The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, June 29, 1880, Page 2, Image 2

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    THE TIMES, NEW HLOOMFIELT). PA. JUNE 20, 1880.
Two Stirring Adventures.
IT waa Id a railroad car that my vln-n-vls,
to t-hlle away the time we were
obliged to wall, owing to a broken rail
told the following story :
" Ten years ago I was a telegraph
operator at a small town in New Jersey,
hut, my health failing, I gave up my
eituation, and, taking an agency, trav
eled westward until I finally reached
Kan Francisco. While there I took a
fancy to visit the mining regions; so,
selecting suitable goods to sell among
the miners, I went, satisfied my curl
oslty, made a little money, and was
returning in a stage coach when the
iucldents I am about to relate occurred,
or at least began to occur.
" There were beside myself three in
nide passengers ; an old gentleman of
sixty and two roughly dressed men,
apparently miners, 'i'heso two men Bat
at opposite ends of the coach, not ap
tearing to know each other, while the
old gentleman and myself But close
together. I noticed that the old gentle
man had a heavy tin or iron box be
tween his legs, which he seemed to be
anxious to keep out of Bight.
"After a short conversation with him
-on general subjects, I allowed myself to
drift gently into a doze ; and while in
that condition my ear, trained to the
.intelligent Bound of the telegraphic
instruments, caught a faint tic, tic,
which resolved itself in the following
words:
" 1 Bill, the young one is going to
' sleep, and I will tend to him while you
pitch the old one out over the precipice
when I make the signal and secure the
box.'
' " I was now as wide awake as if I had
''been called by an operator to receive a
vilessage, but I pretended to be still do,,
ing while I listened intently. Then I
heard the coach window rattle, and It
read :
'5 'All right, Dob. We will be to the
liig Jump in twenty minutes, and then
give the word and out he goes.'
"Taking a cautious look from be
tween my eyelids, I saw that one of the
villains was telegraphing by vibrating a
knife-blade between his teeth, while the
other used the window for that purpose,
.neither of them appearing to notice the
other.
' I kuew the precipice to which they
referred, a terrible one, where a miner
had once jumped off In a fit of despair
at bis bad luck, from which it was
known as the Big Jump. How to com
municate to the old gentleman I was at
! loss to determine, but finally I took
out a newspaper and under-scored the
words in a leugthy editorial, which, if
read consecutively, would, read: 'Be
cautious,' Bir. The two villains here
iuteud to murder and rob us in ten
minutes. Wheu I arise, you attack the
one with the moustache and I will take
the other. Kill if necessary.'
" Then handed the paper to the old
gentleman, saying; 'Have you read
this sir V It's a most excellent edito
rial.'. " He took the paper, put on his glasses
and commenced to read. Boon the under-scored
words drew his attention and
. he began to study them. Then I saw
him grow pale and feel for his box with
his foot. Handing me back 'the paper
lie said significantly :
'." Do you believe that, sir V ,
. " I know It to be true, sir," said I.
. ' Horrible,' said he, slipping his
hand into his breast-pocket, a stern look
coming into his face as he added : ' I
believe that I'd feel like shooting some
one.' ,
" I saw I had a man of courage to
help me, so I eared-little for the villain
ous smile which his remark brought to
one of the ruftlau'e face. I saw we were
"near the Big Jump and were going
down a steep grade at a lively rate, when
one of the villains telegraphed : .
"'Now!'
."The next minute I was ou him,
knocking him senseless with my revol
ver. The old gentlemen did equally as
well, the ruffians being taken completely
ly surprise at our Buddeu attack. We
had passed the precipice now, and called
to the driver to stop, he and the one
outside passenger helped to bind our
prisoners, whom we left inside, while
we climbed to the top. But when we
arrived in Sacramento we found that
the robbers had released each other and
dropped out along the road.
" The old gentleman introduced him
self as Mr. Stamford, a Sacramento
banker, and insisted on my accepting
. the hospitality of his home, saying that
I had saved his life and a large amount
of money. - I consented, and was driven
with him to hla handsome residence on
the outskirts of the city, where I Was
introduced to his wife and two daugh
tors, the former a kind, motherly worn
an, and the latter, a handsome brunette
,aud a pretty blonde.
" Three weeks slay at Hose Hill, Mr,
' S Lara ford's home, with its lovely walks,
-amid a wealth of tropical flowers, and
the society ' of Ella and Blanche Stam
ord, lovelier, if not more beautiful,
than the flowers which bloomed around
thorn, only served to make me wish for
a longer stay, and, when Mr. Stamford
offered Die a position In his banking
house, I most gladly accepted it, not
fulling to take courage from the evident
delight of the fair Blanche whom I
thought the lovelier of the two sisters
when I told her of the offer and deci
sion.
'About this lime Mr. Stamford, at his
wife's request, replaced two Irish ser
vants with two Chinamen, much to the
former's violent denunciation. Mrs.
Stamford was loud In her praise of her
new help, who seemed to be quiet,
active, orderly fellows, always ready,
always willing and always to be found
at their postB.
" To these two 'spoon gobblers,' as the
Irish girls called Ah Wing and Ah Lee,
I somehow couvelved a decided aver-
Bion. There was, I thought, a sinister
look about their eyes (which seemed to
be cut less on the 'bias' than usual with
Mongolians) which sent a chill over me
whenever I met their gaze.
"None of the family seconded my
dislike of the Chlnamen.except Blanche,
who seemed to think exactly as I did
(which I accepted as another sign of
encouragement), all the rest attributing
It to my dislike of the Mongolians as a
race.
' One summer night I had retired to
my room In the second story, and lny
thinking of the happy possibility of
Blanche Stamford returning the love I
felt for her, when my attention was
attracted by the rattling of a hall win
dow. There was not a breath of air
stirring to produce such a sound, and I
was about rising to ascertain the cause,
when it ceased, and a window on the
next floor began to rattle. Then I
caught the meaning of it. Some one
was telegraphing with the sashes.
' I listened, and presently the Becond-
story window telegraphed :
" ' Everything quiet up there, Bob V'
"'Quiet as a stiff. Old one blowing
his horn. ' How is the yunker down
there 5" answered the up-stalrs window.
" 'All quiet on the Potomac. Are
you ready I" asked the down-stairs win-
dow.
' ' Not quite yet. When I write 'Go,'
then do your best. Dead men tell no
tales. Ab boou as you finish your man
come up here and help me with the
women.'
' It was our old stage-coach robbers
at work again, no doubt. How they
had gained access to the house I was at
a loss to account, for it was guarded by
a burglar alarm and a watch dog. Aris
ing and partly dressing, I took my re
volver, and, stepping softly out in the
hall, approached the window, where I
found Ah Lee standing.
" 1 What are you doing herei" I de
manded.
"' Come to lookee see. Think heah
some mans hoppee out the window,'
said he, blandly.
" Well,' Bald I, 'you go down stairs
and fetch me a glass of water and a
lemon to my room.'
" 'All litel, ml will,' said Ah Lee, as
he gilded down the stairway. As soon
as he was out of hearing I took hold of
the window and telegraphed:
"' Yunker is awake and coming up
stairs. Go hide in the hall closet till he
comes back.'
" 'All right,' answered the up-stairs
window.
" Then I went up stairs softly in my
stocking-feet, and softly turned the key
in the hall closet, after which 1 tele
graphed with the up-stairs window :
" ' Keep quiet down there. Yunker is
up here talking to old one. . Hide in the
library till he comes back and goes to
bed.' . .
"'Does he suspect anything?' came
back from down stairs.
"' No,' I answered. 4 He is telling
the old one he is going to Frisco early in
the morning. Hide! He is coming
down stairs.'
: " 'AH right' came back, and arousing
Mr. Stamford, I told him how matters
stood, and we descended down stairs and
turned the key in the library door. The
desperado heard the click of the lock,
and becoming frightened, raised the
window to jump out; but I leaned out
of the hall window and ordered him
back. For an answer he turned and
fired at me, the ball grazing my cheek
and slitting my ear."
Here the narrator pointed to a long
scar on bis left cheek and his cut ear,
and continued :
. " The next moment I fired, and the
villain fell headlong into the garden
We then returned up stairs and secured
Ah Wing, from whom we stripped the
paint and other disguises, revealing
one of the stage-coach robbers. Ah Lee,
whom we found In the garden dead,
proved to be the other one.
" The ladies how made their appear
ance, terribly frightened, and ere an
explanation could be given Blanche
rushed to me, her face pale with fear,
and catching me by the arm, cried :
"' Oh, Charlie 1 afe you hurt I"
" ' Only a scratch, Blanche,' I said in
a low tone, but she did not hear me, for
she had fainted In my arms.
"The next day we notified the author
ities, to whom we delivered our prisoner
and gave bonds for our appearance In
regard to the killing, from which the
coroner's jury exonerated us by a ver
dict of 'justifiable homicide.'
" It was nearly noon before I again
saw Blanche, and then she tried to
avoid me ; but,drawing her arm through
mine, I led her to a pretty summer
house, and said :
" Blanche, I love you 1 Do you love
me In return!"
' She hid her face against my breast,
and whispered : . '
"Oh, so much!'
" Three months afterwards we were
married, and I never hear a window rat
tle without thinking the warning It
twice gave me being the means of sav
ing a number of lives and gaining me a
lovely and loving wife.
" This, gentlemen, is a true story, and
you can repeat it as such without fear,
for the names I have gtven you are
fictitious, it being not necessary to give
the true names."
Such was my fellow-passenger's story.
Half an hour later we parted, each going
Ills own way. We have never met
sluce, but being reminded of his Btory
by a rattling window, I have endeavor
ed to give his Btory just as he told it,
names and all.
Some Adventures of an Enumerator.
The New York World says: Thomas
J. BroBnan, a census enumerator, who
web assigned to the Thirty-ninth Dis
trict, which comprises Park ctreet and
City Hall place and Is densely populat
ed, related to a World reporter some of
his adventures.
" I was driven out of houses a number
of times," he said, " by people who did
not seem to understand what I wanted.
I asked a woman at No. 31 Park street
the usual questions and she at once
grabbed a stick which she was using in
stirring up clothes in awash tub and
cleared me out of the room, while her
mother gave me a tongue-lashing'. She
didn't want to give me any Information,
but afterwards some one told her that
she was liable to arrest and when I saw
her again I talked through the key-hole
of the door with htr and she told me
what I wanted. When she had told me
all Bhe called me a scoundrel and a
blackguard. I happened into a Park
street garret where a young fellow was
beating his mother, a very old woman,
and when I Interfered both turned on
me and drove me out. In another house
in Park street I found the woman who
occupied the room intoxicated. I ques
tioned her little daughter, and the child
was answering me when the mother
awokeand demanded my business. I tried
to explain, but before I had finished she
seized a carving-knife and tried to stab
me. . The knife cut my waistcoat, but I
disarmed her before she could do me
any further harm. One old Irishwoman
to whom I explained that I was the
enumerator of the district for the tenth
census looked at me in surprise and
said, 'When I wint to school in the ould
counthry they taught me that there
were only five sinsis, an' now I under-
sthand yer ter say the're tin. Git out of
here.' I had to explain to her that
ceusus and senses were different words
before she would answer my questions.
A good many women deceive me about
their ages. One old woman, who I am
willing to make an affidavit is sixty
years old if a day, said she was thirty.
two. Women, particularly unmarried
ones, tried to conceal their age, espeel
ally If men were present. Some women
of thirty eald they were eighteen and
the men standing around would laugh
at them. One Irishwoman said that
ehe did not know her age, but that she
knew Bhe was born on the night of the
'Big Wind.' In eome of the hotels I
visited,the servant girls were air young
so at least they said, and many of them
divided their ages by two. At first the
Chinamen gave me trouble, but when I
threatened to bring Tom Lee, the Chi,
neSe Deputy Sheriff, down on them
they helped me as much as they could
The Italians were the hardest to get
information from, as many could not
speak English. I adopted the plan of
telling them that I was a wealthy gen.
tleman, a philanthropist, and that I was
taking their names so that I could send
them tons of coal and barrels of Hour
when the cold weather came. They all
then allowed me their ' papers very
willingly. A good many tried to make
me believe that they had more children
than they really had. I am afraid
will have to keep away from those
Italians, for they will be looking for
their flour and coal. Some people seem,
ed to believe that I was making up t
draft list of their male relatives. One
old woman whom I asked if her hus
band was alive said : ' If It's for to draft
him, he's dead ; if it isn't, he's alive.
In many places I was treated kindly
and some young women invited me to
call again. In my rounds I met a luna
tic who had escaped a number of times
from aaylums. We are paid five cents
for every lunatic or idiot, and this luna
tlo knew that. I'm a lunatic,' he said,
put me down 2,000 times If It will do
you any good Mid you'll got five cents
every time.' One German referred me
to his wife and she sent me to him.
This was repeated seven times before I
got the Information."
Badly Puzzled.
. , t
A SHORT time ago one of the labor
ers digging a pit for a locomotive
turn-table at High Bridge, New York,
came upon something that he took to
be one of the small roots of a tree. He
struck it with his spade,' thinking he
could easily cut it through, but blow
after blow failed to divide the tough
root." Then a pickaxe was brought,
and although the supposed foot was
driven far Into the ground by the pow
erful blows It received, It came up each
time Intact. More effective cutting in
struments were then resorted to, and
finally, the "root" having been divided,
the workmen were surprised to find it a
perfect Iron wire Insulated by a thick
coating of rubber. The whole thing
was a little more than half an Inch In
diameter. The diameter of the wire
Itself was about one-fifth of an Inch.
But how did It get there? was the ques
tion. In either of three ways, the
people of the neighborhood thought.
Some believed that the wire was laid by
prehistoric Americans, and that they
must have understood the electric tele
graph ; others, that the wire was laid
surreptitiously during the war of the
rebellion, with the intention of blowing
up High' Bridge, which carries the Cro
ton Aqueduct over the Harlem Blver,
and thus cutting off the supply of water
from the city of New York ; while not
a few suspected that the wire was laid
by a band of robbers who, as tradition
has it, had a den in that neighborhood
some half a century ago. None of these
conjectures proved to be true. The fact
as finally discovered Is that ' In 1849,
when the Bain telegraph line from that
city to Boston was building, the author
ities refused to allow the wire to be
fastened to High Bridge, on the ground
that it might attract the lightning, and
be the cause of an accident to the bridge.
In that emergency Charles T. Smith,
who was building the line, and who is
now connected with the Western Union
Telegraph Company in New York, laid
in the Harlem Blver the cable a part of
which has just been brought to light.
Anecdote of a Soldier.
MELROSE, a Michigan soldier was
one day scouting up the valley,
having on a mixed uniform, when he
suddenly came upon two ferocious-look
ing guerillas while crossing a thick
wood. They were seated ou a log back
to him, but at the sound of his steps
they sprang up and covered him with
carbines. It would have been bold to
bolt and take the chances of being bit,
Melrose never slackened his pace nor
dianged countenance, but walked di
rectly up to the men and quietly said :
" I've got news for the Colonel, and
I want you both to go along and show
me the way."
"Who said so?" asked one of the
men.
" If I miss the way there'll he a row,
for this is important news," he an
swered.
"Who be you?"
" Come along and ask the Colonel."
" Well, we ain't going in tramp clear
up thar. You go down the road, foller
it for a mile, and when you come to the
old log stable on the right, turn into the
blind road."
" Why can 't one of you, come along ?"
" Oh, you can't miss the way. We
are watching here for game."
Melrose slouched off in a lazy, tired
manner. He had got about fifty feet
when he heard them , cock their guns.
He did not turn his head or quicken his
pace.
; "He's a Yank shoot him!" called,
one of the men; but the scout walked
on. They were trying him : but he had
the nerve of a Napoleon, and he kept
his leisurely pace until well away lrom
tueir netgnoornoou.
Wanted in this State.
The intelligent juryman has immor
talized himself in Colorado. One of the
lawyers in the case began browbeating a
female witness. The juryman in ques
tion was a reckless miner, who seemed
very uneasy as the sarcastic lawyer con
tinued to make the blushing witness
feel uncomfortable. At last, the jury
man could stand it no longer, and stood
up, with one hand on his hip pocket
and yelled : " Hi, thar, Mr. Stlek-in-the
, Mud, Jack McCabe won't 'low no man
to talk to a woman in that shape, not
while he'a round." The judge told Jack
to sit Uown ana De quiet.and as tie obey.
ed, the lawyer superciliously eald, " Of
what weight to roe is the opinion ot an
lenorant Juryman ?" "That's what I
thought," roared Jack, jumping up and
going for the lawyer. It took all the
tipstaves to arrest him, and the counsel
for the defense had to be taken home on
a shutter. Court aJlourned until nex
week. Some such jurymen would be of
use in mis mate.
jyjussER & Allen
CENTRAL STORE
NEWPORT, PENN'A.
" ' Wow ollor the jmblls
t
BAUB AND ELKQANT ASSORTMENT OP
DRES GOODS
Consisting af kit shades suitable fur the season
BLACK ALP AC CAS
AND
Mourning Goods
A SPECIALITY.
BLEACHED AND UNBLEACHED
i
MUBLINB,
AT VARIOUS PRICES.
AN ENDLESS 8ELKCTION OF PRINTS'
We sell and do keep good quality of
SUGARS, COFFEES & SYRUPS
And everything under the head of
GROCERIES !
Machine needles and oil for all makes of
maonines.
To be conrlnced that our goods are
CHEAP AS THE CHEAPEST,
IS TO GALL AND EXAMINE STOCK.
" No trouble to show goods.
Don't forget the
CENTRAL STORE,'
Newport, Perry County, Pa.
The Bloofl is the Life.
LIXDSEY'S BLOOD SEAROIEK
Is rflDldlv acaulrinfr n tiatlniinl reniitntlnn tnr
the cure of
Scrofulous Affection, Cnncerous Formation,
Erysipelas, Boils. Pimple. I'lcert,
Bore Eyes, Scald Head,
Tetter, Salt Hlieum,
Metcurial and all Sklu Diseases.
'I his rented? Is a Vegetable Comnniinil- anrl
can not harm the most tender Infant. Ladles who
sulfer from debilitating disease and Female Com.
plaints, will Und speedy relief by using this rem
edy. C. W. Llncott. of Messoootamln. O.. It enr.
ed him of Scrofula of thirty years. Two bottles
cured Mrs. K. 3. Dukes, of Colfax, Ind., of ulcer
ated ankle and big neck. Lindsey's Blood Search
er cured my son of Erysipelas Mrs. K. Knieltzer,
Larimer Station, I'a.
The BLOOD SEARCHER Is the safest, surest
and most powerful purider ever known. Price
ll.oo tier bottle.
it. is. bjii.i.hus si uo.. rrop'rs, Pittsburgh, pa.
To Regulate The Liver.
Use only SELLERS' LTVF.lt PILLS, the Jt
and only true Liver Regulator. Established over
fiO years. They cure Headache, Biliousness, Cost
lveness. Liver Complaint, Fever and Ague, and all
similar diseases like magic. Gettbe right kind.
Sellers' Liver Pills, 26 cents.
The great worm destroyer ! SELLERS' VER
MIFUGE. "Expelled 400 worms from mv child,
two years old' ;Wm. Sarver, St. Louis, Mo.
Bold by druggists. Price 2ft cents each. R. K.
HELLERS & CO., Proprietors, Pittsburgh. Pa.
Bend for circulars.
u ly.
WANTS TO BUY OUK
NEEDLES!
WE WANT
MALE AND FEMALE AGENTS
To Sell Onr Needle Package.
It contains: 5 papers, best large-eyed, cloth-stuck
English Needles, 2 steel bodkins, 2 long cotton
darners, 2 short cotton darners,3 extra nne cotton
darners, wool darners, 2 yarn darners, 3 button
needles, 2 car)et needles, 1 worsted needle.l motto
needleu These needles would cost at retail. 61
cents. We will send full sample package for 25
cents, with full terms to agents. 1 Dozen postpaid
Ton Want to buy Onr Stationery.
Pride of Tlie West.
Stationery Package!
Contains 18 sheets line paper, 18 extra envelopes.
1 pea, 1 good penholder, a alee lead pencil, - and a
very handsome piece of jewelry. Also, one pack
age In every dozen has an order for 1 set ot hand
some silver-plated tea spoons. Agents axe making
from S to 10 dollars a day selling this package.
Sample package and full terms to agents postpaid
2ft cents, 6 packages by mall postpaid for 1.0u, 1
dozen by express for 1.75. Remember this ts the
fastest selling package ever offered to agents.
Address all orders to
KIRTLAND&CO..
No. G48 Main St., tUy brook. Conn.
Please say you saw the advertisement In this
paper. . : 17 8t
J. H. GlBTUt.
i J, H. GlBTTS
J. M. GLRVIN & SON.,
FLOUR, GRAIN, SEED L , PRODUCE
Commission Merchants,
'o. 64 South (Jay, St.,
'BALTIMORE, LID.
We will pay strict attention to the sals of all
kinds of Country Produce and remit the amount
promptly. , . 451yr.
J- M. GIRVIN & BON.
Assignee's .notice, ; ;
Notice Is hereby given that John A. Nesbit.ot
Madiaoutowmfciu, Perry county. Pa., executed a
deed of voluntary alignment in trust tor the ten
ant of creditors ot all bis estate real and person
al and mixed, to tLeuuderalgued, on the 2Hh day
of Marvh, A. D.,t!MU. '
All persoua kuowtux themselves Indebted to the
ftat Assignor will make payment and those hav
lugaeoouuW will pre wot them fur settlement to
ANDREW ADAIR, Assignee.
March 29,1450. Chas. H. Smiley, Att y.