Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1889-12-19
SOMEWHAT STRANGE.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF
EVERYDAY LIFE.
Queer Episodes and Thrilling Ad-
ventures Which Show that Truth
is Stranger than Fiction.

Az e-rA the Mississippi recently
Es8 Ell mearthed n h storical relic
Ss Mt the ferry landing at Co
W. lumbrs, Ky, in the shape
of huge, old fashioned col
umbiad, which did duty during the late
war in the hands of the Confederates.
Those familiar wi the history of the
formidable weapon state that it played Il
conspicuous part in the battle Of Bel
mont, Mo, in the fall of 1861, and that
from its lofty perch on the bluffs above
Columbus it sent many huge shell
screaming across the river into Grants
army, and that it had more to do with
keeping the gunboats at bay than all
others ut the fort. The gun is the only
remaining relic of the Confederate forti-
tications erected Mt Columbus, KY,
thirty years ago.
The most diminutive railroad in all
Down East is that owned and operated
by the Monson Maine Slate Company,
running from the company's quarries to
NIonson Junction on the Bangor and
Piscataquis. This little railroad has
two-foot gauge, is about six miles in
length, and is thoroughly equipped with
locomotives, passenger, baggage and
freight cars, has several stations, regular
time tables, and a superintendent. The
superintendent is also conductor, bag
gage master, mail agent, passenger and
freight brakeman, news agent, and
Director regular Pooh Bah-and for
performing all these offices he gets 5000
year. Ten men constitute the entire
force of The road. The trains average
ahnnt Eff,r n, ,lae Joxr it,S ,,l
twenty-tiv miles i'll winter The road
is all down hill one way, so that a Car
will run from the quarr,es to the juno
ton without the assistance of a locomo-
tive. If a passenger misses the regular
train, $5 will secure him a special to
carry him over the line. Last year this
toy railroad carried 1900 tons of the
comrany's freight to Monson junction
(siX tons to Il carr for transhipment over
the Ra gor and Piscataquis to Bangor
and points west, and 4,200 passengers,
who paid $4,000 in fares, were trans
ported at a cost of $4,000 This little
road has been in operation six years,
and in all that time no accident of any
kind has occurred on its line.
A RECENT visitor to one of the Puniaub
jails was amazed to find a remarkable
large number of old men among the
prisoners, almost one convict in five
having gray beard The jailer being
asked for an explanation replied: 1T
is common practice when n theft is
brought home to n mn by the police
for him to get an old father or uncle to
take the blame on himself, or he puts
up young brother to do so. Before
the court they make full and circum-
stantial confession. They are convicted
and the real thieves get oft, and it is for
the family benefit that this should lie so.
A sturdy young man is able to do more
for the family support by honest labor
or by thieving than an old man or boy
The old man had lost many of the in
stincts and appetites which make liberty
so dear to the young man. He can moi
be put to any very hard labor, and will
be well fed and well looked after while
he is in Jail. If boy confesses he will
probably escape with a tlogging. The
conviction OF an old man OF boy will
look quite as well in the police returns
as that of an able bodied young man
so long as they get their conviction, the
police don't trouble themselves very
much about the matter.
MANY landsman ON board ship has
been ready to say that if he were only
once more on shore he would never leave
it, Such seems to have been the feeling
of dog, of which we read in the "His-
tory of Thomaston, Me-" Captain Nor
ton, of Cushing, had favorite dog,
which he took vi h him on Il voyage to
Wilmington, N. G. No sooner were they
at sea than, from sea-sickness or some
other cause, the creature became uneasy
and remained inconsolable through the
whole voyage. Soon after the vessel
arrived at Wilmington the dog was
missed, and nothing more was seen Of
him. On getting back to Cushing how
ever, the Captain found the dog at hon e
safe and sound. He had arrived there
in Just fourteen days from the time Of
his landing at Wilmington. How he
had made his way--whether across or
around inlets or bays, passing circuit
ously along the coast, or by the regular
Travelled roads-nobody could tell, and
he, of course, could not communicate.
One thing was clear, he had had enough
of salt water.
No COUNTRY manufactures so many
artificial pearls as France. For this
purpose the glass used is the color of
whey, and the glass pearl or bead is
filled with a very costly solution pre-
pared from the a es of fishes. A vessel
holding a litter, about one and three
quarters pints, is worth several thousand
francs. They are of irregular sizes and
forms, and are made to initiate pearls Of
black, gray and other colols. When
placed by the side of genuine pears,
even spread cut AMI arranged in the
same string like beads, it is not easy to
discern between the geluine and spuri-
Gus. The small limitations can, how
ever, always be detec ed be ause of their
perfect regularity and superior beauty.
1t Is also asserted that they can be sue
cessfully made OF tie same spe ific
gravity rs the real article, so thai no
other proof Of genuiueness is e.iable
except the ti'e. This is means. since
it would sometimes b. applied to real
articles, which requires the utmos5 care
in the use.
A SINGULAR story comes from Italy
which shows the abue to which red
tare may b. curied. In a Neapolitan
family y some of the children became i'll
recently, an / the doctor ordered them
to Capri to take salt baths. The chill
dren were too i'll to bathe in the sea, 81
the servants won't down to tba bpncl