Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 March 1892 — SOMEWHAT STRANGE. [ARTICLE]

SOMEWHAT STRANGE.

ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF EVERY-DAY LIFE. Queer Episodes and Thrilling Adventures Which Show that Truth Is Stranger than Fiction. Station Mastkr Marchand, at the little village of Godarville, not far from Charleroi, iu Belgium, has been suspended from his official duties for a most remarkable irregularity in office. He and his wife own a goat, which gives enough milk to satisfy most of tho fumily s needs for milk. The goat has the peculiarity of allowing only Mine. Marchand to milk her, and whenever tho station master approaches tho gout kicks and buoks. A short time ago, Mmo. Marchand went to market beforo breakfast. The station master was in haste to begin his duties of the day, and there was nothing in tho house to oat. He approached the goat with a pail on his arm, and the goat, os usual, bogau to kick and buck. In despair, he deoided to masquerade as his wife aud humbug the goat into being milked. He put on his wife’s skirts, waist and bonnet, and returned to the shed. The goat was docile, and he began milking her. All his preparations, howover, had required moro time than he had realized, and before the pail was half full ho was astonished by hearing the whistle of the first morning express, whioh it was his most important duty to meet. He dropped the pail, ran to tho house, exchanged his wife’s bonnet for his rod and bluo cap of office, and ran with flying skirts to the station platform. The sight of an individual with a full beard in flowing skirts and a station master’s cap dazou everybody on the train, and gave tho porters at the stution tho idea that Marchand bad gone crazy. So a policeman was summoned and the station master was marched off to jail. To the railroad authorities at Charleroi, who began an investigation of his conduot, Marchand explained tho responsibility of the obstreperous goat for his unprecedented performance. Ho was punished by temporary retirement from office. President McLeod, of tho Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, about whom the whole country is talking since the consummation of tho gigantic coal deal is, like many another American who has attained success and fame, a self-made man. During the early days of hiß career ho was in very straitened circumstances. It is now related of him that before his connection with the railroad business he was the proprietor of a pottery in Texas, and that after a hard strugglo for tf-sveral years he was sold out by tho sheriff. Then he wont West with unbroken determination to “make his fortune,” if possible. About this time Alexander Bryden, of Pittston, Penn., a mine ljoss, was travelling in Colorado with a view to investigate coal lands there aiid form n company to operate them if praoticable. In a small town he met McLeod, who was financially “flat on his back,” with no prospect of bettering his condition. Ho appealed to Brydon for enough money to pay his faro East again, and his appoal met with a generous response. As ho took the money, McLeod said: “Bryden, I’ll bo in a position some duy to return this kindness, and I won’t forget you.” He was true to his word. When the now great railroad king wns placed in charge or the Philadelphia and Reuding interests one of his earliest acts was to send for Bryden, who had returned to Pittston, and offer him the superintendency of tho company’s anthracite industries, one of the most responsible positions in the corporation’s business, and most covoted because of the fat salary attached to it. Brydon accepted, took the reins for a year, but found that the duties were telling on his health, and resigned and returned to his old place at Pittston. It is needless to say that Mr. Brydeu takes the keenest interest ia Mr. McLeod’s latest and greatest scheme, and that ho hopes for his frieud’s complete success. Mrs. Tarskkv, wife of Congressman Tursuey, has had quite an experience with cyclones. Her remembrances of them are so vivid that whenever she sees a threatening sky she becomes nervous. “I have been through two,” she says, “and iu one had a terrible fright. Word reached me that the school-house had been blown dowu and the children killed. My little son was at school, and to my ideas just then there was only one schoolhouse ia Kansas City. I started out. No curs were running aud everythin.; seemed ruined. I found my boy’s school had been dismissed und he had started for home just as the cyclone came. Then I was more than ever scared. I set half a dozen policemeu limiting for him and went towards the wrecked school-house ridingina mule oar that had finally found the traok. Everychild they brought out from the ruins was mine, but still lie didn't appear, aud after setting more policemen ou the hunt, I started home, more dead than alive. When nearly there I looked ahead, hoping to see him playing somewhere. There the little fellow was, trudgimr along whistling and with his hands in his pockets. When he looked across the road and saw me he simply shouted, ‘Mamma, is dinner ready?’ The revulsion of feeling was a never-to-be-forgotten sensation. A nextdoor neighbor told me afterwards that she and a number of other women were in the car when the cyclone struck them hnd they were greatly terrified, when my little boy piped out above/the disturbance, ‘Wbat yer 'frald of? Don’t be soared. God's here,’ and kept it up till they beoame quiet. But I hope I shall never see another cyclone." There must be a particularly hot spot in the earth under Wheeling, W. Va. It is hoped to sink the well now being driven there at least a mile. The well is a little loss than five inches in diameter. Its peculiarily is that no vein of water has been tapped, and being perfectly dry, scientific men have an unexampled opportunity to conduct their investigations. The temperature is being taken at various depths. At a depth of 1,350 feet the temperature is 68 degrees; at 2,375 feet, 79 degrees; at 3,375 feet, 92 degrees; at 4,875 feet, 108 degrees, and at 4,462 feet it is 111 degrees. Thus the temperature is increasing faster and faster the deeper the boring. For instance, the increase ia tb» 1,000 feet from 2,375 feet to 3,375 feet is about 13 degrees, while the increase in the next 1,100 feet is more than 16 degrees. If the heat goes on increasing in similar progression, a depth will bo reached before long where every solid substanoe will 1 e melted. That, however, will be no indication that the same state of things exists everywhere under the earth's crust, for wells driven in other parts of the world have shown very different rates in the increase of heat. Leer McCi.cre, a young girl of eighteen, Hying in Lincoln County, W.

V*., noted as a moonshiner, has added to her already romantic career by eloping with James Adkins. The . two met and the young woman, who is imiSouline in many respects, proposed the®elopement. They rode across the country* to Milton, where they the Chesapeake and Ohio for Ironton, Ohio, whore they were marriod. They returned home, Lucy appearing very proud of her husband, who is the more effeminate of the two. Lucy's career as a moonshiner has given her fame. She is now under SI,OOO bonds to appear before the United States Qourtto answer the charge of illioit selling. Her plan was a unique one. Her sales were made principally to tho workmen on tho Norfolk uml Western extension. She had a fieet little pony, two jugs and a small revolver. For more than a year she evaded the officers who were after her. She know overy road in the country and had friends aloug them all. Whenever the officers were in pursuit she would be notified and eithor esoapo upon her fleet pony or was shieldod by her friou's. Finally she was surprised, and the oflioers being too muny for her, she surrendered. . Thk polioo of Son Francisoo in their war upon tho Highbinders and other criminal Chinese sooioties have found it nocossnrv to invade the sacred Josshouse. ’The murder of one Chuoy Sue Yoe, a Chinese doctor, was recently traced to the Chun Ling San Tong Society, and as a means to securing evidenoo it was decided to break up tho meeting-plaoe of tho “Council” of tho Society. This the police learned was in an old building in the neighborhood of the office whero the doctor had been shot down ns ho sat working at his desk. A squad of polioo surrounded the pluoe.nnd ten of them broke into it with ajes und sledges. Within a temple of Joss wns discovered, furnished and embellished after the Celestial fashion. Tho polioomen with their axos hewod down the god, split the heavy mahogany tables, laid low idols in tho niohes, and knooked to piooos the metal vessels and other paraphernalia of tho sooioty. Nothing was left intact but an Iron safo containing the records of tho sooiety, whioh wus carried off. A quaint praotioo still exists (or did oxist two years ago) at tho bishop of London’s palace at Fulham; and this oonsistod in what appenrs to bo a timehonored custom of rousing up tho episcopal domestics by moans of a long pole. At Fulham tho palaoo lodgo-keepor has a regular early morning duty to porform in knocking up oortuin of tho servants at successive hours, beginning at about half-past tivo. Tho pole ho uses is not employed, however, like the old church “rousing-Btaves,” which were used in churches directly upon the persons of inattenti vo or dozing mombers of the oougregution to bring them to a proper seme of their position. The venerablo man is provided with a slender rod some fifteen feet in length, and with this he raps on tho antique casements of tho servants’ bedrooms in the quadrangle within tho massive wooden gates of tho large western archway, and no continues his attentions until tho sleeper gives a more or less grateful answer in roply. Tub most widely known of all the “ Royal dogs ” of tho present day is Black, the pet dog of tho Kussiuu Grand Duke Alexis. Black iB a sportsman’s dog of no very urislocratio breed, but of the race of mongrels whioh the fishormen in the south of Franco tuke out to soa. His reoord is not only a common fisherman, but as a “ fisher of men," for he has saved no less than six persons from a watery grave, Home throe or four years ago the Grand Duke Alexis was staying at Biarritz. One stormy day a barge was just being wrecked, and he saw a dog dashing with angrv growls and barks into tho water, and bringing to land, one by one, throe drowning men. The Grand Duke approuched to caress the dog, and the unimal’s master thon offered Black to him, refusing to uooept any payment. A thrilling story comes from Bt. Johns, New Foundtaud, of the rescue of the crew of the l'riuco Edward Island schooner Avenger. She was driven on the rocks twenty miles from St. Johns in u blinding snow storm. While she was pounding to pieces the boat was launched and immediately swamped. Murdock Mills volunteered to swim ashore with a lifeline. He was carried ashore on a big wave, but could not land, the coost boing so precipitous. He wus drawn back on board tho vessel, where be rested an hour, and then tried again and successfully. He drew himself up from one point of rock to another until he reached a place where he could fasten a line. Then he drew ashore a larger line, by means of which the captain and crew all got safely to shore. Tub Empress of Germany is in the habit of writing, for a few minutes daily, in her diury. Nobody ever sees the contents of the diary, not even the emperor. At the close of the year a new diary is opened, and the old one, whioh has a locked clasp, is consigned tfe the iron safe containing her majesty’s domestic jewelry, ns she calls it. meaning the gems she Is in the habit of wearing when state oeremony does not require her to deck herself with the publio jewels of her exalted station. The same key serves for all the diaries, and the empress usually carries it attached to u chatelain at her waist. As her majesty is a keen observer of men and things, it is prebabio that the diaries record many curious impressions and some weighty secrets. Mr. E. Phelps, of Shreveport, La., is a regular customer of a well-known St. Louis shoe merchant. His orders vary in some details, but never in the size of shoes. To an ordinary St. Louisian the sizes between 12 and 17 are unknown. They are never seen in the show windows, and no citizen ventures on the street with shoes of this calibre. But a colony of colored people in Shreveport would put themselves in ngbiiy to wear a sboe smaller than No. 12, and they labpr under no inconvenienoe Whatever when their feet are ensconced in shoes No. 17. The last order called for a’dozen, and it was filled from a special department established for this grade. A hiohlt exolting wildcat chase recently took place at Will's Core, about three miles southwest of Livingston, Va. The cat, whioh was of giguntio proportions, was. seen about it o'clock in the morning by Mrs. Gabriel Johnson and her two daughters, and they immediately set three large greyhounds on it. The animal ran for some distance, but was finally treed by the dogs, and one of the ladies summoned up the courage to got a double-barrelled gun and fire at the monster. Her bravery was repaid by the sight of tho animal falling dead from the tree at the first report of the gun. The ladies are very proud of their success. Jambs McCarty of Gaskill township, one of the most unique characters of Jefferson county, Penn., perhaps of the State, died on a recent Friday, aged 79 years. His death was caused by over-

heating himself dancing in the open atr, for, ola as he was, McCarty could still keep step to a tune in a very lively fashion. He would often plav tho violin and dance to tho music for half an hour at a time, greatly to tho umusomont of tho onlookers. For years his occupation has been hunting. Up to tho time of his last illness he was remarkably aotive. Herb's a nugget for tho superstitious. On the night ot the crisis of the reoeut illness of tho young English Prince tho great clock of Westminster struck thirteen at midnight, acoording to the testimony of a number of members of a political olub in session neur the House of Commons. The futal inference is happily frustrated, however, by simplo fuct. It was Prince Goorgo of Wales and not Prinoe Albert who was critioaliy ill nt tho time, and Princo Goorgo got well. Onk day receutly a olerk in a Dixon grocery storo emptied somo sour wine into a pan and thoughtlessly plaoed it near a ooop filled with ducks. They mudo short work of the pan’s contents, und in a few minutes overy duck in tho coop was under tho influence of a roval "jag.” They reeled and staggered liko drunken men and did not recover from tho offeots of their potatious for several hours. Strawberries and mosquitoes are said to be plentiful In tho neighborhood of Mount St. Elias, the rogion of perpetual ioe and snow. Along the edge of tho glaolor is a strip of luxuriant vegetation, whero strawberry vines covor the ground for miles.