Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-26
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.


 Alccstis was presented at Athens by Thespis B. c. 5S6.
 The chorus was added to the comedy by Dolon E c. 556.
 The Afghan is bathed at birth, at mar riage and at death; that is all
 The decline of Italian shipping, espec- ially in southern Italy, is noted with re- gret.
 In Palestine the rainy season ends in February or March, and then the spring advances with wonderful quickness.
 A Swiss scientist has been testing the presence of bacteria in the mountain air, and finds that not single microbe ex- ists above an altitude Of 2000 feet.
 There is no truth in the rumor that the Belgians have interfered with Brit ish graves at Waterloo in order to carry out some water scheme or other.
 On June a party of 700 Jewish eini- Argentine colonies. They are all from Bessarabia and are practical agricul- turiStS
 Paris proposes to erect statue to Lavoiser, the father of modern chemis- try, who was sacrificed during the reign of terror for having held office as tax farmer.
 The English authorities have begun the work of cutting the new dock at Gibralter. Some TOO men are employed. When completed it will be capable of holding the largest British warship.
 Of the total American population born of native parents, S2 per cent were earn ing wages when the tenth census was taken. The proportion of bread winners among our immigrants is larger than among the native population.
 Last week Paul J. Tustin, a San Fran cisco athlete, jumped successfully from the Eads bridge at St. Louis to the wa ter, turning somersault in midair and striking the water squarely on his feet. The distance was 120 feet.
 Somebody who has tried it recom- mends putting pulverized potash which soon becomes sticky when exposed to the air in all the rat holes about the house. The special detestation of a rat is any thing which will stick to his silky coat.
 As many as 1037 deaths from snake bite occurred in the Punjab in India last year. The figures are larger than for any of the preceding eight years. In ev- cry province except Bombay the mortal ity from this cause isbn the increase.
 What was regarded as very fair esti- mate placed the loss to Arostook, Me, farmers in consequence of the great slump in prices of potatoes this spring at $275,000. These are the figures sent out from the agricultural department at Au- gusta.
 The most numerous of the professional classes in our country when the tenth census was taken was that engaged in education. There were 227,71 peda- gogues, who taught the young American idea how to shoot in the most approved fashion.
 The number of blaclksmiths in this country when the tenth census was taken was 172, 726, under this designation be- ing comprised not only those who shod horses, but a great variety of machinsts who classed themselves among the knights of the forge.
 In the states south of the Mason and Dixon's line, according to the tenth cen constituted more than one-half of the to- tai number of wage earners. The same is true of the northwestern agricultural states.
 The total amount realized by the sale of the Lyme Stephens collection of pie lures, furniture and bric-a-brac in Lon don was f113,577, which, considering the hard times, is regarded as a good result. In fact, the prices were quite as high as the highest in good times.
 There will be good deer hunting in Maine this year. In many districts re- gently numbers of the animals have been seen on farms and in fields, very close to settlements and villages which the hunters take to indicate a great plenty of the game in the woods.
 Coffee planting promises to be the great industry of British Central Africa. The export of coffee in 1893, about 5000 pounds, was nearly double that of 1892; that of 1894 was nearly double that of 1893, and 1895 "can now be definitely ex- pected to double that of 1894"
 In Colorado, according to the tenth census, only 13 per cent of the popula- ton were engaged in agriculture; in Ari- zona, 15 per cent; in Wyoming, 19 per cent; in Montana, 20 per cent, and in California, 21 per cent, this fact being due to the preponderance of the mining interests.
 Nazrullah Kahn is the fifth Mahome- tan prince to whom the city fathers of London have extended their hospitality during the past few years His prede- cessors were the shah of Persia, the sul- tan of Turkey, who came in 1867; the viceroy of Egyt in 1868 and the sultan of Zanzibar.
 Russia retains consular representatives in 261 foreign seaports and in ninety eight interior towns and cities abroad. The service includes thirty-three consul generals, seventy-eight consuls, 213 vice consuls and forty-five consular agents. Of this tctal personnel 112 are Russians and 260 foreigners.
 Of the sixty-six generals in the Ger man army all but two are nobles Of the SeNenIy-nVe leulenanI-SenerdlS all but thirteen, of the 140 major-generals all but thirty-eight, and of the 29i col onels all but eighty-eight are nobles In the Prussan army there are forty-nine regiments, in which every officer is a mo- bleman.
 Eight ladies hold the rank of colonel in the German army. They are the Empress Frederick, Queen Victoria, the Princess Albert, wife of the Regent of Brunswick; the Princess Frederick Charles, the Empress of Germany, the Duchess of Connaught and the Queen Regent of Holland and the Queen of Holland.
 It is said that an Ohio farmer owns COW that has an abnormal taste for oil. The animal goes to one of the numerous oil wells and drinks the greasy fluid as it flows from the pipes into the tank. The discovery was made by the dark color of the cows milk and it's oily taste. but it was several days before the cause was ascertained.
 The French cutters established in the town of Langres are determined to call attention by every means in their power to the absurdity of the superstition about presents of knives "cutting friendship" loxr