davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16
The Champion Numismatist.

1t may not be generally known that
DIR. Charles Spier of this place is the
Oldest living and most successful numis-
matist in the world. He has been en-
gagged in the collection of coins for over
fifty-seven years, and has now over
1000 pieces, representing ever species
of coin ever produced in any year, or
under the dominion of any sovereign or
government, from the days of Semiramis
and the Pharoahs down to the present
time. His collection is worth hundreds
of thousands of dollars. He has over
10000 of his pieces in the vaults of the
Bank of California, and 1000, or over,
here. At the Bank of California his
collection is pronounced the best and
most valuable in existence, not except
ing those of Queen Victoria and the
sultan of Turkey, which are particular
ly extensive and valuable. A few days
ago we examined the 1000 of his pieces
which he keeps here. They proved n
most interesting study. Coins of the
ancient Jewish Kingdom, of the various
kings, c.xssnls and emperors of Rome,
of Tyte, Sidon, Carthage, Nineveh,
Babylon, China, Palmyra, Egypt,
Japan, etc, with specimens of every
years coinage in all Christian lands
from the time of Constantine till now,
were exhibited in prodigal profusion.
The doctor has many coins which would
sell for many thousands of dollars each.
His collection has been the work of o
very extended lifetime. He has travel
led nearly all over the world, and is
constantly receiving new additions tc
his pieces from Europe and the East
He has gold and silver coins from the
size of n very large teacup, Gown to that
of pea. We wish we had the space tC
particularly describe some of them
The doctor, who is in easy circum
stances and greatly advanced in years
though still robust for one of his age,
remains in Visaila on account of the e1.
! cellence of the climate. His collection
is very interesting to any one apprecia
ting the mementoes of antiquity
FiSalia (Cdl.) Delta.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16
A Hard Walk.

The train from New York to Paterson,
N. j., got fast in a drift at cut near
Clifton, one night during the late storm,
and bid fair to stay there all night. The
passengers took the affair in all sorts of
humors. One man said his daughter
was to be married that evening, and he
would give two hundred dollars to be
carried through. One lady had gone to
Passaic in the morning for an hours
visit, and she was alarmed at the prob
able condition of the little nursing babe
she had left at home. Another man had
wife who he expected would want him
to go for the doctor before morning.
After waiting for time, a number of
the more anxious ones, including the fe-
male with the babe at home and several
other females, concluded, rather than
wait in the train all night, that they
would walk to Paterson.
1t was an awful walk. In places the
snow was above their waists. One mo-
ment they would be upon the track; the
next they would suddenly find them
selves precipitated into some ditch, or
over some embankment. The woman,
with the babe at home, delicate and
| sickly as she was, kept up with the rest,
although she was occasionally helped
by the strong arm of some of the men.
When n male member of the party felt
discouraged, and like giving out, he was
kept up by sort of pride, thinking that
if a woman could stand it, certainly he
ought.
Despite the situation, the cracking of
jokes never ceased, and guod-humor
| prevailed to such an extent that the
party had no time to get down-hearted.
Then somebody would disappear with q
yelp down some unseen cavity; all hands
would rush to the rescue, and the miss.
ing person would be extricated and
threatened with being left alone if he
did such thing again And SO it went
The party finally reached Paterson al
about II o'clock at night, having beer
passed on the road by the train they had
abandoned, which had succeeded il
forcing its way through, but without
stopping to pick up the tramper'
through the snow.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16
An Gld.FaShiOned Brigand.

Brigands of the old-fashioned type are
fast dying out, but some very fine spec
linens of the romantic sort are still to be
found in Corsica. A correspondent of
the Paris Temps mentions that, besides
some thirty-four very doubtful charac-
ters, who Systematically elude the po-
lice of the island; there are three indi-
viluals, named Germani, Suzzoni and
Albsrti, about whom very sensational
legends are told. The exploits of these
brigands are, however, mere child's
play compared to those of Suzzon's pre-
decessor, the famous Santaluccia. He
was perhaps the last of the old race,
and was power in Corsica some thirty
years ago. He took to the woods in
consequence of what happened to one
of his brothers, who was convicted on
the evidence of false witnesse, and sent
to the hulks. Santaluccia gave himself
no rest until he had got those men into
his power. The first of these he tied tC
tree and addressed as follows:
"Yours is lying tongue; you are
about to lose it," which assertion he in
stantly made good. To the next he said
"You have declared that your eyes be
held that which they have not seen
you are going 10 lose your eyes," TC
the third he said: "You have sworl
that your ears heard what they had no
heard; you will lose your ears" HI
then tore out the eyes of one and cut OF
the ears of the other.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16
Goodbye, Old Year I!

We bid YOU goodbye, with a smile,
Old Year because it won't pay to cry.
You are bound to go, and leave us, We
know, and we cannot but say goodbye.
We feel none the less that long-drawn
sigh. a culver of lip and fearful eye,
would better express, we will confess.
our heartiest last goodbye.
You've piled upon us heavy load
and neny an ache. on an uphill road
vet enough for the day way the strength
alwav. and hence our smile is at best
awry with which we say, Old Year, good
bye
To be sure, we have felt that the aches
and pains were often by pounds and the
ioys by grains and the screws seemed
turned with an extra pinch, as though
some malice had hold of the winch; and
others seemed having much more de-
light. and we much less, than was fair
and right; that coin of the realm and
bonds and stocks and real estate, in
SQUARES and blocks and acres untold OF
prairie and hill and silvery stream and
dam and mill that these and more of
the coveted real, and desires fulfilled of
beauty's ideal, were the lot of too few,
while we of the many were often in
want of even penny. But then, since
we know, or at least don't doubt, that
the broods of care are swarming about
the hordes of manifold wealth that burn
and sink and leave by stealth that
"reumatic" loves to pain and twist the
grasping heart and the gripping fist
we about conclude that we do not know
of one so fortunate here below with
whom we'd exchange what the year has
rought---though little Of profit our
hands have wrought 80 and take his
share of trouble and pains, and also his
lot of regret and shame, and also the
gaunt old skeleton grim that in cup
board or closet is grinning at him. -.
We cannot but feel, though load OF
care, that to say the least it is hard to
bear, it has been our lot all along the
wears, that nevertheless there IS Joy in
life. in spite of sorrow, pain, and strife.
and hence we regret the old year gone,
and wish it's draft on time undrawn !;
that all to soon the new is old, too soon
the wondrous tale is told.
The stream of time--Oh, woe is me!
Hath current too strong and swift !;
1t hurries me on to the silent sea, -.
Like q rudderless, soulless wreck
adrift; 1890
Oh would that there were some little
bay, :,
Some headland, beneath whose tranquil
lea,
We might forever at anchor lay,
Or float when we would to the deep,
dark sea.
But a-truce to regrets let time roll
on; what matters what comes what is
gone 1t is JOY to have lived, it is Joy
to live; why care for the flight of the
fugitive? If each have filled up this
heeting days with noble deeds and high
essays, then no remorse or sad regrets
will cloud the years serene sunset.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16
The Story of Stephen Girard.

The man lives in Philadelphia who
when young and poor, entered q bank,
and saws he, "Please, sir, don't you
want a little boy?" And the stately
parsonage said, "No, little boy, L don't
want a little boy" The little boy,
whose heart was too full for utterance,
chewing piece of hcorice stick he had
bought with cent stolen from his good
and pious aunt, with sobs plainly audi
bic, and with great globrles OF water
rolling down his cheeks, glided silently
down the marble steps OF the bank.
Bending his noble form, the bank man
lodged behind door, for he thought
the little was going to shy stone at
him. But the boy picked up something
and stuck it in his poor but ragged
jacket "Come here, little boy" and
the little boy did come here; and the
bank man said, "Lo, what pickest thou
up?" And he answered and replied,
"A pin" And the bank man said,
Little boy are you good ?" and he said
he was. And the bank man said, How
do you vote? Excuse me, do you go tc
Sunday School?" and he said he did
Then the bank man took down a pei
made of pure gold and flowing witt
pure ink, and he wrote on a piece o
paper, "St. Peter" and he asked thu
little boy what it stood for, and he sale
"Salt Peter" Then the bank man sale
it meant "Saint Peter" The little DO,
said "On!"
Then the bank man took the little DO,
to his bosom, and the little boy sait
"Oh" again, for he squeezed him
Then the bank man took the little bo,
into partnership, and gave him half tn
profits and all the capital, and he MAJ
ried the bank mans daughter, and no1
all he has is all his, and all his own, toe
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16
Aaron Burr.

ff HfHTSS WIS @ara neeher fbnker than Geoge
Washington. He was far more inge-
NOUS man, more active man, and, II
he had been moral man, and main
tanned normal relations with his fellow
men, and with the laws of rectitude, he
would have been an abler man. Wash
ington was man of good sense, but he
was not man of genius in any direc-
ton except that of conscience. He was
man of singular equity, great disinter-
estedness, and of pure and upright in
tent. Sagacious he was, by a light
which came from integrity. He endur-
ed, having faith to believe that right
| was right, that it was safe, and that
right in the end would prevail. That
which made Washington the only great
hero of our revolutionary struggle was
the light of the moral element that was
in him---not any intellectual genius
which he possessed; not any rare tact o
administration, or any remarkable exc
cutive power And if you look bacl
upon those names in our history tina
have stood the test, you will find tina
they have been men who we're fulitfu
in the highest moral element. And n
time goes on, those men who lack thes
elements sink lower and lower and low
er till they set below the horizon; an
those who possess them rise higher, til
they reach the meridian, with undyin
splendor, to shine upon history and tn
world.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16
Encounter With a Panther.

Dave Mosher, trapper and guide III
the North Woods, had terrible encoun-
ter with North Woods beast last week.
Three miles from Sacondaga Lake there
is wild, rugged pass between the
mountains, known as Black Cat Valley.
The mountains on either side are very
steep and rocky, and are covered with
q heavy growth of black balsam and
spruce timber. AS the SHOWS deepen
and the weather becomes cold, many
deer and animals take shelter in that
locality.
Among the rest are the martin, having
valuable dark-colored fur, known
among trappers in those regions as
"Black Cat.' They seldom move by
day, keeping concealed in trunks of
trees or between the assures of rocks.
Owing to the uncertainty of finding one
twice in q place, and their natural shy
ness, it is quite difficult to trap them.
However, when they become pinched
with hunger they will jump at the bait
without hesitation.
A keen, strong, steel trap is set and
covered with snow or leaves directly un-
der dropping branch that the animal
can reach by rearing; upon this. is Sc
cured the bait, and in the affort to reach
which it is pretty aptto step in the trap;
then come system of desperate
manoevers, and the only way to hold
them is by having the trap chain at
tached to a small sappling that will
spring and lift them off the ground.
This sleek, fne-furred animal is about
the size of a red fox, and, rs David used
to express it, "They're a sassy varmint
to get hold on"
As Mosher was going the rounds of
| his traps, he saw through the bushes
ahead a terrible commotion under a
large white birch, where a trap had been
set. AS he approached, long, gauntt,
tawny-colored, fierce-looking animal,
whose wild scream upon the mountain
side, atnight, will send thrill of hor-
ror to those who are safe in the cabin,
sprang upon lower limb of the birch,
and bid defiance with glaring eyes. II
was driven to desperation by hunger.
Had David quietly backed out he
could have.enjoyed his supper OF veni
son and pancakes. But no, he raised
the old rifle and fired In one-fOurth o.
a York minute, Bill Stewards exact time
for skinning n Montezuma bullhead, al
the clothes upon him would not have
made a bib for china doll. He direct
ly found himself beside log, partl.
scalped, with his lower limbs looking al
though they had been through thresh
ing machine, while, at the same moment
with a spit and scream, panther dis
appeared up the mountain side. Whel
he came up the panther was engaged il
killing and devouring a martin whicl
was caught in the trap, and his hunge
being partly appeased was the means O
the trapper crawling off with his life.-
Auburn ~ Y. Advertiser.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16
An African Man of Business.

Soor Hadji Palloo was n smart young
man of business--energetic, quick at
mental calculation, and seemed to be
born for successful salesman. His
eyes We're never idle, they wandered
over every part of my person, over the
tent, the bed, the guns, the clothes, and,
having swung clear round, began the
silent circle over again. His fingers
seemed never at rest, they hada fdgety,
nervous action at their tips, constantly
in the act of feeling something; while
in the act of talking to me, he would
lean over and feel the texture of the
cloth of my trousers, my coat, or my
shoes or socks; then he would feel his
own light jamdani shirt or babwain loin-
cloth, until his eyes casually resting
upon q novelty, his body would lean for
ward, and his arm was stretched out
with the r;lliro fnoera He i99Ws also
vile habit he had acquired of chewing
betel-nut and lime, and sometimes
tobacco and lime. They gave out {
sound similar to that of a young shoat
in the act of sucking. He was a piou'
courtesies and ceremonies of the true
believers. He would affably greet me
take off his shoes, enter my tent protest
ing he was not fit to sit in my presence
and, after being seated, would begin hi
ever-crooked errand. OF honesty, litera
and practical honesty, this youth kney
nothing; to the pure truth he was al
utter stranger; the falsehoods he haC
uttered during his short life seemed
already to have quenched the bold gaz
of innocence from his eyes, to have ban
ished the colour of truthfulness from Iii
features, to have transformed him---ye
STRIPPING of twenty---into most aC
complished rascal and consummate e>
pert in dishonesty. A.ricdn CORE
| SDoilHCDf
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16
Four Men to be HINGED.

-Four men, all of them whites, are now
lying in the County Jail of Burnet
County, Texas, under sentence of death
adj to be executed ut the same place
on January 10. Their names are Ben
iamin Shelby, Arthur Shelby, Ball
Woods, and William Smith. They we're
all sentenced for the murder of Ben ia
min McKeever. Their case, taken in
all its details, is one Of the most inter-
esthg in the annals of criminal trials.
The evidence against them, though con-
elusive, was entirely circumstantial.
McKeever was shot from his horse at
night near the residence of the Shclbys,
his throat then cut, and his body
carried Oh horseback three miles and
thrown into a cave. A large rock was
placed on the bloody spot where his
throat was cut, but this precaution,
instead of concealing the crime, led to
the arrest of the criminals. The keen
eyes of frontiersman saw that the rock
had been recently placed there 40 it
was renewed, and indications of blood
found. A closer search resulted in the
further finding of a paper-wadding that
had been fired from a shotgun. On
examining a gun of Benjamin Shelby
paper-wadding was likewise found in it,
and yet another wadding that had been
fired from shotgun like the first, was
found under Shelby's doorstep. In his
house was found a copy of the chimney
Corner, and by comparisons it was
ascertained that the three pieces of gun
wadding had been obtained from that
paper Placed together the following
enigma could be easily read
With piece of paper or slate,
Sit around the fire both large and
small;
A letter make, almost an eight,
And now you see what covers all.
There were several other circumstan-
ces pointing strongly to the accused men
as the murderers therefore the jury
that tried them did not hesitate to find
them guilty of mHrder in the first
degree. The verdict is generally ap
proved by the citizens of Burnet Coun'
ty, and the latest advices from there
indicate that there will probably be nc
interferences by Superior Courts or the
Governor to prevent the decreed quad
ruple execution.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16

The hay consumed by different ami
mails does not vary greatly from three
pounds daily for each hundred pounds
weight of the animals. The following
table is the result of various experiments
by different persons, and will be useful
for farmers who wish to determine, by
calculation beforehand, how their hay
will hold out for Che winter, 800 cubic
feet of timothy hay, in full bay, being
one ton: Working horses, 3.08 pounds
Working oxen, 2. 40 pounds; Mich COWS
Boussingault's 2.24 pounds, Lincoln''
2.40 pounds; young cattle, 3.08 pounds
Steers, 2.84 pounds Dry COWS, "a.
pounds; Pigs, estimated, 800 pounds
! Sheep, 200 pounds.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16

The volcanic rocks of the Pacific
coast in the Sierra Nevada and Coast
range consist of cooled lava food ex-
tending from middle California, through
Oregon+--wheIe it is two thousand feet
thick--northward into British Columbia.
In this lava region, occupying an area
of not less than fifty-six Thousand square
miles, are about dozen volcanoes,
every one extinct, being, as Prof.
Joseph LIE Conte of the University OF
California calls them, mere pimples
upon its surface. That geologist main
tains that these volcanoes could not have
poured forth so immense quantity OF
lava, and ascribes its occurrence to ifs
sure eruptions, instead of to the action
of eraters.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16

An Afectionate "Pup. The Terre
Haute Express tells the following dog
story "There were two dogs living in
the same neighborhood, up town, that
were attached friends, often visiting
each other and making excursions to-
gether. The other day one of them
sichened and died. His canine friend
called to see him, and found him dead,
He watched beside the body until night,
and then attempted to drag it to his
home. But the burden. was too great
for his strength. After dragging ii
several hundred yards, he was com,
PEELED to desist. Bit even then he
would not leave. He stood, for time,
gazing sorrowfully on the dead, then
laid down in the street, beside him,
with his head ON the neck of his old
companion, and thus he passed the
night, and thus he remained until the
body was removed. Wsuch is dog friend
ship"
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16

The value iron acquires under the
hammer is something wonderful. 1t is
said that bar of iron worth $5 is worth
S1O.5 80 when made into horse-shoes, $55
when made into needles, So, 285 made
into penknife blades, 500, 4SO in shirt
buttons, and $3.50, 900 in balance springs
of watches. Boys may, from this, see
what labor is worth, and learn to value
and respect it, for it is the labor the
mind puts ints the iron that SO increases
its value. Consider what would be tht
result if there were no iron.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16

The Infants Pavilion" will be a
notable feature of the Vienna Exposi.
ton. Within this pavilion, gathered
from all nations, will be grouped the
various contrivances used in the care Of
children. Those that minister to the
physical needs, those that amuse and
develop the mental faculties, toys and
games of all kinds, will find a place
there. This is not all. 1t is the design
to prevent the various plans and systems
used in charitable movements for the
care of children and the medical methods
and inventions used for remedying ply
steal defects and malformations. The
idea of the Infants Pavilion" certainly
commends itself to the feelings of every
| one.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16

Two young ladies residing on the Al
exandria turnpike, few miles from
Newport, KY, learning that a young
man named Newman had been talking
improperly about them, waylaid him the
other night and beat him severely, He
has swsrn out warrant for the arrest of
the parties.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16

A company of New York and Penn
sylvania capitalists have purchased ten
acres of land at McKinney's Station,
ten miles from pittsburgh, Penn, for
the purpose of establishing works for
the manufacture of steel by the Besse-
mer process.i The company has sapi-
y al of 81 100000
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16
In the Cemetery.

Lodging-house keepers have serious
objections to the introduction of chil-
dren to their apartments. These limo.
cents are apt to damage furniture, to
create disturbances not at all conducive
to the peace of the rest of the house, and
to be the unfortunate subjects of infee-
tious diseases. For these reasons those
dodgers are preferred who are without
incumbrance. However, it is plain
that people with children must live
somewhere, and sometimes artifce has
to be employed to enable them to do SO.
On All Souls Day gentleman, seeking
fresh rooms, was asked whether he had
any children. The man answered with
tears that they were call in the ceme-
terry" Satisfied with this reply, the
landlord accepted him as tenant; but
the agreement between them was no
sooner signed than four children appear
ed on the scene, with their nurse. 1t
was true they had been to Highgats
Cemetery but they had come back again.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16

A Boston Gentleman who could net
waltz offered young lady $400 if she
would ALLOW him to hug her just as
much as the man did who had Just
waltzed with her. 1t was good offer,
and showed that money was no object
to him, but they put him out of the
house so hard that his eyes were quite
black.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-16

All the prisoners confined in the
Frankfort Ry.) Jail escaped one dark
night through the roof.