davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-07-21

A CINCINNATI widow advertised for
"every Christian in the city" to send
her ten cents She realized twenty
cents, indicating an unexpectedly large
number of Christians in that city.
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-07-21

WHEN your door-bell is pulled by a
friend you have invited to dinner, may
that be called an engagement ring.
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-07-21

THE Galveston News thinks the next
census will show larger increase in popu-
lation and production in Texas than in
any other State.
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-07-21

A BRILLIANT young married lady
wants to know if it is bigamy for man
to become welded to his wife's opinions.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21
Hot Water for Injuries and Bruises.

The New York Medical Journal re-
ports this case: The patient was ell
gagged in machine shop, and while his
hand was upon the anvil Of trip ham,
mer, the hammer-weighing seven hun
dred pounds-fell. It so happened that
file was on the anvil, and in this way
the force of the hammer was arrested
about half an inch before it reached it's
bed. When the hand was examined it
was found that the whole palm was a
mass of pulp. The metacarpel bones
were comminuted extensively, and there
was apparently but small chance of say
ing the hand. It was, however, placed
in hot water, and kept there for two or
three weeks, and then taken out and
dressed.
In three months the patient was suffi-
ciently we'll to leave the hospital, and
now-nine months after the accident
he is able to move the fingers, and has
quite useful hand. Bruises and in
juries do much better when treated with
hot than with cold water. The tempera-
ture should be about 103 degrees F. An
other case is reported of compound
fracture and tlislocation of the ankle
joint, in which the proximal end of the
first metatarsal bone protruded from the
foot. The dislocation WAS reduced and
the foot placed in hot water. At the end
of week it was taken out and dressed
in the ordinary manner. The foot is
now doing we'll, and promises good
rao1lt
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21
Law and Equity.

In 1870 Charles Fox, of New York,
died, leaving about fifty thousand dollars
in real estate and ten thousand in per-
sonal property. His will was found to
give the whole, after payment of his
debts, to the government of the United
States fer the purpose of assisting to pay
the war debt. The deceased left no
children; but q niece and two nephews,
infants, his brothers children and his
next of kin, contested the singular will.
The heirs were living in comparative
poverty in Brooklyn. The surrogate de-
cided the will invalid and void as q de-
wise of real estate. The United States
appealed first to the supreme court and
next to the court of appeals, and the sur-
rogate's decision was unanimously sus-
tanned in both courts. By writ of error
the cause was then removed to the Sill
preme court of the United States for re-
view, and was argued at Washington, the
decision being reserved. Meanwhile,
the personal property has been swallowed
up and neither the United States gov
ernment nor the heirs have received n
dollar. The general opinion will be that
the man who could so dispose of his
property and leave three infant children,
his near relatives, in poverty, could not
have been of thoroughly sound mind.
At all events it seems like very small
business for the United States authori-
ties to carry the case beyond the court
of appeals of the State of New York,
and it is to be hoped the State decisions
will be sustained by the United States
supreme court. If it should not be,
Congress should ut once pass an net re-
storing the property to the infant heirs
before it is all swallowed up by the legal
advisers of the general government.
NeW York Herald
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21
An Old Story RetOld.

4 woman, accompanied by three of
her children, were one day in q sleIge
on the steppes of Russia when they were
attacked by wolves. On this she put the
horse into a gallop, and drove toward her
home with all possible speed. 1t would
not avail, however, for the ferociolls ani-
mails gained upon her, and at last were
on the point of rushing into the sledge.
! For the preservation Of her own life and
those of her other children the poor
frantic creature took one Of her babes
and threw it to the bloodthirsty pur-
suers. They stopped their course for Il
moment, but after devouring the little
innocent, they renewed the pursuit, and
Il second time came up with the vehicle.
! The mother, driven to desperation, re-
sorted to the same terrible expedient, and
threw her furious assailant another of
her offspring. To cut short the melan-
choly story, her third child was sacri-
feed in similar manner. Soon after
this the wretched being, whose feelings
it would be impossible to describe,
reached her home in safety. Here she
related what had happened, and tried to
palliate her own conduct by describing
the dreadful alternative to which she had
been reduced. A peasant, however, who
was among the bystanders and heard the
recital, took up an Ak, and with one blow
split her head in two, saying at the same
time that mother who could thus sacrl-
flee her children for the preservation OF
her own life was no longer fit to live.
The man was committed to prison, but
the emperor subsequently gave him n
pardon.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21
The Composition Of the Sun.

If we could approach the sun at the
moons distance from the earth, says
Professor Young, apparent jets of flame
would reach us. Could we reach its ap-
parent surface, we would find it COM
posed of clouds of fine particles or glob-
ules of molten metal, tossing and heav-
ing, rising and falling. Thousands of
flashes of lightning OF of peals of thun-
der would be rs nothing to the light and
noise. But the nearer the center should
be approached, the more quiet all would
become, and we would discover that the
main body of the sun was composed Of
molten metal in a sort of gaseous state,
which, bursting out here and there into
eccentric action, produces the strange
appearances we 80 often observe. 1t is
estimated that the sun is contracting ut
the rate of 1875 feet per year. At this
rate, after the lapse of few million
years, it would be no longer q sun. But
God has made some law to regulate this
as well as all the other heavenly bodies.
What it is, no man can say. We can fol.
low God little way in His works, but
after ell 1t Is Only little way,
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21
The Insane. :

In lengthy article on l,lnatic asylums
and their inmates the New York World
says:
In New York State, and in most others,
the certificate of two physicians is suffi-
cient warrant for imprisonment in an
insane asylum. 1t is not too much to
say that in at least nine cases out of ten
such certificate can be got by any vii
lainous husband, by any scheming wife,
by any hungry heir, or by any secret
enemy. 1t is not necessary even to sup
pose corrupt or q grossly ignorant
physician. Physicians get at their dag
nosis in bodily ailments from the symp-
toms as described by the patient. In
mental ailments they must take their
symptoms from the description Of those
whom they suppose to be the patients
friends. It takes an extraordinary physi-
clan to find out from hurried examina-
ton of casual patient that the patients
friends have been stuffng him with lies.
The ordinary physician makes out the
certificate of what he has been told. In
nine cases out of ten this works well,
perhaps in ninety-nine cases out of O
hundred, for the reason that ninety-nine
people out of hundred are not hated or
feared by their kindred and acquaint-
ance But it is the hundredth case that
is pitiable, in which there is no easy es-
cape from life of misery, and no ade-
quate redress for it. A person accused
of crime is tried by jury, with counsel.
A person accused of misfortune, of
which the penalties are quite as serious,
is tried only by two doctors, who get all
the facts from the prosecution. In the
hundredth case, where the man is said
to be insane is sane, it is plain that this
is an outrageous cruelty. And there is,
as we say, no adequate redress for it,
The doctors who certify the insanity are
not answerable, if their certificates are
given in good faith. The plotter him
self is not liable criminally, unless his
bad motive can be shown; and it is very
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21
A Western Lvnching Case.

Phil. Ames, living in Iowa on the
Platte, had wife and fve-year-old,
but loved his sister-in-law. The little
girl died suddenly there was a rude
country funeral in bitter cold wind
under leahess trees, and the beartbroken
mother went back to her cheerless home
crushed and despairing. Her husband
had no words for her, but consoled his
sister-in-law. The neglected wife opened
her heart to n village gossip, and vigil
lance committee visited the house Mt mid
night, dragged the faithless husband
from his bed, and would have hung him
to tree if his wife had not pleaded for
his life. They took the rope from his
neck and set him free. After the neigh
bors had departed he took heavy curb
bride from the burn and going UP stairs
struck the poor woman as she was knee]-
ing at prayer with photograph of her
child in her hand. He dragged her to the
head of the Gtairs, threw her down, and
use;l the bride until she was dead. Her
sister now appeared Oh the scene ; two
horses were saddled the sister-in-law
was put on one and the corpse on the
other he led the ghastly cavalcade to
the river, where he cut hole in the ice
and dumped the body. A Ayillager espied
him ut his work and bore the tidings to
the settlement. Armed men started in
pursuit and came up with the murderer
and his companion just as they were
mounting their horses at the bridge.
Shots were exchanged; the woman fell
dead the murierer's horse was shot
down rope was brought forward, and
the confession was wrung from him that
his little daughter had been poisoned by
her aunt. He WAS hanged without delay,
and his body was burned. Such is life
III the breezy West.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21
An Absent Minded Senator.

United States Senator Goldthwaite,
says an exchange, has long been afflicted
with absent mindedness. He has great
difficulty in keeping track of his wearing
apparel. He constantly loses his coat or
hat. One or two pages are kept running
good deal of the time to supply the
gentleman lack of intellect. If he goes
to the House, he will take his hat and cloak
there, and be sure to leave one or both
of them on sofa or on some members
desk. He has often had to wait for
hours while pages and messengers were
hunting up stray garments. He ever
has the habit of taking other peoples
coats by mistake, particularly if they
happen to hang hear his own peg. One
day senator missed his coat, containing
about $4,000 in money. The disap-
pearance was attended by such pecll-
Liar circumstances that the detectives
called at Senator's Goldthwaite's house,
and asked him if he had his own coat.
After searching his closet for a time they
returned his lost coat, saying: "This
does quite look like my coat" The lost
money was found safe in the pocket.
This story told was by an officer of the
Senate.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21
Looking After their Families.

A very searching investigation was car
ricd on few years ago in the north of
England by two families who were
searching up their respective ancestry.
The strife was great between them, each
one determining to look back into anti.
quities further than the other. One of
the families, whose name was Spencer,
employed an artist to paint an historic
scene, representing the building of the
ark and the loading up of the ship by
Noah and his sons with its multifarious
and various cargo. On the gangplank
leading to the deck of the ark two men
were seen rolling up large box, on one
side of which was painted in large let
ters: "Relics, insignia and papers be-
longing to the Spencer family" This
was considered a coup d'etat hard to
beat, but the other family, determined
not to be outdone in the antediluvian
pretenses of their name, prepared at a
great cost and research record of their
antiquity. In describing the exploits OF
one of their ancestors, at a very early
day, who was represented as man OF
some authority, this remarkable passage
occurs During this year Adam and
Eve wers driven out Of Paradise"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21
An Amusing Incident.

A rather amusing incident is told as
having occurred recently at church in
Connecticut not many miles from Fair
field. The clergyman, it would appear,
desired to call the attention of his con-
gregation to the fact that it being the last
Sunday OF the month he would admins
ter the rite of baptism to children. Pre-
vious to hi having entered the pulpit he
had received from one of his elders, who
by the way WAS quite deaf, a notice to
the effect that rs the children would be
present that p. NJ. and he had the new
Sunday-school books ready for distribn-
ton, he would have them there to sell 20
all who desired them. After the sermon
the clergyman began the notice of bap-
tismal service, thus: All of those hay
ing children anddesiring to have them
baptized will bring them this afternoon" "
At this point the deaf elder, hearing the
mention of children, supposed it was
something in reference to his books, and
rising, said: Gail of those having none,
and desiring them, will be supplied by
me for the sum of twenty-five cents.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21
A Lightning Calculator.

A great deal has been said and written
about the great mathematical prodigy,
"Reub" Fields, who lives at Fayette-
vile, NO., says local exchange, and the
more that is known of him the greater
wonder he becomes. He does not pos
sess the simple rlldimonts of book edu-
cation-does not know single letter or
figure by sight-and yet he can solve the
most intricate problem in al instant, or
can perform calculation i'll less than a
minute that would require the work of
an hour by the ordinary modes. For in
stance We gave him the day Of the
month and the year of our birth and he
told, in less than half minute, our age
in seconds minutes, days and years.
Give him the day of the month and the
year of any event, however remote, and
he will instantly give the day of the
! week.
We spent two hours with him, and,
Notwithstanding We have often talked
with him and seen him display his won-
derful gifts, yet we always find some
thing new in him.
We placed a column of figures upon q
paper, equal in length to the columns OF
an ordinary sized ledger, and called. them
off to him in rapid succession, and when
the last number was called he gave the
sum without moments hesitation. He
did not see the paper, and would not
have known o character on it if he had.
One hour later he repeated those mum.
bers in the exact order in which we called
them to him. We then began at the bot
tom and would call two or three numbers
correctly and then one incorrectly, and
he would correct us by giving the proper
number.
More mysterious than this to lis is the
TACT of his ability to give correctly the
time of the day or night, whenever called
upon without any reference whatever to
timepiece.
In this place the timepieces are all
regulated by railroad or st. Louis time.
If you ask "Reub" the time he will say
"I am fifteen and quarter minutes past
one if you have railroad time you have
so and So" giving the exact difference
between sun time and railroad time.
Another remarkable fact is that he
gives the exact time of his locality. If
he is in Washington city he gives Wash
ington city time, if in San Francisco, the
time there. He can not possibly do these
things by any method Of calculating the
passing time, for he will give time as nc.
curately while waking from sleep at
night as if it were daylight and the sun
shining.
There seems to be nothing too great in
numbers for his mind to grasp, and yet
nothing too small. He can tell what the
interest on one cent would he for three
seconds ut the rate of ten per cent. per
annum, as readily and as easily as We
could tell the interest on one dollar for one
year at the same rate per cent.
He is indeed the wonder of wonders.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21
Mr.. Chittenden's Funding Bill.

Mr.. Chittenden's bill on the currency,
before the United States House, is en-
titled GA bill for paying the legal tender
debt in harmony with justice and the re-
peatedly pledged faith of the government
of the United States" A preamble re-
fers to the fact that the legal tenders were
originally fundable into six per cent.
bonds, and would not have been issued
except on that consideration ;recites that
the amount of paper money now in cir
culation is in excess of the demands OF
trade that it is now apparently practi-
cable to fund the notes into forty-year
four per cent. bonds, and that the United
States must like all other debtors pro-
yid. for it's honest obligations or be dis
credited. The bill itself is as follows:
BE it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representative of the United States
of America, in Congress assembled, That
the secretary of the treasury be and is
hereby authorized to withdraw, as soon
as the necessary preparations can be
made, the legal tender notes Of the
United States, whenever presented by
the holders thereof, and issue therefor,
dollar for dollar of face value, coupon or
registered bonds OF the United States in
the spirit of the original Legal tender
act Provided, That the bonds authorized
by this act shall be payable in gold Mt
the expirtion Of forty years from the first
day of January, 1877, and bear interest
at the rate of four per cent. per annum,
payable quarterly in gold.
SEC. 2. That the bonds authorized by
this act shall be available for deposit in
the treasury of the United States for
banking purposes under the various pro,
visions of law relating to national banks.
Sec. 3. That the legal tender notes re-
ceived in exchange for bonds under this
act shall be destroyed, under such regll.
lations as the secretary of the treasury
may prescribe.
SEC. 4. That all laws inconsistent with
this act are hereby repealed.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21
VOLUME XXIV.---NO. 81.
The Bee that Saved a Kingdom.

Here is a fable that has never been
told in print, though it is very popular
in the Bee country:
Once upon time, there was a bad
king, and the people wished him to make
certain good law. "No," said he,
II will not make that law-it is too
good. It will make peace. Here is the
law I wish to make. Then all my peo-
pie will 60 to war"
Tie two documents lay in front of
him. on the table all written out, and
which ever one he signed would he the
law of the land. He took up big quill
pen, drew the bad law nearer to him,
and dipped the pen in the ink.
Just then bee began to buzz. 1t
was wise bee.
"Z-z-z-zz No zuch zlaw zhall pazz ~
buzzed the bee, over and over again
but no one noticed him. "Zign re
ozzer-ze ozzer-ze ozzer -
The king would not listen so the wise
bee Lit on his nose and stung him just a
little, still buzzing: "Zign re ozzer-
zign re ozzer-ze ozzer-ze ozzer-ze
ozzerr'
"Open the window" roared the king,
"and drive ont this bee, or kill him y
They opened the window. Out flew
the bee, and in rushed the wind. 1t
blew in very hard. The papers tapped
and flew across the table. The bad
king was so mad that he stamped his
foot, seized one of the papers, and
signed it in rage. There WAS his name
fixing Blunderbuss and nothing
could alter it. Then he saw that in his
haste and rage he had signed the
good law. But he was too proud to own
his mistake.
The bee hurried to the garden and
whispered to the honeysuckles
"Zome Of your bezt-zome of your
beet The good law is hinged, and all
zhall be peaze and happinezz
So the honeysuckles gave him all their
best honey, and the people outside Of the
kings palace built great bontires and
shouted with joy:
"Long live the king Long live the
good king Blunderbuss!"
"Oho!" said the king to himself,
"that is the best sound I have heard for
many a year."
And after that, he was afraid to give
way to anger, for fear that he might
sign bad law, by mistake. The bee
did not have to light on his nose again.
The king made only good laws, and to
the end of his days his people shouted
"Long live the king p" Jack-in-the-
Pulpit" 81. Nicholas for Feb.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21
The Sewing Machine.

Got one? Don't say So! Which did you
get?
One of the kind to open and shet ?
Own it, or hire it d? How much did YOU pay!
Docs it 60 with a crank or treadle? Say.
I'm single man, and somewhat green
Tell me about your sewing machine
Listen, my boy. and hear all about it
| don't know what should do without it.
I've owned one now for more than a year,
And like it so we'll l call it my dear"
'Tis the cleverest thing that ever was seen,
Th; wonderful family sewing machine.
IT. none of our angular Wheeler things,
With steel-shod beak and cast-iron wings;
Its work would bother hundred Of his,
And is worth q thousand! Indeed it is;
And has way-you needn't stare
OF combing and braiding its own back hair !.
Mine is not one Of those stupid affairs
That stands in corner with what-nots and
chairs,
And makes that dismal, headachy noise.
Which all the comfort of sewing destroys;
No rigid contrivance of lumber and steel.
tut one with natural spring in the heel.
Mine is one of the kind to love.
And wears shawl and soft kid glove.
Has the merriest eyes and dainty foot
And sports the charnIngest Gaiter boot
And bonnet with feathers, and ribbons snd
loops,
With any indefinite number of hoops.
None Of your patent machines for me.
Unless Dame Natures the patentee!
l like the sort that can laugh and talk,
And take my arm for an evening walk;
That will do whatever the owner may choose,
With the slightest perceptble turn Of the
screws.
One that can dance, and-possibly-firt;
And make pudding as well as shirt;
One that can sing without dropping stitch.
And play the housewife, lady or witch
Ready to give the sagest advice,
Or do up your collar and, things SO nice.
What do you think of my machine?
Amt it the incest that ever was seen?
'isn't clumsy, mechanical toy,
But flesh and blood hear that, my boy.
With turn for gossip, and household affairs.
Which include, you know, the sowing Of tarcs.
Tut, tut-don't talk I see you're in thrall;
You needn't keep winking SO hard at the wall
know what your fdsety fumblings mean:
Would you like yourself a sewing machine? ?
Well, get one, then-of the same design
There was plenty left where got mine.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21
Made Happy.

"Oh, mamma, if I only could have
one of those new style of dresses ma it
to button down the back from the meek
to the heels"
"Well, my daughter, you cn.'
"What 1 can?"
eyes, dear"
"Button clear down ?"
Certainly, my darling
"With smoke pearl buttons ?"
Eyes, pet"
"And galoon trimmings Z"
Yes, dearest.
Oh, memma y
They hug,
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21

When they were coming out the agent
turned back and said: "Well, it's irreg-
ular; but you haven't got any shoes. I'll
send it up
1t went up in basket.
Tomorrow" said the agent, "I'll
send lady there, who'll do the right
thing"
The reporter understood by that re-
mark that the right thing was the imme-
diate thing. g.-New York World.