Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-12-01
hides in thickness, is from three 10 g..
inches when green. When tanned n ouf
run from two to three inches in tb 'les
ness eh
BURSTING OF A SAND Rox
The Danger That Lurked in al I,,
Pod. '

BURSTING OF A SAND BOX
The Danger That Lurked in All I,,o
Bolten had spent the winter wanda,
ing among the West India Islands and
when he got back had medley of cn,
osiGies which he had picked up in hi,
travels. Among them were all sorts 81
beans and pods of tropical trees, and n
the former were John Crow beans n"
Wary, the horse eye. Jobs tears. and
many others, says the New York I'll; ;u
une. There were the long, scabhara
like pods of the crimson lowered acos
STA; cocoa pods, which ratified with ths
dry chocolate seeds inside them anS
he also had two pods of the sand how
tree, curious circular store houses Ss
! the seeds, deeply libbed, each rib rnn
ming from top to bottom of the nod
These two latter received places n
honor in lacquer trays, the smaller
beans finding room around them. Bo
ten is natty man, and on his mantel
shelf in his bedroom were arranged
these treasures. presided over by four
statuettes of nude goddesses.
The vegetable ornaments Of the shelf
were the most innocent-looking things
Imaginable, and he never dreamed fora
! moment that nature was still bnsy
bringing to perfection those sand boxes.
He had gone to bed after hard DAYS
work, and was sleeping the sleep ofthe
just when he was awakened by what he
thought was pistol shot in his room,
AT the same time missiles were ilynp
all around. AS he jumped out of bed 70
light the gas there was q second eXpo.
sion, and this time he was peppered
with all sorts Of missiles.
The carpet was strewn with objects
which were not pleasant to tread on.
and, in his anxiety to escape them and
get at the Jet, he nearly broke the small
toe of his right foot by jamming it
against a chair leg. He nursed it at.
fectionately, but sadly, for some time,
swearing in undertones, but afraid 10
give loud expression to his pent-up feel.
ings lest there might be another fusl.
lade.
At last, like cat walking over hot
bricks, he reached the jet and lighted
the gas. The treasures of the mantel
piece we're scattered about the room
The soddesses had been hurled from
their high places and looked like Roman
remains, headless and armless. The
Trays wore Al SIIihiI pleCps
while the pods and beans were scattered
all over the room. The goblet had even
been broken, and the water was stand
ing in puddles about the carpet. The
sand box had vanished. He searched
around carefully. There was no trace
so far as he could see, of the cause Of
the explosions. He gathered up his
broken and scattered treasures. finding
among them segments Of the sand
boxes, and then, leaving the gas alight
tried to sleep. OF the strange occur
rences he said not word to his friends
The other day friend was in bis
rooms, and looking over the COLLECTED
remnants remarked: "Hello Here are
pieces of sand box"
"What is that ?"
"Well, it's the fruit of tree that
grows in the West Indies, and got its
name owing to the planters using it, in
the days before blotting paper was in
vented, for sand boxes. The seeds
were cut out of the center, and the pod
was then filed with sand. 1t was rath
er an unsatisfactory box, however as
often exploded"
Exploded What do YOU mean
This is the fruit of Hura crepitans,a
large tree something like the tulip tree
of this country. AS soon as the seed is
ripe it explodes with a report like
gun, the seeds and shell of the pod be-
ing scattered in all directions. So grest
is the force of the explosion that the
broken pieces are thrown forty and IT.
ty feet. Fowls, as soon rs they hear
an explosion, run toward the tree and
are soon busy looking for the seeds
which they greedily swallow"
THAT explains it, said the other, and
he then told the story of his shstteTeo
works of art.