The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-03-17
SOMEWHAT STRANGE.
ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF
EVERYDAY LIFE.
Queer Facts and Thrilling Adventures
Which Show that Truth is Stranger
than Fiction.


THE conquering of the cactus in
iiCtle Mexican town on the south
bank OF the Rio Grande furnished
gentleman OF Dallas, Texas, with in
spiration for the following: In this
particular town there was good
sized church. with Il fiat roof 4 large
number of CO ctus seeds had lodged
i'm the moss on the roof of the church,
and in the course of time there was
big crop of cactus up there. Now il is
the custom when they want to de-
stroy this thing to first burn of all the
thOrns, and then the cattle will eat
the plant. The people became tired Of
seeing the plants on their church,
and mass-meeting was called to de-
wise some means of getting rid Of the
things. After deliberating for some
time Il man was hoisted to the roof,
and after three days labor had burned
the thorns from all the stalks. \
cow was then hoisted up to the roof
and i'm about week there was nothing
left on the roof but the COW, which
was lowered 10 the earth again. The
people were delighted with the result,
and now point with pride to their
church"
IS the Museum of Natural History
in Dublin il the skeleton of Il man,
native of the South Of Ireland. who
was called the oSsifed man. His
body became ossified during his life
time. He lived in that condition for
years. Previous to the change he had
been healthy young fellow of super
ior strength and agility. One night
he slept out in field after II debauch,
and some time later he felt the first
symptoms Of the strange transforma-
ton. The doctors could do nothing
to avert the progress Of his malady.
His Joints stiffened When he wanted
to lie down or rise up he required as
SiStance. He could not bend his body,
and placed upright he resembled n
statue of stone. He could stand but
not move in the least. His teeth
were joined and became an entire
bone. The doctors in order to ad-
minister nourishment had to make
hole through them. He lost the use
OF his tongue, and his sight left him
before he died.
MICHAEL O'REILIY's lucky star
must have shone over him, for he had
about AZ narrow an escape from in
stant death at the Barus mine at
Butte, Mon. as was ever recorded.
He was asceSding the ladder-way in
the pumping shaft above the 400
level when one of the ladder rounds
broke, and he lost his balance and
fell into the shaft. He dropped about
fifty feet and in some manner man
aged to grasp hold of waterpipe or
something of the kind and clung to
it. Otherwise he would have fallen
POO feet to the 600 level and into
seventy-tive feet Of water. He man
aged to swing to the ladder again.
Another miner assisted him to a
level. He was raised to the
surface, and Drs. Wells and McCrim-
e mon were summoned. They found
that aside from a fractured ankle
and some painful bruises, the man
was not seriously hurt, but the shock
had been great.
j. ID. FAHNEsToCK, Cincinnati
dentist, has for pet a eat that is one
half raccoOn, or a raccOon that is one
half cat. This freak was born near
Portland, Me-, nearly five months
ago, and is already half size
larger than the usual cat. Its father
was pet cat owned by a woodchop-
per. The mother was a wild raccoon,
VIII ose nest and litter were discovered
by the woodsman one evening when,,
the cat was paying his sharp-featured
spouse a visit. The head of the rare
half-bred is that Of cat but is excep-
tionally broad between the ears, the
mouth pointed. The fur on the
head. breast and fore quarters is
Enthusiastically cat hair, while from
the waist back, SO to speak, the fur
is entirely coon. The tail is broad
and thick, the hind quarters low and
the hind feet have only four toes, like
the regulation coon, instead Of five,
as would be the case on an ''all-cat
cat.
REELFooT LAKE, in Western Ten
nessee, is one Of the most remarkable
bodies of water in the United States.
1t is popularly supposed to have a
SuDltTTdltdn SOuTCt lTDlll Ulle hlSSls-
sippi River, it having no visible out
let or inlet but the evidence seems
to be decidedly against this theory.
There is considerable area in the
center where no line has yet been
found long enough to touch bottom.
1t is not affected by the rise and fall
of the river, but, has tide corre-
spending with that of the sea. The
oldest settlers can remember when
the land where the lake Is now was a
fertile farm. One night there was an
earthquake. distinctly felt but doing
very little damage to the surrounding
country. The next morning the land
was gone and Reelfoot Lake was
there and has been there ever since.
1t is one of the most noted fishing re-
sorts in the South