davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29
Saved his Diamonds.

General Jack, noted circus man, has
q great penchant for diamonds, and it is
said that those who want to come it over
General Jack-no easy thing to do-al-
ways approach him on his diamond side.
He takes it as compliment to be asked
to show his collection, and does show it.
But he is good Judge of character tor
all. The story goes that some thieves
conspned to rob him by profting by his
pleasure in showing his treasures. There
were three of them-nobby English tel
lows-who came over expressly to do the
job, and thoroughly posted. They made
bis acquaintance at a hotel, and In due
course procured the invitation to see his
diamonds. They claimed to be sporting
men, ardent turtles, but connoisseurs in
such things. They came to Jacks house
one afternoon, in coach, and he re-
ceived them alone, opened his safe, dis
played all his treasures, went into their
history, etc. "This," he said, "is my
Golconda specimen-not very large, but
remarkable for it's brilliancy and pure
water. This is my Brazilian-it is bit
off color, suspicion of q canary inge,--
whack smacki thwackl ",You would,
would you9" and with three successive
blows of his fat white fist, his three
English visitors we're knocked down and
nut hors de combat. It was a mere
suspicion on his part something he saw
in the mems faces, read in their eyes
but it saved his diamonds. He sum-
moned aid, locked the safe, secured the
men, and found them fully armed-pis-
tolls, burglar tools, handouts, rope, gag,
chloroform, red pepper. He disarmed
them, bundled them into the coach, and
gave them twenty-fogr hours to leave the
country.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29
FARM STOCK.
somo Very Interesting figures and Sta.
tistfoS.


usties.
The number of farm animals is not
keeping pace with the increase of popu-
lation, swine having decreased eight pei
cent. during the past year, sheep having
barely held their own, while horses have
increased only three cent, and COWS
about one and half per cent. The
prices of horses and mules Of all ages
have generally decreased, althoug gh local
causes have in some sections kept them
firm, and in few States increased them.
Thu decline is sharpest in the Eastern
States for horses, and in the Western
States for mules. .".. ;
THE rates for mich COWS are not sus-
tanned in the Eastern States, except in
Connecticut aud Massachusetts. The
average is the same as that of last year
in New York, a decline being percepti-
BILE in the remaining Middle States.
There is an increasing demand in Mary
land and Virginia, States well suited to
dairying, and prices have advanced
somewhat. In the Carolinas and Georgia
the rates sympathize with the prevailing
downward tendency. From Florida
westward along the gulf coast, and in
Arkansas and Tennessee, prices are
higher, the greatest proportionate in
crease being in Texas. In every State
of the great interior valleys there is an
increase, except in Nebraska, where
prices ruled very high last year. On
the Pacific coast the high California rate
of last year is not fully sustained. A
comparison with last year is made in the
rates Of the following States: =
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29
Testing Dispatches in Cipher.

The cipher used by the whisky ring in
st. Louis, says the New York Herald,
is very simple when it is once compre-
hended. The actual words of the dis
patch are written so as to follow the
order prescribed in set of numbered
squares, and when the words are thus ar
ranged they are read off according to the
numbersin the squares. Each square con-
tains one word, and the set contains twen-
ty-four words, in six columns, four deep.
The reading begins at the bottom, fourth
square from the left, and proceeds, one
square to the left, one back and upward,
again to the left, and 80 on, until the
top of the column is reached, when the
next word is two to the right and back
toward the left to the first new word,
and then down again. We have arrang-
ed set of squares as described in our
dispatches, and. also applied it to the
dispatch signed go. E. Babcock. "
Every reader can pick it out for himself.
General Babcock's dispatch seems to be
arranged in two separate squares, and
the deciphering accordingly begins in
the proper square of the upperset. The
following is set of squares:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29
An Unlucky Countenance.

When Abbas the Great was hunting
in the valley, he met one morning, as
the day dawned, an uncommonly ugly
man, at the sight of whom his horse
started. Being nearly dismounted,
deeming it bad omen, he called out in
rage to have his head struck of. The
poor peasant, whrm the had seized, and
that he might be informed of his crime.
"Your crime" said the king, SIS your
unlucky counte9nance, which is the en- hrSs 81
had nearly caused me to fall from my
horse" "Alasr i" said the man, "by
this reckoning, what term must l apply
to your maiesty's countenance, which
was the first object my eyes met this
morning, and which it to cause my
death p The king smiled at the wit OF
the reply, ordered the man to be 70,
leased, and gave him present instead
of taking off his head.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29
Female Devotion.

An Arizona wife begged the court not
to punish her husband for the crime OF
bigamy, Of which he had been convicted;
"He loved me once and WAS kind, u
she said, with tears running in streams
down her face, "and when I go away to
my lonely home, it would be my only
earthly comfort to know that he was
free to seek for happiness, if he can find
il anywhere in the world"
When sentence was pronounced, the
stricken woman fell upon her knees be-
fore her husband, and placing her hands
upon his arms, asked him to forgive hel
if she had ever done anything to chill
his love for her, and to kiss her just IS
he would dead wife whom he loved.
The wretched man seemed entirely over
come by these pitiful appeals and his
own fate, and, grasping her in his arms.
kissed her over and over again, and
when the officers drew him away, she
sank fainting to the floor.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29
An Odd Detection.

An elderly man fell at the corner Of
Washington and Warrenton streets,
Boston, while Intoxicated, and hurt him
self badly. A crowd Immediately gath
cred, but though the man laid there un,
able to move, no one essayed to assist
him up, till a young fellow forced nus
way through the crowd and made him,
self very officious in his efforts to get
the old man home. Meanwhile another
man in the crowd had seen this young
man counting some money in neigh
boring doorway and suspected that he
might have knocked the old man down
aud robbed him. Officer Maynard was
summoned and both men were taken to
the police station, and on searching the
Young man, who gave his name as
Michael Taylor, 1920 were found on bus
person, which he said belonged to bis
aunt, Mrs. Catherine Mahoney, at No.
II Newton place. An officer went to
the house, and on investigation Mrs.
Mahoney found that $40 had been taken
from under certain carpet and young
Taylor is held for taking it. Thus an
attempt to do an act of kindness result
cd in his being detected in a crime.'
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29
A Centennial BlOw.Up.

They intend having very lively CEN
tennial "Fourth at He'll Gate, in the
East river, New York. One hundred
and twenty men are employed drilling
holes in the roof and sides of the excaya-
ton, which has been completedat cost
of $3.50, 900, and which is directly under
meath the rock which once so frightened
Master Hendrick Hudson and his
elephantine mariners, inducing them to
relinquish their efforts to reach Hin.
doostan via Hell Gate. An average OF
twenty-one holes q day are drilled, and
when the fourth comes they will be
charged with 80, 900 pounds Of nitro-gly'
cerine, which will be touched by cur.
rent of electricity, and He'll Gate will be
thenceforth forever open to the naviga.
ton of Brooklynites and New Yorkers,
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29

The class including all cattle except
COWS exhibits no very sweeping changes.
The abundance or scarcity of supplies
for winter use causes local changes. In
the Eastern States, prices are frmer in
Vermont and Massachusetts, in Penn
sylvania, in the Middle States 4; in Mary
land, North Carolina, Alabama, Texas,
the more eastern States Of the Ohio val
ley, with a positive rise in the district
west of the Mississippi. There is little
decline in New York, Delaware, Virginia,
South Carolina, Mississippi, Wisconsin
and Minnesota. There is some decrease
in several of the New England States, in
New jersey, Georgia, and little in Indi-
ana and Illinois, except that in the latter
prices of matured stock are well sus-
tanned.
The following tables show the relative
prices for 1876 and 1876:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29

the hovel. He stabbed her in the breast
and in other places. She ran bleeding
into the woods. Her father found her
afterward lying at the foot OF a tree,
dead. He carried her body long dis
tance into the woods and buried it.
Parke continued to live in the hut,
but was frequently compelled to leave it
to escape the fury of his son. Finally,
early in 1873, he made the complaint
against him, and has at last had his
british child safely disposed OF.
Parke is thin, wiry man, ragged and
slovenly. His head is covered with
long, white, unkempt hair, and he bag a
flowing white beard. he attributes the
lamentable condition Of his children to
the incapacity of his wife to oversee and
train them, saying that he was too much
absorbed in his scientific and literary
pursuits to notice their wants. .
Shortly after the death Of Melvina he
published card asking for information
as to the whereabouts OF his wife, and
begging her to come and look after the
needs Of her remaining child. He is by
many considered insane. r.:: .~:..,
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29
Knew he was Honest.

During rainy weather a gentleman
stepped into q tobacconist's g in London,
and asked him for the loan of an UNI
brella. He was promptly accommo-
dated. "You're an obliging man," OBJ
served customer, after the stranger
had stepped out. " Yes, but that's a
mighty honest fellow" said the tobac-
conist. can honester or more generous
man, you won't find in a. days travel.
He has got a number Of umbrellas of
me, but he always brings back better
one in return. He changes 'em some
how, but how I don't know, and don't
care. I see he's honest, and that's all !
care about it,
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29
Which Shall It Be g?

"a rich man who had no children proposes
t his poor neighbor, who had seven, to tax
one of them, and promised, il the parent
would consent, that he would give them prop
erty enough to make themselves and thei
other six children comfortable for lifel.
Which all it be? Which shall it be
1 looked at John, John looked at me,
And when found that must speak
My voice seemed strangely low and weak:
"Tell me again what Robert said"
And then I, listening, bent my head
This is his letter:
. "Iwill give
A house and land while you shall live,
II, in return, from out your seven,
One child to me for aye is given"
looked at Johns old garments worm
thought Of all that he had borne
OF poverty, and work, and care,
Which I, though willing, could not share;
I thought Of seven young mouths to feed,
or seven little ohildren's need,
And then Of this.
"Come, John, said I,
"Wen choose among them as they lie
Asleep" So, walking hand in hand,
Dear John and surveyed our band;
First to the cradle lightly stepped
Where Lillian, the baby, slept.
Softly the father stopped to lay
His rough hand down in loving way,
When dream or whisper made her stir,
And huskily he said "Not herr"
We stopped beside the trundle bed,
And one long ray Of lamplight shed 49, .-.
Athwart the boyish faces there, T.. -
In sleep 80 beautiful and fair.
7 saw on James rough, red cheek o..
A tear undried. Ere John could speak,
"He's but baby, too, said I,
And kissed him as we hurried by.
Pale, patient Robbie's angel face
Still In his sleep bore sunering's trace.
No, for thousand crowns not him!"
He whispered, while our eyes we're dim.
Poor Dick bad Dick our wsyward son-
Turbulent, restless, idle one
Could he be- spared Nay; He who gave
Bade us befriend him to the grave
Only mothers heart could be
Patient enough for such as he;
'sAnd so," said John, 81 would not dare
To take him from her bedside prayer"
Then stole We softly up above,
And knelt by Mary, child Of love.
g Perhaps for her 'twould better be-"
said to John. Quite silently
he lifted up curl that lay
Across her cheek in willfu way,
And shook his head: "Nay, love, not thee u
The while my heart beat audibly. ,-..s
Only one more, our eldest lad,
Trusty and truthful, good and glad,
So like his father. mo, John, no!
I cannot, will not, let him CO."
And so We wrote in courteous way,
We could not give one child away
And afterward toll lighter seemed,
Thinking Of that Of which we dreamed,
Happy in truth that net one face
Was missed from its accustomed place =
Thankful to work for all the seven, ...
Trusting the rest to Que in heaven.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29

A slight increase in the price OF hogs
is observed III New England, especially
in those of more than one year old.
There is an advance in the Middle
States, in Virginia and North Carolina,
but in South Carolina and Georgia
prices are not fully maintained. In Ar.
kansas and Tennessee, where supplies
were scarce and high last year, with low
prices for all kinds OF stock, there has
been manifest advance the present sea-
son. The Western States all return
higher prices than last year. The fol-
lowing figures for old hogs will repre-
sent the general tendency of prices:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29

The rates for sheep are not materially
changed in the Atlantic States north Of
Virginia, or in the Gulf States. In the
Southern Atlantic States, and in the
Ohio valley, there is slight tendency
to high rates, and in the Missouri valley
prices are still more advanced. The
numbers OF sheep on the Pacific coast
are 80 increased that in dry season some
districts are overstocked, tending to de-
crease in prices, which is indicated to
some extentin the present returns from
California. The prices of full grown
sheep are thus reported in the following
States:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29
4 Narrow Escape.

There was to be military execution
away up above the heads Of everybody
in Harper's Ferry, on Bolivar heights,
and with abouta thousand others went
to sec it. Two soldiers mad been con-
victed of desertion, and their death SEN
tence approved by Gen. Sheridan. l
skip the details. About twelve o'clock
noon they found themselves on their
knees in front of two cofflns inside three
sides of hollow square OF soldiers,
with firing party two rods in front.
Their! eyes were being bandaged three
minutes more, think, would have set
tied their accounts with this world, when
an orderly came galloping up that
steep, muddy hill with telegram.
Gen. Stevenson, who commanded there,
opened it. It was signed "a. Lin
coln," and directed an indefinite sus-
pension of the sentence. A suspicion
crossed my mind that We had all been
participating in a gotten-up dramatic
entertainment, to produce good moral
effect on the soldiers present, particu-
larly the two most interested. In other
words, I suspected that this telegram
had been received by Gen. Stevenson
before the funeral cortege left Harper's
Ferry. I was on the staff III those days,
and was privileged to ask questions, so !
waited on the general at his headquar.
ters two hours after and inquired about
it. he assured me that my suspicious
were unfounded. -
"But the line from here to Baltimore
is down and I had no reason to expect q
dispatch. How it got here I don't
know. Certainly, they would have
been dead in few minutes more" .
The statement of the operator at Balh-
more, afterward published, gave inten-
sity to the dramatic situation out on
bleak Bolivar heights on that dismal
February morning. The Presidents
dispatch was received about ten o'clock
that morning, with the cipher OF the
War department to hurry it to Harper's
Ferry. For hours the line had been
down between that and Baltimore; there
was no train that would be timely. 1t
was the Judgment of the operator that
this ended the matter that the men
must die, Yet an effort might be made
to reach Harper's Ferry from the west.
Ho made the trial he kept right on
making it for an hour and half. AS he
failed, and continued to fail, his anxiety
grew greater to save the doomed men.
1 dare not say how many thousand miles
those words OF the President travelled
backward and forward in that ninety
minutes. They went to New York, to
Buffalo, to Cincinnati, to Pittsburgh, to
Wheeling, and elsewhere, often return
ing like Noah's dove of mercy, and as
often sent out again. They reached
Cumberland at last. and thence flashed
down to Harper's Ferry IN time.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29

GAVE IT UP.-Dumas was smoking n
cigar, twenty years ago; the room waa
blue, and a doctor was lecturing to the
young fellows on the evils of the exces-
sive use of tobacco. Dumas laid the
unsmoked half aside, and has not lit
another since.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29


y was released. The disposition of the
girl was gentler, and she was quite do
.cile. ,
When they returned from their short
tour with the Snowman it was in the
midst of the severe winter OF 1872.
Parke had left home at the time he
usually gathered his crop of potatoes
and turnips, all he raised on his land,
and when he came back there was moth
ing for him to subsist on. His children
betook themselves at once to the woods.
The snow was very deep, and they
could find but little to eat. It had been
their custom previously to make out
their winters subsistence by sharing
their fathers potatoes, which he cooked
in hole dug in the ground in his hut.
The stock having been exhausted, they
suffered terribly from hunger. Parke
obtained occasional relief from the sur
rounding villages, but it seems, singu-
larly enough, that no move was made to
deal permanently with this wretched
family. The mutes stripped the bark
from trees, and even ate the straw which
formed their fathers bed in one corner
of the hut. They fought each other
like wild beasts, and their father lived
in mortal terror for nearly three months.
Near his hut is swamp, which is the
home of myriads of the smaller rep
tiles. When spring opened, the wild
and almost famished children secured
this swamp, and caught and devoured
with the ravenous appetites OF half
starved wolves the creeping occupants
of the mire. This is not only testified
to BY their father, but by others, who
declare that they saw the boy catch and
cat q water snake.
Parke says that this horrid diet In
creased the ferocity of his children: One
day the brother and sister came into the
hut and fight ensued between them.
Parke was compelled to fly. Bill, as the
boy WAS called, attacked his sister with
an old case knife he had picked up in
Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-12-16
TERMS:
Postage free 10 al Su bScribcrs
i'm the Uni cd States.

Ha,per's Magazine. one year. OF
81 % Includes payment of U. s postage by
the publishers.
Subscription to Harper's Magazine, Weekly,
an'l Bd-dr. to one address for one year. $lO.W
or. two OF Hu,pcrs Periodicals. to On. address
tor une years. 90: postage free.
An extra copy of either the Magazine Week.
iy or B"-or will he supplied GRATIS for every
Club of Five Subscribers at 81 w each, in one
remittance? or Six Copies for $50 10, without
extra copy: postage free.
Back Numbers can be supplied Mt any time
The volumes of tho Maga-ine commence
with the Nun bcrs for June aud December oI
each year. Subs crptiuns may co'nmenc'
with any number. When m time is specified,
it will he understood that tli" bscriberwi.hc
to begin with the first number of the current
volume, and back numbers will be sent accor
dIngiy
a Complete set of Harper's Magazine, now
comprising SD volumes, in neat CLOTH binding
will he cnt by express. freight and expense
of purchaser for 50 % per volume Single
volumes, by mail. postpaid, 80 10. Cloth eases
for binding IS cents by mail postpaid.
a Complete Analvtich Index to the frs,
Fifty Volumes of Xnper's Naga-inr has jus,
been published, rendering available for ref
GRANGE the vast and varicd W aith of intDrnd
tioi which constitutes this periodical per
feet iluStra ted litrrt vcrcInrcui.t. SvO. Cloth
81 90 Half Calf - %. Sent postage prepaid.
Newspapers are not 10 copy this advertise
ment without the express order OF HARPER Il
BROTHERS.
Address, HARPER & BROTHERS, New
York
Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-12-16
No Time for Buster.

Some Of the hot headed Demo
Gratis at Washington are talkin,
about purchasing muskets. LIZ
them be careful that such talk doe:
not bring their necks into danger
Gus proximity with a rope, for trea
son is still crime. Ii the countr,
IS to he plunged into revolution
because the Democrats are disap
pointed in their wishes, we may a,
we'll meet the issue now as at SOM
future time. The Northern Repub
lcans had rather devote a millio,
OF dollars to acts of hospitality an,
Kindness toward their Souther,
countrymen than spend five hui
dred thousand for gunpowder, bu
II 1t is to be REBELLION unless the Dem
ocrats are triumphant, we can lool
! in the face without much alarm
We do not believe that fifty Repul
licans can he found in New Englam
who desire the election of Haye.
and Wheeler through fraud, am
not an objection will he raised by
single New England Republican t.
any plan which may pass boil
branches of Congress by which :
fair and honest settlement of tn.
. whole question can lie made. II G
proposition made in the House l.,
Hon. George w. McCrary, RepuI
lican, of Iowa, that a joint commit
tee of FIVE from the two branche.
should consider the whole questions
indicates the feeling of the Repub.
lican party, while the remark mad,
by Mr.. Hewitt of New York that
che thinks trouble is brewing
shows what the Democrats have i,
their minds. There are, however,
Democrats at Washington who will
counsel caution, and from them W.
may expect words of Cancellation
and peace. 1t is no time for bus
ter OF foolish threats. A great prob.
lem must lie solved, and we belie,,
that it will be without jeOpardizine
the stability of the Republic Oh TIL.
tue hundyedtl year Of its existeaca