Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-07-22

A SELF.ACTIN SEWING MACHINE "A Mr..
Peck had long entertained the idea that he
could invent self-acting sewing machine, and
he did. He procured steel ribbon spring a.
bout twenty feet long, and of sufficient power
to run horse car. This he rigged on his wife's
sewing machine with lot of clock-work, and it
appeared to him, when he had finished the job
that evening, that he had realized his hopes
Ii any sewing machine ever would go, that
would so he wound it up ready for use in the
morning and went to bed. At four o'clock
Mrs. Peck aroused him. aud told him to listen
to the burglars in the house. He listened, and
heard most terrific racket in the sitting room.
1t appeared to him that there must be million
burglars refreshing themselves with prize
fight. So he loaded his gun, crept softly over,
and peeped through crack In the door. It
was not burglars it was Mrs. Peck sewing
machine. The peg bad slipped and that spring
was having iul play 1t would rear the ma
chine up on one end and charge il three or four
times like battering ram against the glass
front of the book case; then it would wheel
around and suddenly tear across the room and
butt up against the mantel- piece, and it would
lie down and roll over the flour, and hammer
the sofa, tear up the carpet and boost the Gen.
ter-table, and try to ram hole through the
wall, aud then endeavor to leap Up on the
chandelier. Then as Peck entered the room,
it flew at him aud tore 10 and out between his
legs the wheel revolving like lightning all the
time, and the spring gradually unwinding. And
then Peck retreated, aud the family all got up
and took mattress off the bed with which they
covered the machine, and sat on it for while,
but finally pushed it out of the window into the
yard, where Peck piled boxes and ash barrels,
and slop- buckets, and fence palings and wagon
wheels cn it to keep it still. But all night un-
der the heap it kept up a continual buzz and
snort and hum, so that one of Mr.. Birdsal's
boarders fired at it sixteen times, with the i'm
preston that it was cats. Peck has presented
his better half with new sewing machine, and
he is satisfied for her to run it with her feet
He is taking short vacation in the studying of
mechanics at present. Bre,cseer Standard.
THE LATEST SNAKE SToRY.-On Saturday,
June %, Joseph Huse, woodchopper of
Cornwall, N. Y, was bitten by Iattlesnake.
While on Storm-King Mountain, five miles up,
he encountered a serpent and wanting one for
friend who had the rheumatism the belief
of many hereabouts being that snake grease is
cure for it-he chased the snake, which took
refuge in woodpipe, aud Hulse seized him by
the back of the neck, but SO far from the head
it contrived to turn and plant one Of its fangs
10 the index finger of his right hand. Hulse
held fast to his snake, nevertheless, stamped
MS le2Q OH, duU lueu spent uail du nOur IN
looking for white ash leaves, which are believed
to be an antidote for the posion. He found
none to suit him, however, aud started for
Cornwall He was bitten at 7, and it was IL
o'clock when he reached the village, and DR..
Beattie was summoned. At this time the arm
and finger were very much swollen aud very
gangrenous, the action of the heart almost
ceased, and the man seemed like one in state
of intoxication. DIR. Beattie hastily cut the
finger open, and administered two quarts of
whiSkey IN twenty minutes; laudanum and
quinine were also given in large quantities, and
Notwithstanding the loss of three and half pints
of blood from the finger, the pulse increased,
and Huse became perfectly conscious. lie Is,
after eleven days, 10 apparently good health,
but as black as any African In New York. The
black is occasionally streaked with blue, pur-
pie and green, which appear and disappear
alternately
A REJECTED LOVERS REvENGE.-Taking
| q seat lust behind the happy pair in the church,
| he racked his brains for means OF revenge, and
looked like seventeen Othellos concentrated in
one. Finally CHASTITY smile crept over his
face. he raised himself up In his seat. and nabb-
ed a large black bug that was crawling on a
pillar hard by, and gently dropped him down
between his unconscious rivals shirt collar and
neck. and then coolly leaned back with virtu-
Gus and christian air of satisfaction. The bug
soon made his presence felt, and that other
fellow began to twist and scratch himself against
the back of his seat and look uneasy, and cast
unhappy glances at the minister and affecting
ones at the fair being by his side. The bug
evidently grew more impatient at his impris-
onment, and turned himself loose, graphing
around with recklessness deviishly suggestive
of big black spiders or scorpions, and that o 9th
| or fellow could stand il no longer, but, bolting