davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-31

extraordinary Experience Of the Bene-
factor of the State University---The
Sagacious Ex-Governor Taken I'm OH a
Horse Trade.
There is a pretty good story told on
Gov. Washburne. He took horse on
some kind of dicker, at Neillsville, a
sorrel kind Of a step-ladder sort of a
horse. They told him the horse could
trot IN about two minutes. He didn't
know much about horses, but he reason
ed that if it could trot in two minutes
right fresh from hauling saw logs, with
a little handling it could trot in q min
ute, SO he let a Neillsville man, who had
a horse he was going to have trained,
bring both of them to La Crosse, and
| they were quartered at lakewood Park
Time rolled on. 1t always does. In 81
years experience we have never, in a
single instance, known time to fail to
roll on, except once when we were spark
ing a girl, and she stopped the clock
We can feel it now, where the parental
boot struck But that is neither here
nor there. It was in Whitewater. How
ever, last week the governor was here,
and he drove out to the park. A boy
was the only man there, and to him his
excellency said " bring forth me steed. !"
The boy asked what steed, and was told
it was the horse that was brought from
Neillsville The boy knew, and he
brought out a sorrel beauty, with clean
limbs, fiery eye, a real sumner. The
governor said he wanted to drive his
horse, and the boy hitched it in sulky
and the governor drove down on the
half-mile track, and for an hour he never
took his eyes off the horse. The animal
seemed to know he was hauling first
class freight, and put in mile after mile
way below three minutes, the wind
toying with the gray locks of the driver,
bringing the healthy life-blood to his
cheeks, and making his eyes sparkle as
though In command of division in
battle We don't believe the veteran
| has enjoyed himself SO well in ten years
as he did behind the little sorrel, and
when the horse was put out and blank
eted and the governor patted him on
the head, we doubt if all the wealth of
a Matt. Carpenter could have bought
him. Then the governor came down
town looking younger than he has for
| 'gCdlS, NIlCll lIc Illcl IOl1l DllIlDdI VI blC
lakewood, who said, "By the way, gov
ernor, that horse of yours is about dead
with the epizootic, and it is dollars to
button that he will close his valves and
be sleeping beneath the daisies before
tomorrow sun shall illuminate the
oriental horiz-." AT this point Mr..
Dunbar stopped, as he perceived the
governor was panied at the sad recital.
Says the governor, " / have been driving
that hose for an hour, and he was the
| liveliest case of epizootic have ever had
in my practice" Then says Dunbar,
You must be mistaken. Your horse
has to be lifted up by the tail You
have been driving horse that belongs
to Tom La Flesh, and he is lightning,
| too"
| Reader we will draw veil over the
sad scene. Words fail to do justice to it.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-31
AN IMMENSE PURCHASE.
The Pennsylvania r. r.. Co. Buys the
Empire Transportation Line---The
Price Paid, and Vast Extent of the
Posse, SiOnS.
New York Times

New York Times,
The stockholders Of the Empire Trans
portation company held their final
meeting here to-day, and ratified the
contract for the purchase of their entire
property by the Pennsylvania Railroad
company, for the sum. of $46OO,OOO, of
which s., 100000 is in cash, and So, 1OO,-
00Oin bonds secured upon the property
Of the corporation selling out. After
paying for numerous incidentals which
do not appear in the list, the whole
amount to be given out by the
Pennsylvania company will foot up not
less than $5,00O,0OO A strange feature
connected with this purchase is that
while it is protested that it will bring
money to the Golfers of the Pennsyl-
vania company, the stock of that road
is deprecated 81 per share to-day, and
closed weak at 293 with further pros
poets Of decline. The object of the
purchase is not SO much to obtain pos
session Of the immense business of the
transportation company as it is to have
complete control of the oil trade of
Pennsylvania, which now falls into the
hands of the Pennsylvania railroad,
they holding the leases of all the roads
tapping the oil regions except the New
York & Erie, and may even be able to
bother that road considerably. The
business Of the corporation selling is
conducted through a system of rail
transportation known as the Empne
line and the Green line, through lake
fleet and group Of elevators known as
the Anchor line, and through system
of pipe line ramifying the entire oil
regions Of Pennsylvania and New York
The total net freight rates collected last
year, less the AMOUNTS paid over to the
railroads for freights, amounted to 3d.
SIT ,265.36. The reason given for the
sale is that the peculiar condition of the
oil trade into which that business has
drifted, 'makes it imperative for the
Empire company to engage in the ptlr-
chase and selling of Oil. TO continue
this policy successfully it is held to be
necessary to enlarges the company and
increase the capital. This is the pretext
given in the annual report. The COM
pany has been in operation for some
twelve years, and the stock is chiefly
owned by parties connected with the
Pennsylvania railroad company. At
the meeting to-day, Mr.. John A. Wright,
one of the Pennsylvania company di-
rectors, presided. By other contracts,
the Pennsylvania company becomes
possessed ofstock in the Some & Elem
ing manufacturing company the Phila-
delphia refining company, the empire
pipe line, and the Oleon petroleum
company, Of New York This evening
the new purchasers mmenced pay
ment ofthe 81, 500, 900 in cash, by hand
ing over to the stockholders certified
checks for the pro rata, shares in the
grand dividend.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-31

white, red and black; and it is by an OBJ
servation OF these plates that the gove
ernor of a jail sees at a glance just how
much prisoner is locked up. By q
spring in the edge of The lock it is made
to effectually seal the door when the
prisoner is placed in cell without the
need of using any key. The turnkey,
however, has key, and on locking the
door the little movable plate shows red.
If all the cell locks exhibit the red
movable plate, an inspector knows that
every lock is closed. The governor Of
the jail, Or some person in superior
authority, has a master key which fits
into the same key hole. He goes
around the last thing at night, inserts
his master key, and, after it is turned,
the red show plate is autom aticalIy
changed for a black one. When so
locked the turkey can not unlock the
door with the key, he must wait for The
governor of the jail to use his key. The
idea is that though a keeper may be
bribed it would be harder to bride the
superior officer. If any person should
succeed in unlocking the lock of his cell
the pushing back of the lock bolt starts
off, loud bell alarm concealed within
the lock.-Ame,1oa,a Architect and Ba,ald-
ina Ne,us. "
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-31
STARVED TO DEATH.
Death of an Old Woman Who Claimed TO
Know 'Gil.I." Washington.
Kansas City Times

anSaS CITY Times.
Last night, about II o'clock, notice
was given at headquarters that the
corpse of an old negro woman had been
found in a shanty on the hill above
Th I'd street, near Grand avenue. No
tice was sent to the coroner, and the
officers, in company with reporter,
went through the mud and the pouring
rain to see what could be seen. It was
a hard task to find the cabin. The SUI
perstitious negroes declined to know
anything concerning Aunt Betsy"
They fled from the hill on hearing that
she was dead. The negroes in the vi
cinity had long credited the story that
the old centenarian was vhoudoo, or
negro witch, and it is perhaps to this
superstition that the poor old woman
owes her death.
In a small cabin, without floor,
with q broken-down door and a window
without glass, lay the bony remains of
an old woman as black as night. The
remains were clothed in the most
squalid rags, and the bedding was a
combination of trash, evidently picked
up from the street. The head rested
upon a bag Of rags gathered by the de-
ceased, and the room or shanty was a
picture of poverty and misery. The
old woman had evidently been dead
some time, and the discovery was made
by accident. Some negro boys saw
some hogs seeking shelter in the shanty
from the storm and followed them in
and found old Aunt Betsy dead.
The history Of this old negro woman
will never be known. She claimed to
be 10S years old. She said she lived in
Virginia in her early days, and, like all
other old negroes, claimed to remember
Gen. Washington. She came to Ken
lucky about fifty years ago, and from
there to Missouri, settling with her
master at Randolph, the old capital of
the state of Missouri. The old woman
has been a mendicant here for years.
She was toothless, and helpless. and
quite talkative. Her age was mere
matter Of conjecture on her part She
could not have been more than 80 years
Of age; but her owners had taught the
old woman to speak Of events she knew
nothing about, and to claim an age ten
or fifteen years in advance of her age.
There was no sign of food in the cabin,
and nothing which would indicate that
the old woman had anything to eat late
ly. She may have died of starvation or
old age. No one seemed to care for
her, and the old slave one hundred years
old goes to the grave unknown, unre-
GREETED, and unmourned.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-31
ALMOST A BANK ROBBERY.
The Man a Woman Saw When She Look
ed Under the Bed.
Maueh Chuck Coal Gazette

On Thursday night of last week Mr..
B. w. Marcy, Cashier of the Miners
Savings Bank Of Summit Hill, attended
the Leighton fair with his family. Re
turning home in. the evening, after a
long ride and day of sightseeing, they
retired to bed at an extremely early
hour. The servant girl went to bed at
a little before II o'clock, and hearing an
unusual noise she became somewhat
alarmed, and did what almost any
other woman would have done-looked
under the bed. At the first glance she
saw what she thought was a mans hand
and hat. She peered further, and dis
covered a fine-looking young man, well
dressed, lying at full length. She
screamed murder and ran towards Mr..
Marcy's room. That gentleman heard
her cry and met her in the hall. He
hurried to the girls room and discov-
cred that the intruder had just jumped
from the second story window The
alarm was at once given, but the would
be bank robber got off: Mr.. Morgan
Jones happened to be coming up the
street, and he saw a man run from Mr.
Marcys house and join two compan-
ions and run down the Switch-Back
Railroad. Nothing more was seen of
them. The girl says the man she saw
had black curly hair, but she does not
believe she could recognize him, as he
managed to put out the light by kick
ing over the table, on which it stood.
There is no doubt the discovery frustrat-
ed an attempt to rob the bank. Marcy's
residence is across the street from the
institution, and it was no doubt the in
tention of the thieves to take possession
of Mr.. Marcy's house, and after gagging
and tying the inmates to force him to
go with them and open the safe The
people Of Summit Hill do not believe
they would have succeeded, as Mr..
Marcy is man of great determination,
and they think he would not have given
the combination to any thieves. It
happened that on Thursday night he
could not have opened the safe, as it
was locked by another combination du-
ring his absence in Leighton. The es-
cape from a dreadful experience was a
narrow one. q s45
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-31
STEAM TO BRAzIL.-A member of the

STEAM TO BRAzIL.-A member of the
Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce
has had an interview with Mr.. Evarts,
Secretary Of State, in regard to the
establishment of direct postal and COM
mercial intercourse with Brazil He
said that the Brazilian markets open a
large demand for a number Of Ameri-
can manufactured articles, but that
owing to the absence of proper facilities
the trade is carried on, through English
houses. American manufacturers are
receiving orders from English firms for
goods to be furnished to Brazilian mark
cts, out of which the English make at
least temper cent on their own account.
Secretary Evarts said that it is the i'm
perative duty Of this Governm ent to adj
vance the commercial and manufacture
ing interests Of tee country by q more
liberal policy respecting foreign trade,
and that this can best be accomplished
by the establishment Of ocean postal
routes under the auspices and fostering
care of the Government
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-31

visit, and voluntarily proceed to comb
out the long neglected and matted hair
With q jealous eye q vigilant watch is
kept over her conduct during the term
Of her widowhood. Yet, she is allowed
the privilege to marry any time during
her WldOWhoOd an unmarried brother,
cousin, or a person of the same OGDEN"
Family mark with her husband.
AT the expiration of her time, the
vows having been faithfully performed
and kept, the female relatives of de-
ceased assemble, and with greetings
| commensurate to the occasion, proceed
to wash her face, comb her hair and at
tire her person with new apparel. and
otherwise demonstrating the release
from her vow and restraint Still she
has not her entire freedom; if she will
still refuse to marry relative Of de-
ceased and will marry another, she then
has to purchase her freedom, by giving
a certain amount of goods, and what
ever else she might have manufactured
during her widowhood in anticipation Of
the future now at hand.
Frequently though, during widowhood
the vows are disregarded, and an incli-
nation. to i1lrt and play cOurtshlp, or
form an alliance of marriage outside Of
the relatives of deceased, is being in
dulged and when discovered the widow
is set upon by the female relatives, her
slick braided hair is shorn close UP to
the back of her neck, all her apparel
and trinkets are torn from her person,
and frequently resulting fatally to some
member of one or the other side.
But this is a progressive age, and civ
ilization with rapid strides is upon this
once barbarous country; and great
change is the result
Ancient modes are being dropped,
and superseded by rational and uniform
method; ancient customs are being for
gotten, and matter of fact principles
substituted, ancient habits Of every day
life are dwindling and passing away;
giving way to honest labor, and Chris
tan influences. Y. p. T.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-31
A Powerful Artificial Light

That carbon di-sulphide when burned
yields brilliant light, has long been
known, but until recently no practical
application of the knowledge has been
made. A lamp has now been invented
which insures the combustion of the
dangerous oil with safety by first satu-
rating pumlce with it and subsequently
burning it in a stream Of nitrogen gas.
The light which this lamp gives out is
said to be more powerful than that OBJ
tanned by any other artificial means. 1t
is twice as powerful as calcium light,
possesses three times the force Of electric
light, and is superior to magnesium
The chief use of the invention is in pho
Biography and for signal lights.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-31

The Russian chemist, Mendelijef, pro
pounded the theory seven years ago
that " the physical properties of an ele-
ment are periodic functions Gifts atomic
weight" and then went to work to prove
It's accuracy by calculations. AS there
were two missing links in his chain OF
reasoning, he predicted that some day
two metals would be found to fill them
One of these metals has been discover
ed in France, and has been called Gal
lium; the other is thought to occur N
company with arsenic and titanium
and should it be discovered, will prove
that the finding of the first metal, Gal
lium, was not merely Il coincidence
but a proof of the accuracy of Mendeli-
JETS law, 1t is proposed to call the
missing metal Ek-aluminium.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-31
SleepleSS Nights.

Wakefulness is produced by so many
causes, that it is difficult to find a rem
edy which will suit all cases. But among
the most prominent causes, are the use
of strong tea at night, unusual anxiety
in business, excitement of vrrious
kinds, Or the over-taxing Of the stomach
by full meal atnight, a lunch at bed
time. If it is true that strong tea, taken
by watchers, produces the desired wake
fulness, it is evident that even a weaker
article used regularly at night, may pro-
duce similar results when not desired.
The use of shells, or milk, at tea-time,
particularly, will prove an advantage,
acting as a sedative, promoting sleep,
All anxiety and worry should be avoid
ed. if possible, after business hours.
Selfcontrol 8 is selfpreservation. A
light meal at night simple in quality
and small in qualltity-Will do more to
secure sound and refreshing sleep, it
may be, thanall other means combined
1t seems to be a law of our being that
digestion of food, and sleep, sound sleep,
cannot proceed at the same time. This
IS more especially true in advanced life
when the powers of the system are
weakened. 1t is safe, of the food taken
during the day, to take at least three
fourths at the morning and noon meals,
leaving only fourth or a lunch at
night, which course will forbid the din
ner near bedtime When wakeful from
too great heat Of the body, external or
internal, sponging Of the surface in
cool water, exposing it till the water is
evaporated, and the skin is cool and
comfortable, is often of great service. +.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-31
EDWIN ADAMS BENEFITS.
The Money Flowing in from Various
Cities. ---COnditiOn OF the Sick Actor.

At MOueJ FLOWING Ill from various
Cities. ---COnditiOn OF the Sick Actor.
The assiduous attention of his physi-
clans fails to effect any decided i'm
provement in the health of Mr.. Edwin
Adams. Yesterday Mr.. Joseph Jeffer-
son and wife and Mr. William Winter,
the dramatic critic of the New York
Tribune, visited Mr. Gardeners residence,
where the sick actor lies, but no con
versation with him was permitted. It
was expected that Mr.. Sothern also
would arrive yesterday, but word was
received from him that he had taken a
wrong train, which had carried him
towards Downingtown. The delay
caused thereby obliged him to forego
his intended visit in order to fulfil his
engagement in New York last even
ing. He therefore deferred calling
upon his sick friend until tomorrow,
when he will appear, with the Park
Theatre company, at the Adams bene-
fit, to be given in the Walnut Street
Theatre at noon. A check for 81 400,
derived from the New York benefit,
has been received by Mrs. Adams,
Messrs. McVickar and Fargo having
gracefully waived in her favor the pro-
posed trusteeship Of the fund. The
Chestnut Street Theatre also returned
1925 and $3.50 are expected from Al
bany. Creditors have. receipted bills
for over So 900, and it is believed that
the Long Branch property held by
Mr.. Adams, consisting of thirty acres
of land and two houses, can easily be
cleared Of membranes. In all finan-
ial management Mr.. Sothern acts as
immediate business adviser for Mrs.
Adams, in conjunction with her law
yer.-Philadelphia Times. -
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-31

THE Chronicle, an insurance journal
published in New York, states that dur
ing the past nine months over $4,000
600 worth of property has been destroy
ed by fire in the United States and
Canada In the United States the losses
were So, 1885, 900, and in Canada $27,-
35S, 400. During the corresponding pc
Rod last year the losses in the United
States amounted to SAL ,466, 200, while
the losses in Canada were only 1851,
800. The increase Of losses in Canada,
it will be observed, was altogether out
of proportion to the increase in this
country. which is accounted for by the
fact that the ST. John fire occurred dur
ing the latter period 1t is not easy to
account for the great increase Of losses
during the present year upon the as
sumption that all fires have been acct
dental. 1t is highly probable that there
has been a good deal of incendiarism.
The increased pressure of the hard
times has supplied additional motive to
incendiarism to persons whose property
has been literally insured, and who are
not overstocked with conscientiousness.
The Chronicle says that latterly many in
surance companies, in their business
rivalry, have disregarded the moral
character of their risks, and taken
risks which hitherto could not at any
crate whatsoever have been placed upon
" heir'books." May it not be. too, that
they have often insured property at its
full value, or even for more than it was
worth !? The Chronicle does not say that
such has been the case, but it is likely
to have been the case at time when
the companies were making extraordi-
nary efforts to acquire new business.
1t is for the companies to arrest the
growing crime of incendiarism. They
can do this in two ways: First, by refus-
ing to place on their books the names
of persons who may be supposed to be
capable of committing that crime; and,
second, by limiting the amount for
which they will insure property SO as
not to supply a motive to the commits
sion Of the crime. They ought to drop
their rivalries SO far as to unite in cor
recting this evil. And they must act in
selfdefense as well as in the interest of
society.-ISmes.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-31

Rivalry Between American and British
Steamship Lines to the South Pacific
"a Feather i'm the Cap of the Former.


A New York special Of October 23d
says great rivalry exists between the two
steamship lines to Australia, sailing I'M
der the American and British flags re-
|speetively. The British line phys be-
tween Liverpool and Sydney, via the
isthmus. Both carry the British mail,
and the letter bags from Australia on
the American or Pacific Mail are trans
ferred at San Francisco to the Pacific
railroad, and again at New York to the
Cunard steamers to England. Both
lines make every effort to get their re-
spective mails through first, and re-
Gently this good fortune has greatly
fallen to the American line The mails
now in transit on the British steamship
left in advance of the steamer Australia,
of the American, but the prospects are
that the English mail on the Australia
will reach its destination first. The
Australia arrived IN San Francisco on
the 18th inst, three hours too late for
that days overland train, but the man
ayers Of the line were determined that
the mails should go on that train, and
dispatched them on fast special, which
overlook the overland and transferred
the mails to it. On Monday Postmaster
James. received word that the mails had
arrived in Chicago and been transferred
to the Pittsburg and Fort Wayne road,
and to-day he found that the Cunarder
Abyssina must leave at z o'clock, on
account of the tide. The mails would
be due here On the Pennsylvania road
at 6.45, giving very small margin of
time. Postmaster James then saw Mr..
Denvir, vice president of the Pennsyl-
yania road, and besought him to hurry
up the train. Mr.. Denvir telegraphed
the facts to Col. Scott, and he promptly
replied that the train should arrive at 6
O'Clock, instead of Gas, and then the
TRANSMISSION of the mails to the Abys-
sinia be assured
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-31
: An Ingenious Prison Lack.

Mr.. George Page, Of New Haven,
Conn.,, who has invented a number of
important improvements in locks, has
completed model of a lock for cell
doors IN jails and prisons. This lock
cannot be opened BY aaprisoner inhis
cell There is one keyhole, as in any
other lock. A little to one side Of it ap-
pears g hole cutthrough the iron plate
of the lock, back of which are movable
plates which are of different colors-