davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-06-23
MR.. ISIS ANECDoTE.

Mr.. Evarts, in the course OF his argu
ment, the other day before the court o /
appeals told a story which caused those
who listened to him, including part OF
the bench, to smile broadly if not audi
bly,. He wished to illustrate the ex-
treme complacencyyith which the coun-
sci who appeared On behalf of the New
York elevated railways viewed the vast
damage to property owners which was
involved in building such roads. He
said it reminded him of the Irish land"
lord who, while travelling on the CONT
nent. received a letter from his balif'
The bali wrote that the tenants lnS's'eo
that the rents they were called upon 70
paw were too hign, and that they wentso
far az to threaten to shoot him il he dc
nc Obtain a reduction from the Pr'nc"
nal. The landlord promptly wrote back
10 the phiBtif': Say 10 the tenants
that T will not come down a penny, aid
assure them that the threat they maj G
shall not infLen me in the sli9hts.t
degree."-ABany JNnGL
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-06-23
a. IN. ERGETTC CRIPPLE

The enterprise o a recent emPioye OF
the New York, New Haven and hart
ford railroad cannot be 10 much PRAISED
While taking a trunk out OF a baggage
car from Boston il the Spring field depot
some time ago, he was thrown own anu
hurt. He suffered terribly and crA"leo
around on crutches until the Boston aNo
Albany and the New Haven roads united
and gave him $1,000, when he was in
simultaneously and completely cured.
Shortly afterward a man on the Boston
and Albany road was killed, and the
company gave the widow $4,000. 1Ea,
former cripple who had scored $6,Q9O al
ready, soon married her and thus counted
$4,000. He recovered his health 50 COM
pletely that he was able to work again
on the railroad, but finally, not being
hurt again within a reasonable time, ne
retired to a farm, which he had bought
with a part of the proceeds Of his former
calamities, and where he is living IN
peace and quietness and under the con-
golations of the reflection that virtue Is
its own reward.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-06-23
TRE LAST SIEGE OF EIBRAaTAR.

The most memorable, in some respects,
of all the fourteen sieges to which Glib
raltar has been subjected was the last,
called the "great SIEGE" one of the
mighty struggles of history, whichA be-
gan in the year 1879. The famous Gen
eral;Elliott was commander ofthe fortress.
Spain, in alliance with France and Mo-
rocco, endeavored to surprise Gibraltar f;
but a Swedish ship gaze Elliott the
alarm. The garrison comprised but five
companies of artillery, and the whole
force was less than $500 men. The
enemy's force wa $4,000. The siege was
commenced by the blockading of the
| port, and a camp was formed at San
Rogue with the design of starving out the
garrison. When the English governor
resolved to open fire upon his besiegers,
a lady in the garrison fred the first shot.
Never did siege war rage more ~furiously
than did this for nearly three years. The
garrison was often reduced to sore straits
of food "a goose was worth a guinea"
and Elliott tried upon himself the ex-
pertinent of living upon four ounces a
day for a week. Exciting stories are
told OF the privateers that a in, amidst
terrible dangers, with provisions, and oil
the storms which threw welcome wood
and cork within reach of the besieged.
The rock at one time would assuredly
have been taken had it not been for Ad.
miral Rodney, who, sailing off the straits,
captured a small feet of Spanish ships
and merchantmen, and clearing the
straits OF besiegers, brought his prizes
into port. But all danger was not yet
averted; Gibraltar was again blockaded
scurvy broke out in the garrison, and
Morocco refused her harbor to the Eng.
lish ships. The enemy crept closer and
closer, but relief coming now and then
enabled the English still to hold out.
The commandments were fearful to en-
dure. The city was almost destroyed
scarcely a house habitable, and those
left standing pierced by shot and she'll
At one time the desperate garrison fell
TO plundering the town Elliott shot the
leaders in this outrage. The long agony,
fullzof terrific cembats and frightful pri-
v~ations, ended by the final abandonment
Of the siege in 1888. If in that year the
English had to make up their minds that
they must let go their American colonies,
they had at least the consolation that
Gibraltar was still theirs Harpsr's
Mdgdzine for June.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-06-23

working his bare toes in the ground, said
Ieouldn't bear to go.'way and have you
think that.
and would you like to go away now,
Bob?'
No raa'am.'
Then you can stay. You need never
go away, if you like. You can stay here
and be my boy, Bob, since no n seems
to have a claim upon you. Would you
like that?'
eMore'n anythin' else, said Bob, with
a pleased flush.
what do you say, children, cook,
grandpa-all of you-shall we let Bob
go or stay?'
0 stay + shouted n and all.
And Bob skunk away very happy and
very proud; which was more than Jack
the naughty old crow, did, for he had the
srlks all day, because he had lost his
l@f1etty spoons, most likely.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-06-23
SPRING D4YslN BURLINGTON.

Down where the wake robin springs from its slum-
bers,
Opening its cardinal eye to the sun
Come the dull echoes If fI away thunders
Heavy and fast as the shots of q gun.
Up On the hill where the wind flowers nestle,
Like new fall. n stars on the green messy strand
Ihere come the dead notes Of the house cleaning
pestle-
The found OF the carpet Is heard in the land.
Upl tor thu song birds their mathis are singing;
Up, for the morning. is tfnting the skies;
Up, Tor the good wife the switches is bringing,
Out to the line where the hall car pet fias.
Up amt away for the car pet Is dusty
Fly, for the house cleaning Gays have begun
Ran, for the wemanly temper IL crusiy ;s
Up and be doing, lest ye be undone!
Late, late, too late. Just one moment Of snoring,
He wales to the sound of the tumu!t below.
Ger the beating Of carl cts he hears 8 voice roarlGs,
"Brrakfdst was over three hours ago!"
Zee, tie is plunged in the front of the battle,
Where dust Is the thickest they tell him to stand
Where suds, mops and scrub brushes spatter and
rattle,
And the sound of the csrptt is heard in the land
CBurlington HGVEeye.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-06-23

The m~oistening of coal with a view
to increase its heating effect is frequently
practiced. A calculation in a Ger
man journal, based upon a careful con-
sideration of the products formed and
the heat generated in their combustion,
together with the specific heat of the
products of combustion and of the air
required, as well as Of the heat rendered
latent in the steam, demonstrates not
only that heat is obtained from the coal,
but that the temperature produced is
lower than with dry coal, and that there
is consequently a waste of fuel. 1t ia
admitted that in exceptional cases OF
dusty coal it may be advi>able to m"isten
it to render it more compact, and pro-
mote the access of the air in burning.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-06-23
KEEP YOUR

A boy borrowed a tool from a carpen-
ter, promising to return it at night. Be-
fore evening he was sent away on an
GRAND, and did not return ratil late.
Before going he was told that his brother
should see that the articletRas returned.
After he had come home he inquired and
found that the tool had not been sent to
its owner. He was much distressed to
think his promise had not been Kept,
but was persuaded to go to sleep and
rise early and carry it home the next
morning. By daylight he was up, and
| nowhere was the tool to be found. After
a long fruitless search he set off for his
neighbours in great distress to aeknowl-
edge his fault. But how great was his
surprise to find the tool on his neigh
boris deorstone. And then it appeared,
from the prints of his little bare feet in
the mud, that the lad had got up in his
sleep and carried the tool home. and
gone to bed again without knowing it.
Of course a boy who was prompt in his
sleep was prompt when awake. Re-
spected while he lived, he had the con-
fdence OF his neighbors, and was placed
in many Offices OF trust and profit. If
all grown persons felt as this boy did
there would be a good many tracks of
bare feet found some of these bright
mornings, and what piles of books and
tools would be found at their owners
doors y
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-06-23

San Frsnc'sco is laughing over the
ingenious suicide Of the leve-sick Baron
Won der Wense. Il wing written a ten.
derby rep,oach VI letter to the faithles,
one. and disposed ofabout tour thousand
dollars to his relatives, he obviated til,
necessity Of q funeral BY swimming out
% sea with . rial Of p iron in his mouth,
and there made lis exit from this world
Of sorrow il an artistic and thorouIhs
gracef full style.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-06-23
A BRDEGUs

A pleasant story is told by Sir John
Lubbock, quoting from Weissmann,
illustrative uf the means Of protection
which some insects possess. The cater
pillar Of the sphinx moth is quitea as good
food for birds as any other insect; but it
is perfeetiy protected by it's ugliness. Its
facets it's fortune, having two great spots
on it which look like eyes when the
caterpillar wriggles. In general the insect
is suggestive of a small snake. especially
when it is frightened so that it draws
back its head and shows it's false eyes to
advantage. M. Weisshann put one of
these c~aterpillars into a seed tray where
he usually fed sparrows and other small
birds. The first bird that alighted op
the edge of the tray, ~pereeiving the insect,
became half paralyzed with fear. Eight
or ten birds Joined the first one, but all
stood on the edge of the tray, afraid to
go in. One bird few into the tray at first,
but on seeing the caterpillar hastily
scrambled out and joined the company
on the edge that were bobbing their
heads up and down, and looking into
the tray as if half terrified. After the
caterpillar was removed the birds went
into the tray for seeds as usual.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-06-23

IT is the general impression in Italy
that bread made from Indian corn is un-
wholesome, frequently producing sporadic
diseases, which often terminate fatally.
The facta appear to be we'll established,
and the result to depend upon a condi-
ton of mouldiness which is very apt to
s~upervene in consequence of the method
of preparing bread Gin that country.
Quite recently some chemists have suc-
ceeded III separating from mouldy Indian
meal an alkaioid substance, which il
white, easily alterabls, non-crystalline,
insoluble in water, soluble in alcohol and
ether, which, acts poisonously on man
and animals. It is especially noteworthy
that the sulphuric acid solution, when
oxidizing agents are added. has q blue
color, strikingly similar to that OF the
corresponding reaction Of strychnine.
The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-06-23

sstrer spooRs-one very bright and new,
the other with Harry's name On the
handle. Nan screamed outright with joy,
but ran into the house and brought
his mother and the cook, and everybody
looked pleased, thouaheverybody laughed
to see how sulky Jack looked, and how he
RULED his feathers and put on little in
jqrsd airs when his property was taken
from him.
But Bob skunk into a corner and had
not 2 word to say. And Nan, who ran
after him, found his eyes full Of tears.
II didn't put the spoons there he
said when she questioned him.
tOf course you didn't, Bob: no one
thinks yo1 did, cried Nan il suddn Re.
pentencs, as she remembered her unkind
words to the little beggar. We. new
dreamed thatJa would steal; but we've
found out that you were the honest one.
You haven't staid here 80 long and been
such . good BOY, Bob, that we couldn't
tell thati'
Bob looked very happy, but his brown
face was perfectly radiant when Mrs.
Hartman patted his head kindly.
You must forget all the unpleasant
things and remember only the pleasant
onep B'l,, she said. Ny husband has
believed il you and trusted you all the
time. But tell me . thing, ny boy
what made you want 70 stay with Us I
Why didn't You go away when you
knew We thought yon had taken til. fe
spoons r
t.saugAt maybe you'd find EN-, and
then you'd k~nnw-know I wasn' ta thiet. !
Bhereupon Bob, hansing his head and
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-06-02

The following clipped from the Fairs
mont Vest Virginian, serves to show
the effect of Mr.. Thompson's work: "In
looking over our State exchanges we see
that Rev. j. R. Thompson, of the West
Virginia University at Morgantown,i is
making vigorous canvass of this State
i'll favor Of the institution over which he
presides. He has shown an energy in
the prosecution of the work assigned him
that is rarely equalled and never excell-
ed. We have private information to
the effect that the University is thriving
and growing rapidly under the new
management, and has already regained
the ground lost by the action of the
Board of Regents in removing the form
er President, Rev, Alexander Martin,
and is still advancing, promising in the
near future to be one of the foremost
institutions of the kind in the United
States. We return thanks for a cata-
lcgue Of the University, lately receiv~
ed.
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-06-02
EASTERN WAR.
Misunderstanding Between Rus
STA, Germany and Austria.
Russians Communications Cut
off
TIC Cross the Danube Jnne 10th.

LONDON, May. 28.-Advices recciy-
cd here Of a semi-ofiicial character,
state that Russia, Germany and Aus
tria have arrived at an understand
ing and tn 1t the war in the East will
be localized.
A dispatch from st. Petersburg
says the Russians claim to have de
feated the Turks at the Akapa
Heights, in Caucasus.
LONDON, May 2S.-A telegram
from Tiliis says the Turks hold the
roads through the Caucasus from
the Black Sea to Tihis.
A Bucharest dispatch says it is
expected that the Russians will cross
the Danube June 10th.
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-06-02

it shouid not), our little, enterprising
and Aospitable metropolis, Wheeling,
would have been made the'capital and
the question settled forever. But this
idea did not prevail, and the legisla-
ture concluded to submitthe question
on the places nearest the geographic
al centre on public thoroughfare al
ready completed. These points are
admitted to be Clarksburg and
Charleston, and why Martinsburg
was included in the places to be voted
for we can't tell. 1t is apparent to
every reasoning mind that every vote
for Martinsburg is equivalent to a
vote from Clarksburg and vote for
Charleston, without any reasonable
chance of success for Martinsburg.
Therefore, with the best of feeling
towards Charleston and Martinsburg
and their worthy citizens, and in the
humble discharge of our duty and
privilege as a citizen of West Virgin
ia, we nail
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-06-02

Of these two will always be cloud upon
the business horizon of this wonderful
State, for capitalists will not invest
money in ranches and cattle, and run
the risk Of a burning season, when all
their possessions will be davoured and
annihiated by the sun and dust.
81 fear you will soon lear of more
business disasters of most gigantic
character from this coast. Things were
really in an unwholsome state when
Ralston died but the difficulty was then
averted only to end in greater calamity
and panic. 1t is a fact that people who
were millionaires six months ago are to-
day eager to secure situations as walters
and farm laborers. The drouth alone
nearly ruined the State, bu: occurring
simultaneously with the bursting of the
Mining bubble it has proved more than
the pc ople can stand. Starvation literal,
ly stares the whole farming population in
the face, and in u few eeks more they
will have neither meat fruit ror grain.
Confrmatory of the above is the fol
lowing taken fron a letter from Stanis-
laus county, Cal, and addressed to a
citizen Of Botetourt county, Va.
"Our crop prospects are indeed very
unpromising, The season has been un-
usually dry throughout, l doubt much
whether the entire Sanjoaquin valley
will yield 100, 900 bushels Of wheat and
harley, which last year yielded about
10000, 900 bushels"
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-06-02

Ex-Gov. Morton, of the State of In
diana and bloody shirt notoriety, has
written a letter in which he endeav-
ors to mix the bloody shirt and the
peace policy of Hayes, and, truly, it
makes a strange MIC. An exchange
thus speaks of the old bloody shirt
governor of Indiana and his course
since the election: "Among the
things beth painful and amusing to
witness is to see prominent politi-
clan cast on shoal in the straits of
public opinion, not knowing whittier
to direct his craft, and then to note
his terror, trepidation, and tergiversa-
tons. just such an exhibition we
have been treated to in the grand and
lofty tumbling of Senator Morton in
the political arena last week. Big
with Presidential aspirations, and
fearing either to speak or keep silent,
lest utterance or silence shall destroy
his prospects, after months of anxiety
the world knows not of, he breaks
forth, as has always been done in such
cases from time immemorial, in
strains to please ears prone to every
sense He comes dashing into the
ring attempting to ride two horses,
each cavorting in different directions,
flying the pale flag of peace and the
easanguined shirt, and playing the
harp of a thousand strings. Deter
mined to be on every side, and to be
champion of every view, he declares
himself to be in full sympathy with
the President in the end sought to be
obtained by his policy, while he sol
emily protests in every word he
speaks that the means adopted to Sc
cure the end were wicked in their in
difference to the wants and welfare of
the Republican party and the MAORI
ty of'the people of the States surren-
dered to the Democratic party"
AS this article was, without doubt,
inspired at the White House, or by
one of the commission having Hayes
in charge, it's Importance will be per-
,ceived. Mr.. Morton will not control
any of the foreign appointments to be
made soon.
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-06-02
WOES OF THECALIFORNIANS
A Famine Appreciated.

The regular California correspondent
of the Sun has frequently of late refer
red to the bad crop prospects in that
State, the ruin wrought by which is to
be added to the bnrsting If the silver
mining bubble. A California letter in
the New York Graphic more than COLI
firms all that the correspondent has said
on this subject. Under date of May IS
the annexed gloomy paragraphs are CIV
Ell.
"All the news from the Pacific coast
is disastrous. Igive itas my deliberaet
opinion that we will have famine in
this State before the season is over. The
drouth has killed all oul crops, and
nearly destroyed all our cattle. tn
is the second great drouth since the set
tlement of California, and the memory
The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-06-02
The Rights of Married Women.

The decision of the Supreme Court.
rendered at Charleston recently, sets
at rest the question of bringing a suit
against a married woman. We clip
the syllabus of the Supreme Court in
the case Of Stockton rs. Farley from
the Richie Gozette:-
81. III this State common law
suit cannot be brought against mar
lied woman on any contract made her
while married and living with her hus-
band.
2. If such suit is brought against
her she may plead her coverture at the
time the contract was made in bar of
The action.
3. The Court declines to decide in
this case, whether such a suit could be
brought against her when the contract
was made while she was living separate
and apart from her husband.
4. In such a case if a common law
suit was brought against her she could
plead in bar of the action her overture
when The contract was made, and the
proper mode Of raising the question,
whether in such case a common law act
ion could be brought against her would
be for the plaintiff to offer areplication,
that when the contract was made she
was living separate and apart from her
husband, which replication should be
received or rejected as the court might
hold that such an action could or would
not lie in such case.
"This was an action at law upon q
note made by a married woman while
living with her husband, to which coy
erture was plead in bar. The Circuit
Court of Kanawha county, where SAID
action was brought, rejected the plea,
and the defendant appealed from the
decision and carried the case to tbs
Court of Appeals. This Court. as has
been seen from the syllabus, reversed
the decision Of the opinion, besides that
an action at law cannot be maintained
by or against married woman upon q
contract made by her while living with
her husband, but that she can bring an
action to recover her separate property,
she being the legal owner thereof, and
perhaps in some other cases in relation
to her separte property"
We sum up the law bearing upon this
question, in a brief space.
The estate ola married woman is not
liable for her debts, even though she
contracts them in person, except upor
an absolute understanding to that effect
A married woman, living with hel
husband canuot execute note, OF any
other written contract, and such writing
will be void.
No suit at law can be brought against
a married woman.