The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1892-12-01
NOT A PLEASANT SHAVE.
The Victim of Superstitious Notion To
lates Queer Yarn.

MI - EIEHORNi SnRHE'
The Victim of IL Superstitious Notion t.e-
lates Queer Yarn.
at was in the year 1871" said the
raconteur to the Detroit Free Press
man. Il was making trip from On
slow to the village of Londonderry, n.
s, on the north shore Of the Bay OF
Fundy. Before reaching my destina-
ton it became dark, the night setting
in rainy, and the roads i'll such 4 state
that the walking became very tire
some.
The country here was sparingly set
tied, and the few inhabitants lived in
log cabins of the most primitive kind.
They were a coarse but not vicious
people. making their living by L rude
sisted of a few acres of stump land up
on which they raised meager crops Oi
buckwheat, potatoes and turnipS by
grubbing around the stumps. Well,
Just as | was about to sink with IA
tigue | saw dim light in the distance,
and decided to ask shelter for the
night at the first cabin | reached,
which proved to be the one where |
saw the light. | knocked at the door,
which was closed and unfriendly look
ing, and was answered by a Gruff voice
with a single monosyllable, Come" l
entered and found a number of men
sitting around a rough deal tablet
Their hats were on and they looked at
me with singular expression that |
could nc define. | asked them if /
could lodge there for the night.
"'Yes, said one of the party, but you
must come in and stand your chance
with the rest. mister
q asked what that meant.
The men looked at each other,
then another one of the company
spoke:
"'We are to draw cuts to see which
one of us will have to shave dead
man
Il was prepared to hear that some
dark crime was to be attempted, but
this very unexpected proposition sent
cold chills down my back, at the same
time that | broke out in pro-
fuse perspiration. | consented. how
cver-what else could | do?-and then
was told that one of their number had
died that day, and it was the custom
to shave the dead and to draw cuts
which decided the one who was to per
form the disagreeable task The
mode of procedure was to cut straws
in different lengths, anG the duty fell
to the one drawing the shortest straw.
As luck would have it | drew the
shortest straw!
well, offered them everything I
had to get out of it-momey, my watch
but no,thcir superstition was strong
er than their cupidity and was rough
~ told | must do the barber act with
the best grace / could. They were de-
termined to see me through. One
handed me a bowl OF water, another
brought bar of brown soap, and q
black bottle with 4allow dip III it
furnished the light. The dead man
was in shed back OF the cabin. |
avoided looking at him as much as
possible and, with the razor in my
hand and my knees knocking together,
| performed my first and last tom
sOrial effort and did the business much
better than | expected under the cir
cumstances.
But you can easily imagine that |
did not close my eyes that night and
horrible fear assailed me that he
the dead man-might need shaving
again IN the morning. SO the mo-
ment 1t was light | rose fro N the rough
bench on which | lod ged and by sun
rise was many miles from the scene of
an experience which ! should never
forget if | lived z hundred years"
"While ali rice is white" says COM
~ -, Il
grain varies greatly. according to the
locality where it is raised. have seen
rice grains as fine rs grains of mustard
almost, and again it is neatly as large
as beans. AS for taste, it IS all about
alike. but the amount of cooking de-
pends altogether on the size of the
grains. 1t takes an artist to cook rice
properly. You have noticed the occa-
sional black grains. Well, hat is so
discolored by being overheated in the
process of milling"
If Connecticut peach growers have
really discovered cure for the vel
lows" they can get a good price for
the secret in Delaware 1t is pretty
well demonstrated that unless the
progress of the disease be checked. the
growing OF peaches on the Delaware
peninsula must cease within few
years. The scientists at the Delaware
agricultural station have been study
ing the subject for several years past
with no very satisfactory results, and
have even permitted an odd wander
ing peach doctor to experiment with
cure of his own devising. Within if
teen years some millions of peach
trees have been uprooted in northern
Delaware, and the battling disease has
steadily Travelled southwark with the
movement of the peach belt" as the
strip Of peach-growing territory be-
tween Delaware and Chesapeake bays
are called.