davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-06-17
Progress of the Big iIorners- Gold from
Wind River.

From the Cheyenne Leader, May IS.
The little band of adyenturers who are
going to the Wind River and Big Horn
country by a tedious side route, instead of
ssacross lots" over Sioux dominions, are
making steady progress. On Thursday
they were at Laramie, and their teams be-
ing somewhat overladen, they shipped a
portion of their goods by railroad to Folt
Steele. The line of the q. p. r. r. over
this part of the route, it will be remember
ed, runs in northwesterly course, and
thus they were enabled to avail themselves
of its assistance on their journey. The
people of Laramie, together with Supt.
Fillmore, of the u. P. R. B., generously
provided them means for transportation of
portion of the supplies of the expedition
to Fort Steele.
The Indian interpreter at Ft. Fetterman,
Mr.. Joe Merriwether, who came down with
Red Cloud and party, to-day showed US
some specimens of nugget gold, which
were brought in by the Indians to the
above Fort. The gold was obtained from
] the Wind River range near its northeast
ern limits, bordering that portion of the
valley where the stream takes the name
of "Big Horn" The gold is coarse, beau
tiful looking, and tantalizing to the eye OF
greedy white men who would like so well
to be allowed to enter upon the forbidden
ground and dig it out for themselves. Mr..
Merriwether, the guide and interpreter, is
half-breed, and travels wherever be
wishes, unarmed of course. When Indians
are possessed of facilities to secure this
gold in such quantities as have been shown
by the amounts brought into trading posts,
what wealth would not follow the more
skilled systems of mining of white men,
when directed to the development of this
new country2 The period of the entry o.
the pale faces upon these possessions
though delayed at present, is really but &
question of time. Those interested, whC
will await their time. will be well repaid.
The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-06-17
Narrow Escape of Little Girl from q
Fearful Death-A Brave Rescue.
From the Easton, pa Express


Yesterday afternoon, while several little
girls were engaged in plueking wild flow
ers among the rocks bordering on the north
side of Mount Jefferson, one of them, q
daughter of Mr. Daub, residing on the
Lehigh, in reaching out over the hill, lost
her hold on the rocks, and was precipitated
down the rugged and almost perpendicular
hillside, a distance of about thirty feet.
Fortunately her dress caught in some
bushes, which prevented her from being
dashed q lifeless, shapeless mass upon the
rough rocks $50 feet below. Our readers
will remember that this occurred at
the place where the solid walls of
the hill rise almost perpendicularly
to the height of about 225 feet above
the Bushkill, and is considered almost i'm
passable by any but the most daring and
practical climber. Here the little girl hung
for some time with a horrible death await
ing her below, and the cracking and the
bending of the brittle bushes warning her
that but few moments might separate her
from her doom, while her little playmate
above could only wiring her hands and make
her agony known by her prayers and her
shrieks. But no helping hand could reach
her from the hill-top-and only death wait
ed for her at the bottom. At last the cries
of the little one reached the ears of Messrs.
Otto Voight and Samuel Schureh, of Phil
hpsburgh, who were then in the yard of the
residence of the former. who at once
rushed across the Bushkill to her relJsI.
When they arrived at the foot of the
hill, and saw the fearful condition
of the little sufferer, and her frail
support, Mr.. Schurch at once
threw off his coat, and with the daring
agility displayed by his countrymen when
they scale the cliffs of his own native
Switzerland, he at once began to scale the
steep steps of Mount Jefferson, and after
much labor and many a scratch in his
dangerous ascent, he folded the bleeding
little form in his strong arms. and held
her firmly there until others came to their
assistance. Persons came there with
ropes, &C., and the child was securely
fastened to a rope from above and drawn
to the top, when the rope was in
turn fastened to Mr.. Schurch, and he
aided in making his perilous ascent to the
top of the bill. The child was about IL
years of age, and sustained several bruises
about the head. A deed so daring, so no
bic as that of Mr.. Schurch deserves more
than passing notice. The child's escape
was q miraculous one indeed.
The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-06-17
Chinese Girls in Society.

emily" sends this to the Sacramento
Bee from Hong-Kong:
The musicians were concealed in differ
ent apartment, but quite near enough to
suit our fastidious taste, though. there we're
really some pleasing strains extracted in
an everlasting minor key. The hot tea,
served us already two or three times, made
US wonder somewhat if this were to be the
dinner. Our hopes regarding more sub
stantial food were about Pickering away,
when plates of preserves and comfits we're
handed around, and presently the entire
dinner followed-sweetmeats and rice, rice
and sweetmeats, done up in that Chinese
way of doing up everything which manages
to leave the epicurean In an exquisite state
of uncertainty as to the identity of the arti-
cles he is consuming During the courses,
which seemed interminable, we were anus
ed by party of dancers, who learn the
terpsichorean art and hire themselves out
for the entertainment of the wealth and
aristocraey of China Their movements
were extremely graceful, but the dancing
was not confined to their feet; faces, hands,
and arms monopolized the motions. can
not imagine who originated such fantastic
postures. The dancers were called young
! girls, but paint, powder and other cosmet-
|
to their youthful appearance. Their dress
es were long purple silks. brocaded and
caught up at the waist with scarlet silk
sash. Their wrists and hands were laden
with bracelets and rings, of which they
were very proud, Their hair was done up
in sort of ''seow" style, tipped off with
gilt ornaments fantastieally cut. We have
since seen many troupes of dancers, some
really young; but the first retains the most
pleasant impressions. The novelty wore
on with it, and besides no other seemed Sc
perfectly self-complacent or transported
that they were called to entertain the for
eign ladies. When the dinner was finally
through with, Sin pulled out her fan, where
upon the other ladies brought out theirs
which were carried upon all occasions. i
is rare treat to see these dark-eyed ladies
handle their dainty little fans. They dC
not bestow their whole attention to them
neither do they hold them carelessly as d.
the Caucasian races, but it is readily see1
that tanning is an art from every wave
4 of the hand, which is both easy and ele
CANT There are no meanings attached Il
the art-I mean flirtations by ''girls of th'
! period" but is practiced with the sole in
tent of adding to the accomplishments anC
graces of women ana men. Then we hat
another chit-chat and lounging around, in
tersperSed with more music and dancing
more hot wine and tea, and "Pigeon-Eng
I !ish" with Yuen and Mang, which put tn
Chinese ladies in a very merry humor, whel
we found that the gentlemens party wa
about breaking up, and we arose to go, ]
we could believe in protestations of friend
! ship, egretful-looking faces and sorrowfu
5 salutations, our departure was certainly
E very trying ordeal; but the Chinese are S
hypocritical, and all these things have t
f be said and done so according to law an
r custom, that their sincerity was somewhs
Y | a matter of doubt.
The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-06-17
A SaItIlakn Senfenca.

Amurderer was recently convicted at Salt
Lake and sentenced to be shot. Among
other heirlooms of English origin we have
received the method of strangulation as the
only orthodox and wellapproved method
of shutting off the mortal coil of a crimi-
nal And we have, in ike manner, settled,
or received as settled, that death by gum
shot is the proper exit for a soldier, being
by his own weapon. Probably the force
of habit is with us stronger than the force
of precedent; and if, IN the course OF due
reflection upon the subject, we should con-
clude that some other mode of executing
the death penalty is less shocking, disgust
ing or painful to the subject thereof, OF
less troublesome or repulsive to those who
have the Office to perform. we should not
hesitate to change merely because of two,
five or ten centuries more or less Ofhanglng
precedents.
In fact, here is question for the doc
tors, the philanthropists and the lawyers.
Decide that it is more scientific, kind OF
economical to shoot than to hang; should
we find anything in our laws to prevent
our Judges from sentencing in that model
/ The penalty of certain crimes is death
Must the law require that death shall be II
particular mode, or may our Legislation
leave it to the judge to prescribe the mod'
of execution.
1t would be easy to recall the memory
other capital punishments honored by ou
English precedents, buG which are nov
almost too shocking for belief, Perhaps ]
would be worth while to reflect whether W
may not make further improvement In thu
respect than we have yet doLe.--Sdn Fran
cisco Bulletin.
The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-06-17
A Murder Trial in Nevada.
From the GALAXY.


81 was sitting here" said the Judge, Sin
this old pulpit, holding court, and we were
trying a big, wicked1ooking Spanish des
perado for killing the husband of bright,
pretty Mexican woman. 1t was lazy sum-
mer day, and an swfully long one, and the
witnesses were tedious. None of us took
any interest in the trial except that ner-
vous, uneasy devil of a woman-because
you know how they love and how they
hate, and this one had loved her husband
with all her might, and now she had boiled
it all down into hate, and stood here spit
ting it at that Spaniard with her eyes, and
I tell you she would stir me up, too, with
a little of her summer lightning occasionally.
Well, had my coat off and heels up,
lolling and sweating, and smoking one of
those cabbage cigars the San Francisco
people used to think were good enough for
us in those times; and the lawyers all had
their coats of, and were smoking and whit
Ting, and the witnesses the same, and so
was the prisoner. Well, the fact is, there
wasn't any interest in a murder trial then,
because the fellow was always brought IN
not guilty, the jury expecting him to do as
much for them some time; and, although
the evidence was straight and square against
this Spaniard, we knew we could not con-
Wet him without seeming to be high-handed
and sort of rejecting on every gentleman IN
the community, for there warn't any car
riages and hveries then, and the only
'tstyle" there was, was to keep your pri-
vate graveyard. But that woman seemed
to have her heart set on hanging that Span
lard; and you'd ought to have seen how
she would glare on him q minute, and
then look up at me in her pleading way,
and then turn, and for the next five min
utes search the jury's faces-and by-and-by
drop her face In her hands for just little
while, as if she was most ready to give up,
but out she'd come again directly and be as
live and anxious as ever. But when the
jury announced the verdict, not guilty, and
told the prisoner he was acquitted, that
woman rose up till she appeared to be as
tall and grand as "a gun ship, and says
she:
Z" Judge, do I understand you TO say
that this man is not guilty, that murdered
my husband without any cause before my
own eyes and my little children's, and thai
all has been done to him that ever justice
and the law can do?
{" The same, says l.
sand then what do you reckon she did
Why, she turned on that sinking Spanish
fool like wildcat, and out with navy
and shot him dead in open court y
''That was spirited, am willing to ad
nit
seWasn't it though ?" said the judge, ad
miringly. ST wouldn't have missed it fo
anything. l adjourned court right on thu
spot, and we put on our coats and went on
and took up collection for her and he
cubs, and sent them over the mountains Il
their friends. All, she was spirited wo
Il man
The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-06-17
ANeyada Wedding.

Yes; and we were. there to see. In our
time we have seen some things done as well
as others; have seen bucking horses, drunk
en- Indians at war dance, locomotives
running off the grade, dog multiplication,
primary for adolescents, and a great many
irregularities of art and nature; but that
wedding doesn't get justice in the above
two line announcement. 1t was charming
ly wild, sublimely ludierous. After the
freshly plighted loves had been wet down
with about IL gallons Of beer, at the ex-
pense of the hilarious groom. and the
jokes passed grew more plentiful than po-
lite, that excellent lady, Mrs. Smith, turn
ed her dining room over to the service of
the party. A dance was improvised, al
though, to commence, no music could be
procured except wheezy ACCORDION of
about eight-erab-poWer stroke, propelled
by a drunken Frenehman. That, with
about eighty men and three ladies, inelud-
ing the blushing bride, the men all smok-
ing cigars and wearing their hats, consti-
tuted the outfit. Those not dancing ap-
plauded, yelled, and gave forth such other
signs of appreciation as you hear at any
well-regulated circus or dog fight. Creigh-
toms teams got in for Idaho that afternoon
and one of his teamsters had a fife--a sort
of splinter from a steam whistle. With that
aud breath well braeed for strength the
orchestra was reinforced; and not the hea-
vens above nor the earth beneath ever wit
messed q scene more exempt from the
cramping conventionalities of polite SO
eiety The bridegroom wearied, but the
bride held out faithful in the dance. The
fight did not commence ill after the ad-
journment, and the joyous bridegroom got
away with his man, and at an early hour OF
the morning retired with his queen OF
hearts to their downy eoueh-to dream of
the fumes of the nights potations. Then
Riee's brigade took UP the refrain, and with
horse-fddle, tin pans and horns, RECALLED
the town till human nature could endure no
more; and all came to a peaceful termina-
ton little before train time; and at 2:4O
we left Toano to its dreams.
The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-06-17

placed by carroty whiskers, and he has a
peajacket and Jerry hat. By what trick
of sleight-of-hand is this done2 cannot
imagine. He is filing his pipe. My house
is lust in advance; still he follows me.
enter the house. Casually he glances
up at the windows. Ibolt the door, hear
him turn into the lane that goes up along
side the next house. l steal quietly into
the front parlor, and leave the shutters
open, and put back the window fastening.
Then go upstairs to the back room. L
light the candle. don't draw down the
blind, for reasons of my own. One glance
at the lane. thought SO; there he is star
ing at the house. I can see him; the lamp
is not far of. 1 draw back out of sight,
and taking my revolver out of the drawer
1 put fresh cartridges therein, and slip it
into nay pocket. Then go up to the win
dow again, with my night cap in my hand.
/ stare into the glass while l adjust it. l
am full in the glare of the candle light. l
am sure he sees me. Then, quietly draw
ing down the blind, I extinguish the light,
and then pull it (the blind) little on one
side to look out. Seel he isrunnlng round
to the front again.
1 steal downstairs, 1 creep into the par
lor. / thought so; some one at the win
dow. Slowly and silently the sash is lifted
and the blind pushed back; the next mo-
menta man enters the room. II Is hel
He pulls out his pistol, cocks il, and lays
it on the table. Then he pokes his head
out under the blind, and glances up and
down the street. Apparently satisfied, he
with draws his head, and then feels way to
the fre-place-he is going to strike match.
1 quietly put out my hand and grip his
pistol stealthily draw myself up and
face him. He strikes the silent match,
gradually it brightens up. His back is to-
wards me. He lights candle and turns
rounds.
He does not start, but turns white as a
sheet. I am facing him, covering him with
my revolver and his own pistol For mo-
ment we glare at each other. He mutters,
'sNo firearms, eh?" and I hiss surrender
A moment, and the candlestick is dashed
in my face. There is flash, a report, an
otherI He dashes at the window. Now
1 see why he left it open. I rush madly
forward. A heavy blow descends on my
face. Istagger back, only for moment.
start up and take down the gun-in an
instant I am inthe street. Heis fifty yards
away. 1 fire one barrel, then the next-ot
course 1 miss-and there stand cres fallen
at my window, while the neighbors gather
round. "Thieves" says one; ''The ruff
ansr' cries another; while third eyes me
calmly, saying, ''You've missed him, mas
ter" A pistol for my trouble. IhaUe mis-
Sed himI- 1 never saw him again. -
The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-06-17
Fifteen ReIngs Burned TO Ashes

A dreadful fire broke out few days since
in the building OF the spirit distillely OF Old
Bada, Hungary, at three o'clock In the
morning. The inhabitants of the neigh
borhood were scared out of their beds by
the most fearful detonations and contlnu-
al laundering noise. A terrible spectacle
presented itself to their view. The build
ing of the said distillery, belonging to a
joint stock company, stood enveloped IN
flames before them. The fire ragged for
more than twenty minutes before the fire.
men arrived with the engines to
commence operations for extinguishing
it. At half-past four a column OF
flames ascended far above the towering
chimney. At that moment human being
appeared at one of the windows of the Sec
ond story; his clothes were all In blaze OF
fire. The poor creature held fast to the
burning window sash, evidently endeavor-
ing to preeipitate himself into the street,
but the sill gave way, and he fell into the
depth below, striking his head upon the
glowing wheel of an engine-he was dead.
At hah-past nine the fire was at last got
/ under. Not less than Is dead bodies were
drawn out of the smouldering ruins. Foul
persons, severely wounded, were taken tC
the hospital, but there is no hope of theil
recovery. Eight families have lost then
maintainers, and fifteen children have beer
deprived of their fathers by this awful oc
currence. As to the cause Of the conhagra
ton, nothing is known.
The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-06-17

How SOME THINGS ARE DoNE.-A queer
case Was that of physician of this city,
DR.. -, who, on going to the opera with
a friend, was cautioned at the ticket Office
to look out for pickpockets. He clapped
his hand to his watch, a valuable gold one,
engraved with his name, and the name of
the society or friend who gave it to
him. 1t was there all right, and he made
sure of keeping it there by keeping
his hand on it all through the perform
ance of the opera. On coming out, what
was his astonishmenJ to find his watch
gone 1t had been taken, in spite of his
watchfulness. Rejecting that watch so
engraved could not well be disposed OF
easily even in New York. he advertised his
loss in the next mornings papers, and ad-
ded that reward 1--WE believe S100) would
be paid for its recovery, and no questions
asked" Before noon the bell rang, and a
very elegantly dressed man, in appearance
perfect gentleman, inquired for the adj
vertiser of lost watch. "Have you goi
it?" asked the Doctor, quietly.
81 have, coolly returned the stranger
'there it is. claim the reward" "Hert
is the money" said the Doctor; sand nov
1 want to ask -" ''Oh, but you saiC
there would be no questions answered
the mustache. ''True," said the Doctor
''but 1 only want to know how undel
heaven you got that watch when / kept m!
hand on it ali the timer" "Are you SUR
you Kept your hand over it al
the time 2" eyes, positive 'Now
let me refresh your memory. Don
you remember, at one interesting stage o
the performance, there was fly Lit on you
ear, and you raised your hand to brush
of. +" "Yes, it's fact" said the doctor
81 do remember that" "Well, sir, salt
the elegant stranger, shat was the tim
you lost your watch. 1 tickled the top @
your ear with straw, and You brushed o.
the supposed fly, and didn't notice, whe
your hand went back, that your watch wa
no longer there. Good morning, sir. y
Hartford Paper.
The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-06-17
DEATHN THE BEER POT.
The Champion Beer Drinkers Drink
Ing Wtlliamsburgh Dry-TWo Guz-
zlers and Two COrpses.

From the New York Sun, May 25.
A fortnight ago DR.. Firmond, of Stage
street, near Leonard, and Mr.. Frederick
Fries, a wealthy brewer on Bushwick ave-
nue., Williamsburgh, laid wager concern
ing the number of glasses of lager beer
that each could drink. 1t was stipulated
that the man who drank the least should
pay the score. They adjourned to the
nearest lager beer saloon and began the
contest. Each glass was sandwiehed, it is
said, with draught of Kirschwasser, with
a view probably of nullifying the intoxicst-
ing effects of the beer.
They drank, it is said, amid the applause
of the spectators assembled to witness the
exploit, and at each hbation responded to
the approving plaudits of their friends by
waving their glasses triumphantly above
their heads. At the thirty-fifth round it
was evident that Firmond's stomach was
painfully inflated, and that Fries was also
sufferer. Still the doughty champions
;mbibsd.-
Glass after glass disappeared. When
the Doctor vanquished his fftieth glass, a
friend, it is said, called-or rather carried
him out to visit patient. The brewer,
having completed his fifty. fifth potation,
reluctantly rolled himself homeward, to
HeuoH tue CdLnpdlBn dHOIHcT Jay Inc
neighbors say that DR.. Firmond never left
the house from that day until he was borne
to his grave.
Whether the brewer died of spontaneous
combustion or of joy at the victory he had
achieved, is not known; but certain it is
that the funeral of Frederick Fries, the
wealthy brewer of Williamsburgh, took
place on Sunday afternoon, from his late
residence on Bushwick avenue.
1t is rumored in the neighborhoo5 that
much indignation is expressed by the fam
lilies at the conduct of the saloon keeper
in presenting a bill for one hundred and
five glasses of lager beer, and an equal
number of Kirschwasser. He is beginning
to fear, however, that der monish iSt UerLo-
ren, and threatens to sue the estate of
Fries for the amount claimed The execu-
tor, however, contends that Fries did not
lose the wager. and the family of Firmond
say that he would have returned and ulti-
mately proved the victor, had he not been
taken i'll, and thus incapacitated from re-
newing the contest. And so the case
stands. Willismsburgh is minus two esti-
mable citizens, and the landlord his little
bill