davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24
TIE WESTERN HUNTER.
BY A BRITISH OFFICER

A British officer, who was at the bat
tie of New Orleans, mentions an incident
of thrilling strangeness, and very decrip-
tive of the Western hunter, many OF
whom marched to the defense of New
Orleans as volunteers in the army under
the renowned Andrew Jackson
We marched, said the officer, in a
solid column of twelve thousand men, in
direct line upon the American defenses.
belonged to the staff, and as we ad-
vanced watched through our glasses the
position and arrangements Of our enemy
with that intensity an officer only feels
when marching into the jaws Of death,
with the assurance that while he thus Of
fers himself as sacrifice to the demands
of his country, every action, be it sue
cessful or otherwise, will be judged with
the most heartless scrutiny.
It was strange sight, that long range
Of cotton bales-a new material for
breastwork-with the crowd of human
beings behind, their heads only visible
above the line of defence. We could
distinctly see their long rifles laying over
the bales, and the battery of Gen. Coffee
directly in front, with its great mouth
gaping towards US, and the position of
Gen. jackson, with his staff around him.
But what attracted our attention most
was the figure of tall man standing on
the breastworks, dressed in linsey wool
sey, with buckskin leggins, and broad
trimmed felt hat that fell around his
face, almost concealing his features. He
was standing in one of those picturesque
and graceful attitudes peculiar to those
natural men .dwellers in the forest The
body rested on the left leg, and swayed
with a curved line upwards ; the right
arm was extended, the hand grasping
the rifle near the muzzle, the butt of
which rested near the toe of the right
foot, while with his hand he raised the
rim Of the hat from his eyes. and seemed
gazing from beneath intensely upon our
advancing column. The cannon Of Gen.
Coffee had opened upon us, and tore
through our ranks with dreadful slaugh-
ter; but we continued to advance, un-
wavering and cool, as if nothing threat
ened our progress.
The roar of cannon seemed to have no
effect upon the figure standing on the
cotton bales, but he semed fixed and mo-
tionless as a statue. At last he moved.
threw back the hat rim over the crown
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24
Tough Stories.

An Englishman who was travelling on
the Mississippi river, told some rather
tough stories about London Thieves. A
Cincinnati chap, named Case, heard
these narratives with silent but ex,
pressive humph and then remarked
that the Western thieves beat the London
operatives all hollow.
How SO ? inquired the Englishman,
with surprise. "Pray, sir, have you
lived much in the West %
"Not a great deal. undertook tc
set up in business IN Des Moines Rapids
a while ago but the rascally people stole
nearly everything | had, and at last q
Welsh miner ran off with my wife"
" Good gracious !" exclaimed the
Englishman and have you never found
her %
"Never to this day. But that was moi
the worst Of it,"
worse why, what could be worse
than stealing a mans wife ?"
Stealing his children, l should say, .
said the implacable Case.
Children %
/" Yes, a negro woman, who hadn't
any of her own, abducted my youngest
daughter, and sloped aud joined the In
dams"
did you see her ?"
See her! yes :e%nd she hadn't ten
rods the start Of me but she plunged
into the lake and swan off like duck.
and there wasn't a canoe 10 follow her
with"
The Englishman leaned back in his
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24

WoRDs rs. AcrfoNs-Words are the
cheapest weapons in The world. Many
good professors daily ask God to feed
the hungry and clothe the naked--and
yet they have never been known TO lend
Him a picayune for that purpose. They
seem to think that their credit is good in
the Bank of the New Jerusalem-that
whatever they hint will be forthcoming.
We doubt whether God is performing
miracles for the special qualification of
such people. We shouli not wonder if
they We're never heard of after DEATH
Why they would not give Gabriel the
old cents on their eyes to toot' them
up at the resurrection. There are good
many such people in every town. They
can talk charity, and offer up long pray
ers for the poor, but never unite their
purse-strings to relieve their destitute
and suffering brethren.
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24
y
For the Guardian.
HEREAFTER.

Ish true, We are now, and shall be hereafter ?
And what is depending on life one minute
Halls heavenly cheer, or Internal laughter,
Our first step out, of the gulf, or in it
EB ROBERT BROWNING
Why bind yourself to idle fancies
Why daily torment heart and brain
Are there no themes of sweeter inspiration.
That You must enter once again
Into the thorny paths of such discussion
The dreary thot that there perchance may be,
Across the rolling tide of the dim future,
Eternal torments for you and me?
Go pore DER books, some pages will profess
Young children mid eternal fires
Stand crowned with flames that never fail
Such are Almighty Gods desires;
Another, e'cr the world creation,
Before the Fathers awful throne,
Some names are written in life's book,
And some the heavenly hosts disown.
Oh, turn from such ungodlike, earthly hate,
Nor ever trembling seek His frown;
'Tis not eternal storm and clustering wines
That His strong hand is sending down.
Yet when they do come angry faced,
If clothed with eyes of faith to see,
We'd find upon their bosoms, gently borne,
The flowers that bless the hill and lea.
And when they fade from Autumn $ dying crown
And give their jewels to the earth and air,
They only east their royal garments down
To bless with favors yet more rare
One little blossom laid in earth to sleep,
Returning Spring shall smiling see
Give birth to many which shall surely speak
OF gracious love to you and me.
Shall we who nurse one little spark Of love,
The blossom of lfc's summer ray.
Find harsher edicts in the realms above,
Tan rules the earthly courts to-day?
Washington TIP. March II, 1889 II. F.
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24
Little Graves.

Sacred places for pure thoughts and
holy meditation, are the little graves in
the churchyard, says a writer. They
are the repositories of a mothers sweet
est joy-half uniolded buds of innocence,
humanity nipped by the first frost OIL
time, ere yet cankerworm of corruption
has nestled among its embryo petals
Cailous, indeed, must be the heart Of
him who can stand by the side of little
grave and not have the holiest emotions
of his soul awakened to the thoughts OF
that purity and JOY which belongs alone
10 God and Heaven = for the mute
preacher at his feet tells of life begun
and ended without stain and surely i!
this be vouchsafed to mortality, how
much purer and hoier must be the spirit
land, enlightened by the sun of infinite
goodness, whence emanated the soul ol
that brief sojourner among US How
swells the heart of the parent with
mournful joy while standing by the earth
bed of lost little ones ?-mournful. be-
cause sweet treasure has been taken
away-joyful, because that precious jew.
el glitters in the diadem of the Redeem
er,
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24
Mrs. partington Patriotic.

Hurra ~ said Ike, as he read the
fact in the papers, here's O'Regan ad-
milted to the Union.' A furriner,
should jedge," remarked Mrs. Parting
ton, looking very wisely at the steam
that rose from the teacups and formed in
one cloud near the ceiling. but I'm
glad they've let him come in TO enjoy
our political rights and lefts and other
perogatives. There's room enough, and
the rear of our institutions should be ex
tended. | don't believe man should
be cut off because he wasn't born in this
country tor twenty one years, which oi
course wasn't any fault OF his, for every
body would be born here if they could
have their own auction consulted 1T
MEANS" said Ike, "a new State. -
/" Well, child" replied she. .the odds
Is onl y the dliference-S!ates or men,
It's all the same. Let 'em come into our
grand CONSERVATION, where the Eagle
shall spread its broad opinions over EN-,
and make 'em happy in an unlimited
bondage of brotherhood, like the Siam.
ese twins. She had not taken her eyes
from the steam that rose from the cups.
and joined in one cloud, that seemed to
represent the Union she was depicting
Ike had better illustration, for he took
the five preserved peaches on the plate,
and put them all into one.
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24

FAIR PLAY FOR PRINTERs.-We have a
mind to set this up in capitals and leave
it standing at the head of column il
is great truth compressed in small
space
The public have funny notion
about printers. They think it costs
nothing to puff, advertise, &c. And one
and another will sponge an extra, puff,
or some benevolent advertisement. They
forget that it is printers ink that make
nine tenths of their immense fortunes
They forget that it takes money to pay
compositors-to buy ink, type and pa
per-and lastly, even forget to thank
you for working for nothing by gratuit-
ously putting their business.
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24

THE SKUNK SKIN TRADE.-Stranc ce
as it may seem, the skin os this odorifer-
Gus animal is eagerly sought after, and is
becoming a profitable article of com
merce. Not less than $500 pelts have
been bought in Adrian alone this winter,
at prices ranging from six shillings tc
one dollar. For the information of the
curious reader, we will state that the Sc
skins are taken to Germany, where they
are deodorized, and changed into .sSibe-
rlan Squirrel" and then returned to this
country to decorate the shoulders of our
beaux and bellies ; and it is now well
ascertained that the principal cases of the
most popular Parisian perfumes are sup
piled from the "essence bags" of the
defunct animal Detroit Tribune.
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24

chair and called for another mug Of " alf
and -alf." Case smoked his cigar ant
eyed his credulous friend at the sam,
time most remorsely.
"I-I shan't go any farther West,
think" at last observed the excited En-
glishman.
I" should not advise any one TO go, ,
said Case quietly. "My brother once
lived there, but he had to leave, although
his business was the best in the country
T" What business was he in ?"
+" The lumber business. He had ;
saw mill"
"And they stole the lumber p
+" Yes, and saw logs too"
"Sawlogs ?"
"Yes, whole dozens of of the blacl
walnut logs were carried away in sin
gle night"
I" Is it possible ?"
True, upon my honor, sir He triec
every way to prevent it, and hired mer
to watch his logs, but it was all of NJ
use. They would take them all away a.
if there had had been no one there
They would steal them out of the GOV,
and even out of the mill house"
"Good gracious p
"Just to give you an idea Of how they
can steal out there" sending sly wink
at the listening company, "just to give
you an idea-did you ever work in {
saw mill %
"Never."
Well, one day my brother had an al
fired fine black walnut-four feet three
at the butt, and not knot in it, He was
determined to keep that log anyhow
and hired two Scotchmen to watch it al
night. Well, they took small demi
john of whiskey with them, snaked the
log up the hill above the mill, built fire
and then sat down on the log to play
cards just to keep awake, you see
Twas monstrous big log, bark two
inches thick.
Well, as was saying, they played
cards and drank whiskey all night, and
when it began to grow light went tc
sleep astraddle of the log. About min.
ute after daylight brother George went
over to the mill to see how they were
getting on, and the log was gone"
What were the Scotchmen doing ??
+" Sitting on the bark The thieves had
driven an iron wedge into the butt end
which pointed down the hill, and hitch.
ed yoke of oxen and pulled it right out
of the shell, leaving the Scotchmen there
astraddle of it, fast asleep. Fact p
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24
A CRowNER's QuEsr IN CALHoU

A CRowNERs QuEsr IN CALuoUS
CouNrY.-ln the Kingdom Of Calhoun
County," Illinois, dead body wa;
found, with the head severed from the
trunk, and bloody axe on the ground
hard by. The coroner's jury, on mature
deliberation, returned their verdict, oil
which the following is copy:
kerener's Verdick. the Jurors
Finde the deseesed cum To his deth by
the Hands of sum Pursen unnon with
unlawful aoeeping naimed ak. Cd
p s we the jurors Behave that He was
Be hedded by the AK.
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24
THE GIANT FARMER OF THE WEsr.-

The GIANT FARMER OF THE VEST
Mr. Jacob Strawn of this State (says the
Rockford RepaJtican), has earned for
himself the reputation Of the giant far
mer Of the West. Twenty seven years
ago he came to this State a poor man.
His operations were small at first, but
continued to increase each year until he
had reduced over $4,000 acres of land
to Il state of cultivation. He has one farm
of 1890. and ano her Of 10, 600 acres -
He has usually employed from two hun
dred 10 three hundred men, and a large
number of horses. Every year until
quite recently he has stalled from 5000
to 5000 head of cattle, and kept other
live stock in proportionate numbers. In
this twenty seven years, he has made a
fortune of a million of dollars, and he is
still hale and vigorous TO enjoy it, He
has one cornfeld in Morgan county,
nearly six miles long, but has lalterly
been curtaiing his business, and convert.
ing his real estate into cash. He is a
monument of what patience, persever-
ance, industry, and continuous exerton
in one direction will do for IA man who
has determined upon the accomplish
ment of certain end Chicago Jour.
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24


PaooF OF HELpLEss OLD BACHELOR
-" | always know a helpless old bach
elor, (says clever LADY, by looking at
the corners of his pocket handkerchief
If | notice in them any little pieces of
red, blue, or yellow worsted-such as
washerwomen run in to identify the prop
erty of each customer,-I know at once
that he has no one at hona to mark his
linen, and that he must be a poor pitiful
misanthropical, frienlless, helpless oil
bachelor"
When the tailor looked at the Falls Of
Niagara, with its thick cloud of spray,
he suddenly exclaimed
Gods what place to sponge
coat !''
When a corrupt politician looks at
seat III Congress, with all It's immense
facilities for sacrificing the national in
terests to the highest bidder, he mentally
exclaims-
Gods what a place to sponge the
people y
The Spencer (Owen Co, Ind, Journ-
al learns that on Saturday week two lit
de boys, aged respectively two and four
years, sons Of Mr.. A. Goodwin, of Green
county, got to quarreling as TO which
one should have possession of an AK
After short scufile. the elder one sue
ceeded in getting the ak, and immedi-
ately struck his little brother in the
head killing him almost instantly.
BUSINESS VIEW OF MArRMoSr.-A
book keeper was engaged" but could
not get married at the specified time,
owing to want of funds. The tim.
was fixed for Yesterday" said a friend.
= | know it, rejoined he Then, WHY
were you not married y Wei" said
he, looking very serious, and approach
ing his ear conlidentially, +" The fact is,
Ihare got an ertension''
Some Of the tralesmon in New York
give sewing women only two cents piece
for making and pressing boys black
cloth caps, trimmed with braid, ani bow
and buttons, lined with glazed muslin
and wash leather, and with patent leather
front. At these wages, the most expert
workwoman, cannot, by the most unre-
mitting labor, make over ten shilings u
week
Pixies PEAK SrAGEs.-The Chicago
Journal says company has been organ.
lied, with capital Of 500, 1000, to run
a double daily line of stage coaches and
an express from Laavenworth to Pixies
Peak, for the transportation of passen-
gers and freight 1t intends to have
stations along the route every ten miles.
A Judge of the Court of Common
Pleas at Logansport, Ind, few days
since. took umbrage at something said
by learned counsel, whereupon he
came down from the bench and thrashel
the lawyer.
The Empress Eugenie is busily enga-
ged in collecting autographs of the Boz
naparte family; she collects everything
belonging to their history. and has al,
ready assembled enough to fill twenty
two volumes. which she has richly bouad
in her library.
Hon. Robert Mclean. of Baltimore.
has been confirmed as Minister to Mexi-
co, and has started on his mission. He
will recognize the liberal government, ii
he finds IL able 10 sustain itself
JEFF, why am you like the cedar ?"--
e" | guys it up, Sam; | can't tell YOU"
" Case you stays green both sugnmer aal
winter"
| hate TO hear people talk behind ones
back, az the pickpoeket said. when tho
constable 9allnl star, tI,aft
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24
Daring Act of Railroad Engineer.

The Lafayette Ind Courier relates
the following hazardous act of railroad
engineer:
Night before last, deaf and dumb
man, named Lane, met with a thrilling
adventure, and narrowly escaped the loss
of his life, on the New Albany and Sa-
lem Road, a short distance below Linden.
He was walking on the track as the pas
senger train came along. and the engin-
eer observing that he paid no heed to
the warning whistle of the locomotive.
shut down the brakes, but finding it
would be impossible to check the speed
of the train before striking him, ran for
ward, and bracing himself on the cow
catcher, reached out his strong arm just
IN time to save him. The imminent dan
ger OF the brave engineer was greatly
augmented by the fact that the deaf and
dumb man bad an axe upon his shoulder,
from which he might have received Sc
rous injury. Lane was not little aston
ished at the uncerimonious manner in
which he had been picked up, and with
out comprehending his narrow escape,
struggled in the arms of his deliverer,
to the great danger of both. The train,
however, soon came to halt, and the
poor fellow, by signs and gestures, more
eloquent than words, testified his graft
tude fol the deliverance He is the same
man who was knocked into a ditch by a
passing train, last summer, at or very
near the same spot where his brother.
also deaf and dumb, was run over and
horribly mangled the year before.
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24

There was once a clergyman in New
Hampshire. noted for his laziness and
long sermons. "How is it. said man
to neighbor, that Parson M, the
LATEST man alive, writes such everlasting
sermons ?" Why" said the other
" he probably gets to writing, and is too
lazy 10 stop
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24

The Catholic Telegraph remarks o.
the Key and Sickles tragedy:
Ii will be remembered, that Key was
the Attorney who should have prosecuted
Herbert, the California member of Con-
gress, for killing the waiter at one of the
hotels. lie thought proper to almost
excuse the murderer on that occasion
and manifested feeling unworthy Of a
public officer.
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24

Z" Bubby, why don't you go home and
have your mother sew up your trowsers?"
Oh, so along, old woman our folks
are economIzng, and hole will last
longer than a patch"
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24

L is exceeding bad husbandry TO har
row up the feelings of your wife.
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24

The Toledo Blade, after detailing the
particulars of the finding of the body.
substantially as above, says:
cit was then remembered that one OF
Mr.. Hoag's boys, about II years of age,
had, on the 10th of September last, al
just about the time chat the balloon
should have passed over the spot, seen
something fall in that piece of woods
His attention was attracted by peculiar
whistling noise, as of some large bird
passing over, and looked up in time tc
see something fall among the trees. He
thought it must have been paper bal
loon, and started after it but after going
a part of the way, he returned 10 the
house and tried TO get an elder brother TO
go with him TO the woods after the paper
balloon. He was laughed at for wanting
to go so far after bit of paper, and f.
nally gave it up. 1t now seems that a
neighbor's boy saw the balloon pass over
at the same time, at great height, aud
supposed it TO be kite, but having doubts
about it, asked the family "how high a
kite could fly % describing, at the same
time, the object he had seen.
Mr.. Thurston's case was a singular
and sad one, and excited much inter
est. He had made successful ascen-
sion with Mr.. Bannister, and, while Sc
curing the balloon after descending. and
after removing the car, it suddenly rose,
while Mr.. Thurstor was unon II. and
rapidly disappeared. As it rose, Mr.. Z.
clung to the portion on which he was
seated, and remarked to Mr.. B. that il
would soon come down again. When
tn. balloon was found at West Tilbury
Canada, the disc of the valve was torn
off three-fourths of the way around
When at the great hight at which the
litle boy thought that immense balloon
was kite, almost out of sight, the silk
around the valve must have given way,
precipitating Thurston to the earth.
The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-24
A kentuckian Freeing Eighteen Slaves.

A kentuckian Freeing Eighteen Slaves.
The entire number of slaves employed
on the plantation of Mr.. Robert Barnett,
of Lincoln county, Kentucky, were
brought to the Probate Court yesterday
by their owner, who executed the deeds
of their emancipation. They consisted
of an old negro and his wife, with their
children and grand children, all of the
pure African race, with the exception of
one bright mulatto woman and her four
boys, remarkably ne-looking children,
between the ages of thirteen and seven
years. and somewhat Of darker hue
than the mother there were besides
three young men, and the remainder
were adult making in all Is ne
groes.
Mr.. Barnett is close on to seventy years
old; has never been married, and be.
living his present property was suhi-
Gent independence for his remaining
years, carried out the noble project Of
freeing from servitude those negroes,
many of whom. he said, by their labor,
had assisted in the making of his present
fortune, which was not equal, however,
perhaps, to the money value Of his slaves.
He was offered $4,000 for them on the
previous day, but rejected the offer, with
the remark that he would not take $5O,-
600, the motive influencing him being
OF a higher character than that of gain.