Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-04
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS

-Ihe nesh OF the oyster Is about W per
cent water.
Some of the famous feasts of Lucullus
cost 5000 each.
About 1000 daily and weekly journals
are printed in Paris.
Great Britain has 80 miles of tunnels,
their cost exceeding s32, 100000
old manuscripts and autographs are not
bringing the prices they used to.
Millions of butterflies are eaten every
year by the Australian aborigines.
Oysters feed on monads, one of the
minutest and simplest forms of marine life.
The profits from the sale of the works
of Charles Dickens still amount to $4,000 Q
year.
Pet dogs are now furnished with shoes
for the purpose OF protecting the polished
floors.
Cuban BARRIERS lather their patrons with
their bands from bowl made to it under
the chin.
An electric plant has been discovered
in India which viii influence a magnetic
needle 25 feet distant
"A broken toy which amused the great
Napoleon when he was in swaddIing clothes
was sold in France recently for $500.
"A mahogany tree in Honduras was re-
Gently cut into boards, which, when sold in
the European market, realized nearly
E2,2O0
The newest fad In autograph books 10
one of the cooking recipes. Each formula
written in the book has the signature OF the
contributing friend under it.
An inmate of an Armenian convent has
recently died, after being there 9s years,
without once going outside the convent
walls. Her recorded age was lis years.
1t does not seem to be generally known
that the turkey was domesticated by the In
dians long before the discovery of this con-
tinent by white men, but such is the case.
"A swimming tank is said to be cure
for lameness in horses. In swimming the
horse exercises the same muscles as in trot-
ting, but with no injury to his feet or legs.
1t is said that Massachusetts, is the only
State in the Union which provides, by act OF
legislature, that banks may pay checks for
certain time after the death OF the drawer.
I'm Scotland the monks shaved the whole
of the fore part OF the head from ear to ear
In the Andaman Islands every man shavas
his head, or rather, gets his wife to shave 1t
for him
The Statue of Liberty in New York
harbor. now wears a blazing diadem Of 81
electric lamps in vari-colored globes, and
go, 900 candles.
On view in one of the early London e1-
hibitions was Chinese bed ornamented
with all sorts of curious and elaborate cabf-
net work, the greater part of which oon-
sisted of inlaid mother OF pearl.
Another use has been found for cleo
tric1ty. In Ceylon experiments have shown
that it is more economical to dry tea leaves
by its agency than by the old method, and
,fozk haT- hao rad f0Vs Nhoe
purpose.
TO such an extent does religion prevail
at Gonoatoa, in the South Seas, that every
man. woman or child on that island who
does not go TO church at least three times q
week is liable to be arrested and fined, the
fine gong to the King.
Many of the houses in Madrid have .
long palm branch twisted along the ratings
Of one OF the upper balconies. Tnis was
blessed IN one OF the churches at Palm Sun
day, and is kept until another is substituted
in the following year.
I'm making railroad tunnels and in hnk-
ing wells and pits in Arizona, Nevada and
Utah. salt strata are said to be often struck
at varying depths. 1t is further stated that
hundreds Of fSh, perfectly preserved, are
found in blocks of this pure rock salt
The National Board Of Fire Under
writer's estimate the fire waste in this conn
900 600: 1884 sl0 900 900; 1885, s102 900 O00 1885,
slOl 600 OOO 1887 sl9 900 900; 1885, Sl10 900 900;
1889 sl2S 900; 1880, slo9 oOO 1891, slA OOO
900.
Long hair has come to stay in football
Various styles OF headgear have had their
day, but the advantages Of the natural COW
erfnz for the head have been SO generally
recognized that it Is likely to remain the
only protection for the head Of football
player.
The singing nettle was introduced into
this country by the Romans. They trans
ported the obnoxious weed that they might
chafe their benumbed limbs with its leaves
when overcome by the unaccustomod cold
of this northern isle. To our ears such rig
orous treatment hardly sounds well.
In London, as in every other capital Of
Europe, there are foreign officers mingling
with the ordinary police, but who take their
orders from the Consuls or Ministerial
representatives OF their respective nations
They are watching criminals who have
escaped from the Jurisdiction Of their own
country.
1t is estimated that the Mississippi
river annually discharges in the Gulf Of
Mexico 19. 500 O00, 100000 cubic feet of water.
or this prodigious quantity the l-2. 800 part
will be sediment. Thus the Mississippi am
nualIy deposits alone into the Gulf or Mex
leo sufficient mud to cover square mile OF
surface to height OF 24O feet.
The Vienna Academy of Sciences il
about to publish the Etruscan ritual book
which was discovered in the wrappings OF
a mummy last year by Prof KraIl. This
book is the only survivor of the famous
Etruscan literature OF divination and ritual
of which we hear so much in the Latin
classics, especially in Cicero and Livy.
Fishing was favorite pastime Of the
Egyptian gentleman, both in the Nile anc
in the spacious sluices or ponds constructed
within his grounds. This fayorite occupa-
ton was not confined to young persons, nor
thought unworthy of men of serious eaolts,
and an Egyptian of rank is frequently rep
resented in the sculptures catching nsn
with rod and line.
in many parts of England the suPerstl-
ton still survives that it is folly or mad
ness to save q drowning man. as ne VIII,
sooner or later, do an injury to the rescuer.
The superstition comes down from ances-
tors vet traces of it exist among the SIOUX
and other Indians, who seem 70 nave ave IhIsa HiIsdf
tied it from aboriginal sources. The oeLleI
is most prevalent in Cornwall and various
parts OF Scotland
The new flagstaff on Windsor Castle
that is to bear the royal standard was re-
Gently successfully put in place. Five days
were occupied in the preparations ana IN
lifting the flagstaff to its elevated Posltion
unon the round tower Four Maunoy COINS
obtained from the mint-silver pen1y1 Two
pepny. threepenny and fourpenny pieces
were deposited under the butt before II "as
lowered into its position.