Michigan State News

As the limited expres? on the Michigan Central was traveling along toward Chicago at a sixty-mile gaif on the evening of the 8th a connecting rod of the engine broke just east of Kalamazoo, knocking the fireraan through the top of the cab, but not fatally injuring him. The train was stopped within about 100 ïods oL the sceae of the accident, the passengers being soniewhat shaken up. So great was the force of the broken rod that several tios were cut off by it. A trio of traveling fakirs who are doing the state with necktie holders, are said to be such lovers of fine. horses, that these animáis often turn up missing at towns visited by the aforesaid fakirs. Look out for 'em. A Stockbridge firm is engaged in shipping lumber to far-off Nova Scotia. Quite a ways to market. Imlfty City has a brand new newspaper with F. E. Sai Ier at the editorial helm. The name would suggest that he's capable of safely navigating the new eraf t. The ladies of Evergreen, Als., havo presented tue town council withafully tquipped fire engine. The romance of the Potts family in real life is ended. Aiter baving lived together and accumulated much property Lewis Potts and Alice, his wife, of Port Huron, feil out and began suits for divorce and f or a división of their earnings, and mauy other things. But they soem to have sensibly decided ta quit the foolish practice of feeing the lawyers and have once more gone iuto partnersh.p as man and wife. Ionia has formed a stock company for the purpose of working the sandstone quarries located near that city. The fortieth annual state fair opened at Jackson on the lOth. The number of exhibits is unusually large, the attendance good, and taken all in all, the fair is the best one held for many years. Saginaw bas become tired of depending upon the fellow wbo yells "fire" when a conflagration occurs, and will probably substitute a telegragh alarm system, as it's spryer and makes less noise. The annual state convention of the Universalists will be held at Portland, Oct. 9-1 L. Shepherds are usually supposed to be the Eellows who look after the flocks, but a Ban;or man of that name, who cultivates sunlowers, ïaised some heads this season that measured nearly two feet across their assthetic faces. George Weinburg, of Park, will quit carrying cartridges and tobáceo in the same pocket. The other morning he filled his pipe Eor a quiet smoke when a sudden explosión made him think for a minute that the millennium had arrived. The season for hunting ducks has been open for some days now, but it is noticed by the sportsman that the birds are very shy about getting within shooting distance of his gun. An Osceola lounty farmer has just had a pair of No. 15 boots built for his own use by a Reed City shoemaker. They proved to be a trifle unwieldy, but their owner is able to navigate 'em quite comfortably with a f uil head of steam and ampie sea room. A Gladstone deputy sheriff, naraed Pearce, started for the Ionia house of correction with a tough prisoner, and a less resolute official wouldn't have lodged his man inside the prison walls. While crossing Bay de Nocquet the prisoner jumped overboard and struck out for the shore, but the officer jumped also and overhauled bis charge soon after reaching dry land. Grand Rapids book dealers formed a trust that didn't pan out as anticipated. They advaneed the prico of school books 20 per cent. , but a telegram to an outside dealer for bed rock quotations quickly brought 'em to their senses. and the trust died in its mfancy. A company of people with fat pocket - books have put up $250,000 for the purpose of finding out just how much bottom there is to the Harbor Springs iron find. William Chatterton and family, Wexford county people, went away on a visit, and while absent their home and contents, including $10(1 in cash, was burned. A Detroit owner of a flock of geese left 'em out on the streets of that city, where they were diseovered and impounded by the police, a proeeeding that cost the goose of an owner just $7. 50 in hard cash, in addition to a whole bunch of hard feelings. Black bears are quite plentiful in the neighborhood of Luther and are feasting on the blaoktierry erop, while the nativos are harvesting the bears. The Soo's famous water power canal is being pushed forward as rapidly as possible and will be pretty well advaneed when cold weather shuts down on the shovel and the spade. About the dryest spot in tbe state these days outside of a Prohibition poütical tent, is to be found on the farm of a Bronson man named Haskins. On one portion of the farm is a marsh iuhabited by snakes, and when its owner draws water at the well, the snakes maren up with great regularity for a drink - so Haskins avers. Rev. Washington Gardner, a Methodist parson of Albion, and commander of the Michigan G. A. R. , has been transplanted to the Ohio conference and will hereafter talk to Cincinnati sinners. A Centervilie man wanted a Bihle and banjo so badly that he went over to Mendon and bouht them with a forged order on a prominent St. Joseph county citizen. When the triek was found out the Bible and banjo buyer went to the county calabooee to spend a season. Hon. Westbrook Divine, a Bolding banker, well-known in agricultural and business circles thronghtout the souMiern portion of the state, was found dead in bed atSweet's hotel Grand Ripids, on the morning of the 12 th. He went to the Rapids a day or two before in usual good health to make arrangoments for the forthcoining Western Michigan Ag ricultura fair, of which soeief.y be was a director. George Reed, the Calhoun county citizen who was housed in a bastile some months ago for having more wives than the law allows, has finally pleaded guilty to the charge and was given a 9-months' sentence in the county calaboose. Bigamy seems to come eheap in Calhoun. A St. Ignace church fair netted $1,000. The saints don't seem to be much behind their brother sinners in knowledgeof money makiug schetnes. The great pumps at the Calumet and Heckla mine have at last got down to business, and are relieving its dampness at the rate of a foot per minute. The job won't be completer!, however, for a month yet. Joe Bradley, an Ovid man, tried to be spryer'n a railway train, but the engine knocke'.l the life out of his horse quicker'n a wink and scared Joe so he'll probably not try the experiment agaiu for more than a month. Gordon Fisher, a Freeland resident and F. & P. M. telegraph operator, feil between the cars of a moving freight train and waa dragged a considerable distance. Although terribly injured, he may recover. Sidney Dunn, a Charleston citizen, announced to his neighbors the other morning that a valuable horse had biiüi stolen. The animal was gone, sure enough, and tracks leading from the barn to the road naturally led to the horse-thief solution. But forty eight hours later Mr. D.'s hired man found the missing steed imprisoned in an L shaped strawstack right in his own barnyard. Muskegon county folks are eongratulating themselves on evidences of their increasing goodness. Hitherto it has been quite a land for dear divorces, but there are ouly seventeen such cases on the docket of the present term of court. A Battle Creek r recently applied for a marriage license and got it, averring the expectant bride was a white lady, but after they were married the neighbors insisted she was blacker'n the ace of spades. Love seems to be color-blind. A snowstorm winged its feathery way 'oer Hancock the other day, just to remind 'era, we suppose, that the summer resort season is aboui. to take another vacation for nine or ten months. A log, cut from a big cottonwoocl in De troit, scaled 2,530 f eet. Quite a city log. The Grand Rapids Boat club, hearing the aboriginal name of O-wash-ta-nanc:, has returned from the regatta at Salt Lake city without capturing even one little prize. But they got what they were cheifïy in Dursuit of - a grand good time. A small and slender walst seems to be generally regarded as about the proper ca per by the averages girl of the perioi. So thought Miss Mary Crawford, of Delsay, and she laced, and laced, and thought herself very pretty. But the other night she attended a dance, poor thing, and dropped dead in the midst of a quadrille. A constricted bloodvessel burst and let her young life ebb away. An eel ran a foul of the wheel of a Flint saw-mill the other day and stopped it. When fished out the eel was in several sections. A Morenci man sold 1,000 watermelons in a single week, and still not a case of cholera has been reported from that section. An Atlanta man claims to have raised a cucumber tuis season that mensures five inches around the waist and six feet in ength. The snake and fish yarners aren't the only chaps who can teil a good story. Fire at Britton on the 14th destroyed three stores and the postofflee. Loss, $7,300; insured for about one-half that aniount.