Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-11

A ,n,dojyht marsudcr p,It the contents
NJ hen-bouse into bag at Altoo, hich.'
and was surprised next dav on uusnp,ug
tbs fowls for sale at market 10 see that tney
consisted of two three-Iegged hens. q
double-hcaded duck. and nearly heanless
goose. lie had taken the stock OF ira''
cling museum.
DIR. Edward EggIeson has recently aug
I'D at bis place, on Lake George, o numpvr
OF inscribed bricks, one at least OF Wnlcn
Is historically puzzllng and interestn1,
This brick has the date "106s " ma,kea
upon II. the figures having evlden.ly oeen
made with q finger In the Gay ncio,e .ne
brick was burnt. Another has tne ietIeIs
an. W. made IN the same way upon u,
together with IN illegiblc inscription done
apparently with the sharp point Oh o pen
knife, and partly obscured IN burning
Willie Prescott, lad Of twelve or ioilr'
teen wears Of age. residing with b. +. KIM
hall. cf Franklin, was out squirrel.hunting
few days since. lie had Just fired MS gun
Al n souirreI when he heard hog saueai,
and on looking IN the direction OF tne
sound he saw large bear chasing hos.
The bear went into the tbicket. ana nc
loaded his gun with buckshot Then. AFTER
fviny his dog 10 a tree. be made bis way
;nio The underground. and after proceeding
hut a short distance found the bear only q
few feet from him. He fred and killed the
bear almost instantly.
huge chunk OF ice was left In front o.
John sipping's residence in Lo,lisVile. A
servant split the piece open. and Just In the
centre was large frog. The animal was O
large black one OF the species known as the
Michigan frog, and weighed two pounds or
over. The man who delivered the ice SAID
that II was part Of a lot that had been stored
away by the Talmage Company IN their
ice-house for over four years, so that the
frog bad been a prisoner In his cool dnn-
econ for all that time. His frogship was
quite lively when relieved from his prison.
and bopped around as vigorously as any OF
his tribe. II is now being cared for as one
Of the fire-er CINE houses. where II gets all
the flies, crickets. and lightning-bugs 1t can
eat, and piece Of Ice TO sit on when itgets
too hot.
John GRAY, who lives in the mountains
near Morgantown, w. Va, set steel trap
for bears at point where they were known
10 20 to catch fish. Last week, upon reach
ing the trap, he was confronted by an IN
mense black bear that had been caught by
the foot, and was making fearfdi racket
among the rhododendrons In trying to
liberate itself. Mr.. Gray was armed with
small shotgun loaded with bird-shot. Win
thi, he banged away at the bear. which,
ut the report of the gun, broke away
with the trap, chain and all, and tumbled
over a cliff fully fifty feet high, falling into
the top OF q spruce-pine, from when MT:
Gray found IL impossible TO dislodge u, and
he was forced TO 90 ten miles down the
river, where he collected a crowd OF men,
and upon returning the bear was foun
still in the tree, having been unable TO de-
scend with tie steel trap. The bear was
killed and was found TO weigh 4O0pounds-
one OF the largest black bears that has been
killed in that county for years.
The old custom Of hunting the wren is
still kept up by the inhabitants OF the Isle
OF Man. The story, as told by an ancient
cbroncler, is that fairy who exerted a
bsleiul influence over the island was pur-
sued by knight, and only escaped III The
moment OF extreme hazard by assuming
the form Of wren. In consequence OF
this, on the specific anniversary the
islanders devoted their energies TO
the cxtirpation OF the fairy, and wrens
were pursued, pelted. and fired at
without mercy. The feathers were pre-.
served with religious care, the belief
being that they had peculiar charm in
preseryin. their possessors from ship
wreck. Any fisherman who proceeded to
sea without such safeguard was considered
exceedingly fool.hardy. AT the present
time. on the morrow Of Christmas day,
groups Of boys proceed from door to door,
carrying q wren suspended in the centre oil
two hoops, which are decorated with ever
greens and ribbons. The boys pluck the
feathers from the unfortunate bird and give
one 60 each lberally-disposed householder,
singing mean while rhyme.