The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-07
Work of a Woman Who
is Fond of Horses.
At Noon, Rain or Shine, Mrs.
Case Gives Them Sugar.
Bet on Observation-Disclosures on
How Nails Were Named.

far distant and who are known to the
people here only through references
made to them and their doings in the
newspapers. 1t is interesting, therefore,
TO be able to note case in which Provi-
dence woman shows her interest in dumb
animals in a practical and substantial
way. Mrs. K. Case is the poprietor OF
an employment agency at 1O7 Westminster
street. She is bright, energetic busi-
ness woman who believes In making ner
own way i'm the world, which she Is do
ing with very satisfactory degree OF sue.
cess. Every week day for two years ana
more. whether the weather was fair or
foul, Mrs. Case has made a pilgrimage TO
Crawford street bridge at noon. AT TINS
place and at this time OF day IL Is the
custom OF the truckmen aud teamsters TO
feed their horses and Mrs. Cases visit Is
for the purpose of furnishing them with
dainties in the shape of sugar and apples.
She passes from one team TO another,
holding the cubes of sugar in her hand
from which they are taken by the horses
with readiness that shows their relish
for saccharine dainties. Nearly all the
horses that are feu at the bridge or in its
vicinity know Mrs. Case and seem TO en-
JOY being patted by her. Moreover, IL
they see her It distance they will start
OF TO meet her and have to be held in
check by their drivers. 81 always loved
snimals," said Mrs. Case TO the Gossiper,
who met her while on her sugar dis
tributing round, sand / like TO promote
their comfort whenever l can. They are
more faithful, reliable and more trust
worthy" she ad 1ed with so much earn
estness that TIE Gossiper could not refrain
from asking If she was not manhater
"Oh,. no." she answered, I'm NOT
man batter, but / do love animals, and
then you know this doesn't cost much.
Three pounds of loaf sugar a week at
eight cents a pound, and few apples
now and then do not make very expen-
sjve fad, and with this remark Mrs Case
passed on to give an impatient equine its
customary supply of sweets.
A few days ago the Gossiper called at
tention TO a prayer book picked up on
the battlefield at Fredericksburg, which
is now IN the possession of the Nantucket
Historical Association. This prayer book,
as was stated, contained the name OF
Sergeant >. +. Fish, Company X, Fourth
X. l. Volunteers. The Gossiper is now in
receipt OF the following letter from Mr.
Joseph u. Dennis of Portsmouth. in
regard to the matter: "Seeing the article
in Tuesdays NEWS" Mr.. Dennis writes,
al write to say that the Sergeant s. r.
Fish referred to is probably Stephen Free
town. He died June 4, 1866, and lies bur-
led in Portsmouth cemetery. He was
twice married and at his death left a
widow, who was Mrs Samuel N. Man.
chester when he married her. She was
q daughter OF MIR. and Mrs. Abiel Z. Fish
and after Sergeant Fish's death married q
man named Darling of Bristol, II. 1. She
died Dec. %, 1895. There are none of his
relatives now living in this town that
would be likely to prize the memento
spoken OF. He has two sisters living in
Providence. One is Mrs. Harrison u.
Macomber and the other Miss Martha w.
Fish"
The Gossiper numbers among his ac-
quaintances very bright and intelligent
yopng man who is a clerk in Weybosset
stree hardware store. He Is always try
ing to get at the reason for things and
studying out curiosities OF nomenclature.
Knowing this the Gossiper asked him
this morning IL he could give the origin
of the term "six penny, "ten penny"
etc. by which nails OF various sizes
are designated. Il looked into that mat,
ter some time ago." he answered, "and
i found one explanation, but it doesn't
seem to hold water; at least it doesn't
satisfy me. This explanation of the
origin oil that term is that when nails
were made by hand the penny was taken
az standard of weight, and six were
made to equal the weight of copper
penny. Now that isn't reasonable. For
II you look at Ii six nails that would
balance even the biggest copper penny
that was ever put in cir culation would be
very small, a good deal smaller, In fact, !
than those we now call six-pepny nails.
Now nay idea is that at some time sway
back six nails were sold for a penny, and
the name came into general use and
was retained even when the price changed,
and that the larger kinds were called ten
penny, twelve penny, ETC.. through popu-
lar mistake and without regard TO price,
size or weight Now, of the ordinary six
penny nails there are so, OF eight-penny
b0, and ten-penny 81 to the pound"
Men will argue and mike wagers about
anything. That is one of the predomi-
mating traits of amt lean character which
finds exemplification i'm many ways and in
msny places. Moreover, the less a man
knows about a given subject, the more
stubborn he appears TO be In maintaining
bis opinion and the more ready TO back
that opinion with wager. An instance
OF this kind came under the observation
of the Gossiper in periodical store last
evening. "A gentleman who had Just re-
turned from a business trip 10 New York
was telling his friend OF some OF his do
10 talking about the Brooklyn bridge.
Their misinformation about the size of that
structure was truly astonishing, but they
go along smoothly enough until one OF
them remarked swell, it's big affair,
anyway, but don't see where there's
seven years work In it?" "Seven years.
retorted the other, "wby you're away OF
there. It took nearly seventeen years TO
build that bridge" And then was de-
veloped that innate trait OF Americanism
to wager that one was right and the
ether wrong. Finally they fixed up bet
OF q box Of Henry Clsys and left the de-
cision to the proprietor of the store. who
agreed TO 20 To the Public Library this
morning and find out from the stores OF
accurate information there accumulated
just how long time was taken I'm the
construction Of the Brooklyn bridge.
What the periodical vender's decision will
be the Gossiper doesn't know. but II
doesn't seem that there ~ any course
open 10 him save TO declare the bet OF,
for neither OF the 1isputsEts was within
row of apple trees OF the facts.
Here are the facts and they are AZ the
service OF tie periodical vender, IL he
Hu1 q "A ~ Inc al