davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-12-06
A Shower Of Fish.

A CONFIRMATION of the strange ref
port that a shower of fish had fallen OH
the Fourth Concession of Harwich Town
ship is given by a school-teacher of the
neighborhood, who, in a letter to the
London Free Press, testifies to what he
saw as follows:
Having dismissed the children for
the day, was returning to my board
ing-place, when, with side glance, l
discovered something in the grass. At
first thought it was some species of
rattlesnake, but upon more careful
scrutiny I found it was fine, firm,
fresh fish of the pickercl species. Hav-
ing been brought up at the seashorc, l
knew at once the fish was good, and
picked it up, while wondering whence
it came. My establishment was in
creased, however, when, stepping on
few yards further, l found another
equally good. A few steps further, and
one more, and then l thought l ought
to return to the school-room for some
paper in which to wrap them. On en-
tering the room seized (rather
thoughtlessly you will say one of the
pals, and proceeded to collect fish.
When l had more than half filled the
pail, saw a man in the distance car
rying some fish, and. supposing the
mystery was about to be solved,
awaited his approach. l dropped the
pail and felt somewhat guilty for hav-
ing appropriated the fish, till relieved
by his assuring me that he had gath
cred up also those he had in the same
way, and that he had just been culling
the largest Of them. He observed,
These are as good and fresh as money
could buy filled the pail, not only
to the brim, but up the whole height Of
the handle, and having deposited my
burden, naturally in the farmhouse
where board, returned to collect the
remainder. When finished my task,
l assure you that l felt fatigued. The
work had occupied half an hour. This
fall of fish extended about three-quar-
tiers of a mile. On the same evening
one of the maids was sent for the cows
to a field about a mile from my board
ing-place. She also returned laden
with fish that she had picked up in q
similar way. This girl reported that
she had left others behind her which
she could not conveniently carry to the
house. The lady, with her maids, pre-
pared the fish the same evening for
drying and smoking, and they were
subjected to this process next day. The
circumstance, you will admit, is unique,
apart from its strange surroundings,
and cannot but think the correspond
ent of the Rondeau Ncws did not err
much in reporting it. As to whether
these now famous fishes fell six feet or
5000, know not. One thing know,
that they were scattered for distance
of about three-quarters of a mile, and
that, at least to my knowledge, three
persons gathered them. Toronto
Globe.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-12-06
Household Fables.

"How many thumbs?'' smilingly
asks the sitting-room carpet, looking
up at its colleague, the battered stove
pipe. With wink in its disjointed ell
bow, the stove-pipe, riveting its gaze
on its friend, replies, "Only three. but
I've raked enough skin off the other
knuckles to make a pair of boots.'
Chucklingly responds the carpet, mot
SO well as you did last year. l got
couple of finger-nails, two whole trous-
ers'-knees, started good crop of hang
nails on every finger in the house, and
think 1 have a divorce suit pending"
"That's pretty good spread" replies
the pipe, and then, turning to an ex-
hausted tack-hammer that was resting
itself on the window-sill, asked, How
is your score?'' "Oh, don't ask me-"
gasped the tack-hammer; 1--we been
buster than the Masters gavel on a
Chapter night, l haven't missed but
one knuckle since l started in, and then
l caught the ball of q thumb, plumb GEN.
ter, and raised blood-blister as big as
walnut And then the graceless
trio smiled in silent chorus, and an old
rheumatic mop that was standing on
the porch, listening to the conversation
through the key-hole, bumped itself
against the door in an ecstacy of delight
and fell, fainting, across the wheelbar-
row with one leg, that was waiting on
the walk for somebody to come along
and fall over it. Huntington HGUE-Eye
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-12-06

plies of bacon, breadstuffs, boots, cloth
ing, pots, pans, and whatever they re-
quire. The tax-gatherer is unknown.
Everybody does his own fishing and
minds his business. There is a poor
rate, but it is not oppressive, for the
work house is little four-roomed cot
tage with q garden, and when an in
habitant becomes, through old age or
weakness, unable to work for a living,
he is allowed few shillings week and
free house rent until matters mend with
him, or the rate-payers are called on to
subscribe toward his funeral. The
Poor-Rate Collector carries neither
book nor inkhorn. He merely drops in
in a neighborly way, and says, "rll
trouble you for trifle, old friend.''
How much?' the old friend inquiries.
"Well, it is rather heavy this half"
Mr.. Collector replies, "two and three
pence" He pockets it with no other
receipt but a thank you, and goes his
way. There is not even lookup on
this happy island. The police force is
represented by stone-mason, who is
provided with an official uniform,
which he wears on Sundays and holi-
days. Ordinary rows he attends to in
his flannel jacket.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-12-06
The Empress OF Russia.

The Empress is Regent of the En-
pire in the absence of the Emperor at
the seat of war. Her Majesty is a
woman of strong understanding and
fine education. She was reared with
the expectation of being maj ried into
the reigning family of Russia. She is
distinguished for kindness of heart, be-
nevolence and amiability of character.
Her gay and cheerful disposition is in
marked contrast with the habitual mel
ancholy of Alexander. His Majesty
would have avoided the war had not the
Panslavist party been too powerful for
him to resist. Since he has been forced
into it he has been oppressed with sor-
row at the immense sacrifice of life it
has Occasioned, the unskillful manner
in which it has been conducted, and the
corrupt practices which have character
lied every branch of the military adj
ministration. As wrote in a previous
letter, he is not willing to return to St.
Petersburg until the honor of his arms
has been redeemed by successes which
will obliterate the memory of past re-
verses. All the Imperial Princes are
with him. He lives in Bulgarian
hovel, in the midst of all kinds Of dis
comforts, and his sons are housed un-
der tents which, in rainy weather, are
enveloped by a sea of mud. The great
palaces at the capital, with their lux
urious equipments, are, for the most
part, closed, the Empress living in her
own apartments. There are no recep-
tons, no balls and no Court entertain
ments of any kind. Some of the large
rooms are occupied by the ladies of the
Red Cross Society, who, under the SUI
perintendence of the Empress, daily
meet there to prepare lint, bandages
and stores of different kinds for the re-
lief of the Russian wounded. Her
Majesty plies the needle rs busily as the
noble danes under her orders, and
sets an example of Christian charity
that all seek to emulate. Regent though
she be, she rarely presides over Min.
isterial council, and leaves everything
to Count Miliutin, the Minister of War
He is, at present, virtual ruler of Rus.
STA, for the Emperor and Gortschakon
are too much occupied with military
operations in Turkey to give the Gov.
eminent of the Empire the attention il
deserves. He is Panslavist of the
most ultra type, aud was one of the
most active promoters of the war. He
is responsible for the inadequate state
of preparation of the army for hostili.
ties-for its infcriority of armament
its skeleton regiments and its wretchet
Commissariat. He made an immense
mistake in not providing the army will
as effective weapons as those which thu
Turks have in use-as serious blum
der as Austria committed in her wal
with Prussia. Whatever may be the
fighting qualities and discipline of al
army, it will always be inferior to al
antagonist which is furnished with gun.
of longer range and more rapid ant
deadly fire. Contracts have recently
been made with Krupp for nearly !
thousand cannon, and of the latest ant
best pattern. The Turks are customer!
with him also, but their demands arr
less on account of their dcarth of funds
Cor. Philadelphia Press.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-12-06
Amusing Incident at an Opera.

A LITTLE incident occurred at Bald
wins Theatcr that was not down on the
bills. 1t seems that the brace of intel
ligent supers who personate the devils
in the last act of ''Don Giovanni ut
four bits a night, had been rehearsed in
their scene by Carl Formes, instead Of
the tenor who personated the Don. The
former appeared as Lcporello, and when
the proper moment arrived the demons
promptly fell upon him and endeavored
to drag him off to the Internal regions,
with the greatest vigOr. In vain the
exasperatcd basso struggled and strovc
to explain that they had fastened upon
the wrong man. The supes were used
to realistic acting, and fired the enraged
artist down into the bowels of the earth
with mastery precision. While the
disguised Leporello was kicking his as
sailants around through Hades, and
swearing like savings-bank depositor,
Gioranni himself stood thunderstruck,
and too bewildered to move. He was
finally ANONYMOUSLY led off by the
prompter, in his shirt-sleeves, and up
to one D. m. to-day had made four sew
eral attempts to commit suicide. The
demons are now hiding in the foothills
under assumed Names San Francisco
NcsCS Letter.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-12-06
The New Haven PALLADIUM, of a r,

The New Haven Palladium of re-
cent date says: ION November 4,
1867, James Featherstone, harness.
maker, of No. "a Washington street,
was compelled to take to his bed by a
'crick' in his back, and he has never
risen from it. In June, 1869, the terri
BILE disease of elephantiasis arabuns de-
veloped itself in the hardening of the
soles of his feet. 1t rapidly spread up
ward, and his legs swelled and became
like petrifactions. 1t is believed that
the legs at the calves will measure thir-
ty-five inches in circumference and
weigh eighty pounds each. A rope and
pulley had to be used to elevate the
sufferer so that his bed could be
changed. He died Saturday morning,
at the age of seventy-one years. There
have been cases of clephantiasis arabuns
in this country, but none so serious as
this. Generally the disease has settled
in one leg only. This peculiar affiic-
ton is known in the West India Islands,
in Brazil, and other South American
countries, also in Japan and Egypt.
Physicians from various sections Of the
country have visited Mr.. Featherstone
to witness the peculiar characteristics
of the disease
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-12-06

at once gave orders for assistance. and
the wrecking steamer Resolute was sent
from Norfolk, and the United States
steamer Swatara and the tug Fortune
from Hampton Roads, to render what
aid they could in picking up the fortu-
nate men who might have escaped with
their lives from tho Huron. The Cho-
wan was also sent from Norfolk with
supplies and medical aid for the sur
.vivOrs.
But four officers and thirty men were
saved SO far as reported. The vessel
was in charge of Com. Ryan, a most
competent officer, who returned last
year from the command of the Venus
Transit Expedition. His home was in
Boston. Several of the officers have
families.
Those who escaped were saved by the
exertions of the surf-men. A large
number managed to reach the shore
before morning, but many of them were
SO exhausted that they were unable to
escape the fury of the breakers, and
were pounded to death almost within
reach of safety. When the wrecked
vessel was discovered her foremost and
mainmast were gone, and heavy sea
was rolling over her constantly. BY
noon on Saturday it was reported that
she had pounded to pieces.
The Huron was an iron third-rate
screw propeller of 541 tons new meas
urement, with displacement of
1,O21. She was 175 feet long and thirty
two feet breadth of beam, carried one
eleven-inch, two nine-inch, one sixty
four FOUNDER guns, all smooth-bores;
she was built in 1874, and cost 1907,
O24.54, and had speed of ten and a
half miles an hour. She was of the
same class as the Albert and Ranger,
now on the Asiatic Station. She had
been out from Fortress Monroe but
twelve hours when the storm struck and
wrecked her.-ChicagO Times, Noe. e.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-12-06
The House Resumption Repeal Bill.

The following is the text of the bill
recently passed by the National House
of Representatives to repeal the Re-
sumption act:
bill TO repeal all that part of the act approved
Jan. IA, 1870 known the Resumption act,
which authorized the Secretary of the Treasury
to dispose of United States bonds and redeem
and cancel Greenback currency.
That all that portion of the act approved
Jan. IA, 1875, entitled, An act to provide for
the resumption of specie payments which
reads as follows, to-wit: "And whenever and
SO often as circulating notes shall be issued to
any such banking association SO increasing its
capital or circulating notes, Orso newly organ
lied as aforesaid, it shall be the duty of the
Secretary Of the Treasury to redeem legal
tender United States notes in excess only of
$SOO,OUO,OOO to the amount of 50 per cent. of
the sum OF National Bank notes SO issued to
any such banking association as aforesaid, and
to continue such redemption as such circulat.
ing notes are issued until there shall be out
standing the sum of $500, COG, 600 of such legal
tender United States notes aud no more, and on
and after the LIST day Of January, A. d. 1879,
the Secretary of the Treasury shall redeem in
coin United States legal-tentler notes, then
outstanding, on their presentation for rcdemp-
ton at the Office of the Assistant Treasurer of
the United States, in the City of New York, in
sums of not less than $50, and, to enable the
Secretary Of the Treasury to prepare and pro-
required, he is authorized to use any surplus
revenues from time to time in the Treasury
not otherwise appropriated, and to issue, sell
and dispose of at not less than par in coin
either OF the descriptions of bonds Of the
United States described in the act of Congress
approved July IA, 1870 entitled An act to
authorize the refunding Of the National debit
with like qualities, privileges and exemptions,
to the extent necessary to carry this act into
full effect, and to use the proceeds thereof for
the purposes aforesaid, " be, and the same is,
hereby repealed.
The vote, in detail, on the passage of
the bill, was as follows:
Ysas-Atkins, Baker Gnd.), Banning Baynss
Browne, Buckner, Cabcll, Caldwell Ky.l,. Cald-
we'll (Tenn.), Calkins, Cannon, Carlisle, Chalmers
Clarke {Ky.. ClHrk tMoJ, Clymer. Cobb, Collins,
Davis n. O.. Dibreil. Dckey. Douglas. Dur.
FELTON,. Finley, ,Forney, Fort, Franklin. Fuller.
dantes Hannah aans Harris s Hs:
Wa.), Harrison. Hartridge, Hartzell, Haskell,
z. Ss Hs yy,+ Hsnkls. Henry Henry, Hsw-
H5sanson, Hu%phIsy. Jones SHia.l Jones
Ligen, Mackey; Maish, Manning, Marsh; Martin,
Oliver. Phelps. Phillips, Pridemore. Rea. Reagan,
Robe1tson GA.), Robinson nnd). Ryan, Sapp,
s%isS Gas. srs.f:, seSingsr ssesls hs%p;on
Throckmorton, Upton, ToWnshend 1ll.,, Tucker,
Turner. T%ney, Vance, Van Worries. Waddell
$ssas, %iis Snlsi WIZ MG's Ws n w Ms
WEight, Yeates, Young
,Nsys.51AldTich, Bacon, Bsglsy. Baker Baker N; y,
dick, Cain, Camp, Campbell, Chittenden, Clafiin.
Clark n. j.. Clark iowa, Cole, Conger, Covert,
Davis (Cal.j Deerinu IlenisOn Dunneil DWIGHT
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-12-06
Wreck Of the War Steamer Huron
Nearly 100 Lives Lost.

The disaster occurred during the ter
rifle storm which ragged along the east
ern Atlantic coast on Friday night.
The vessel was driven on a point of
rock known as the Nagshead, an ugly
reef, that crops up some two miles out
at sea, off Kitty Hawk beach. As
nearly as could be learned, about 100
officers and men lost their lives in the
shipwreck. Thirty-four were reported
saved.
Various theories are advanced to ac-
count for the sad occurrence, but none
of them are wholly satisfactory. The
Huron left Hampton Roads for the sur
vey of the waters of the Gulf of Mexico,
on Friday, in defiance of the reports of
impending rough weather made by the
Signal Office. That night the most ter
rifle storm experienced on the Atlantic
coast for years came tearing along. Its
fury was felt as far from the coast as
Washington. 1t struck the Huron, and
drove her wildly from her course. Some
are of opinion that she lost her reckon
ing, owing to the eccentric influence of
the iron of the ship and guns on the
compasscs. Another theory is that in
the storm the engines gave out and she
was driven a helpless thing before the
winds.
The Nagshead is an ugly reef, for
some unexplained reason left without q
light. Attention has often been called
to the danger of this neglect, but no
official action was ever taken concern
ing it.
Reports of particulars of the wreck
were quite meager. The coast at that
point is very thinly settled, the nearest
telegraph station to the scene of the
disaster being eight miles distant, the
only means of communication being by
a footpath. As soon morning broke,
the wreck was discovered, and as rap
idly as possible word was sent to Wash
ington, The naval authorities there
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-12-06
The Scilly Islands.

LIBERTY ISLAND is scarcely half
days journey from England. The in
habitants of three or four of the minor
islands of the Scilly group know moth
ing of the convenience of monetary
system, and transact business with their
more enterprising neighbors in accord
ance with the primitive principles of
barter. They catch and dry fish, and
deliver it in large quantities to the COM
mercial factors at St. Mary's, but in
stead of receiving coin they obtain sup
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-12-06
THE rURCo.RUsslAN WAR.

There was heavy fighting at Plevna,
Oh the 10th, with what result was not known
on the morning Of the 2lst.
The Russian main Army, that lately
operated against Kars, has been moved in
front of Erzcroum. A special telegram of the
Goth stated that the latter place had been
evacuated by the Turkish troops, but the reg
ular report did not confirm the intelligence.
On the Goth, the Russian force in
Bulgaria and in the Dobrudscha numbered
$4,000 men, and the Turkish force $4,000.
A Scutari telegram of the goth re-
ports the defeat of the Montenegrins between
Antivari and Scutari, with loss of 800 killed
and over 1000 wounded.
A Turkish official dispatch of the
21st reports the capture of the Russian posi-
tons on Metchka Heights at Piergos, on the
LON, after severe engagement, in which the
Russians lost / 400 men. The Russian &C.
count says the Turks we're finally repulsed, but
admits that Piergos was temporarily occupied
Ivy the Turks and burned.
The Roumanian troops captured the
Turkish position at Rahova, on the 2lst, after
three days fighting. The Turks fed toward
Widdin.
Operations near Rustchuk indicate q
disposition on the part of the Turks to relieve
Plcvna by threatening the Czarowitch's Army
and the Danube crossing.
A report prevailed in London, on the
22d, that Mukhtar Pasha, fearing that he
might be surrounded, had fallen back to
position twenty miles west of Erzeroum.
A London telegram of the 23d says
great battle was in progress at Tirnova.
'Mehemet Ali autographed from Or
chania, on the 2Sd, announcing the capture of
4 Russian infantry regiment and . cavalry
regiment 1t Nevesich. OF the latter I'll but six
men were destroyed.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-12-06

Ma" said thoughtful boy, II
don't think Solomon was SO rich as they
say he was.'' "Why, my dear, what
could have put that into your head?'''
"Why, the Bible says he slept with his
fathers; and l think, if he had been so
very rich, he would have had Q bed of
his own." IN. Y. Indepe~dGk.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-12-06
FACTS AND FIGURES.

THERE are over 500 Chinese laun-
dries in New York City, giving employ
ment to about 1000 persons.
THERE are, at the present time, 29O
convicts in the Rhode Island State Pris-
on, being the largest number in the his
tory of the institution.
The St. Louis Journal Of agriculture
says: ''Farms can be bought In any
county in the United States to-day, for
less than the Improvements cost"
THERE are nearly 5000 telephones in
use in New York City alone, and yet
the little instrument has only been be-
fore the public for about four months.
One dollar put at compound-interest
upon the day Columbus discovered
America would amount, in 1879, when
our Resumption act goes into effect, to
the paltry sum of 1920, 600, OOO.-Chi-
cdgo Times.
In 1859 the total number of lunatics
IN England and Wales was IS, 762, out
of a population of 1885, O1, or one
out of every 534, and on the LIST of
January, 1877, they had increased to
&C, $3.50, out of population of 24,547,-
800, or one out Of every 1863. The
large majority of these lunatics are
paupers.
The City of Richmond, Va, has
doubled her population since the War.
The sales of her factories in 1876
reached the sum of $22, 424,8OO. Her
wheat and corn mills produced 50, $751;
GOO, her forty-one tobacco factories
$12, OBS, 800, her iron works 81, 1882, $50,
and the bonds of the Corporation of
Richmond are par.
THE Fraser River in British Column.
bia is to be dyked and about 20, 600
acres of submerged lands reclaimed.
The engineer who has charge of the
| works is from Ontario, and he not only
promises to have the dyking done next
year, but he has formed colony of
ninety-six persons from Ontario who
will settle on the reclaimed ground
and bring with them over 100000 in
| cash.
The mail reports of the French cleo
tons show that, comparison being
made with the elections of 1876, the
Republicans have gained heavily. TAX
ing the vote of Feb. 20, 1876, we have
the following showing:
Republican votes. COL ,265 4,O25500
lmpcrialst and Royalst votes. 1882 2,59O55O
Totals ........................7,a o,Os7 6,6l6o5O
| Republican majority ......... 792,4S 1,434,95O
| Such, at least, are the figures pre-
/ tIhI ,nss,fn 1Nv,