davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-09-30
Base Ball.

All classes of community Get up base
ball clubs; the little boys engage in the
game with ardor and enthusiasm, and
even the babies, it seems to US, never
gave such specimens OF base bawling as
now.
Old men have caught the infection
We head Of a party OF old gents in this
vicinity, not long ago, who cot up a club
of picked nine several OF them picked
out of the asylum for paralytics. The
"pitcher was too intirm to pitch Except
to pitch on his nose), SO he shot the ball
out of gun, touching the gun off with
slow match, Ii was the SioweSt "match
ever played The batter hadn't raised
a club in long time unless /, was club
he raised for the W23y Tines. He gave
some very good specimens Of cotton bat
ting, however, being nearly encased in
that material for acute rheumatism The
ball had about as much show for being
struck by lightning as by him.
The catcher didn't catch the ball once,
he only caught cold. The runs were
mostly made in carriages though some Of
the more vigorous were able 10 ret around
on a pair of crutcheS and two canes.
One old man said he would Ike 10 make
one base before he died--hadn't made
anything in forty years They didn't get
home any of them until they were car
ried home on stretchers They call them
selves Olympics, every man Of them
having a limp Their common title, how
ever, is " Base b. Hagds.
\ Blind Mems Base Bal Club has
been running for some time in the interior
of the State They don't ccnfne them
selves 10 the rules, going il blind for
the most part The pitcher sends his ball
by the Hand Express The batter can
only touch the bah, going ty The sense Of
touch altogether Ii is al J-ether very
touching
The catcher catched the hal N his hat,
having acquired great deXte-itv IN the use
Of the article by catching pennies in it on
the street corners. They are led around
to the bases by a little dog and q string.
Although blind, they never bark their
shins, the little dog doing sl the barking.
Ii a foul is called, they s e. sing out with
one accord, Can't see il " The telicrs
can only fEd their way, and the umpire
gives his decision by letter-r4ised letter.
The club is familiarity known as the Eye
Openers" from fond hope they enter
tain that the exercise viii restore their
sight
The Deaf and Dumb Mems Base Ball
Club came 20 a speedy END The author
tiles i1teIitred and broke u0 their game,
claiming it was cruelty t0G1mb animals
We have wondered they didat get NJ 3
" Policamen's Base Ball Club, they ar so
handy with their clubs. Tie trouble would
be, though they would never Ice on the
ground when wanted The way % induce
one Of them 20 make arapi5 home run
would be 70 have disturbance break ont
in some other locality. They would draw,
thouCh.salaries, regularly and not inter
iere with the game if they were in with
the game. -L.1c.gbaH IsHa.
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03
4 Word for Bows.

Truth is one of the rarest gems. Many
boy has been lost in society by allowing il tc
tarnish his character, and foolishly throw
ing it away.
Ifthis gem still shines in your bosom. .suf-
fer nothing to displace or diminish its luster.
Profanity is mark Of low breeding.
Show us the man that commands the best
respect; an oath never trembles on his
tongue. Read the catalogue Of crime. Inquire
the character of those who depart from vir-
tue. Without a single exception, you will
find them to be profane Think of this, and
don't let vile word disgrace you.
Honesty, frankness, generosity virtue
blessed traits Be these yours, my boys, and
we shall not fear. You will claim the re-
spect and love of ALL You are watched by
your elders. Men who are looking for clerks
and apprentices have their eyes ON you. IF
you are profane, vulgar. theatregoiug, they
will not choose you. IF you are upright,
steady and industrious. before long you will
find good places, kind masters and the pros
pect of useful life before YOU
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03
Stupidity.

How stupid to walk along the street with
an umbrella or cane under your arm, the
point sticking out for everybody to run hi:
face into; for three ladies to walk abreast,
and move SO slowly that persons in hurry
must either go between them or get into the
gutter; to puff and blow, and we'll nigh faint
upon ascending stairway. with forty pounds
of fashionable cloak on your back; to go
late to church and annoy the minister and
congregation by your fussy entrance; to
wear dress four feet too long, and then
look daggers if any one steps on it; to walk
for exercise when you need rest not to
know What you want when you 60 into dry
goods store; to eat when you re not hungry
to smother the smell of your unwashed per-
son in musk or other disagreeable perfumes;
to think that people, opinion of you increas-
es in proportion to the cost of your clothes;
to refuse to sing or play when urged; or to
bore people to distraction by both singing
and playing when not asked.
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03
independent Order of Odd Fellows.

The Joint Committee of the Grand Lodge
and Grand Encampment, and DELEGATES
from the subordinate Lodges, to make ar
rangements for the grand parade of the
Order, held an adjourned meeting in Phia-
delphia, on Saturday evening. John W.
Stokes, Z. g., presided. The various CON-
mittees appointed at previous meeting re-
ported that they had organized and were
attending to the duties assigned them The
Committee on Ways and Means reported
that they were about sending a circular to
all the Lodges and Encampments through
out the State, soliciting pecuniary aid by
voluntary contributions, to enable the Joint
Committee to make the Semi Centennial Gel
ebration of the introduction of Odd Fellow
ship upon this Continent, in Philadelphia, in
April next, an affair creditable to Philadel
phia and Pennsylvania. A resolution pro-
viding for an assessment of twenty dollars
upon each Lodge and encampment intend
ing to parade, to be used exclusively for the
payment of street music, was adopted.
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03

than fifty feet in length, and down a flight
of STAIRS into what was evidently an under
ground basement, stopped beside vault,
and removed the handkerchief from my eyes.
Here is the vault, open it, she said,
sprlnging open the door of dark lantern,
and throwing q beam of.light upon the lock.
/ seized bunch Of skeleton keys, and
after few trials. which the lady seemed to
regard with the most painful anxiety, sprang
the bolt. The door sprang open upon its
hinges, and my companion telling me not
to close it, as it was self locking, sprang into
the vault. did not follow. heard the
low murrrur Of voices within, and presently
the lady re-appeared, and leaning upon her
arm was man with face so pale and hag-
gard that l started at the sight. How he
must have suffered during the three long
days of his confinement in the vault
Remain here" said she handing me the
lantern. II viii be back in momen..''
The two ascended the stairs, and heard
them enter room Immediately above where
l was standing. In less than minute the
lady returned.
''Shal close it, madam Y' said plae-
ing my hand upon the door.
''No! nop' she exclaimed, seizing my
hand, lit awaits another occupant"
Surely, madam, you do not intend"
"Are you ready?" she inquired inpatient
ly, holding the handkerchief before my
eyes. The thought flashed across my mind
that she intended to push me into the vault
and bury me and my secret together. ''Do
not be alarmed, you are not the mani
l could not mistake the truth OF the fear
full meaning of this remark, and shuddered
as bent my head to the handkerchief. My
eyes were as carefully bandaged as before,
and was led to the cab and driven home
by more cireuitous route, if possible, than
before. Arriving in front of the door the
handkerchief was removed, and 1 stepped
from the vehicle. A purse of FIVE hundred
dollars was placed in my hand, and in mo-
ment the cab and its mysterious occupant
had turned the corner and was out of sight
l entered the shop, and the purse of gold
was the only evidence could summon in my
bewilderment that all had just done and
seen was not dream.
A month after that I saw the lady, and
the gentleman taken from the vault, walking
leisurely along Montgomery Street 1 do not
know, but l believe the sleeping husband
awoke within that vault, and that his bones
are there to-day! The wife is still a resident
of San Francisco.
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03

In an address delivered before the Ameri-
can Geographical Society in New York on
the 18th Jan., Dr.. Hayes, the renowned
Arctic explorer, expressed the utmost conf
desee in being able to reach the open Polar
SEA with steamer. The Doctor based his
opinion upon the fact that water does not
freeze except when sheltered by land. Firm
ly frozen bodies of water of any extent are
unknown. DR.. Hayes defined slse Poiar Sea
upon the theory of ocean currents. OF the
flow of the waters within the limits of the
Polar Sea we know little, but we ear trace
one. This sweeps along both coasts OF
Greenland; the branch on the eastern side,
after touching Iceland, wheels around Cape
FarweA into Bafhn' Bay, where it joins the
other branch through Smiths Sound, and
out from the great Parry Archipelago tbro
Jones Sound. Lancaster Sound and Hud-
son Strait. Thus uniting its great arms this
Polar current courses along the Coasts of
Labrador and Newfoundland, and wedging
itself in between the Gulf Stream and the
American coast is finally lost off the cape of
Florida. The Gulf Stream and the Japa-
nese current both flow into the Polar Sea,
the former entering by the coast of Spitz-
bergen and the latter through Behring
Strait. Noting the influences of these cur
rents upon the climates of the adjacent
countries we find on the Atlantic coast, Glas-
gov, in latitude So 81 min., parallel with
the eoldest point of Labrador. which is chill
ed by the ice-encumbered current of Baf.
FMS Bay. 81. Petersburg is ON the same
parallel Of latitude With the Southern point
of Greenland. On the Pacific coast Sitka
was found in latitude 570 min, with much
the same climate as the European cities be-
fore mentioned.
Baf6n's Bay and Hudson Bay were never
sealed, and in passing the winter of Is6O-6I
on the margin of the most nortberly portion
of Bafin's Bay, with the temperature at 400
below zero, he, with his party, was always
within sound of the beating surf Explain
ing the different proposed and projected
routes to the Polar Sea, he said he would
give the preference to the way Of Smiths
Sound. A vessel could certainly be forced
up to Fort Polk, and thence would be af-
fOrded, first, land as base of operations,
the route lying over Grinnelrs Land, and,
second, the opportunity to colonize party
of hunters and natives as permanent sup
port. Birds, whale. walrus. seal and rein
deer, were here to be found in abundance.
This was his plan seven years ago, as it was
now.
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03

H1GH HEELs.-The Scientific american
tells its readers, what every physician and
student of physiology knows, about the silli-
ness and harmfulness of wearing high heel
ed shoes. When the heel is raised, as is
the prevalent custom. the bones of the thigh
pelvls and leg, as well as the foot, are thrown
into an abnormal position; and while the
bones maintain their Elasticity, the effect of
such unnatural tension is sure to be perpet-
uated in the shape of crooked shins, handy
legs, elephantine toe joints, and cramped,
ungaiuly gait.
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03
Select gaetrY.
EVENING.


Harki hear the sleet against the pane
And hear the wild winds blow,
Itchills me with shuddering dread,
This heavy heaping SNOW
cannot bear that all night long,
The drifts should deepen so.
darling, that this storm should beat
Upon thy lonesome bed
darling, that this dancing snow
Should heap above thy head,
And not there to shelter thee,
And bear the storm instead,
trim anew the glowing fire
The flames leap merrily-
1 make the lamp-light bright and clear
Thou art not here to see
All, since sit there all alone,
What are they all to me?
o dreary hearth o lonesome life.
empty heart and home.
tits not home to me, wherein
Thy dear feet never come
There is no meaning in the word
Since thy loved lips are dumb,
all in vain the bright flames dance,
The ruddy embers glow
l shiver in the mellow light,
Because, alas, know
The snow-dritts heap above thy sleep
This heavy, heaping snow,
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03
Is There a God 2

How eloquently does Chateaubriand reply
to this inquiry: There Is God The herd
of the valley, the cedars of the mountains
bless him; the insects sport in his beams /;
the elephants salute him with the rising orb
of the day; the birds sing of him in the foil
age; the thunder proclaims him in the
heayens; the ocean declares his immensity; /;
man alone has said, There is no God |"
Unite in thought at the same instant the
most beautiful objects in nature Suppose
you see at once all the hours OF the day and
all the seasons of the year !; a morning of
Spring and morning of Autumn; night
bespangled with stars and night covered
with clouds; meadows enameled with flow.
ers and forests hoary with SHOWS fields gill
ded by tints Of autumn; then alone you will
have just conception of the universe.
While you are gazing on that sun which is
plunging under the vault of the west, anoth-
er observer ad,nires him emerging from the
gilded gates of the east. By what incon-
ceivable magic does that star, which sink
ing, fatigued and burning, in the shade of
evening, re-appear at the same instant,
fresh and humid with the dews of the morn
ing? At every instant of the day the glor-
ious orb is at once rising resplendent at noon
day, and setting in the west, or rather our
senses deceive US, and there is properly
speaking, no east, west, or south in the
world. Everything reduces itself to sim
gle poine, from whence the king of the day
sends forth triple light In one substance.
The bright splendor is perhaps that which
nature can present that is most beautiful;
Tor while it gives an idea of the perpetual
nagni6cence and resistless power of God, it
exhibits at the same time shining image of
The glorious Trinity.
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03
The Last of the Samaritms,

In that sszse valley Of Palestine where
Abraham snd his grandson, Jacob, built
their affairs to Jehovah, and whefs some SIT
teen centuries later the Savior talked with
the woman OF Ssnarfa by Jacobs Weif.tAe
last remnant of the Samaritabs, nunberins
only about forty families, is now rapidly
dwinding away
Airaveler who has recently resided three
months among these unmixed descendants
of the best blood of ancient Israel assures
us that as regards their dress, manners, social
customs, religious rites and other tribal Pc
culiarities, they are the fac SMILES of their
ancestors of thousand years ago. They
have never intermarried with any other race,
and claim to be the true sons of Joseph"
whose tomb is in their valley. It is said to
observe their domestic life is to live in Bib
lical atmosphere, and to return to the days
Of the patriarchs- The law is read to them
from Gerizim, as it was read TO their fore
fathers from the same sacred mountain as
early as the days of Joshua; and along the
base of Mount Ebal camels wind their way,
carrying on the traffic between Jerusalem
and Galilee as it was carried on in the era of
the Evangelists.
From the year 1906 to 1916 the Samari-
tans were prevented by the Mahometans
from celebrating the Passover on Mount
Gerizim; but twenty years ago, by Christian
intercession, the privilege was restored to
them. Their days are numbered; but their
history and traditions will cling to the s'Val-
lev Of Sechem' as long as time lasts. The
Greek Church has purchased the Well of
Jacob, and filled its mouth with stones, pre-
paratory to erecting temple over it. 1t
would have been in better taste to leave it
as it was when the patriarch watered his
focks there, and as it remained when the
Holy Founder of the new dispensation drank
of its pure ''sweet water
The few surviving Samaritans are said to
be worthy of their lineage and of the ancient
fame of their sect-upright, benevolent, and
remarkable for their physical beauty and
lofty bearing. Their surroundings are so
grand and solemn, that they could scarcely
be otherwise than a poetic people. Ta5er-
nacled under the shadow OF Mount Moriah,
on the site of the ''City of Refuge" and
with the rock of the Holy Place, the stones
set up by Joshua, and the spot on which
Abraham prepared his son Isaac for sacrifice,
close at hand, we may well suppose that these,
the noblest specimens of the Hebrew race,
pass their lives in a sort of religious ecstacy,
IN which the comparative degradation of
their present condition is forpoftep in tho
of miraculous past.
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03
Work for Woman.

| froDaoiy our country women talk more
| about the right to enter all departments Of
industry than do their sisters in any other
part of tie world. In the older countries
the complaint, if any, would be, that women
are compelled to do more than their share
of labor. In Britain, for example, outside
of Liverpool and London, the hotels are
commonly kept by women. A woman as
signs quarters to guests; woman attends
to the accounts a woman presides at the
bar. The men are reduced to the positions
of porters and walters. In Britain, and in
France and Italy, women are guards along
the track of the railroads. On the CONT
nent generally, the traveller finds women
conducting large share Of the business. In
Belgium, and France, and Germany, and
Northern Italy, the signs over the manufac-
tories prove that the fair sex are not always
subordinates. 'Sisters -" conduct one
of the largest lace manufactures in Brussels
widow -" is leading merchant. At
Lyons one of the chief banking houses is
that of Widow Guerin & Sons" although
the head of the firm is not found attending
to the details of money at the Office In
Paris, the jewelry stores are commonly man
aged by women; and many of the smaller
manufactures of various articles seem to be
entirely conducted by them. Near the Tu-
illeries is sign indicating that store is
carried on by "Miss - and the sisters of
her mother" At Cologne, the leading man.
ufacturer of the famous water is Miss Mar
tin, nun. At Milan, women compete with
men in merchandise and trade on the prin-
cipai streets, and in the finest apartments of
the new arcade. Throughout Switzerland,
women maintain their full share of many of
the industries, manufacturing and agricul-
tural. On the wharf at Havre, a railroad
extension is in progress, and women side by
side with men, are seen shoveling earth, and
loading and unloading carts.
In this country, practically, all vocations
are already open to women. They need not
wait for the consent of anybody. They can
do any work for which they are qualified, and
which offers itself. No law forbids, and
prejudice itself has ceased to protest above
a whisper. No argument is needed to open
any vocation to them. Only example is
requisite. The place once well occupied by
a woman, is free to any one of her sex for.
ever afterwards. Unless it be the law, no |
profession in this country and no vocation |
within their physical strength, fails even now
to afford instances of women admitted to |
with men on their own ground. The
right of women to labor. according to her
gifts and capacities. with pen and pencil,
with voice or hand, in shop or factory. or
field or forum, can hardly be accounted as
longer in dispute. Utica Herald
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03

Advertising for wife is as absurd as get
ting measured for an umbrella. Talk up
to the dear creatures. If you'd marry them.
One-half the world was born to marry the
other half
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03

The people of Waterbury, Connecticut,
drank Al, ,65l gallons of wine and distilled
liquors, and l27, ,l4S gallons of malt liquor
during 1868, not including any such fluids
brought by express or manufactured in town.
This cost the consumers $3.50, ,0s4, while
the flour in town for the same period was
worth only $24O,OOO. We would recon-
mend lodge of Good Templars to that
town.
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03

The woman who made pound of butter
from the cream of joke, and cheese from
the milk of human kindness, has since wash
ed the close of year, and hung 'em to
dry on a bee line.
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03

THE penalty for walking on railroad
track in England is ten pounds, said one
while discussing the numerous fatal acci-
dents on railroads. ''Pooh!' replied Un-
Gle Jerry. is that all The penalty in this
country is death.
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03

A Dublin letter writer tells that he heard
a newsboy crying through the street: Eve
ming Freeman! glorious news from Upper
ary another landlord shot p
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03

A letter bearing the following superscrip-
tion was recently received at the Silver City
Postofice from Iowa:
Augustus Jones, web foot scrub,
To whom his letter wants to 60,
Is chopping cord wood for bis grub
In Silver City, Idaho"
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03

Avery irritable man, having been disap-
pointed in his boots as promised, threatened
to eat the shoemaker, but compromised By
drinking cobbler.
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03

Flowers teach us we are mortal-as they
fade so must we. The lesson is daily offered
us-1o we heed it? Evergreens hint of i'm.
mortality, because in the dreariest days of
winter they are green robed; yet they too die.
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03

One important precaution against catch
ing cold is to keep the mouth shut To
many people this would be ten times worse
than cold.
Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-02-03

l "feel it my duty to dilate," said te-
dious orator. Better die late than never!"
shouted voice in the crowd.