Huntsville gazette., 1886-06-12
FACT AND FICTION.
Curious Stories Reported from Both the
orient and the Occident.

Curious Stories Reported from Both the
orient and the Occident.
The shark is still worshiped on the
african coast, and offerings of poultry
and goats are made. Once a year q
child is sacrificed to propitiate it.
The old device of novel and drama,
blotting pad that retains an impress
sion Of missing document, has actual
ly turned up as evidence in a real Cali.
forniaA.law-suit.
A Chinese Viceroy has propounded
. new earthquake theory. In memor.
ial to the throne this high official at
tributes an earthquake Of last January
to the mildness of the winter, which
caused an excess of "vang;" or male
element of nature; although the shock
was in a measure due to local officials
who neglected their duties, and thus
failed to gain the harmonizing influence
o. Heaven.
A Manitoba farmer was sharpening
stake with an axe, when flash of
lightning. accompanied by single
clap Of thunder, came from the only
cloud visible, small one Immediately
overhead. The bolt struck the head of
the axe, splitting it into two pieces and
breaking the handle. The farmer was
knocked to the ground insensible, but
speedily recovered, and upon search
ing about found the fragments of his
axe forced deeply into the ground.
Here is one way of removing objects
from the eye. Take horse hair and
double it, leaving loop. If the OBJ
ject can be seen, lay the loop over it,
close the eye, and the mote will come
out as the hair is withdrawn. If the
irritating object can not be seen, raise
the lid of the eye as high as possible
and place the loop as far as you can,
close the eye and roll the ball around
a few times, draw out the hair and the
substance which caused the pain will
be sure to come with it. The method
is practiced by axemakers and other
workers in steel.
Japan sends us a tale which, for
wild and sublime untruthfulness, prob
ably exceeds any thing that either
America or Australia has produced.
According to the correspondent of a
Toxic journal, a native philosopher
living at Hakodadi has discovered a
method by which he can at will mate
rialize his own soul. This remarkable
man is, so it is asserted, accustomed,
for the benefit of himself and his
friends, to take his seat toward evening
in large bamboo chair, and to become
apparently unconscious. No sooner
has his body lost all sensitiveness than
there issues from his open mouth a
faint blue flame, which slowly takes
form and assumes the proportions of a
well-developed manikin of some six
inches in height. This manikin, which
is the materialized soul of the philoso-
pher, talks freely with those present,
and eats, drinks, writes, and in fact
has all the functions of civilized and
perfectly constituted human being.
He dare not, however, so he is reported
to declare, break contact with the mani
mate body OF his possessor; and on one
occasion, when he was removed and
set upon neighboring table, the phil
osopher began to gasp and struggle as
if in the agonies of death, whereupon
the manikin was quickly placed on his
masters head. The correspondent pro-
fesses to give the names of several
japanese gentlemen who have more
than once witnessed the experiment.
Montreal Star.