Year: 1875

That element Of curiosity which pre-.
walls in the minds Of the ladies as her.
itage from Mrs. Adam still gets them into
trouble occasionally. Notably was the
fact illustrated the other day in West.
moreland county. Pennsylvania. There
is mill in Westmoreland county where
the machinery is OF a very fine class in.
deed, and visitors of a practical turn of
mind find themselves amply repaid for an
examination Of the works. Among the
recent visitors to the mill was lady who
had just as much curiosity as the men
concerning the great wheels and hoppers
and the appliances for Transforming wheat
into -four and feed. 1t made no differ.
ence to her that she probably couldn't t
understand the thing, she wanted to make
just rs close an examination as
the men did, and to form
an acquaintance with all the mysteries of
milling. So they showed her through the
mill. and she was very much deli GIFTED
and evinced just as lively an interest in
the machinery as though she had been
Robert Fulton or George Stephenson, or
any Of the great inventors. She was not
satisfied with any cursory view of things,
either, but went up close to the wheels,
Notwithstanding the repeated warnings Of
the miller. Finally she approached the
bolting.machine and proceeded to inspect
it with a critic eye. Very close to the
machine she stepped, and then two cog
wheels took little nip at her
dress. The wheel appeared de-
lighted with the flavor, and teok in
more and more, having a good mouthful
before the lady noted her predicament.
Then she screamed and tried to get away.
but the rapacious cogs were not to be
cheated of meal, and kept on chewing,
every mouthful drawing the fated woman
closer to the works. The miller saw the
danger and sprang TO the rescue of the
frightened victim. There was but one
course to pursue. He was huge, brawny
man, and, clasping the shrieking woman
in his arms, he placed his feet against an
upright post and pulled. It was a
contest between the man and
the bolting machine; mind and
muscle on one side, hungry iron and steel
upon the other. Mind and muscle won
but not without catastrophe. There
was long pull and strong pull and .
pull altogether, and then by one gigantic
effort the miller tore the woman clear
aud that was all. He saved the statute,
the machine got ali the drapery. The
lady was unhurt but also unclothed. She
stood there like the Greek slave un-
shackeled, and the lookers.on ran out for
feelings sake. There was any amount
Of hustle about the mill, but not par.
ticlc of hustle about the woman
the battling machine had that. Had
there been present three or four
more ladies similarly showing, one
might have sworn it had heen raining
angels. The rescued lady stood shudder.
ing and blushing, and her rescuer stood
painting and blushing. There was \ mo.
ment or two of awful embarrassment.
Then the miller solved the problem. He
fed from tae mill and sought his wife
and sent her back with bundle Of cloth.
ing. She soon arrived upon the scene,
and the dismant'ed woman was arrayed
again, though perhaps not quite SO gaud'
lily as previous to her lit tie affair with the
bolting machine. She has dropped the
study Of mechanics, and the miller passes
his time between dreaming Of visior
and wondering when his customers will
begin to complain of white-linen taste
in their -four.