The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-20

Special Correspondence of The Tribune.
Susquehanna, Dec. 20.--There came
to us the evidently true story Of
Tommy Ballard and his teeth. Some
little time ago Tommy began to be af-
fected with acute toothache, but, as
all of his teeth were apparently sound,
no local cause could be found by his
parents or friends. Being too poor to
SECURE medical attention, he was forced
to bear the pain with what fortitude he
could. Finally his gums began 20
swell on the outer side and this grew
worse until one morning he awoke
to find the pain and soreness gone, and
that he had an almost duplicate set of
teeth growing on the outside of both
the top and bottom set Of natural
ones. At first this did not interfere
with him. but later it was found that
his speech was beginning to get inn
perfect. An examination revealed the
fact that the new teeth were growing
to an abnormal size, while. in propor-
ton as they increased, his physical
strength decreased.
Tommy was taken to a specialist,
who decided to extract a number Of the
teeth. This was done, but almost as
fast as they were taken out, new ones
grew in other places until almost the
entire roof of the patients mouth had
been taken up by his peculiar ailment.
Altogether, eighteen teeth have been
extracted. and recently it has been
noticed that the growth of further
teeth has stopped. But meanwhile
the extraction of his teeth has ceased.
1t is thought to be a peculiar form of
ossification. and it is supposed to have
an hereditary bearing. the lads grand
rather being described as a peculiarly
double -jointed man, of unusual
strength"
ODDS AND ENDS.
The extra meetings in the Avenue
Methodist church have closed.
Former County Commissioner Brad
ley Biebe, is critically ill at his home
In Oakland township.
Hundreds of bushels of apples Shin
ped from Susquehanna county to far
distant points, have rOttcd en- route
and spectators are the losers.
Mrs Eva Brewster, of Moutrose. n
gifted writer, whose booklet of poems,
"Wayside Blossoms" is just ready for
the press, will write the poem of the
'A'ii NNllltllllldl ttltDEdllDn. w, l.,
Thacher of Hartford. will write the
historical address.
The Grange hall, recently destroye
by fire, in Brushville. will not be re-
built. The fire is thought to have been
the work OF an inccndiary.
RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Once in while you will find a mar
ried woman who does not sometimes
wonder how she came to say yes"
once in while you will find a school
teacher who can talk without seeming
to watch every word she utters.
Once in a while you will find poll
tician WAo never sought the place that
seems to seek him.
Twice in a while you will find a doc
tor who has the hardihood to tell
wealthy patient that nothing ails him
1t may not be etiquette that conn :
him to do so, but man usually takes
Off his hat in the presence of his
barber
Too often the man who gets up with
the lark in the morning has been out
on the swallow the night previous.
MATTERS AND THINGS.
Lackawanna Conductor Gould Cap
well, of Halstead. has been running
on the road a quarter of a century,
and the recent wreck at Paterson was
was his first one.
There is sleighng in Hornellsville
and along the Albany and Susquehan-
ma road. There is not enough snow
In this vicinity to track COW.
Deposit is about two hundred and
forty feet higher in elevation than
Susquehanna, and Gulf Summit about
five hundred and twenty feet higher
than Susquohanna
Several Susquehanna and vicinity
bear hunters have recently arrived
home from Pike county. Both the
hunters and the bears escaped with
their lives.
The Catholic priests of Susquehanna
are in Scranton attending a conference
of the priests of the diocese.
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM.
An Ararat woman recently fell from
a stepladder and broke her jawbone.
For obvious reasons, her husband re-
fused to go in search of a surgeon.
Since Secretary Middleton, ~Of the
Erie, recently denied rumors that his
road was about to build a short cuc
branch somewhere across Wayne coun-
ty. the quietude of some of the Homes
dale newspaper editors is so dense that
II is almost painful. What a slump
that was, my countryman!
After a recent rain, Archibald Wood