Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1890-10-16
SOMEWHAT STRANGE,
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF
EVERYDAY LIFE

ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS Of
EVERYDAY LIFE
Queer Episodes and Thrilling Adver
lures Which Show that Truth i
Stranger than Fiction.
A STORY of one of the most interestin,
freaks of vegetable life is told by Ell
wood Cooper, Of Santa Barbara. Cal
Through Mr.. Cooper's garden there raj
some years ago sewer made of redwood
timber. This sewer was again cased b,
an outside sewer. Across the sewer Their,
was built brick wall many feet high
and IN such way that it was pierced BY
the inner sewer, which 1t inclosed tightly,
while the outside sewer ended abruptly
against the wall The outside sewer
casing had in course of time dccayed.
and eucalyptus tree standing some sixty
feet away had taken advantage of this
and sent one of its roots to the coveted
spot In as direct line as possible. Here
the root entered the outside sewer and
followed its course as far as it could. At
last 1t came to the wall which shut off
its course, and it could go no further, the
inside sewer being perfectly tight. But
on the other side of the wall the sewer
and its double casing continued, and this
eucalyptus tree evidently knew how to
get there. Some three feet high in the
brick wall there was little whole an
inch or two in diameter and this the
eucalyptus tree was aware Of, as its big
root began to climb the dry wall and face
the sun and wind until it found the hole,
through which it descended on the other
side and entered the sewer again and fol
lowed it along as formerly. How did the
tree know of the hole in the WALTZ How
did it know that the sewer was on tho
other side2 Did 1t smell, and if il did
how could it direct the root to go and
find the place with such precision? The
roots OF any plant grow always and unerr-
ingly in the direction of its food Just as
the eucalyptus tree did.
A SWARM of bees created block in a
curious manner on the Perkiomen Rail
road, IN Pennsylvania, the other day. A
freight train running between Perkiomen
junction and Allentown stopped to take
water at Palm station. A swarm of bees
from neighboring farmhouse had taken
refuge in some woods near by, and when
the train stopped at the station they came
buzzing out and alighted with one accord
on the tender behind the engine. The
engineer and his assistant in the engine,
and the brakemen standing around the
train, were astonished at the visitation.
and promptly sought safety in the wait.
ing room of the station. The fireman
was on the engine cab at the time, busily
shifting coal from one side of the tender
TO the other, and in an instant hundred
bees set upon him. Half mad with pain.
be jumped off the tender and rolled
wildly in the grass at the roadside. The
schedule time for starting the train came
and went, but the crew saw no way in
which to start. They held consultation
over the problem, and finally bright
idea struck the engineer. Putting it into
execution, he crept softly and unconcern-
edly up to the tender, after the manner
OF an experienced bee farmer, and pro-
cured possession of the adjustable hose
with which engineers are accustomed to
clean up their cabs. He got the drop on
the bees and turned on them a steady
stream of cold water. The effect was
magical. The entire swarm took to their
wings and described straight line, bee
line, toward the woods The train then
resumed its journey fifteen minutes be-
hind time.
IT was queer life which ended re-
Gently at South Addison, Me-, that of
Walter L. Tahbut, the hermit, who was
found dead in his hut. When he was a
boy Walter joined the Adventists, and
gave himself up to Bible reading and
prayer so zealously that he did not hesitate
to pray at all times and on all occasions,
and during school hours he would break
out in boistcrous prayer. A few years
later he took to reading the koran, and
when little more than twenty years old
came out full-fedged Mohammedan.
Forsaking his fathers house he repaired
to neighboring wood, where he built
small stone house that for five wears
served as his dwelling. In the center of
this abode, resting upon four stakes, is
tho wooden box in which he has slept.
This together with an open fire and
few cooking utensils made up his house
hold effects, He was exact in the per
formance Of his religious rites, and had
certain rules which no caller was allowed
70 violate. No person who would admit
that he had been handling the flesh of
swine could enter his habitation until he
had first washed his hands. He generally
ate but two meals day, and they usually
consisted of buttcrmilk and unleavencd
bread. His Sabbath day began at sun
down Friday, and shutdown Saturday
marked it's closing, and during that time
he tasted.
THERE is tree at Athens, Ca, which
il property holder. In the early part OF
the century the land on which it stands
yFes owned by Colonel w. H. jackson,
who took great delight in watching its
growth and enjoying its shade. In his
old age the tree had reached magnificent
proportions, and the thought Of its being
destroyed by th-se who would come after
him was SO repugnant that he recorded
dad, 81 which the following is part 81,
n II jackson, Of the county Of Clarke,
Of 10 one part, and the oak tree [giv-
ing location Of the county Of Clarke,
~ the other part: Witnesseth, that the
TIA Nv. u. jackson, for and in consider
6{ton-of the great. affection which he bears