Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-23
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

-Philadelphia has 7,0O0 fewer licensed
saloons than New York.
Last week trapper near Blaine, Neh.,
caught beaver weighing nearly 100 pounds.
"A cremated body leaves a residuum Of
only eight ounces; all besides is restored to
the gaseous elements.
Some one has been urging the intro
duction Of black edged postage stamps for
the convenience of people In mourning.
In the United States the lambs laurel
(kalmia) imparts an irritant property to tho
honey in the region in which it grows plen-
t1fully, and in Australia the euphorbis
honey Is known to be decidedly dangerous.
From the time of Edward III. to that
Of Charles l. boards were universally worn.
In the reign of Charles II. the mustache and
this the practice of shaving in some fashion
became general throughout Europe.
The cat figures largely in the ancient
comic groups of animal life. In papyrus
in the British Museum a flock OF geese are
being driven by cat. and a herd of goats by
two wolves with crooks and wallets. One Of
the wolves is playing double pipe.
in the Criminal Court of Dusseldorf q
man has been condemned to five years
murder, in strict conformity with the letter
of the law. The legal bother now is which
sentence should be carried out first.
The noses of the Moschans, a weak and
enervated tribein Africa, are often seen dis
figured by the excessive consumption of
snuff The people sometimes cram their
nostrils so full that the mass has to be dug
out again with small iron or ivory spoons.
In England there are several elms 70
feet nigh and 80 feet in girth; oaks 80 feet
high and with trunks 40 feet in girth; and in
Scotland there is an ash 80 feet high and l9
feet in girth. But these are regarded as ex-
traordinary, and grow in solitary grandeur.
1t is common belief at the present
time among the lower classes in South Ger
many that If children play soldiers very
often in the streets there is a war coming.
and If they play funeral" an epidemic will
come over the land and many deaths will
result.
"A horse will carry 250 pounds % miles
per day of eight hours. An average draft
horse will draw 1,600 pounds % miles per
day on a level road, weight Of wagon in
cluded. The average weight of a horse Is
1000 pounds, his strength is equivalent to
that Of five men.
DIR. De Roever, keeper of the archives
in Amsterdam. announces that he has found
a hitherto unrecognized Rembrandt, repre-
senting the assembling Of the Batav under
their revolt against the Romans about q
century before Christ.
"A drawing on a tile in the New York
Museum represents cat dressed as an
Egyptian lady of fashion. She is seated
languidly in chair. slipping wine out of
small bowl, and being famed and offered
dainties by an abject looking tom cat, his
tail between his legs.
I'm both Scotland and Irelaud the en-
trance of bee into a cottage (more par
At .F -
as q certain sign of the death Of someone
then residing there. In other localities il
bees in swarming settle upon dead wood 1t
is regarded as equally ominous.
About the time that Southern negro
was burned to death with petroleum.
month ago, a young widow in Menin, in the
province of Bukowina, suspected of having
poisoned her husband. was taken from her
bedroom at night, bound hand and foot,
soaked in petroleum, set on fire and burned
to death.
The Oregonian states, that half dozen
years ago there were more beaver skins re-
ceived at Portland than coon skins. This
year the coons outnumber the beavers 10 to
l.. and the number of skins of all kinds is
much less than ever before, except bear
skins. The bears are increasing and the
number of hunters who kill them is greater
than usual
will not be apt to De popular, because among
what it calls "Facetious Items it gives the
following: eff your wife faints, do not spoil
her dress by dashing jug of water over her.
Loudly kiss the back of your hand. She Will
revive and want to know whom
you are kissing. Do not tell her, and she will
not faint any more"
"A curious incident connected with the
Servian army is the manner in which most
of the regiments carry the big drum. 1t Is
not, as in most other countries, slung in
front of the man who plays 1t, but is placed
upon small twO-wheeled cart drawn by a
large dog, which has been SO trained that it
keeps its place even through the longest and
most tedious of marches.
I'm preparation for the next siege Of
Paris the French WarDepartmenth has taken
steps toward the construction of an immense
establishment in the city for the preserva-
ton of meat by freezing. Similar establish
ments on smaller scales will be attached to
the forts encircling the capital. The cold
air will be supplied to all from a central
station operated according to . new COM
pressed air system.
There are 955 religious papers in the
United States, whose combined circulation
is about one-eighth of all the newspapers
published in the country. The Methodists
publish 147 papers, with q circulation of
$50 900; the Roman Catholics, 127 papers, cir
CullG1On
tion 100000; Presbvterians 81, circulation
800 900: Protestant Episcopal AZ, with gen.
eral circulation all over the country.
The name of porcelain Tower" was ap-
piled to China's unique structure on account
of the fact that the whole Of the outside
work was covered with porcelain slabs Of
various sizes and colors, but principally Of
red white, yellow and green. At every one
of its nine stories the projecting roof Of tho
gallery was covered with green tiles each
Corner being provided with a bell, varying
In weight from 300 to 1000 pounds.
The English Registrar Generals annual
report of births, deaths and marriages in
1890 (issued on the last day of 1s9D shows
that the birth rate in that year was 80 per
1000 living, and was the lowest for 30 years.
60 rar as can be judged. moreover from the
figures at hand, 1891 will show no improve
ment in that respect. The death rate was
1915 per 1,0OO higher than in the preceding
three years, but still comparatively low.
The Irish hero, Fingal, had the felicity
n be- under his own thumb, that member
,erving him as q danger signal, aching in a
peculiar way whenever trouble fmpended,
when he had only to put It into his mouth to
become immediately instructed how to over
,ome the difficulty of the hour. SO. by the
,ricking of her thumbs telling her some
hing wicked this way comes" did the weird
lister know Of Macbeth's approach before
Ter ears caught his football.
Many watches make five beats per Sec
md. 800 each minute, 5000 every hour. or
81, 900 per day. Thus it will be seen that half
! dozen turns Of the key once day, taking
I'D but few seconds Of time, stores upa
I'D into nearly LOO, 700 OF beats. If we
multiply the daily beats by 1851, the number
# days In year, We find that the watch
icks l57 7S8, 900 times while the earth Is
III twin hi