Democratic messenger., 1893-09-02


tai with a coffin for the wife of a locomo-
tive engineer who had died. As the
coffin was about to be borne into the
house an official Of the court appeared,
placed his seal upon the oaken box, and
ordered it transferred to the Berlin pawn
office. The official had acted on behalf
if "A relentless creditor. The engineer
pleaded in vain for the coffin. The re-
cord failed to say whether he succeeded
on getting another.
"UP to the present time" says the
Europe, of Frankfort, "no monument
that we are aware Of has ever been erect
ed to the memory of pig. The town
of Luncburg, in Hanover, wished to fill
up that blank, and at the Hotel dc Vile
in that town there is to be seen kind OF
mausoleum to the memory of member
of the swinish race In the interior OF
that commemorative structure is to be
seen glass case inclosing ham still in
good preservation. A slab of black
marble attracts the eye of visitors, who
find thereon the following inscription in
Latin, engraved in letters of gold:
'Passcr-by, contemplate here the mortal
remains of the pig which acquired for
itself imperishablc glory by the discovery
of the salt springs of Luneburg.'
PHExoMENAILY big men and women
have occasionally appeared in various
parts of the earth, and several nations
possess traditions of gogantic people hav-
ing at one time inhabited their lands.
Even the Bible tells us something about
giants. But skulls of unusual size as
well as other bones were really dug up at
Pitcairn Island by officers of the expe-
dition under Captain Bccchy, in the early
part of this century. The French trav
cller and writer, Jean dc Despriaux,
when residing in the Canary Islands, was
much pleased at procuring some mum
mics of the big Gaunches, man and two
women, preserved rs the Egyptians used
to preserve their dead ''Thc man was
of gigantic stature" he says, which is in
perfect conformity with all tradition re-
lating to the ancient Atlanteans. The
women had long black hair, plated with
straps of leather painted red or green.
Their dress was plated in front; their
breasts covered with kind of short
zarapc" The straps of their sandals
were painted red aud ornamcnted with
small pieces of obsidian beautifully
wrought The dress of the man con
sisted of tunic and IA mantle, tied up on
the chest in knot. NJ Despriaux was
delighted later on to find that in the
high Andes of Peru the women were at
tired just rs his mummics had been. and
that their headgear and mode Of dressing
the hair we're identical
SIcSoI Balsamello, the inventor OF the
Bal Nautica. the sub marine vessel with
which several successful experiments
were performed lately at Civita Necchia,
in the presence of commission ap-
pointed by the Italian government, de-
clares that by the aid of his invention,
he can float the unfortunate British war
ship Victoria at cost of less than 5000,
900. lie says that with the Balla Nautica
he can make arrangements for raising
weights far exceeding that of the sunkcn
ironclad. The preparations and placing
of grapnels and chains round the Vic
toria would take Il month, and would be
performed by the crew of the sub marine
ship, which has already descended Ia
aud been III n9uyrcd successfully at
depths beyond that in which the Victoria
lies. The bringing of the ship to the sur
face would take two days.
TmE Baltimore Sun says that n gentle
man OF that city has hen which does
such artistic work that the product of
her labors deserves to be exhibited nj the
Worlds Fair under the head of sculp-
lures. 1t says that this hen laid an egg
few DAYS ago upon the shell of which,
in bas relief, was an arm and hand.
The creases in the coat sleeve were
natural, and the whole piece was we'll
proportional and looked as if carved.
The day before, the hen produced an
egg with good representation of II
mans face. and her owner is looking for
further developments, being not certain
that this intellectual bird will not bring
forth few statues and monuments with
a continuation OF her studies in model
ing.
AT the Fort Swamp, near Medina,
n. Y, q double blast in the channel
work threw seventy-fve pound rock
roof OF DIR. ii. l.. James's dwelling. The
shrieks Of the James baby called the
mother TO the nursery, where she was
Mortified to find big rock suspended by
the broken lath and ceiling directly over
the cradle. She snatched the baby away
just as the rock fell with terrific
crash, converting the cradle into kin
ding wool The child was only slight
ly hurt by the falling ceiling.
A BALTIMoRE man fell overheard with
bag containing l07 silver dollars in his
hand. He scrambled out. but left the
bag behind. Then he gave fifty of the
silver dollars to professional diver, who
recovered the bag after half an hours
e.arcl,