Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-31
TALES OF THE SUMMER
Nature in Festive Mood in Various Parts Of
the Country.
Fertile Inaginations or Old Kentucky
Freaks In People and Animals.

Freaks I'm People and Animals.
From the New York Press.
Weird and wonderful to an extraordinary
degree are some Of the stories Of birds, rep
tiles and human beings that have been
brought to light this summer. The Press
told about a few of them last week. Here
are some more. They are ell deeply inter-
esting. and rival anything that the unique
and enterprising Joseph Mulhatton ever
dreamed of or attempted.
A correspondent living in Las Vegas, who
had evidently INDUCED in too much mescal.
described at great length and with much
elaboration of detail how a party Of ex-
plorers in that region had found the fossil
remains of silurian 10 feet long. Upon
the backbone of the skeleton was screwed
silver plate bearing hieroglyphics that no
one has yet been able to decipher. The
skeleton Is to be sent to the Smithsonian
Institution.
Chicago police reporters took great de-
light in describing the idiosyncrasies of
Kate Washington, who. after being COM
mitted to jail by Justice Underwood for
stealing a chicken from a Sd avenue res
taurant keeper, amused herself by drink
ing half dozen bucketsful of water. there
by winning for herself the sobriquet Of the
human camel" Jacksonville. Ind, came
to the front with a yarn about fourteen
year-old Grace Dougherty, who is giving
the doctors of that place no end of per-
plexity. Half of the physicians in town are
lying awake at nights wondering what is
the matter with her. The other half, ac-
eordng to published accounts, seem to be
lying by day. Grace was taken i'll several
month ago with strange malady. AS
her illness became more serious and drop
steal symptoms set in, she began to grow
in height at an alarming rate. She is now
six feet tall, and there Is no telling when
she will stop growing.
A Strange Animal.
George Loveland lives at Elmwood. Conn.
The other day his children were startled at
the sight of particularly active snake.
When the reptile was killed it was found to
have two short legs and armed with white
claws" 1t was sixteen inches long and
marked in various colcrs. 1t is regarded as
the greatest curiosity in the history Of the
village.
a 'Newburg correspondent, while full of
enthusiasm, dashed off, in his inimitable
way a hair-raisng bit of summer fiction
about a strange ape-like animal that
stunned the good people OF Margaretville
with horror, killed horse with one fell
paralyzed driver and did other things equal
~ ferocious and fearful The correspondent
thought that the animal, or whatever it
was, might have been the jabberwock.
He's not sure; he's bit hazy on the SUBJ
jet.
Another -Newburger correspondent COR is
it the same one0 told about a red-headed
10y who was used as bait with which to
lure bullfrogs into a boat. The boy would
sit in the boat, which was moored in a
creek, and whistle. Presently the frogs,
attracted by the bright red hue of his hair
and the subtle charm of the doxology,
which the boy found sweet solace in whis-
ting, would make gigantic leaps at his
head. The boy lodged and the frogs went
kerslop to the bottom of the boat, to be
quickly caught and thrown into covered
basket. 1t was great disappointment to
the frogs, but the boy didn't seem to
mind 1t.
Suggestive of Snakes.
! A Potter county, Pa, farmer, while out
| in the fields the other day, came across a
| shapeless living object. 1t had great red
| dish eyes that bulged and glowed like fire.
| and the feet of the creature seemed as
| numerous as those of centipede. The
| farmer gave the thing kick with his boot
| and was amazed beyond expression when
| the hideous object, with an indescribable
| snort and queer rustling leaped upward
| and vanished in the air, leaving an intense
| ly nauseating odor behind. The farmer
| staggered weakly home and told his wife
\ of his adventure. She put him to bed and
| told him that if he ever again went and
drank Tioga county whisky she would get
| a divorce.
A South Jersey man, while. driving near
Mullica hill. saw in the road what he at
| first took to be a COW. He called for the
| beast to get out of his way The animal
| turned around, and the sight that Jersey
man saw froze his blood The animal had
| the body of cow and the head of green
| horse SQOrted
| queer monster, kicking up its hind feet de-
| risively, leaped a barbed-wire fence, ran
| across field and disappeared in the woods
| beyond. The Jerseyman has to drug him.
| self at nights to keep from dreaming about
| cows with camel heads.
The world at large came to know of such
| a place as Forrestville because of the ex-
| element which Is now causing it no end
| of anxiety. Since June 1 an animal in size
| color and weight similar to huge mas.
| tiff dog, but in habits, agility and ferocity
like wolf, has held undisputed sway
| there and at Smiths Mills. The animal has
| destroyed many fowl and sheep. The re-
| port that the monster was shot and that i,
| weighed 300 pounds and measured eigh,
| feet four inches from the tip of nose to
| end of body is current.
| A few days ago a snake scared the people
! of Cold Spring Harbor. 1t was fourteen
feet long and had body as big around as
a water pail. Its head was diamond.
| shaped and surmountei by crown. 1t is
| believed that his snakeship is a lineal de.
| scendant of an ancient titled family which
by mysterious process of genealogical
! evolution, degenerated into reptiles
| A Palatka, Fla, man writes north tc
his friends and tells them a whopper. He
says that nightly quartet of alligators
| meet on the banks of the St. John, jus,
| below town. and try to sing negro melo
| dies. He says the atmosphere Is full eacf
! evening of believing but musical sounds
| The Florida man omits to state his owr
condition He is probably full of somethins
| else.