The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-08-25
MIR. SINNERS Mistake.

Mr. SINNERS Mistake.
From the Ne,o York Times.
1t is not possible TO permit it to
pass unmentioned. When an acct
dent of unique interest and far
reaching Importance happens, a
newspaper is compelled to take no.
tice of it. After all, this is world
where we must constantly sacrifice
ourselves for others, and why should
the journalist shrink from any duty,
however painful it may be?
The tragic event to which re-
ference has Just been made could
not have occurred in those earlier
days when metal had not yet been
used form short, for one of the
purposes which it now serves. 1t is
the opinion o. all archeologists that
the primitive-or we might say the
earliest form of the true-tbat is to
say, the sex at first used simple
string. Within historic times strips
of cloth OF about an inch in width
have been very commonly used.
Professor Huxley has in his posses
sion pair made OF gray "listing," if
that is the proper scientific term,
which were found in a remote York
shire village, and which are be-
{ lieved to be not more than fifty
years old. Mr.. Darwin also has a
single one made of a strip of black
velvet, which he thinks belongs to
later stage Of development than the
pair in Professor Huxley's possession,
and which was found near Salisbury
Plain, and may have been the pro
perty of the daughter of the famous
shepherd thereof. The use OF elastic
webbing, made Of blue or red silk
woven over a central core OF India
ssserTed by a1thoritie
which demand our respect that thi
material is still very widely used
Ofcourse, statistics on this subjec
can be collected, if at all, with tn,
greatest difficulty, and were it no
for the fact that quantities of :hi
elastic webbing are annually manu-
featured and sold we should be to
tally unable to prove that, it is in &C
tive use. Evidence collected in con
nection with the upsetting OF carri
ages is to the last degree antitrust
worthy, since in such moments tn,
witness is almost sure to be laboring
under more or less excitement
Still, we may assume that within the
last ten years the elastic material il
question has been in very genera
use, and that the introduction O.
metallic spiral bands, whether silver
plated or plain, has not yet super
seeded it.
Mr.. Skinner was, of course, totally
ignorant of the whole subject. HI
was a Methodist divinity student
and, in all probability, he had never
dreamed that such an article existed
Beyond any question, he was un.
aware that metal was used in its
manufacture, and there is not the
least reason for doubling his solemn
assertion that, prior to the recent
tragedy, he had never laid his eyes
on a pair made of silver-plated spiral
wire. Nearly all the people OF Brew
ster Center, where he has resided Sc
many years, believe his assertion,
and hold that he is entirely incapa.
BILE approximation, or of the greater
crime with which he has so unhap
PLY been charged.
Mr.. Skinner, as is notorious, was
engaged to be married to the daugh
ter of the leading cooper Of Brewster
Center, and he made his first visit tC
New York early last week. 1t was
while walking down the Sixth avenue
that his eye fell upon silver-plated
pair exposed for sale i'll shop win
dow, and marked "only so cents.
Mr.. Skinner thought that this was al
exceptional opportunity tor buying {
pair OF beautiful bracelets for his
betrothed at very cheap rate. The
fact that the shop did not appear tc
be jewelers. shop, but was devoted
] apparently to the sale OF ladies cloth
4 ing, gave him additional reason to
imagine that the pair were mucl