Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-11

An Indiana Reporter Enters for the
Munchauscn Medal, with Fine Pros-
poets for Winning.
From the Lafayette Courier.
The question, "Wiu wonders never cease ?"
finds an answer to Captain Cochran's sturdy re-
ply, Never" Last evening Thurst Martin, OF
the West Side Mills telephoned us'that he was
coming over to see us, and for the reporter to
wait for him, which, Of course the reporter did
When he entered he told US he had heard OF q
most wonderful phenomena out on Grand Pra-
RE and was going out to see it, and invited us
to GO out with him. At first we were incredu
lous at what he had told US, and hesitated as TO
accepting the invitation, fearing that he had
some puckish prank to play. but finally conclud-
ing that ride would not be uninteresting In IT
self, consented to 60 along. We were to start
at O'Clock in the morning In order to get back
in time for our days work. Promptly at this
hour Thurst and German friend Of his who
resides In the neighborhood of the phenomenon,
was on hand and the procession moved
1t was a delightfully."- frosty and exhilarating
morning, and We enjoyed the ride to the utmost
Arriving at our destination, neat little frame
cottage, about half past six, aud entering the
man lady by the name of Mrs. Martha Grossfelt.
widow with two children-one a girl Of per-
haps ID or l6, and the other a boy of about or
9ycars They are just over from the Father
land. The mother, an industrious woman with
a little means of her own has rented small
farm. which she is cultivating. with the help of
her daughter and hired man. Thurst's friend. a
farmer by the name of Crinley or Grindley. beck
oned to the boy, whom he addressed as Fritz
and said something to him in German. The ur-
chin, brlght-eyed. laxen-haired, intelligent
looking little TeutOn, approached us smingly
removed wide belt, probably ten inches wide
from around his waist and revealed to our as
tonished gaze the strangest sight we ever be-
held On the cuticle. above his stomach. was
pictured, as beautiful as if done by the hand of
MASTER the perfect representation of a clock.
over the DIAL which was almost white were the
figures and marks. In dull yet distinct, red
which divided the hours and minutes The hour
and minute hands, the second hand and its di-
visions. were plainly depicted; as also the pen
dulum and framework. this latter fading at the
edge into the natural tint of the body. At the
top of the clock was the miniature representa-
ton OF Swiss cottage. with closed double
doors. The whole representation occupied the
space of, perhaps, eight inches square. The
most wonderful part Of it all. however. has not
yet been tOld-the clock was evidently running.
The mystic hands were moving. but marked a
quarter to IL when 1t was not quite by our
time. The pendulum was swinging slowly back
and forth, and we even fancied we could hear
the smothered tick. tick, of the mechanism. The
hands swept steadily on until they marked five
minutes vi WE'VE, WHEN We were sure we nearu
faint "click." When the hands pointed
the hoY Of noon the double doors of
the SWISS cottage disappeared. and re-
vealed gaudy little cuckoo of the most clumsy
and awkward pattern, which clapped its wings
and went through the motions of Growing. but
emitted no sound. Little Frtzthen replaced his
belt and took his seat. and when astOnishment had
given place to curiosity, We began brisk cross
examination through the assistance OF our in
terpreter. We learned that the family were ma
fiysnS <lfW Iol 40
lives in the little village of Ulbingen near Rent
lingen not far from the Neckar river. Nothing
remarkable or abnormal had ever been noticed
in the families OF either Of the child's parents,
but few weeks before Fritz was born, -owever,
the mother. who was very nervous at the time,
was visiting at her brothers house, in Rentlin-
gen, and bad terrible fright from a cuckoo
clock that stood on the dning-roOm fireplace
shelf. From the effects of this fright she was
thrown into violent attack Of brain fever, in
which she imagined she was clock and her
stomach Dial. During the fever. or before 1t
had fully spent its force little Fritz came into
the world, bearing his marvellous birth-mark,
which, the lady said, had kept perfect time ex-
cepting when he was sick, when it behaved In a
very erratic manner, and once, when he came
near dying with fever, the hands run round with
startling velocity, the little cukOo appearing
every few minutes to flap its wings and crow. 1t
was during this fever that the cuckoo lost his
voice. Previous to that time his "cuckoo, "
"cucko-o" could be heard throughout the ex-
tent of large room. On our suggesting that
the boy was not correct time piece, the mother
explained that the time was the correct time Of
bis native place, from which it never varied ex-
cept in sickness, and immediately corrected it
self when the boy got well. She further said
that watchmakers Of UIbingen, little village
on the outskirts Of which they had lived, were
in the habit Of consulting him to obtain the most
accurate time. The villagers used to stop him
also to learn the time of cay, which Fritz could
give them to the second, without ever consult
ing his birth-mark