Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-08-07
SOMEWHAT STRANGE.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF
EVERYDAY LIFE.

Queer Episodes and Thrilling Adven-
lures Which Show that Truth is
Stranger than Fiction.
FRANK TERRY, Wells-Fargo express
messenger, his helper and baggageman
had lively experience with mammoth
seal on a Santa Fe train here, writes a
Kansas City (1o.) correspondent. There
were four seals ordered from the Seal
Islands, in the Pacific, for the New York
Geological Garden. They left San Fran
cisco in large wooden cages. The heat
and the absence of water proved dis
astrous to three of the seals. The first
seal, female, died at Denver. On the
train between that point and Kansas City
one of the males went mad and attacked
his mate, killing her almost instantly by
biting her head nearly off. He raved
for several hours, and the express messen-
ger and other occupants of the car were
considerably frightened lest he break
the strong cage and escape. The animal
was finally quoted and gave the messen-
ger no further trouble until Argentine
was reached. then he became furious
and, raising himself ON his foremost fins,
used his tail with such force that he
broke the cage into pieces in less time
than it takes to tell it, and then bel
lowing loudly, made an attack on Ex-
press Messenger Terry. He jumped on a
pile Of express matter, but was quickly
driven from that position. The men at
last made their escape through the side
door of the car and closed it behind them.
The seal ragged and then dropped dead.
The carcass, weighing 51S pounds, was
taken to Armour's packing house and
skinned. The remaining seal was care
fully watered and shipped on to New
York.
PETE WALTERS, a passenger engineer
on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western
Railroad, had horrifying as well as
thrilling experience. He was running
his train at the rate of thirty-ive miles
an hour, and when he entered the stretch
just before reaching Binghamton Bridge
he was Mortified to see three blackberry
girls on the structure. He reversed his
engine and then tainted. The fireman
took charge of the throttle, and when the
engine was within thirty yards of the
girls one of them, with remarkable pres
enee of mind, jumped to the side of the
bridge, stretched forward fiat on her face,
and swung herself clear of the tracks,
hanging on to the end of the ties over the
rushing waters beneath. In a moment
the other girls followed her example, and
just as the train swept by the last of the
trio swung clear of the bridge, while, with
amazement and horror plainly stamped
IN fh aiY. f1,o ~, nd
trainmen watched with anxiety the hui
man forms swaying to and fro in midair.
As soon as the train could be stopped the
passengers and crew rushed back to the
scene and rescued the brave girls from
their terrible plight.
A GMMER COUNTY CIV. Va) lumber
man is $106 ahead, but has gotten him
self in serious trouble through the trick
which advanced his bank account, but
depleted his conscience. Walnut lumber
is very scarce and very valuable, and the
Gilmer county man, having fine walnut
tree on his land, cut it down and sold it
for handsome sum to an Eastern man,
who bought it on the ground. Before
shipping the log the Gilmerite peeled off
the bark carefully and laid it aside.
After the walnut log was taken away he
cut down a big black oak of the same
dimensions with that of the walnut, which
he had carefully measured, and taking
the bark from its place of concealment
carefully and deity tackled it on the
black oak log. The job was so well and |
done that no one but an ex-
pert could have told the difference. He
then shipped it with other logs to Gin
cinnati. where he sold the oak log for |
walnut for $106. The Gilmer man then |
left for home, but he hadn't been gone
long before the Cincinnati firm discov-
cred the fraud and started after him.
THE strange history of an Englishman
of title has just been recalled by his death.
The late Lord Stamford went out to
South Africa as a missionary about forty
years ago, and during the latter part of
bis life he lived in seclusion on farm at
Wynberg, which is within short dis
lance of Cape Town. Lord Stamford
was three times married, and one of his
wives was colored woman. The titles
to which he succeeded about seven years
ago came to him without the estates
which had belonged to his predecessor,
but the valuable Cheshire property will
revert to the earldom after the death of
Lady Stamford, who has the whole of the
estates for her life. The late Lord SIAM
ford has only left daughter, who bears
The historical name of Lady Jane Grey,
and his nephew, the new earl, was
recently professor of mathematics at a
,ollege in the West Indies. He took high
nonors at Oxford, and has travelled nearly
Ill over the world.
]. B. ALLEN, Block Island IN. W,
fisherman, had thrilling experience
while fishing in one of the Block Island
,chooners eight or ten miles out at sea.
The harpooner had thrown the iron spear
md had struck great swordfish with it,
md Allen, in attempting to throw over
BOARD the float that goes with the har-
boon, became entangled in the line and
vas dragged out to sea by the Infatuated
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