Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-04-07
The Wonderful Lamp.

ohe hiSnt curing the recent troubles
in the Pennsylvania coal regions, Judge
Potts brother, Thomas Potts, was round
at meeting of mine owners, and after
the adjournment he stepped into tav-
ern. While there he met some friends
and in the course of an hour or two be
got very intoxicated. On his way home
he lost his hat, and miner who knew
him, feeling compassion for him clapped
on his head a miners hat and in order
to make the dark street look brighter he
lighted the lamp in front of the hat.
When Potts reached the house his wife
had gone to bed, and the lights were out,
but Potts felt certain the lamp was burn
ing in the hall, but he couldn't for the
life of him tell where it was.
He looked at the regular lamp aud it
seemed to be out; then hunted in every
direction for height, but he was unable
to find it, although it seemed to shine
brightly wherever he went. Presently
he happened to stop in front of the mir
ror in the hat rack, and then he saw pre-
cisely where the light was. After a
brief objurgation upon Mrs. Potts for
leaving light in such place, he went
up to the mirror and tried to blow it out
He blew and blew, but somehow the
fame burned as steadily as before.
That" said Potts, is the most ex-
traor'nary lamps ever been my misfor-
tune t'encounter." Then he took off his
coat, and holding it in front of him
crept cautiously up to the mirror, and
tried to crush the coat over the lamp
which still burned brightly. He said:
" That's cer'inly very extro nary moz
'stonishn' circumstanz ever come un'er
my observation. Domino how t'count
for it +"
1t occurred 70 him that perhaps he
might smash the lamp with an umbrella
Selling the weapon he went up 10 the
hat, and aiming terrible blow at the
light, he brought the umbrella down.
lie missed, and smashed his Sunday hat
into chaos. He took aim again. and
caught the umbrella in the lamp over
head, bringing it down with a crash.
Then he tried third time, and plunged
the ferule of the umbrella through the
mirror, smashing it to atoms he felt ex-
ultant for moment as the light disap-
peared from his vision, but he was per-
picked to find there was another light
somewhere, he did not know exactly
where. So he sat down on the stairs and
remarked:
MOI 'stonishin' circumstanz ever
come un'er my observation. Whaten
thunder doz it mean an'how? Lights
gone, an yet it's shinin'l Perfectly in
comprehensive Wish t'gracious Mrs
Potts d wake up an splain it. Durn'i
| know what / had better do
| Then Potts took off his hat to scratch
his head in the hope that he might scare
up an idea, and the truth flashed upon
him. Gazing at the lamp for moment,
until he drank in full conception Of
the trouble it had caused him, he sud.
denly smashed it down on the floor in a
rage, and extinguished it after covering
two yards of carpet with grease. Their
he went to bed, and in the morning Mrs
Potts informed him that some of those
awful miners had broken into the house
the night before and left one of theii
hats with lamp. Potts turned over in
bed so that she could not see his face
and said if the stern hand of the law
wasn't laid upon those ruffians soon, no
body's life would be safe.