The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1859-09-21
A TOUCh STORY.

ihe ioiiowing story Is told by that re-
nowned wag, John Phoenix, Of the "Cali-
fornia Pioneer" The reader will see that
it records the verdict of "Coroner's in-
quest" and in other particulars bears a
strong resemblance TO some of the tough
stories which have been circulated in this
State and generally believed.
DR.. Tushmaker was never feghlafly bred
as physician or surgeon, but he possessed
naturally strong mechanical geniu. and d
| fine appetite, and finding his teeth Of great
service in gratifying the latter propensity,
he concluded he could do more good In the
world and create more real happiness there
in by putting the teeth of the inhabitants in
good order, than in any other way, 30 he
became dentist.
DE was the man that first invented the
method of placing small cog wheels In the
back teeth, for the more perfect mastication
of food, and he claimed TO be the original
discoverer of that method OF filling cavities
with kind OF putty-which, becoming
hard directly, causes the tooth to ache so
grievously, that it has TO be pulled, thereby
giving the dentist two successive lees for
the same Job.
Tushmaker, was one day seated in his
office in the city OF Boston, Mass, when
stout old fellow named Byles, presented
himself 10 have back tooth drawn.
The dentist seated his patient in the seat
Of torture, and opening his mouth discover
ed there an enormous tooth on the right
hand side, about as large, as he afterwards
expressed it, Gas a small Polyglot Bble."-
l shall have trouble with this tooth, thought
Tushmaker, but he clapped on his heaviest
forceps and pulled. 1t ddu;t come. Then
he tried the turn-screw exerting his utmost
strength, but the tooth wouldn't stir
'Go away from here" said Tushmaker to
Byles, "and return in week, and will
draw that tooth out for you, or will know
the reason why"
Byles got up, clapped a handkerchief to
his jaw, and put forth.
The dentist went TO work, and in three
| days he invented an instrument which he
was confident would pull anything. II was
combination of the lever, pully, wheel
and axle, inclined plane, wedge ard screw.
The castings were made and the machine
| put up in the Office, over an iron chair, rem
dered perfectly stationary by iron rods 60.
ing down into the foundations of the granite
building.
In week old Byles returned; he was
clamped into the iron chair, the forceps con-
nected with the machine attached firmly to
the tooth and Tushmaker stationing himself
in the rear, took hold of lever four feet
long.
He turned it slightly-oId Byles gave a
groan, and lifted his right leg. Another
,urn, another groan, and higher went old
Byles' right leg again.
"What do you riase your leg for ?" asked
the doctor.
81 can't help it," said the patient.
"Well," said Tushmaker, the tooth 10
bound to come now"
He turned the lever clear round, with q
sudden jerk, and snapped old Byes' head
clean and clear from the shoulders, leaving
a space of four inches between the several
| parts
They had a post mortem examination
the roots of the tooth were found extending
down the right side, through the right leg,
and turned up in two prongs directly under
the sole OF the right foot.
"No wonder," said Tushmaker, "that he
raised his leg"
The jury thought so too, but they found
the roots much decayed, and five surgeons
swearing that modification would have en-
sued in few months, Tushmaker was
cleared on verdict OF 'juslifable homicide.
He was little shy of tina; instrument af-
.erwards; but one day an old lady, feeble
and Aaccid, came in 10 have tooth drawn,
and thinking it would come out very easy,
Tushmaker, concluded, just by way Of vari-
ETY. TO try the machine.
He did so, and at the first turn drew the
old lady's skeleton completely and entirely
from her body, leaving her a mass OF quiv-
erng jelly in the chair
| Tushmaker took her home in a pillow
case. She lived seven years after that, and
they called her the Indian Rubber woman
She had suffered terribly with The rheuma-
tism, but after this occurrence never had
pain in her bones. The dentist kept them
in glass case.
After this the machine was sold 10 the
contractor of the Boston Custom House, and
| II was Connd that n child three wears of AGE
could, by single turn OF the screws, raise
a stone weighing twenty-five ions.
Smaller. ones were made on the same prin-
cipe, and sold TO the keepers of hotels and
restaurants. They were advantageously
used for bonine turkeys.
There is no moral at all 10 this story, and
it is possible that the circumstances may
have become slightly exaggerated. Of
course there can be no doubt Of the truth Of
the main incidents.