davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-01-20
A Western Tornado.

In traversing the Western States it is
not unusual to come across the track of
tornado. Ii it be in timbered dis
trict the trees will be seen all down,
their tops turned in the same direction,
the roots torn up from the ground, each
carrying a high, circular mass of the
surface earth which adheres to their net
work of fibers. This belt of prostrated
timber is sometimes only few hundred
yards in width, the hurricane seeming to
have shot through it like a bolt, leaving
the trees on each side standing and un.
touched. Sometimes the line or column
of destruction is much wider, but in
most cases with a well-defned bound
airy, outside of which nature remains
calm and unscathed. Woe to the way
farer who chances to be caught in a
"herrikin when it passes in its Cyclic
pean strength.
The effects of such storms are often
Of the most eccentric kind. There is a
well authenticated instance of barn
door fowl, q rooster" having been
stripped bare of his feathers, standing
tail towards the tempest when it struck
him-chanticleer escaping without any
further damage.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-01-20
A Curious Romance.

Norfolk street, Strand, says the Lon
don Court Journal, has a curious COM
memoratlve monument. An observant
spectator will notice that the first floor
windows of large house at the corner
of Howard street present peculiar ap-
pearance. The shutters are up, and
they are covered thickly with dust,
while through the chinks can be seen
the blinds, also thick with dust, and
moldering away with age. These shut
ters and blinds have been in exactly the
same position, untouched, for about
fifty years. During that time no human
foot, it is believed, has entered that
room. And the reason is this: Fifty
years ago a certain nobleman was en-
gagged to be married, the day was fixed,
the wedding morning arrived, the break
fast was laid out in that spacious and
handsome room, the bridegroom was
ready to proceed to church, when it was
discovered that the bride was missing; a
note in her handwriting was found ad-
dressed to the bridegroom briefly in
forming him that she had eloped with
his best man" a gay and gallant cap
tain OF Dragons. The Tilted bridegroom
did not say much; but he went alone to
the room in which the wedding break
fast was laid out, with his own hands
put up the shutters and drew the blinds,
locked the door, and took the key. He
gave orders that the doors should be
nailed up and barred with padlocked
bars, and that no one should enter the
room again. When the house was let it
was stipulated that the room in question
snould remain untouched, and the sum
of 5000 per annum was paid to the ten
ant to compensate him for the depriva-
ton of the use of the room. The noble
man has been dead some years, but it is
believed the room has never been enter
ed since he closed it, and there are the
wedding meats" moldering silently
away, and the ornaments crumbling into
dust in the funeral gloom.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-01-20
Finding the Sunset.

oh, the beautiful home of the sunset,
Hung out on the western sky,
Where the days lay down their brightness,
And bathing in sp!endor, die
Sweet friends in the homo of our childhood,
The gentle and loving ones, stand
Gazing ont as we enter life's wildwood
In search Of the sunset land.
Full soon do the meadows grow broader,
And rougher the path where we stray,
Less frequent the cool, gushing fountains,
And the sunset seems further away.
And the friends who have journeyed with uf
We lay with the moldering dead
They have reached the bright sunset before us
And lonely the pathway we tread.
But the floods of molten glory
Which beam from the sunset land
Fill our hearts with a restless longing
On those beautiful shores to stand.
Our locks, once sunny and golden,
Are white as the drifting snow;
Our eyes have grown dim with their gazing,
And our footsteps are feeble and slow.
AS we near the eternal splendor
We pause at swelling stream;
We must cross it ere reaching the hlltops
Which glow in the sunsets beam.
So, closing our eyes for a moment
In the suns last dazzling ray,
We awake where glory dwelleth,
In a land of perpetual day.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-01-20
A Good Hotel.

One day, several years ago, one of
those old hard-tack' who grow fat on
whisky entered Detroit hotel, the Free
Press says, and after dance around
the Office made for the clerk and said:
II want some whisky-some regular
old heart burn"
The bar was down stairs, but under
the counter was bottle of the worst
liquor ever made, found in one of the
rooms year or two before. The clerk
handed this up without a word, and the
stranger pulled the cork and "let 'er
gurgle" for nearly minute. When he
set the bottle down his eyes were full
of tears, and there was a raw streak
clear down to his boots. He coughed,
and wheezed, and gasped, and finally
said:
"Y-young m-man, 1 like this hotel. u
"Yes, it is good hotel" answered
the clerk.
ST like it because feller can git any,
thing he calls for" continued the man,
as he coughed himself into seat.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-01-20
Carrying System too Far,

As an illustration of systems carried
too far Barnum tells story of the origi-
nal proprietors of the Astor House,
New York. One of these believed thor
Oughly in system, and when his system
was interfered with became utterly up
set. On one occasion one of the wait
ers was taken i'll so as to be unable to
attend to his duties, and this distressing
circumstance occurred just half an hour
before dinner time. The systematic
proprietor came to his colleague in great
distress, and, wripging his hands, ex-
claimed that it would be impossible to
serve dinner that day, that waiter was
disabled and that the system was all
broken. His colleague suggested that
Pat, the boots" should take the sick
walters place. This was an excellent
plan, and Pat was called up and asked if
he knew how to serve at the table. Pat
announced that he did, and that there
was no need to tell him thing about
his new duties. So having been duly
washed and combed and aproned, Pat
came to the table to wait and there met
the systematic proprietor, who had come
simply to tell him to "observe system -
in his new duties. Pat answered,
"never fear but he would mind the
system" and went to bring soup fol
two of the guests. He placed the soup
before them and stood respectfully be-
hind their chairs until they should have
finished. One guest proceeded to eat
his soup; the other pushed his plate
away, saying that he would have fish.
Pat stood stiff and silent, and the guest
reoeating his order for fish a second
time, the new waiter leaned over and
said "Yez'l get no fish till yez ate the
soup; that's the system" "And that, y
said Barnum, "was carrying system toe
| far -
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-01-20
Items of Interest,

Illinois has a uniformed and equip
ped militia force of 3, 156 men.
In New England they run paper mills
from the Sabbath midnight to the Satur-
day midnight.
The Temperance Alliance thinks the
spirit of '76 is all the Intoxicating bever-
age that should be allowed at the Cen
tennial.
"Mrs. Hon. Congressman" is the
modest and tasteful way the wives of
some of the Washington "members"
print their cards.
The German immigration amounted to
27,541 at the port of New York during
| 1875, being q falling off of 1871 in
comparison with 1874.
"Oh, we don't mind the fourth story"
said Congressman wife i'll choosing
Washington lodgings tho other day;
"we can go up and down in the venti-
| lator."
A huge petrifaction, formed almost
entirely of serpents in various positions,
but making solid mass, has been found
near the line of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad.
A criminal on his way to the gallows,
recently, remarked eff L had received
one-half of the kindness, earlier in life,
which I have received here, would not
have been here"
The Duke of Cambridge, in the course
of speech the other day, said that the
cost of the eighty-one ton gun would bo
about G15, 900, and every shot fired from
it would cost G25.
German lawyers claim that if Thomas
had survived his attempt at suicide he
could only have been lightly punished
under existing laws, though he caused
the death of 12S persons.
Ex-Governor Clifford, who died at
New Bedford, was president of the
Boston and Providence railway, and
about month before his death had his
own salary reduced as an example of
economy.
"I'll be down again in few days and
bring you fathers name and address,"
was the thoughtful remark of youth
the other day, when he dropped in at
for his paternal relative.
The increase during the last five years
of letters and postal cards i'll Canada
amounts to sixty per cent, the increase
in the number of post Offices to twenty
five per cent, and of the post-of6ce
revenue to forty-six per cent.
At Crescent, New York, there live two
twins by the name of Lansing, now in
their seventy-fourth year, one of whom
was born one year and one the next.
The former came late on New Years eve
and the other early New Years morn
ing.
There is musical prodigy among the
coal miners near Massillo, Ohio. He
is boy of seventeen and seems devoid
of intelligence, except in musical mat
ters. Brought up in the mines, without
training of any kind, he has nevertheless
remarkable powers for mastering music,
and readily learns and plays difficult airs
without missing a note.
Mr.. Lincoln used to tell story Of n
Winchester Confederate, who was so
overjoyed at receiving his pardon that
he exclaimed: "Thank you, Mr.. Presi-
dent! Thank you! Now I'm pardoned
s'pose I'm as good Union man as any
of you-emphatically one of you again.
But didn't Stonewall Jackson give us
thunder in the valley2"
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-01-20
ROSSI AS A DUELIST.
Fighting In the Dark with Cigarettes &
Guide the Aim.

flRnttna III the DARK VIII CIRareJeb 10
Guide the Aim.
In Adrian Marks biography of Rossi,
the following interesting story in the
early Italian life of the great actor is re-
hearsed 1t was at Cassale, during a
farewell representation. Gentlemen and
ladies of the court society filed the
boxes and chattered so loudly as to in
terfere with the representation. Rossi,
who was playing "Hamlet," came to a
full stop in the middle of sentence,
and, turning toward front box from
which the greatest noise came, he bow
ed and said, TRANQUILITY: "I thall hush
as long as you do not hush" The pub
| lie applauded, the interruption ceased
and the play went on, but afterwards
Rossi was met at the door by one of the
young gentlemen, who felt called upon
to ask for satisfaction. Rossi made q
long face, for he was expected on the
morrow at Milan, and his engagement
was serious one. The bills were up,
the theater was hired and every place
let beforehand, and it was as much as
his fortune was worth to disappoint his
manager. So he explained his situation
to his bloodthirsty adversary, and beg
ged that, in order to get through with
their little affair as speedily as possible,
they should go to his (Rossi's) rooms
at the hotel and quietly shoot at one
another there. The proposition having
been acceded to, they went to Rossi's s
rooms and had just placed themselves
at either end of the salon in order to
exchange three shots, when the inn
keeper, over-aDxious as to his guest s
health and hours, knocked at the door
(Which he found locked) and asked in
an anxious voice if monsieur was i'll,
as his light burned so unusually late.
"No," replied Rossi, d" L am going to
bed thanks good night 70
You are deceiving me-" persisted
his anxious keeper, perhaps enlightened
as to the scene in the theater. sc You are
certainly ILL.,"
$50 to bed," replied Rossi, "I am
putting out my light aud in lower
tone he added to his antagonist "This
is the only way out of it, blow out the
candles. ;"
"What are we to fight with pistols
in the dark2"
"Not quite; we will each smoke
cigarette, and that will serve to guide
our aim.
Cali right"
And so the famous duel was fought,
in which Rossi again had the good luck
to wound his adversary 81 ghtly; but
the poor actors troubles were not at an
end. The report of the pistol aroused
the whole neighborhood, and whilst the
wounded man was being. taken care of
Rossi was led off to the Justice of the
peace, where, with his eyes anxiously
fixed on his watch, he listened to the
judge, who told him, at length, that he
deserved five years of prison, if not of
hard labor, and as seven o'clock struck
Che was to leave for Milan by the eight
o'clock train) Rossi groaned aloud.
Now" said the Judge, suddenly
changing his voice, "the law has said
all it has to say, and the friend may
speak. was at the theater last night.
You were quite right to punish that
taquin. 1 know you are expected in
Lombard. Accept this ring as the ex-
preston of my admiration, and off with
you :"
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-01-20
50 LOvey.'

"Lovey, will you please let me have
one dollar9" inquired an affectionate
Chicago wife of her husband.
"Where's all that 1 gave you yester-
day2" said "Lovey," bluntly.
"Why-I've been down town to-day,
and"--
"And spent all, of course, interrupt
ed the husband, "and now I'd like to
know what you want of more?"
CT didn't have quite enough" fal,
tered the gentle wife, "to-to buy TO,
You the New Years present I wanted
to-"
Then, had you been there, you would
have seen the Misunderstanding hus
band in northern Illinois, when
"Lovey" handed over that dollar"
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-01-20
Treat the Child Reasonably.

A child has a right to ask questions
and to be fairly answered not to be
snubbed as if he were guilty of an i'm
pertinence, nor ignored as though his
desire for information were of no conse-
quence, nor misled as if it did not sig
nifty whether true or false impressions
We're made upon his mind. He has a
right to be taught everything which he
desires to learn, and to be made certain,
wheI asked for information is withheld,
that it is only deferred till he is older
and better prepared to receive it. An
swering a child's question is sowing the
seeds of its future character.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-01-20
An Old Custom.

1t was at one time the custom for the
doctors to charge for the medicines they
prescribed, not for their visits, and
hence it was for their interest to give
large and frequent doses. A London
physician, not hundred years ago, pre-
soribed six different draughts to be
taken daily by his patient, and these
We're to be repeated so often, that dur
ing the twenty-four hours the poor in
valid received no fewer than hundred
doses of physic,
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-01-20

Professor Mosler, of Germany, is now
successfully treating phthisic, or pull
monary consumption, by making an in
cision through the wall of the chest, and
drawing off the pus with syringe, and
afterward washing out the ulcers with
weak carbolic acid.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-01-20
United States Electoral Vote.

A statement is going the rounds of the
press that the>next electoral college
including the new State of Colorado
will comprise $40 members. Without
the new State the number was 366, with
it the number should he 369, as follows
The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-05-12
ArhouxhafaI Tailor.

A young man from one of the
suburban districts, says the Dan
bury News, was in one of our tail
or shops getting measured for a
vest the other afternoon.
Married or single? ?" queried the
merchant after taking down the
number.
"Unmarried," said the young man
with q blush.
Inside pocket on the left hand
side, them" observed the tailor, as
if to himself, making q memoran-
DUN to that effect. After q moments
pause the young man from the coun-
try was prompted to ask:
"What difference does my being
married or unmarried make with
the inside pocket of my vest?"
"Ah, my dear SIR" observed the
tailor, with bland smile, sail the
difference possible, IS You must see.
Being unmarried you want the
pocket on the left side, so as to
bring the young lady's picture next
to your heart"
"But don't the married man also
want his wife's picture next to his
heart ?" queried the anxious youth.
"Possibly there is an instance of
that kind" said the tailor, arching
his eye brows, "but 1 never heard
Of sf -
The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-05-12
Road Notice

NOTICE is hereby given that petition
IN has been presented TO the board Of coun-
ty commissioners Of Lyon COUNTY, Kansas,
praying for the location Of county roads as
follows, to-Wit: Beginning at the southwest
corner OF section thirty, township seventeen,
southeast corner Of section thirty, township
seventeen, range tea; thence on the most
practicable route TO the southwest cor
ner Of the southeast quarter Of Sec
ton twenty nine. township seventeen,
range ten; thence east On section line to .
point where the south line Of section twenty
eight. township seventeen. range ten, inter-
which is the termination. Also, beginning at
the southeast corner OF section Twenty-Five,
township seventeen, range ten; thence north
to . point where the west line Of section
twenty eight, township seventeen, range ten
intersects the Americas and Council Grove
road. which is the place of termination Also,
beginning at the southeast corner Of section
nineteen, township seventeen, range ten (;
thence south on the most practicable route to
the southeast corner Of section thirty, town.
ship seventeen, range ten; thence south On
section line to the southwest corner OF section
thirty two. township seventeen, range ten
Also, for the vacation OF that part Of the
where said road crosses, the west line Of Sec
ton twenty EIGHT, township seventeen, range
ten, and ending where said road crosses the
south line Of said last named section. And
that John L Butler, 5. c. James, and 81. IL
lott have been appointed viewers, and J. H.
Hibben surveyor, and ordered to proceed on
the 18th day Of May, 1876, to view, survey and
locate said roads, and 70 give to an parties 9
BY order Of board OF county commissioners
Nay 9Th. 1916. eA's o's1A-
The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-05-12
TI,e stOckfng Basket.

Costly thron'd in her cushion'd chair,
A mother Teclined from toll and care,
Except the darning of q stocking,
And her chairs perpetual rocking.
I Thought had somewhere seen it styled
The plague OF life, such basket piled
w ith tiresome, everlasting stitching,
With work SO very unbewitching.
And as she broke the thread asunder,
Weaving In and out, over and under,
l wished the rents in human life
Could be mended with as little strife
She took in her hands tiny thing,
All striped with white and scarlet ring,
And smiled as she thought OF the si1ken halr
And laughing eyes OF her darling fair;
OF the rosy lips and dainty hands,
The pleading cries and the Loud demands
She sighed as she thought of the world untried
And up and down her needle piled.
She knew it said, oh. blessed are suchI
And strok'd her work with q tender touch,
Softly folded and laid it away,
As the little feet in slumber lay.
But on the next . tear-drop fingers;
The mother wrought with trembling fingers,
And sadly bowed with anxious face,
on High for strength and grace
10 guide the steps OF her Wayward son,
To bless and protecL her errIng one,
Nor suffer the wand ring feet to roam
Forth from the love of his early home;
To shield him from the glittering net
The tempter with costly jewels had set;
To save him from the sparkling bowl,
All the dangers that scar the SOUL
AS on the third her looks were bent,
the face wore q smile Of sweet content.
For the falr-haired girl whose gentle ways
Were extolled by all with voice of praise;
For her the sunshine ever glowed,
A nd from her lips rare music flowed;
With graceful carriage and modest mien,
She moved through life life like u fair young
queen;
The mother said with q feryent prayer.
May Heaven shield her from harm and care,
From cruel want, and the stings that smart,
From the bruises OF lighted heart.
The next were for those whose feet had trod
For many summers the earth's. green sod,
And the storms of many winters felt,
In joys had smiled, and in sorrows knelt.
No cloud so dark, but the glimmerlng hue
OF the sunrise ever struggled through:
No gloom so deep, faith could not brighten;
No toll SO hard, love could not tighten.
The last for one who was passing down
To her narrow home with silver crown
OF Wondrous lustre, that seemed to shed
A light of glory round her head.
Peacefully sinking to the quiet rest
Awaiting those of the truly bleSt;
For her she plead the right to share
All tender aid and watchful care.
And thus the stockings all were mended;
w it'll each stitch q thought was blended;
With ev'ry thread for future wear,
The WeaVfng in of silent prayer.
Chicago Tribune
The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-05-12
A Man with a Level Head.

The Walnut Valley Times is look
ing up another candidate for Con-
gress, on account of the following
positive declaration of its first
choice. We clip from the Topeka
Commonwealth:
We are excessively obliged to the
Walnut Valley Times for a nomina-
ton for Congress. We have been
waiting for some weeks for a nom
inatiOn in order to decline it, and
were afraid we should be obliged to
come out and decline anyhow. The
Times relieves our suspense and en-
abies US to rush to the front and say
that we cannot, we really cannot,
accept the prOffered honor. 1t is
but just to our constituency (Bent
Murdock) and the press (the Wal
nut Valley Times) that has so en-.
Enthusiastically supported US that we
should give our reasons for with
drawing from the canvass.
1. The position we occupy fully
satisfies our ambition, and certainly
occupies our time. It is NO promo
to 60 from any editorial sanctum in
Kansas to the Capitol at Washing
ton.
2. We are unwilling to subject
ourselves to the discomfort of the
change our election would bring
about. The hall of the House Of
Representatives would seem q poor
dingy place to one accustomed to
the splendor of the Commonwealth
editorial rooms with all those ele-
CANT surroundings with which the
editor of the Walnut Valley Times
has made himself familiar during
his visit to Topeka. We love our
country, though SIG month, army
rations, clothing, medical atten-
dance and q dog tent, are all the
MARKS of favor our country eyer be-
slowed on US, but we do not think
that duty to the country requires US
to undergo all the hardships and
deprivations which fall to the lot of
a memb of Congress at thepreseht
meagre salary.
3. We cannot consent to under
go the trials of a canvass. Nobody
has been ten years or more in the
newspaper business as we have,
without doing great many mean
things. We are fully conscious OF
that, but we shrink from the pros
pect of beng told of all of them
this summer. It seems to US that il
would be an overdose, especially
when washed down with several
thousand lies built by the day ex.
pressly for use during the cam.
paign.
For these reasons we firmly bu
respectfully decline. We do not
wish to discourage any gentleman
who feels that he would like to Sc
himself up to be called liar, thief
post trader, hypocrite and "bencl
legged idiot" during a long cam
paign, for the purpose of being call
ed all that and more too, after hi
ell lection, in addition to having hi
very "innards" bored out by fellow
who want post offices and garden
seeds. If any gentleman likes tina
kind of slime on his bread it's al
right, but our taste is different. W.
positively cannot and will not run
and Murdoch must make anothe
nomination.