The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-03-27
CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS.

-SuWrstltlous persons say that Il wart
cut of by tying Il silk thread round it
and drawing the ends tightly will never
return.
The canopy of Mohammed's tomb at
Mecca is made of the heaviest variety of
black silk manufactured expressly for
this purpose.
-Pictet, the great Swiss chemist, has
found that Il combination of sulphurous
and rarhonic acid gases possesses re-
markahle power us a diSinfcctant
In Russian Poland all trains must
stop at every station until the chief of
police Tor genda rmerie) of the place gives
permission for their departure.
The Duke Of Sutherland owns nearly
The area Of the county is 1.297 $40
acres. and the territory claimed by the
duke is l.176,tJ4 acres.
AL persons born in her majesty 5
domni"ns. whether of British or for
riyn parents, are by the British law
deemed to be British subjects: also chill
lren and grandchildren of natural-born
British subjects wherever born.
The Manchester ship canal is PSI.
miles along. Its average width at water
level is l72 feet, and its minimum depth
vt water 70 feet. 1t differs in this re-
Sorct from the Suez canal, whose mimi
mum width at bottom is 12O feet.
The carp OF golden Dream is. in a
wild state. the most invincibly shy and
cunning Of fish. hence the most difficult
to catch. though when kept in stew
pond he is one Of the most sociable and
easily tanned. The carp has been called
the fresh water fox.
The following strains are said to he
un'tel IN young Prince Edward of
York: Norman, Flemish. Scotch, SAX
on. Spanish. French. English. German
and Danish. AS Indicated. the various
marriages with French counts, etc, are
here rrckoned as French.
Shanghai owes to Italians the es-
adjustment Of silk-sDinning factories ac-
ror,ling 10 European systems, which
gives good positions to Italian directors
and oserseers. The silk furnished at
these factories is sold ut rather high
prices on the markets of New York and
Lyons.
-lnrto>es live To great age In
tn" library Of Lambeth palace there is
,hr shell IF a tortoise brought there in
lf2:': and it lived until 1880. Another
IN fuiham palace, procured 10y Bishop
i.and IN 16oS, died in 17:l3: and one 1T
Peterborough lived $50 wears.
The parrot seems. of all birds. to
take the most intelligent interest in mu~
SIC, for good one will reproduce a tune
W!'h great accuracy. and the attention
they show to almost any form Of music,
especially when of simple ana tuneful
character, seems to prove Il keen an
probation.
Tradition is that many rich gold and
silver mines. worked both by the Old In
dams AMI Spaniards. exist in Venezuela,
not over fifty miles from Puctur Cabcllo.
Fire and valua Bile specimens of both met
ais are constantly found, but no system,
attic efforts have heretofore been made
10 explore the country.
There were battles ut Neenwinlen IN
]GN' and 1893. The former was one of
the hootliest recorded in history. There
have been three great battles ut Acre. in
Ialestine. The first in 1892, the second
n.y Smith,. the third in 1910 There
have been six great battles off Gibraltar.
The ph"tllicians were the first navi-
gators: and sailed in all seas: they We're
also the earliest recorded traders. and
were succeeded by Carthage. Egypt,
Venice. Genoa, the Hanse Towns, Hui-
land. Portugal. until England has at
ltnyth obtained the ascendency, the Brit.
'Sh navy being now the strongest in the
world.
Italy is more celebrated for its the
Alters than any other country in Europe.
IN" theaters at Naples. Parma and Mi.
Ian are the largest in Europe. China has
enjoyed dramatic performances for som,
thousand years, but they are of an eX.
'rtmely grave order The tricks and
tumblings of clown and pantaloon would
not be appreciated among the CcleStials.
Many arts of former ages have been
lost: painting on glass. for instance,
as practired in the monkish ages, is com
parat'vely unknown to us. We cannot
produce those splendid colorings SO re-
markable on the painted windows in an
cent cathedrals. churches. etc. The
art Of engraving on crystal stones and
granite. as practicel by the Ethiopiaus,
Esyptians, etc, is comparatively I'M
known 10 us.
When the sponge is in the sea alive
the inside of the pores is covered with Il
soft substance like the white Of an egg.
This appears to be the flesh of the ami
nal. and currents of water may be seen
running into the sponge through the
small pores and out Of it through the
large one; and it is supposed that while
the water is passing through the sponge
the nourlshment for the support Of the
animal is extracted from it.
The terms alto and contralto are
now. by custom interchangeable and
synonymous. At one time, and until
recent years. the term alto designa ted
the highest voice in males, the term
c"ntralto. formed from the words contra
and alto. being applied to the lowest
voice i'll women. Contra alto means
against the alto. and was used to des-
1Snatc the voice to which in choral music
the part next above or against" the