A Sparrow's Ride.
In this city, and not far from our house, my father owns a large mill in which is a great deal of machinery. The other day a workman, busy beside a pulley that has spokes in it and a hollow cone for a rim, noticed an English sparrow fly rapidly toward him as if chased by an enemy and fleeing for its life. There was a flutter, and the sparrow suddenly disappeared. A workman near declared the bird had gone into the pulley. The first workman could not believe it, and so he did not stop the machinery.
Three hours afterward, when shutting down for the night, out flew the sparrow. It was a bit uncertain with feet and wings, but presently recovered itself and departed. An estimate was made, and it was found that the sparrow had made nearly twenty thousand revolutions, and was still unharmed.
John B. Ketcham.
Lansing.