davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07
The HelI-Gate Explosion.

THE work preparatory to the blast
ing of the rock at Hallett's Point will
be brought to close in about amontl.
Everything is being putin readiness for
the final tremendous explosion, which
is to give New York a new doorway
,to the Atlantic Ocean, lessening the
time between this city and Europe by
twenty-four hours. The last Of Sep
temher has been fixed upon by Gen.
Newton. the United States engineer in
charge of the work, as the time when
the final explosion is to take place.
Many suppose that this rock is in the
middle of the stream, but it is a part
of, and projection from, the shore of
Long Island, running far out under
the water. Being on point around
which the stream makes bend OF
nearly ninety degrees, it causes the
current to set so strongly toward the
opposite shore of Wards Island that a
wreck is inevitable to any vessel which
attempts to make the passage when
there is not wind enough to carry her
through. Persons living near the
Point say that two or three vessels a
week are often thrown upon "The
Gridiron," the opposite rock, and that
many of these are SO shattered that
they are dismantled and sold for old
lumber. The removal Of the great
rocky bar upon the point will give the
current another and more direct course
and greatly deepen the channel.
The approach to the excavations is
along the shore, after leaving the
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07

rim of which is cork, that it may float,
the body attached to the rim being a
kind of sack or breeches" in which a
man may sit after he climbs in.
To their end of the rocket-line the
men on shore fasten the small rope
which runs through the pulley-block.
They do it in such way that when
the ships crew pull on the rocket line
they will drag the pulley-block on
board, with the small rope in it, the
tar0 ends Of aChich are held on shore.
With this rope block comes the tally
board telling them to fasten the pulley
high up on the mast by means of the
tail-string attached to the block.
Then the big rope, on which the life
basket is to travel back and forth, is
secured upon the pulley-rope, and the
men on ship pull that aboard and
fasten it up about two feet higher than
the pully-block.
Meantime the shOre-men stretch
their end of the hawser over the tall,
triangular frame and make it fast.
But first the elife-basket, by means of "a
pulley-block, is slipped on the hawser.
The two ends of the MANILA rope,
which runs through the pulley which
is fastened on the ship-mast, are tied
to this basket-ptlly.
And now the shore-peOple pull on
the little MANILA rope; they pull and
pull, and it glides around through the
ships pulley, and the lifc-basket runs
along the haWscr to the ship.
Then one of the crew climbs into the
basket, and the men on shore pull
again, on the opposite side of the rope,
and the Hfe-baSket, with its precious
load, comes running back to shore
along the hawser.
So it goes, back and FORTH until all
the crew have been brought across.
Some Of them get pretty wet, and some
get Soundly thrashed by the breakers,
but they are certain to be saved, as the
cork rim of the basket, being under
the arms, keeps the head above water.
In our country they sometimes send
closed life-cars to and fro Overthe haw-
ser. This car is entered from the top by
means of little trap-d0or. 1t contains
air enough to last four persons fifteen
minutes. | suspect the little girls
would prefer to come ashore from the
wreck in this nice, dry way, and per-
haps the boys would too.
Isn't this brave work for rockets
much drawer than even being part Of
the Centennial fireworks ?-J. a.
DougloSS, IN VH1e-Aw0he.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07

If YOU have your houses insured,
and are anxious TO collect the inSur-
ance money, it will be Il good plan
when yuu 90 about your house at
night to light matches to see by, III
stead of taking the trouble to light q
lamp. Throw down the match as
soon as it begins to Scorch your tin
gers. and do not take the trouble tOSee
where it falls. 1t is not worth while
to caution children against this habit
while you keep up the practice your
self. 1t will not make much differ
encr if the house does "bUrn down in
good hands
If this method fails. lay matches
around wherever it comes handiest.
have no particular place for them, and
let the children have bunch to play
with up in the garrct. | saw the top
of large hotel burned off one Sun
day by this very simple process. Even
mice rummagin5 aroung pantry
| will nibble away at wax matches, and
| often give one start with their sharp
! little teeth. \ box was found in Il
store which had been knocked Off the
shelf during the night, and every
match lighted. The box was so close
| that the fire was SmOthercd down, or
there would have been Il big insurance
bill to collect.
A great many fires come from bad
stoye-pipe arrangements, and tlues
that are not we'll lined with mortar.
\ very little crack in the chimney, as
it passes through the garret, is SUI
ficipnt for spark to fly through. If
it chances to light in the paper-boX, it
will very likely soon be in blaze.
DO not 90 Yourself or allow others to
90 with a light into clothes closet at
night.
If you allow the practice of lighting
fires with kerosene at your house, you
will very likely have many surgical
and undertakerS' bills to pay out OF
your insurance money.
n lIltlltl Dullltl lllS b''lil W." II - ~
very easy way. He went out one night
to fodder, and struck match against
the decreasing. The flame caught on
the dust and lint and boards of wheat
and bits of chaff that had settled there,
and ran up the timber like streak OF
lightning 1t caught the hay over
head, and in twenty minutes the barn
was flat on the ground. Some Valua-
bic stock burned up, besides all the
grain just harvested, and all the farm
ing implements housed there.
Housewives often lay little fire traps
snugly away in their closets and ou' =
of-the-way hooks, in the shape OF
/. creased rags, which have been used FOR
some household purposes. 1t Will 90
nnite as well second time; 50 it is
! tucked away in some little dish, and
f not thought of again perhaps for
months. Meantime it may generate
= heat enough to produce spontaneous
combustion and burn the house down.
j. E. MCC., IN Country Gentleman.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07
The Chinese Annual Feast of
the Dead.'

ANOTHER strange custom which the
Chinese have brought to this country
is their annual Feast of the Dead
Their festivals all come at irregular
periods of the year, owing to their
manner of counting the months. Last
year the Feast of the Dead" came in
July. this year it will not come until
September. The Feast" occupies
three days, and during that time the
stranger in San Francisco witnesses a
wonderful scene. The Chinese ceme-
terry is on Lone Mountain, and toward
this place while the festival lasts a
constant stream of people can be seen
going and coming. The first day the
rich merchants, clad in costly silks and
satin robes, ride out in their carriages
with all the grace and dignity of
princes. Behind them follow express
wagons loaded down with eatables
and wines to feast the dead departed.
In front of the carriages ride messen-
gers on horseback with bags filled
with little rice papers on which are
printed Chinese characters. Every few
steps messenger throws out Il hand
full of these papers, which are blown
hither and thither by the winds. Al
rived at the cemetery all dismount and
wend their way slowly and solemnly
into the gates to the graves of their
respective relatives. The dishes con-
tanning the food are then placed
around and ON the graves, with cups
of "sam sho," and rice wine
ranged alongside. After a few
prayers have been chanted and hymns
sung, the food is again packed i'll bas-
kets, the wine spilled on the graves,
and the self-satistied cortege turn
! their faces homeward to feast on the
| baked meats and spend the day in rev
elrv and mirth The second day the
second class, which is composed of la
| borers and domestic servants, proceed
! to the cemetery in express wagons,
and go through the same performance
as their predecessors Of the day before
The third day the lower class, ragplck'
ers. street-cleaners, sculliOns and the
like, trudge to Lone Mountain on foot
with the scanty preparations for
feast that they have succeeded i'll pur
chasing only after long months OF
rigid and eXacting economy. Thl:
custom is not alone observed by thost
living in this city. for on the day whicl
ii observed visit any of the Chines'
sia;cs scattered throughout California
or Nevada, no matter how many mile:
| from human habitation, or how lionel.
OF seuuestered. and you will fine
there the same preparations for th'
feast as in the thickly settled "Cit.
of the Dead at Lone Mountain. Thi
is the one redeeming feature that thes
queer people from the far off Orien
possess. No matter how low or de
graded they may be in other matters
they always retain that respect for tn
religion of their country and the re
ligious rites that form a chief part o
it.-Sa7a Francisco Cor. Detroit Fire
Press.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07
ABROAD.


the 31st ult. and Abdul Hamid, presump-
tive heir to the imperial throne, was duly
proclaimed Sultan of Turkey.
OFFICIAL intelligence was received at
Belgrade on the 31st ult. to the effect that
the Turks had been defeated at all points
ON the right bank of the Moraya
MANY of the heaviest iron firms in the
Cleveland England) district went into
bankruptcy on the 31st ult.
ACCORDING to a Lisbon dispatch of the
31st ult. the monetary crisis in Portugal
had subsidized.
THE Turkish authorities have assigned
the Tcheregan palace as a place of resi-
dence for the dcposed Sultan. CONSTANT
nOple was illuminated on the night Of the
31st ult. in honor of Sultan Abdul Hamid
ACCORDING to a Belgrade telegram Of
the 1st the Servian army was being rapid
ly reinforced and drcorganized by Russians
who were crossing Roumania and Hun
gary in great numbers.
THE Marquis of ITischateaho who, some
months ago, signed the name of King
Victor Emanuel to certain bills of cX-
change, has been declared guilty OF for
gerry and sentenced to eight years penal
servitude.
DISPATCHES of the I'd say TIE foreign
Ambassadors had decided upon the medi-
atorv proposals to be submitted to the
Turkish Government. The Porte was
discussing the propriety of closing the
Danube to navigation. Al Belgrade tele-
egram of the Sd announces the lombard
ment of Alcxinatz. A report prevailed
that the city proper had been abandoned,
although the Servians still held the re
doubts. Upon the urgent demand of
Gen. Tchernayeff 1000 men had been
sent to his aid.
NUMEROUS failures occurred in various
parts of England on the Cd, and large
number of persons were thrown out Of
employment.
THE town of st. Hyacinthe, Canada,
was almost entirely destroyed by fire cnthe
Sd. Six hundred buildings were burned,
and hundreds of families were rendered
homeless. Loss estimated at So, 900, 900.
THE failure of Messrs. Strubing, tea
and sugar merchants Of Moscow, Russia,
with large liabilities, of which $3.50 900
fall on England, was announced on the Sd.
ACCORDING to Constantinople kilograms
of the 4th the British Ambassador had
given the Porte notice that if Turkeys
refusal to negotiate a peace with Servla
should lead to armed Intervention, she
Turkey must not depend on British as
Sistancc.
ONE-THIRD of the business portion of
the town of Seaforth, Canada, was de-
stroyed by fire on the 4th. Loss very
heavy.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07

had once before visited. He received
me heartily, and by and by l asked
him about William Acton. The re-
suit of all he told me was summed up
in his closing sentence. Said he:
"'I am sure William Acton was
Philip Acton's child-in fact, / know
it-and l am confident that Philip and
Betsey were married. The mother
died very soon after her child was born,
and we know that Philip always
treated the boy as his legitimate child;
and that he loved him as such | can
confidently affirm"
"On the following morning, after
breakfast, as | sat by the window in
the bar-roOm, saw coming from the
street the man who had saved my
child. He was walking slowly, like
one in trouble. Ipointed him out to
my host, and asked him who he was.
"'That is William Acton. Perhaps
you have heard of the trouble he is
likely to have with Laban Sarfurty
said had heard.
81 hope he may come out all right,
the host added, but | am fearful. He
has got hard and heartless customer
to deal with
Il shut my mouth and held my
peace until Laban Sarfurt called for
his final answer. I said to him:
Mr. Sarfut, l have been consider
ing all this time whether I could I'M
dertake your case with a clear con-
science-whether | should be helping
the side of justice and right in helping
you. | had concluded that could not
do 50 before | had seen William Acton,
to know him by name. now know
him for a man who nobly risked his
own life to save the life of my child.
For that deed | will reward him if l
can. | have not as yet accepted one
of your private disclosures; | have
gained from you nothing which you
could wish to keep from the public. l
cannot take your case, but, | tell you
frankly, that if you prosecute, l will
defend William Acton.
Il did not mind Sarfurt'S wrath.
He Tayed and SwOre and stamped, and
then he went off and engaged two law
yerS from Herkimer to take his case.
| called upon Acton and told him l
would defend him. if he would accept
my services, as | had accepted his. lie
took my hand and thanked me.
Il have made a great many pleas in
my life, but | think | never made a
better one than | made to that jury
on that OCCASION They We're out not
over five minutes. BY their verdict
William Acton was the lawful pos
SCISSOR of the estate his father had
left.
From that day l never hesitated
to refuse Il case to which | could not
give my heart. Such Il stand on the
part of lawyer becomes known, and
the public feels it; and what the public
feels juries are sure to feel.
Concerning William Acton, l will
only add that he became my bosom
friend. He always felt that he owed
his title to his valuable property to me !;
and knew that to him was indebted
for the home that was mine for thirty
years. He was very delicate in the
gift of that piece of property. He
decided it to my wife. The husband
of my oldest daughter is his oldest
son.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07
The Cause of Boiler Explosions.

A WEAK spot in boiler, or in any
! other device, does not improve by use,
and when machine breaks down at
point which is ascertained to have been
weak for long time, no one is i'm
! pressed with. the necessity Of going
into long discussion to S how that
mysterious agencies were suddenly
brought to bear upon the weak point
causing the break. The fact is, the
point of fracture was unable to sus-
tain the load imposed upon it. 1t did
its very best, but when the load was
not lessened, yet the deterioration of
metal continually going on, a time
came when, from inability to hold on
longer, the machine broke down. Is
there any mystery about it! Is
there any mystery about the fact that
a boiler of six and one-half feet IN
| diameter, running at pressure OF
seventy-tive pounds to the square inch,
with one of the sheets corroded to the
/ IllIlHeSS u )dptl, Chpioiou, osoiiS ~
rious damage? We think not, and we
furtherthink that all efforts to surround
such cases with mystery are worthy
only of those who have scared so hlgh
into the regions of theory that they are
reluctant to step down before, and
into, the presence of facts and common
sense. Boilers should be periodically
inspected, with much care, so that any
indications of weakness may be dis
covered before it is too late. There
are few if any defects that careful ex-
ternal and internal examination, with
chisel and hammer, will not discover,
and we would advise all boiler owners
to secure the services of some COM
petent man to examine their boilers
carefully at least once a year.-Report
of Hartford Steam Boiler and Ins2'ec-
tion Company.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07
ABOUT 81 900 worth of the property of

ABOUT 81 900 worth of the property of
Brigham Young, consisting of horses
carriages and other goods, was attached
on the I'd, to satisfy the Judgment for
$4,000 lately rendered as alimony due
Ann Eliza
GEN. SHERIDAN telegraphed to Gen.
Sherman on the Cd that Col. Carlin had
been obliged to suspend Agent Burke. at
Standing Rock, for surreptitiously issuing
beef cattle to the Indians Gen. Sherman
sent word to Gen. Sheridan that Secretary
Chandler had appointed another agent in
Burke's stead, who would soon be at
Standing Rock. In the meantime Col.
Carlin was instructed that he must permit
no issues of any kind of which he does
not approve, especially to Indians not
known to be friendly and faithful.
The Attorney General has issued a cir.
cular letter to the United States Marshals
throughout the country, instructing them
as to their duties at the coming election.
Ex-Gov. SEYMOUR persisting in his
declination of the nomination for Gov
ernor, the Democratic State Convention
has been officially requested to reconvenc
on the 18th, at Saratoga, to make new
nomination.
THE Chicago papers caution the public
against ten-dollar counterfeit notes on the
Lafayette Qnd) National Bank.
THE Arkansas State election occurred
on the 4th. Little Rock dispatches of ths
morning of the 5th say the State was con,
ceded to the Democrats by large ma
jority.
AT Chicago, ON the 4th, an Indictment
for murder was returned by the Grand
Jury against Alexander Sullivan for the
killing of Francis Hanford
THERE were ten yellow fever interments
at Savannah, Ga, on the 4th, and the dis
case had become epidemic.
THE latest news from the Indian ex
pedition, received at Bismarck, D. T., on
the 4th, indicated that the campaign
against Sitting Bull had been closed for
the season. No Indians had been seen
for some time. The feeling among both
the officers and men of the expedition was
that the campaign had proved wild goose
chase.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07
NUMBER 81.
Nor Nou,a Readfrs.
CHYLD'.S MORNING SONG.

WHAT happens in the morning,
When the sun comes to the skies?
All the little children
Open wide their eyes.
When their eyes are open
What do children see?
Trees and birds and blossoms,
Bright as bright can be.
Is there not for children
Something more than this?
Mamma stands beside them,
With morning kiss;
Her smile is more than sunshine,
And her loving words
Are better than the singing
OF ten thousand birds.
In their pretty garments,
Ready for the day,
Kneeling, with sweet voices,
What do children say
God who made the blossoms
And the birds and skies.
Who gave us our dear mamma,
With her smiling eyes,
Send a loving angel
To help us through the day,
That we may be good children
In all our work and play.
--HrS. ". F. BVtts. IN ChriStiGH Union.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07
OLD SAYINGS IN RHYME.

As POOR as church-mouse,
As thin as rail;
AS fat as a porpoise,
As rough as gale;
As brave as lion,
AS spry as cat;
As bright as sixpence,
As weak as a rat.
As proud as peacock,
As sly as fox;
As mad as March hare,
As strong as an OK;
As fair as lily,
As empty as air;
As rich as Crpsus,
As cross as q bear.
As pure as an angel,
As neat as pin;
As smart as q steel-trap,
As ugly as sin;
As dead as door-nail, .H
As white as a sheet;
As flat Is an-cake,
As red as q Deet. H
As round as an apple,
As black as your hat;
As brown as a berry,
AS blind as bat;
As mean as miser,
As full as q tick:
As plump as a partridge,
AS sharp as stick. -...
As clean as a penny,
As dark as pail;
AS hard as a milestone,
As bitter as gall;
As fine as fiddle.
As clear as bell;
As dry as a herring,
As deep as a well,
As light as feather,
As hard as a rock;
As stiff as u poker.
As calm as a clock:
As green as gosling,
As brisk as bee;
And now let me stop,
Lest you weary of me.
Boston gazette.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07

All. this conclusively proves that the
Cherokees are becoming civilized.
They ran Ss79,50 behind in their last
years's finances.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07
lThe !Toltdo guonirle.

THE CHRONICLE is published at the Countysseat
Of Tama, Of the largest. richest. most central
and populous counties in Iowa. It's the oldest
paper in the County and one of the Oldest In the
te-having been established in 1856. Its circu-
aton being large and constantly increasing, makes
ii very desirable d, ertisiug medium ror business
men and manufacturers wishing to bring their
goods and wares to the notice OF the people Of
Central Iowa.
Advertising rates made known on application.
JOB PRINTING
OF every description executed with neatness and
dispatch. Special attention paid to
PRINTING IN COLORS.
Your favors earnestly solicited.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07

The ClothieT and Halter says that
English silk hats are not imported into
this country to any great extent now,
although SO recently as 1871 they were
all the rage in New York. New York
hats are now considered finer than the
English, and are exported and sold to
some extent in England and on the
Continent. In felt hats, the inferior
ity of the English in every way is so
marked, that it is unnecessary to waste
space and time in comparison. In
straw hats, until the past five years,
the English excelled us in the manu-
facture almost beyond comparison, but
so rapid of late have been the i'm
provements here. that we are now
almost as much in advance of them as
they were previously of us. The du-
ties on hats are: silk, sixty per cent. /;
straw, forty per cent. fur, thirty-five
per cent. cloth, forty per cent, and
fifty cents per pound.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07

A pickpocket works on abstract
principles.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07

bite sCRsA
iul rose. q
n French %
e', and tls
BE- "a span
r, lor ,hrss
and pspsa
The hest
s, GLOBE
CO.. a1s
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07

Because" he added, "if you are
for me / am sure to win. Acton can't
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07

! I)Sl
line Of the
|askaf for
Secure
|is, prices,
|inlber d
ess 0. a.
[aha,Neb.
The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-07

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