The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-02-01

property of the daughter of the famous
shepherd thereof. The use of elastic web
bing, made of blue or red silk woven |
over central core of Indian rubber,
Is comparatively recent and 1t IL asser-
ted by authorities which demand our
respect that this material Is still verv
widely used. OF course, statistics on this
subject can be collected, If at all, with |
the greatest difficulty, and were 1t not
for the fact that quantities of this elias
tic webbing are annually manufactured
and sold we should be totally unable to
prove that II is In active use. Evidence
collected in connection with the upset
ing of carriages is to the last degree un-
trustworthy, since in such moments the
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 in question has been
in very general use, and that the intro
tuction of metallic spiral bands, whether
silverplated or plain, has not yet super
seded it,
Mr.. Skinner was, of course, totally ig-
norant of the whole subject. He was q
Methodist divinity student, and, in all
probability, he had never dreamed that
such an article existed Beyond any
question he was unaware 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
pair made of silver plated spiral wire
Nearly all the people of Brewster Centre,
where he has resided SO many years,
believed his assertion, and hold that he
is entirely incapable of prevarication, or
of the greater crime with which he has
so unhappily been charge.
Mr.. Skinner, as is notorious, was en-
gagged to be married to the daughter of
the leading cooper of Brewster Centre,
and he made his first visit to New York
early last week. 1t was while walking
down the Sixth-avenue that his eye fell
upon silver-plated pair exposed for
sale in u shop window, and marked
"only fifty cents" Mr.. Skinner
thought that this was an exceptional op-
portunity for buying pair of beautiful
bracelets for his betrothed at very
cheap rate. The fact that the shop did
not appear to be jewelers. shop, but
was devoted apparently to the sale of
ladies' clothing, gave him additional
reason to imagine that the pair were
much cheaper than they would have
been at Tifiany's or elsewhere. He en-
tered the shop, and finding another
pair precis ely similar lying on the
counter, he took them up and asked the
young woman behind the counter their
price. Finding that they were only
fifty cents, he examined them carefully,
and asked if they were large enough to
fit rather stout young lady in Yer
mont The shopgirl smiled and replied
that they certainly were not too small
for any New England lady. Then Mr..
Skinner asked if she would kindly put
one on and let him see how it looked.
To his utter amazement, the young
woman called in q frightened tone upon
George" large man in the rear of
the store, and informed him that this
villain-meaning the meek and inno-
cent Skinner was insulting her."-
George," who was evidently practic-
al man, first required Mr.. Skinner to
pay for the articles, and then, without
giving him the slightest chance for ex-
PLANTATION, kicked him into the street.
Mr. Skinner satisfied himslf that both
the young woman and "George" were
either drunk or crazy, and as he
wished to leave town that day, he fore
bore to appeal for justice to the police
Returning to Brewster Centre, he hast
ened to call on the daughter of the. coop
er. Usually he was not anxious to meet
the cooper himself; for, though that
respectable person was well meaning in
his way, he was quick tempered and
muscular, and as such was not pleas
ant companion for the modest and pull
monary divinity student. On this oc-
casion he was, however glad to have an
opportunity to show the cooper his gen.
erosity, and he therefore mentioned that
he had brought the daughter a present
of pair of bracelets from the city.
The young lady was delighted, and
waited anxiously while Mr.. Skinner un-
did the string and opened the box
There Sarah Ann ~ he exclaimed,
as he exhibited the articles.
"Those are what 1 call handsome,
and want you to let me put them on
with my own hands this very minute"