News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-04-15
THE MYSTERIES OF A DAY,
STRANGE, CURIOUS AND STARTLING
THINGS OCCURRING ABOUT Us,
Hhoeie baS-The Lost Diamond-At n
masquerade - The Oatmeal King "A
Mattcr Of Insurance-A Bouncer, Etc.

seueraoe - The Oatmeal King "A
Mntter Of Insurance-A Bouncer, Etc.
THE late Henry B. Courtney, of the
Diamond Match Company, was 69 wears
Ola, and came to this country from Eng
land Ia 1858. He was an experienced
match manufacturer, and, with W. H.
swift, started the business upon a
united capital of less than $50. He was
the hrst and for long time the only
man In this country who understood the
manufacture of parlor matches, and in
the product the firm long enjoyed a
monopoly The business grew to i'm
mense proportions with heavy profits,
and branch factories were established
IN various parts of the country. Mr..
Courtney amassed a fortune estimated
at nearly $4,000, 900, but always care
fully guarded the secret of compound
ing his preparation for dipping the
matches, and worked daily at the fac
tory until recently, when he impaired
the formula to his son, who now is the
only possessor of it. The deceased
claimed to have made enormous for
tunes for two firms in England by util-
ling the preparation before coming to
America. The large fortune will most
likely lead to litigation, as it is stated
that there is claimant in England, who
will at once dispute with the American
heirs their rights to the property.
: THE story of Farragut in Mobile Bay
Is thus told: The smoke became so
thick that little could be seen from our
decks. The Admiral, who had remained
about the poop deck and lower mizzen
rigging, now came forward, with about
tour fathoms of small rope coiled in his
left hand. Springing from a gun to the
hammock netting, he started slowly up
the main rigging, apparently more alb
sorbed in watching the battle with his
glasses than in his own movements. He
fingered for while half way up, but as
the smoke thickened he continued the
ascent until he was directly under the
top. Here he passed an end of the rope
over one of the futtock shrouds, and,
getting between both parts, which
formed long loop coming under his
arms, he held the ends at his breast with
his left hand while he used his glasses
with his right He remained in this
position through most of the battle, but
Just as we entered the bay he went into
the top with the pilot The above is
all there was to the historic and inter
esting story about his being dashed to
the mast.
SOME time before the failure of the
firm of Grant 81 Ward, Mrs. Virginia
Corbin, Gen. Grants sister, was invited |
to place money in the firm for invest
ment. She called at the firms office,
and was introduced to Ferdinand Ward.
She took dislike to him, and, it is
said, told Col. Fred. Grant that she be-
Ieved Ward was untrUstworthy. A few
days later Mrs. Corbin intrusted Col.
Grant with $25, 900, which he invested
with the firm without her knowledge.
When the crash came, Gen. Grant, in
looking over the accounts, discovered
that the firm owed Mrs. Corbin this
amount. As he was preparing for the
end he charged his family to pay all the
debts caused by his unfortunate connec-
ton with Ward. A day or two ago
Mrs. Grant sent a certified check for :
S25, 900 to Mrs. Corbin in payment of
the investment. Mrs. Grant, it is said,
received the money from the publishers
of her late husbands book.
MANY years ago when Mr.. Bill Will
cher, of Gibson, Ga, was a boy he
found a queer stone, which he kept as
a plaything for soma time. One day
while he was out in the woods with an
other boy he saw bird which he wanted
to kill, and not being able to find any
thing with which to make trial at him
he took out his pet stone and threw it at
he |
and knows what diamonds are he is
confident that his old pet was a dia-
mond of great value. He has gone to |
work with considerable energy to find
his diamond, and the ground for an |
acre or so shows that something great is :
to pay. People have very little faith in {
the discovery of anything akin to dia &
mond, but Mr.. Wilcher thinks quite an
other way, for it is said that he has !
done enough work in searching for his i
diamond to have made twenty bales of /
cotton if properly applied.
1T is estimated by insurance com c
panies that in the United States last I
year dwelling houses were burned at the !
rate of one every hour, with an average a
loss of 81, 1896. Barns and stables, fifty
per week. Country stores, three per
lay, with loss of $40, 600 psr week.
Ten hotels burn weekly, with loss per
year OF $4,000, 900. Every day a lum-
Der yard goes up in smoke, each repre- I
senting $50, 900. Forty-four cotton g
factories, the loss in each case being
s2s, 900; forty-three wooden mills at
s25, 900 each, and forty-two chemical
works at $27, 900 each, were DESTROYED
DIV fire last year. Forty-two boot and
shoe factories were consumed, the loss I
being $4,000 each. Theatres were
Tapped up by the flames at the rate of
i've per month, average loss $19, !
Only about half as many court houses
were destroyed, the cost of each being :
about $40, 900.
A CORRESPONDENT writes to the Star
Of Washington that in North Carolina
there is a mountain formation very
closely resembling the Sphinx. 1t is
called the ''Pilot Knob, " and sin Surry
county, in the northwestern part of the
State, just east of the Blue Ridge; its
position, prone On the Piedmont plain,
ike gigantic lion; its body at right
angles to the precipitous ridge, and
with head reared aloft as if in the act I,
Of rising. The head is of solid rock, .
several hundred feet in height. The :
shoulders and breast are finely proper .
Toned, and at the distance of few \
niles it looks like a thing of life and in =
diligence. 1t rises about fifteen hun =
ired feet above the plain. 1t is seen at i
he distance OF fifty miles; but as yet no
abroad approaches it nearer than
wenty miles.
SCHUMACHER, the Oatmeal king" of
AKRON, Ohio, came to this country very .
,oor and got into the liquor business. L
lie didn't like that, and began to grind
by hand and peddle it from
land cart. In thirty years he has built
Up the largest factory Of the kind in the =
world. He is now strong temperance =
nan, and won't have an employee about q q
linn that drinks even beer. Most of his 9
hundreds of workmen are Germans. He :
'nce brought master workman from :
Germany at big salary on two years /
contract. The second day after he be- =
yan to work Schumacher discovered =
hat he drank beer In two hours the !.
nan quit work and went back home y
With check for So, 900. =
AT recent st. Louis masquerade \
'oung lady attracted considerable atten- d
ion to her representation OF hornet. 1
Ter dress was of black satin, the bodice b
Itting close and high, and laced down h
he back, and finished at the shoulders n
With silver gauze wings, confined by "
lender silver wire round the arms. so T