The free press., 1893-05-04
SOMEWHAT STRANGE.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF
EVERYDAY LIFE.
Queer Facts and Ihriiiihg hu'eh-
lures Which Show That truth Is
Stranger Than Fiction.

RoBERr HANsBoRoUGH OF Chllllcothe
| n il the owner of the eighth wonder
| of the world" a cow that gives coal
black milk. The COW is a mixture OF
Jersey and Durham, and was raised on
the Hapsborough farm, as was also hel
mother aud many sisters, none OF whom
exhibited any popularity in the color oi
THEN milk. Mollie, as this phenomenal
creature is called, has reared i've or SIX
calves, all OF which have lived and grown
fat on the black milk. The milk pro
/ duces a fair amount OF cream. This
cream is a tri6e lighter in color than the
milk itself. and. when churned, makes a
kind of butter that resembles thick
mixture of coal tar. Paradoxical as II
NAV seem this butter is as palatable as
though of a golden yellow, and it is said
to be highly relished by the whole Hans
borough family. At first, when the
peculiar color of Mollie's milk was dis
covered by the person to whom was
allotted the task of breaking the COW
in the family was afraid to use it in
any way. When they saw that the cali
was waxing fat on the liquid tar the
Younger members of the family over
came their prejudices and within few
| davs tie milk was being used just the
same as if it had been of the regulation
color Chemists of New York, Wash
| ington. and Richmond have analysed
both the milk and the butter, but declare
that they can detect nothing that IN any
way accounts for its color.
A SORT of mythology has grown up
about the American Indian in regions
whence he vanished 100 years ago. The
popular names of many plants include
the adjective Indian. Few persons in
America say Indian corn now, but In
dian cakes is q term still strongly in
trenched south of Mason and Di1on's
line. and there is even a plant known to
children as Indian tobacco. The bril-
liant Gamma is called Indian shot, because
it's seeds are black, bullet-like pellets.
Indian traditions are preserved with a
sort of reverence in the truth. twenty
FIVE years ago local travellers on a certain
road in Worcester county, Md, common
ly stopped at a point in the remote
country, reached under a bush at the
roadside, drew forth stone mortar and
pestle used by the Indians 100 years
before, showed the relics to any stranger
in the company, and carefully put them
back. A whole neighborhood knew the
whereabouts of these instruments, but
they seemed as safe as in museum.
THE sight of horse coasting down a
long hill on its back in sled and its
legs waving wildly in the air vastly
1f nffizons of WnOd-
stock, Or, recently. The sled was an
improvised outfit, without shafts.
Reaching the crest of the hill, the sled
ran against the horses heels. The ami
NAL reared and, slipping, fell over back
ward upon the sled. The driver was
afoot and got out of the way. There
were high stakes in the sides of the sled,
and these held the horse in. The sled
started down the hill at a lively tilt, and
ran straight and fair to the foot, where
1t brought up on the railroad track, when
the stakes were removed and the horse
rolled quietly off.
REUBEN SMITH of Mount Vernon,
Washington, went deer r-hunting with
two hounds. Suddenly the dogs started
forward on jump, and in about second
there was great commotion; there were
sounds of breaking brush, followed by
snarls, growls, and ear piercing screams.
Then five cougars, followed by the yelp-
ing hounds, bounded into view not forty
rods from the spot where the hunter
stood rifle in hand. He instantly drew
bead on the foremost cougar and fired.
The bullet entered the animals head and
it made one leap in the air and fell dead
The dogs freed two of the cougars, and
Smith shot them. The other two got
away.
A REMARKABLE death is reported from
Cornwall, England William Hodge, a
gardener, while employed at Tregullow,
received prick from thorn. He
thought nothing of the matter at the
time, but subsequently Inflammation set
in, and next day Hodge was so i'll that
Doctor Permewan. of Redruth, was sent
for. He gave instructions for poulticing
the swelling. Deceased, however, grew
worse, and medical aid was again sum
moned, but it proved unavailing, death
resulting two hours after the doctors
arrival. At the inquest the jury returned
verdict of death from blood poisoning
caused by the prick of a thorn.
They have no bearses in the city of
Mexico. These vehicles were bought
in by street railway company and de-
stroyed or sent away. The company
now has monopoly of the funeral bust
ness. 1t runs funeral cars, white for
children, black for adults, that are some
times half covered with flowers, and the
mourners ride to the cemetery in richly
upholstered special car, with lace cur
tains, that follows the car containing the
coffin. Horse and mule railroads run
out of the city to great distances. One
of them is seventy miles long, and a ride
over it is practically the same as the
stage journey of other days,
IN full mourning among the Chinese
the black strands of the queue are re-
placed by white ones and in second
mourning by light blue or green. 1t is
an unpardonable breach of etiquette foI
an inferior to enter the presence of g
superior with his pig tail wound round
his neck or head, and the greatest insult
AT