davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-12-30
Western Surgery.

The Virginia (Nev.) Enterprise gives
the following story OF Western surgery :
A fellow got fearful blow on the head
with stone spittoon at South @ street
saloon. The blow left his head all out
of shape. There was dent in one side
of it about four inches deep. As he lay
there on the floor OF tho saloon, the man
was a horrible looking object. Some of
those present said the fellows head could
never be got into shape again. A wise
looking, little old gentleman in spectacles
came to the front, however, and said he
would fix it. Procuring an ordinary
hand bellows he inserted the nozzle into
the ear of the injured man. After few
puffs with the little machine the fellows
head was brought out as smooth and
plump as a freshly-bl bladder, and
he got up and walked off as fine-looking
a man a She was before he incurred the
injury,
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-12-30
Wise Sayings.

You cannot whip the fear out of
boy.
1t is a safe plan to watch the man close
who suspects everybody.
Mems judgments often make blum
der, but their conscience never does.
To supply mans necessities takes
but little, but to feed his desires takes
an empire.
Inever knew lazy man yet but what
thought he was the hardest working man
in all his neighborhood.
Most men profit by experience as
they do by their daily bread; after it
is earned and eaten, they forget all
about it.
When man gets so old he has no
taste for the follies of life, then he
begins to reprimand them severely in
others.
1t is very hard to define economy; all
we seem to know about it is, that one
man will make a dollar buy twice as
much as another man can.
The man who expects to get through
this world by following other peoples
advice, will travel over as much ground,
to as little purpose, as lost dog does.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-12-30
Old Mr.. Curiosity.

Old Mr.. Curiosity, crossing the ocean,
annoyed everybody, the good-natured
and patient Scotch officers of the steam
er in particular, by asking superhuous
questions in the greatest profusion
whenever occasion offered. One day he
went down into the engine room. He
had been there before, and the engineers
knew him "not wisely, but too well. p"
The courteous second was on duty, and
he resolved to put an endto this visiting
if he could. "What's that for-what
connection has it with the boiler?" ask
ed Mr.. Curiosity, pointing to rod
somewhere up aloft. "That," said the
engineer, :" is the duplex concave which
directs the upright tendency of the
screw against an outward pressure upon
the valves, and in that way introduces
horse power upon the cylinder and
averts an unnecessary waste Of coal. -
"Ah, yes" said Mr.. Curiosity, looking
at the engineer in an amazed and bewil-
dered sort of way, "and this little wheel
here-what's that, sir" "Oh, that, .
replied the engineer, scarcely able to
restrain his laughter, SIS the wheel
which starts the shower of oil for the
ulacnluerY, WHICH SnoWef ls IeSuiaIeu W
the speed of the steamer, and is liable tc
occur at any moment, and but Mr..
Curiosity never waited to hear the rest,
and, in his haste to get up the iron lad.
der he fell, frescoed his knee pan and
blackened his eye. But he never came
down below again, and was silent the
balance of the voyage, doubtless medi
tatirg upon the "duplex concave D and
the other mysteries of steamship ma
| nhinnnu
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-12-30
Remember the Poor,

Now winter has come, with its cold, chilling
breath,
And the verdure has dropt from the trees
All nature seemed touched by the finger of
death,
And the streams are beginning to freeze;
When wanton young lads o'er the river can
slide,
And Flora attends us no more
When in plenty you sit by good fireside,
Then you ought to remember the poor.
When the cold feathered snow shall in beauty
descend
Aud whiten the prospect around,
Wien the keen cutting winds from the north
shall attend,
Hard chilling and freezing the ground
When the hills and the dales are all covered
with white,
And the rivers concealed to the shore;
When the bright twinkling star shall proclaim
cold night
Then you ought to remember the poor.
When the poor harmless hare may be traced
to the wood
By her footsteps indented in snow;
When the lips and the fingers are starting with
blood,
When the marksmen a cock shooting go,
When the poor robin redbreast approaches her
cot,
And the icioles hang at the door,
When your bowl smokes with something revi-
wing and hot,
Then you ought to remember the poor.
When q thaw shall ensue ard the waters in
crease,
And the rivers all insolent grow,
When the fishes from prison obtain release,
When in danger the travellers go;
When the meadows are hid by the proud swell
ing flood,
And the bridges are useful 70 more,
Whom in loGlth you enjoy everything that is
good,
Sure you ought to remember the poor.
Soon the day will be here when our Savior was
born;
All tongues shall unite as one voice,
All nations ehall join to salute the blest morn,
All the ends Of the earth shall rejoice,
Grim death is deprived of his all-kilng sting,
Aud tie grave is triumphant no more;
Saints, angels and men hallelujah shall sing,
Aud the rich shall remember tho poor.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-12-30
The Latest Acrobat Dodge.

In Paris a trapeze performer allows
himself to be fred out of a mortar dis
tance of some forty-fve feet before he
catches the swinging bar. The mortar
is actually charged with gunpowder,
which is lighted in the ordinary way
and makes loud report. The effect OF
the powder is to loosen spring, which
sends the man spinning through space.
At first there was some difficulty in ad
iusting the spring to the required
nicely, and when the performer came to
try it he was shot about six feet too far,
sustaining dislocated shoulder and q
broken rib. He perseyered, and has
now succeeded in having himself elected
at the required rate. "L'Homme
Obus," as he calls himself, is just now
one of the sights of Paris.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-12-30
The Nervous System.

A striking instance of the danger Of
disregarding a nervous dread is related
in the memoir of Charles Mayne Young.
A young gentleman had been appointed
attache to the British legation at st.
Petersburg. On his arrival at that capi-
tai, he was congratulated by the ambas-
sador on being in time to witness the
celebration of grand fete, and invited
to accept in the great church seat
among those reserved for the ambassa-
dorial party. Though, in such cases, an
invitation is equivalent to command.
the attache begged to be excused. Being
pressed for his reasons, he gave them
with much reluctance.
"There will be martial music" he
said, "and have an insuperable objec-
tion to the sound of drum. 1t gives
me tortures that cannot describe. My
respiration becomes so obstructed that
it seems to me that 1 must die"
The ambassador laughed, saying that
he should esteem himef culpable if he
allowed his attache to yield to weak
ness so silly, and commanded him to be
present at the fete.
On the day appointed all were in their
places, when suddenly was heard the
clang of martial music and the beat of
the great drum. The ambassador, with
ironical smile, turned to see the effect
upon the "young hypochondriac. The
poor fellow was upon the floor, quite
dead. On post-mortem examination,
it appeared that the shock to his finely
strung nervous organization had caused
rupture of one of the valves of the
heart.
If then, as we see, the adult, with
every reason for subduing nervous an
tipathies, apparently so unreasonable
and ridiculous, finds it impossible to do
so, how can little child be expected to
control or explain them 9-Scri6ner for
January.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-12-30
Political Conventions, etc., for 1S7t

January 5-New Hampshire Republi-
can State convention, Concord.
January 5-Texas Democratic State
convention, Galveston.
January 12-Texas Republican State
convention, Houston.
January 13-Republican National COM
mittee, Washington, to select time and
place for holding the National conyen-
ton.
February 22-Indiana Republican
State convention, Indianapolis.
March 15-Indiana Democratic State
convention, indianapolis.
May 6-National convention of Pro
hibitionists, to nominate Presidential
ticket, etc., Cleveland.
May 17-National Independent con,
vention, to nominate a Presidential
ticket, Indianapolis.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-12-30
More Dogs Than Men.

A curious fact about Tennessee is that
it contains more dogs than men. Re-
turns from the dog-tax-assessment in
about one-third of the State show Al
SAT men and 70,780 dogs. This being
taken as a basis, it is estimated that there
are not less than 225, 900 dogs in the
State listed for taxation, not to mention
the thousands that escape the taxation.
Some one reckons that these dogs cost
for their keeping over four millions OF
dollars annually, to say nothing of some
$4,000 sheep which they kill every year,
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-12-30

"Every man fancies he can do three
things-farm a small property, drive a
gig, and write an article for review"
Litchfield enquirer., 1875-03-25

1st of April next at $4OO, per annum, and the total loss the election of Democratic sheriff occasioned the county in those year was $1, ,OO9 8, Or fifteen kasadred and j3rty7siS dolgars for his three years term That the jsil could have been rented for at least four hundred dollars per annnm, we have no doubt. The number of pris. ones has been unprecedentedly large and the amount of labor they have done out side the jail very great.
 For the first two years of the pres ent sherif's term the jail was in possession of 8 legally appointed jailer. About year since, .he left, and the sheriff put an agent (whose nomination for deputy jailer had been previously rejected by the county commissioners) into the jail which is now run, therefore, at his private expense; the profits. if any, going directly into his private pocket. We presume that such was the result, indirectly, of his arrange ment with his late deputy jailor At any rate such is now the fact. We do not u1- dertake to say how much the jail is actual ly worth to him. We only say that the difference to the county treasury between Democratic and Republican administra- ton of the office of sheriff has proved to be something over fifteen hundred dollars for the past term of three years Are the people of the county encouraged to the endurance of another such term?
 The sheriff's defence of course is that he has only taken the legal perquisites of office. Our reply is that they are perqui- sites no Republican sheriff never has claimed, and never will claim.
Litchfield enquirer., 1875-03-25

Taking the six years beginning Feb. 18,
 '6s. and ending Feb. IA, 75. as coinciding nearly with Mir. Baldwin's six years tenure of office, and we have an average of about 15 prisoners with g, ,5O4 year from the State for their board. The year '72, show ing an average of less than ten prisoners is the only one in which it seems possible that the sheriff could have sus- tained any loss. It will be observed, too,
 that the sheriff has had a much better chance for making money than the iailers who paid, or agreed to pay, from s3O0 to S450 a year in 'e7, '6S and '69. and to fur nish their own fuel besldes! r. - srr One further consideration we feel obliged to bring to the notice of our read CTS. The sheriff, informer times, appoint cd the jailer, who make his contract with the county commissioners for what they thought sufficient rent. The public had the protection of disinterested appoint ing officer, and of disinterested contract ing agents. Now, how is it? The sheriff is his own jailer, and the county commis- sionsrs are denied the opportunity of naak- ing contracts that would save the county from the assessments that have been such a constant source of expense and annoy ance to the various towns since the pres ent sheriff has been in office.
 This question of how ou UT jail should be managed should be made no partisan mstE ter. Each county convention should see to it that, whoever is nominated, the prac- tice of the past six years should be brought to an immediate end. Our own view is that good deputy jailer should be ap- pointed, at reasonable salary, and that the county, not any individual. should be allowed the profit which could be easily realized from the board and labor of the prisoners. We certainly intend no inius- tice to Sheriff Baldwin. The figures above given seem to us to prove conclusixely that he is clearing large amount of mon- ey. yearly, from the iail. But we will cheerfully give him. orsny friend of hiss a column of the Enquirer whexeint to show our mistake. if ws have maae one, ! apnroziid- q oaziid
 ing always that the article shall be far
 nished as early as Monday evening of the
 week of fin pablication, in orilar: to ave
 us fair iropportunity for reply zssi isv-s-s
Litchfield enquirer., 1875-03-25
From the Enquirer, March 18th, 1s75.l
 E JaIl RefoFna. -s.-s l4..-s.

Since writing our last week. article on the subject of jail reform we have taken the trouble to examine the two last Alb stracts of Jail Returns published each year by authority of the State9 with reference to the cost of the provisions furnished for the board of the prisoners in other coun- ties. In Middlesex and Windham coun- ties. the prisoners are supported in. part from the produce of farms on which the jails are located. In Holland the amount expended for provisions is not reported so that only four counties remain m which the provisions supplied the prisoners are
 not complicated with other Tmatters
 From examination of the statistics of these counties for 1873 and 1874. we have prepared the following table showine the average number of prisoners, the cost of provisions per week for each prisuner- -fin- cluding the provisions furnished the isil- CTS family 2, and the aserags cost of pro- visions per week for each prisoner in the four counties taken sogesher:z gsas ssss.' ,.
Litchfield enquirer., 1875-03-25
From the Enquirer. March 7th. 1872 !
 Sherraf. r.

The approaching nominations for sheriff make it proper that the comparitave mer- its of Republican and Democratic ad ministration of that office, 90 far as coun- ty interests are concerned, should be thoroughly understood.
 From the organization of the Republi. cansparty up to the election of 1869. Ldtchfeld county had been Republican. The Republican Sheriff had always al- lowed the county commissioners to rent the county house to the tailor for such sum as he could afford to pay, he receiving the proceeds of the labor of the prisoners. furnishing his own fuel, and making such necessary small repairs as glazing, white washing, &e. The amount of rent was generally determined by the number of prisoners. During the war. when this was very small, the rent was very smaH, also. After the war thenumbers of pris. oners increased, and the rent for the two years following April 1st, 1887, was fixed at $300, yearly, the lessee furnishing his own fuel. On the 11th of February. 1869. the jail was leased to MT. Harris B. Gib- bud for the year succeeding April Ist, 1888, for four hundred and fifty dollars: the lessee to furnish his own fueias usual. That the sum was considerably larger than usual vas owing partly to the competi- tion of the former iailor, who offered to give $425, rent. Y S--
 Atthe following April election the pres ens sheriff vas elected, who claimed pos session of the county house as appurte- nent to the jail, as he had legal right to do. HIS appointee as jailer took posses son. paid the county no rent, but obliged them to pay his fuel bill for the winter of iS69-70, amounting to $9T20. The cleo aon of a Democratic sheriff in 1888, there lore, cost the county JfUe hundred and torfy-seueR dollars, for the first year of his term.
 The fuel bills of thecounty for the fol- loving winters of '70-T1 and T1-'72 amount to S200.63. Estimating the rent or the laii forthe tNo.yea ending on the
 Q
Litchfield enquirer., 1875-03-25
THAT AMATEUR FLUTE.

Hear the nueer W1fh hls hute,
 GlNerAqte. lfy -aE .S Oh what aFosld q wsaing is awakened by it's toot; How it demi-semi quaVers ,...sn On the maddened air of sight! fB- .ssss- -A1d1 1efeEh alleadeasms Ssr r@.ss-sw To escape the sound or sight Of the flute, flute, flute, With its tootle, tootle, toot- ....s With reiterated tootiDgs of exasperating toots, The long protracted tooteIlngs of agoniZing toots Of the flute, flute, flute, flute,
 Flute, flute. flute And the wheezings and the spittings of it's toots. Should he get that other flute,
 Golden flute, Oh, what deeper anguish will it's presence insti- toot!
 How his eyes to heaven he'll raise,
 AS he plays
 All the days;
 How he'll stop us on our ways
 Withits praise!
 And the people, oh, the people, That don't live up in the steepie, But inhabit Christian pariors Where he visiteth and plays
 Where he plays, plays, plays,
 In the cru1est of ways, And thinks we ought to listen, And expects us to be mute. Who would rather have ear-aahe Than the music of his flute
 Of his fute flute, flute,
 And the tootings of his toot- Of the toots wherewith he tooteth it's agonixing
 toot
 Of the flute, fewt flute foot Phlute, phlewt, phlewght, And the tootle, footing of it's toot
Litchfield enquirer., 1875-03-25
CONSUMPTION CURED.

To the Editor of the Enquirer, ,gaE
 ESTEEMED FRIEND:
 Will you please inform your readers that have positive
 CURE FOR lCONSUMPTION and all disorders of the Throat and Lungs, and that, by its use in my practice, I have cured hundreds of cases, and will give
 $1,OOO.OO for case it will not benefit. Indeed 30 streng is my faith, I will send SAMPLE, FREE, to any sufferer addressing me. Please show this letter to any one you may know who is suffering from these diseases, and oblige,
 A Faithfully yours,
 DIR. T. K. BURT. S3:6m 69 WILLIAM ST., New York.
Litchfield enquirer., 1875-03-25

We have been called upon for SO many more papers of recent issues than we could supply, that we reprint the follow ing articles of the past two weeks, ,and one we published on the same subject in 1872:
 From the Enquirer. March 11th, 1s75.l
Litchfield enquirer., 1875-03-25
each term during thstxo ysazs last past:
Adding s1. 0o for avails of prisoner.

Adding $1 ,WO for avaiis of prisoners labor, we have a sum total of over t0rty-
 three hundred doliars received by Sheriff Baldwin for board and labor of prisoners
 during the year ending Feb. 14th. 1875 County Commissioners. and others. have made careful calculations on the actual cost of raw material for board of prison CTS, and we are confident a dollar per week for each prisoner will meet the ordi- nary expense thereof. We estimate the cost of supplies for board of the keeper and his wife at double that amount. The average number of prisoners during the year has been under twenty-one. This would make the actual total expense to
 the sheriff of keeping the jail during the past year as follows: Salary of keeper and wife. coo Board of same @- aO8 Board of 21 prisoners, 31,Oe2 s1.soo It will be observed that the amount al-
 lowed for board by the State would call
 for larger average of prisoners than 21.
 The difference grows out of allowances
 for extra delicacies to sick prisoners. Put
 ting the actual cost of these extras at S1OO
 for the year, we have g, 900 actual outlay
 for an income of $4. .316 in the past yearl
 In short, what Sheriff Baldwin has reeeiv-
 ed from his prisoners" labor will more
 than pay the board and salary of the keep
 CT and his wife, and leave him sixty-four
 dollars sceeE for raw material fer board
 of an average of less than twenty-one pris-
 oners! We must remember, too, that
 this is business the sheriff is enabled to
 conduct without any cost for rent, fuel,
 repairs. clothing, supplies of every sort to
 prisoners,-an which are at the expense
 of the county. -. .7.
 It will be observed at once that the
 profits of such an enterprise as this de- pend largely on the average number of prisoners. The expense of keepers sala- Y and board is the same whether that average is ten or twenty. The past year has undoubtedly been a lucky one for the sheriff; and, that we may present the case fully and fairly. we have taken the trouble to collect from the Superior court records the amounts received for
 board of prisoners at this jail for the
 past eight years, into the following table:
Litchfield enquirer., 1875-03-25
COLDS MAGIC WROUGHT IRON HEATER

I s new invention by s. J. Gold, the inventor | of Colds Steam and Sanitary Heaters, and combines in one, many of the peculiarities of both these heaters. It is contracted of boiler plate iron tightly riveted, and it's durability will be such as to be smoke, dust and gas-tlght for years. The smaller sizes cost but little more than parlor stove, and with the same amount of coal, will heat much more space than the stove.
 For economy in cost, for heating capacity, and for the saving of the heat the coal makes that of pure and June-like quality, it challeng es comparison with any heater in the market.
 Use one of these heaters and all the smoke, dust and gas which 80 often fill the house, store or office where stoves are used is avoided.
 Send for circular to the Manufacturers.
 GOLD SANITARY HEATING O.,
 294 West Cornwall Conn.
Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-11-21

FATAL ACCIDENT.-James Doyle, a
miner working at the Florida mine,
American Flat, on Friday fell into
the main shaft, a distance of 400 feet,
and was instantly killed. The corpse
was taken out in horribly mutilated
condition, the top of the head and
one of the arms being completely
separated from the body. Deceased
was about As years of age, and leaves
A wife and children in San Francisco.
He was man highly esteemed in
San Francisco, and came to the
florida mine recommended by Lu-
Glen Herman, a former resident of
Virginia, and a gentleman we'll
known by our people. Two or three
wears ago James Doyle was worth
over 100000, but bad speculations
took away what fortunate ventures
had given him, and he was obliged
to go to work for wages. He is said
to have been subject to fits Of absent
mindedness-induced, no doubt, by
his loss of fortune-and it was doubt
less while in one of these moods that
he precipitated the car and himself
into the open shaft.