davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-24
Thrilling Railroad Ride.

A few nights since a resident of Te-
cumseh, who had been on a visit to one
of the way stations Of the l.. 5. d Nj. 5.
railway, being desirrous of reaching
home, took passage on a freight train to
when a caboose was attached. The train
was very long and heavy, and the track
was slippery, rendering it almost impos-
sible to make any sort of progress. In
order, therefore, to get the freight
through the conductor divided the train
at side track leaving the rear half to
be drawn by another engine, which was
to have been furnished in the morning.
The idea of remaining, in caboose
car, on side track, on a cold night, was
not relished to any great extent by the
passenger referred to, and he decided to
test the virtue of riding, as the brake
men usually do, on the top of the train.
Hastily putting his plan into execution,
he climed upon the roof OF one of the
cars, before reaching which, however, the
engineer started his engine, and the
train was on its way to Tecumseh. The
passenger found his perch anything but
comfortable, but having chosen the
place he could not we'll leave it at this
time. The roof of the car was covered
with snow and ice, and he seized hold OF
two iron brackets in order to prevent
his being rolled off. On the train went
at the rate of about twenty-five miles an
hour. The car vibrated and .jostled
about; the escaping steam from the en-
CINE often enveloped the Tecumsehian ;
the wind was dead ahead and keen and
sharp, and the air was frosty.
On Numbered the train, and the
homesick traveller chung to his perch
with heroism worthy of man who
loves his family and home and friends
and has holy horror of being crushed
to death by railroad train. After pro-
ceeding few miles his hat flew off aad
each particular hair of his head stood
up like quilts on fretful porcupine."
The steam penetrated "those hair went
up his coat-sleeves, around his face and
throat, and soon he was covered all over
like +" Frost King" Arriving at Te-
cumseh he was quite benumbed and had
to be helped down, and he presented a
laughable yet deplorable sight. His
nose had swelled to enormous proper
tons, his head presented the appearance
of miniature iceberg, and his ears
were "like unto" those of baby Gle
plant, the only exception being that
they couldn't be tapped worth cent.
Detroit Tribune.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-24
New African Discoveries.

The African traveller, DR.. q. Schwcin-
furth, gives an interesting account in
the Cologne Gazette of an expedition TO
the country of the Nam. Mans, which,
he says, has never been visited by a
scientific traveller before. He performed
his journey as the guest of Mohammed
Abu Sammat, trader in ivory, and the
party consisted of three hundred per-
sons. The climate of the country is ex-
tremely healthy, but travelling is difficult
on account of the numerous rivers and
marshes in the Southern districts the
caravan had to cross a river or a bog
nearly every quarter of an hour, and
the crossing often occupied several
hours.
The general character of the land is
that OF steppe. except on the banks
OF the rivers, which are thickly wooded
and provided with narrow foot-paths.
In crossing a river the travellers usually
sank to their hips in black mud, aud
huge leeches stuck to their legs. They
sutfereda good deal for want of food !; all
they could get was corn occasionally,
and some Dubious roots (cassava, colo
casie, bananas, and excellent yams).
but no meat except fowls. On the re-
turn journey they killed some large an
telopes, without which they would have
almost starved. They passed through
the dominions of the chief Serbia Sabbi
Nganye and Uando (the latter of whom
presented DR.. Schweinfurth with large
jar full of scorched elephants tripe
taken from an animal hundred years
al oh
of Munsa, the King of she Mombuttu.
This place lies at about three degrees
north latitude south of the Uelle river,
which DR.. Schweinfurth believes is the
same as the Upper Khari (afflucnt of
Lake Tchad), and joins the Blue Nile at
Khartoum.
Cannibalism is prevalent both among
the Mombuttu and the Mann Mans.
MunSa eats human flesh daily, and the
Mombuttu 60 regularly on hunting ex-
petitions among the wild negro races in
the South the dead and wounded are
either eaten on the spot, or their flesh
dried for future consumption, and
the prisoners are carried away to be
eaten at leisure. As for the Mann
Mans, they make war on the Nubians,
out of sheer cannbalism. Flesh,
flesh !" is their war cry, and any slave
that comes in their way is at once sacri-
feed to their ruling passion.
On the return journey the travellers
were repeatedly attacked by NAM
Mans with lances and boomerangs, but
their only casualties were two wounded
The total distance travelled from Serbia
Ghattas, in Djur,whence DrSchweinfurth
dates his letter, to Munsa's residence
was about seventy-fve German 900
English miles.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-24
Dying i'm the Snow Drifts.

About nine o'clock last night, Officer
Ray, Of the Sixth Brooklyn prescinct.
observed a dark -colored object lying on
the roadside half buried in mound of
snow at a lonely part of Broadway, near
Walton street. On examination ii
proved to be hand-organ. With the
intention of taking it along with him
the officer attempted to lift it, when
something impeded him, and on look
ing more closely he saw mans arm
linked around the strap. Clearing away
the snow he uncovered the apparently
lifeless body Of a very old, grizzly
bearded man.
He Immediately bore the body to the
nearest habtation, where restoratives
were applied and aid was procured.
The body was taken to the police sta
ton. After considerable time, during
which the mans limbs were rubbed
with alcohol, he showed signs of coming
back to life, and at length consciousness
returned. He was accommodated with
comfortable quarters for the night. His
right arm has been completely paral-
yzcd and three fingers of his left hand
have been rendered useless. With these
exceptions, it is expected that he will
completely recover.
He was identified as Edward Horn,
an old Dutch organ-g grinder, who lodges
in the district. He is upward Of sixty
years of age, and has wife and five
children.-Ne,0 York Herald, oath.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-24
Paris Before Surrender.

The London Times correspondent says
that though the furious noise Of the
Prussian guns is distinctly heard in the
quieter streets. he looks in vain for any
signc Of unusual commotion.
The Partisan faith, should tell you,
in the provincial armies is seemingly
one that nothing can quell. Ii ought
alone to work miracles. While the
strongest evidence, if unfavorable, is
rejected, the slightest straws are
clutched at and substantial bricks
made out of them on the other side of
the question. An evening paper pub
fishes story that a prisoner in the
death agony was heard to exclaim that
General Chanzy had twice beaten the
Prussians. All this may help to explain
the GOODNESS with which the lombard
ment has been received by the Parish
ans. They do not expect it to succeed,
and they consider that by attempting it
the enemy shows "A sign of weakness, in
asmuch as it has hitherto been NJ. Bis
marck's policy, persistently proclaimed,
to take Paris by famine, and famine
only. In one sense, indeed, the misery
produced here by the war, and more
especially the siege, is so great that it
can scarcely be oyerrated. Hundreds
who were rich when the siege began
are already poor; thousands who,
though not rich, had the means of liv-
ing comfortably, can now just scrape
along. 1t is among the class of small
shopi>eepers, am told, who are too
proud to apply to charity, public and
a.
we're. But, after all, people in this posi-
ton, with connections and good credit,
are rarely reduced to the risk of actual
starvation. The people who incur the
risk are not ashamed to go for relief to
the Confines nat0naleS, and though the
fare they get there is coarse enough,
and often scanty, it serves to keep body
and soul together This class are. per-
haps, better off than in ordinary times,
when they have to trust to their own
resources, and, living riotously one day,
may be starving the next. This cruel
weather has, indeed, been the cause Of
much temporary suffering, especially as
owing to want of foresight, it has been
aggravated by an unnecessary scarcity
of wood, no difficult matter at Paris, so
lnal even ii tne weather continues the
suffering caused by it will be materially
mitigated. As for the still well-to-do
members of the community, who can
contrive to keep each a few francs in
his pocket, for them the "horrors Of
the siege" have yet to begin They can
still, at any Of the best restaurants, get
dinners, rather dear, it must be admit
ted, occasionally eked out by strange
dishes, the very name of which, few
months ago, would have made them
shudder, but, nevertheless, dinners
which it requires no stole to eat with
annette.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-24

ROAD STEAMERs.-The San Francisco
Bulletin gives an interesting account of
the performances of road steamer re-
"Steam Wagon and Propeller Plow
Company" which has been established
for the purpose of introducing road
steamers into California. The results of
the trial of the imported Thompson
Steam Wagon were highly satisfactory.
1t passed over the rough deep ruts and
mud holes of new street with as much
ease as on macadamized road, TUNED
round, avoided any unusually difficult
places, and generally was under com
plete control. In one place, the wheel
worked itself down to the depth Of
twelve inches, and several backings and
forwardings were required in order to
compact the mass sufficiently to ride
out Of the rut. The incident, however,
it is stated, showed the capacity of the
steamer to work its way out Of difficult
ties. In passing into field, the steamer
crossed with perfect ease a side gully
which, it is stated, waggoner with a
five-ton load would not have dared 10
attempt. The gang of plows, though
to the steamer, which travelled at the
rate of eight to ten miles an hour. The
plows were so arranged as to be capable
of being adjusted from nine to twelve
inches apart, and 10y means of four iron
wheels pivoted on levers the depth OF
the furrow could be regulated. On the
trial of the steamer in field composed
Of soft soil, the machine passed over the
ground with ease, and the plowshares
turned over clean and full burrows nine
inches wide and six inches deep Of
damp, loamy sod. A five-ton iron roller
was also attached to the steamer and
was carried up heavy grade with ease.
The trial occupied six hours, and one
hundred pounds of coal per hour were
consumed. The success of this expert
ment, it is stated, has induced several
farmers Of California to order steam
wagons for blowing, for performing
heavy farm work, and for freightng
grain to market.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-24

to look upon my child, but shall never
come again. | shall never make myself
known to her
The woman in black was gone, and
the rest of the story forever remained II
mystery.
As old age crept on, the two hearts
that had sheltered the homeless child 80
long began TO feel their loneliness more
keenly. After few years they went to
their daughters home, and when they
went to their reward, it was from the
loving arms of Faith, whose husband
and little children wept for them. "And
the King shall answer and say unto
them, verify | say unto you, inasmuch
as We have done it unto one of the best
of these, We have done il unto Me. y
The Evangelist.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-24
The TwO.Headed Girl.
From the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin


NorE.-Any trifing irregularity that
the reader may observe in the following
biography, regarding the occasional
mixture of the singular and plural num-
bers, is TO be accounted for on the
ground that the author himself is un.
certain which is correct-the subject
being Of such an excessively bewilder-
ing nature-and therefore uses both
numbers, sure, at least, of one of them
being right.
These remarkable girl are "A native of
Africa. A land where, if Bishop Heber
is to be believed, "sunny fountains"
are in the constant habit of rolling
down on golden sands" and variety
of other phenomena too numerous to
mention are likewise visible TO the
naked eye of careful observer
At their birth she were the wonders
of the peaceful Catfir village on the
banks OF the Congo river, where cir
parents resided. The aged chief who
patriarchally presided over this truly
rural town, when he first beheld her
wonderful forms, observed, If she
don't Caffr her heads off with Group in
the days of her infancy, they Congo to
every quarter Of the globe, charging a
quarter for people to look at her.
AS might have been supposed, the
enraged populace rose en- maSSe and slew
the hoary sinner who thus desecrated
their most sacred instincts with his de-
PRAYED and dreamily bewildering puns.
In India at least, in the Puniaub, such
conduct might have been overlooked,
but the Africans were relentless.
OF the youth of our precious heroine
little is known. A rumor has reached
us that young African Prince (sup-
posed to have been the Bey Of BengaD,
undeterred by fear of possible action
for bigamy, proposed for her hand. The
rumor adds that he was so confused by
her answer-sne head saying Eyes"
and the other "no, that he retreated
from her presence in state of semi.in-
sanity and rushing to the residence of
his bosom friend, who happened to bear
the name of Albert, said, with wild and
uncouth gestures, Albert, n'answer
could have been more perpleXing ~
and straightway drowned himself in
the lake Of n somewhat similar name.
When they heard of the Bey's sad
fate, our heroines is reported to have
given herself up to the widest grief
(the head that sale no" meant yes"
all the while, it seems, and they wan
dered about the village, weeping and
wringing her hands, repeating in heart
rending tones, "Ah, me! we can never
have Bey, to love and honorW
While in this state a slave-dealer met
her, and being naturally surprised by
their appearance, and seeing at the
same time chance for turning an hon
est penny, entered into negotiations
with their parents for their purchase.
As her grief had made them utterly use
less for assisting in chores about the
house, the parents readily consented to
sell out at a comparatively low figure
The dealer joyfully closed the bargain,
became the owner, and bore them off in
triumph!
In due course Of time she came into
the possession of the proprietor of
museum, and they now has been for
some years the wonders of the civilized
world.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-24
HunlOr.
The Nursery.

New YORK is talking about palace
street cars.
WHAT is the greatest want of the age?
Want Of funds.
CHICAGO makes delicate allusion to
her 4" tinted citizens"
THE royal carpet-bagger" is what
they call the new King of Spain.
BECAUSE horses are used to reins, it
does not follow that they are unaffected
by wet weather.
A PARADoXAL FACT-One of the most
tender and pathetic writer's in the Eng
lish language was Sterne.
Why is horse the most curious
feeder in the world? Because he eats
best when he has not bit in his mouth.
PEOPLE who are always fishing for
compliments do not need very long
lines. They can get their best bites in
shallow water.
A SALEM woman, who didn't dare to
eat beefsteak on account Of the cattle
disease, ordered Of her butcher three Or
four pounds of liver.
"A CHlCAGO music STORE TtttDLly SOiu IL
piano, and the buyer soon after wrote
to the dealers that he and his wife
couldn't find the place to wind it up,
and they wanted to be told at once
how to make the thing 60.
THE coolest day of the year party of
Norwich, Conn, fishermen walked nine
miles to fish for pickerel through the
ice. When they reached the place they
found that they'd forgotten their bait,
and that none was to be procured nearer
than Norwich.
AN ingenious wife in Des Noines
cured her husband of snoring thus
She had gutta-percha tube with two
cup-shaped ends; one she puts over his
nose and mouth and the other over his
ear. He consumes his own noise, ar a
stove does its smoke, and wakes up in
stanter.
The Rome (Ga.) Commercial made its
appearance the other morning with u
hole in it, The editor explained it next
issue, by stating that he had discovered
an Objectionable article, after the edi-
ton had been worked off, and had
clipped it out Of ali the papers before
sending them off.
THE Newark Courier says that John S.
Hart, LID, principal of the New Jer-
sey State Normal School, and author Of
Manual of Composition and Rheto-
ric," on page two hundred and eighty
six of that work, defines fiction as ga
story made up of facts invented for that
purpose"
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-24

San FRANCIsCo.-The Central Pacific
railroad has just completed at Oakland,
opposite San Francisco, a substantial
wharf, 1000 feet, or over two miles
long, running out to depth of "a feet
at low, and 81 feet at high tide. On the
thousand feet at the extreme end of the
wharf there are twelve railroad tracks, a
wide carriage way, a spacious passenger
depot and railroad Offices, warehouses
and storage for 10000 tons of grain or
merchandise, and three large docks, one
OF which affords ample space for five of
the largest steamers or clippers ailoat
The extreme end Of the wharf is three
miles from the end of Second street
San Francisco, where freight is received
and shipped, and is less than two and a
half miles from the front Of Pacific
street, where the passengers are landed
The main wharf is eight hundred feet
wide at the extreme or western end. and
there are also two wharves branching
out intended for local and through
overland trains respectively. On the
main wharf are pens for 500 cattle, two
large warehouses, one so by 500 feet, the
other % ny 600 feet, and a passenger
depot 10 by 3O5 feet. The piles used in
building this wharf are, where the water
deepens, 65 feet long. and from 40 to 81
inches in circumference, and are driven
into the bottom to depth of Is feet.
They are set 10 feet apart parallel with
the course, and 7 feet apart across the
width of the wharf. The freight boat
running across from San Francisco bay,
a distance of three miles, can carry six
teen loaded cars and 300 cattle in pens
on each trip, making the passage with a
load of 1880 tons in forty minutes. "A
railroad connects the Pacific Mail Com
pany's dock with the Central Pacific
wharf in San Francisco, so that cargoes
can be discharged from the China steam
ers directly into the freight cars.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-24
The Solar Eclipse.

A writer in the Gentleman'S Magazine
estimates that sum hardly less than
100000 has been expended upon the
observations of the recent solar eclipse,
while hundred or more eminent men
Of science have devoted to 1t months of
patient labor. 1t is gratifying to us as
Americans TO know that more than half
the cost of the observations has been
borne by the United States and the
pride we may reasonably take in the
fact is certainly not lessened when we
consider that no immediate practical
advantage can be gained by the eXpen-
diture; that the sun pays no dividends
to the astronomer, and will not ripen
one acre more Of the farmers wheat for
all the triumphs Of the spectroscope.
Whether the outer environment of the
sun is mist or glowing white hot mat
ter, seed time and harvest will pass in
their accustomed succession, and with
their average results. But for the glory
of teaching posterity why the sun
shines, we might well eXpend five times
the money that was devoted to this
eclipse.
From the accounts that have reached
us of the observations we may fairly
infer that they were less satisfactory
than those of the eclipse last year. The
weather was untavorable, a jealous cloud
obscured the two luminaries, the greater
light that rules the day and the lesser
light that rules the night-at the golden
moment, the precious 1.-TWO minutes
and quarter" of their coincidence.
But enough was accomplished by the
commission to confirm Sechis theory of
a continuous spectrum at the edge of
the sun. The scientific journals of
America and England will soon give us
the full report, and all parties interested
in the matter must await its appear
anCe
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-24

SAVE LIrrLE.-Every man who is OBJ
liged to work for his living should make
it point to lay up little money for
the "rainy day." which we are all liable
to encounter when least expected. The
best way to do this is to open an &C.
count with a savings bank. Accumu
lated money is always safe it is always
ready for use when needed. Scrape to
gether five dollars, make your deposit,
receive your bank book, and then re.
solve to deposit a given sum, small
though it be, once week, according to
circumstances. Nobody knows, with
out trying it, how easy thing it is to
save money when an account with the
bank has been opened. With an sc
count a man feels a desire to enlarge
his deposit. 1t gives him lessons in fru-
gality aud economy, weans him from
his habits Of extravagance, and is the
very best guard in the world against in
temperance, dissipation and rice.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-24

Hon. WILLIAM MoNsELL, who has just
been appointed Postmaster General in
the Gladstone Cabinet, in the place Of
the Marquis of Harrington, is member of
Parliament from the county of Limerick,
Ireland, and was born at Trevoe, Ire
land, in 1912. lie was educated at Win.
chester school and at Oriel College, Ok
ford, and in 1917 he entered Parliament,
his colleague being William Smith
0'Brien. He was re-chosen to represent
Limerick at every subsequent election,
and sits for that county in the present
Parliament. In 1850 Mr.. Monsell became
a convert to the Roman Catholic faith,
and has since always been moderate
and liberal supporter of that Church. In
1852 he took office under Lord Aber-
deem as Clerk of the Ordnance, and
occupied that position until 1857, when
he became President of the Board of
Health he, however, retired from the
latter office after eight months service.
From February to July, 1866, Mr.. Mon
sell held under Lord Russell the post of
Vice President of the Board of Trade,
and upon the formation of the Glad
stone ministry in December, 1868, he
was made Under Secretary of State for
the Colonies. He is also Magistrate and
Deputy Lieutenant for the county OF
Limerick.
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-24
q he Grue Northeruer.
Cold bitterly Cold !


Cold !--bitter cold
The moon is bright.
And the snow is white,
Beautiful TO behold.
But the wind is bowling.
Like hungry, prowling
Wolves on the wintry void,
Gold bitterly cold
Ny shawl is ragged and old
The hearth deserted and dark,
Gaddened by never spark.
And my only light
liz the pitiless white
OF the moonbeams chill.
SilveTy chill,
Cruelty splendidly bright.
This frosty Winters night
Cold bitterly cold !
Babe, more precious than gold.
Rest, little one, rest
Sleep, my own one,
Clasped to thy mothers breast.
Though thin and wasted her form,
Her arms shall enfOld;
And shield thee from cold
For the love in her breast il warm,
Though the chill night breeze
May the life blood freeze
Gold bitterly cold
Cold bitterly cold
My eyes are dim
And my senses swim,
am prematurely old
FoOdless and tireless,
Almost attireless
Wrapt IN rags so scanty and thin,
With bones that stare thrO the cOlOrleSs
skin,
Weary and worn.
Iattercd and torn.
II | should wish had ne'er been born,
Tell me, IS 1t sin
Cold world bitterly cOld
The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-02-24

THE MARBLE to be used in ornament
ing the colonnades, desks and tables of
the New York State Capitol building at
Albany, is of a compact crystalline red
stone, enclosed in white lime rock and
very difficult to obtain in large masses.
1t IL, however, stated to be the most
beautiful and valuable marble for orna-
mental purposes to be procured in this
country or in Europe, II is brought
from Warwick, N. J