davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02
Central Route 10 the Pacific,

Messrs. GALES s. SEAToH-GgYTLEMES
| send you letter just received from Fort
Massachusetts, in the valley of San Luis,
head of the Rio GrGnds del Norie, which
came to me as Unexpectedly as if it had fallen
from the clouds, and could not have been
more acceptable if it had been from any 9TH
er spot on the glbe. 1t is written BY d
Virginia emigrant to Cal:fornia-one who
had been there before, and now made one Of
the party OF emigrants all removing, and
taking with them large herds of sheep and
some cattle for the California market. They
Travelled upon the line which Reae and Heap
described, and confirm all they said by the
actual fact of the easy travelling of their
wagons, and the condition of their sheep and
cattle, "abom as fat as any in the Philadelphia
or Baltimore markell" and that after travel.
ing upwards of one thousand miles from Iii.
nois, and seven hundred of it from the
Missouri frontier. The country is rich and
beautiful, and the Valley Of San Luis and
the mountain grass all that Lerox and Fre-
mont described it TO be. Only think of that
grass--thick as meadow 20 the top of the
mountains, and many acres good for four
moved lons--and plenty all the winter to
sustain stock without food or shelter. The
letter is exactly such one as would wish
to get--a plain statement of what was Sc
tually seen by an emigratrg company. NOV
ing IN body, without any system or theory
to establish, and looking fer the best way to
get to California.
The pass which they mention, through
which CAPTAIN Gunnison went is one of Ava
in the Serre Blanca, leading from the
Arkansas plains into the Valley Of San Luis
three Of which are excellent, and one Of
them higher up, and from seventy to eighty
miles nearer than the other two, by being
more in the straight line to the Coo cea tone
in the Rocky Mountains, orthe Canero which
is near it, and nearly as good. Instead OF no
passes in these mountains, there are a mul.
tiplcty of them-so many g. so good that the
traveller has choice in the variety, and is only
puzzled to decide which is best.
Fort Massachusetts,, whero this lettor is
dated, is Just at the spot where Fremont was
turned out of the uallsy by his guide in. the
winter Of le4S and l549, and when he found
the pass almost without snow, through which
the Utshs passed from the Del Norte to i,ths
Arkansas, and which was so level that he
could only by careful observation detect fhs
point of the dividing waters.
In BRIEF Messrs. Editors, I now feet EN-!
boldened 10 repeat what Fremont has often
told me, that in the centrae part of the Rocky
Mountains, Covering the Three Parks, the
headwaters OF the South Platte, the Arkansas
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02
Lots Wife.

A French savant, NJ. de Saulcy, gives the
following Interpretation of the sacred narra-
tive of Lots wife: t
"The Djebbel-el- Melehh, or Djebel Sdoum,
presents a compact mass of rock salt, the
height of which varies, but never exceeds 100
yards. At the summit, the salt is covered
by stratum of clay Of dirty white hue.
The whole of the hill side presents numerous
assures followed by the winter torrents, and
the constant crumbling of the soil. At many
points appear vast pyramidal columns of salt,
one of which has no doubt been taken by
Captain Lynch for the famous pillar into
which Lots wife was transformed. All the
disconnected masses, and those which still
adhere TO the mountain, have their surfaces
deeply furrowed and indented by the rains.
And lastly wherever the rock leans over, its
lower part is hung with staiactites OF salt
Is it possible to explain the death of Lots
wife, ! am inclined 10 believe so, ard this
would be my solution; At the moment when
the huge mountain was heaved up volcanical.
", there must have been throughout its whole
extent tremendous falls of detached masses
similar to those we have observed at every
step. Lots wife having lo.tered behind
either thro' fright or curiosity, was most like
ly crushed by one of these descending frag
ments, and when Lot and his children turne
round 70 look toward the place where she ha
stopped, they saw nothing but the salt roc
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02
MISCELL N Il o U S.
For The Belmont Chronicle.
Peeps at Society. Number one.
BY Q. CuMBER, ESQ.

"Times al int now as they used to was" is
the cry of every third man you meet who has
attained the dignity of gray hairs and grand
children. Well, the sentence is rather con-
venient one, and for one am very much re-
Joiced that in some particulars, at least,
"times" aint as they "used to was;" for man s
as we'll as "Nature's mighty law is change"
Would to Heaven the change was always for
the better!
"Times," in the quaint language of sold
fogies," are somewhat altered, but it is "for
better and for worse,' as a very interesting
document expresses it. In great many
things-in all that appertans to facilities for
mental culture-in the various improvements
Of science and the arts, "Times" are better
but in the moral and religious culture of our
youth---in all that appertains to their true
advancement, "Times" are unquestionably
worse!
Some forty or fifty years ago--a few more
or less are mmaterial--parents had differ
ent way Of making their children smart--ayer
and in quite different place, too! They
were in nowise fearful of breaking the spirits
of their darlings. Look at the result! How
does the generation that is passing away
compare with that that is coming up! Let
me draw a parallel:
The tottering step of the aged is turned
churchward--the trembling, faltering voice
of infrmity is framing petitions to the throne
of Mercy. Where one foot is in the grave
the other is almost always in the "straight
and narrow path" of rectitude. Ask the ole
man whose footsteps have for half century
been towards the Church where he first con
ceived the desire, or formed the habit. Mark
well his answer! "At my mothers knee!'
What comment on parental Impressions or
the plant mind! Dreamy remembrances o
bygones come trooping past his dimmed visior
Gmemories of another day, when heramblet
o'er the sunny slopes dchildhood, aud dranl
in sainted mothers holy teachings-teach
ings that formed his impressble mind as if i
were wax in the moulder's hand. His har
vest is of piece with his seed time-and tina
was of "life unto life"
Now glance at the rising generation--o
"Young America"-as il is spompously called
Let MS select specimen. Where! In tn
bar-room-where else! He sports, in pro
portion 70 his means, highly scented "ciga
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02
Deed of Separation between the National
Democrats and the Free Soiiers and
Soft coalition.

democrats ana the Free SOiieTs AM
Soft coalition.
"This indenture, made this 9th day of Sep
tember, 1853, at time that tests the honest
of men possessing Democracy, between tn
company composing the firm of Jefferson
Democracy Of the first part and the littlt
crowd of dead weights, who, like vampires
have preyed upon the credit of the said com
pany, composing the unincorporated firm o.
Barnburners, Softshells, short boys, assassins
| and New York thieves, of the second part;
witnesseth that the said party for the first
part, for and in consideration Of good rid
dance to them, duly paid, have discarded, and
! by these presents do forever discard and quit
claim, all their title and interests of, in, and
to that certain nmall parcel or moiety of res.
pectatiity and claimed for and belonging to
one heretofore connected with said firm, to
wit: Martin Van Buren,, lying and belonging
to the town of Sour Crout, county of Prince
John, and State of Uncertainty.
"Bounded as follows: commencing at a
small post in the Baltimore Convention mark
ed Revenge running thence south to veto
of slavery in the District Of Columbia; thence
in westerly zig gag course towards Buffalo,
until it strikes Ben Buffers tckle-straw;
thence due north to British sympathy; thence
southeasterly to gold spoon marked 'Ogle;'
thence south, $50 as to leave the large lot
known as 'the memory OF Jackson over the
left;) thence east to pile of incendiary doc
umen;s marked THE Mail Bug;' thence north
to bass wood monument marked sIrditor:.;
thence east down a steep declivity to the
place of beginning, containing abolitonists,
oilice-seekers, inconsistencies, any sort Of
broken Pledges. &C., be the same more or
less. Together with the appurlenances and
all interests and claims whatever of the said
party of the first par, either in expectancy
or otherwise, subject only to the condemna-
ton of all lovers of their country. And the
said party Of the first part hereby covenant
and agree to keep up IN perpetual repair the
fences that now surround the premises here
by conveyed sufficient height to prevent all
egress from the said premises.
"Witness our hand and seal the day and
year above written.
JEFFERSON DEMOCRACY.
by DANIEL S. DICKINSON, their Attorney.
"Signed, sealed, and delivered in the pres
ence of GEORGE w. CLINTON"
"County Of Union for the sake Of the Uaion,
ss.-On this 18th day day of September, 1853,
before me came Daniel S. Dickson, who is
to me personally known as the agent of the
first part, and acknowledged that he had ex-
ecuted the foregoing instrument as the act
and deed Of the Jefferson Democracy.
JOHN c. MATHER,
Canal Commissioner"
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02

Dick and me went over that way. There wa,
old dad and there was the goat.
"We laid fiat on the ground, anxious e
know what the old man was going to do
when what was our surprise to see him take
the exact position Dick had taken couple o
weeks before.
We said nothing, for we hadn't seen any
of that kind Of sport in long time; the old
man presented rather formidable appear.
ance, but Billy, nothing daunted, pointed for
the mark, the old man lowered, but a little
too late, for the goat took him "plump." We
heard something strike in the mud, and i,
wasn't Billy, for he stood looking down the
ridge. Me and Dick pulled for the barn, and
in few minutes we saw old dad padding for
the house, covered with nire from head to
foot.
"That night the old man was dressed up
In his best clothes. ventured to ask him If
he was going over to see the Deacon
"See the Deacon! no! Can't man put on
good clothes without going to see the Dea-
cont"
eyes," said Dick, looking out the door,
"can't man go to see the goat without
tumbling in the mudr'
Dick was gone, and old dad looking at me,
and then very significantly at "a heavy wooden
bootjack, stepped out of the back door,
Spirit Of The Times.
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02

"OyER THE LEFT.o
A PARODY.


o don't you remember Bill Spriggs, mother,
Old Spiggs, that lived at the mill;
With eyes Just like pigs mother,
And nose like a parrots billi
With turn-up chin.
And yellow skin,
He was Just the man for beau,
Over the left you know, mother,
Over the left, you know. .r.f- f..
He come to court me-once-mother,
When we lived over south;
And tried to kiss me--ihe Ounce, mother,
But poked his chin in my mouth.
The old scapegrace!
slapped his face
But said twas loving blow;
Over the left, you know, mother,
. Over the left, you know.
lie was ugly and old-but rich, mother,
The last an important thing
So | let the stupid wretch, mother.
Come, when present he'd bring,
lie said, my dove,
Will you be my lovel"
told him "Oh yes! just so'--
Over the lett you know, mother,
Over the left you know.
And Harry got quite jealous mother,
Although no reason had he;
And sighed like broken bellows, mother,
But ! told him "Riddle.de dee!
It's all sham
The old thing to BAN;
For all the love | show
Is over the left you know, Harry,
Over the left, you know" ..
And ere was welded to Harry, mother.
/ still my humor would please;
And though I'D consented to marry, mother,
Iyet could not help bu, tease.
should love eyermore,
Old Spriggs, ] swore-
1t made Harry as mad as hoe;
But twas over the left, you know, mother,
Over the left. you know.
When / stood up at the altar, mother,
To wed the man of my choice,
pretended to remble and falter, mother,
And spoke with inaudible voice.
To "love and obey"
Dear Harry, that day
To pledge was no ways slow;
But twas over the eli, yos. know. mother,
Over the left, yon know.
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02

Debt is perfect bore. How it haunts a
man frou pillar to post--urking in his break
fast cup--poisoning his dinner--embitterng
his tea!--now it stalks from him like living,
moving skeleton, seeming to announce h's
presence by recounting the amount of liabil-
tiles. How it poisons his domestic joys by
introducing its internal "balince" into the
calculation of madam respecting the price oI
new carpet, or a new dress! How it hin
ders dreamy plans OF sPeculations aud accu
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02

John G. SAKE addressed the following let.
ter to the Committee of Invitation at SPRING
field:
BURLINGTON, W., Oct. II, 1853.
GENrLEMEz:-I am very sorry that shall
not be able to partake Of ycur horse pt!ality.
Being born Vermonter-who, YOU know. i.
"perfect Arab" for horses--I claim no ex.
emPtion from the charge of loving "chars.
er," and admire "courser," Of course. In.
deed, must say, in the manner Of Alexander
to Diogenesc-"if were not a man I would
be horse'-an animal which, in u.,s- CON.
tempt of the monkey theory of the natural.
ist, held to be the next of his kin to his mas.
ter. In short, he who does not love horse
is--an ass, and deserves perpetual diet of
histlss, instead of the sumptuous fare which
your famous Springfield caterers will spread
before you at your banqnet on the 2Oth Ho-
ping that Vermont will represent herself
worthily at the great National Exhibition of
Horses,
am, gentlemen, yours, very truly,
JOHN G. SAKE.
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02
POETRY. {.
From the Wheeling Intclligencer'
THE HOME-SICK BOY.

The bow stood on the burning deck.NIMrs' HEMAN
The bow, stretched on the school.bench, 10y,
His books around him thrown;
His chums had oil gone out TO play,
And left him there alone.
Yet, stalwurt limbs were hi, at need,
And merry glance and note,
As born in youths wild ranks to l.od,
And fight, or fun promote
The glec burst forth, but all in vain,
His heart was vexed and sore;
He turned him to his bench again,
To dream of home once more.
He called aloud, "Oh. father. say
If vet my task is donei"
That father now, was far away,
And needed not his son.
"Speak, father" once again he crlcd'
''If yet may go home,
And" but the booming shouts replied,
".shaw! Willy; come out, come"
Upon his ear, shout, jibe, and jest,
In harmless point were spent;
lilo looked from that hard plank OF rest,
In Sullen discomfort.
And shouted but once more, aloud,
my father, must stay"
While brooms and busters raised q cloud,
That dulled the light of day.
Itwrapped him round in dingy gloom;
1t filled his nose and eyes.
1t made him ''dr,t" the dusty room,
But still, supine, he lies.
There came peal--the schocl-be!l's sound..'
The boy, where is he nowl
AsI. the desk; where, gathering round,
Young learning's votaries bow.
Lo! classic puge, and modern lore
His nobler thoughts employ;
And pining on that bench, no moro
Is seen the home.sick boy.
ELLeNpALs. W. u. d.
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02
THE LAW OF NEWSPAPERS.

subser;bers who do not give express nolIo w h ,,'
or,,s,y are considered wishing to continue SUI
scription. a.. ,,.con,inunnce of their pc.
,oS.,s ,he nubshers may continue 10 seho 'Ne'i u'
iii all arrearages are paid. ,.I. their period.
;csi. from the offices 10 which they are Xii and
s,e bsiS responsible till they have settled 'he O' """
ordered them discontinued -, ,,.os without in.
forming tile publishers and the per,oa,esiSS psiSe are
VI" Tho somrts have decided that refusing 10 tahe o
iodc ais from the office, removing ana leaving md
uncalled for lis prima iacie evidence oi n"eh'''"
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02
WHOBE no. S4s

which covered her body. The catastrophe
may be explained in many ways; but having
visited the spot, hold to the opinion have
now advanced, without seeking however, to
impose It on Others" ".
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02
ST. CLlIRSVTLLB, OHIO, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1853.

prop TO lean on when age should come upon US,
and life should be running to its dregs. The
hope and the prop is gone, and we care not
how soon we 60 down to sleep beside our dar-
ling, beneath the shadow Of the trees in the
CITY of the dead
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02

O, Death, thou art traveller,
Thoult kill US all as thou Kilt her,
And it is written, I'VE all must die
And in the cold ground buried lie
Till Gabril bloweth out the sun,
Then may it be said to us, your work is
we'll donel'
We've heard of blowing out candles, and
of roses and furnaces blowing out, and of
great schemes, like Southey's Pantisocracy
or the South Sea Bubble, blowing out, but
the idea of blowing out the sun!--it is the
strongest figure in the pathetic "Pome." 1t
is to be "bowed out" most likely, in the same
way that Tom the Piper blew out his breath
and life in the days of "good queen Bess.''
But we suspect the poets vaticinaton, when
he predicts the death of US all "like herl"--
by cholera -morbus. Shade of Pandora, hide
us!
There is the Farmers Column" and the
"Ladies' Department" and "Sunday Read
ing" and "Our Joker" surmounted by Puck
in FOOLS cap and bells, with grin on his face
SO broad as to make an island of his crown
piece What jokes those must be that so Gi-
vide the continent Of mans countenunce!--
But we must take French leave of our an
cient friend-the prototype of that with which
our boy-vision was familar-who has lain
quietly on our table, as we have pleasantly
gosiped half hour concerning his "circum-
stances and surroundings" "We'll meet t.
gain, old friend"
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02
Old Fashioned News Papers.

Our young friend PLIMPToN, of the Raven
ma Wig, gets off a capital sketch of the
style, &C., of newspapers of olden times, and
such as occasionally come to hand from out of
way places. The poetry especially, is very
pathetic and moving. Hear him:
1t does our eyes good to turn from the piles
of exchanges which "look as like as two
peas" and which are whitfield down like eve
ry thing else in this stereotyped age OF
straght-jackets, to an insipid uniformity, and
give reverential "turn.to" as one Of these
hoary remainders Of the olden time straggles
on to our table such an one, for instance, as
the republican, published somewhere near
Dowagiac, Mich. How hugely we admire
the originality exercised in displaying the ad-
vertisementS! what magnificent spread eagle
overshadows with its pinions Virgins an
nouncement of the arrival of fresh lot of
Scotch ale and fourth proof! How that nam.
moth pig squeezes his fat sides into the COR
ner where the butcher displays his wares.-
Here's an advertisement topsy -turvy; there,
parading side-wse: FOUNDER, as live! is the
apothumekary's mortar and pestle, capacious
enough for the Paint Kings use or pudlers's
basin. And there, over the jewelers. adver-
tisement, is pair of spectaeles--we speak
with Difference of these nose-striders, lest our
own fine US for contempt of their jurisdiction
Hooking like 1.-TWO full or bed moons," trim
med out and connected by pot-hook, jus,
such "specs" as the pictures instruct us, look
down from the benevolent face of "Poor
Richard" There, too, is the poets corner"
ornamented with three-stinged harp inter-
laced with willow bow. What a sinecure
martin-box for "ye gentell mynstrell" and
what dolelul strains come out Of it, Lines
on the death OF Susan Lee, aged eighteen"
Take the first verse as a sample.
In the year eighteen hundred fifty three,
On Sunday night, dear Susan Lee
Was seized by relentless cholera,
Morbus. The skllful doctor, he
Tried oil his powers to save, but death
Closed her eyes and stopt her breath.
Poor Susan! hers was ptiful extremity,
doubt,le g. the poet does the elegaic with the
pathos of Bion. What were Achilles with
out embalment in Homeric amber, and what
Susan Lee without quotient in this barding's
numbers! Where's DR.. White and the
Akron bard of Knickerbocker memoryl "a
poets love is Immortality" But we can't
resist the felicity of the last stanza; it is the
grand moral of the tale; we must reproduce
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02

The Fastest HoRsr OF rHEWoRLp DEAD.
The bay gelting, who performed on Satur-
day last the most remarkable feat of speed
and bottom every recorded in the history of
the turf, died on Saturday night. After he
had performed that Unprecedented race
against time, going 100 miles in eirht
hours and fifty-eight minutes, he was taken
to the stable where he was bled and then
covered with six or eight thick blankets. Il
is the prevailing opinion among horsemen.
that this superabundance of covering, while
in an exhausted state, caused the death of
this noble animal. We also learn that tho
celebrated PAGER, Hero, is very low, and IT Is
feared that he also will die.
Upon the incident the Ti.i6gAs INDUCES in
these very natural and just structures:
In no other cause existed than this one fact,
that the noblest horse in the world, one which
had performed the greatest feat of speed and
endurance, has been brutaily murdered by
horse-racing gamblers, there would be cause
enough for us.
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02
ITO put in every homes, hand a wbip
To lash the rascal nakad .t,o,nh 81 -


FOR who but rascal could be guilty of
oiV'nga horse one hundred miles in less than.
nine hours, Tor no object on earth than TO
make the noble animal the tool OF gamblers
TO win money from their dupes; and then, not
content with that cruelty, to force him on
another mile to win few more dollars, till
the poor exhausted creature only found relief
from his worse than brute driver in the sIeep
OF death. Such is the fate of the horse that
trotted lol miles on the Long Island Center
vile Course on Saturday. Such will proba-
bly, be the fate of the splendid gray horse that
we reported as pacing against trotter on
Friday. 1t seems pity that if brutes must
be raced to death, lower sort Of animals had
not been chosen. The proprietors and dri.
yers OF the defunct horses should have been
put through the process in their stead.
The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-12-02

Thus wrote the dying wife over the corpse
of her husband, and is there but one such case
in this goody land'-is there but one father
leading his children to ruin! one easy mother
making no effort for her loved ones! but one
sister Amy laughing TO scorn those who would
save the weak or wavering from destruction
We know there are thousands, and we trus,
this record of truth may reach their hearts.