The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-02-23
THE MYSTERIES OF A DAY.
STRANGE THINGS THAT Il DAILY
OCCURRING ABOUT US.

A Curious Way to FisIl-As Like us Two
Pens-Shc Took the Bnrrel-A New Fire
Liaiter-Stntistics About Boiler Explo-
sfons, Etc, Etc.
SAN FRANCISCO papers report the
death lately in that city, in the most
wretched state of restitution, of Il we'll
known character, Johnny Skac, who
seven years ago was estimated to be worth
three millions of dollars. He was EN-
ployed at Virginia City as an operator
in the California Telegraph Company
when the four bonanza kings Flood,
O'Brien, Mackay, and Fair-werc de-
veloping their operations connected with
the silver mines in California and Vir-
ginia City. They communicated with
each other in CIPHER. Skac discovered
the key to the CIPHER md became aware,
long in advance of every one else, of the
marvels which We're to astonish the pub
lie. All the money he could command
or borrow he invested in shares Of the
two mines, and when the allotment was
finally settled and public excitement
had somewhat cooled, it was found that
the telegraph operator was worth three
million dollars. But he was not con-
tent, and ]speculated largely in much less
safe investments, so that when the COM
mercial crash came sOon after it quite
ruined him. He disappeared from view
. until q year ago, hen a policeman in
San Francisco found him lying in the
street at night, hopelcssly drunk, with
only a few small coins.
Mr.. HUGHES, a New York boiler
maker, who has spent much time in
thinking how hard it is to get up and
light the fire on cold mornings. exhibited
recently the continuance by which he
does away with the hardship. The in
vention, which is patented, is Il tin
clock, which can be set like an ordinary
alarm clock. If you want your fire
started at 6 you set the clock for that
hour aud put it on a stool before the
stove crate. At 6 a spring moves, bring
ing down with q rush n short metal rod
projecting from the back of the clock.
A match is fastened to the rod so that it
will rub against a piece of sandpaper and
go off. A strip of paper fastened to the
clock connects with the kindling in the
CRATE, lights the fire, and there you are
with a warm room to get up in. A sec
Ond contrivance in the clock can ring
a alarm and wake you up as soon rs the
fire has had time to warm up the room.
The clock was made to work repeatedly
and never failed. Mr.. Hughes said he
used it on his stove all last winter.
A VIENNESE paper contains an advcr-
tisement which rum as follows
name is Frederick. 1 am rs poor as I
am ugly, and if anything can exceed my
stupidity it is my disagrecable character.
In spite of these disadvantages l aspire
to marry. Is there any lady who will
have me ?" This is not q very inviting
programme, but the gentleman has had
many letters of inquiry. Women have
ar instructive insight into human nature,
and probably feel that the advertiser
cannot be as stupid as he declares HIM
self, and may have better qualities than
he pretcnds. At most he requires some
kind individual to console him for his
deficiencies, and old maids as Il rule are
se~lf-sacriicing creatures.
RECENT statistics show that in 1884
the number of boiler explosions in the
United States was 1862, being less than
in the previous year. There were 244
persons killed and 261 injured in them,
however, and the number is much larger
than it should be. Fifty-six of the cx-
plosions took place IN saw mills, where
the so-called engineer finds n too facilc
fuel in shavings. Men chosen for such
positions should have the gumption to
perceive that such firing generates steam
too rapidly for safety. These people
can reduce the general death rate if
they wish, and can EST ecially reduce the
present high percentage of mortality
among sawmill engineers.
The custom of giving tips continues,
but the man who resorts to it is only en-
triching the hotel proprietor, whose
Golfers are already full, and the servant
whom he would bribe: to do his duty is
just as poorly off in this worlds goods
as ever. If you gct'your boots BACKED
at the Grand Pacific, in Chicago, ac-
cording to a local paper, pay the porter
to bring down your trunk, hand the
waiter q small sum to secure YOU n favor
lite dish, and drop a dime to the bell boy
for brushing your clothes, the money so
given must be turned over to the book
keeper of the house, and goes into the
profits of the concern. This is also the
rule at the Palmer.
A PRINCE EDWARD Island girl drove
up 10 a store in Rose Valley and grace
fully alighting from her wagon inquired
the plicc OF q barrel of flour. The pro-
prietor pointed to a barrel on the plat.
form and said: "Miss-, if YOU
can put that barrel of flour it your
wagon you can have 1t for nothing"
The trader is no given to charity, and
his disgust was conspicuous when the
fair maid gripped the barrel and landed
it clean over the front wheel into the
wagon, took her seat upon it, thanked