News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-04-16
STRANGE AND CURIOUS.
NOTES OF ODD AND STARTLING
MATTERS OCCURRING ABOUT Us.
A Fakir's Trick-A Divorce was Granted
The Elephant Knew-The Mesmerist's
Trick-The Oldest Tree, Etc, Etc.

A !
The Elephant Knew-The HIesmerist's |
Trick-The Oldest Tree, ETC., Etc.
The Fakir of Ava, so called, famous
as performing necromancer some 20
years ago, is now retired at the age of
seventy. His name is Isaac Hughes,
and he got his Oriental title from an
other Snowman, one Marshall, who made
much money by feats of legerdemain,
but drowned himself on account of
family troubles. The duplicate Fakir
has been explaining how he advertised
himself and did his tricks. On one oc-
casion he borrowed, at Nashville, Tenn,
the bonnet of the widow of James X.
Polk, who was in the audience, tore it to
pieces before her eyes, and then re-
turned it, whole, shooting it out of
conjurer's gun. He had caused q CON-
plete copy of her bonnet to be made by
a milliner in town, after seeing the
original in the street one day, and had
depended on her coming to his enter
tainment. That cheat established his
reputation in the South.
Nor long ago an elephant was found
to be in danger of losing his sense of
sight A surgeon who had been called
to examine the huge animal declared
that if the elephant could be induced to
submit to an operation the eye could be
saved. Accordingly, the poor animal
was tied down, and some caustic fluid
was dropped into one of his eyes. He
roared with pain, for the treatment was
severe. On the following day the eye
that had been treated was much better,
but the surgeon thought he was going
to have terrible time in operating on
the other eye. Fancy his surprise to
find that as soon as the great beast
heard his voice, he stretched himself on
the ground and peacefully submitted to
the painful ordeal. The elephant had
simply recognized the skill and friendly
purpose of his benefactor.
Chiffon A. WHITE. for four terms
| member of Congress from Ohio, and
very popular, married in June, 1888,
Mrs. Isabella Hall, his deceased wife's
sister, who was widow. She was de-
vout Catholic Immediately after the
ceremony, the bride tearfuliy told her
husband that she had become convinced
that their wedding should never have
taken place, and begged him to consider
her nothing more than a sister. Her
wish was respected. After a wedding
tour of some weeks in the East, they re-
turned to Georgetown, Ohio, and lived
apart. The utmost cordiality existed
between them at all times. Finally,
they decided that a divorce had better
be procured and the husband became
the plaintiff, alleging neglect of duty.
All the facts were brought out and the
divorce was granted.
A SKYE TERRIER, owned by gentle
man from Baltimore, proved one day re-
Gently that it could feel ashamed of a
dishonest act. The master had always
treated the terrier well-in fact, it had
never been punished. On the day in
question the gentleman was at his table. |
The little Skye saw outlet near the |
edge of the board, and yielded to the |
temptation to steal the meat. The cut |
let was slyly seized and taken under the |
sofa. The gentleman pretended not to |
see the act of theft. But the conscience |
of the little terrier soon got the better |
Of its hunger. 1t brought the outlet |
back, laid it at the feet of its master, |
hung its head in shame, and skunk |
away.
hired subjects" who presented them |
under the supposed influence of mes |
merism, underwent painful tests. One |
of them failed to get his wages, and ex-
posed the fraud, declaring that the en-
durance was due simply to practice and |
nerve. In the presence of physicians,
and without any ''mesmerism," this man |
was prodded with needles, burned with
lighted cigars, and had cayenne pepper
thrown in his eyes. He swallowed the
bitterest drugs and submitted to ell sorts
of torture without the slightest percep- |
tible tremor, and allowed needles to be |
inserted under the finger nails or through |
the tongue without wincing.
INSTRUCTION in mechanical trades has
been introduced in the Maine State Re-
form School at Cape Elizabeth, and has
enlisted the interest of many of the
boys, who have made very good pro-
gress under it. The boys are carefully
taught first the names and uses of tools,
and then how to use and keep them in
order. They are also taught the names
of the different kinds of wood used in
carpentry and how to distinguish them.
The trustees of the institution, in their
annual report for 1884, say that the de-
partment supplies a longfelt want.
BESIDES the Astors, Kingslands, Goe-
lets and other great landlords in New
York, there is a new generation of land
lords building up great estates. The
Germans are rapidly accommodating real
estate in that city. They own much
atty. The rich German brewers are all
large landowners. 1t is said that the
humblest German grocer will start in
business with only few dollars, yet in
six or seven years he will own house
and lot
AT Leicester, in England, ten persons,
the first batch of 5000 to be prosecuted, |
were charged the other day witk non
compliance with the Vaccination acts. |
The defendants pleaded guilty, and ex-
pressed their willingness to pay any
fine, but were determined not to have |
the operation performed. because it was |
useless for protection and very danger
Gus. Each parent was ordered to have
the operation performed in a month. |
These prosecutions are exciting a very |
bitter feeling.
Two PARIS schoolboys, one aged II |
aud the other Is, fought a duel in the
Bots de Boulogne, with sharp foils.
The combatants had their seconds on |
the ground in the orthodox manner, and |
it only needed the presence of sur
geon to make the affair complete. I'm
like most of the duels which nowaday |
take place in the Bots, this encounter
resulted in severe injuries on both Sides
OGe boy was wounded in the thigh and
the other under the fifth rib.
A VESSEL called the Pandora was
wrecked off the coast of Nova Scotia a
few weeks since. The captains wife
and little boy, three years old, were in
Brunswick, Me-, at the time. Some
thing was said to the little fellow like
"Oh, you will soon see your father"
''No, | shan't, for he is in the water and
he's drowned" This was said in the
morning of the day on which the news
was received by telegraph.
The Oldest tree on earth, so far as any
one knows, is said to be the "Bo" tree
in the sacred city of Amarapoora, Bur-
nah. 1t was planted in 288 3. c., and
is accordingly PHI years old. Its great
age is, according to Sir James Emerson
Tennett, proved by historic documents.
1t Is regarded as sacred.
He Wanted TO Slaughter Arabs.