Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-03-01
Hidden in Trees.

Some wood-cuttets in the forest OF
Drommlin made a very strange dis
cOvery. They began to fell a venera-
bic oak, which they soon found to be
quite hollow. Being half decayed, ii
speedily came to the ground with a
crash. disclosing a skeleton in excel
lent preservation; even the boots,
which came above the knees, were per-
feet. By its side was q powder-horn,
porcelain pipe-bowl, and a silver
watch. The teeth were perfect. 1t
would seem to be the skeleton OF a
man between so and 40 years of age.
1t is conjectured that, while engaged
in hunting, he climbed the tree for
some purpose and slipped into the
hollow trunk, from which there was
no release, and he probably died of
starvation. Another mystery was
found in the heart of an oak. From
tree Of this kind large block about
Is inches in diameter, that has been
knocking about in various yards and
woodsheds, was split up lately, and
in it was found an auger-hole about
three-fourths of an inch in size, con-
tanning bunch of human hair done
up in piece of printed paper The
hair was near the center of the block
and fastened in with pine plug. 1t
was apparently put in when the tree
was quite small, as the tree had grown
over the plug to the thickness of about
four inches, with the grain perfectly
smooth and straight.
A natural curiosity was shown in
timber merchants workshop. This
was the nest and skeleton of a bird
imbedded in a piece of beech. The
timber seemed quite sound all round
the cavity, and there was no sign of
any aperture into it; but the timber
being sawed up the nest with the bird
sitting upon it was found. The nest
appeared to be built with mud, and
the bird resembled titmouse. Prob
ably at the looping of a branch a cav
itv was found and the outside subse-
quently grew over; but how the bird
was inclosed seems difficult to mag
inc.
In the center of a log of Honduras
mahogany the saw revealed a large
piece of honeycomb. The finder says
the wax with the cells was hard, and
resem bled in color the appearance of
a mummy. The remains of the bees
were incrusted in the wax. Another
log of mahogany was being cut in
veneers by a cabinetmaker, when his
attention was attracted by the appear
ance Of a remarkable and striking pro-
file of her majesty in a knot in the
wood. The likeness was SO true that
all who saw it acknowledged the re-
semblance. Had this curiosity only
been discovered in the present year
we might have had jubilee mahogany
added to the never-ending list of arti-
cles so distinguished.
So often have toads been found in
closed in solid bodies that it is not sur
prising to read in a Scottish paper
that a servant, while breaking a large
piece of coal for the fire, was startled
to find in the center of the block
full-orown toad, which appeared to be
in excellent health and spirits. A less
common discovery was made in Birk-
enhead. A gentleman there was pre-
scented with cows tongue, which APP
peared to be perfect in every respect.
After the tongue was boiled he dis
covered a piece of sandstone imbedded
in it about three-quarters of an inch
in length, half an inch in width and a
quarter of an inch in thickness
Chambers Journal