Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-07-26

REMARKABLE YoENGsTER.-Coming into the
city on a C. B. and Q. train, rs il entered the
| suburbs yesterday, youngSter about ten years
| old, with one leg amputated to a very brief
stump, was observed handling his crutch brisk
| " along the side of the track, evidently with
skilled purpose to get his momentum up to that
| of the rapidly moving train. He did it and
climbed upon the rear platform, and sat down as
cool as though his feat had not excited the won
der OF a score of passengers who watched him.
The appearance was as if lame lad had taken
some risk to secure a ride downward. But at
Canal street he climbed down from his perch
and went back down the track with flying leaps,
like kangaroo, with the evident purpose of
boarding a long freight train, already under
good Roadway in the opposite direction. 1t was
an exploit only the most adroit land venture
some) railway employee would think of attempt
ing, so great was the speed of the train; but
again the brisk monopede achieved it, chung like
monkey to the iron ladder on the side of the
car, near the rear of the train, and went up,
hand over hand, with his crutches under his
arm. The next instant be was running or
rather hopping with long leaps at full speed
along the top of the cars, taking the interspaceS
as easily as boy skips over a crosswalk. And
then we learned that this nudge is the victim of
an extraordinary passion for riding on the cars.
OF course, he lost his leg in this way at the
Great Eastern crossing eighteen months ago,
and was provided with attendance and light
crutch by the railroad company. Any one
would think the loss of a LEG would be a lesson
for a lifetime but instantly on recovery he re-
sumed his sport, which bad become a passion
Since thar time he passes his whole day in the
manner above noticed. His misfortune has
really equipped him with means of locomotion
with which he distances all two legged young
sters. He captures every train that passes
takes excursions into the country mt VIII, sure
of being able to compass his return in the same
way. Railroad employees scold and put him off,
but his crippled condition secures him i'm
munity, and as he never mounts train until it
is in motion, he gives them the option to stop
the train or throw him Off There is no moral
to the story beyond the mention of the fact. If
the loss of leg is no lesson for boys to keep off
moving trains, there seems to be no remedy eX-
| cept to shorten them at the other end. Per-
haps after ALL it is as well for the trains to carry
| this youngster as a prominent advertisement to
| other lads of the peril of the practice of which
he is so noted an example Chicago Tribune.
------
A GEOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTAL writer in
| Science Gossip describes simple experiment to
| illustrate the formation of river-yalleys, lake
| rock basins, volcanoes, "laults,' and the like
We cannot reprint the entire article, but will
| give an abstract of it for the benefit of our
readers. Teachers will be especially interested
| i'll the experiment, which could easily be man
| aged in the school room or lecture hall.
In the first place, get some lime mortar aud
| good sized table or board. After the mortar
| fragments of unslaked lime (pieces only par
| tally burnt are hest for the eXperiment;) then
| spread the mixture evenly with a trowel or fiat
| board on the table. As the pieces of lime be-
gin to slake, they will swell and form volcanoes.
| (rom which will pop up a minute shower OF
| lime liour,) gradual upheaYals, and systems of
faults If the mortar is well mixed prior to
adding the uusaked lime, and the latter is only
partly burned cracks will form in the plaster
| as it dries, before the lime begins to slake, aud
| the subsequent upthrows due to the
lime swelling will, in connection with
them, form the SYSTEM of faults If,
however, the lime begins to slake before
| the plaster is dry and cracked, a few long shall
| low cuts with knife will act similarly to the
| cracks. After the lime has all saked and the
plaster is dry, the board or table may be slight
| ly elevated al one end and then subjected to a
shower Of water out of a very fine garden
| syringe, or it may be put out under soft rain.
After these valleys, due to cracks, are thus sub
| lected to rain, regular river systems will FORM
| valleys with Soping sides will gradually be de-
| Yeloped, while at the junction Of Two or more
cracks there Will be minute lakes in typical rock
| basins. Moreover, in some valleys there will be
| long narrow lakes, similar to the lOughs so COM
| mon in mountain glenS, Various other phen0-
| mena may be studied in this simple experiment
| as well as this connection between systems of
cracks and river valleys, The thicker the coat
| OF plaster the more marked the results; and the
| experiment may be varied by spreading the
| plaster IN layers, and not in one thick coat.