Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-03-03
SOMEWHAT STRANGE.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS or
EVERYDAY LIFE.

ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS Of
EVERYDAY LIFE.
Queer Facts and Thrilling Advsn.
lures which Show that Truth ID
Stranger Than Fiction.
THE London Illustrated News re.
peats the following story of re.
markable cat in London, and adds
some remarks of its own: "To a
four-storeyed brick building, occupied
by eight families, district messen.
ger boy was returning very late at
night. Directly he opened the door
the cat sprang ut him and began to
pull and tear at his trousers with Its
claws" Had he been an ordinary
boy Zone Of whose abominable itiosyn.
crasies Is hatred Of cats), he would
probably have kicked the cat; but az
district messenger his mind had
doubtless been expanded He en-.
cOuraged the animal rather than
otherwise, and "when IL ran towards
the kitchen door and jumped back
again." he thought, though the
household Ind long retired. that
something must be up He en-.
tered the Kitchen, when "the cat ut
once ran behind the stove and
began to scratch ut the fire.board.
from which flames and smoke began
to pour out" The house was
aroused, but not till after many pals
Of water had been used was the COM
flagration cxtinguished. But for that
cat the boy would have gone to his
bed and been burnt I'm it-a fate
that would have befallen two.and.
thirty other people. II is no wonder,
and little to their credit, that this
truthful and intelligent creature sis
now the hero of the neighborhood. :"
1t was the only living creature that
night in the establishment sitting
up" as IL were, and looking after
things. The cut. II should be remem-
bered, Is naturally fond Of fire and
averse to water, which makes its con.
duct still more meritorious. A great
deal was lately made OF "a fireman's
dog" which used to accompany en-
gines and escapes: but that may have
been from mere love OF excitement:
he never smelt out confagration for
himself, as In this case.
In Missouri there Is snake called
the spread head" that plays "pos.
sum-" An observer came across one
and struck II with small whip. The
snake Immediately elected a toad II
had recently swallowed, then appear.
ed to bite itself In the side. promptly
turned on It's back and stifYened, but
did not become stretched straight out,
and lay perfectly still. The naturalist
turned him right side up. He was
playing dead SO earnestly that he
was not content to lie In so life.like
position, but Immediately turned
himself on his back again. Then the
observer withdrew to watch develop.
ments. In about fifteen minutes the
snake cautiously raised its head and
two or three inches Of his body and
looked around. In few seconds he
turned himself over and made of.
The same observer afterward fire.
quently watched these snakes go
through the same pretended suicide.
Sometimes, while playing dead, II
one be sharply prickcd with needle
or otherwise ucutely stimulated, he
will promptly resume his interest in
surrounding things, and either show
fight or try to escape.
IN Belgium 1t Is the custom to give
certificates OF marriage in the form
OF little books with paper covers.
These books, which are often pro-
duced In the course Of law proceed
ings, and are taken In evidence, are
apt to become dirty and dog's-eared.
Tho Burgomaster OF Brussels has
therefore hit upon new plan.
Henceforward charge will be made
for the books, which will be neatly
bound in morocco and gilt.edged.
They will be something more than
q mere certificate. A sum-
mary OF Belgian law on the marriage
state Is given in them for the use OF
the young couples, and among mass
Of other miscellaneous information,
are directions for the feeding and care
Of infants. There IRE also PLACES for
entering the names and birthdays OF
the children OF the marriage, the au-
thorities considerably affording
space for twelve such entries. To
poor persons the books will be issued
free Of charge. One OF the Town
Councillors was In favor OF adding
directions for obtaining divorce, but
his suggestion was not adopted.
WHILE crossing the ridge between
Green Run and Rattlesnake Greek, In
tho southern part of Lackawanna
County, Penn, few days ago, Gay
lord G. Crippen Of Spring Brook town
ship saw pure white hare squatting
in hollow Us though it was asleep,
He was about to toss stone toward
the timid animal to see 1t scoot when
two wildcats sprang out of the brush
from opposite directions and pounced
upon the hare Mt the same instant.
They killed 1t in twinkling, and
then began to fight for the possession
OF 1t. The hair and blood flew, and
in the rough and tumble battle the
fierce animals worked away from the
hare several feet, when a fox stole
out Of the brush, seized the hare in
the middle and trOtted of with 1t.
One OF TIE wildcats finally licked the
other and sent 1t whining into the
bushes. Then it turned and began
to sniff for the hare, and while it was
doing SO Mr.. Crippen hurled a stone