Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-23

number of experiments have been made
in connection Herewith. there is no abso
lutte certainty as to results A general
rule has been arrived at which is thought
TO be the safe side of the matter, and
that is that the modern steel gun should
not be fired more than one hundred times.
After that it matters not what the emer-
gency may be, 1t is safer to dsmantle the
gun and send it back to the shop than to
risk firing lit, for the explosion of gun Is
decidedly and extensively dangerous oc
currence to all in its immediate locality.
The firing of a gun causes the steel to
crystalline and thereby become brittle as
file. So far as has yet been discovered.
there is no remedy Tor it, 1t is not exactly
a total less after gun has become dead.
for the steel can be used for thousands of
things in the way of bolts. braces and the
like for new work and for repairs. AS is
generally known, modern gun is
pensive affair, running from $4,000 way
up. 1t Is equally expensive to keep it in
operation, the cost for each cartridge sent
from ii being over one thousand dollars,
WHICH does not include the putting of the
gun on its emplacement or taking it down.
ror the thousands of dollars necessarily
expended in paying salaries and subsist-
ence of the officers and men who operate
It. This specialization of the metal is one
of the mysteries of the science of ordnance.
The gun could be revified to some extent
ny HedtlUS IL 10 d white neat ana allowing
IL to cool off slowly, but the treatment is
not exactly satisfactory or even approx
mateiy certain as to results. 1t has been
said of of other nations that if we
kept every gun We own in actual firing op-
Grafton for even twenty-four hours the
powder and shell bill would bankrupt us.
and there is some truth in il. This crystal
lizaton of the metal is not confined to
guns. however. The same thing occurs III
the journals or axles used on the railroad
cars 1t is for that reason that careful
railroads put on new aXleS every five
six years. In Europe there are laws upon
the subject, though it is custom with us.
In Germany it is unlawful to axle
On passenger cars more than four years.
though the limitation on freight cars is
not 50 rigid As with the oft-fired gun, the
steel in the journal becomes so brittle by
the disqualification in consequence of its
use that ii is liable to snap into a dozen
pieces any time after its life is ended
x x x
Life is made up of little things, and the
smaller they are the more important part
they play sometimes. observed a promi-
nent street contractor to a Star reporter
How few people fail to pick UP a horse
shoe if it was in their road. A pin has a
similar influence among many men, but 1
don thihk have ever seen woman pick
up a pin in the street. though they have
much more for them than men, / pick
up pins and horse shoes as often as / see
them, and | don't know that 1 have ever
had any special good luck or bad luck in
consequence, and 1 suppose 1 shall con-
tinue TO do so to the end of the chapter
call IL superstition or anything else you
may The lucky pick up with me. how
ever. Is marbles-the playing alleys of the
boys-and am free to admit that I would
rather find marble than any small thing
p that know of. Good luck always has fol-
lowed fnding marble as far as | am con-
ceihed ana IN talking about 1t l find that
Others have had similar experience NV
observation. though. is that marble finding
Is the rarest kind of good luck for women
thcuSh there is not as much superstition
~ as there Is about the horse shoe You
win pc surprised upon talking to Your cir
ci,i OF friends to ind how many there are
VINO are pleased to pick up a marble and
many of them will be able to give Won sub
stantial reasons for their belief | know a
colorado lady who resides in this city-ap
artist OF some distinction-who tells me
that she has never failed to sell her pic
lures II she had a marble which she found
IN her pocket and has never been able to
co SO III she did not have any. Simply car
rylng the marble in the pocket does not
Woik the charm IL must be found and
the more frequent the finding the more fire.
quent the good luck
x
ne expression IA lead pipe cinch' orig
mated IN Brooklyn, n. y" explained a
WeH-hnoWn turfman to a Star reporter
Though it is very frequently used BY
sporting people, 1t is not over Twenty-Five
years old. and 1 doubt if it is that old.
1t indicates sure thing, or at least a
thing that is thought to be dead sure
Ihere are several explanations of its ORR
gin. but l am satisfied that Brooklyn was
its home 1t was coined in this way: Some
years ago fellow entered plumbing shop
and stole piece of lead pipe. He wanted
to take il 10 Nau
IL from being seen he wrapped the pipe
around his body and then put his clothes
on over it. cinch, in turf language.
means a girth or saddle band or ANYTHING
that Is used to keep q saddle on a horse
or mule tight. 'Cinching up means there
Tore ushtening up, and is of Spanish ORR
gin As TIE fellow with the lead pipe
around his body jumped to catch he ferry
2oat ne Tell overheard and of course the
weight OF the lead carried him down A
horseman. in explaining the occurrence
SAID the thief had "a lead pipe cinch,' and
he had. and it drowned him."
u
The best paying and most valuable iron
mine in North Carolina" said one of the
geoioSists Of the geological survey to a
star reporter. was discovered by light
ihhs- III came about in this way: A gentle
man VINO owned large farm picked ont
one OF the prettiest cliffs small hills Oil
IL as the site for a residence 1t was very
nicely situated. sloping from all sides, and
besides had fine spring of water very
near IT. The water was first tested and
proved to be nearly pure, though it had a
trace OF iron in 1t. not enough, however.
70 interfere to any great extent with its
taste There were four large and finely
Shaped trees on the hill, the locations of
which were such that the house was builr
among them. a tree being at each corner OF
the mousse The first storm that came I'D
after the house was occupied was a severe
one. and the lightning seemed to linger
around there in preference to spreading
through the valley. The following storm
was equally familiar and at its conclusion
the large gum tree, the largest and hand
soonest OF the four around the house was
found TO be lying the ground having
been struck by lightning. In less than a
year the other trees met with the same fate
ana "hefi they were gone the lightning de-
stroyed the barns. corn houses tobacco
houses and other outbuldings So far
4owever, the residence was not struck. but
the owner moved out and deserted il. In
ore month afterwards the corner of the
house was knocked off during a storm.