The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-10-29
MODERN INSTANCES.
THE CURIOUS, ROMANTIC, AND TRAGIC
AL INCIDENTS OF LIFE.
ABOVE GROUND.

ABOVE GROUND.
One of the greatest vegetable Curl
osities in existence is on exhibition
at Thyes IL Co.'S saloon. 1t is po-
tato vine filled with well developed
potatoes, which grew out of the
ground in the open air, like toma-
toes. They differ from the tubers
which grow underground, according
to established rule, by bearing a
slight green tinge.-Reno (Necada)
journal.
TUssLE WITH A BEAR.
One day last week Mrs. w. X.
Lee discovered bear swimming In
the Columbia and determined on its
capture. The men folks were all
away, but she summoned a posse,
including the children, boat, and
the dog, and, armed with butcher
knife, attempted to prevent a land
ing, while one of the children went
after a neighbor who had a gun.
The bear landed and showed fight.
Mrs. Lee was treed once on a big
rock, but gaye chase again as the
bear tried to make off. The bear
turned on her again and in retreat
ing she tripped on a stick and went
down, when the bear made a fero-
cious attack. She struck with a
knife and slashed it so severely on
the nose that 1T went bowling away
long enough for her to regain her
feet and the dog attacked so vigor-
ously she made good her escape.
About this time the man with the
gun settled the contest, and for sew
eral days bear steaks were plenty in
the 1eighborhood. Mrs. Lee show
ed great courage in this contest and
deserved a bigger share of the bear
than she received Vaacouuer hide
pendent.
BEN FRANKLIN's WATCH.
Levi W. Croft, of Lancaster, Pa,
staunch old Pennsylvania farmer
and stock-grower, yesterday visited
the Sun office and exhibited the
memorable Benjamin Franklin
watch. of which there has been
considerable newspaper mention. 1t
is manufactured of silver, in the old
bull's-eye pattern, with open face,
and on its back bears the following
inscription, in letters still well de-
fined Notwithstanding its extreme
age and no doubt extensive hand
ling: =" Ben Franklin, 1776." An
old paper on the inside indicates
that it was Repaired by Thomas
Parker, of Philadelphia, on the Oath
Of January, 1917" over sixty-sevsn
years ago. The watch it appears
from another paper, was made more
than 126 years ago 1t was proba-
bly, purchased by Franklin when he
represented the independent colonies
1t the British court in London
sKOBELEfFrs BvMDsnELL.
Skobeleff, so the story goes, was
working one evening in his tent
near the Danube, or near a pond,
when Turkish bomb dropped at
The threshold of the tent. The Gen
eral had just time to see the sentinel
outside stoop and phlegmatically
throw the shell into the water. Skob-
cleft approached the seminal and
said, ''Do you know that you have
saved my life?" Il have done my
best, General" Very well; which
would you rather have, the st.
Georges Cross or 100 roubles?" The
sentinel was Jew with a fine Semet-
ric profile. He hesitated a moment,
and then said: What is the value
Of the st. Georges Cross, my Gen
eral?" "What do you mean? The
cross itself is of no value; it may be
worth 5 roubles, perhaps, but it is
an houor to possess it." "Well, my
General calmly said the soldier,
IF it is like that, give me 50 roubles
and the cross of st. George!"
Whether the prayer of that child of
Israel was granted or not history
doac not cav