davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18

SINGULAR DEArH-In our last week'sissue
we gave an account Of two men having been
killed at Highspire, Penn. by the trains OF the
Pennsylvania Central R. r We learn from
Mr. A. Williams, of Newark Valley, who was
passenger on the train which the two men
stepped out of the way when they were
destroyed by the train on the other track
that boatman on the canal which runs par
allel with the railroad saw the men about to
be struck by the up train; he shouted to give
them notice of their danger. While doing
so, another boat struck his and knocked him
of. He fell between the boats and was
crushed so that he died in few days. Be-
fore his death he confessed that the boots
and shoes which the two men who were kill
ed had stolen were then on his boat, and that
he was an accessory to the robbery. Strange
that these three men who had engaged in a
crime, and were apparently beyond immedi-
ate detection, should thus be struck down by
an avenging Providence while in the act of
carrying out their iniquity.-O~ego Times.
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18
Latest from New York.
NEW YoRK, july 9.

tr AVE" AoHks July y.
Another riot occurred last night in the
Ilth Ward, at Mackerelville, the scene of the
robbing on Sunday on the Second Avenue
cars. The Police were attacked, and used
their pistols in defence, two rioters we're shot,
and the disturbance was quelled.
The Bark Panchera, which arrived here on
Thursday, from the coast of Africa, in charge
of the British prize crew, was Yesterday f.
6elled, and is now in custody of the United
States Marshal
Advices have reached here of the seizure
on the African coast, of the brig Adam Grey,
on suspicion oi being a SLAYER. The brig for
merly hailed from New tOrleans. She was
captured by the British Schooner Prone
theus.
!he Board of Councilmen last evening vot-
ed ny large majority, to surrender the Po-
lice stations to the Metropolitan Commis-
ers.
Ihe w ashington correspondent of the New
York Tribune, of the 9Th says:
Three of the members of the Cabinet ex.
pressed their regret that Gov. Walker throws
his official weight in the scale of submission
of prospective Constitution of Kansas. tn a
vote OF the people. Gen. Cass, on the other
hand, regards such submission as unavo;da.
bic.
The Washington correspondence of the
N. 7. Herald says:
The Secretary of the Navy has ordered the
irlgate Independence, at Panama, to send
home for discharge those men whose term of
service has expired, if it can be done with
safety to the ship, and then proceed to San
Francisco, where the Independence becomes
storeship. '''~'
The Merrimac is expected to sail for Bos-
ton' as the Gag ship Of Capt. Long, who is or
dered to relieve Commodore Merwin of the
command of the Pacific squadron.
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18

A CHINESE COMPANY, composed of sixty
performers, are performing to four and five
hundred dollar houses at Auburn. A very
singular part of their performance consists in
their playing all day and all night-the audi
ence, composed mostly of Chinese, from the
neighboring mining camps, coming and going
when it best suits them. 1t takes several
weeks to finish playing one of their pieces.
Their plays are mostly historical ones, refer
ring to the different dynasties of their En-
perors. They have sort of Chinese scenery
painted expressly for every piece they play.
The least said about their music the better
as it is mostly produced by squeakng instru
ments and gonfis, which is uncomfortable. The
Chinese pay certain fixed price, which enti-
ties them to witness the entire representation
without extra charge. The outside barbara
ans are not so fortunate they are compelled
to pay dollar each time they enter. One
visit, however, usually satisfies them, for thew
soon become disguised with the monotony Of
the performance, and vote the whole affair a
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18
Md'lle Rachel.

The last steamer from Europe bears the
sad intelligence that Racheis is yielding slowly
but surely to the reSistless clutch of consump.
ton, that she may at any time fall dead as
her sister did some years ago. Who could
have thonght when we saw her here two
years ago come September, sweeping across
the stage of the Metropolitan Theatre, gor-
geous as the genius of sceptred tragedy and
graceful as poets dream, that we should
SO soon hear such news as this2 How can
death dare to attack this queen, stately as a
goddess of mythology Is it not sad to
how beautiful she was, how broad
and fair her forehead, how wonderful her
eyes, now flashing with volcanic explosions
of rage and revenge, and again melting with
lustrous tenderness; her figure 1.-the and clas-
sic; and not least of all the perfect taste and
exquisite of dress, which made her always
SO impressive in appearance, whether clad in
the simple white tunic of Camille, or arrayed
in the gorgeous robes of Phaedra, or bedeck-
ed with the modern splendor of Adrienne;
and remembering these things, to anticipate
their delivery over to darkness and the
warm2"
When such beings as Shelley and Rachel
die early, we ask in querolous tones, why
cannot genius like this be blessed with eter-
nal youth2
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18
Life.

Life is no speculative venture with those
who feel its value and duties 1t has deep
er purpose, and its path becomes distinct and
easy in proportion as it is earnestly and faith
fully pursued. The rudest or the most re-
fined pursuit, if adapted to the wants and
capacities of the pursuer, has truth, a beau
ty, and a satisfactio. All ships on the ocean
ar" not steamer or packets, but all freight
bearers, fitted to their tasks, and the smallest
shallop ncby fulflls its mission, while it push
es on towards its destined port, nor to other
points of the compass. Let man right him.
himself on the Ocean of Time. Let him
learn whether he is by nature shallop or
ship; coaster or an ocean-crosser and
then. freighting himself according to his ca
pacty and the market he should seek, fling
his sail to the breeze, riding with wind and
tide, if they 60 on his course, but beating res
olutely against them if they cross his path.
Have well-chosen and defined purpose, and
pursue it faithfully trusting in God, and all
will be well.
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18
B A
Seersnng NEWS from the Plains--Ouo
hundred ana hfty o. .. Soldiers report.
ed killed by the Cheyennes. :. G
ph Journal Of the I'd instant

Startling News from the Plsans--ouo
hundred and fifty o. 8. Soldiers report.
ed killed BY tho Cheyennes. lG
The st. Joseph Journal of the I'd instant
contains the following: esa'as'7e
Capt Dixon came down on the Tinted
States steamer Mink, yesterday morning. and
reported the loss of many of our so'd;eT in .
conflict with very large body of the Cbev.
ennes and Arrapahoes, two hurdred miles
west of Fort Kearney. @3
Tho messenger who brought the news
reached ST. Mary's on last Saturday. His
name is Vallaindeer, an old French trader.
whose statements are perfectly reliable. He
stated to Capt. Dixon, Col. Sarby, and 9TH
ers, that eleven days before he had left Col.
sumner, who told him that he had sent one
hundred soldiers and fifty teamsters little in
advance OF his main body, when they were
attacked by a large body of Chayennes and
Arrapahoes, and all were slain that he in
tended to proceed directly in pursuit of the
enemy, and would not pause until he had re-
yenged the loss of the compatriots, and pun
ished the savage hordes who had butchered
them. M
The Pacific City (Iowa) Enterprise, of July
"a, ADDS the following in confirmation
A trader has just arrived here from the
mountains, bringing the startling and harrow
ing intelligence that an entire detachment of
U. 5. troops Cavalry consisting of one hun
dred privates, two officers and thirty team
sters, en- route for Salt Lake, had been at
tackled by the Cheyenne Indians at Ash Hol-
low and every man Of them slaughtered. He
gives no further particulars, nor is he able to
give us the names of the officers or men.
p. S:-Since the above was written, train
OF emlgrants from Salt Lake has arrived.
They corroborate the distressing intelligence
brought by the trader above referred to. but
are unable to furnish us with any additional
particulars. We shall look with much anx
lety for the details Of this horrible massacre.
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18
What Will You do abOut It2

The crime of being enthusiastic, and too
sanguine, and too eXtravagant in expectation,
is persstently charged upon the people of
the West.
Such adectives as great, splendid, magni-
ficent. unsurpassed, and the like, are found in
every description of every locality and the
pufis, alias newspaper notices of towns, TEEN
with superlatives. Every town is beautifully
situated, and surrounded by little the best
farming district In the known world. Every
tavern and every store and every shop is
splendid affair, and all town proprietors are
gent'emanly and exceedingly liberal. Every
water power is ahead of every other and
never is known to have fall of much less
than fifteen feet Bluffs, however high and
precipitous, are oiled over by poetical de-
scriptions until the reader or listner, gldes
in Imagination over the gentlest sort of undu-
latiens For this, our staid uncles of the
East grow uneasy, and our respected fogy
relatives prophesy all manner of evils.
Perhaps we are enthusiastic. The crime
of being so, if it is crime, is contagion
caught from inhaling the atmosphere of the
country. Enthusiasm is native to the very
soil. 1t breathes out from the prairies, and
is seen in the rolcking herbage.
And then, dear uncles. we are proprietors
of quarter sections. From having been cram
ped in upon fifty acre farms, to being owners
froomy hundred and sixties-is there moth
ing elating in this? Where the soil gives
back to the tiller remunerative crop the
first year it is worked; and where oil sorts of
grain and tubers, and vines, are grown with
ease-and where the situation is such as to
warrant steady market; and more than all,
where everything promises healthy country,
there is little wonder that the people are
sanguine in their expectations of ultimate in
dependence. We plead guilty to the charge
of enthusiasm.
Where ground held, perhaps by single
squatter two years ago, and plated within
year, is now town with fifty or a hundred
dwellings, with its mills, its shops, its stores
and its hotels, where money invested, returns
with its one, two, three or four hundred per
cent increase within twelve month"; where
labor is in demand and paid for, where i'm
prOvement and progress are the one continued
song, and railroads the refrain; is it to be
wondered at, that little extravaganza should
once and in while appear that very lit
tie hifalutin should now and then creep into
editorials, and descriptions of towns and To-
calities ?-OronocO Courier.
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18
Target Practice.

A correspondent of the Washington Union
gives very interesting account of the late
annual examination of the Naval Academy,
Annapolis. On the first day the drill officers
in the presence of the Beard of Visitors, aud
many others, put the battalion through a
series Of infantry maneuvres. Next in order
came the great gun exercise at the fort then
the light artillery drill On the second day
the latter was resumed as follows:
"At 10 A. NJ, the students were mustered
in the fort, awaiting the order for target
firing. AS soon as the signal was given,
they blazcd away in downright earnest with
shot, shell and grape. The targets were sta
toned at the distance of eleven hundred and
fifteen yards from the battery, and each gun
was fired as soon as it was sighted. You no
doubt, will be surprised, when tell you that
every shot would have struck small sized
vessel. With the aid of the tangent sight
and o steady eye, heavy 80 FOUNDER can be
few years ago the practice ship of the Acade-
my was cruising in the British Channel and
met with the school-ship of the English navy,
A few of our youngsters went on board dur
ing target excursion, and were invited to
take shot with British metal. One of them
accepted the invitation, and, to the astonish-
ment of the whole ships company, smashed
target after target The same youngster rid
died figure of a mans size st the distance
of two hundred yards with the balls of
boat howitzer. He will assuredly make his
mark in the first sea-fight to which he will be
summoned. 1t was quite sufficient, however,
to be able to hit fishing smack oftener than
to miss it. Nothing could indnce me to an
chor in such craft under tO-day's fire. The
shell-fring was excellent, each shell bursting
at the proper time with telling proof of its
destructive power. Upon entering ships
side one of those shells knocks the wood.
work into splinters, which are of themselves
weapons of destruction. Commodore Dahl
green, in his interesting book on Shot and
Shell guns, says:
while firing nine shells'at steamer moor
ed about five hundred yards distant, one of
them passed through the very light upper
works of the vessel, and bounding several
times on the water, lodged in the target, (of
white oak, thirty inches thick) distant 1850
yards; the explosion followed almost instant
ly. On examination the shell appeared to
have entered about twenty inches into sound
wood on the extreme right, and the explosion
radiating from its bed, which was very dis
tinctly indicated, forced out and broke off
three other timbers, twelve by ten inches
square, and shattered the middle timbers
laterally; in all about twenty-seven cubic
feet of sound wood were displaced.
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18

How RAILROADS ARE BUILT IN Ecypr-
A correspondent of the New York Journal
of Commerce writing from Cairo, describes
the railroads from Alexander to the Red
Sea.
A popularity is seen in the construction Of
this railroad. I observed no sleepers excent
near the depot, instead of which, as the conn
try could not furnish the timber, a hollow.
iron apparatus is cost, much resembling the
common culinary iron pot, which is firmly
fastened in the earth by sinking the open end.
while the rails rest upon notches cast in the
exterior of the other end. These, with small
iron bars crossing the track, keep the rails
fast The railroad is 13O miles long, and is
being extended to Suez, on the Red Sea. all
o. which distance is completed, except forty
miles next to Seuez, and will be opened the
entire distance before the close of the wear.
The whole was built by an English company,
and then sold to the Viceroy, who receives
an income from it exceeding the most sangu-
inc expectations of the projectors. The ell
ectric telegraph is already extended to Suez.
from whence it is proposed to convey it to
India.
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18

DISTRESSING CAusALrrY-FouR YOUNG La
DIES DRowNED.-About S o'clock on FRIDAY
evening, says the Worcester Mass Gazette.
party, consisting of three young gentlemen
and four ladies, were takeing a sail upon the
large pond situated in the easterly part of
Webster, when one of the gentlemen lost his
hat The course Of the boat was altered for
the purpose Of picking it up, but without
changin the position of the sail conse.
qucntly the boat lay broadside to the wind.
A gust came, Immediately capsizing the boat,
and throwing the whole party into the water.
The nearest land was Goat Island, being
about fifteen rods distant. Two of the Young
men sprang from the boat and succeeded in
getting to the shore. The third came up un.
der the boat, and it was sometime before he
could get out but when he did so brought
one of the ladies. All efforts to resuscitate
her, however, proved unavailing. The other
three sank to rise alive no more. Their bod
les were found on Saturday. morning about 2
o'clock. The names of the girls were Julia
and Ann Brogan, sisters, Ellen Rattleburn
and Kate Farrell. The young men who so
cowardly deserted them in the hours of per-
il should be held up to the public scorn.
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18

The Petersburg (Va.) Express details a
terrible poisoning case in the family of Mr.
Edward Gill, in Chesterfield County. The
family is composed of Mr.. and Mrs. Gill;
and up to four weeks ago, six children, as
follows Miss Frances, aged about Is years !;
Aurelius, about l3 William 8; Mary, 6 !;
Ella, 4; Hatty, an infant. About one month
ago little Hatty was taken mysteriously i'll,
and died a few days after. subsequently,
the entire family began to experience singu-
lar sickness, which changed the color of their
skin to dull, palish hue, and bore the char
acter OF inflammation of the stomach On
Saturday last every member of the family
were Frustrated, and physicians from all
points were sent for. A consultation was
held, suspicion of poison excited, and an ex-
animation instituted.
In the apartment of Rebecca, the cook,
which were also occupied by house servant,
Mara and her husband, Jack, were found
secreted several boxes and vials, one contain
ing sugar of lead, and the rest quantity of
the carbonate of lead, both of which are slow
but deadly poisons. A light was here de-
veloped, leading directly to the conclusion
that the disease then under treatment was
nv O~iCt ehtsti luO iCou CuOlIC oupcTluuuCcU
by the consumption of food containing the
carbonate and sugar of lead. This. it was
aScertained upon further investigation, it was
ascertained upon further investigation, had
been introduced daily into the food cooked
for the family for long series of weeks
The scheme was deeply laid, and upon prin-
ciplc which one would scarcely suspect of be-
ing resorted to by an ignorant negro. There
is some ground, therefore, for further suspi-
cions involving more intelligent principle
in the affray.
On Monday evening, the next to the young
est child, Ella, too young to withstand the
potency of the deadly drug, expired. The
eldest, Frances and Aurelius, were on Tues
day lying in very critical condition, while
Mr.. and Mrs. Gill were improving, but still
exceedingly weak and nervous. The three
slaves mentioned above were Immediately ar
rested and lodged in the jail, but will be Ia
ken before the Chesterfield Court for exami-
nation at the proper time. The two women
are owned by Mr.. Gill-the man by Sylves-
ter Pearce, Esq.
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18

What land of promise is the Future -
In it we all have rich possessions, the coming
enjoyment of which alone makes life endura-
BILE. The past has proved weary way; the
present is full Of thorns, but the bright Fu-
ture has recompense for all. Who would
sell his birth-right in the Future Who
would give up the chances and changes it
conceals in its misty depths ? We may be
poor, and sick, broken down and deserted
without friends and With ut home, but as
long as hope remains We will not despair of
the Future. The poor debtor was quite ready
to swear that he had not five dollars in the
world but hesitated when asked to say he
should never possess that amount He
might die millonaire-who knows Ave-
who know, for who has ever fond that fair
land of the Future, with all its rich posses
sions and its heavenly peace And yet the
entrance to it opens in the Present. We
hold the clue in our hands, and need no Ari-
adne to reveal its labyrinthian secrets
What the Present forms the Futurewill reveal.
If we would reap rich harvests in the coming
time we must SOW the seed to-day. 1t is mad
ness to continue in our old courses of pro-
crastination, of idleness and vice, and still
hope for happiness in the Future. That
which we SOW we shall reap. The Future is
the product of the Present-to a great ex-
tent we may makeat what we will.
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18

RULING PAss1oN.-How hard is it for
many persons, and probably all, to break off
from habits which they have contracted and
made almost second nature. In the verv at.
tempt to reform they betray the thing itself.
The late Bishop Heding used to tell the storv
of young minister who was arraigned be-
fore the conference for too great excess in the
use Of exaggeration. He did not exactly lie.
but MS language showed that the truth was
wei stretched, and sometimes he did much
harm thereby. He was sentenced to be ad-
monished BY the Bishop, who accordingly
administered q severe rebuke. The vo,n1
man then arose, bathed in tears, acknowlede.
ed his offence, and his determination to do
better. In concluding, he said: II regret
it, have wept over it Yes, my brethren.
by night and by day, have wept on account
Of 1T, and can truly say that it has already
caused me to shsd bdrrels Of tsars r''
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18
Washington News.
w AsHINGTON, July Z

AsHINcToN, JVy7.
The Administration fully sustains the
course of Governor Walker in advising the
submission of the Constitution to the vote
of the people, and defends him from South
ern attacks.
The Executive Department will be closed
tomorrow, as mark of respect to the Hon.
w. L. Marcy.
The President and all the members of the
Cabinet. with the exception of Genera! Cass,
attended the annual commencement of
Georgetown College to-day.
The President was occupied for several
hours in distributing the premiums and di-
plomas.
Should the public business permit, the
President will leave for Bedford the last of
this or next week.
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18

THE RAT PorsoN AGAIN.-The editor OF
the New York Scalpel still holds to the the
ory that the sickness at the National Hotel,
Washington, was occasioned by poisoned
rats in the water tanks. He has a patient
who resides in house adjoining the hotel.
and he says that the rats had became SO
numerous and annoying that man was pro-
cured from New York to exterminate them.
He did so and the rats all disappeared. "He
had servant who had been employed at the
hotel, and she told him, that it was known to
all the servants, that great number of dead
rats were taken fromthe water tank, which
was used for cooking and other household
purposes! Arsenic, mechanically difased
from the decayed rats, and slowly acting on
on the stomach, is sufficient to account for
all the symptoms"
The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-18
John Bull Getting Frightened at the
Chinese.

SOnn bull Getting Frightened at the
Chinese.
The London Times alarms itself dreadfullv
at the idea that the Chinese may resort to
poison, as a more efficient weapon than those
usually considered legitamate in warfare. 1t
says:
Is there anbody so foolish as to suppose
that the Chinese will not poison every box or
chest of tea, preserved ginger, sweetmeats.
chow-chow, marmalade, or anything else that
is exported from China for the use of foreign
ers? We believe honestly that the destruc-
ton OF human life in this country and Ameri-
ca, from the use of poisoned tea will be the
most fearful calamity that has ever visited
the two countries in this century 1t will
kill more people in England than were killed
in the Crimea. 1t will destroy more human
life in the United States than our wars. the
yellow fever or the cholera People contin-
ue to drink tea and think there is no dan
ger. 1t will be fatal mistake. Wait un-
til the cargoes of tea now on their wav to
American ports are landed. Those who
dream that We shall escape poisoned tea, had
better preserve the extracts from the Times
We have no doubt that our warning articles
about tea will save thousands of lives in this
country. We wish all would take the warn
ing in time"
For our part we cannot see why the Chi
nese should poison everybody's tea because
they are in q huff with John Bull We dom,
endorse the doctrine.