davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

QUEER OpERATioss-SPIRITs AMONG TIRE
BoNEs.-The race of asses is not dead. Oh
mol 1t is perennial. 1t pokes its long ears
into the face of Christianity, and whisks its
tail into the eyes of civilization. Witness the
following facts.-A number Of spirituaists
in this city, with one or two, We believe from
Chicopee, received intiniatiOr that they must
enter certain large and unoccupied house.
They accordingly sent for the key OF the
house, which was unsuspectinglS delivered to
them, the holder never dreaming Of the pur.
pose for which it was to be used. They en-.
tered the house, and there was soon heard
coming from within; by gentleman passing.
the most terrific screams. He declares thas
1t sounded as if some one was suffering from
the fear and pain Of murderer's knife. a
female medium was taken possession OF, ~
seems, by the spirit Of murdered man whose
bones were declared to be buried in the col
lar, and so she initiated his dying agonies.-
The spirits finally ordered the digging up OF
the bones, and designated a certain gehtle,-
man to use the spade. II is asserted, though
we know not with how much truth, that the
medium was taken up bodily by the. spirits,
and carried to place ON the cellar bottom.
directly over the alleged deposit of the bones:
And here, oh reader! the gentleman of the
spade stripped and went to work. ter Dig
ging n deep hole. and finding no bones, the
pursuit was rellnquished. These are the
main facts, as they come to us, and it is pro-
per 10 say that this utter piece of tom foolery
was not enacted by the more ignorant Of the
spiritualists, but the principal actors are somo
of the leading minds in this strange delusion.
If there is no devil rs the spiritualists affirm,
there is something that answers all the leglti'
mate purposes of a devll.-Springfeld Re
r,ublicdn
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03


THE NEWSPAPER THAT PLEAsEs.-That
editor has the wisest tact, and will have his
paper most read, who is able not only to an
tcipate public opinion, but give it form and
existence, in the most pleasing and acceptable
dress. The London Leader makes the fol-
lowing observations:
at may be very wise to see both sides of
a question, and to be- more anxious about
what can be said against you, than what can
be said for you; but the fact is that the object
of most men in buying newspaper, is to
enjoy the statement Of their own inarticuate
notions in the shape of arA'tical development
and expression. A reader never 50 thorough
ly enjoys a paper as when he can say, That
is exactly wbaf hatc sid iuyseh;' and he
always tries to buy that paper which can
givo to his own opinions'an air of the great
est point and wisdom. 1t is looking into a
mirror which tells him not the superficial
aspect, so inadequate to the expression of his
real beauty and dignity, but that inner truth
which is more perfect portrait of the whole
man. mirror which makes Simpson see with
his own eyes the Socrates that he feels HIM
self to be. For this reason it is to be taken
that the papers which are purchased repre-
sent the opinions Of their purchasers"
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03
FROM WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, May 10.


You have had before you, ere this, the list
of foreign appointments, diplomatic and con.
sular. The most formidable task of the nd.
ministration was to dispose of these and Of
the domestic appointments in a manner that
would promote the public service, and, al
the same time, be acceptable to the different
interests of the democratic party, the com.
bined force of which had brought them into
power. That task is now nearly completed
and in manner believed to be, on the whole
very satisfactory. Complaints will be made
of these appointments by those who are dis.
appointed, but no administration can expect
to please all its friends.
The administration now turns to task Of
equally great import. They are to give
practical effect to their theory of the foreign
policy of this country, through immediate
instructions to our ministers. Mr. Buchanan
is here awaiting his instructions. They must
necessarily be Of very important character,
if 1t be true, as generally believed, that this
government is to strike off into new and
independent track Of policy.
All the Ministers lately appointed are to
come here and receive their instructions in
person, and orally as we'll as in writing.
They are TO be required, however, to spend
only two days here, for this purpose. Mr..
Soule is expected to arrive here next week,
to take his instructions. They are all to be
sent out in June.
The Gardiner trial, nfter occupying six
weeks, came to an end by the submission of
the case to the Jury by GARDENERS counsel,
without argument, after the District Attorney
had occupied three days in n speech, on the
part of the prosecution. The Jury have, at
the moment of this writing, been out for thir-
ty hours, and have not agreed. They are to
render a sealed verdict, if they agree before
10 o'clock Monday morning, when the Court
again meet. The Jury stand ten for acquittal
to two for conviction. When this trial shall
be over, there are others pending in regard
to the same case, that are to be commenced,
and will give further evidence of the imbe
cility of our Criminal Court.
P. S.-The foreign appointments have
been kept back by the occurrence of diff
Guilty between the President and the Cabi-
net, in regard to New York appointments,
and to the appointments given to Young
America,
The list will, it is said, be completed on
Monday, and published on Tuesday.-Cor.
Char. Cour.
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

PosToFrIcE RoBBERY.-We regret to say
that we have never suffered so much from
the practice of puroining money from letters,
always heavy tax upon New York journ-
alists,) as during the past two or three weeks.
We have before us list of memoranda, made
by our entry clerk since the Goth of May, by
which it appears that money has been taken
from letters forwarded to us from seventeen
different persons, in addition to twelve dol
lars taken from another letter, enclosing
names, which have not reached US. All of
these losses have occurred within the States
Of New York aai Ohio. Not day passes
scarcely that the mail does not bring us com.
plant at the non-arrival Of papers, for which
meney has been sent that never reached us.
What may be the explanation of this, we
cannot pretend to say; but we can suggest
remedy, which, we venture to assure the
Postmaster. General will be efiicacious. Let
him require every postmaster, whom it is not
the immediate intention of the department to
displace, to produce satisfactory evidence of
his honesty and capacity, failing in which, let
him be removed. There is no doubt that
there are some rogues among our postmas-
ters, and the quicker they are detected and
put away the better. Meantime, we would
recommend those remitting money to us, to
take receipts from the postmaster where their
letters are deposited, that the government
may be facilitated in tracing out the Often
ders.-N Y. Evening Posi-.
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

AsKcpoTE olAlTHE PREMIER.-The hard
pressure for appointments to office under the
new administration at Washington, gives rise
to some amusing incidents. The following
is told of the Secretary Of State:
Among the host of besiegers in the pursuit
of place, was woman who was extremely
anxious that her husband should be made
postmaster in some country village. She was
most persevering in her solicitations, in seas
on and out of season. She stood at the
Secretary's door when he came out OF his
room in the morning; she intercepted him on
his way TO his meals; she followed him to his
lodgings at night On one occasion she re-
manned there unusually late; the Governor
listened to her as long as he could, when he
requested her to excuse him, but she fingered.
At length every gentleman, but one had gone,
and the Secretary took off his shoes. Still
she stood her ground, quite unmoved.-
Growing desperate, the Secretary finally rose
from his seat, and proceeded to strip of his
coat; then, turning to the woman, he exclaim-
cd: "Madam, am going to bed, and If you
don't withdraw, | shall write to Mrs. Marcy
about YOU" The lady Immediately retired
from the room.
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

ScoTTIsH JtsTitE.--A poor man, halfa
century ago or more, was tempted to violate
the game laws, by shooting deer, the penal
ty for the offence being fine of five pounds
or in default of funds, thirty lashes. He
gave half the deer to neighbor, who had the
meanness afterwards to complain of him in
order that he might get half the fine; the law
being that half must go to the informer and
half to the king. The offender was convic-
ted, and fined accordingly; bit plead that he
had no money. "WelI, mon," said the ma;
gistrate, tive nun ha' the lashes then" The
poor man was submissive. The magistrate
then said to the Sheriff, stake that man, the
iuformer, tie him till yon tree, and gle him
fifteen lashes, which will be his half; and
when King George comes over, we will gie.
him his half. Half till the informer and halt
till the King"
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

W An association of capitalists has been
formed in Santa Fe, under the title of "Ral.
road Association" and the Hon. II. N. Smith
has been elected President. The Gazette
says:
Membership is constituted by n subscrp-
ton of such sums as may be consistent with
the means of each member. The amount
thus raised is to be placed in the hands Of
bankers, members Of the association, to be
invested in railroad stock, in the great ATTAIN
tic and Pacific Railroad, provided the main
trunk passes through New Mexico, making
Albuquerque point. We are not advised
of the precise amount subscribed by this as
sociation, but we believe it is largely over a
million of dollars.
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

THE STAR OF THE CABNET.-The Hon.
Caleb Gushing, Attorney General, is tinques-
tionably the leading spirit of the Cabinet. lie
has taken the whole building opposite tho
Treasury, lately occupied by the Department
of the Interior; and fitted up his rooms in
elegant style, with regular "Audience Cham,
ber," which is said to be even more thronged
with applicants for office than the "Ante-
Room" of the White House. The Judicial
appointments have been transferred to the
Attorney Generals department; and various
other "patronage" placed in his hands. 10
Washington, Mr.. Gushing has already receive
ed the soubriquet of "Richeieu;" and he is
evidently crowding the Secretary of State in
the struggle for executive influence ard popu-
lar admiration. As an accomplished scholar
and an adroit statesman, Mr.. Gushing has no
equal in the Cabinet. AS politician, Mr..
Marcy can beat him at long odds.-New York
Mirror,
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

TRAVEL ON THE BALTIMORE AND ONO
RAILRoAD.-We learn that upwards of ninety
through passengers from Wheeling arrived
in the cars this morning, and the travel is in
creasing so rapidly that the agent at Wheel
ing has written for more passenger ears,
which will be Immediately sent out. We
also learn that three first class locomotives
were recently put on.the road, and that five
more have been purchased, to be here in
few days. The freight is now brought over
as fast as it arrives at Wheeling, and the in
creased motive power to be brought into use
will enable the Company to despatch all bu-
siness that may offer.-Bah. Patriot l3.
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03
LONG RAILROAD TRANs.-A few da,

Long RAILROAD TRAMs.-A few days
since there started from Detroit train of
eighty-five cars in ono string, propelled by
two of the most powerful locomotives in the
country. The train was bound for Chicago
and the greater part of its vast load was for
the merchants of that thriving place. On
Thursday evening passenger train left the
depot for the west composed of twenty-nine
of the splendid new passenger and luggage
cars of this company, containing 900 passen-
gers and almost one quarter of mile long
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03
ry- The N. Y. Mercury gives the follow

lay The N. Y. Mercury gives the follow
ing bit of advice to some OF the CUSTOM
house officers in that city who have been per-
mtted to hold on to the present time:
"Those gentlemen who have been serving
their country (at the rate of three and hVe
dollars per diem) in the New York Custom
House, during the last three or four years.
and who daily anticipate polite invitation
to step out will have to look for sympathy
and consolation in the place pointed out oy
the negro preacher. "My brudders in inti'c-
ton, said he, in all your troubles, dare is
one place whore you can always find sympao-
thy Wharf wharf inquired several Of his
hearers, In do dictionary replied Sambor
and he rolled his eyes skyward."
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

BRIEF AND TO THE PoIST.-The following
is specimen of California pleadings, taken
from the files of the District Court in San
Francisco. We commend it 10 our Tennes-
see lawyers rs suitable for some cases they
have to deal with:
Rufus A. Lockwood ads. Elkanah H.
Hodges. The said defendant, for plea and
answer to the complaint Of said plaintiff, on
his behalf says that he never intends to pay
the said plaintiff "a red Of the sum of money
claimed in said complaint, or two other notes
held by said plaintiff, unless, and until, (should
such unlocked for event ever happen) the
said defendant shall have more money than
he knows what to do with, or to dispose of
otherwise; and should the plaintiff succeed in
getting said money otherwise or sooner, the
said defendant will be glad to be advised
thereof.
Wherefore the said defendent Gn lieu of
the prayer for judgment in such cases) says
"let her rip" X. A. LOCKWOOD,
In proper person.
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03
w- Mr.. Walsh, w.iting from Paris to tn,

R Mr.. Walsh, whiting from Paris to the
Journal of Commerce, expresses his gratifca.
ton, and the general qualification felt by
Americans abroad, at the appointment of Mr..
Buchanan as Minister to England. Touching
another topic, we quote from Mr.. Walsh's
letter:
used to suspect the British government
and people, and thought that it was with
them the United States would ultimately
have to engage in strife mortal to one or
the other. My present impressions are wide
ly different. Dispositions and views are not
the same in Great Britain. The universal
sense of vast enlargement and irresistible
advance of American power; the indefinite
extension and multiplication of mutual inter-
est the more frequent, various, and intimate
personal intercourse; the religious, literary,
and scientific intercommunion; the effects and
facilities of steam navigation; American i'm
portance with the world at large; the new
sympathies and ties resulting from the pro-
digious emigration and the progress Of the
Democratic element, spirit, influance and ten
denotes in the Brisssli PoEticd and social sys-
tem-these, and other salient changes, have
begotten general good will, n rule Of con-
ciliation, a general earnestness for the per-
petuity of relations and feelings such as be-
come cognate races and institutions, and a
common acknowledgment Of the precepts and
ends Of Christianity.
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

FALL OF CATFIsH.-The Norfolk Argus
states that curious phenomenon attended
the hail storm in that city on Tuesday night.
Quantities of catfish, some measuring foot
in length, fell in different sections of the
city, and some of the fields were literally
strewn with them. Hundreds were picked
up in the morning. This (says the Argus)
is no piscatorial fabrication, but fact which
is attested by hundreds of citizens.
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

ew Within the space Of one month past
tho public press have recorded the destruc-
tion of the steamship Independence in the
Pacific, the Ocean Wave on the Lakes, the
Jenny lind in California, the awful railroad
calamities at Chicago and Norwalk, and the
loss of the ship William and Mary at sea
near the Bahama Island. These six disasters
have hurled into eternity not less than FIVE
hundred souls.
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

THE HEN LAw-The following is pro-
posed as the proper treatment of the hens
when found in your garden;
lst. On the appearance of hens in the gar
den give the owner notice. I'd. On their Sc
cond appearance, kill them, and throw the
bodies over the fence of the owner. Sd. On
all the subsequent appearances Of hens,
through the season, kill and eat them'
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

RELIGIOUS TROUBLES IN HoLLANp,-The
irritation of the public mind in Holland, it is
stated, increases against the recent papal usur-
patton, and the ill-fceling awakened between
the Protestants and Roman Catholics, is so
great that it is feared conflict will happen.
The more timid among the Catholics are
leaving for Belgium. The ministers assem-
BILE daily. This is tho Protestant'version of
the story
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

SEVERE FALLs.-A new convert out west
recently "fell from grace" dislocating his
conscience and entirely running his moral
constitution.
A gentleman fell down in his own esteem
the other day. Fortunately he had no brains
or they would have been dashed out
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

The OLD MAID.-We admit, at once, that
the "Old Maid," so far as the great obligation
of female life is concerned, is obnoxious to
the charge of being only of numerical value
in the world. We are, however, not at all
disposed, as is generally the case, to make
her lonely condition the subject of continual
sport and badinage. Our experience would
not justify us either in associating sourness
of disposition, or ill-nature, as necessary
consequence of old-maidism.
Nature is abundant in her resources, and
observes well the laws of compensation. II
one faculty becomes blunted, another is
sharpened, and so on; and we have often
thought the old maid has been blessed with
a more than usual share of the milk of human
kindness, because nature despaired Of the
"old maid" ever having flow of any other
kind. We by no means insist upon this
theory.
Those ancient virgins, who have reached
beyond the grand climacteric of life, and are
travelling to the grave, vexed at themselves
and all the world, who find, when it is too
late, that they have sefishly thrown away a
lifetime, and defeated the end and aim Of
their existence, have mostly themselves to
blame for the lonely and uncared-for misery
they endure.
This class of antiques were generally great
bellies in their youth, receiving universal
homage, whether they were dispensing their
charms from the opera box, fascinating the
toe-bred dandies of the ballroom, or gracing,
with their heartless coquetry, the social circle.
The number of her admiring subjects not
orly confounded her judgment but cut her
affections up into such little pieces that none
who sought her hand were willing to take so
small portion of heart. So long as her
beauty lasted, this was all very well, but when
that began to fade, and time would roll on,
she began to think seriously of making
choice; when, gathering up the fragments of
n heart which had been true to nothing in
detail, she offers it wholesale, in time to dis
cover it was deprecated thing in the mar
ket A heartless flirt through the best years
of her life, she cannot expect much sympathy,
if, in her old age, she becomes the object of
merited contempt to those whose hearts she
herself scared against her.
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

W A democratic paper in this State ex-
ults over the Virginia GeTrymnnder as
clever and praiseworthy democratic feat
Hear its conscientious editor:
"The Legislature of Virginia have so dis
tricted the State to secure an entire delegation
to the thirty-third Congress. Huzza for the
odd Domnion' That's clean sweep OF
whippery, isn't it,"
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03
Nvw OpI.rANs. NAV "a,

On Tuesday 5000 balos of Cotton were
disposed of at steady prices. TIE receipts
for the last four days oaly amount to 9loo
bales The increase in the receipts at New
Orleans is only $4,000. bales as compared
with the same period last year. and at all the
ports 242,Ooo bales. The stock Of Cotton
ON hand nmnnnts TO 10000 bales.
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

ISeESloUs.-A tavern keeper in Vienna
lately reapcd great harvest by announcing
that, on certain day, he would sell at retail
a tun of hcrrings, with ono herring in it con-
taining gold ducat, the latter TO be the pro-
perty of the person who might get the her
ring. The sale Of the behring's, and the prfce
Of The liquor drunk in consequence Of ssting
them, brought him an enormous profit
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

CUBA, HER LABOR AND PRoDUcTs.-A Ha-
vana correspondent of the New York Express,
of a late date, says:
"The commerce of the Island is not only
largely American, but much Of its productions
is in American hands. Planters coin money
here who visit their estates but once or twice
a year. At present, however, there is not
more than one-ffth Of the Island cultivated
Mt all. The export of five hundred thousand
hocsheads, or one million five hundred thou
sand boxes of sugar per annum, could easily
he multiplied four or five fold, and would be,
if the country belonged to the United States,
and labor could be procured.
The slnve trade and slave births do not be-
gin to meet the demand for labor, and slave
property has advanced enormously here with
in a short time The estimated annual i'm
portation is from twenty to thirty thousand
from Africa. Gentlemen who have Travelled
all over the Island, the past winter, tell me
that slaves have arrived lately at every port
from Africa; but still there is constant de-
mand for labor The Chinese importation of
l,2OO-to be increased to 6000-is but as n
drop in the ocean, Occasionally European
white labor has been tried, but aside from the
Incidence and inertness of the white laborers
brought here, there are no white people ca
pable of enduring heat but the natives Of the
Island.
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

sY- Sterne's Uncle Toby says that ono Of
the tricks of women is, to pretend that they
have accidently got something in their eye,
and induce man to look for il; and he says
the man is sure gone if he looks there for
that something.
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

ry- Under the New York statute the
damage recovered against the New York and
New Haven Railroad Company, for those
who were killed at Norwak, would amount
70 S255, 900, and the damages for injuries to
persons and destruction of property to $780,
900 or 100000 more. Under the statute OF
Connecticut, the damages for the dead might
run up to 100000 or $5oo,oOo.
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

SAD AccrprST.-A man twas thrown up
on his own resources" in this city last week.
lo was injured internally, but ii is thought
that he will recover, as tho resources wore
not very extensive or powerful
The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1853-06-03

SENTENCED TO BE HUSG FOR KIDNAPPING.
Joseph X. Groves has been tried at Clin-
ton, N. c., on n charge Of kidnapping, found
guilty, and sentenced to be hung on the first
Friday of July.