davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-04-28

The WALKING STEAM MAN curious
mechanical invention has been on exhibit
ton for some time at No 55l Broadway,
which is well worthy of the attention OF
the public. This is Walking Steam NJ an,
who stands erect without assistance, keeps
its equilibrium alone, and can walk any
distance, taking its feat of the ground TIE
same as any human being, feat which
mechanics have hitherto insisted could
not be done. This machine is wholly or
iginal, and in no way resembles the Steam
Man which was exhibited in this city year
or two ago. The inventor, Mr.. Morrison,
is the originator of the well-known walk
inc dolls. and is now periecting locomo.
tive arrangement to be applied to the ex.
tinct fossil animals which Prot. Warehouse
Hawkins is reconstructng for the Central
Park. -Neu York Mail
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-04-28

A VENERABLE OLD AGE.-The following,
from one who was thar" is vouched for
by him-that is, that the old lady made the
reply given here, not that she was quite as
old as she claimed; When the Fifteenth
Pennsylvania Cavalry entered the town Of
Dawson, Georgia, in the spring of 1865,
among those who welcomed them was ne
gro woman whose appearance denoted ex-
treme old age. Impelled by curiosity, one
OF the boys rode up to her and asked,
'How old are you, auntie?' "Well, chile,
she replied, 81 don't zactly know bow
old Is, but was here when C'lumbus
come
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-04-28
pottrp.
THE MORMON DUNCIAD.

The Deseret News has this awful orusher on Nj
Cullom and his bill. by Lulu. the Mormon poe
ess:
Mamma, do you think that Congress
Cannot stop that naughty Bill
Then, wherever will he 90 to-
Down down don't you thinH he win
II he puts papain rison,
o, how hard III pray and cry
and I'll hope--I oonld not help it
Every one Of us may die
william Cullom what mean name
Sounds just ike he was a knave;
And know heSs rascal,
To want pa to be his slave;
Simply cause be loves you, mother,
And my dear, good auntie, too
He must think that men IN Utah
Don't have anything to do.
He's no brother to u.s. IL be
This base, horrid Bill
No he ain't--but I'm not angry
Don't you soc I'm very cool
Now, Just once, may whisper,
Old Bill Cullom--what fool
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-04-28

A New YoBK dispatch says: There are
rumors of disagreement among the agents
of the principal railroad lines westward,
and probable reduction Of freight and pas
senger rates during the summer months. -
The Erie and other railway companies are
making arrangements for cheap excursions
TO Kansas and Nebraska, and negotiations
are progressing for reduced rates on excur.
.ions 10 San Francisco.
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-04-28

ALL the fish in the streams Of East Der.
set, VI, were suddenly killed one morning
recently, probably from the bursting OF
some ~ater vein impregnated with poison
Gus gases or fluids Tie citizens call upon
scientific men to investigate
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22
EBENsBURG, PA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER %, 1870 :

publication of the heather customs and
teasts which 1t retained, It's liturgy, be-
sides dramatic representations of the birth
OF Christ and the first events of his life
Hence sprang the SO called "Manoer
songs" and multitude of Christmas
carols, as well as Christmas dramas.
which, at certain times and places, degen-
Grated into farces or fools festivals. -
Hence, also originated, at later period.
the Chrlst-trees, or Christmas trees .adorn~
ed with lights and gifts, the custom of
reciprocal presents, and of special Christ
mas meats and dishes, such as Christmas
rolls, cakes, currant-I Ioaves, dumolings,
etc. Thus Christmas became a universal
social festival for young and old, high and
low, as no other Christian festival could
have become.
In the Roman Catholic Church. three
masses are performed at Christmas-one
at midnight, one at day break, and one in
the morning. The day is also celebrated
by The Episcopal Church special psalms
are sung special preface is made in the
Communion service. and in England the
Athanasian Greed is said and sung. The
Lutheran Church likewise observes Christ
mas; but most other denominations re-
Ject II, in its religious aspect, as human
invention" and as ''savoring of political
wili-worship,' although every body keeps
it as social holiday, on which there is
a complete cessation from all business
But within the last hundred years, the
festivities once appropriate to Christmas
have much fallen off. liz England these
at one time lasted with more or less bril-
liancy till Candlemas, and with great spir-
it ill Twelfth-day but now, a meeting
in the evening. composed, when possible,
of the various branches aud members of
family, is all that distinguishes the day
above others.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22
CHRISTMAS CAROLS.

The word carol Qtalian caroIe, round
dance-probably from the Latin cdrOLia
Welsh caroti. 10 reel, TO dance the name
is thence applied to the music or song ac>
companying such dance carbon is
probably allied, signifies song of JOY.
The practice of singing carols, or, at all
events, music in celebration of the nativi-
ty of Christ as early as the second centu-
ry, is considered as proved by the circum-
stance that large sarcophagus, belonging
to that period, has sculptured upon it a
representation of Christian Family join
ing in choral praise for this purpose. a
century or two after this, however, the
Christmas Carols seem 10 have sadly
degenerated, and became, in fact, so indc-
cent, that the clergy found it necessary to
forbid them. Under the Anglo>Saxon
kings, merriment and piety were quietly
combined in English life, peculiarity
that affected the Christmas Carols of that
period not little but by the thirteenth
century the jocosity had unhaPpiiy lapsed
into what would Dow be considered pros
family. The oldest printed collection of
English Christmas Carols bears the date
of 1921 The majority of these, though
written by men of learning, exhibit a
Iamentable ignorance OF the character OF
the two most prominent persons in the
caroIs-Mary and Jesus. In 1928 was
kept the ''siill Christmas" on account OF
the illness Of King Henry bnt with this
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22
CHRISTMAS BOXES.
History OF sn Old English Custor


Christmas box is The name given in
England to a small money gift to persons
IN an inferier condition on the day after
Christmas, which is hence called BoriRq
dug The term, and also the custom, are
essentially English, though the making of
presents at this season and at the New
Year is of great antiquity. Within the
memory Of midde-aged persons in Eng
land the practice of giving Christmas
boxes or pretty presents to apprentices,
domestic servants and traiesmen, had be.
come serious social nuisance, more par
licularY in London, where every old
custom seems to linger and is most diff
cult TO be got rid of Housoholders felt
under an obligation to give money to the
apprentices i'll the shops where they dealt,
also TO varions inferior parish officers, in,
GLIDING scavengers and lamp lighters !;
while shop keepers, on the other hand,
were equally impelled to make presents
to the male and female servants of their
customers Thus, as referred to In Christ
mas, poem:
Gladly the boy, with Christmas Box in hand
Thro ghout the town his devious route pur-
sues
And of his masters customers impiores
The yearly mite often his cash he shakes /;
The which, perchance, of coppers few consists,
Whose dulcet jingle fills his little soul
With joy
AT length the Christmas Box system
became such an intolerable grievance that
tradesmen stuck up notices in their wins
dows that no Christmas Boxes would be
given, and at the same time the public
authorities issued circumstances TO the
same effect. At Christmas, 1886, the
British Secretary of State for Foreign At
fairs Issued circular to the different em
bassies, requesting a dlscontinuance OF the
customary gifts to the messengers of the
Foreign Department and other govern
ment servants. Since this period the
practice has greatly decreased, doubtless
TO the improvement of the self respect OF
the parties interested. In this country it
has never prevailed in such shape as
that mentioned above, Christmas presents
being given nearly exclusively in families
and among friends.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22

exception, the sacred season appears to
have been regularly celebrated with joyous
music and songs during the Tudor period.
In 1862 Christmas Carols of a more SOL
emn nature were introduced. By the
Puritan Parliament Christmas was abol-
ished altogether, and holly aud ivy were
made seditious badges; and in 1850
the Psalms, arranged as carols, were ad-
vertiseG. After the Restoration the
Christmas Carols again exhibited hearty,
cheerful, and even jovial character
Those with which the dawn of Christmas
is now announced in England are generally
religious, though not universally So In
France the carols at this season used to
be much less sacred than gay. Often,
indeed, they were grossly bacchanalian.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22
Gales, gkettBrs, 8netOotss, &t.
TIE CEzRasTMAs FESTIVAL.
An Interesting Historical Sketch.

The institution of the Christmas festi-
val is attributed by the spurious Deere
tails TO Ielesphorus, who fiourished in the
reign OF Antoninus Plus tI38~l6I 4. d.
but the first certain traces of it are found
about the time of Emperor Commodus,
Q80 1872 y D. In the reign of Diocle-
tian (-84-305 a. l. }, while that ruler
was keeping court at Nicomedia, be learn>
ed that multitude of Christians were as
sembled in the city 10 celebrate the BIRTH
day of Jesus, and having ordered the
church doors TO be closed, he set fire to
the building, and all the worshippers per-
ished in the flames.
1t does not appear, however, that there
was any uniformity in the period of OBJ
serving the nativity among the early
churches some held the festival in the
month of May or April, others in Janua-
ry. 1t is, nevertheless, almost certain
that the 25th of December cannot be the
nativity of the Saviour, for it is then the
height of the rainy season in Judea, and
shepherds could hardly be watching their
focks by night in the plains.
Christmas not only became the parent
of many later festivals, such as those of
the Virgin, but especially from the 5th to
the Sth century, gathered round it, as it
were, several other festivals, partly old
and partly new, SO that what may be
termed Christmas Cycle sprang up which
surpassed all other groups of Christian
holidays in the manifold richness of its
festal usages, and furthered, more than
any other, the completion of the orderly
and systematic distribution of church fes-
tivities over the whole year. Not casual
ly or arbitrarily was the festival of the
Nativity celebrated on the 25th of De-
cember. Among the causes that COOP
Grated in fixing this period as the proper
one, perhaps the most powerful was, that
almost all the beathen nations regarded
the winter solstice as a most important
point of the year, as the beginning of the
renewed life and activity of the powers of
nature, and of the gods, who were origin
ally merely the symbolical personiications
of these. In more northerIy countries,
this fact must have made itself peculiarly
palpable le-hence the Celts and Germans,
from the oldest times, celebrated the sea-
son with the greatest festivities. At the
winter solstice, the Germans held their
great Yule feast in commemoration of the
fiery sun~wheel and believed that during
the twelve nights reaching from the 25th
of December to the 9th of January, they
could trace the personal movements and
interferences on earth of their great dei>
ties, Odin, Berchta, etc. Many OF the
beliefs and usages of the old Germans,
and also eff the Romans, relating 10 this
matter, passed over from heathenisln TO
Christianity, and have partly survived to
the present day. But the Church also
sought TO combat and banish-and it was
to large extent successful-the deep-
rooted healhen feeling, by adding, for the
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22

AN UNDERTAKING.-A man once
doubling the joys of single bIessedness,
undertook TO prove the Contrary by expe-
rience. Owing to a melancholy, not 10
say gratefully acknowledged illness, his
wife was brought to her death bed.
Unfortunately for her husbands Aspi-
rations for freedom, her death occurred
IL winter, and her husband, wishing to
offer every respect to her who could no
longer be but the semblance of herself,
ordered the pall-beares to escort the body
on their shoulders. Owing to an ex-
tremely slippery pavement, they slipped
while turning sharp corner, bringing the
remains 10 the ground with such violenes
that resuscitation followed.
lime wore on, and the husband became
again living monument of patience
AT last the wife actually died, and her
duliful spouse being obliged to ignore his
private suspicion by her near relatives,
was obliged to give the same respectful
orders as before. This time however, be
himself formed one of the corps de guarcle,
and though summer was the season, he
could not restrain his feelings, but as he
reached that fatal corner, whispered (;
"EaSy round ibis c9rmer, boys! EASY,
NOW !"
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22
GBe 9oet's 9epartment,
IFrom Leisure Hours.l
OLD SANTA CLAUS VISIT.
BY FANNIE WARNER BICKNELL,

On snow clad hills, at still midnight,
The moonshine lies in beauty bright;
The world is hushcd in sluniber nov,
For balmy sleep from every brow
Hath smoothed away the lines or care,
And stamped repose-night's blessing-there.
Days busy, bustling crowd is still.
Repreved awhile from cares that fill
All hearts wherein the pulse of life
Exceeds the throbs of Infant strife;
L lie mingled voices of the crowd
No longer heard--each head is how'd
n mansion rich and poor abode,
Forgetful of the heavy load
Poor human nature has to bear,
In homespun clad or silken wear--
The sweeter sleep to toll Is given
Than to the idle, blessed of heaven,
With every luxury wealth can bring
While Iaborers toll and blithely sing,
The rich oft yawn in digcouteut.
and mourn at eve the day misspent.
But midnight brings to all surcease
From daylight's cares-to all sweet peace
Thus resting in the close embrace
Of seep-night keeper of our race
The world awaits the coming dawn
That sshers in glad Christmas morn.
The spirit of the season BY
Steals swiftly, while each youthful eye
Close sealed remains by natures laws,
As o er each house goes Santa Claus.
A pack of gifts his back bestrides,
As down the chimney quickly glides
The fur clad elf. with pipe and whip;
His twinkling eye and smiling lip
A promise give of something nice,
As through the room like creeping mice
His footsteps glide; he views the feet
or stockings which, at morn, will greet
The eyes Of children in the bed
Where hang the stockings overhead.
with mods, ard winks, and funny shrugs,
His we'll filed pack around he lugs,
Until chair he finds to mount,
So that their number he may count.
Zone, two, three, four-'twas FIVE last year
tHe stops TO wipe away a tear }
I'll look agaiD-the smallest feet
Are missing they have gone to meet
The Babe of Beth lem at whose birth
The shepherds sang Good Will on Earth =
He glanced around on bed of straw
The little errand boy he saw;
"Ah! there lies one did not see,
It's likely he, too, dreams of me:
To him warm clothes I'll give instead
This toy brought the child that's dead
! hen STOPPING down and putting back
The silver trumpet, from his pack
The other gifts he quickly drew,
Ard stuffed the stockir gs number two,
And three, and four; the smallest one
He filled the last. When all was done
He chuckled low, and made a3pause,
Then vanshed-dcar old Santa Claus.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22

BIG BELLs.-We have some large bells in
this country. but they are of puny size com
pared with many in the Old Worl Id:
In China bells have been made Of enor-
nous weight. Nankin was aneiently famous
for the largeness of its bells. At Pekin
there were several bells cast III the reign of
Zou!o, each weighing l20, 900 pouuds The
SOUND of the largest Chinese bell was very
poor. owing to it being struck with piece
of wood, instead Of a metal clapper a bell
given to the cathedral of Moscow by the
Gear Godunof weighed 289 600 pounds, aud
another given by the Empress Aun. proba
blv the largest in the known world, weighed
49, 600 pounds. The great bell at St
Pau's weighs between Il. 900 and 1900
pounds. aud is ten feet in diameter. On
this bell is inscribed Richard Phslps made
me, 17I6;" and Peter Cunningham, in his
Hand book for London" tells Us that it is
"never used except for striking Of the hour,
and for tol.ing at the deaths and funerals OF
any of the Royal Family. the Bishop OF
London. and should he die in his mavoralty,
the Lord Mayor" We believe, however,
that it tolled at the funeral of lord Nelson
and at the deaths and funerals of the Duke
of Wellington and Dean Mlman.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22
ESTABLISHED 1904,
1871 THE 1871
PITTSBURGH POST.
TIE OLDEST DEMOCRATIC DAILY
IN THE STATE.
Leading Democratic Journal
OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

THE PITTSBURGH POsT is the advocate of Po-
litical Reform. an Economical and Just Gov
ernment, in which all the rights of the Citizen
are recognized and respected, and the ballot
box kept free from negro domination the en-
emy of Monopoly; the firm friend of Retrench-
ment in every Department., Civil Service Re-
form, and the payment of the bonded debt
strictly in accordance with the contract 1t is
the champion of Reduced Taxation and the pre-
servation of the reserved rights of the State
against every form of Federal encroachment,
under whatever name.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22

WHARF the beds fit mans back like the
feathers on goose, and WHARF the vitiels
TASTE az tho yure wife or yure mother had
fried them.
These kind ov hotels ought tew be bulls
on wheels and travel sround the country;
they are just az full ov real comfort az q
thanksgiving pudding, but alap they are
az unplenty az double yoked eggs.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22

THE Mayfeld, Kentucky. Democrat has
the following: "a most remarkable cir
cumstance occurred in our county lately, az
the residence of DIR. j. r. Patterson. who re-
sides within two miles Of MaySeld. In
November, 1869, his wife presented him
with three girl battles. which. however,
died. and in December 1870, she presented
him with two boy babies. weighing eight
pounds each, and whichSare now living and
doing well. Thus in thirteen months he
had born to him Ave babies. We are glad
to state that DIR. Patterson is one of our best
and most accomplished citizens. aud is ablsi
to stand it. But who can beat this ~
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22

Two LADIES were talking about spsrrn~s,.
and their usefulness in Kidding TIE city Of the,
canker worms which used to be such a nuI-
sanee. One said that the noisy chipping os
the sparrows. early IL the morning, when,
she wanted 10 sleep. was as gTsat an evil as
tbs worms /; the other disagreed. Just then.
gentleman came in and was appealed to
"Mr. A, which do you think the worst
sparrows or worms ~ He immediately an
swered. 81 don't know neTer had spar
rows" :
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22

OLD BIBLEs.-In the Stras5ourg library
there was a wonderful collection of the BIZ
bles first printed, the oldest bearing the i'm
press of ''Mentolio, 1866" In it Moses IN
pictured with horns; and there is also 3
picture of Satan shifting Job with buils, IN
which the figure of the devil carries us back
to the pre- historic and pagan ideas of evil
spirits. for he is no other than a hairy Satyr,
such as we find in classical mythoiogies In
a manuscript Bible. written with great beau
ty and illnmin nations. IN the year a. ID. 1872,
we come to a very primitive realm of ideas
indeed. For example, Adam and Eve are
pictured as two plump and pretty children,
and the devil. who offers little Eve the apple,
is q beautiful weman with golden hair rolled
up so as to form a crown; from the waist
down she IS a serpent. Among other hlu-
limitations belonging to the twelfth century
MSS, there was one in perfect colors repre-
seuting God the Father. He was represent
ed as young man of great but severe beauty
and flowing hair. looking upon an open book.
In another the trinity was pictured as three
beautiful youths with physiognon,es similar
enough for thera to be regarded ss tripIets,
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22

THERE is a degree of tenderness in the
following, by a very sentimental man,
that eommends it to the business and bo-
SONS of all Of like sensibility 1t reveals
a chapter of human experience in which
everybody is interested, though the de-
nouement is probably rare. The author
entities it ''My Early Love i"
1t was an ardent boyi-h .ore,
That faded out as life grew older;
My heart flew to her like a dove,
And lighted on her beauteous shoulder,
Or slipped the honey of her lips
Or in her eyes found heavenly graces;
loved her 70 her finger tips
! loved her very footprint traces
Her features wore rapturous charm,
Her smile made all within me futter;
In rounded beauty was her arm
Her little hand was fat as butter
No wonder that l loved her So
But she was false as she was pretty,
And soon she sack Ell her little beau.
And took big one from the city.
caught him out one moonlight night
Twas one of lo7e's EXTREMIST phases -
/ aggravated him to fight.
But, oh ! he larruped me like blazes
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22

Mr.. DAVID CROWLEY, an expressnan az
Boston. is the only survivor of catastrophe
which. thirty~one years ago, filed the coun-
try with horror and distress. We aIluds to
the burning of the steamer Lexington on
Long Island Sound on tie night Of the 18th
of January, 1870. The preservation Of Mr..
Crowley was one of the most miraculous in
stances of human endurance ever recorded.
He made his escape on bale of cotton, and
Seated on the rough aad icy waters of the
Sound forty-eight hours-drifting daring
that time more than ifty miles, the tempera-
ture ranging at and below zero. with no other
protection from the freezing blasts and fro
zen spray than that offered by q woolen shirt,
wooden drawers and thin boots, with cotton
sOcks--uo cap o: protection of any deserip-
ton for his head. or hands. This almost
Incredible exposure, which would have ex .
tinguished ordinary hnman life in a few
minutes. never seriously affected the consti<
tuition of Mr.. Cowley, and be bids fair to
reach hale and hearty old age.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22

II fs the only Democratic Ddily in Wester1t Penn
spirdntd that receireS the cable and tclegruphic
dispatches OF the 4 SSOcidted Press, trfc include
the Market Reports Of all leading points.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22
rERMs. INDUCEMENTS. &C.

TERMS-S3 Year Of SO Numbers, and only
III 30 In Clubs OF Ten. This Quarters Is Num-
4 srs sanf REF, as offered above. Our Club
fr5rraTnents for 1871 are unprecedented. Spe-
mons, Premium Lists, &c, sent free to all
rn!ng Clubs,-Rnd we want live Club Agent
4 eycrv Town. Address
D. D. T. MOORE, Al Park Row, New York.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-22
Ehe New York METHODIST
~ EIE III y 10 4 EEEhLI

Nov IN its Eleventh Year, publishes Sermons,
Sria! Story for Families, a new Children'S
k,1ry every week, Chats with the Little Folks,
Editorials BY the best Methodist writer's and
Itbcrs, Foreign aud Domestic Correspondence,
geEct. Price S2.5O a year. Liberal premiums
N cash commissions to canVaSSerS. SubScrip-
Dqs commence at any time. For specimen,
trLese two cent stamp to prepay postage. Ad-