davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24

IMPRESSIONS OF LoNDoN.-Streets cross
ing each other at all angles except right an
giles. Streets built up on both sides with
plain, yellow brick houses for miles upon
miles in length. Streets running under
massive viaducts built of granite and iron.
Streets commencing broad and well built,
with magnificent edifices, diminishing into
dirty lanes, the abode of poverty and vice.
Streets commencing straight and ending in
a curve. Streets curved at both ends and
crooked in the middle. Streets paved with
blocks of granite, others with asphaltum.
Exceptional streets laid in Nicholson.
Streets at the west magnificent beyond de-
scription, through which the rich roll in ell
egant carriages, attended by servants in os-
tentatious lveries. Streets in the east
where honest poverty and hideous vice jos
tie against each other in the daily struggle
for existence. Lanes, alleys, dark courts,
obscure passages, by-ways, delusive roads,
intricate paths and uncertain short cuts, all
strangely confused. Shops in the east
where the necessities of life are sold in
subdivisions at penny apiece. Shops at
the west filled to repletion with silks at a
guinea yard. river spanned bys score
of stone bridges, each as firm and solid as
the earth itself. Thousands of public build
ings, rare specimens of beauty, built by
world renowned architects, long since pass
ed away; monuments like index fingers
pointing to the sky; countless factories
with slender chimneys, each one pouring
out column of black smoke to cast a
gloomy pail over palace and shrine. Docks
built far inland, with narrow gates OPEN
ing to the river, docks crowded with ships
from every quarter of the globe; innumer-
able passenger steamers shooting the arch
es OF the bridges steamships, ships,
barques, schooners, barges, scows, mud
boats, propellers, tugs, dredging ma
chimes, war vessels, canal boats and
floating hospitals, and prisons lying
at anchor on the dirty waters below the
bridges. Thirty miles of river bank lined
with great warehouses and crowded with
merchandise from the ends of the earth.
Millions of people to meet omnibuses,
cabs, carts, street cars, drays, carriages,
wagons rushing through the crowded
thoroughfares or crossing the bridges from
side to side. Railroads everywhere trains
crossing the tops of houses engines drag
ging cars for miles underground; trains
shooting under the streets, trains thunder
ing overhead. while steam and unseen en-
gines coming up through the iron gratings
at your feet. Flaming advertisements plas-
tered against blank walls. Plate glass shop
windows brilliantly lighted at night from
within, and more brilliantly lighted from
the outside. Gin palaces 10 radiant that
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24

CROSSING THE ATLANTIC IN A BALLOON.
The most reckless and hopeful of men is
perha 8 Prof. Donaldson, a distinguished
eronaut of Berks county, Pa, who is now
completing his plans to cross the Atlantic
ocean next summer in an air-ship, buoyed
by two mammoth balloons. He will start
from Union square, and expects TO alight
somewhere on the Continent of Europe in
two days and half. Donaldson was origi-
nally a magician, but year ago conceived
the idea of becoming a balloonist. Last
August, he made his first ascension from
Reading, using basket, but since then, he
has made twenty-eight ascensions, with
nothing but the gas chamber of his balloon
and single trapeze bar. His operations
have been principally through the South
and West. AT the height of half mile, he
always went through various performances,
such as skinning the cat, hanging by his
toes and other evolutions usually perform
ed by circus performers. At Chicago, when
three quarters of "A mile high, he hung
from the bar by the back of his head. Peo-
pie called him crazy, but he saw no danger
and felt as safe and contented on his bar
as on the ground. Next June, Donaldson
intends making trip from st. Louis to
Boston, and the following month will COM
mence his ocean voyage in the aerial ship
North America" to cost $4,000, and calcul-
ated to travel 5000 miles in two days and a
half He speaks very confidently of his
project, and says he would rather stand
upon his head on his balloon in mid-ocean
than travel on some of our through lines of
railroad by night.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24

THE GREAT STORM In MINNEsoTA.-Th
st. Paul Pres gives painful details of the
terrible storm which prevailed in Mime
sofa during the first week in January, and
the consequent large loss of life. 1t saws
that while every section of the State con-
tributes portion of the narrowing details,
the entire western frontier of Minnesota
sends up a return of dead, missing and
manned which seems more like the earn
age of battle than the result of any commo-
ton of the elements. The accounts agree
in representing the storm as travelling with
remarkable velocity, and enveloping those
caught in its deadly meshes almost before
they could turn their steps homeward
The statement is made that sleighs were
overturned and men Frustrated as though
they were nothing more than straws in the
path of the gale. The destruction of life is
greatly attributable to the suddenness OF its
appearance and its tremendous notion
the degree of cold not being as great as in
many preceding storms which did not
cause 1.-THE of the loss of life. Late reports
increase the number of fatalities. Thirteen
uedu DOuleS were lOunu between fOrt
Ridgeway and Beaver Falls. Six children
on their way to school were frozen to DEATH
A dispatch from Furgus Falls states that
seven more bodies were found there, and
estimates the number of victims within a
radius of % miles at so. Among the most
terrible incidents is that of man who
went for doctor to attend his wife, and
was frozen to death on his way home. The
next day when the doctor reached the house
he found that the woman had given birth
to a child, and that both were frozen to
death. One woman living near Alexau-
dria remained two nights and one day in a
sleigh, and was found alive, but so terribly
frozen that death is certain. Her husband
and father, who started with her, were
found dead near the spot where she was
discovered. A school teacher at Judson,
with great Judgment, refused to permit his
scholars, thirty or forty children, to leave
the school house, and kept them there for
tyeight hours in safety and comfort, pro-
curing food and bedding from person liv-
ing near by. One man saved his life. by
remaining in a straw stack twenty-four
hours. A gentleman who has experienced
the storm estimates the loss of life and
property as being greater than that caused
by the famous Sioux massacre of 1862.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24

1t Is with sorrow we record the death
of Mrs. Sherman Robinson, which occurred
last Tuesday after severe sickness caused
by hemorrhage of:the lungs, terminating in
quick consumption. She was most ami
able lady, beloved by all who knew her. She
bore her distress with patience and sweet
submission; and though fearfully dread
ing the pangs of dying, she talked of the
change calmly and with great hope, long
ing for the spirits release, only regretting
to leave her husband alone. Every thing
that kind husband, attentive and sklful
physician, and the best of nurses could do,
was done to mitigate her suffering and
smooth the pathway across the dark river.
Even death came quietly and loosed the
"silver cord" and she went
Like who wraps the drapery Of his couch
About him, and lies down to pleasant Dreams"
The community sympathize with Mr.. Rob
inson, and hope he may have that support
given him now which he so much needs.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24

NEW LONDON NORTHERN RAILROAD
A correspondent of the Hartford Courant,
writing in defence of the present manage
ment of the New London Northern rail-
road says: The amount of freight traffic
has more than doubled since the Vermont
Central leased the line. The iron on the
road Is not staunch enough to stand the
pounding of heavy trains, and the rails are
to be relaid as soon as the season opens.
The road has not locomotives enough to do
the work, but they have been ordered for
over a year, and ii is the fault of the man
ulacturers that they are not on the road.
The detention of trains is owing to two
causes the lack of side tracks and of tee-
graph facilities. AS soon as the frost is out,
new side tracks are to be put in at Mont
vile, Willimantic, South Coventry, Stafford
| Springs, etc. AT Wilimantic, where the
most delays occur, several trains are often
waiting to pass each other, the freight de-
pot is to be moved much filling to be done,
and new and long sidings to be put in. A
telegraph wire is to he put up very soon for
the exclusive use OF the railroad, with new
offices at many places, such as Mansfield,
| lOliuuu, luTce IlNeiS, etc. ue lOllOWluR
story is told of George T. Benedict, the di-
vision superintendent of the road: During
the recent storm a freight conductor left his
train at Brattleboro. The superintendent
Immediately went there and himself took
the train to New London. The engineer,
who was young fellow recently promoted,
has been out all the previous day and night.
| 1t was after IL o'clock the second night that
they left South Coventry. Between there
and Willmantic the superintendent, who
was on the engine, saw the engineers head
90 bobbing about and finally go over back
ward. lie stepped over, TOOK hold of the
throttle Of the engine and ran the train in
to Willimantic himself. sudden Jolt of
the locomotive woke up the sleeping man,
who appeared very much confused. But
he was told to take the firemans seat and
get nap. The superintendent conductor
engineer did the switching and ran the
train to South Windham, when the engin-
eer, refreshed with his little Sleep took his
post again and kept it till they we're hous-
ed at New London at o'clock the next
morning.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24
THE PURCH.gSB OF S.s.u.s.v.s.

A company of American capitalists have
acquired from the Government of San Do
mingo, the Peninsula of SANTANA, and Sam
ana Bay, on that island, accompanied with
a cession of extraordinary powers. 1t APP
pears that since the failure of the Treaty
of Annexation of the Republic of San
Domingo to the United States, conven-
ton was prepared, with the appreciation
of leading citizens of that Republic, which
comedies to an association under the name of
the "Samana Bay Company of San Domin-
CO." all the rights, privileges, and immuni
ties over and in the Bay and Peninsula of
SANTANA which were ceded to the United
States by the said proposed treaty; to hold
all the public lands on said Peninsula of
SANTANA, the waters of SANTANA Bay, and
the islands and reefs therein, without tax
alton, and special privileges to establish
commercial lines bank of issue, with
branches; to construct railways, common
roads, and telegraph lines; to acquire min
eral lands, etc., all on exceedingly ia
vorable terms.
For every three miles of railway or canal
so built by the company within five years
the company will receive from the Domin-
ion Government the absolute ownership
of a square league of land on the island,
and there are grants of vast seignorial
rights. The company pays to the Domin-
ion government an annual rent of $3.50, 900
in gold, and the first annual payment has
already been made. The new company
(Which has a capital of 100000, of 400
shares of 81, 900 each, on which $500, 900 has
been paid in,) proposes at once to build
wharves, warehouses, ETC., at SANTANA, and
to make that a rival to the only ether free
port in the West Indies-St. Thomas. 1t is
expected that this will at once turn large
trade toward the new emporium, that the
South American steamers will touch there
for coal and supplies, and that the United
States government will buy coal, build
dock, lease wharves, and in other ways con-
tribute TO the business of the new company.
1t Is announced that the inaugurators
of the scheme expect to build up, not only
a fiourshing city, but State, with gov
eminent modelled after the best forms, and
administered for the benefit OF all who
choose it as place OF residence, and that il
is expected that the result will be the
annexation of the island to the United
States. The names of the "heavy men"
who have formed the organization indicate
that the company will not lack means to
carry out its objects.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24

politely requested to wait till the new en-
peror comes of age. This excuse can now
no longer be urged. The new emperor, at
eighteen, formally ascends the throne, and
a new era In Chinese progress may now be
looked for. Should the present Brother of
the Sun, prove of a similar character to the
Mikado of japan, the magnitude OF the
revolutions which, as sole arbiter Of AGO.
OOO,O 900 human beings, he can effect, is
scarcely to be estimated. His first official
act as regards foreign relations has been
the abolition of the Ko-tow, or ceremony
of knocking the head against the floor, for
merly incumbent upon all presented to
his majesty, including foreign minister's
This augurs well for the spirit of his reign.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24

Senator Morrills agricultural college
bill was considered again last week, and
was opposed by the presentation OF sue
cesion of amendments for the purpose of
defeating it, but Mr.. Morrill, ably defended
it, and finally the bill passed by the highly
complimentary vote Of yeas 80, nays IA.
The bill appropriates 10 every state and
territory which has a five years old agri-
cultural college, 100000 acres of land, val
ued at Sl.25 per acre. The aggregate value
of this gift is 10000, 600. The Senate pass
ed the Vienna Exposition bill increasing
the appropriation to three hundred thous-
and dollars. The House has adopted, ZIG
to SO, an amendment prohibiting the pay
ment of election expenses to future contes-
tants for seats in the House. The Judicial
ry Committee has reported favorably on a
bill to absolutely repeal the bankrupt law.
Judge Polands mobiier investigating COM
mittee is still in session.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24

DEATH OF REV. JOSHUA LEAvITT.-The
Rev. Joshua Leavitt, the well-known the
ologian, journalist and reiormer, died in
New York, January 16. DR.. Leavitt was
born in Heath, Mass, in 1894, and gradual
ed at Yale in 1914. He then studied law,
and subsequently opened an Office in Put
ney, in this State. Some years after, he
entered the ministry; started the tirst tenn
perance society in New York and was one
of the most prominent advocates of the an
ti-slavery movement. Perceiving early
the advantage of having a combined hymn
and tune-boOk for use in revival and social
meetings, nothing of the kind then exist
ing, he, in company with an excellent
young musician, set about making one,
which was published under the name of The
Christian Tyre. This has always been con-
sidered one of the best of its kind, and, it
is said, was the first ever published in this
country. In 1881, DR.. Leavitt became edit
or of the New York Evangelist, and of the
EmdncipalOr in 1897. In lS4S, he became
managing editor of the New York hide
pendent, with which paper he was editori-
ally connected until the close of his life.
In 1869 he received gold medal from the
Golden Society, of England, for an essay
on our Commercial Relations with Great
Britain, in which he took an advanced po-
sition in favor of free trade.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24
Jam nfrd.

The first fire department of this ,wn
held their annual meeting on Monday night
of last week. The prudential committee
made report covering the expense of en-
CINE house, which amounts to over 5000.
The officers for the ensuing year are as fol-
laws: NJ. c. Skinner, moderator; C. S.
Clark, secretary; Abijah Muzzy, II. II.
FELTON, and NJ. f. Howard, prudential COM
mittee; Myron johnson, treasurer; John
Parson, collector; w. II. II. Holton, en-
gineer; NJ. c. Skinner, LIST assistant engin-
eer; NJ. NJ. Martin, I'd assistant engineer.
Voted to raise so cents on a dollar to meet
the Indebtedness of the district, which a
mounts to 5000.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24
MISCELLANEOUS.

Recent explorations in Africa develop
the fact that there are tribes greatly snpe-
rior to those on the Liberian coast, They
are Mohammedans, speaking and reading
the Arabic language.
Snow at the temperature of forty de-
grees below zero, Fahr., is said to lose
much of its anti -frictional quality, so that
it is nearly as difficult to draw seds over
it as upon common sand.
There is no end to the discoveries of
genius. Thus the invention of shirt but
ton which can be put on with a screw -drlv-
er is said to do away with the last induce
ment for men to marry in New York City.
In descanting upon the dearth of "ser-
want gals" in Chicago, the Post of that city
takes occasion to remark that "the unac-
countable neglect of Providence to create
at least one servant for every lady who Is
brought into the world has long been felt
as grievance by civilized humanity"
A wedding was recently broken up at
Columbus City, Ia, in the following man
ner: The preacher asked If any one had
any objections /; the young lady said eyes !;
don't want to marry him." The expect
ant groom folded his broadcloth and silent
ly stole away.
-Harrisonville, NH. wants to know If
its William Fisher who weighed 100
pounds at one year of age, and is now five
years old and weighs 100 pounds, is three
feet seven inches in height and measures
Al inches in girt and % inches around the
thigh, can be duplicated any where.
The largest water wheel in the world
is supposed to be that at Laxey, Isle of
Man. 1t is used for pumping water from
the mines, which have workings at the
depth Of 1880 feet below the surface. The
diameter of the wheel is seventy-two feet
and six inches, its breadth is six feet, and
1t has crank stroke of ten feet. At the
Burden Iron Works, in Troy, there is an
overshot wheel fifty feet in diameter and
twenty two feet in breadth.
-Bessemer, the great steel manufacturer,
is about to make a cannon twenty yards
long. The diameter will be fDrty-eight
inches and the bore thirty inches. 1t is ex-
pected to discharge "A shell weighing five
tons. In order to give sufficient impetus
to this monster prJectlle, the load Of pow
der will be placed in five different cham
beers.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24

you must wink when you lock at them +;
gin palaces in which the poor, silly work.
ing people spend for beer what their
children need for food and clothes; gin
palaces where countless women go with in
fants In their arms TO drink gin with rag
ged bloated men. Churches without equal
In the world churches with a gin palace
on each side churches filled on Sunday
with well-dressed, intelligent, contented
Christian people churches which are
placed on exhibition curing the week for
hire. Galleries of paintings, baunts of vice,
gambling saloons, hotels, theatres, mu-
seums, gardens, courts, clubs, banking in
stitutions, breweries, colleges, schools, uni
versities, prisons, markets, stalls, palaces
hustled into obscurity behind dirty brick
walls. Immense wholesale business done
in dark, narrow lanes. Buildings of every
conceivable size, quality and value spread
thickly over 80 square miles of area, and
thinlv over far more-thaps London.-Cor.
San Francisco bulletin.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24
THE O.SkBS .5.uRS LIST.

Last fall, when the Credit Mobiier scam
dial was first devised to prop the falling for
tunes of the coalition, and to give an ag-
gressive character to a movement already
lapsing into insigniticance, the assumed
basis of the affair was a certain list Of Con-
gressmen who were alleged TO have been
corrupted with Credit Mobiier stock. This
lis. has been produced in evidence before a
Philadelphia Court, and ran as follows:
Blaine, of Maine, $4,000; Patterson, of
N. H., $1,000; Wilson, of Mass, $1,000; s.
Colfax, Speaker, $4,000; Scofield and Kel-
lev, Penn, each $1,000; Eliot, Massachu-
set is, 81, 900; Dawes, Massachusetts, $1,000;
Fowler, Tennessee, g., 900; Boutwell,, Mass,
81, 900; Bingham and Garfield, Ohio $1,000.
We have now the means of judging con-
clusively of the value and exact meaning
of the list. Mr.. Ames, who Is alleged to
have dictated it, McComb, who wrote it
down, and every man mentioned in ii, ex-
cept three, concerning whom there is no
question have been examined and cross
examined under oath as to the transactions
TO which II was claimed the list related.
What does ii all amount to To this: Mr..
Ames formed in his own mind, in the lat
ter part of 1867, the project of Interesting
In the Credit Mobilier all the influential
men he could, including members of Con-
gress. His motive, he says, was not cor
rupt, nor does it seem necessary to have it
80. He wished to induce members, when
the affairs of the Credit MObiler or of the
Union Pacific Railroad, with which it was
indssolubly connected, were likely to be
affected by legislation, to "lOok into' them,
and satisfy themselves that there was
"nothing wrong in them" He believed
Congressman would do this more thorough
ly II they had stock in the Company; in
fact, that they would not do 1t at all if they
were not pecuniarily interested. This Is
Mr.. Cakes Ames' story Of what he intend
ed, and how he expected to carry his in
tentions into effect.
He succeeded in interesting several Con-
gressmeD, not mentioned in the list, and,
curiously enough, never mentioned in any
OF the opposition attacks based on the
Credit Mobilier operations. Senator Grimes,
now dead, Mr.. Alley, now out of the House,
and Mr.. Hooper, member of the present
Congress, invested considerable amounts,
and took an active part in the business OF
the Company. OF those recounted in the
list, and treated to the bitter aspersions of
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24
MASSACHUSETTS RAILROAD STATIs1

MASSACHUSETTS RAILROAD STATISTICS.
The annual report of the Railroad Com
missioners of Massachusetts, for 1872, shows
that sixty-three passengers were killed or
injured, one hundred and thirty-four en-
ployees, and one hundred and thirty-six
other persons. of the last, eighty were
killed or injured while walking or other
wise unlawlully trespassing on tracks.
The Commissioners consider that more
than one half of all the accidents to passen-
gers arise from the need of stronger cars
and better devices for the quicker stop
ping Of trains. 1t is evidently safer to trav-
el on a railroad than beside it, and better to
pay your fare and be passenger than 10
be an employee; for only sixty-three pas
sengers got hurt, while there were more
than $4,000, 900 passengers carried during
the year, a gregating 5000, 900 miles OF
travel.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24

THREE DAYS GRACE.-With the begin
ming of the new year, went into force an
ing three days grace on bank notes, etc,
etc. The substance of the enactment is as
follows:
All bills of exchange, drafts and prom
issory notes, executed in any other State,
and payable in this State, and all such bills,
drafts and notes executed in this State, and
payable in this or any other State shall be
entitled to the usual mercantile privilege
of three days grace; provided, however,
the foregoing provisions shall not extend
to any contract payable on demand or at
sight, or in any way but money.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-24

tree gratis, last week built a covert OF
brush, and equipped with two double bar
relied guns, took his station towards night,
and as the cartridges came on one at a
time killed three, and then fired again and
Killed two on the wing with one shot be-
ing five birds killed with four shots with
In twenty minutes. He has killed seven
teen partridges within ten days.
Clinton s. Withheld has sold his tobac-
co, an acre or more, for twenty cents
through