Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Saturday, January 27, 1912
Three years ago a woman farmer in Wales sold a pony to her son, who resides some twenty-five miles away between Rhuddian and Rhyl. The pony has for the third time found its way back to its former home managing to unfasten two gates in order to do so.
Published in the Sangamon Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Saturday, October 6, 1832
A gentleman, who domesticates at present with us, was awakened a few nights since by the gambols of a rat upon his bed. He arose and supposing he had ejected his unwelcome visitor, closed the door of his chamber and again resigned himself to the arms of his sleepy god. Nothing more was heard of his ratship, and Mr. – related the adventure to the breakfast table the next morning with much glee, soon after which, having occasion to put his hand into the pocket of his pantaloons, he grasped something a wonderful deal softer and smoother than his pocket handkerchief and drawing it forth [this is the place for every sensitive young lady to scream] he held in his hand a monstrous rat. Oh such a jumping up into the chairs and screaming as there would have been, had half a dozen misses been present, but no one except “the lady of the mansion” was present, and she, very courageously, undertook to knock the rat’s brains out with a pair of crimping irons, while the gentleman whose pocket he had so unceremoniously “broke and entered contrary to the form of the statute in such case made and provided,” held him by the tail; but unfortunately, at the first blow the attraction of cohesion-to speak very scientifically-between the skin of the tail and the tail itself, was overcome, and away went his ratship, minus, the skin of his tail. That rat, mark us, will have an aversion to pockets and crimping irons to the day of his death. [N. H. Spectator.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Monday, August 14, 1911
Ingenious Trap That Was Formerly Used by the Mexicans.
The Mexicans in California had an ingenious method of trapping bears before the advent of the Yankees brought modern firearms into the region. A piece of meat was nailed to the stout horizontal limb of an oak tree. From a limb five or six feet above a rope was suspended, to the end of which a large stone was made fast so that it hung about six inches above and a trifle nearer the trunk than the meat on the lower limb.
When a bear smelled the meat from afar he would climb up the tree and make his way to the bait. In doing so he would push the stone pendulum to one side. Just as he was about to fasten his teeth in the meat the stone would swing back and bang his head. This would arouse the anger of the bear, and he would give the stone a sweep of his paw which would send it swinging farther out. The consequence was a harder bang and more anger. The more he struck the stone the harder he would be hit in return, until from ferocious anger he would lose his caution and attack the pendulum with all his vigor. One powerful sweep, then bang, and bruin would be tumbled out of the tree to the rocks below, where, disabled by his fall, he would be at the mercy of those who set the trap whenever they chose to take him.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Friday, July 10, 1908
Freak Bolt that Hit the Keen Stables Near Libertyville.
Skin of 1,500 Horse Had Many Perforations.
And the Strangest Thing is That Dwight Major, One of the Finest Horses in the Stable, is Now Recovered.
Many stories are told of the curious and strange pranks that have been wrought by that mysterious something-electricity, Lightning in particular comes in a flash and usually leaves death and destruction in its wake as though to demonstrate the mighty power that it possesses.
One of the strangest accidents heard of in some time occurred at the Keen Brothers’ stable in Libertyville a few weeks ago and for some time it had the proprietors as well as many others guessing as to what had really happened. The night before there had been a big electrical storm and on opening the barn the next morning Dwight Major, a beautiful black gelding valued at $1,500, was found to be acting very peculiarly and on investigation blood was found oozing out of his legs from hundreds of little perforations. Directly behind him on the floor lay the shoes from his hind feet, which in some unaccountable manner had been removed slick and clean, but with the nails still clinched and bent over as they were left by the blacksmith when last he was shod. The hoofs were not injured and holes were left where the nails had been pulled through. The horse also had an other deep gash on the jaw bone and the eye ball of one eye turned milky white and remained that way for several days until it gradually came back to its normal condition. The animal was stiff for several days but it is now believed he has recovered without any serious effects. Dwight Major is one of the finest appearing and best mannered horses in the stable. A jet black and with a shade of white about the eyes, which gives him an odd appearance. They consider him a most perfect horse and the owners are congratulating themselves over his recovery.
Two other horses in the barn also suffered, one of them a running horse, is still stiff and will never again be valuable in that line of work again. These horses were at the extreme end of the row of stalls, while Dwight Major stood about in the center, but what or how the damage had been done was not discovered for some time. An investigation of the barn revealed the fact that a bolt of lightning had struck the barn near the north gable and left a large hole and a heavy timber that was its patch had been torn to splinters and the only trace that would indicate where it had been was the nails sticking through the siding. The path of the bolt was traced down through the hay but what became of it afterward has not yet been discovered. The horses injured were in an addition to the barn and along the manger ran a strip of metal which is supposed to have carried the current. The horses standing back escaped the shock and the three that were struck were probably eating out of the manger at the time. That is the solution of the mystery or at least the most plausible theory that can be advanced.
Published in the Lake County Independent, Libertyville, Illinois on Friday, January 8, 1915
Waukegan, Jan. 4.
Anton Skermon, who conducts a barber shop on Spring street, just north of the Edmund Hotel, owes his life to his pet dog who awakened him early Sunday morning just in the nick of time to escape death in a fire which had broken out in his flat just over his place of business. Skermon had to dash through a room filled with flames to make his escape.
It was rather late when Skermon retired and this may have accounted for the fact that he slept so soundly. At any rate the first intimation he had that danger stalked near was when his subconscious brain became aware that his dog was barking. Sleepily he figured that the animal was barking at someone passing on the walk below.
Unable to awaken his master in this manner the little dog seemed to grow almost frantic. He leaped upon the bed tugging at the bed clothing. He succeeded in pulling the greater part of the covering from the bed. Skermon awoke but at first felt only indignation at the action of the dog.
Then he became aware of a strange choking sensation. His throat was parched and his breathing was labored. It required considerable effort to arouse completely to a realization of the situation.
Then he perceived that his room was filled with smoke while from the next room came the ominous crackle of burning wood. Struggling out of bed with some difficulty for he was nearly overcome by the heavy fumes, he staggered to the bedroom door, threw it open and escaped.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Monday, November 1, 1909
The natives of Tutulia, one of the islands of Oceania, have a peculiar method of catching fish. At a given signal all the inhabitants of the village assemble on the seashore to the number of 200 persons, each one carrying a branch of the cocoa palm. With these in their hands they plunge into the water and swim a certain distance from the shore, when they turn, forming a compact semicircle, each one holding his palm perpendicular in the water, thus making a sort of sieve. The leader of the party then gives a signal, and the fishers all approach the seashore gradually in perfect order, driving before them a multitude of fishes that are cast on the sands and killed with sticks.
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Friday, November 12, 1909
Thirty chickens belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Enoch Trepanier of 1024 Jackson street were killed by a dog last night according to a police report and the canine is being hunted down.
Published in the Lake County Independent, Libertyville, Illinois on Friday, June 19, 1914
Enraged Animal Near Fox Lake Resents Appearance in the Herd.
Kicks And Butts The Car.
First Attack Throws Headlights Over Car-Second Is Butting of the Radiator.
While driving through what is called “The big hollow” north of Volo one night recently, Fred Nader, a farmer of McHenry county, was the victim of an enraged bull which attacked his auto and butted and kicked in the front part of the car, resenting the approach of the machine into a herd of cattle which he was leading off to pasture.
The machine, enroute home from Fox Lake, came upon the cattle which were making their way from the barn to the neighboring pasture.
The driver tooted his horn and the cows all managed to get out of the road. He drove slowly as all drivers should do when passing a bunch of cattle. He figured that all the cows were well out of the way but noticed that one large animal sort of lagged behind.
However, he was still driving slowly and the big brute was about to take the last step which would carry him over the road when, all of a sudden he stopped, lifted his foot and let it drive with full force.
And, there was some force, for the creature was a huge, towering bull, who, as head of the herd of cattle, evidently believed his camp was being invaded by an unwelcome and dangerous foe.
It was dark and the headlights of the car shone brightly on the cows as they stood at the side of the road watching proceedings. The bull as he stopped and lifted his hind foot, struck out with all his force and the hoof caught one of the big headlights with full force, knocking it off the bracket and over the car some feet beyond the tonneau.
Then, the bull started butting the front of the car.
John Conrad of Waukegan happened to be near the scene and he saw the difficulty.
“Put out your headlights, that’s what’s the matter with him-he doesn’t like the bright light,” yelled Conrad to the driver. The latter quickly turned off the remaining light and thus, darkness being suddenly thrown onto the scene, the enraged bull ceased his attack which he had continued as the owner of the car was steadily backing away as fast as he could.
The front of the car was badly smashed but the driver managed to get home without being hauled.
The lamp was smashed so it is of no further use. The bull, immediately after the lights had been extinguished, made off to the side of the road, assumed his job again as leader of the herd and the farmer boy continued driving them on to pasture.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Published in the Lake County Independent, Libertyville, Illinois on Friday, July 4, 1913
As the result of an adder bite, recently, the back of the hand of a Cardiff [Wales] boy named J. W. Coffy has become marked like an adder. The physician who was attending the case states that the skin and swollen flesh near the bite are like a piece of leather, pigmented exactly the same as an adder, the white streak or ring running round the dark mottled ground.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Published in the Waukegan Daily Sun, Waukegan, Illinois on Monday, December 2, 1907
Woman Related Here Did Remarkable Feat In Africa.
Her Shot Brought Down Elephant Larger Than the Fabled Jumbo. Tale Told in Chicago.
Mrs. Carl E. Akeley, wife of the chief taxidermist of the Field Museum and sister-in-law to T. E. Akeley of Third street, Waukegan, killed the biggest elephant ever bagged by an American and the largest pair of elephants in the government hunting license records of British East Africa. As her husband’s companion on his expedition to Africa a year ago to secure specimens of big game for the museum, this Chicago woman accomplished feats of sportsmanship that would turn Diana green with envy.
Mr. Akeley revealed his wife’s skill as a huntress in telling an audience at the Art Institute Saturday about the expedition.
Mr. Akeley had killed two male elephants, all that his license permitted, without obtaining suitable specimens. Mrs. Akeley had the only other license in the party, and her nerve and good aim became its only hope of getting the desired tuskers.
Both of the elephants she killed were bigger than Jumbo of circus fame.