The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-04-05
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

Farmers and stock raisers Of this
country have livestock valued at $2,2OS,
67.573
In Austria the royal pawnshops
charge on an average about 10 per cent.
interest on articles deposited.
Illinois makes the abandonment of a
wife. OF child under II years of age,
n miSlemeanor.
Newspaper editors of Turkey and
Russia are in constant dread of being
sent to prison for publications..
Joseph Henry, in 1881. was the first
t" construct motor which worked by
electro magnetic attraction.
-CountJean lie Cha bannes' yacht, built
OF aluminium. cost him about $4,000.
1t is ten-ton racing boat.
The Order of the Slaves of Virtue
was decoration for the noble ladies of
Germany. 1t was founded in 1862.
The most famous of the Prussan
"rlrr> is that of the Black Eagle. found
ed i'll l1O1 as Il reward for valor.
The order of Alcantara is one of the
oldest Spanish degrees of knighthood,
having been founded in 1856.
The water of the ocean contains
gold. held in solution by the iodide of
calcium. The quantity is about one
grain to the ton.
Sea anemones have been known to
live for three or four years without any
nouriShment save what they extract
from the water.
The bed of the North Atlantic con-
Si>tS of two valleys, separated by Il
moi }ntain range that runs from the
Azores to Iceland.
The first map of the gulf stream was
made by Benjamin Franklin. who tried
I" point out the utility of ocean currents
in navigation.
The Yellow sea of China is so called
from the presence of yellow mud washed
down by the great rivers that empty into
it's waters.
The sea- aneuonc is capable of swal-
lowing IN animal many times larger than
itself. 1t spreads it's body and thus sur
rounds it's prey.
"A small village in the Indian territory
is named Chickie- Chockie. it is said after
The twin children of a Chickasaw hus>
band and Choctaw wife.
The Venus belt is Il thin, fiat mem
hrane from one to two feet long and
about the width of Il lady's belt Its
mouth is in the middle of it's body
Coral larvae are born alive and swim
off to seek Il locality in which to settle
After they have once become fixed they
never again change place.
In the tiords of the Norway coast the
clearneS$ of the water is wonderful OBJ
j.ct> the size of half-dollar may be
seen at Il depth of - or 30 fathoms.
The Mexicans eat salt with their
oranges. both because they prefer the fruit
so seasoned. and because it is considered
more wholesome with salt.
Recent insurance statistics show
that, if the wife dies first, the husband
on an average survives nine years; while
if the husband dies first the wife sur,
wives eleven years.
The tubipor;t, or organ-pipe coral,
consists of Il large mass of calcareous
tubes. each the home Of IL living creature.
As many us 100000 are sometimes found
in one colony.
Statistics are quoted to show that in
caused by coal oil, 80 by gas, 273 by
matches and only IS by the use of cleo
trio light and power.
No deel-Sea sounding is not cOnsid-
cred trustworthy unless Il sample of the
bottom is brought up by the sounding ap-
paratus. as evidence that the lead has
reached the solid ground.
The. great Barrier reef along the
coast of Australia is about 800 miles
long. the work of coral insects. Some
times it rises almost perpendicularly from
Il depth of 1000 fathoms
In Ill an unprecedented drouth pre-
vailed throughout India. Scarcely any
rain fell for year and hundreds of thou
sands died of famine, whole districts be-
ing depopulated.
The matchmaking industry of Up-
per Franconia now gives employment to
more than 5000 persons. but the pay is
small. Few hasketmakers are able to
earn more than 81 week.
The sea has no herbivorous inhab-
liant. Its population live on each other,
and the whole of this immense expanse
Of water is one great slaughter house,
where the strong forever prey upon the
weak.
In 1868 the winter in North Europe
was so cold that Charles X of Sweden
crossed the Little Belt from Holstein to
Denmark with his whole army, including
cavalry. artillery and baggage tr1in