Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-16
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

Only one person in thousand dies Of
old age.
Ten per cent of the population of India
are widows.
| No criminal records were kept before
| the present century.
In Southern Europe So, 900 oranges have
been picked from one tree.
| When terrified an ostrich travels at the
rate Of about 25 miles an hour.
| BICYCLES cannot be ridden in Danish
cities faster than the speed Of cab.
Out of every !, 200, 900 letters that pass
through the postof1ce, only 20 go astray.
| The whole amount of gold actually in
circulation is estimated to be about s65 tons.
Newfoundland is rejoicing over the
catching of 4O0, 900 seals by her fleet this sea-
| son.
Henry Will, during his reign, put to
| or unoffendfng.
Scientific authority asserts that cubic
inch of soil contains from 10000 TO a2500oo
| minute organisms.
There are 176, 255 miles Of railroads in
the United States nearly enough to span the
| world seven times.
The cemeteries of London cover 1000
acres and the land they occupy represents
q capital Of 81, 100000.
The origin of football is unknown, but
the first mention OF the game is in the reign
of Edward III. Q349).
Europe consumes upwards of $50. .000. 900
| worth Of gold and silver annually Tor plate,
jewelry and ornaments.
-Forty-four million oysters were landed
in England and Wales in 1891 against some
| thing under 81 600, 900 in 1899.
-Londoners write 81, 81 letters day, re-
quiring 30 gallons of ink. OF this number
over 60, 0C0 are written in the city.
The license law of Sweden forbids any
person buying drink without purchasing
something to eat at the same time.
The juice of the pineapple contains
proteid oigesting substance and is also fur.
nished with milk-curdling ferment
Careful scientific Investigations show
that the average speed of the transmission
OF earthquake shocks is nearly 16,0 feet per
second.
Manufactures of obituary monuments
in the United States have the right to re-
move their handfwork from graves in the
event OF its not being paid for within six
mon tbs.
-Dramatists in France get IL per cent of
the gross receipts of each play, and are
allowed tickets to the value of 100 francs for
every performance Of such plays as they
have written.
The longest speech ever made was by q
Roumanian deputy in support OF the i'm
parchment of an ex-minister, John Bratiano,
when he spoke for no less than 81 hours, or
one hour over full day and half.
Berlin is notable place for suicide.
Sfxty-two boys have killed themselves there
in the last II months; 81 were under Is years
old, and one had not reached the age Of
fr apran fnr h<ryof
The Serviansi have q curious custom of
giving a parting kiss to their deceased
friends before final burial, and the observ-
ance of 1t has caused a serious epidemic Of
diphtheria. The custom has now been for
hidden.
The miscellaneous concert halls town
halls, institutes, schoolrooms, etc, that can
be tabulated reach 131 in London and the
various suburbs, with an estimated value Of
persons nightly.
The mysterious subject of hypnotic in
huence has been a2itating society in Cal
cutta- A young Government clerk made sew
eral attempts recently to get married to the
girl OF his choice, but each time he was
thrown into . trance of stupor He has
made no less than six attempts, failing each
time. -
St. Louis has a wonder In the person Of
Charles Reavey. q blind operator in the en-.
ploy Of the Bell Telephone Company. He Is
late of Philadelphia, and though he has
never seen the telephone switch board nor
to be more expert than some experienced
operators who have all their faculties and
senses.
The decimalists are out with q new
idea. They say that the Ahour day 10
doomed. They propose an entire recon-
~ kbo J{rfai Of TI,, l,~
is to consist OF 10 hours; the hour will be di-
vided into 10 decades, each of which will
contain 10 minutes; each minute 10 seconds,
and each second 10 flashes. Upon this basis
q clock has already been constructed.
"A most ingenious system is employed
by which the Director of the Suez Canal can
tell at q glance the exact position of all ves-
sells passing through it. model is placed
in the office at Port Said, and the whole ca
nal is worked from headquarters by means
of telegraph, the position Of each ship being
marked by figure on the model. 1t is,
therefore, easy to arrange for vessels pass
ing each other.
"A patent has recently been issued for q
new style OF shoe. The foot and rear por-
tions of the shoe are connected by hinge
plates an insole attached to the front piece
curving over the joint. Two tongues OF
leather are adapted to pass through loops,
the lace securing these in place around the
foot. The inventor claims that the combi-
nation 1nSureS greater cOmIOrt tndn W1tn
the ordinary form of shoe.
The New York Gas Works Board of
Directors recently appointed 8 dog an as
sistant superintendent of its works, and
truly efficient officer he is. His name 10
Beauty, and made hts appearance at the
wor ks some months ago. refusing to go
away on any conditions. He has a curious
habit, beside catching all the rats and mice
about the building. of compelling stranger
to give up all lis portable property before
departing.
The State College, of Delaware, has a
curious and tragic touch in its history. The
University was established in 1884, but dur
ing the whole decade between 1850 and 1870
its doors were closed, apparently for good
Its coma came of the Staying of one student
by another. A son of the Chancellor of the
State was accused of the crime. but the evil
dence was insufficient to hold him, and 9TH
ers brought to trial for the crime were
cleared. When the next college year follow
ing the tragedy opened so few students re-
turned that the institution was closed.