davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

THE Isle OF SERPENTs Many years ago, when
was resident in Turkey, had occasion to make
frequent reference to Arrian. On finding that the
Island of Serpents was lately appointed as the rem
dezyous for the expedition against the Crimea
was reminded of the gift of that Island by Thetis
to Achilles, and of the pretty fable respecting the
manner in which the temple of that hero was kept
clean, According to Arran, multitude of aquat-
ic birds Of all sorts abounded there which alone
had the care of the temple. They repaired every
morning to the sea- where they bathed their wings,
afterwards sweeping with their plumage the sacred
pavement. From the immense number of these
BIRDS and from the color of their dung, the island
was known to the Greeks by the name of Lence.
The shades of both Achilles and Patrocus who
were equally worshipped there, are said to have
appeared in dreams to those who visited the island,
and to have pointed out the safest place for landing
Whether this invaluable faculty still continues to
exist, and whether it extends to the neighboring
shores of the Crmea may now be a matter of
debut which, it is to be hoped, may be cleared up,
if the allied admrals kept record of their dreams
when they were at the Isle of Serpents.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23
C0L0MA ELL DORADO COUNTY, CAL SATURDAY, JUNE 23 1855

"OUR POWER FOR MIscHIF" Under this caption
the New York Herald gives a running review of the
existing naval commercial power of the United
States, as compared with the other nations of the
world From the table given it appears that the
United States is second in ships and tonnage to nc
nation except Great Britain and it is doubtful al
this time IT her commercial navy is not greater
than that of England. The Herald takes its table
OF number OF ships and tonnage from an English
paper We give the figures of the four nations
which stand first on the list
Enid and Cid
e p,., vessels Tonnage Vessels Tonnage
e Britain Colonies 5sGo 5o4827o 942854 42,57 SO:
France >. .......... 1854 716o0o - 1@9'000,0OS @
Spain and Colonies. 1851 a7S42i 1885 ,456,84i
After giving the table the Herald proceeds to
remark
From this it appears that the United States stands
second in the list being very slightly behind Eng
land 1t has more ships than all the rest of Eu.
rope together. IF Great Britain, France and Spain
were united against this country, the three COM
bined would only possess one-ffth more tonnage
than the United States has ahoat. And as we find
that the tonnage has nearly quadrupled since 1872
it is safe to assume that four five years hence the
American merchant navy will be equal to theirs,
and will only fall short bya small figure Of equal
ling the entire tonnage Of Europe.
This is startling fact. if viewed in connection
with the possibility Of war. During the last war
nearly all our ports were blockaded from time to
time all were under a paper blockade; United
States merchant vessels were swept from the sea,
and the few transient gallant deeds of the navy
only served to make the national failure that
element more conspicuous Had the United States
possessed one-half her present naval strength the
battles of Chippewa, Niagara and New Orleans
would have been fought somewhere on the soil of
Ireland or England The history of the struggles
of Perry and McDonough to get their miniature
squadron afoat on the lakes will illustrate the pre-
vious weakness of the American merchant marine
on those waters if war were to break out now, the
lakes would in q week be private waters under the
dominion of the United States. So Of the ocean.
Galantry is an excellent thing in war; no doubt :;
but the fate of the brave Englishmen in the
Crimea but too plainly proves, the real issue de-
pends not on valor, but on the number Of men, the
amount of ships and munitions of war, and the
sums of money that can be used or spent The
table above shows that were war declared to-mor-
row. the United States could send abroad very
nearly as many vessels armed as prvateers Great
Britain, nearly seven times many as France
fourteen times as many as Spain or Austria; and
if, as would certainly be the case, several months
notice were given beforehand, there is no reason
why out of these or the same principle as these
merchant vessels, national navy should not be
built equal to the combined navies now in the Bal
tic and Black seas.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

TICKLE PEOPLE. About two years ago. a young
Frenchman, on business tour to this country was
much annoyed by the charge he frequently saw in
American papers, and which to him was often made
face to face 'that the French people were too tickle
to be good republicans" He returned a few days
ago, and visited French restaurant, where he
read the paper. All present were much surprised
to see him, quite excited rush up paper in hand,
to friend Of his, excaiming, "Fickle peoples! ch
Oui tickle peoples! When was here before, zay
adored Kossuth now they denounce Mitchell; then
for Hungary, now for Russia; then all democrat
governors, now all wings; then call New Hamp-
Shire bigoted, now New Hampshire praise all over
re Union en- verify, peoples sont hckles ~
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23
WE WE'RE BOYS TOGETHER.

We were boys together,
And never can forget
The school-house mid the heather,
In childhood where we met
The humble home, to memory dear;
Its sorrows and its joys,
Where woke the transient smile or tear
When you and | were boys.
We were youths together,
And castles built in air.
Your heart was like feather,
And mine weigh'd down with care;
To you came wealth with manhoods prime,
TO me it brought alloys
Fore-shadow'd d in the primrose time
When you and were boys.
We're old men together;
The friends we loved of yore,
With leaves of autumn weather.
Are gone for evermore.
How bless'd to age the impulse given
The hope time ne'er destroys
Which led our thoughts from earth to Heaven,
When you and were boys.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

A ToUGH STORY David Constable says there is
one advantage about old-fashioned frigates they
drag so much dead water behind, that if man
falls overheard on Monday, you need not stop till
Friday to pick him up again He never gets be-
yond few yards from the stern-post. In confitma-
ton of this opinion, he refers us to well-known
anecdote connected with Capt Pompous of the
frigate "Wash-Tub" One evening, while running
in the Mediterranean under a one-horse breeze,
Pompous came on deck just before sundown, and
entered into the following conversation with Mr.,
Smile, the first lieutenant:
81 heard little noise on deck just now, Mr.,
Smile What was the cause of it "
"a man fell from the fore yard, Sir"
Without saying another word. Captain Pompous
returned to the cabin, and was not seen till next
morning after breakfast, when he once more re-
freshed the deck with his presence and entered into
conversation with the first lieutenant
81 think you told me, Mr.. Smile, that man fell
overheard from the fore yard, last evening"
81 did, Sir"
Have you picked him up yet ?"
mo, Sir"
"Well, you had better do it some time during the
morning, or the poor devil will begin to starve:"
The lieutenant obeyed orders, lowered boat
about noon, and found the man who had disappear
ed from the fore yard but eighteen inches further
astern than he was fourteen hours before
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

The wife of a colonel at a review in Dublin, was
stopped by a sentry, and told him she was the
coloners lady No matter for that, ma am said
the sentry, If you were his u1e you could not
pass
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

WHAT SHALL We Drink. The query 'what
shall we eat 2" has been discussed from time imme
mortal, without any positive results, or among the
diversity of yiands with which the markets TEEN,
choice is no difficult matter but, ''what shall we
drink ?" is question that really begins to assume
degree of Importance, from the fact that the
range of choice is very much circumscrbed We
MAJ have Main liquor law enforced, which may
prevent the procuring Of ardent spirits; and if So
what shall we drink 2" becomes S serious consid-
Grafton. Although such act has passed, its en-
forcement may prove a difficult matter; yet the
query needs an answer nevertheless. The teetotal-
ers assure there are no genuine liquors in the
market; that lennessy, Otard, Cognac and Dupuy,
are arrant humbugs that though last years vint-
age at Madeira was failure, the supply of that
particular wine has not at all diminished that
there is moro "champagne' drank in New York,
than that entire district produces that gin is a
mere sham, and Irish whisky a foo-foo. In fact
that no good liquors arc imported and as to domes
tic spirits, their quality needs no comment from any
one. The lover of the ardent retorts with equal
truth perhaps that small beer fomonts upon the
stomach that tea is but another name for gypsum
and copperas that beer is synonymous with occu-
lus ndicus and rotten wheat that the water is
either so filled with animalcules as to make ones
stomach an aquatic menagere, or else so impregna-
ted with lime to convert ones bowels into stone
quarry. Indeed the question becomes very difficult
to decide Wnen we CAulllue inc OF DeVera-
ges suitable for gratifying the palate and allayng
thirst Soda Water, which is so popular during
the summer time, is often impregnated to such an
extent with copper, that if a soda bbber were to
be dissected his interior would be found to present
the appearance of a font of coppcr-faced sype
Milk, as it is here called, is nameless mixture
not an approximation to the tactical secretion of the
cow Coffee is so identified with chicory and peas
that the true aroma of the Arabian berry is almost
forgotten thing Lager beer is attracting some
attention, but it requires considerable time to ac
quire tasie for it; and the peculiar flavor it de-
of the barrels receive, is anything but satisfactory
to an unsophistieated palate
Then, in view Of these facts, we repeat ''what
shall we drink ?" With no good brandy, objection
able water bad milk, drugged coffee poisoned tea
ale only fit to kill fish, porter made principally from
decayed herrings and rain waterfall the beverages
of the day open to similar objections-"what shall
we drink !n
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

1t is curious fact that at parties, balls, or any
place where refreshments are served, every man
seems to regard it as his just duty to fill himself to
the very mouth with all the delicaces of the sea-
son. and to accomplish it in the least time possible
as if he was gun, and anxious to ascertain his
calibre and find how quickly he could be loaded in
case of necessity.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

FREEMAsoNs IN TURKEY, Although freemasonry
has for more than thirty years been generally sup
posed to exist among the Mahommedans and ira
ces of it were found in Turkey by the Russian
officer after the campaign of 1929, yet they were
too slight to prove the fact; and it is only within
the last few years that it was sufficiently demon
strated by German freemason CHANGING to pass
through Belgrade, where he discovered a masonic
lodge, to which he was invited, and where he re-
ceived hospitable reception. ltappears now to be
proved beyond all doubt that the Turkish brothers
who exercise their masonic duties, under the name
of Dervishes, are to all intents and purposes the
same our own order of freemasons with but very
little difference in their customs and ceremonies,
and making use of exactly the same signs, words,
and grips, to recognise each other. The Turkish
freemasons appear to be in more elevated state of
civilization than is usual amongst the Orientals gen.
orally; their views of religion are far higher than
those imposed by lslamsm they reject polygamy,
contenting themselves with one single wife, and at
the masonic banquets the women appear unveiled
a striking proof of the mutual confidence the
masonic brethren place in each other.
The Belgrade Lodge, called Alikotsch, is compos-
ed of about 10 members. The Master of the lodge,
whose name is DIAM Ismael Zsholak Mohamed
Saede, is at the same time Grand Master of all the
lodges in European Turkey and is directly connec
ted with all those of the whole of the Ottoman En-
pre, Arabia, and Persia, in which latter the free.
masons amount to more than $4,000 members In
Constantinople there are no less than nine lodges
the most numerous and important of which is that
of the dancing dervish9s, called Sirkedishi Teckar
The Turkish freemasOns wear rs symbol OF the
brotherhood, besides a small brown shawl embroi-
dered with mystical figures, fiat. polished twelve
cornered piece of white marble, with reddish brown
spots, about two inches in diameter, suspended by
white sken cord round the neck These spots
represented the drops of blood and are symbolic Of
the death of Ali, the founder of the order in Tur-
key, who was barbarously put to death by the then
Sultan, for refusing to reveal the secrets. The
above mentioned DIAM Ismael, Grand Master of the
Lodge of Belgrade venerable Turk of the old
school, is honorary member of the Lodge OF BALD
win under the Lime-tree' at LEIPZIG, several mem
bers of which lodge have received diplomas from
the Alikotsch at Belgrade. de.-London paper.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

A student once remarking in company that lie
could make an impromptu rhyme upon any words
that might be given to him. was requested to try
his powers on di-dodum,' whereupon he gave the
following:
When Ddos lover would not to Dido come,
Dido sat moping and Dido dumb
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

A genius in New Bedford is fitting up steamer
for the purpose of towing icebergs to India where
they sell for six cents pound,
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

BOUND TO FIND HIM. A letter passed through
our post Office day before yesterday, actually ad.
dressed as follows.
"Mr. B. Pontiac, Michigan.
The first name of B is not known, he has
son who has running near his ancle"
If that description don't find the man, the writer
may as well give it up had job Detroit Trib.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23
BLANKS.

JUSTICES BLANKS, EXECUTIONS, WRITS OF
- Attachment, Summons. Affidavit and Subpoena Blanks
constantly on hand and for sale at the ARGUS OFFICE
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

AIZAPKAY, T.. j. Medical Institute, Armory Hall, col
u Sacramento and Montgomery sts, San Francisco
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

TRUZ, j. NJ, Physician and Surgeon Office second doc
v above Zelner's Drug Store, Coloma.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

nAVIS, L., Baker and Confectioner, Main street
H. Coloma.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

ELKUS T., Dealer in Ready-Made Clothing Boot
II and Shoes, opposite the Office of Adams " Co.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

~HALMERS, ROBERT, Proprietor of the Sierr
u Nevada House, Main street, Coloma
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

NHAPMAN, J. S. Il CO., Watchmakers and Jeweler
v opposite the Office formerly occupied by Adams q
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

TNISHER, L. p, Newspaper Agency, Iron Building
IL opposite Pacific Express Office, San Francisco
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23
GENERAL BUSINESS DIRECTORY

A MERICAN HOUSE, Crocker & Fox, Proprietors
IN Piety Ilil Coloma.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

HpEKEART, FRANK, Gunsmith, next door to s. [
I'D Wellers Cooma.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

EDROWN, JOSEPH NJ & Co., Hardware Merchants
M1 cor. of Battery and Sacramento sts San Francisco
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

NREEN, HEATH e. ALLEN, Dealers in Virginia
" Manufactured Tobacco, San Francisco.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

UDROWN, ]. c., Dealer in Hardware and Groceries
I'D opposite the Miners Hotel, Cooma.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

"cCONNELL q CO., Agents of Wells, Fargo& CO.
lvl Express, Main street, Coloma.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

NoCONNELL Il CO., Dealers in Provisions ant
1Xl Groceries, Garden Valley,
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

NDADGER, WILLIAM c., Dealer in Ready-Mad'
I'D Clothing, 80 Battery street, San Francisco.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

~ORDON IL STEEN, Manufacturers of Iron Castings
VI Machinery and Engine Boilers San Francisco.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

ONG, j. F., Justice of the Peace, Office at Messrs
IL Newell &o Williams, Coloma
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

UDROWN, GEORGE, Proprietor of Mercantile Hotel
Ht Nos 159 and l61 Front street, San Francisco.
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

NJEWELL N WILLIAMS, Attorneys and Counsellor
IN at Law, Main street, Coloma:
The Empire County argus., 1855-06-23

ORLEANS HOTEL Bramer & Bro, Proprietors
" Main street, Coloma
The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1855-04-13
MISCELLANY.
Houston and Santa Anna.


THE following sketch of the capture Of
SANTA ANNA we find copied into the New
York Mirror from the pages of the forth
coming "Life Of HoUsroN." Let no one
think, however, that we shall advocate the
cause which the publication of the volume
is doubtless designed to promote Hous-
TONS election to the Presidency:
The battle of Independence had been
fought. Seven hundred soldiers had met
neatly three times their number, and come
off victorious. Six hundred and thirty men
were left dead on the field; among them
were, one general officer, four colonies, two
lieutenant colonels, seven captains, and
twelve lieutenants. Multitudes had per-
ished in the morass and the bayous. OF
the surviving, upwards of two hundred
and eighty were wounded, and there
were eight hundred prisoners. Only sev-
en- men are known to have escaped from
the field. And yet, incredible as it may
seem, this bloody engagement had cost
the Texans the lives of only seven men, and
less than thirty had been wounded. It was
incredible, and when the Commander in
Chief awoke the next morning, and heard
the facts, he asked, as this so, or is it only
my dream ?" asa
At ten o'clock in the morning, Gen. Hous-
ton sent detachment Of men to bury the
enemy's dead who had fallen in battle; but
decomposition had taken place SO rapidly,
the troops returned and reported they could
not execute his order! This extraordinary
circumstance excited the greatest surprise,
and the prisoners accounted for it by resoly,
ing it, like the defeat of the previous day,
into "a malignant blast of destiny"
In the meantime, number Of Texans
were. securing the prairie throughout the
day, and bringing in prisoners. The grass
was everywhere four or five feet high, and
Z those who had not been taken the day be-
fore were now crawling away on their hands
and knees, hoping thus to effect their, es-
scape. Santa Anna had not yet been ia.
Ken, but the yictors were securing every
! part of the field in search of the Dictator
s@4sYpu will find the Hero of Tampico," said
Houston, "if You find him at,alI, making
Ibis retreat on all foatrs, and zhe will be
dressed as bad at least as q common soldier
Examine closely every man you find"
Lieut. ylgesteh olInteer from Cincin.
pati, was riding oyer the prairie Fon a; fine
sSbelse, about ahtss. d dock ID the afternoon
when he saw a aefns1 making biss way to.
aysxsds3 Yiaces bridge. The gmoments 3i,e
6nhd himssN pursued the ffagitiyas fell
s. down TIE arass, dsshsd .ob 81
The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1855-04-13
WHOLE NUMBER 1Ol.

indeed, do the men Of ease, who now 50
lightly, and yet so bitterly, decry "the for
| elgncrs" know the pangs of fervent heart
that has to repeat I'atria cara, carior li6er-
fas, and when it must act on it but when
man Is forced to act on it lie clines to the
country of his choice, even as a man cleayes
to his chosen wife faster than to his kin.
Has any mind shed greater lustre on Il.
lustrious Athens tlIansAristotle.9 Aristotle
was n foreigner, and dame &c, Attica when
seventeen years old. Has there been any
Spaniard more Spanish than Columbus9
Columbus was Il Genoese. Has there been
Frenclman more French than Napoleon,
| and Culver, and Constant2 Napoleon was
an Italian; Culver, by birth and education,
German; Constant, Swiss. Who car
ricd the Netherlands through the drest
war OF independence on record and who
founded the great Republic of the Neither
lands William, Of Orange, a German.
Has England ever had a more English
King than William the Third, the Neither
lander? Has Germany even had more
German leader than Eugene, of Savoy g.
Who was Catharine, of Russia, that made
her the great power? She was German
woman. Has Oxford ever had greater
Professor than Erasmus, of Rotterdam
The very country in which the Know-No-
things now rcvie "the foreigner" was dis
covered by Cabot, Genoese, in the service
Of England.
The proto-martyr Of tho American revo-
luton was Montgomery, an Irishman; so
was Barry, called the father of the Ameri-
can Navy; and Paul Jones, the bold and
early captain, was Scot. Were DeKalk
Lafayette, Hamilton, Gallatin, no Ameri-
cans? Mark the list of signers, and see how
many were Foreigners" The hue and cry
against Foreigners" belongs to pagan antiq-
uty, when one word served for foreigner
and enemy but not to Christianity, one Of
whose earliest writers gIoriously said: Nos
ira ciritas totas mundus. The very word
Christianity rcbukes Known othingism.
The term free trade has far wider mean
ing than a merely economical one. It ap-
plies TO all merit, truth, intellect. Let every
one stand and fall by his own individuality,
and take the best Of everything where you
find it best. So did your fore-fatheres; so
your Gospel demands it. When Sir Harry
Saville founded. i'll 1919, his Savillian pro-
fessorship at Oxford, he prescribed that the
best man that could be gotten, no matter
whence, should always be taken, so that he
was man of good fame and honest repute,
cr quacdnGuc nations orbis christiance ct
Wuscunque ordinis sire professions" And
this ought to be the rule in all spheres, but
most especially so in our own land.
CITIZEN.
The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1855-04-13
WRITTEN FOR THE INDEPENDENT PRESS.
To an Irish Sonetress.

SAA AAAoA SSlS IHSSb.
You're welcome to our sylvan shades
Joys abound beyond description
Her spangled carpet Flora spreads;
Nature smiles on your reception.
Fair Freedoms joys could you cnticc
From your native habitation,
Tossed by the breeze through the painless seas
ou found the land Of consolation
To guard each fair is still our care,
And our glory to defend her;
Not to Mars art but Cupds dart,
We're accustomed TO surrender.
You sang too long the plantive song,
The long-t"ncd notes which Erin chooses:
Now lay them by and sing with joy
The dictates of Columbia's muses..
No more shall you again review
The green clad hills where lambs are grazing;
No more review the mountains blue,
Where your youthful eyes were gazing.
Through this fair land groves wild and grand
Producing vice extensive bowers,
Round every field shelter Yields
From the sudden vcrnal shower.
Sweet MARBLES the delightful notes
'MonG the dewy sprays at morning,
And in the glaes 'twixt light and shade
Songs are made TO Sol returning.
The forest waves its glittcring leaves;
Sunbeams oil the grain glancing;
The rains are past, the summers ghost
Is now through the sunbcams dancing
At setting sun the crowd l shun
To walk abroad for recreation,
And far from noise taste sober joys,
Feasting on sweet meditation.
BY shaded rlls and sloping hills
Muse beneath the trembling shadow,
And lonely still the whippoorwill
Wakes its notes low in the meadow
Now mellow rest, with toll oppressed,
Woes forgotten, senses sleeping,
When msers are with wakeful care
Der their wealth dull vigils keeping.
No knave controls our born souls,
Each pursues the trade he chooses;
Since you are free, come court with me
The lovely, chnste recording Muses.
The rolling year glidcs swcetly here;
The faithful seasons pour their treasures;
We, midst the charms Of woodland farms
Spend our days in rural pleasure.
The poets feign golden reign,
When all men were free completely
We realize their fabled joys
And our Muse sings as swcctly.
NoSNuLLUs.