The Opelousas courier., 1893-05-13
SELECT SIFTINGS.

Spanish theatres have no programmes
Manchester, N. H., used to be called
Derryfeld.
a There is a hotel in New York nearly
q quarter of a mile long.
Girls over twelve can make valid
wills under the laws of Scotland.
It would require 6S3 freight cars to
hold the gold and silver in the Bank OF
France.
In Monterey, Mexico, a school has
been opened in which scholars are ted
free of charge.
A Waldoboro (Me.) woman treasures
a blue. edged plate upon which 955 pies
have been baked.
John Milton, according to Professor
David Mason, was editor of a London
newspaper in 1861.
The Egyptians employed carayatio
figures, afterwards called csrayatides. at
least $500 years before Christ. 1e~
The old Greeks used beds supported
on iron frames, while the Egyptians had
| COuCQGS SQapcU IuOO n OoSJ S3
with hollow backs and seats.
A we'll known resident of Fredericks-
burg, Va, who has recently died, had
a name that was old enough to attract
attention. It was X. x. CHARTERS.
Street bands are not permitted in
Germany, unless hey accompany pro.
cessions. In Vienna, Austria, the organ
grinders are allowed to play only be-
tween midday and sunset.
Ancient Greek temples were always
erected without roofs, so that they
might be open to the sky. The largest
of them was that of Jupiter Olympus,
which was $40 feet long and sixty broad.
A colored miner at Knob Noster, Mo-,
fell eighty-fve feet down a shaft, strik-
ing on his head. The force of the con-
cussion broke his shoulder, but his head
sustained only a scalp would.
The largest single span of wire in the
world is used for a telegraph wire, n
is stretched over the River Kistuah, be-
tween Bezorah and Sectanagrum, India.
tt is over 5000 feet long, and is stretched
from the top of one mountain to another.
Miss Mary Winston, who died at
Downey, CAL, one day lately, had been
a sufferer from spinal and nervous dis
ease since 1889. She had not been able
to walk for the past ffty-one years and
since 1871 she had been confined to her
bed.
"A firm on Maiden Lane, in New York
City, received this telegram: ga mos
quito ill. Mrs. A. B." This puzzled
them until read in the light of the alb.
scence OF a clerk. The telegram was then
guessed to be "Amos quite ILL.," Whether
the operator was stupid or funny was the
query.
A Mormon, tabernacle in Salt LAKE
CITY. Utah, is the most perfect whisper
ing gallery in the world. 1t beats the
domes of St. Paul's and the Washington
Capitol. The dropping of a pin INTO q
plug hat at one end of the huge struc.
tore is distinctly heard by persons at thu
other end.
A discussion concerning the longest
words used in the English language ha;
recalled to one of the participants tina
Observation-Disclosures" was used By
many English and Irish newspapers at
the time of the establishment OF the
Irish Church, about 1871, and found its
way into the House OF Commons.
A traveller who has been down among
the. mountaineers of Tennessee says thai
their usual formula of greeting and IN
terest on meeting a stranger is "Howdy,'
and after the stranger has returned thls
salutation, "What's your nameV I'M
exhibition of curiosity is perfectly franE
and no disrespect is intended by it.
When a Chinese Emperor dies, this in
telligence is announced by dispatches t
the several provinces, written with blu
ink, the mourning color. ALI persons o
rank arc required to take red silk orna
ments from their caps with the bail o
; button of rank; ali subjects of CHINA
without exception, are called upon t
forbear shaving their heads for 100 days
within which period none may marry
) play upon musical instruments or PEI
: form any sacrifice.