The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-11-04
A Frog Many Hundreds of Years OLD
and Yet Alive.

LEGATIONS. hut discovery WAS made on
Madison street this forenoon which calls
for the attention and investigation of
scientists. The city street force was re-
moving paving rock from the levoe at
the foot of Madison street. One of the
hOuderS had to he broken in half and
ON applying the hammer it burst open
One half appeared an oval cavity some
six inches in diameter. and this cavity
was half full of water. Assistant CITY
Engineer Murray put his finger down
in the water and withdrew il suddenly.
rs if he felt something move ut the bot
tom. Making the oriicc larger. Il live
frog leaped ont of the little lake that
had for So many years lain entomhed in
the rock-rilLed cave. The rock is of
blue limestone. brought from the Ohio
river. and it has been i'll Use ms Il paving
stone on the landing for nearly fifteen
years. The upper face of the rock has
been worn smooth from the constant
wear of dray wheels.
The questions are. how long was that
frog in that rock tomb? and was it pos
sihlc that il could live and grow therein
without light. and only such air rs
could pass through the rock. all rock
supposed to he more or less porous? II
must have been hundreds of years ago
when the frog lay in the little lakelet
which formed in the mud on the bank
of the Ohio river. and lay there until
the mud covered it in. rendering escape
impossible Then the chemistry of ma
ture set to work. and year by year the
mud became harder and harder. until
after centuries of ages it became rock.
known rs blue limestone. Fifteen years
ago the rock was dug out and boatcd
down to Memphis. where it has been
used as a paving stone on the lcvec. All
these long, weary years the frog has
listened to the rolling of wagons and
drays over its tomb. and it heard the
rumbling of the artillery during the
gunboat fight of 1867 When the day
of its delivery came. 1t hoppcd ont and
away as lively as any other frog.
How old is that frog? 1t must he a
"ccnturion," rs Mvs. Darlington said,
and it may he two, three. five hundred.
or thousand years old. Long live old
Sitting Bull-frog, because ii comes down
to us with the glamor of antiquity
around it, and old age should he re-
/ spectcd. even though not in itself re-
spectacle. - Memphis L~'ger.
WOULD Nor CnNNGE.-A New llamp-
shire bow. now resident of Wisconsin,
was IL fine scholar. II graduate of Dart
mouth College, and II law student just
previous to his admission To the bar. he
took Il severe cold, which rendered him
very deaf, and no medical skill was able
to restore his hearing This affection
compelled him to give up his chosen.
profession. and he went West, very
much broken down in spirits. For ten
years he has been farming, cultivating
about two hundred acres of prairie. ond,
rs he tx IMPRESSED it,. making good NV
ing. and sailing down something every
year. And he declared that if, knowing
what he now knows, he was to begin his
active life over again, he would ito Just
as he was compelled To do ten years
ago; that is. he would throw aside his
profession, and settle down on Il farm.
Said he: "Thcrc isn't much glory ON
n farm, but you get n good, sure living.
You are your master: you can't starvc,
nor he turned ont of business and rs
far as the work is concerned, in these
days of horsepower n man needn't kill
himself farming, any more than at any
other business. It's brains that win on
farm, as well rs everywhere else; and
the smart man is going to ride, while
the stupid one goes afoot, i'll the corn
field as we'll as in the bar or pulpit. |
should like to have my hearing again.
but | wouldn't leave my farm If | had
it,"
IMPROVING ON THE TEXT.-In the sen
sational play, lie Venguer, an actor.
Ricard, had to enter with three or four
other French sailors upon scene rep
resenting n ruined Breton village; there
they were to ambush themselves and
prevent the English from landing. Ri
card had no lines to repeat, but consid-
cred it his duty to distinguish himself
from his companions, and so broke out
Great Caesar behold our hearth
stones devastated rs if the thunders of
the Almighty God had been out for -
walk |"
whats that -? what's that 2" said he
author, who was conducting the reher-
sal "hold your tongue, go offand come
on again"
Ricard considering the censurc visit
ed on the particular form of words
only. retired and returned with the eX-
clamatiOn
Ha la the English brigands have
again come here to shed the blood of
France Let us pulverize England to
death "
Enough cried the author, holding
his sides; am sorry to do it, but we