Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 August 1893 — SOMEWHAT STRANGE. [ARTICLE]

SOMEWHAT STRANGE.

ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF EVERYDAY l/IKE. Queer Karts and Thrillin’' Adventures Which Show That Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction. Ox a small island in the extreme south of the iiluud empire of Japau, where a few thousand peasants and fishermen live in isolation, are two curious littie villages, and in these are two schoolhouaes with a romantic history, says the Illustrated News. They represent unselfish kindness, gratitude, international good will, a missionary spirit, and praotical sense in its mauitestation. In September, 1885, the American bark Cashmere was wrecked in a cyclone some two hundred miles off the Japanese coast. Seven sailors in the only ship's boat that was saved reached this island after intense suffering, while three sailors and the captain’s little son remained on the wreck. It drifted so near to the coast.that they escaped on a raft and reached a village near that inhabited by the seven sailors. All were nearly dead from exposure and famine, but the Japanese islanders treated them with such kindness that all recovered, and ou arriving at San Francisco were earnest in asKing that something be done to award their benefactors. Horace F. Cutter, of San Francisco, prepared a memorial which was extensively signed, and presented in Congress by Senator Jones, of Nevada. The government sent gold medals to the principal rescuers, and $3,000 was voted to the two villages—Anjio and Isaki. On the recommendation of Minister Swift the money was used to endow two schools, and photographs of the two buildings have recently been forwarded to Mr. Cutter. The island is Tanegu-Simn, thirty miles from the main island of Kin-Sin, and the native photographer had to travel seventy-five miles from Kagoshima to take the pictures. They are quite up to the standard of San Francisco art, and were paid for by the Japanese government. in each village the people have set up a monument by the schoolhouse “to commemorate the goodness of the people of the United States.”

Judge J. B. Bowman, who lives near Tallsborough, Ky., gave a correspondent an account of a wonderful auake fight that he recently witnessed. He was going through a strip of woodland on the way to his wheat field, when his attention was attracted by a peculiar noise near his pathway. Looking in the direction whence the sound proceeded he observed a blacksnake and a rattlesnake twined together in deadly combat. The blacksnake was wound about its.venomous enemy, endeavoring to squeeze the life out of him. The judge became an eager spectator of the novel combat. Ever and anou the rattlesnake would bite the blacksnake. Then a remarkable thing would occur. The blacksnake, as soon as bitten, would uncoil himself, dart for a small bush and bite off one of the leaves. He would moisten it in his mouth, press out the juice, apply it to the bitten place and then return to his enemy again. This was repeated several times until finally the blacksnake squeezed the life out of the rattler. Judge Bowman says he never kills blacksnakes. He says it is their mission and one they greatly enjoy, to destroy all the venomous serpents they can find. The Judge has a pet blacksnake that stays in his barn and keeps away all the rats and mice.

An accident so peculiar that a similar one rarely comes into the scope of a physican’s practice came to the attention of Doctor Wagoner, of Bridgeport, W. Va., a few days ago. Thomas Lowry, a miner, was working entirely alone in a coal miue owned by Clark Patterson, out from the National pike a short distance. A large ledge of soapstone fell on Mr. Lowry, breaking his thigh and bruising his body most painfully in many places. The stone falling on him put out his light, leaving him far in the mine in darkness. He could not reach the matches to relight his lamp, but after painful, ineffectual efforts the wounded man finally got hold of his drill, which lay at some distance, and pried the heavy stone from his broken limb. The coal cart was some distance away, but he succeeded in lifting his broken leg into it, and with his well limb guided the car to the mouth of the bank, where he called for help. Doctor Wagoner, who dressed the injuries, says he has seldom known of such an exhibition of nerve.

Martin £Tkton and Will Meadows tell the champion snake story of the seaton, says the Banning (Cal.) Herald. While in the fields they heard a commotion in the grain and soon saw two snakes writhing and twisting in mortal combat. On closer view it proved to be a rattlesnake and a red racer fighting for dear life. The racer had the rattler's neck in his mouth, and was snaking an heroic effort to swallow him. They struggled for some time, and at last the rattlesnake’s head began to disappear down.the throat of the racer. He twisted and .rattled furiously, but of no avail; he was “strictly iin it” with a vengeance. When about two thirds of the rattler had disappeared, the two men caught both snakes and tried to take them to town, but the racer became angry at being disturbed, and after several efforts at last disgorged his repast. In Windham .County, Connecticut, lives Hulibt Hazewell, who for twentyfive years lias made has home among the branches of an ancient chestnut tree on a farm owned by him. He has the reputation of being well off, and his residence in the treetop is the result of a bet made in 1868 that Horatio Seymour would be elected President. Ilazewell’s house rests in the forks of several large limbs about twenty feet from the ground, and is as well built as if it had been intended to stand on the ground. The eccentric occupant has made friends with the birds and squirrels of the neighborhood, and in summer they go in and out of the ticedwelling at will. The other night a shop on one of the boulevards iu Paris was broken iuto and a strong box was found in the morning wrenched open and with the contents .missing. At first it was thought that the burglar had left no trace, but on a careful examination of the floor a piece of chewed tobacco was discovered. This caused suspicion to rest on a former employe who was given to using tobacco in that particular way. He was found and convicted. In order to understand this incident Americans should recollect that the accomplishment of tobacco-chewing is not a general one in Europe. There is a man in North Turner, Me., who will probably never cease boasting of one bit of fishing luck at least. Not long ago he returned from a piscatorial excursion with nothing better to show for his day’s labor than two wet feet. In great disgust he leaned his fish pole up against the house beside the door, and disclaimed any knowledge of the fish market. The next morning his astonished eyes fell on a good fat hedgehog dangling from the hook. His “bait” of

****• day before can hardly he held ao , countable for the event. Apropos of the Christian names of Harvard College graduates, there is one name in the Harvard catalogue that would puzzle the average investigator of the subject were he not fully posted as to the facts in the case. It is a middle name aud it is simply “X,” which if known in the law as the symbol for “his mark.” In this instance, however, it stands for a $lO bill which was presented to the owner of the name on the day of his birth, and tho acknowledgment of the gift appears in the recipient’s name unto this day. A sheepherder on the John Day River, in Grant County, Ore., saw five coyotes chase a colt which was in a field with its mother near the aheop. The mother began to kick and strike at the coyotes, but she kicked or pushed over the colt, whereupon the coyotes seized and devoured it. A uemaukari.e rock formation is located on a high peatc of mountain about five miles from Aguas Calientas, in Arizona. The rook, which measures 300 feet high, is shaped like a barrel aud can be seen for miles distant. A remarkaui.e cliaraoter of Bcrnnrdston, Mass., is Arnold Scott, a blind letter carrier, 67 years old, whose eyesight was lost forty-six years ago. He has a long route which he traverses twice a day, and rarely makes a mistake in the delivery of letters. A St. Louis woman drew $1,700 from the bank, hid it in the stove, aud then forgot it. One thousand seven hundred dollars in cash makes quite a blaze and is warranted to kindle a fire even when the chimney’s drawing powers are not first-class. A woman may scream at a mouse, but one of the geutle sex has killed a rat weighing six pounds. Her name is Mrs. Jeff Odam, aud she lives on Galliuipper Island. The rat stole her chickens.