Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-06-04
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC.
PETRTFTED LAND,

WHICH, IL is GnOugnG, WILL pebrlIy innings
buried in it. A quantity of petrifed
chips was recently picked up there
which still bear the marks of an ak. Ii
that spot the earth is of an entirely
different character from that found il
other parts of the farm. The soil is Of
| rather a gummy nature, and it differs in
| color from the surrounding dirt. In
order to test whether the soil will petrify
| foreign substances, pieces of wood and
the carcass of small animal are to be
buried there and to be examined after
lapse of four years.
AHEAD A COOL 1000.
Conductor Hezekiah Mckinney, who
was killed in Connecticut recently, was
the man who had little episode with
| the supposed Northampton Bank burg
lars the night after the robbery. A
passenger in the smoking car handed
him what was supposed to be a 800
bill in payment for fare. When he
went to the baggage car for change Nc
| Kinney found that it was ST. 900 bill,
| and, returning, gave it back to the man
he supposed he got it from. The
man denied giving him any bill, and, as
no owner could be found, he turned it
over to the railroad, which deposited it
in a Hartford bank, and some four
years afterward gave it to Mckinney
Boston Journal.
RARE OLD BOOK.
Mr.. J. P. Smith, of Carondelet, while
searching among some family books
| and papers day or two since brought
to light a quaint and curious old book
bearing the title Antique Urbis Splen-
DOR" and dated in the year 1912. It is
collection from the Roman sculptor
and artist, Jacob Taurus. The illus
trations are printed from very elabo-
rate woodcuts finished in very artistic
style. The minutest details are faith
fully carried out, and more interest
ing collection it would be difficult to
find. It was printed at Rome, and by
the permission of the sovereign pontiff
and other princes. 1t is dedicated to
Sigismund III. of Poland, and the
frontispiece reminds the reader that
Rome was the ornament of the whole
world" Horatius at the bridge and
Mutius Scaevolo thrusting his hand
into flame of fire, and a half dozen
other historic incidents are illustrated
on another page. After these pages
follows a dedication to Pope Clement
VIII. Then follow 100 pages of en-
cravings, showing Rome in panorama;
the renowned places of her history in
separate views, the Coliseum, the vari-
Gus temples, etc., and representations
of scenes on great public occasions, tri
umphs, sacrifices, etc. Each page is a
chapter in itself, and the old volume
bound in sheepskin is valuable relic.
st. Louis Republican.
A REMINIs CENCE OF THE WAR.
A romantic story of the war is told in
connection with the 10th Pennsyl-
vania Regiment. A feminine looking
member of the regiment who gave his
name as Frank Mayne associated with
none of the members of his company
except a man named Fitzpatrick. One
day while near Alexandria, Va, Fitz-
patrick was suddenly taken i'll and re-
moved to the hospital, where he died,
it was said, in few days of smallpox.
Mayne displayed considerable grief
over the death of his companion. He
procured pass to Alexandria soon af-
ter on plea of some business, but
never returned. It was thought that
he had deserted. Soon after soldier
was wounded in Western Tennessee,
and upon being taken to the hospital
it was discovered that the soldier was a
female and none other than Frank
Mayne. A few weeks ago member of
the 10th regiment was standing on the
railway station at Altoona, when he
was approached by man who proved
himself to be Fitzpatrick, who was sup
posed to have died of smallpox. He
explained how he and Mayne wishing
to transfer the scenes of their military
exploits from the East to the West he
had feigned sickness and escaped from
the hospital and was joined by Mayne.
They both joined an Ohio regiment,
after which they were wounded while
in battle and Mayne discovered to be a
female. Mayne is his wife, and they
are now living happily in Illinois,
Boston Journal.
THE UTILITY OF PAIN.
The utility of pain is seen in the
membrane which sweeps the surface OF
the eye, for instance in several animals,
whenever any irritant particle is
brought into contact with these deli
cate structures. The pain caused by
the foreign body sets up refexlya mus
cular contraction in this membrane, and
thus it is brought across the eye,
sweeping the surface, and so the offend
ing matter is removed. When the
foreign body is too fixed to be so re-
moved, disorganization of the eye fol
lows, and amid general destruction of
the organ the irritant matter is got rid
of. Destruction of the eye in these
animals would be common occurrence
if it were not for this muscular arrange
ment, and pain is the excitant; it is, as
it were, the finger which pulls the
trigger, and so the machinery already
provided and prepared is set in action
thereby. In man the suffering caused
by foreign body in the eye calls the
attention to the part and leads it's re-
moval. Ii it were not for the pain so
produced irremediable mischief would
often be permitted to go on unchecked,
because unnoticed, Not only does pain
so defend the eve from the injurious