The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1892-12-08

truder was only to rob him Of the in
vention. The completion Of the ci-
der press was followed by the inven-
ton Of an incubator, and il the lat
ter could only accomplish a part of
what Uncle Joshua claims for it, old
hens would have an easy time of it
in the future. A long box with a
glass lid was divided into numerous
apartments. and each apartment
was assigned specific duty. No. l
was for Matching ordinary chicken
eggs, and the product according to
Joshua's description, would be pass
ed as feminine gender but the pro-
duct Of an egg placed in an adioin-
ing apartment was sure to be a
rooster. Eggs being placed in 9TH
er apartments-that is chicken eggs
the hatch was liable to be a turkey,
goose, duck, pigeon or quail. Like
all his other inventions the incuba-
tor was n thing of only moment,
and he then began modelling pat
ent saw, berry picker and Gre-ex-
tingisher. None of bis inventions
have ever gotten beyond the mud
hovel ON the summit of the ridge,
but the old man believes the govern
ment is making millions out of those
stolen from him. While working on
the new inventions his chief object
seems to be to keep government
officials off his track, and visitors
frequently find him crouched in Il
very small space in his hut to escape
detection.
Joshua never voted but once or
twice in his very long life. For
many years he has thus isolated
himself, and the greater part of his
life he has resided near his present
abode. His hovel is in n beautiful
situation on an elevation of perhaps
three hundred feet, and directly at
the foot of the hill or ridge the rip
ping waters of n wild and romantic
stream can be heard. Joshua's APP
pearance indicates that he has as
little use for water as he has for tho
ladies. 1t is doubtful whether his
long and bushy gray hair is ever
combed, and hanging as it does over
his face and neck, he very much re-
sembles the wild man of the woods.
And then his blood-shot and sunk
en- eyes add nothing to his appear
ance. His summer clothing is the
prolonged use of his winter wear.
The old man may be called a wo-
man hater, and his opinion of the
gentle sex is not at all compliment
tary. He was once married, and his
present attitude toward women is
no doubt due to that unhappy un-
ion. While he sits in his hovel, look
ing with scorn upon the illustra-
tions of females in one of his sacrs, !
fGoJAs, ms dId' and ctrsS Tded wife
may be seen peddling truck from
door to door in this town. Joshua
will not converse with men if he can
avoid them, much less women, and
in any conversation he INDUCES in
wealth must be the subject. He
will then get in a happy mood in the
prospect that the long looked for
millions are near at hand. A visi-
tor is hardly gone until the old man
secludes himself in the snake-riddcn
hut and engages himself for a short
time in modelling some patent.
Joshua realizes that his time on
earth is limited, and he has already
requested that his dry bones be
laid to rest, without ceremoney,
near the spot he is now pleased to
call home. He has even constructed
II coffin for the interment of his
own body, but it is not likely that
his plans will be carried out strictly
according to his wishes.
uu.-