees of Ten
nessee formerly made a practice of throw
ing their dead into the rivers.
The payroll on a railroad in North Da-
kota last week showed that one employee a
fireman. worked. for As hours at a stretch,
then had three hours relief for sleep, and
resumed work and continued working for
81 hours more.
The Lewiston, Me-, police are greatly
bothered in their liquor raids by the electric
alarms with which all the saloons of the city
are provided, and they propose to arrest the
outside loungers who press the button while
the bartender "does the rest"
The first suspension bridge in England
was erected in l74l across the Tees at Mid
dleton. 1t was 20 feet span, and was erected
for the use of miners. 1t consisted of two
common chains stretched across the river
and liked into the rock at each side.
The first book issued by the Institution
for Savings, in Newport, Mass, on the first
day the bank was opened April 5, 1926, was
received at the banking rooms recently to
have the interest added. The original de-
posit was $40. and no more deposits were
made. The interest to date amounted to
$S9s.
The product of the wax tree on the
Andes. resembles bees wax very closely.
Then there is the butter tree of Africa,
which produces as much as 100 pounds at
once, only to be renewed in r few months.
This secretion, when hardened and salted,
is difficult to distinguish from fresh, sweet
butter.
The Etruscans married in the open
streets, and early English marriages were
not necessarily celebrated within the pre-
cincts of churches. A constitution Of the
year 994 simply enacts that "the mass priest
shall be present at the nuptials, for he ought
to join the parties together with Gods
blessing"
In Africa people of the tribe called
stream, which has been previously diverted
from its course. A deep grave is dug in the
bed of the stream, the body is placed in it
and covered over, and finally the stream is
restored to its natural course.
The earliest form of pontoon, or float
ing brid9e, mentioned is that used by Cyrus,
King of Persia, about the year 5Ss B. C. In
this bridge the pontoons are said to have
consisted of stuffed skins. Darius, King OF
Persia, threw bridges of boats across the
Bosphorus and the Danube in his war
against the Scythians about 513 E. C.
The big 50-ton gun, the first of the four
intended for the Monterey, which arrived
in San Francisco recently, has attracted con.
attention, many thousands of peo-
pie having seen 1t. Somehow, no one knows
just how, the gun got the name of big
Betsy" and everybody calls it by that name.
The Dollar Sociable has had great run
in the Maine churches this winter and some
of the brothers and sisters, producing their
dollars detailed very interesting experiences
in procuring the money. A Pittsfield man
told the best story. He shocked the congre-
Jared the stuff playing poker at the Sancey
House."
Skull Valley, which is a part of the
great Salt Lake desert, gets its namesfrom
the number of skulls which have been found
there, owing to the custom practiced by the
Gosh-Ute Indians of burying their dead in
springs, sinking them with stones Inas--
for water supply the habit in question is not
q particularly agreeable one. Very often
people have been obliged to dig out the
skeletons of Indians from the mud at the
using the water.
The Tartars of old are said to have
made practice of eating their dead strang-,
ling the aged for this purpose when they
were thought to have survived the period of
their usefulness otherwise. 1t has been sf.
firmed that the ancient Irish and Britons
levoured the defunet, esteeming this mode
Of disposal more honorable than any other
Up to the present day the same custom is
known to be followed by many tribes in
Africa, particularly by the Fans, who num-
Der millions, but this plan is adopted only
with common people, kings and chiefs being
buried with much ceremony.
The celebration of marriage, partly in
churches and partly outside them, was first
1rdered by Pope Innocent III. in Il99 All
.he ancient missals direct that toward the
conclusion of the service the parties shall
enter the church as far as the step of the
lItar." The greater portion of the ceremony
was thus performed in the south porch, still
,ften called in country districts the @wed-
ling door" 1t was only in the reign of Ed
ward vi that the whole of the ceremony
vas allowed to be performed in the middle
If the church. No married person in the
Middle Ages could go distant journey until
was publicly known that he did so with
he consent of his wife.
THRILLING HUMOREsQUEs.