The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-11-08
SUDDEN WHITE HAIR.


to make his grand entry into Vienna the
old sexton of st. Joseph's Cathedral was
much troubled in his mind. Upon such
occasions it had been his custom to take
his stand on the pinnacle of the tower
and wave flag as the Imperial pageant
passed by; but he felt that age had SO
weakened his nerve that he dared not
again attempt the perilous performance.
After thinking the matter over, he came
to the conclusion that he must find a
substitute; and knowing his pretty
daughter had plenty of stalwart suitors,
the old fellow publicly announced that
the man who could take his place sue
cessfully should be his son-in-law To
his intense disgust, the offer was at once
accepted by Gabriel Petersheim, his
special aversion, and the special favorite
of the girl, who saw not with her fa-
theirs eyes. On the appointed day Vi
emma opened its gates to the new-made
Emperor; but it was evening, or near
upon evening, when the young flag
bearer welcomed the procession from
St Joseph's Tower. His task per-
formed, Gabriel would have descended
from the airy height, but found his way
barred. Two wretches had done the
treacherous sexton bidding, and closed
the trap-door of the upper stairway.
leaving the brave youth to choose be-
tween precipitating himself on the pave
ment below, or clinging the cold night
through to the slender spire, with but
ten inches of foothold. He chose posi-
BILE life to certain death; but when res
cue came with the morning, his eyes
were sunken and dim, his cheeks yellow
and wrinkled, his curly locks as white
as snow. Gabriel Petersheim had won
his bride at fearful cost.
Believing fortune might be easily
won in the oil-country, young Boston
ian went there to enrich himself. One
stormy night a glare in the sky told him
that an oil-tank was on fire a few miles
off; and knowing that after time the
oil would boil up and flow over the
side of the tank, he made for hill to
witness the spectacle. "She's COM
ingr' man shouted. There was a
rumbling sound, and then the burning
oil shot up from the tank, boiled over
its sides. and foated down the creek,
destroying everything in its way, and
setting fire to a second tank. Curiosity
getting the better of discretion, he ran
to the ground in the rear of the tanks,
to get better view, and in trying to
avoid pool of burning oil, fell into a
mudhole, and stuck fast therein.
Struggling till he could struggle no
longer, he lay back exhausted, watch
ing the pillows of smoke surging up
ward and floating away into space.
Suddenly his ears were startled by the
sound of cannon-fring; column of
fame and smoke shot up from one of
the tanks, and he was stricken almost
senseless with the knowledge that the
.'pipe-line men, were cannonading the
first tank, to draw off the oil, and so
prevent another overflow. He tried to
shout, but the words would not come. A
little stream of burning oil ran slowly
but surely toward him. He watched it
creeping on until it was almost upon
him; then in a moment all was dark.
When he came back to consciousness,
he found himself in his own room, sur
rounded by 1.-THE boys" who had seen
him Just in time to save him. 1t was a
weary while before he was himself again,
and then he was inclined to doubt If he
was himself, for his once dark hair was
perfectly white.
Instances have not been wanting of
the hair being deprived of its color in a
few minutes. The Homecoming of the
King of Naples after the Congress of
Laybach was celebrated with much pub
lie rejoicing. To do the occasion honor,
the manager of the San Carlo Theater
produced grand NEUROLOGICAL pageant,
in which an afterward well-knownopera-
singer made his debut in the character
of Jupiter. The stage-thunder rolled,
the stage-ightning flashed, as the
Olympian monarch descended on his
cloud-supported throne. Suddenly,
screams of horror rang through the
house; the Queen tainted, and all was
uproar and CONSERVATION, until the
voice of the King was heard above the
din, crying: "H any one shouts. or
screams again, I'll have that person
shotr' Something had gone wrong with
the machinery before the clouds had de-
scended ten feet, and Jupiter had fallen
through. Fortunately, a strong iron
wire or rope caught his cloak, and, un-
coiling with his weight, let him down by
degrees. But workman falling with
him was impaled upon strong iron
spike supporting the scenery. In ten
minutes or so they reached the ground,
the workman dead, the singer dazed,
but able to thank Heaven on his knees
for his escape; and then the awe-strick-
en- people saw that the black-haired
deity had become transformed into a
white-haired mortal, whose youthful
features formed a strange contrast to
their venerable-looking crown.
Staff-Surgeon Parry, while serving in
India during the mutiny, saw strange
light. Among the prisoners taken in a
skirmish at Chamda was sepoy of the
Bengal army. He was brought before
the authorities and put to the question
Fully alive to his position, the Bengalee
stood almost stupefied with fear, trem-
bling greatly, with horror and despair
plainly depicted ON his countenance.
While the examination was proceeding,
the bystanders were startled by the Ser
geant in charge of the prisoner exclaim-
ing: " He is turning gray" All eyes
were turned on the unfortunate man,
watching with wondering interest the
change coming upon his splendid glossy
jet-bIack locks. In half an hour they
were of a uniform grayish hue
Some years ago young lady who was
anxiously awaiting the coming of her
husband-elect, received a letter con-
veying the sad tidings of his ship
wreck and death. She instantly fell
to the ground insensible, and so re-
manned for five hours, On the follow
ing morning her sister saw that her
hair. which had been previously of a
rich brown color, had become as white
as a cambria handkerchief, her eye
brows and eyelashes retaining their
natural color. After while the whit
ened hair fell of. and was succeeded by
a new growth of gray. This case COM
ing under the observation of DR.. Eras-
mus Wilson, shattered his unbelief in
the possibility of the sudden conversion
-E l. L. y. L..