Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-03-01
THE ROMANCE OF ACCIDENT.

Many of our most important in
yehtions and discoveries owe their
origin to the most trivial circum-
stances; from the simplest causes
the most important effects have en-
sued. The following are few
culled at random for the amuse-
ment Of our readers:
During the Thirty Years War in
Germany the little village of Cose-
row, in the island Of Usedom, on
the Prussian border of the Baltic,
was sacked by the contending ar
mics, the villagers escaping to the
hills to save their lives. Among
them were a simple pastor, named
Schwerdler, and his pretty daughter
Mary. When the danger was over
the villagers found themselves with
out houses, land or money. One
day, we are told, Mary went up the
Streckelberg to gather blackberries,
but soon atterward she ran back
Joyous and breathless to her father
with two shining pieces Of amber,
each OF very great size. She told
her father that near the shore the
wind had blown away the sand from
a vein of amber; that she straight
way broke off these pieces with a
stick; that there was an ample
store of the precious substance, and
that she had covered it over to con-
ceal her secret. The amber brought
money, food, clothing and comfort;
but those were superstitious times,
aud y legend goes that poor Mary
was burned for witchcrait. At the
village Of Stumen amber was first
accidentally found by a rustic, who
was fortunate enough to turn some
up with his pillow.
Accidents have prevented as we'll
as caused the working of mines.
AT the moment that workmen were
about to commence operations on a
rich gold mine in the Japanese pro-
vince Of Tskungo, a violent storm
of thunder and lightning burst
over them, and the miners were
obliged to seek shelter elsewhere.
These superstitious people, imagin-
ing that the tutelar god and pro-
tector of the spot, unwilling TO have
the bowels of the earth thus rihed,
had raised the storm to make them
sensible of his displeasure, dessted
from all further attempts to work
the mine.
A cooper at Oarniola having one
evening placed a new tub under a
dropping spring in order to try if
it would hold water, when he came
in the morning found it SO heavy
that he could hardly move it. At
first, the superstitious notions that
are apt to possess the minds Of the
ignora2t, made him suspect that
his tub was beWitched; but at last
perceiying a shining fluid ut the
bottom, he went to Laubach and
showed it to an apothecary, who
Immediately dismissed him with a
small gratuity, and bid him bring
some more of the same stuff whom
ever he could meet with it. This
tbo poor cooper frequently did, be-
ing highly pleased with his good
fortune; till at length the affair be-
ing made public, several persons
formed themselves into a society in
order 10 search further into the
quicksilver deposits thus SO unex-
pectedly discovered, apd which
were destined to become the richest
of their kind in Europe.
Curious discoveries by plowmen,
quagrymcn and 0therG Of caves,
coins, uYns and other interesting
things would GIL volumes. Many
valuable literary relics have been
preserved by curious accidents,
often turning up just in time to
cave them from crumbling to
pieces. Not only mineral but lit
erary treasures have been brought
to light when excayating mother
earth, For instance, in the found
ations of ga old house, Luther's
"Table Talk" Was digcpyered "ly-
ing in deep Obscure hote, wrapped
in strong linen cloth, which was
waxed all over within and without"
There it had remained hidden ever