Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-11
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

| There are very nearly 1O0, 600 barmaids
in the British Isles.
The average Englishman would live 20
years longer in England than in Africa.
The Adirondack wilderness embraces an
extent of 5000 square miles, or $4,000 acres.
There are nearly twice as many persons
to the souare mile in Europe as there are in
Asia.
The number of rabbits destroyed In New
South Wales during the past year Is computed
at q, 600, 00O
st. Martins, Canterbury, Is said to be
the oldest church in England; 1t was built
about $50 A. D.
1t is estimated that 1900 pounds Of
gold are annually us ed for dental purposes
in the United States.
of the total working expenses OF the
railways over so per cent goes In various
ways TO the wage-earners.
Three hundred thousand dollars worth
Of Victor Hugos works have been sold an
nually for the last six years.
1t is calculated that in go years, at the
present rate of increase, Australia will con-
tain about 4o, 900 of citizens.
"A female dentist has opened an Office in
Boston, and is doing thriving business,
even without displaying sign.
AN incandescent lamp without q fls-
ment is the next event in an electrical way
which the public may expect to see.
London will this year, it is said, have
an exhibition of fruit from the principal
countries serving the London market.
"A camel of the largest size has been
known to drink from 30 to 80 gallons Of
water, and then travel without any more for
20 days.
There are computed to be between 25o,-
oOo and 100000 accident cases treated every
year by the metropolitan and suburban hos
pitfalls alone.
1t is curious to note that 1t Is the bache-
lors in the House of Commons who interest
themselves most persistently in the woman's
suffrage question.
-Mehitabel Holmes, aged SO years, and
Israel Goodman, aged IS. both of Winsted,
Conn.,, were married. on Thursday. They
had been engaged for 80 years.
There has been a remarkable develop
opment in the coal traffic of London. In
1850 the railway-borne coal was only 24s,OO0
tons, and last year it expeeded S,0oO,00 tons.
"A resident of Stamford, N. Y, is the
proud possessor of rare relic of the Revo-
luttouary War-nothing less than the watch
which Major Andre offered as ransom to his
captors.
The heart of the poet Shelley is pre-
served among other precious relics of the
poet IN the house of his son, Sir Percy
Shelley, at Boscombe Manor, Bournemouth,
England.
-Pique has converted q whole village
from the Roman Catholic faith to Protest
antism, the Bishop of Cahors having refused
the celebration of a second mass in their
church on Sundays
Charles Richon, of Paris, exercises 9
curious profession. He is much sought by
the wealth who give entertainments, and is
stationed in the conservatory or garden to
initiate different birds.
The oldest armchair in the world is the
throne once used by Queen Hatafu, who
fourfshed in Egypt 1900 B. c. 1t is made Of
ebony, beautifully carved. and is so hard;
from black marble.
Advertisement writing is becoming q
regular branch of literature In the United
States Some Of the first-class writer's COM
mand salaries Of $4,000 year, and now
young men are regularly training for the
work and going to college in preparation.
AT Louisville hospital the skull Of
an infant idiot child was opened and ex-
banded about three-sixteenths Of an inch.
The operation was performed so as to allow
the child's brain to expand. So far ft looks
like the undertaking would prove q sue
Cess. -
AT Limerick, ireland, in 1927, Wyatt
records "a shower of small, live toads." As
late as four years ago, June. 1888. there was
such a SHOWER at Wexford, r. l.. whom
sssa ssssa. during the prevalence OF thunder
In trying to solve the difficulties Of
se45ching for the wounded at night after .
great BATTLE the experiment. has been tried
with fair success at Gratz, of sending out
men armed with portable electric lanterns,
which were fed BY accumulators contained
in their knapsacks.
Crossing the Andes in carriage is the
latest achievement in travelling. A Spanish
gentleman named Benito Requejo. accom-.
panied by his wife, has performed tine feat,
having started from the Argentine Republic
and landed at Catama, distance of 800
miles. The vehicle was drawn by three
mu les.
In April England had the hottest
weather which has been recorded IN that
month for half q century. There Is no in
stance on record in May during the last 80
years of four consecutive days as cold as
those experien ced in the third week OF
June, the Thermometer having failed to
reach so deg.
Near Nisch, Seryia, building wholly
constructed Of human skulls and bones was
recently discovered 1t is in the form Of q
square, about IS feet high, and is composed
of 56 piles Of deathheads and crossbones,
there being IL skulls and as many pairs OF
crossbones in each pile. When or by whom
it as erected Is still q mystery.
The Nile has a fall of but o inches to
], 900 miles! The overflow commences in June
every year and continues until August,
attaining an elevation of from "a to % feet
above low water mark. and flowing through
the "valley OF Egypt in a turbulent body
u miles wide. During the last IL 900 years
there has been but one sudden rise of the
Nile, that of 1929, when 10000 people were
drowned.
"A collection of ancient gold coins, val
ned at IS, 600 was stolen from M. dArmont,
Mayor at Faramans, France. A couple Of
relatives announced that they were going to
see a fortune-teller at Lyons, who would cer-
tafnly tell where the guilty man was, Be-
fore they set out on their journey, the bag OF
coins was found in the hen roost. Fear OF
disclosure had induced the superstitious
thief to return his booty.
The mace of the House Of Represents
tives consists of bundle Of 13 ebony rods
and bound together with silver
bands. The 13 ebony sticks represent the B
original States of the Union. They are sur
by globe Of silver, upon which
the hemispheres are traced, while liver
eagle with outstretched wings. IS per ched
upon the summit of the globe. 1t was ma do
in 1884 and weighs 20 pounds.
IDYLIC HUMORESQUES.