St. Landry democrat., 1878-07-27
Curious Chances.
[Harper's Weekly !

lhdIp Q HCthl9
A Versailles wine-shop keeper was at
work in his celler, when suddenly the
ground gave way and he fell into what
was at first thought to be well; but on
lights being brought, the hole was found
to be an entrance to another wine cellar,
containing some of the best vintages of
France aud Spain. The archHologists
of Versailles were arotfsed and their
examination proves that this subterra-
mean wine-celIar formed part of the
Pavilion de Rendezvous, which Louis
XIV. annexed to the Pare aux-Cerfs,
about which so many queer things are
related by the court chronicles of the
period. The wine is said to have at
tt;.cied rOllnuis~eur~ from al parts. 4
farmer in the DelghOOrhuod of Tavis-
took was as lucky in another way. In
repairing AN old mahogany secretaire,
Knocked down to him at an auction, he
discovered secret drawer containing
forty sovereigns, gold enamelled ring.
and a lot of securities for money, one Of
which was q certificate icl over Ele
hundred pnUncs tIiire peG cent cnnaolS
Al Old scrap Of paper dated 100 led 10
the belief That Inrty "uiT-ae had Gri~i-
nally beea placed there, hat had been
taken cut in modcrn tines and rcrlacoh
by iii" sOyetel2ts.
A ffilCH iiay ftt !OEg SIBcF 1ftUHeilt-
Nv missed some ct her y:tiUables in a
niosr EnarcOHn+ah!e manner. ODc day
her servant fell Down stairs and was
severely hurt. On acting the good
Samaritan and pouring oil into her
wounds, the mistress Was ast0uistcn to
find i'll her lost jewels III he pocket of
her maid who, If seems, had all tie time
been tic culprit. How much Jft1ngr
acciGcUis contribute to the loss Of money
scarcely needs comment; but the nianllei
in which IA gentleman lost all bis win
niDgs at play is worth repetitiOn, as an
evidence of the iiekirness OF tate. H.
had won nine hundred pounds at the
"gretn table at Mulaco, aud was onls
waiting for his laurdlrss to bring his
dozen slIi,ts home before he should oni,
the place. The laundress, however, did
not turn up at the appointed time, and
to while away the hours he went to the
Casino. OF COul Sc be played-and not
only lost all he had already won, but
twelve hundred pounds besides, which
made him heartily wish he bad left the
shirts behind, that cost him a hundred
pounds apiece for the washing.
Among those who have been most re-
markably affected by accidental sur
prises are tie deaf and dumb. and tales
Of unknown antiquity relate how speech
or hearing has been recovered or i'm
proved in this way. AS case in point:
About 1850 Il merchant of CleveS, named
Jo,issen, who had become almost to-
tally deaf sitting one day near harp
S;chord while some one was playing,
and having a tobacco pipe in his mouth,
the bowl of which rested accidentally
against the body of the instrument, was
aereeably surprised to hear all the notes
in the most distinct manner. This &C
cident was a happy one, for JOissen
soon learned, by means of piece OF
hard wood placed against his teeth, the
other end of which was placed against
speakers teeth, not only TO keep up a
conversation, hut to understand the
least whisper. Other cures have been
brought about less by skill than acct
dental circumstances. There is story
of Frenchman who, through sword
wound received in a duel, suffered from
internal Assesses, which forced him tC
walk in stopping posture. Some time
after, becoming engaged in another
the bullet of his adversary CHANGED t.
pass exactly through the Assesses
caused by the former wound, which
making them discharge, not only re-
lieved him from the stoop, bnt caused
him to walk with rather stiff carriage
ever afterward.
Not only have some of the ills to which
human flesh is heir been cured by acci.
dent, hut life itself has been preserved
from destruction by the same means
Lives are often lost by accident, it is
true; but how they have also been saved
by the chance detention of passenger;
from travelling in ships or trains tha
have afterward become wrecked is wei
known.
The writer can testify to the escape o.
a sailor from what is called a waterS
grave, owing to Jack happening to bf
tipsy, and incapable OF taking his place
in "A boat putting off to a wreck on the
Isle of Main coast, when invited by his
companions to take an oar. The boat
put off without him. and its crew wer.
all drowned. When crowd collected
on the banks of the St. Martin canal, ii
France, not long since, it was a lucky
thing that man who lived near wa
urged by his wife to go and see What
was the matter. Upon arriving on the
scene Of action he learned that a chilt
had fallen into the water and disap
peared. Being an expert swimmer, ht
plunged into the spot, marked bTa few
bubbles, and rescued alive hisOWn son
a lad aged eight, who, in playing, hae
slipped over the bank.