The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-02-04
BURSTING OF a SAND Box.
The Danger That Lurked In an Innocent
Pod.

Bolten had spent the winter wander
ing among the West India islands, and
when he got back had medley of Curl
osities which he had picked up in his
travels Among them were all sorts of
beans and pods of tropical trees, and Of
the former were John Grow beans, the
wary, the horse-eye, Jobs tears and
many others. There were the long,
scabbard-like pods of the crimson-fow-
cred acassia; cocoa pods, which ratified
with the dry chocolate seeds inside
them, and he also had two pods of the
sand-6ox tree, curious circular store
houses for the seeds, deeply ribbed,
each rib running from top to bottom OF
the pod. These two latter received
places of honor in lacquer trays, the
smaller beans finding room around
them. Bolten was natty man, and on
his mantelshelf in his bedroom were
arranged these treasures, presided over
by four statuettes of nude goddesses.
The vegetable ornaments Of the shelf
were the most innoccnt-looking things
Imaginable. and he never dreamed for
moment that nature was still busy
bringing to perfection those sand boxes.
He had gone to bed after a hard days
work and was sleeping the sleep of the
just when he was awakened by what
he thought was q pistol shot in his
room. At the same time missiles were
flying all around. AS he jumped out of
bed to light the gas there was second
explosion, and this time he was pep
pered 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 chair leg. He nursed it affec-
tionately, but sadly for some time,
swearing in undertones, but afraid to
give loud expression to his pent-up
feelings lest there might be a fusilade.
At last, like eat walking over hot
bricks, he reached the jet and lighted
the gas. The treasures of the mantel-
piece were scattered about the room.
The goddesses had been hurled from
their high places and looked like Ro-
man remains, headless and armless.
The lacquer trays were in small pieces,
while the pods and beans were scat
tered all over the room. The goblet
had even been broken and the water
was standing 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 explosions. lie 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 his
rooms and looking over the collected
remnants remarked: Hello! Here are
pieces of sand box"
what is that?'
swell, 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 rather
an unsatisfactory box, however, as it
often exploded"
Exploded! What do you mean?"
This is the fruit of Hura crepitans,
large tree something like the tulip
tree of this country. As soon as tho
seed is ripe it explodes with a report
like gun, the seeds and shell Of the
pod being scattered in all directions
So great is the force of the explosion
that the broken pieces are thrown forty
and fifty feet Fowls, as soon as 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 shat
tered works of art.-N. Y. Tribune.
Some Peculiar Rodents.