Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-10
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

"A very fine grain of sand will cover
from 300 to 500 pores in the human skin.
Roots of the onion penetrate the earth
to a depth of from to feet when condt-
tions are favorable.
"A suit has been brought in Buffalo to
recover 5000 for alternating boys affec-
tions from his father.
"A single plant of turkey corn bears
5000 seeds; the sunfower, 4, 900; the poppy,
$1,000, and tobacco, 70.320.
The microscopists say that a mosquito
has p "teeth' in the end of its bill-ll above
and the same number below.
The bones of Jumbo, Barnum's big ele-
phant, that was killed lew years ago at st.
Thomas, Canada, weighed even 2. 400 pounds.
Ihe total weight of the body, bones and all
was six tons.
Theirs is church in the town of Ber-
gen, Norway, that is built entirely OF paper.
1t can seat 1000 persons in comfort and has
been rendered waterproof by n solution OF
qu1cklime, curdled milk and white OF eggs.
"A single seed of an Asiatic pemperion
planted on Trevsy grounds Berlin, propa-
gated vine as large as a mans body. which
in nine weeks grew to a total length Of
nearly 900 feet and ripened more than SOC, 900
seeds.
The French professor who makes human
skulls to order has a rival in the person of
DR.. Znamensky, Russian dentist of Moscow,
who has discovered means of causing false
teeth to grow to the gums as firmly as the
ones nature provides.
"A German engineer concludes that if
the speed instead of the load of freighs
trains be increased from II to % miles Der
hour the expenses per car mile at the higher
speed would be one-fourth less for repairs
and only one-ffth more tor fuel.
Black glass was once used for mirrors,
as well as transparent glass with some black
substance on the back. 1t is related that
the Spaniards found mirrors of polished
black stone. both convex and concave.
among the natives of South America.
The costliest dinner set ever made was
by Tiffany. Mr.. Mackay brought from his
mines $4,000 worth of bullion and this the
jewelers. made up into service asking
$4,000 for the work, making the cost in all
$4,000, and no sovereign in Europe eats
from such gorgeous plate.
1t has been shown that the white elm of
our bottom lands and groves yields one year
with another, at very moderate estimate,
too 329, 900 seeds. NOW. elm ordinarily
lives at least a full hundred years, and, con-
sequently, in the course of that comnara-
lively short life, produces nearly 3,OO0,OOo
grains. all coming from one original seed
The construction, mode of use and the
effect OF burning glasses was known to the
ancients even full thousand years before
the time of Archimedes, who is said to have
constructed a burning glass which he used
70 good advantage in reducing several
Roman warships to ashes at a time when
they were besieging Syracuse.
The Chicago papers are boasting that at
least 30 different religions will be repre-
sented in the Congress of All Religions"
that is to form part of next years industrial
PNhihiti0n-tpn rolipiOna
Buddhism; four European, including Greek
orthodoxy: four African, including fetich-
ism, and II American, including Mormon
ism.
"A kind of spider native to South Amer
lea is remarkable for the great length of its
legs and has very singular method of de-
Tending itself. When attacked it gathers its
feet together, fastening them to the center
of its web, and gyrates with the velocity OF
whirliSig. so that it appears like mist on
the web, offering no point for the enemy to
strike at.
There was novel fight the other day
near Sunbury Pa, between q rat and big
blowing viper snake. The rat was bitten
dozens of times, while the plucky rodent
finally sank its sharp teeth in the snakes
neck back of the head and stuck there. The
viper writhed and squirmed for Is minutes
and then lay still. 1t was dead. The rat
also soon died.
Ill saw ulllb using pEeuuldLlC pipes lOl
taking away the sawdust it is found that the
back of the saw usually throws up q good
deal of fine dust in spite of the air suction.
This difficulty has now been overcome in
many instances by an invention for admit
ting air TO the saw hopper in such way as
to cause 1t TO 1mpfnge on the sides and teeth
of the saw and thus give it an air-blast
washing.
Richard Gird is probably the largest
individual grower of sugar beets in. the
world He has so 900 acres OF ground sur
rounding Chino Cal, and this year will have
4, 900 acres of it in beets. He is under con-
tract to raise all the beets that are required
for the beet sugar factory at Chino. His
contract requires him to raise 5000 acres of
beets next year, and the same average the
following year.
in large forest about five leagues from
Besancon, Province of Franche Comte,
France, there is an opening in the mountain
side which leads to a cavern about 900 feet
below the level of the surrounding country.
The average width of the opening is so feet
and its average height more than 20 feet
greater. The cavern itself, which is one OF
natures perfect icehouses, is l35 feet in
breadth and l6S in length.
Neither the doreas nor Benefits ga
zelle 1.-TWO allied species) ever drink. OAR
win states. in his Voyage of Naturalist"
that unless the huanacoeS, or wild llamas Of
Patagonia, drink salt water, IN many lOcalt
ties thew must drink none at all. The large
and interesting group of sloths are alike in
never drinking. A parrot is said to have
lived in the Geological Gardens, Regents
Park. for 50 years without drop of water.
Tribes living on an island near the
Philippines take the hand or foot of the per.
son whom they salute, and gently rub their
faces with it, while the Philippines use
most ridiculous and startling attitude-first,
bending their bodies very low to the earth,
they place their hands on their cheeks, and
at the same time raise one foot in the air.
Perhaps this grand salaam surpasses any
that was dreamed OF in the Arabian
Nights"
An ingenious apparatus for ascertain
ing the depths of rivers and smaller streams
has recently been successfully tried on the
EIbe. 1t consists of curved arm, hinged
ut the upper extremity and of length sufi-
cient tor the lower curved portion to trail
ON the bed of the stream. The greater the
depth of the stream the more will the arm
be inclined and hence by suitable recordingi
the depth can be automatically
registered.
IDYLL1C HUMOREsQUEa