The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-02-10
SOMEWHAT STRANGE.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF
EVERYDAY LIFE.
Queer Facts and Thrilling Adven-
lures which Show that Truth is
Stranger Than Fiction.

UNI O1 tnOse a|nuOfnlnal operations
which have made American surgeons
the wonder of the scientific world was
recently performed upon "A man now
lying in the Presbyterian Hospital in
New York city. 1t was one of the
most dangerous, delicate and skillful
operations known to science. Joseph
Samak is "A truck driver, % years old.
| He strained himself four years ago,
lifting a 800 pound box of tobacco on
a wager. About two months ago his
| rupture became so bad that he had
TO give up work. He was taken TO
| the hospital, and il was seen that he
must be operated upon Immediately.
| He was placed on "A table and the sur
| geon made a longitudinal incision
about six inches long through the
wall of the abdomen and the intes-
| tine was drawn out and fourteen
inches cut away. The two ends of
intestines were sewed together with
the finest Of silk sutures, three rows
or layers of suture being put in. The
first row was put in through the under
coat Of the mucous membrane of the
intestines. The second row passes
through all the layers of the intes-
tine, drawing the two ends closely to-
gether, and the third row of satures
passes through the outer membrane
of the intestine and IA little distance
back Of the end. In all no fewer
| than sixty stitches were taken. When
the severed intestine had been Joined
ii was pushed back into the abdominal
cavity, where it fell naturally into
place. The incision in the abdominal
wall was then sewed up. The opera
J ton lasted exactly an hour. When
Samak recovered from the shock he
began to improve. No complications
followed. He eats all they will give
him and his strength is fast return
ing
ONE Of the most remarkable rides
on horseback ever performed is I'M
doubtedly that of the well-kn bwn
Danish archao.ogist and linguist, DIR.
Ostrup, who has just completed II
journey on horseback between Damas-
Gus and Denmark, n distance, il is
computed, Of some 5000 miles. The
ride was performed on one horse, n
pure Arab, chosen and purchased by
the savant himself, which he person
ally tended and groomed throughout
the entire Journey. On reaching
Copenhagen the animal had not
turned a hair" The journey occu-
pied some eighteen months, and lay
through Syria, Asia Minor, Turkey,
| D,,1,,-sn N,.rsa II,,,r.rv anl Co.
many, DR.. Ostrup's chief object be-
ing the study Of eastern dialects in
their transition from one country to
another, and local archaeology, for
which reason he chose this novel
mode of travelling. DIR. Ostrup had
some hairbreadth escapes in Syria
and Asia Minor, in spite Of being
armed with special credentials from
the authorities i'm Constantinople.
SALLIE MCALLIsTER, a colored
woman, died recently at her home in
Springfield, Ohio. She was, doubt
less, the largest woman in the world,
and in early womanhood soon out
grew the position Of cook. A show
man, who had an eye for money-mak-
ing business, hearing Of her avoirdu-
pois, made m engagement with Fat
Sallie," and together they travelled
from land to land. He dressed her
well in fact, did everything for her
comfort and enjoyment except to di-
vide profits. At one time Sallie
weighed $50 poun DIS. She was con-
veyed from depot to depot while on
her tours in an armchair Of large di-
mansions which was placed in IA
wagon, and as she was entirely too
large to get through the door Of any
passenger car, she was taken through
the sliding doors of the baggage car,
and rode there in her own armchair.
She was a kind, amiable and good
woman. The coffin in which she was
buried could not be got into the body
Of a big two-horse farm wagon.
IL the Rochester Democrat a Judge
OF the Supreme Court thus explained
why in England vehicles turn TO the
left in passing each other: The
loot traveller passed to the right that
the shield on the left arm might be
interposed to ward of a treacherous
blow. and the right, or sword arm,
free to strike. Horsemen, however,
usually had mail to protect them,
and there was more safety in being
near the antagonist than in having to
strike across the horse, as would have
been necessary had they turned TO
the right. When vehicles came into
use later the drivers instinctively
followed the old horseback custom
and turned to the left. In this coun-
try horses were scarce for several
generations after the first settlers,
and the rule OF the foot passenger,
Keep to the right was the only n
that obtained. When conveyances
became common they still followed
the more familiar custom OF the Pc
iestrian, instead OF the forgotten "a
1ition of the mother country"