davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-11
A Man in a Vat Of Boiling Lard.

A most distressing accident, which
has entailed the greatest agony and
may yet result in death, occurred at the
pork-packing establishment of Stewart
Bros, in Council Bluffs, ON Tuesday.
A lard-tender by the name of Frank
Dean was on duty in the department
containing the rendering-vats, and was
alone. He had about completed his duty
for the day, and was preparing to leave
the room, when little business called
for his presence near the watts. The
room was filled with steam, and, in pass
ing near one of the vats, he slipped and
fell into the boiling mass, which was
almost deep enough to cover him. No
one was near to hear his agonizing
screams, or render him assistance in his
terrible extremity. By a miraculous
Providence there chanced to be beam
or some object Immediately above
him, which he could grasp with
his hands, and after ter
rible struggle drew himself out
of the boiling mass. He was soon dis
covered by other attendants after he
had succeeded in extricating himself,
and was removed to the house of his IA
ther, w. w. Dean, and medical skill
eXerted to the utmost to relieve him.
His injuries are very great, and great
er than would have been the case if his
clothes had been taken off him imme-
diately after he was found. His chest,
head and left side were badly burned,
and his agony is said to be indescriba-
BILE.
The Globe of last evening says: "He
is now more easy, but his life hangs by
a thread. He was one of the most in
dustrious young men of our city; has a
large number Of acquaintance, and this
news will fall upon them like heavy
weight. We hope he may soon be able
to again greet his friends, who will
await with interest the final result. ~
Omaha Herald.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-11
Foreign Landowners.

From Mr.. John Bright's return of the
owners of land in Ireland we learn
that 36, ia people own less than one
acre apiece, while 1889 own from 100
to 500 acres; 1903 own from 1000 to
1900 acres; 452 own from 5000 to 1O,-
900 acres; 1S5 own from 10000 to 2O,-
900 acres; 80 own from 10000 to 5O,-
600 acres; IA own from $4,000 to 100,-
900 acres and upwards. These figures
are strikingly suggestive; but they on
ly illustrate the fact that the soil of
Ireland is owned by a comparatively
small number ofpeople. In the United
Kingdom, London excepted, 852, ,438
people possess 179, ,349 acres, which is
a fraction over one fifth of an acre each :;
but % persons own 5,510,5Sl acres,
which is over 1876, ,S06 acres each; Al
persons own between $4,000 and 1O0,-
900 acres, and 169 own from 10000 to
$4,000 each. The people in Ireland
who own 500 acres and upwards hold
S7.9 per cent. of the land, while in
Great Britain this class hold 77.3 per
cent of the land. Those who own 500
acres and upward in the United King
dom hold 81 per cent. of the total
area. Four -ffths of the land of the
United Kingdom is actually owned by
less than 19, ,246 persons. The tale tells
its own moral.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-11
A Family Of Eight Persons Found I'm.
conscious from SuffOcatiOn.

The entire family of Joseph Wood
house, consisting of himself, wife and
SIX children, narrowly escaped death
from sutfocation at Newark yesterday,
all OF them being, when discovered,
unconscious. The family lives at No
311 Market Street, and slept in rooms
warmed by Baltimore heater, from
which, by some accident, the gas was
allowed to escape into the bedrooms.
The family usually arose early, and a
neighbor, finding at 9 o'clock that ap-
parently no one was up, became alarm
ed and attempted to secure an entrance.
Failing in this she notified officer Prant,
who forced his way into the bedrooms,
and found the whole six lying in bed in
an insensible condition, which had
probably lasted hours. He carried
them out and laid the bodies in the
lower hall, where strong draft of cold
air caused them to revive before ply
sician arrived. In the course of couple
OF hours all except the father had almost
completely recovered. Mr. Woodhouse
was still suffering severely from the
effects of the gas this morning, but was
regarded as in fair way to entirely re-
cOVer.-Ne1O York Mail.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-11
Four Victims of the Brooklyn Fire.

1t was only on Friday last that Mr..
Charles Halpin, of Stamford, received
letter informing him of the death of
three near relatives in the Brooklyn fire.
He saw their names (McClellan) in the
published list of the dead, but as the
family lived in New York and very rare
ly went to Brooklyn he did not suppose
for moment they were his relatives.
It appears, however, that one of them,
a young lady of twenty, had an admirer
living in Brooklyn, and he purchased
tickets for the young lady, her mother
and her two brothers, and invited the
whole party to accompany him over to
Brooklyn to see the "Two Orphans"
One of the two brothers, being delayed
at his work down town, did not get
home in time to accompany the others.
They left his ticket for him, but it was
so late by the time he was ready to go,
that he reluctantlyresolved not to go at
all. The rest of the party-mother'
son, daughter, and her lover went.
and all we're lost, the bodies OF all put
one being burned beyond recognision'
Stamford Comm advocate, Dec. ~
Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-11
Science and Industry.

Connecticut brown stone is now be-
ing shipped to Europe by quarrymen at
Portland.
"A Wisconsin inventor has patented
a corn-cutter which is attached to the
operators feet, so that at every step he
can cut hill of corn. The labor is
light, like skating vigorously all day on
rough ice.
The pineapple is cultivated extern
sively in the East Indies, where the
leaves are converted into akind of wad-
ding, used for upholstering purposes
instead of hair, and into a sort of fan
mel, of which substantial shirts and
coats are made.
The attention of agriculturists is
directed to the sulphocarbonate of po-
tassium as an insecticide. 1t has been
used with great success among the vine
yards of France, but requires some per-
sistence.
The cultivation of celery is now
recommended to farmers, not only as
source of profit to themselves, but as q
benefit to the community, since the
habitual daily use of this vegetable is
more beneficial to man as nerve tonic
than most persons are aware of. Those
especially who are engaged in labor
weakening to the nerves should use
celery daily during its season.
But few people outside the sugar
trade have any idea of its magnitude.
The exports of cane sugar from pro-
ducing countries to the consuming
markets reached, last year, the surpris-
ing aggregate of 2, 100000 tons, while
the yield of beet-root sugar amounted
to 1917, 1928, or total production of
raw sugar reaching the enormous guam
thy of 3,457, ,623 tons. This year, as is
well known, the production is consid-
erably less.
"A very novel and, at the same
time, intesting experiment, according
to the Lockport IN. W papers, is soon
to be attempted in that city by Mr..
Holly, the successful water works pump
inventor. This experiment is to heat
the whole city with steam, after the
same manner as it is lighted with gas.
The city is to be divided into districts,
and each district is to have its separate
boiler. Mains from each boiler are to
run to the different houses, and all the
occupant has to do is to turn on fau-
Get, and obtain all the heat he wants.
1t is well known that large por-
ton of the tobacco grown never enters
into that state of fermentation neces-
sary to fully develop its burning quality,
flavor and dark color, SO that it retains
its wild, rank elements land its green
and yellow leaves, and is therefore un-
fit for cigar purposes. An apparatus,
however, has now been invented, which
is described in recent number of the
Scientific american, by which such to-
bacco can be forced to sweat and color,
and it's quality can be improved, thus
reclaiming a large quantity of goods
hitherto considered worthless.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-11
How She Induced Her Husband TO Take
the Temperance Pledge.

Women desirous of reforming their
lords and masters who are given to
quaffing the cup which cheers and ine-
briates should take q leaf out of the
book of an estimable and clever LADY,
on the West Side. Her husband, alasi
is given to coming home at what the
fashion reporter calls 'a late, or, rath-
er, an early hour" with his legs tied
in double bow-knots and his speech
about three feet thick. Does she jaw
him, or threaten to 60 home to her
mother, and put to him the unanswer-
able conundrum, "Oh, why did ever
marry youp" and burst into tears or
lapse into an aggressive silence? Not
much she dosen't. She just waits till
next morning, and then brings him
hair of the dog that bit him, with
dash of seltzer in it, and prattles to
him pleasantly, and devises breakfast
that picks him up thoroughly, and gen.
orally behaves to him in a generous
and oblivious manner. These Goals of
fire soon melt his rugged nature, and,
as he begins to look ashamed of him.
self, she says: "Algernon, do so wish
you wouldn't drink. You are, when
sober, the best of husbands, but not
when you have put an enemy into your
mouth to steal away your brains. Last
night you sat down at the table and
called out 'Zwei' Or some horrid thing
like that, and then yelling, 'Ain't you
going to fetch them beers?' seized me
by the throat and, catching up the carv-
ing-knife, wanted to cut the children's
throats? If you don't believe me, there
is the knife before your own eyes.
Thank heaven, with the energy of des-
pair was able to cling to you till you
fell over the sewing-machine and went
to sleep with your head in my work.
basket singing, Happy be thy
dreams!'" "Great Cesar!" says he,
'did do that, MaudP" ssDid youP
Why, of course you did; but, my love,
know you were not yourself, for you
would not hurt hair of our heads if
you knew what you were doing" He,
of course, doesn't recollect any thing
about it, and considers it queer that the
carving-knife should be on the sting
room table at 2 80 q. M, but he falls a
victim of circumstantial evidence, and
shaddering at the idea that he might
have been murderer, goes light ON it
for q while.
Next time he goes on a spree, she
confscates all his money except his
small change, and tells him that when
he came home he beloved wildly,
"'Tis mine, tits his, and has been slave
to thousands" and threw all his money
into the stove, threatening to brain her
with the poker if she approached ere
the crematory process had been con-
cjuded Next time she ShnwS him s0me
silk and felt scraps as the remnants of
her new hat which he tore to fragments
in his wild rage, and he had to ante up
for another one. Altogether she has
played that husband so completely that
he has resolved to sign the temperance
pledge and present it to her as Christ
mas gift, and he means to keep it, too.
The fun of it is that whenever that hus-
band gets drunk he is the most amiable
and harmless of men, and that all his
desperate attempts at suicide, arsoma
and wife-butchery are sheer inventions.
Chicago Tribune.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-11

Wagon wheels are among the things
that 60 by turns.
An industrious man with hand
cart can make living if he pushes
things.
The Boston Bulletin suggests
sMated and Cremated'' as an appro-
pirate head for the sMarriage and
Death" column Of the future.
He took sudden seat, he did,
In all his gorgeous foppery;
Such meurnful spectacles we see,
When sidewalks are so slippery.
And she, poor girl, went down with him,
In all her pull back fippery;
Such tragic incidents take place,
When sidewalks are 30 slippery.
People say that they she'll peas
when they a9s shell them; that they
husE corn when they um-husk it; that
they dust the furniture when they an
dust it or take the dust from it; that
they skin calf when they u7s-skin it,
and that they scale fishes when they Naa-
scale them. I have heard many men
say they were going to aoeed their gar
dens when thought their gardens were
weedy enough already.
AS a resident of Woodward Avenue
stood at his gate yesterday morning a
boy about thirteen years old came along
with snow-shovel on his shoulder.
"Ha! boy-come here-want a job?"
called the gentleman. "Sir!" answer
ed he boy with great dignity. "Pitch
the snow off my walk and I'll give you
a quarter" continued the Avenuer.
"Sir! you don't know me-" said the
lad as he marched on. stI am on my
way to clear the walks in front of ia
theirs fourteen lots up here. All our
eighteen horses are lame, and our gold
mounted snow-plow is out Of order, or
else you wouldn't see me carrying this
shovel around. I'm offering five dol
lars to any one who will carry it up as
far as Parsons Street. .''-Free Press.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-11
Foreign Notes.

Spread of American ideas. Young,
Arabs now greet the traveller in Egypt
with the familiar salutation, "black
your boots.'
The rebuilding of the Tuileries and
its transformation into a museum have
been decided upon by the French Gov.
ernment. The prospects OF the Paris
Exposition of 1873 are looked upon as
gloomy in presence of the existing Eu-
ropean complications.
United States Minister Washburne
has presented President Grants apollo
gies to the Duke DecaZes, Minister of
Foreign Affairs, for the arrest at Phila-
delphia of Capt. Aufrye, naval attche of
the French Legation at Washington,
and Delegate French Commissioner to
the Centennial Exhibition at Philadel-
phia, at the instance of one of the Ex-
hibition policemen.
Last year, it will be remembered, 81
young English lady, Miss Stratton, dis
tinguished herself by making the ascent
of Mont Blanc in midwinter-on Jan.
81. She is large, handsome girl with
a private income of $4,000 per annum,
and is about to marry the Alpine guide
with whom she has made many ascents.
Although in love with her, he could not
wed her, he said, unless she would be-
come Roman Catholic. She has de-
cided to abjure the Protestant faith,
and is now building a chateau near Ar
gentine, in Switzerland, where the hap
py pair will dwell.
The German Government has late
ly published the results of an investiga-
ton by various States of the Empire,
with regard to the employment of
women in manufactures. From the re-
turns it appears that 226,OO0 women
above 16 years of age are so engaged.
About one-fourth are married, and more
than one-half are employed in textile
industry, 81, 900 in the manufacture of
cigars, and the rest in various branches
The duration of work is from 10 to II
hours day, and never exceeds Is
hours. In wages, the usual pay is from
S1.20 to 81 per week, although many
skilled WOrkWomen receive as much
as Sc.
"A letter from Constantinople to the
Messenger Franco AnaertcGta states that
the Turks expect, in case of war. an in
vasion by Russia both on the European
and Asiatic sides. They claim that they
can place zoe, 900 men in the field, and
have provisioned and supplied the fort
resscs of Kars and Erzeroum for nearly
a year. English officers have been Wis
iting both strongholds of late, inspect
ing the defenses and offering suggest
ions. 1t is fully expected at CONSTANT
nople that the English will occupy the
city on the outbreak of war. English
officers have indicated locations for de.
fenses, but no work has yet been COM
menced.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-11
HapS and MishnEs.

At Washington, ID. c., carpenter
named VIM. Lawrie, while entering his
residence, slipped upon step and fell,
and was literally impaled upon the
heading of the iron fence surrounding
the premises. He died in very few
moments.
Mary Heiley, aged years, of Pitts
burgh, Pa. was fatally burned while play
ing before an open fire. The flames
from her clothing were communicated
to the bed Of her invalid father, who
was rescued with difficulty. Ayounger
sister was seriously but not fatally
burned.
Will Taylor, a young man living
near Morgantown, Ind, blew into the
muzzle of his gun to ascertain if it
was loaded. His foot, which held the
hammer, slipped and discharged the
gun, causing instant death.
A son of G. Lloyd, of Orient, Osce-
ola County, Mich, was burned to death
by the house taking fire. The lad,
about 10 years of age, was asleep in the
garret. Mr.. Lloyd was aroused by his
sons cries, and tried to reach his bed,
but was driven back by the fire and
compelled to abandon his son to the
flames.
Recent suicides: Henry H. Son.
nickson, proprietor of the Indiana
House, at Richmond, Ind, committed
suicide by shooting himself while his
wife was at the Courthouse prosecut-
ing suit for divorce on the ground of
his dissipated habits and neglect
Robert Schultz, a young German me-
chanic of Evansville, Ind, shot HIM
self through the head with revolver.
The boy had been drinking, and is sup
posed to have committed the deed be-
cause of his fathers scolding him for
not coming home.-Thomas Wilkinson,
prominent and wealthy citizen
of Davenport, Iowa, shot himself
while standing before mirror, caus-
ing instant death. No cause is known.
Dana o. Whitman, an old resident
and merchant of Dixon, Iowa, hung
himself in the barn with pair of reins.
He was discouraged by the dullness OF
Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-11

1t is proposed to offer the superin.
tendence of the Massachusetts schools
to Mr.. w. Y. Harris, at present Super,
intendent Of the st. Louis Schools.
The Lutherans are now outstrip-
PIN all other denominations in their
yearly increase. The Methodist Epis-
copal Church reports gain of about
10000 this year; but this is surpassed
by the increase of the Lutherans, which
amounts to 1926.
Somebody said to Robert Hall !:
"How many discourses do you think,
Mr.. Hall, may a minister get up each
week?" Answered Hall: "If he is a
deep thinker and great condenser, he
may get up one; if he is an ordinary
man, two; but if he is an ass, sir, he
will produce half a Dozen"
The Rev. Charles r. Treat, of
Greenwich, Conn, preached on last
thanksgiving Day sermon which was
delivered hundred years before to q
regiment of Revolutionary soldiers then
encamped in that town. It was re-
cital of events in the Revolutionary
struggle and an acknowledgment of the
Divine aid.
in compensation for the destruc-
ton of the American chapel at Yen
Pig-Fua, China, few years ago, &
party has been sent by the local au-
thorities to the U, S. Consul, with a
sum of money for books and other
property destroyed. The chapel is re-
built and delivered to the missionary,
and a proclamation issued explaining
the rights of foreigners to reside in the
interior.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-11
ITEMS OF INTEREST.
Personal and Literary.

|
Mr.. Hallam Tennyson, son of the
poet, is a writer of some promise.
1t is said that Mr.. George Bancroft
has started testimonial fund for Wade
Hampton.
Oliver Goldsmith's grand-niece,
Jane Goldsmith, has just died at the
Home for the Aged in Halifax, N. S.
Gen. Hawley says that the best
thing he saw at the Exhibition was the
American people, and that during the
whole time he was there he did not see
single intoxicated person on the
grounds, nor did he witness any diff
Guilty or alteration.
The wife of Ex-United States Sena-
tor Henderson of Wisconsin has dedi-
Gated book on cookery which she has
just written to the wife of Gen. Sher-
man, whom in her dedication she calls
GA lady who studies the comforts of
her household
of Senator Conkling's memory.
Major Ben Perley Poore says that it is
wonderful. "You quote line or two
of Chaucer, Spenser, or any of the
old English poets, and he will repeat
ehO WAoiC poCLu GOsJOu
Mrs. Jane G. Swisshelm saws of
Anna Dickinson s Anne Boleyn: "There
is no kind of COMPRISING machine or
patent corset that can ever put this
great representative American woman
into the dimensions of that very small
sized bit of English royalty
-Auerbach, the German novelist, is
OF Hebrew parentage, about 81 years
old. He is short and rather ponderous,
has a close-cropped gray beard, and a
face of the thoroughly Hebrew type.
He is witty, tells good stories, and mas
the art of amusing the titled society
which he seeks. His manner, which is
somewhat breezy, has gained for him
the title of ''the Tyrolese of the SALON."
Henry G. Shaw ("Josh Billings'O
said to St. Louis reporter that he had
been told by Ossian E. Dodge of fact
in ArtemuS Wards career in c0ntradic-
ton of the accepted history of that hu-
morist. Mr.. Dodge was travelling in
the Western States with show consist
ing of musical machine and vocalism.
He met young Browne, liked his wit and
sprightliness, and employed him as an
agent; While thus engaged Browne
wrote the quaint letters about the
''snaix and wax-fggers'' that intro
duced him to the public as "Artemus
Ward, moril Snowman.
Mark Twain looks like any thing
but humorist. Two deep wrinkles
between his eyebrows mar face other
wise as fresh and fair as a boys. His
slight figure, his nervous way of twitch-
ing his hands and stroking his mus
tache, and the apparent embarrassment
of his manners suggests modest clerk
or an overworked okkeeper. He
rarely laughs, at least openly, although
his friends say he constantly grins in
ternally at the funny people and situa-
brain.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-11
School and Church.

-Thirty-six States and eight Terri
tories report 14,O07, 1922 children enti-
tied to instruction.
During President Smiths admins
tration at Dartmouth College $500, $50
has been given to the in stitution.
Ladies have been elected to the
School Committee of New Bedford,
Mass, from two of the wards of that
city.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-11

business.--Jim jackson, in Jail at De-
catur, Ga, on a charge of murder and
robbery, hanged himself with a pocket
handkerchief to save himself from a
mob, who surrounded the Jail for the
purpose of lynching him. The Sheriff
was defending the Jail with a posse of
sixty men at the time.
The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1877-05-19
Hard Times in Gotham.

'Jay Charlton, who is evidently n
close observer, says in n letter from New
York to the Danbury News:
wandered two miles along Broadway.
I noticed that men walked less hast
lily than they did two or three years ago.
They were not rushing from store to
store with fat wallets and importunatc
accounts. They slouched easily along,
with sort Of Sailor's roll, and seemed
to have little to do. Boys were no long
er tacking to avoid brusque men. Clerks
stood iu store windows twirling their
whiskers. Windows OF gun and pistol
stores were not pntronized by gaping
crowds Of countrymen. There was much
moving out Of tenants, and few pretty
dNmsels stood hesitalingly in front Of
Photographic galleries, wondering which
artist they would pNtronize. Pretty
wagons were displayed, but few were
there to buy. In front Of some Of the
ribbon stores there we're lady gdzers
drawn from pure curiosity. Stewards
had no jam in front Of its wide doors.
Mems clothes seemed poorer; there were
AuSbGA NhHSn " Ncptot tAI4h boVtot b4Ic
shiny, were greyly overlapping their soles.
Perhaps girls flirted more, because they
lad nothing else to do; bnt the men who
had time 10 ogle them had not money
for ice cream saloons. The bars were
not so bustling, and the cheap restau-
rants contained greater number Of
people than the dearer ones. Thought
there were fewer apple stands. Button
hole bouquets frightened fewer lappels,
and the picture and music stores were
vacant. Where crowds were most toibe
expected, in theScarpet and furniture
stores, there was lack Of people. The
old Street, once crazy as betllam, was
almost as quiet as tho streets Of o South
,ern city, No grass grew among the
stones, but the Sparrows had no one en-
ergetic enough to disturb them while
they were stealing stray bits for their /,
nests. Itwas evident, that we are living
in hard times,