St. Landry democrat., 1893-08-05

of this against various forms of death by
sword and dagger, guns and enemies,
thunderbolts, &C., were given to the
different members of the Counts family
and by them transmitted to their descen-
dants, of whom Maths was one. This
magic document, however, proved in
etfectual against the dangerous locomo-
tive, a risk not set forth in the
cabalistic paper, and of course unknown
at the time of its origina, issue. A rela-
tive of the deceased stated that charms
of this character are to-day carried by
many Germans, among whom this form
Of superstition or witchcraft is still sur
prisngly prevalent.
A DARING and remarkable escape from
prison occurred the other night at Park
crsburg, w. Va. George Rice, aged
seventeen years, in Jail for burglary,
made skeleton key out of spoon that
had been overlooked at supper time,
picked the corridor lock and let himself
and all the other persons out of their
cells. He then slipped into hole in the
alr-hue in one corner of the Jail and
dropped down two floors through the
t1ue into the engine room. Rice then
crawlcd through hole much smaller
than the upper one and entered the base
ment of the prison. 1t was an easy mat
ter for him to break a window and reach
the outside. The other persons were too
large to get through the fue, as the boy
made his escape and they are still in
Jail.
In the Philadelphia Ledger, Co'o7a-
do lady tells how the Picket Wire River
in that State derived its name. Years
ago, when first the gold fever drove men
wild, party of Mexicans made their
way up the stream in question in search
of the precious metal Months passed,
and when the little band did not return
their friends mourned them as dead, and
called the river Gel Rio de los Animos
Perdidos' Nhe River of the Lost Souls).
Soon French colony made its home on
the banks of the stream, whose name was
freely translated into La Purgatoire."
Then came the American cowboy. He
saw the river, heard its name, and trans
lating (O it into his own tongue, dubbed
IL 'IlCReC W Ire hlVer.
AFARMER living east of Grand Island,
Neb., had a narrow escape one night re-
Gently. While going home his horses
became unmanageable and threw him and
his son out. The boy fell at the side of
the road. The mans leg was caught in
one of the hind wheels of the wagon. He
he held on to the spokes with his hands,
and with his head downwards slid the
wheel for over mile, when the horses were
stopped by running through barb wire
fence. Floyd Spraguc, neighbor, saw
the accident and when the team stopped
helped the plucky farmer out. He is re-
ported as getting along nicely.
All the hardware used in the great
Mormon Temple, in Salt Lake City,
bears either the device of the beehive
the Mormon name of their country being
"Deseret," or ''the land of the honey
bee" or the clasped hands, which is also
one of the symbols of their Church. In
the basement all the door.kn obs and
hinges are of solid brass, polished. Those
upon the first floor are plated with gold,
on the second floor with bright silver,
on the third floor with oxidized silver,
aud those on the top floor are of antique
bronze.
No MORE practical use for a cat has
been hit upon than that lately devised by
Portland (Me.) merchant He owns
very docile little kitten, white as snow.
One day, finding that he was out of blot
ting paper when he had finished a letter,
the kitten was used in place Of it and
found to be an excellent substitute, the
fur taking up the superfluous ink like
sponge, and he has continued to employ
kitty in this way, giving her a curious
piebald appearance.
A PEASANT was buried alive recently
in the village of Maruten, government
Kalooga. The discovery of the fact was
through peasants, who, hearing sounds
coming from the grave, notified the au-
thorities When the body was exnumed
q horrible sight was revealed. The shroud
was found torn to pieces. The face of
the corpse was badly lacerated. One of
the ewes was torn out and some Ct the
fingers were bitten off.
A PET mocking bird saved the lives Of
Mr.. and Mrs. A. Crusteed, of Tallapoosa,
Fla. After midnight, when the inmates
were asleep, the house took fire, and
SO IN was all abazc The loud singing
of the bird awoke husband and wife, and
they had just time to save themselves by
lcaping from the window.
CHARLES MANSON, Swede living in
Chicago, has constructed checker board
out of %, O7O pieces of wood, using every
kind of wood that he could obtain, from
cedar of Lebanon to Georgia pine.