Democratic Press, Volume 2, Number 61, Decatur, Adams County, 12 December 1895 — Page 9

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TRICKS IN HIGH DIVING. rhe Morrel »r l>rup|ilu« Hitrly Into a shallow Tank of H ater. “What Inttln r» moot people whothlnk anything about the nubj. et, 'auid Kearney P. Hpeedy, a high diver. nlm, hu.vh the New York Uornlil, Ihtiiii Ida pule Me career by jumping head lirnt from the St. Louin bridge four or five yearn ream ago. “Im how a diu-of SiioriMi feet •arf be made in a tank of .Ml iiichcx of water. You nee. they eonfUKC diving with bridge jumping <|uite a different thing. Bridge jumpeta are neither juiupem or divera they're droppera; that in, they reach the lower rod* of the bridge truiw ami drop f.-rl foremoxt into the water. The trick in to maintain the perpendicular. They uniat have plenty of water under them. too. ' The high diver, as you have seen, makes a clear dive, head first, just as a lx»y does from a springboard in swimming. Ido it in very shallow water. I weigh, Stripped.lßo pounds, and never do any training. I have been diving from the | top of a circus tent all summer into u tank but seven feet wide, and into water but three feet deep. The shallow dive ' ia possible from the same principle that a cannon or ritle shot meets the most | Yenfotence the more powerful the Im-' pact. You see, I give my body ami head a slight inclination upward at the instant I strike the water, which causes me to pop out as a board would do or 1 an oar on the feather. 1 learned thia trick in the St. Louib natatoriuin when a boy. practicing in shallow water and from a greater height. Then there is a certain elasticity in the water known to the high diver, but the trick is in the strike and turn, for water will break bones and crush chests, as many a man knows.” WHAT NOT TO FEED A LION. Even Ordinary Menagerie* Adornnie*nt« Object to Poker Chip*, Nails, >hr I Im, Etc. A young man carry ing a ladder stopped in front of the bronze group, “The Lion Fighter,” on the Chestnut street [vavement of the postoffice, and proceeded to climb up to the lion’s mouth, says the Philadelphia Record. A crowd gathered and stood watching the adventurous youth. Boldly plunging his hand into the wide-open maw of the big beast the youth drew out a miscellaneous collection of odds and ends, which some humorously-inclined youngsters had fed to the animal from time to time. These articles, which did not seem to have undergone the first process of digestion, included a bottle, half full of beer, a (meketbook containing a “straddle” policy ticket, two red poker chips, a sjlver quarter, placed there by mistake very probably, some nails, peanut shells, cigar stumps and tut old copy of the Record. As the lion does not take kindly to food of this sort. Secretary Howell, of the Fairmount Park Art association, la-g-i to inform donors that their contributions will be returned to them, if they will go to police headquarters and prove their ; roperty. VICTORIA BATHING. Machines to Bathe In and Sailor, to Man Uie Life Boat. During the recent sojourn of the court at Osborne sea liathing wasa regular item in the daily programme. On the private beach, near the queen's jetty, there is a barge with a hollow center, which can be quickly run along a rail into the sea. The bottom of this iMtrge is so arranged that the water comes in at once, and the center becomes a tank, which makes a first-rate liathing place for childrefi. This, say s London Sketch, was daily used by the families of the duke and duchess of Connaught and Prince mid Princess Henry of Battenberg. Off this beach there is also a floating bath, which consists of a well. ,30 feet by ten feet, with a woollen grating at tlie bottom, which can lie adjusted so as to afford the requisite depth of water. There is a dressing-room mid the whole structure is inclosed by a screen. A small lifeboat, manned by tw» sailors from the royal yacht, is always in attendance in Osborne bay during bathing hours. The queen has a bath of warm sea water at Osborne every morning. WANTED TO GET SOLID. How an Aspiring Joarmtll.i Lost HI. Jots The experience* of young men who are anxious to enter the newspaper ‘ business because they think they are .born journalists on the strength of the fact that they used to write "good eom- ’ positions" when they went to school have been an inexhaustible theme for the professional joke maker from time Immemorial, and they tire not nil fake jokes that are written about them, either, as the following real hapjiening will show: A reporter on an afternoon paper was detailed the other day to go out and write up a tight that had occurred in the northwestern part of the city, and in the course of his hunt for fads he ran across a busy young man who proved a very mine of information. “Y<ju ought to know me,” said this young man to the reporter, after the latter hud pumped him dry. "I used to be a reporter on your paper.” “I don't reinemlier you," replied the chaser for news, figuring to himself ■whether to brace for an application for n loan or hint foradrink. Whereniron the mine of information pllowed that he was a green hand and

1 had worked only four days, though lu* i did not volunteer any Information concerning the reason why he failed to hold his job for a longer period. When the reporter got back to the , < nice he asked his city editor aliout the i young man he hud sjsikrn to, mentionI ing the young man's name. The city editor thought awhile and then he remembered. “(Hi, yea, I know him," he remarked. "He's tlie stiff that used to come in every morning mid shake hands with me. As soon us he would hit the office he would chase up to me. grab my lunch hook and agitate it up and down, at the HHine time making solicit ious inquiries about the health of myself and my wife. 1 stood his work for four mornings and then I fired him." All of which goes to show that it is (sK>r policy for u hired man to get too familiar with his boss. St. louis Republic. HE DARED THE ENGINE. 1 Brammer Tell. What He Naw In a Hallroad Yard. “One Christmas 1 w as down watching i the ‘yard geese’ or switchmen in the yard at Ottumwa, 1a.,” said the drum- ' mer to a San Antonio Express man. i “The whole crew were celebrating, i more or less, and had paid many visits to 'The Rood to Hell,' kept by old Stormy Jordan, who bucked the prohibition law so Jong. A fellow in the crew •pulling pins,' a tall, lank, blue nose from the eastern limit of Nova Seotia.was always‘chewing the rag' and 'rawhiding' with the ‘eagle eye' or engineer on the yard engine. Both were pretty well tanked ami got to bluffing each other, and finally the blue nose bet the engineer he could stand in the middle of the truck and get on the head end of the engine as fast as she could turn a wheel. "They put up $25 a aide, but that wasn't all the stakes. Failure meant certain death for the switchman and a trial of the engineer for murder. "They went out into the yard to settle it. There stood the switch engine all ‘hot.’ The ground was frozen and slippery and the track full of hurdpacked and frozen snow to the top of the rail. Up to then we thought they were bluffing, but when they took the engine back a quarter for a start we tried to get the fool off the track, but lie was armed with a car pin and stood us off. “The engine came at full speed, 25 or 30 miles an hour easy; that fellow stood staggering drunk in the center of the track and never moved. W hen the engine reached him he leaned 'way liuck, set one foot up on the step and she picked him up lake a flash and never even threw him up against the iron hand rail! They went back to the saloon and one more drink apiece put ’em both asleep." HAD TO RESURRECT HIM. Nov.ll.t Hu T«mU Forgot That 11. Had Killed One of Hi. Characters. A great master of the art of throwing off stories by daily installments was Ponson du Terrail. When he was at the height of his vogue, says the Boston Transcript, he kept three running at the same time in different pa|>ers. His fertile imagination was never at a loss, but his memory frequently was. He was apt to forget to-day vv hat he did with a hero or heroine yesterday. To help his memory he at first noted down briefly in copy books what happened to his men and women, hut finding that often he could not read his own writing lie invented a new system. Ur procured little leaden figures, on which he gummed the names of his characters as they were born. Supposing there were three stories running, there were three sets of figures in different drawers. When a character was settled off the little man or woman in lead was taken away from its companion ami laid aside. One day when Ponson du Terrail was all behind in his work lie set himself to his tusk without examining the slain. His bad memory led him into a terrible blunder. He had forgotten that he hail killed Rocambole —the still famous Rocambole —in the previous feuilletou, and to the great surprise of the reader he made him talk aguin us if nothing out of the common had befallen him. This resuscitation of Rocambole is one of the most curious things in the history of the romans-feuilleton. DON’T SHOOT SOLID SHOT. Artillery Haa Abandoned the Hee of That Projectile The use of solid shot in warfare has been practically given up. The projectile of to-day is a conical shell of steel and sometimes loaded with powder so as to explode, or by a time fuse. It 1 is wonderfully different from the shell of twenty-five years ago. says the Washington Star, in those days one could watch the projectile as it sailed through the air in a graceful curve, at length bursting. There was even time to get out of the way, under favorable circumstances. But the new style of shell moves at the rate of a little more than half a mile a second. In striking a metal target, its energy being transformed instantaneously Into heat, it becomes red-hot, and a flame is actually i seen to burst from the point struck. Such a projectile moves, one might say, in a straight line, and its impact at a distance of a mile seems almost simul- i taneohs with the discharge of a gun. Such a shell, passing near a man, will j jear his clothes off, merely from the |

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12. 1895.

windage. If It comes very near, though without hitting him. It will kill him. Ha dro|>s dead without a sign of a wound. ! Whereas an old style shell would burst into a few pieces, the modern projectile t flies into a myriad of small fragments, each of them moving with tremendous velocity. It may easily be imagined | that half n dozen six-pound Hotchkiss j shells finding their way into a vessel would scatter dentil and destruction in every direction. Protective armor, i owing to its great weight, can be placed only over the ship's vitals—that is to say, along the middle part of the hull, near the water line, so as to cover the machinery. In future battles gunners will direct their fire against the unarmored ends of an opjiosing vessel. LAYING ON THE LAST STRAW. Ths Huns May Now Ha Neeu I-sd so U>s street by a Bicycle. The horse has been getting the “worst of it" for some time. First he waa found to be edible and was made into sausage and canned and sold in steaks and his hide made into cordova. Then electricity took away the work of his old age—pulling street ears. And now the bicycle has further restricted his sphere of usefnlness by depriving him of pulling the Sunday young man and his best girl on their afternoon drives. Livery, which was his exclusive field, lias been adopted by the impertinent wheel, and now, in the next stall to the horse, in the glistening bicycle, which needs neither oats nor bedding. Then, too. they have shared with him and the bicycle the honorable epithet “steed,” and the gaudy wheel, with its noiseless, sneaking rubber shoes, is called the “noble iron steed,” etc., ad nauseam. The future of the horse is indeed dismal. The crowning insult, however, went unresented the other day. Down Grand Avenue, says the Kansas City Star, rolled a man on a wheel, leading a fine, sturdy, middle-aged horse, in the prime of life and usefulness. The • horse jogged along after the wheel with his head haaging dejectedly and shamefully. He evidently realized his degradation, but was too hopeless and heartsore to resent it. And lovers of the horse, man's intelligent friend and companion, looked after him pityingly and wished he would back up, pull the man off the wheel ami dance on the machine—but he didn't. SOMETHING ABOUT COINS. If They Are Plugged or Worn They Have Little Special Value. As viewed from a numismatic standpoint it is the condition of a coin which fixes its value. It is not the date or age.except in less than thirty instances, that is sought for at the big quoted premiums. Pierced, plugged, badlyworn, scratched coins, or those on which the dates are illegible, have no particular value. A perfectly-uncirculated cent of 1739 would easily bringsloo, w hereas a good eent of the same date can be purchased for $lO. For gold there is but a limited numismatic demand, and-the supply is greatly in excess of the demand. The double eagle of 1849 is worth about S3OO. AH gold dollars are at a premium, and worth from $1.20 to $1.40 each. Those dated 1863,1864 and 1865 command from $2.50 to $4 each, and 1875, SB. Most numismatic transactions are in silver coins. A dollar of 1804 is worth $400; ahalf dollar of 1797 brings S4O, and a quarter of 1827 commands S4O. The dime of 1804 is the most valuable, being worth $lO, and the half dime of 1802 easily holds the record at $63. A large copper eent of 1799 would bring $25. and a half eent of 1796 is in demand at S3O. A thin silver half dime of 1802 was bought by its present holder for $63, ■ and has been sold at $75. What Usvs Him Away. A story is told in the India Rubber World of a meek-looking stranger, with a distinctly ministerial air, who applied for permission to look over a large rubber factory. lie knew nothing at all about the rubber business, he said, and, after a little hesitation, he was admitted. The superintendent showed him aliout in person, and the man's questions and comments seemed to i come from the densest ignorance. Finally, when the grinding-room was reached, he lingered a little, and asked, in a hesitating way: “Couldn’t I have u specimen of that curious stuff for my cabinet?” "Certainly,” replied the superintendent, although it was acornI pound the secret of which was worth I thousands of dollars; “certainly, cut off ! us much as you wish.” With eager step the visitor approached the roll of gum, took out his knife, wet the blade in his mouth, and— "Stop right where I vou are!" said the superintendent, laying a heavy hand upon the stranger; “you are a fraud and a thief. You didn't learn in a pulpit that a dry knife won't cut rubber.” So saying, he showed the impostor to the door, and the secret was still safe. Capital $120,000. Established 1871 THE OLD ADAMS COUNTY BANK Decatur, Indiana. Doos a jrcneml banking business. ranker collections In all ports of the country. Buys town, townshipnd county «»r«‘ Pureitfn and doinosth 1 (‘xchamre Ixiiitfht . it; sold. interest paid on Him* deposits. Offlcors-W. 11. Niblick. Presld. i . . I» <tudebftkei*. YlCe President; R. K. Allison, Uiishiur. and 0. S. Niblick. Assistant Cashier

DON'T DON’T BUY CLOTHING OR GENTS’ FURNISHINGS UNTIL YOU SEE WHAT AN ELE3ANT LINE OF MENS, YOUTHS AND BOYS SUITS, OVERCOATS AND GENTS' FURNISHINGS WE HAVE TO SHOW YOU. YOU WILL BE DOING YOURSELF AN INJUSTICE IF YOU DO. i—w & |i I \A ’ ® I : jO ! I .\ i I I 1 //< k\ i i II ( xrV 7 r \ I ss 1 I 1 I \ 1 <— Hr a \ I \ I\ ' m k II via lir-i v / i i i // / i ' / s' | V LjlA R I /a> WtA I VT EXTREMES MEET?’ I WE WILL SAVE YOU MONEY ON EVERYTHING WE SELL YOU. WE ONLY ASK YOU TO CALL AND SEE US WHEN IN NEED OF ANYTHING IN OUR LINE, AS OUR GOODS AND LOW PRICES WILL CONVINCE YOU OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE TELLING THE TRUTH. CALL AND SEE US AND SAVE MONEY. ZEHLIHSrGKEIR, ZMZZE'XTBrR.S.

GREATEST SALE OF MODERN TIMES WORTH OF DRY GOODS, CLOAKS, CARPETS, QUEENSWAHE To be Converted into Cash at a Tremendous Sacrifice. ===-«=; - =»

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JellH J W. H. Niblick, Executors.

THE time is limited—wo can’t afford to wait—the selling must be quick—the Goods Must be Sold. Now is your time to get two dollars’ worth. or gooods for one. You can’t realize the bargain:* offered until you see them. Ladies’ Capes and Jackets—Fine quality Boucle and Beaver Jackets, ripple back, shawl collar $8.50, former price $12.50; E.xtra i fine quality Boucle Jacket, ripple back, silk l.ned . shawl collar $ll.OO, former price $lo; Fine quelitj' Wool Seal Cape, full sweep sl6, former price $26 CO; Good Coney Fur Cape $4.50; Genuine AStrachan Capo ' SB.OO. Great Reductions in Dress Goods--Fer.cy H Novelty Dress Goods 35c, former price 50c; All wool I Henriettas 374 c, former price 75c; Fancy Nov- if y Dress Goods 20c, and endless other bargains toonum- « erous to mention. Call early and MAKE YOUR SELECTIONS. NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY.

NUMBER 61