Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-11-21
SOMEWHAT STRANGE.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF
EVERYDAY LIFE.

Queer Facts and Thrilling Adven
lures Which Show That Truth Ii
Stranger Than Fiction.
A curiosity of Amityville, Pa, is a
peach tree, which is seventy years old.
Peach trees ordinarily do not thrive for
more than four or five years.
EXPRESS agents on Southern railroads
are passing the hat around in a novel
way. The hat is an old SLOUGH, its rim
filled with tags and its crown covered
with slips, and it has already travelled
over ten thousand miles in an intended
trip all over the South, which an agent
at Covington, KY. started it on for a
within several weeks ago. 1t isn't COL
lecting anything but tags and slips
A four-tined silver fork bearing the
name OF the old steamboat s. b. Bayard,
which went out of service twenty years
ago. was found in the stomach of a
forty pound catfish hauled out of the
Missouri at Louisiana, Mo-, few days
ago. Where the fork had been for
twenty years, and how long it has been
serving as ballast in the catfish, arc mat
tiers which have been submitted to the
river folk for discussion.
A CURIOUS present has been sent to
Queen Victoria, who, while properly
grateful, is considerably puzzled how to
dispose of the donation. 1t consists of q
happy family of lion, lioness, and two
cubs, sent by the Sultan of Zanzibar.
They are said to be still on the steamer,
awaiting her Majesty's pleasure" Por-
haps after the Queen gets used to the
shock of having this sudden introduce
ton OF new members of her family she
will feel the pleasure which the lions are
''awaiting."
The entire product of the diamond
mines at New Jagersfontein, South
Africa, was taken during the first half
of this year by syndicate whose con-
tract expired at midnight June 30. Just
before shutdown on the last day of the
contract the largest white diamond OF
the world was found. 1t is 8 inches
long, from II to q inches thick, and
weighs 97l4 carats, or 7. ounces avoir-
dupois. 1t is perfect in color, except
for black spot in the middle, which
will probably make it advisable to cut it
in two.
SILAs HoLBRooK, of East Harswell,
Maine, has dog. While out sailing with
his master recently the dog noticed that
the plug was out of the bottom of the
boat and the water was coming in. After
barking to attract attention the dog
placed his paw over the hole and kept
the water out until his master found the
plug and replaced it. Mr.. Holbrook does
not say that the dog then hoisted the
jib, took the helm, made long tack
and stood about for home, but there is
no doubt that the sagacious animal was
qnite capable Of doing these things if
necessary.
The recent funeral of Charles Talley
at Chadd's Ford, Penn, was the final
chapter in the history of remarkable
man. He was % years and 6 months
old, yet never either fed or dressed him
self single time in all his life. Every
part of his body was perfectly formed,
yet he could perform only the most sim
pie acts with either hands or feet. He
was one year old before he raised his
hand from the pillow, and - years old
before he made any progress whatever in
locomotion. His mind was clear, his
judgment keen, and his memory reten-
tive.
Diamond, the big elephant Of Wallace
& Co.'S Circus, which has just gone into
winter quarters near Peru, Ind, got tired
OF confinement the other day, broke the
chains that bound him, butted down the
door OF the building where he was kept,
smashed the gates and waded across the
river, where he proceeded to amuse
himself with knocking down the farmers
fences and trampling their crops, to
their no small CONSERVATION. His keeper
and twenty assistants finally succeeded
in subduing him and carrying him back
to his bondage, but not before he had
done an immense amount of mischief.
BALTIMORE has blind boatman. His
boat was stolen by some worthless fell
lows the other day, and subsequently
abandoned and picked up. He claimed
1t, and when told that he must identify
it, did so, not by telling its color and
model, as man with good eyes might
do, but by giving the positions of all the
nails and the chinks in the hoat, where
splinters had been knocked off, and so
on. Then, being admitted, he went all
over it with his careful touch, finally
said, eyes, it is mine," and
rowed away, successfully avoiding
the dozens of other boats, tugs.
etc., that were moving around.
A Choctaw woman living near Nc
Alester, /. t., laid herbaby on a blanket
on the sunny side of her cabin the other
day, and went about her work. Shortly
afterward great eagle swooped down,
and, Selling the child in his claws, flew
away with it. An Indian man, who wit
messed the scene, grasped his rifle,
jumped on his horse, and started in pur-
suit. For miles he galloped at reck-
less speed over streams, through woods,
and across hills and valleys, trusting to
his horse, and keeping his eye on the
eagle. At last the bird alighted on
limb about 5 feet from the ground, still
holding the child in his talons. The
pursuer managed to get within 100 yards
of him, and just as the great bird was
about to reaume his f1ipht firad op1