Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 July 1885 — Everybody’s Air-Brake. [ARTICLE]

Everybody’s Air-Brake.

“Yes, sah,” said Uncle Zach, “Tse watched it forty years an’ it’a as I sez: De fust of May an’ Chrismas day of de same year allers comes on de same week day.” Further conversation proved Uncle Zach a most incredulous perron. Chancing to mention Dr. Carver’s feat of breaking glass balls with a rifle, he said: ‘‘l heerd 'bout dat shootin* and knowed right off it wasn't squar’; dat was a Yankee trick, boss, sbo’s you born.” “What was the trick?” “Darwuz loadstone put into de glass balls, an’ likewise onto de bullets; so when de bullet fly outen the guu, it an’ the ball jes drawed tergedder, which, in course, broke de glass—dat’s the trick I” Later, Uncle Zach observed a rope running along the side of the car. “Boss, what’s datJine fur?” “To apply the air-brake in case of accident.” Then we had further to expain now the force of the brake was obtained, to which Uncle Zach responded: “Look a here, boss, you sholy don’t ’spect me to b’lieve dat foolishness? Why, de biggest harricane whatever blowed couldn’t stop dis train, runin’ forty mile a hour. An’ you think I gwine to b’leive a little pipe lull of wind under de kyars can do it? No, sahree!” There are a great many Uncle Zachs who Judge everything simply by appearances. The air-brake does not seem to be a very powerful thing, but power and efficiency are not necessarily equivalent to bigness and pretense. Philip Beers, Esq., who resides at the United States Hotel, New York City, and is engaged in raising subscriptions for the New York World Bartholdi pedestal fund, was once upbraided by a distinguished relative who was a physician, for commending in such enthusiastic terms, a remedy that cured him of Bright’s disease eight years ago. He said: “Sir, has the medical profession, with all its power and experience of thousands of years, anything that can cure this terrible disorder? ’ No, no. that is true; there is no mistake about it but that Warner's safe cure fs really a wonderfully effective preparation. That remedy is an “air-brake” that every man can apply, and this fact explains why it has saved so many hundreds of thousands of lives.— Copyrighted. Used by permission of American Rural Home.