The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-11
Hidden in Trees,

Some wood cutters in the forest Of
Dromaling, England, made a strange
discovery. They began to fell vcner-
able oak, which they soon found to be
quite hollow. Being half dccayed it
speedily came to the ground with a
crash. disclosing skeleton in excellent
preservation; even the boots, which came
above the knee were perfect. BY its
side were o powderhorn, q porcelain
pipe.bowl and silver watch. The teeth
were perfect. 1t would seem to be the
skeleton of man between thirty and
forty years of age. 1t is conjectured
that while engaged in hunting he climbed
the tree for some purpose and sllppcdlnto
the hollow trunk from which there was
no release, and he probably died OF star
vation. Another mystery was found in
the heart of the oak. From a tree OF
this kind large block, about eighteen
inches in diameter, that has been knock
ing about in various yards and wood
sheds, was split up lately, and in it was
found an auger hole about thrce-fourths
OF i'm inch in size, containing bunch OF
human hair done up in piece of printed
paper. The hair was near the centre OF
the block and fastened in with q pine
plug. 1t was apparently put in when the
tree was quite small, as the tree had
grown over the plug to the thickness oil
about four inches, with the grain per
fectly smooth and straight.
A natural curiosity was shown in q
timber merchants workshop. This was
the nest and skeleton OF n bird imbcdded
in 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 resemblcd titmousc.
Probably ut the looping of bran h a
cavity was formed, and the outside sub.
seauently grown over. But how the bird
was inclosed seems difficult to imagine.
In the center Of q log of Honduras
mahogany the saw revealed large piece
oil honey-comb. The finder says the
wax with the cells was hard and rcsem'
blcd in color the appearance of mum
my. The remains of the bees were ill.,
cru ted in the wax. Another log of ma
hogaay was being cut in veneer by a
cabinet-makcr, when his attention was
attracted by remarkable and striking
profile of her majesty in a knot in the
wood. The likeness was so true that all
who saw it ackno TleIged the resem.
b!ance. Had this curiosity only been
discovered in the present year we might
have had jubilee mahogany added to the
never ending list of articles so distln'
guished.
So often have toads been found In.
closed in solid bodies that it is not SUR
prisiug to read in Scottish paper that a
servant, while breaking a large piece oil
coal for the lire, was started to find in
the center of the block full-grown toad,
which appeared to he in excellent health
and spirits. A less common discovery was
made in Birkenhcad. A gentleman
there was presented with a cows tongue,
which appeared TO be perfect in every re-
spcct. After the tongue was boiled ne
discovered a piece of sandstone imb2dded
in it about thrce-quarters Of an inch IN
length, half an inch in width, and q
quarter of an inch in thickness Wam'
B, ry's ,EOurnDI.