DR. JUSTIN MAKES A HIT

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, December 26, 1890.

DR. JUSTIN MAKES A HIT.

   Dr. Justin made three successful tests with his dynamite gun Saturday at Perryville, N. Y. About 200 spectators were present. Three shells were fired, each containing 7 1/2 pounds of dynamite and 80 pounds of powder.

   The effect of the first shot and explosion of dynamite was to rend the face of the cliff in cracks, break off a number of large pieces, make a decided hole into the rock face and send a cloud of pulverized limestone flying over the snow. The next shot hit in the same place and did yet greater havoc. The third shot left a huge heap of stones at the base of the cliff with large cracks extending every way over its face and larger quantities than ever of pulverized rock scattered about for a considerable distance. Each time, as the shattered rock became more shelving, the damage was greater.

   Dr. Justin was greatly pleased over the result of the experiments. He is confident that he can throw a large quantity of dynamite as successfully as a small quantity. Other experiments will be made at frequent intervals. It is probable that the original plan of organizing a big stock company to manufacture the shells with a capital stock of $50,000 will be consummated as all the backers of Dr. Justin are delighted at the result of the experiment Saturday.—Syracuse Courier.

"Muggs' Landing."

   That brightest and funniest comedy ever written, "Muggs' Landing," presented by Bishop's original company of fifteen comedians will be the attraction at the Opera House Saturday evening. Since the last production of this very popular comedy in this city, there has been added a line of new and improved specialties which are seldom if ever equalled in farce comedy. New music, new dancers. The four original gaiety dancers in the latest craze the skirt dance, and the famous "Muggs' Landing" double quartette in selections from all the latest and most popular operas. If you want to have a good laugh, see this beautiful comedy. Prices, 25, 35 and 50 cents.

FROM EVERYWHERE.

   There are about 75,000 persons in prison in the United States.

   New passenger coaches on the Erie have large doors on the side, and are liked better than the old style.

   George Alfred Townsend says both [former President] Cleveland and [New York State Governor] Hill have an Irish strain in their blood—Cleveland on the mother's side and Hill on the father's side.

   A trust has been formed by all the leading lumber concerns of Georgia to control the world's supply of long-leaf yellow pine. It is an immense combination, involving millions of dollars.

   The railroad cars which traverse Manhattan Island over their hundreds of miles of tracks last year carried the enormous number of over 400,000,000 passengers who paid 4-cent fares.

   Nearly all the low class of negroes living along the levee in Kansas City have been seized with a craze similar to the Messiah superstition. The negroes have been led astray by a Voodoo doctor who came from Bismark, Dakota.

   There is a slight hitch in the Vermont slate trust, some of the firms refusing to go into it for another year. Efforts are being made to bring about a settlement. If the differences cannot be adjusted there will be no pool another year.

   The late Justice Miller is said to have had a taste almost amounting to a passion for mathematics. He deprecated the amount of time college students gave to the study of dead languages, and held that mathematics and scientific studies were of chief importance.

   Saturday, as Simeon Miner, of South Otselic, was riding on a load of wood up a small pitch the draw-pin gave out throwing him unto the heap and his foot caught in the sleigh and he was dragged to the bottom of the incline, injuring him so he is confined to the house.

   News has been received hereof the death of William Harrison Schutt, which occurred at his home in Georgetown. D. C., Dec. 10th. He was a former resident of Slaterville and a brother of James H., Ephriam, and Aaron Schutt. He was a brother of the wife of Ruloff, the murderer, and it is believed without doubt that the first wife and child of Mr. Schutt came to their death by poison administered by the same Ruloff.— Ithaca Journal.

   A plucky wife was developed in Saratoga last week. A man came running to the police station, saying that Thomas H. Devan, of the Dublin section, was drunk, had a loaded revolver, and was about to kill or harm his family. Officers ran to the house and found all serene there, and Davin tending the baby. It was learned that Mrs. Davin had taken the pistol from him and went into the yard and fired its five cartridges, while she had placed Thomas to the sobering work of nurse pro tem.

   A singular piece of treasure-trove was discovered the other day by Mr. Addison, of Fairfax Court House, Virginia. In the hoof of one of his cows he found imbedded a gold ring in which is set a stone carved with the American shield and an inscription. On the inside of the ring was engraved, "H. J. Hunt, Worth's Division." It proved to be a ring made for the late General Hunt when in Mexico at the war with that country, and lost by him during the first battle of Bull Run. The ring has been restored to General Hunt's family.

   Two or three days ago several Lowville parties claimed to have seen an animal of some sort in the eastern part of the town, but people regarded the matter as a hoax. Others now claim to have seen the same animal, and the statement is having credence. John D. Hough and Hiram Gray have seen the animal near the Wentworth farm east of the village, and were within a few rods of him. Mr. Hough states that he is positive it is a wild animal of some kind, and is of the opinion that it is either a panther or lynx. Large numbers of sheep and calves have been killed in the town of Denmark by a wild animal, and in one instance a hog left hanging out of doors was found next morning to have been nearly devoured during the night. The supposition is the animal has strayed from the Adirondacks.

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.

   CHENANGO.—Sherburne has organized a Business Men's Association.

   In Norwich milk is selling on the streets at two cents a quart.

   The Board of Supervisors at their late session appointed a special committee to see if something can be done to check the growth and spreading of the wild carrot, a noxious weed that threatens to ruin agricultural lands.

   Miller & Foster of DeRuyter, have purchased Leroy Soule's monster hog, which has created such a furor at Otselic Center, and will have him on exhibition at their market Christmas day. His weight is estimated at upwards of a thousand pounds.

   F. N. Coville, government botanist, a former Oxford boy and a graduate of Cornell University, is to make one of the government expeditions into the "Valley of Death" in the great desert that extends between the Sierra Nevadas and the Nasatch mountains. The party will be a large one. They start next March.

   MADISON.—Ice boats are out on Oneida Lake.

   Hay sells for $6 a ton at DeRuyter.

   The Earlville National Bank commences business January 1.

   James Kinney has succeeded C. H. Hickok as proprietor of the Barker House, Morrisville.

   The safe in John A. Bends' store at Oneida was blown open Monday night and relieved of $160.

   A. Stowell and James Lindsley have bought the Cornell block, Canastota, and will remodel the same into a hotel.

   John Cross, a newly married resident of Canastota, mourns the loss of this wife, who has skipped with a railroad man.

   Landlord Livermore of the Bouckville hotel, had a little misunderstanding with a customer, the other day, and broke two of the man's ribs.

   Miss Jane Scott, who resides with E. D. Jenks, in DeRuyter, fell and dislocated a hip, the 9th [sic]. Dr. McClellan was called and the patient is doing nicely.

   Patrick Hayes, of North Brookfield, paid $25 for selling adulterated milk. John P. Wirck, one of the firm owning the milk station at Hubbardsville, plead guilty to a charge of adulterating the milk shipped from there to New York, and paid a fine of $200.

   TOMPKINS.—Potatoes retailed at forty cents a peck one day last week in Ithaca.

   The Poormaster's bills for the month of November amounted to $900.

   A number of persons walked across Cayuga lake on the 8th inst.

   The ladies of Sage college will give an exhibition of gymnastics at the armory sometime next term.

   Edison has presented a 20 horse power generator to drive two Sprague motors in the Mechanical department of Sibley College.

   Dana Conklin, telegraph operator and ticket agent at the D. L. & W. depot in Ithaca, has received and accepted a call to become the general secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association at Oneonta, N. Y.

  

What is Horse Power?

(N. Y. Times.)

   When men first begin to become familiar with the methods of measuring mechanical power they often speculate on where the breed of horses is to be found that can keep at work raising 33,000 pounds one foot per minute, or the equivalent, which is more familiar to some mechanics, of raising 330 pounds 100 feet per minute. Since 33,000 pounds raised one foot per minute is called one horse power, it is natural that people should think the engineers who established that unit of measurement based on what horses really could do.

   But the horse that can do this work does not exist. The horse power unit was established by James Watt about a century ago, and the figures were fixed in a curious way. Watt found that the average horse of his district could raise 22,000 pounds one foot per minute This, then, was an actual horse power.

   At that time Watt was employed in the manufacture of engines, and customers were so hard to find that all kinds of artificial inducements were necessary to induce power users to buy steam engines. As a method of encouraging them, Watt offered to sell engines reckoning 33,000 foot pounds to a horse power And thus he was the means of giving a false unit to one of the most important measurements in the world.