Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-26
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS

Animal life ceases to exist in the ocean
at a depth of one and half miles.
"A railway in the Argentine Republic
has one stretch of 2l1 miles without curve
or bridge.
-Fifty-one metals are now known to
exist. Four hundred years ago only seven
were known.
There are 10, 900 teetotailers in the rail-
way service of Great Britain, and 1900
among the sailors in the naval service
The battalion on a war footing in Ger
many and in France is 1000 strong. In
peace it is, France, $50; in Germany, IA Off
GERS and men.
From recent investigations it has been
found that the average speed OF the trans
mission OF earthquake shocks is very nearly
5000 feet per second.
Within 50 years Mexico has bad "a
presidents, one regency, and one empire,
and nearly every change of government has
been effected by violence.
Sioux Falls, Oak, lawyers used to be
glad to get $50 for a divorce suit fee. Now
there's such boom in the business that
they won't look at a case for less than $500
to $500.
There is . superstition among many
OF your hand the protuberance of hunch-
back on Monday morning luck will follow
all the week.
1t is bacteria which causes the milk to
sour. Some OF them do this by the produc-
t1on of an acid; others curdle the milk by
causing ferment like that in rennet. All OF
them are more or less harmful.
The choir of Western church resigned
the other day because in the course Of his
sermon the preacher remarked that the sim
ners In the church must be converted, and
they understood him to say singers"
-Shoulderings, jeerings and biting of
thumbs were the favorite provocatives to
quarrel with the ''roughs" Of st. Pauls Walk
In Shakespeare's time, and many a braggart
brawler bit the dust for biting his thumb at
better man.
Antelope skin, which has been extern
sively used for pocketbooks, photograph
frames, ETC., is now being employed for
gloves. 1t Is very soft and pliable. resem-
bling the finest suede, and comes in all the
tan and light shades.
old postage stamps are highly priced in
China, and hundred Cancelled stamps will
buy baby. Accordingly, it is said, the
Roman Catholics are collecting the old
stamps and purchasing the infants, whom
they bring up to Christianity.
The Edgar Thomson Steel Works claim
to have broken the record for making steel
rail. In "a hours they succeeded in turning
out 1,9O7 American tons OF rails, or 232 Ameri-
can tons more than the previous record,
held by the South Chicago Rolling Mill.
1t is curious fact that the delicacy as
to mentioning the age of women is no piece
of modern sensitiveness. In the Old Testa-
ment, although great numbers of women
are mentioned, there is but one-Sarah,
Abraham's wife-whose age is recorded
1t is worthy to remark that at the
height of ss4 feet 600 meters) in open air, the
decrease of temperature is extremely rapid
both during the night and during the day,
and nearly approaches the theoretical value
of the new law of the adiabatic expansion Of
gases.
Tea and coffee are not foods. If this
pair of moderate stimulants were lost from
off the face of the earty to-day and forever
they would not take away an ounce OF physi-
cal prosperity. They do no good-are simply
cumberers OF the table that add nothing
save expense.
"A good deal of the dew which we see in
the morning covering the leaves Of grasses
and other plants comes from the interior OF
the vegetables themselves. The extremely
fine dew, as a rule. is atmospheric, but the
larger drops which we find on the margins
of leaves, are in general, exudations from
the plant tissues.
In the cathedral of Genoa is preserved,
and has Leen for 600 years. vase of immense
value. 1t is cut from a single emerald. Its
principal diameter is 12L inches and its
height 81 inches. 1t is kept under several
locks, the keys of which are In d1rerens
hands, and it is rarely exhibited in public,
and only by an order OF the Senate
In Italy, France and Spain it is com.
mon to ring handbell a short distance in
advance of a funeral procession. The objecr
of this custom is said to be to clear the way
for the procession, toremind passengers and
loiterers to take of their hats, and to call
the pious to their doors and windows to
gaze upon the emblems OF mortality, and to
say prayer for the repose of the soul OF the
departed one.
1t is said that the Japanese practice re-
fined cruelty to delight their palates. They
believe that the fish called the dai is the
most delicious when eaten alive. An expert
Japanese carver can dexterously remove
five.sixths of the edible matter from its
Ing this cruel operation the fish is kept alive
by wet seaweed. which, being placed over its
gills, enables it to breathe.
1t is stated that there are in France
Is O00, 900 hens, which, at an average price of
, francs 80 centimes per head, represents
value of 1l2, ,050, 600 francs. One-hfth Of the
stock is annually consumed rs food, and Is
sold for about y, 5OO, ,UUU francs. Two mllllOn
cocks, worth 100000 francs. are also sold as
food The number of laying hens is put
down at S5 O00 O0O and the annual value Of
heir eggs is ls3 100000 francs.
in Italy, where the clergy rule supreme,
The law is that no dance shall be commenced
.fter the great bell of the cathedral has
struck the hour of midnight. They are not
required, however, to stop in the middle Of
,ne already commenced, but are permitted
20 dance it out Taking advantage of this
aw, just before midnight they divide the
orchestra and form new dance Some OF
he orchestra rest until the others become
atigued, when they relieve them.
"A few specimens of honey made by bees
from the Eucalyptus globulus OF
south Australia, have been brought into
his country. 1t is said to possess similar
properties to the juice of the tree itself,
,efng for example. antiseptic in its nature.
t has been found by Australian doctors to
,e very efficacious in cases of lung disease,
nd is now being tried rather extensively in
ome parts of the United States for bodily
roubfes of the same nature, including con-
umption.