Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1890-12-19
WATCH CHARMS.
Entertaining Stories Sometimes
Suggested by Them.
Though of Little Intrinsic Value They
Serve as Reminders of Interesting
Incidents In the Lives of
Their Weasers.

Incidents In the Lives of
Their Weasers.
If a man could get all the stories sug-
gested by watch charms worn in the
city, he would have book of narratives
bigger than the Doonsday Booi in
London. Many man who would disdain
any thing like weakness in personal
adornment will wear watch charm from
ono years end to the next when there is
no possible excuse for 1t beyond some
legend OF. which he alone is the possessor.
One Of the conductors on the Pennsyl-
vania road wears q miniature lantern
with red glass, and gold wire franc,
in the center of which is a bit of phos-
phorescent light that glows brightly
however dark the night may be. But
lantern in such place is not especially
remarked, for many many men on the
road wear them in one style or another
The story about this particular one
would never come out If we waited for
the conductor to tell it himself But it
has story.
Years ago, when this same conductor
was brakeman, in the days when a
brakeman was really expected to attend
to the brakes even on passenger train,
there was collision and four men in
the sleeper were killed. That was seri-
GUS enough, but 1t would have been
vastly worse had it not been for the fact
that this man, then in q more humble
position, heard the train coming behind
him, clearly out Of her time, snatched o
red lantern and ran back there to give
the warning. The engineer of the tres
passing train saw him just in time to
turn off the steam and put on the
brakes, but he could not prevent th@ a0~
cident. Right at the prof. OF his en-
CINE, when the wreckers came to- the
place, lay rich man who had long been
an invalid, and who considered himself
indebted to the brakeman for his life.
He made him present of the little
lantern, and now each Christmas he
sends to the vigilant trainman, who has
since risen to the ranks of the conduc-
tors, q present which marks in some
measure the gratitude even a suffering
man can feel for one who has saved his
life.
A Board Of Trade man, not often left
on the wrong side of the market, wears
little gold grain Of corn at the end Of
pensile swing of his watch chain. It
commentaries the fact that in mem
orable squeeze which occurred some
years ago he had sudden Inspiration
that 1t would be good time to sell at
the very instant when all the mon on
the floor seemed raving crazy to buy.
lie unloaded all the corn he had ON
hand, and the very next turn Of the dial
showed notable falling off. Things
grew worse very rapidly, and l'ofore tho
day was done the corn pit was simply
one crowd of bowling, losing speculat-
ors 1t seemed that none of them had
been able to save dollar, and this one
man was nearly alone in the fortunate
inspiration that had saved him thou
sands of dollars.
Ono of the best known mon around
the city hall wears u clustet of bears
claws as his talisman. He ntver talks
about Thorn, but when some one who
knows he was once Californian directs
the conversation for him this man can
tell of some very thrilling experiences
In the Sierra Nevadas, not the least in
teresting of which is an encounter with
bear one morning when himself and
wife were alone in the camp, and when
nothing but good luck and the courage
of the woman in the case would have
averted disaster for all of them. He lived
to see tho brute laid out cold and still
in death, and then no drifted into de.
lirium that lasted for weeks. When he
regained his strength he found the
bears skin tanned and spread upon his
rude bed in lieu of better covering from
the bitter cold Of the mountains. lie
lay there in his weakness and worked
away at the claws till he had taken al,
! OF them from their proper resting place
and when he recovered he had a watch
s,eharm made of them, He wears it vet
and is proud to say that he has never
since been compelled to work for him
self. From the day he reached the
mines he has been called upon to serve
4. he public in some capacity or another,
, and so long as that good fortune at
. lends him he will never give up hi.
bears claws
One man, now at the head Of bis
baking establishment has common
looking bullet swung to his chain Some
people think it is a homely sort Of {
thing to wear and he does not quarrel
with them; but If you ask him for the
reason of such strange fancy he will
tell you it is because he owes all hi.
good fortune he ever had in life to thai
lead bullet Years ago when he was Z
driver and hired to deliver bread for the
firm that he has since bought out and
made bigger than the founder ever be.
lieved it could be made, he was going
his rounds, delivering bread, when he
came to the homo of patron who lived
away upstairs in a dark court RiSh.
at the door of the patron was another
door which led to dwelling that had
long been vacant The bread boy wesri
ly climbed the stairs, and was just
about to deposit the regular order q
bread on the table prepared for II tbe
night before, when the door to the sd'