Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-06-27
STRANGE
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF
EVERYDAY LIFE.

Funny Episodes and Thrilling Ad-
ventures Which Show That Truth
is Stranger Than Fiction.
TIE singular fact is mentioned that
while in Great Britain building opera.
tions are suspended ON the slightest ap-
proach of frost, bricklaying is carried
ON IN Norway during almost the coolest
weather that prevails for any time.
This, IN Christiana building during the
winter months it is stated, has now been
practised for at least twelve wears. but
more frequently during the last five. all
the buildings thus erected having stood
remarkably well. Experience has not
shown that walls built in winter exhibit
subsequently more dampness than those
erected in summer. The reverse may
be the case, since the difference between
the temperature Of the air and the mortar
cools the latter by evaporation and takes
away great part of the moisture. Ac-
cording to the opinion of the principal
builders in Christiana bricl1layers' work,
executed with due care in winter. isreally
superior to similar work done in sum-
mer--the whole art of such work in
frosty weather consisting simply in the
use Of unslacked lime, the mortar pre-
pared with which is to be made in small
quantities Immediately before use, the
portion of lime being increased as the
thermometer falls; the only care re-
quired is to utilize the unslacked lime
so handily and quickly as to enable the
mortarto bind with the bricks before it
cools. Another very important condi-
ton is that the bricks be always kept
covered on the building site.
A GEORGIAN who lately returned to
Macon, Ga, from Hamilton, Marion
County Ala, related the following to
reporter of the Telegraph: Owen Hatch
keeps q small grocery store in that
neighborhood. Mr.. Hatch sells liquor
as well as family groceries. Keeping
only small stock of liquor on hand. lie
keeps most of it in jugs. One day two
gallon jug of corn liquor was left stand
ing on the floor behind the counter.
Mr.. Hatch stepped behind the counter
and was surprised to see black snake
coiled around the jug with its head in
side. He watched for u moment, and
soon discovered that the snake was
drinking liquor. 1t was not disturbed,
and after several minutes il slowly I'M
coiled itself and attempted to crawl
away, but was too drunk, and stretched
itself out ON the floor, apparently asleep,
until next day. Mr.. Hatch examined
the Jug and found that the snake had
drank more than quart of liquor. Two
days later the same snake returned, and
when it crawled under the counter Mr..
Hatch watched it. By coiling itself
around the Jug and giving its neck Il
twist around the stopper it was able to
remove the cork, and again thrust its
head inside and began to drink liquor.
1t was allowed to drink its fill again,
after which it was killed.
A MOST remarkable case has been /
brought to light by the coroner at Chi |
cago during an inquest on the body OF
an eighteen-year-old girl, who died IN 7
one-room shanty, which served as a
home for widow and her six children. /
Josephine Grabski, the dead girl, who I
was the eldest of the family, had never [
walked a step in her life. She had
never seen the light Of day, never heard I
the sound of voices, never uttered an
Ineligible syllable since the day OF her (
birth, and was never known to smile. She /
ate what was given her, rejecting moth /
ing, and never made sign that she de- 4
sired more. The only feeling that tins /
semi-inanimate creature ever betrayed /
was when a flower would be placed IN I
her hand. At the time of her death her /
body was no larger than that of an Or
binary ter. year old child. All her
limbs were in proportion, but her knees /
were drawn up so that she had never !
been able TO walk. What surprised the /
family and the neighbors most was the /
smile on the face of the dead girl. Her 4
countenance looked like that of beau
tiful angel in sweet repose, and the lips /
were parted in heavenly smile, though
she had never smiled in life.
IT is not often that real smuggler's
cave is found nowadays in Ireland. But
veritable one has Just turned up IN
County Monaghan, where the police got
ON the track of an old illicit still. 1t is
twenty years since search was male
in the same place, then without result
saws the Dublin Mail, but this time the
offender was caught. Entering tne
suspected house, the searchers got
welcome admittance from the owner.
The kitchen and bedroom were searched
without result, and next n stable. This
stable was tagged with neat cut, square
freestone flags. On lifting two OF the
flags. which we're closely fitted on trap
door admittance was gained by de
scending a number of steps cut in the
rock to a large cave under the bedroom.
The cave was 10 feet deep and IA feet
bv II, and was cut in the solid ro,k.
Here large still CmetaD and all the
requisites of distillery were found; also
a large quantity of wash and jar OF
the real mountain dew. The smoke
from the fire in the cave went up along
the kitchen chimney. A coplous supply