davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-28
4 Dangerous Position.

On the coast Of Normandy the women
are tough and hard to kill. A few weeks
ago the wives of three fishermen, having
filed their baskets with shell-fish, were
going home, when they found them
selves suddenly in the midst of a dense
fog, which prevented their seeing land.
But they knew their way, and walked
on. This was about six o'clock in the
evening. When they thought they were
near home they were surprised by the
tide. They walked as long as they
could, but at length had to stop. Tue
water was then up to their knees. They
had to remain in the water till the tide
receded, the fog being still dense. They
screamed as loudly as tn y could, but
heard no voice in reply, and they were
finally overtaken by the morning tide.
Meanwhile their husbands were running
up and down the sands with lighted
torches, screaming with all their might /;
but neither party saw nor heard the
other. At last the fog cleared away and
the tide ran ont, and the three fisher
mems wives were rescued, after having
been in the water twenty-five hours,
and during a night when the frost had
bitten every tree in the neighborhood.
They did not seem to feel much the
worse for their adventure, and were in
clined to laugh over it.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-28
Death from Oyer.Eating.

A French cook named Paquette set out
from a village On the upper Ottawa,
Canada, some time ago, to walk to Cat
ineau Point through the snow, having
supplied himself with provisions enough
to last him several days. He proceeded
quietly on his journey for the first day,
but on the second, binding snow-storm
came on, and he lost his way. At the
end of the third day, the provision bag
gave ont, and he had not the slightest
idea of his whereabouts. On the seventh
day he had grown SO weary that he was
unable to walk any further. He lay
down in snow bank and made up his
mind that there he would have to per-
ish. He had been there but few min
utes when horse and cutter came in
view, and he had barely sufficient
strength left to hail the driver. He sue
ceeded, however, in the end, and it
turned out to be priest, to whom he
told his story. The priest drove him
to the parsonage and gave him some
thing to eat. He then left him alone at
the table whilst he went outside to look
after his horse, and when he returned,
found Paquette lying on the floor writh-
ing in agony. He had eaten too much
and died before a physician could be
summoned.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-28
How Rubber Balls are Made.

The process of making the hollow
rubber balls used by children for play
things is quite curious, and may be in
teresting to those not familiar with it.
A Holyoke writer thus describes it:
The upper room of the mill is prepared
to push this branch of the business for
few months, and it will probably turn
out some 80, 900 dozen Of those balls be-
tween January and June. These balls
have a solid surface, are made by a
different process from that of making
the soft rubber balls which are perfor-
ated by an opening, and, of course, are
much more firm, durable and elastic.
The sheets of rubber prepared for the
balls are cut into strips of double convex
shape. The edges of the strips are
moistened with q preparation of rubber
and naphtha, by which they are joined
firmly together, three of the strips being
used for one ball. This part of the work
IS done by girls, and skillful girl can
earn about $1.5O per day. When the
strips are Joined together, the ball is
very near the shape of Brazil nut.
Before the last opening is closed, a small
quantity of carbonate Of ammonia is put
inside, which, when subjected to strong
Ilcab, Will udh6 buo TuUucI cApduu duu
fill out the ball mold. The opening is
then closed with the adhesive mixture,
and it is placed in an iron mold of the
size and shape of the bali desired. The
molds are packed into frames in which
they are subjected to the heat of the
vulcanizer. They are kept in place in
the frame by iron rods along the side,
and, when the frame is full, iron plates
at the ends are screwed down tightly
upon the molds to hold them in place.
These iron plates are about three e-fourths
of an inch thick, and so strong is the
expansive force of the rubber in the
molds that they have bent this thick iron
into curve. If one of the molds should
work out of place while vulcanizing is
in process, the molds will fly out with
a noise like the report of dozen pistols,
and the work is spoiled. The action of
the heat does the rest. When the molds
are opened they contain the perfect
round balls, with no mark of the places
where the pieces were placed. The
slight ridge made by the mold is ground
off by q stone used for the purpose, and
the ball is done. This is but one pro-
cess of rubber work. Besides the hollow
balls are made solid balls of rubber, etc.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-28
Movements of the Stars.

The star known as Groombridge,
though in the category of fixed stars,
moves at the rate of not less than two
hundred miles per second. With this
speed it cannot be stopped in its career
by any star which it may approach, or
compelled to form an orbit around star
or star group. Whence originated this
enormous velocity? The combined at
traction of all the stars known to astron-
omers would not confer it, 1t must have
begun outside of our visible universe.
The star will pass through that universe
with unchanged course. We know neither
whence it came or whittier it is going.
AS to the proper motions of other stars,
they are so different in their direction
and speed, that we must conclude that
the stellar universe has neither the sta
bility nor the regularity of our solar
system. But these and other considera-
tions-in fact, all modern scientific dis
coveries and research-point to the con-
clusion that,our universe had beginning
and will come to an end.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-28
Premature Burial.

Another lucky escape from burial
alive has occurred in Paris in the case of
a lawyer named Lelone. His son, sum-
moned to his death-bed, found him, as
it was supposed, dead. kissed his brow,
and was surprised at its warmth. Some
hours later he revived and said: "Ah,
doctor, those few moments sleep have
done me world of good" The French
laws require that interment shall follow
death within, at most, thirty-six hours,
and thus it often happens that burial
takes place previous to putrefaction. 1t
was against this limited time imposed by
the burial bill that an eminent prelate
SO powerfully protested in the French
chamber, relating how he himself had
been laid out for burial. Here, too, in
summer, burial takes place much too
soon. In England at least five days in
tervene.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-28
Tile Telephone Novelty.

A writer in the Popular Science
Monthly says: When we begin to use
telephone for the first time there is n
sense of oddity, almost of foolishness, in
the experiment. The dignity of talking
cons SITS in having a listener, and there
seems kind of absurdity in addressing
piece of iron, but we must raise our
respect for the metal, for it is anything
but deaf. The diaphragm of the tele-
phone, the thin iron plate, is as sensitive
as the living tympanum to all the deli
cate refinements of sound. Nor does it
depend upon the thinness of the
metallic sheet, for a piece of thick boiler
plate will take up and transmit the notion
of the air-particles in all the grades of
their subtility. And not only will it
do the same thing as the tympanum,
but it will do vastly more; the gross
dead metal proves, in fact, to be hum
dred times more alive than the living
mechanism of speech and addition.
This is no exaggeration. In quickness,
in accuracy, and even in grasp, there is
a perfection of sensitive capacity in the
metal, with which the organic instrument
cannot compare. We speak of the pro-
verbal "quickness of thought" but
the telephone thinks quicker than the
nervous mechanism. Let word be pro-
nounced for person to repeat, and the
telephone will hear and speak it hun
dred miles away in tenth part of the
time that the listener would need to
utter it. Give man series of half
dozen notes to repeat, and he cannot do
it accurately to save his life but the
iron plate takes them up, transmits them
to another plate hundreds of miles off
which sings them forth instantaneously
with absolute precision. The human
machine Gun, hear, and reproduce, in its
poor way, only single series of notes,
while the iron ear of the telephone will
take up whole chords and trains of
music, and, sending them by lightning
through the wire, its iron tongue will
emit them in perfect relations of
harmony,
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-28

noble of Spain" "Away, holy BROTH
erhood of Spain; keep your hands off
gentleman of France"
The soldiers fell back amazed and
irresolute, while we stood and fought in
the narrow pass, where there was not
room for more than man to stand. Our
swords had scarcely recrossed when the
Marquis fell, pierced to the heart. 1
rushed forward to support him, when
my second, holding me in his iron grasp,
shouted: "Stop where you are One
foot forward and death stares you in the
face, and that upon the scaffold p His
words were interrupted by q shrek, and
We saw Milanetta fling herself upon the
dead body, uttering the most passionate
ordinations of agony and tenderness.
My second gnashed his teeth, when he
saw and heard her. He rushed to her
and tore her roughly from the body
which she embraced. She uttered q
heart-piercing shrek, and, falling on her
knees and clasping her hands, she ex-
claimed:
"Forgive me, father, forgive me p
Dishonored !" answered he, with q
gloomy voice. "Then die with him ~
and with one blow of his knife he laid
her lifoiess at his feet. Then lifting up
her body he flung it to me, saying: "She
who loved a hated Frenchman is not
worthy of finding grave in her country;
the soil of Spain rejects the body of
Milanetta."
"The guards of the holy brotherhood
surrounded the smuggler, who threw his
knife away and held out his hands TO
them.
"Bind me, said he, am the leader
of the smugglers-you can hang me at
once for smuggling, but not for killing
my daughter. You have outlawed the
smuggler, and therefore he takes Justice
into his own hands,"
My estate was confscated, my es-
cutcheon disfigured, my castle burned
and a price set upon my head; but hea-
ven has punished me in lengthening my
existence and protracting my sorrows. I
have survived this event fifty years. but
my heart is still young in rscollections
and sufferings, and from that time have
never trod upon the soil of my coun ry!
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-28
Items OF Interest.

Shoemaker's Motto. o.-"Never too ate
to mend"
One of natures no-bill men-He who
pays cash.
Forty-four municipalities in Massa.
chusetts are free from debt.
Egypt is the place for juvenile excur-
sions. Aboy can always find his "mum-
my" there.
General Mite, the dwarf who weighs
only fourteen pounds, has earned $780,
600 for his mother in two years. She
calls it the widows mite.
Oil has been struck in the Black Hills.
For the benefit of gentlemen who have
been interviewed by the natives of that
region we hope it is hair oil.
We cordially agree with the captain of
the vessel that brought the Cleopastra
obelisk Into the Thames that it MT
pleasant to have a needle in toe.
The italian exploring expedition,
which attempted to penetrate into the
interior of Africa, has been attacked by
the King of Shoa, and compelled to re-
turn to the coast.
Mr.. Brandt, member of the Min
nesota Legislature, accepted bribe of
$50, gave it to the clerk, and exposed
the corruption, which related to the
supply of books for the public schools.
A foolish fellow residing near New
York, has issued challenge to any man
in America to smoke cigars. Henley
says he has smoked 100 in twenty-three
hours, and can beat that. He desires to
wager $500 to 81 900 on the result.
Montgomery Queens menagerie has
been sold in Louisville by the sheriff.
An eland went for $2O5; zebra $3.50;
lions, 800 each; a leopard, $50; hyenas,
$21 each; wart hog, $3.50; an elephant,
81, 500; a camel, $50; a royal tiger,
5000; and rhinocerous, $500.
In speaking Of persons faults,
Pray don't forget your own;
Remember, those with homes Of glass
Should seldom throw a stone.
five have nothing else to do
But talk of others sin,
| Tis better we commence at home,
And from that point begin.
Truth is always consistent with itself,
and needs nothing to help it out. 1t is
always near at hand, and sits upon our
| lips and is ready to drop out before we
are aware whereas q lie is troublesome,
and sets mans invention upon the
rack, and one trick needs great many
more to make it good.
"Why, my dear, what is the matter
| What can you mean? You look so de-
pressed. It cannot be-and yet-oh, re-
lieve this killing suspense Alexander,
have you failed p said his wife, with
clasped hands. No, my dear; my
credit is yet unimpaired, and business is
looking up" "You can't mean to say,
dear, that your old pain in the head has
come back" "No." "You haven't
had to pay the note for your brother
Joseph % emo" Have you-now
tell me, Alexander Bidlack, have you
had another attack of vertigo?" "No."
"Has your cashier broken his Murphy
pledge?' emo" "Now I know-I
expected it knew it all the time-I
felt sure it would be so. Mr.. Debonair
has asked for Seraphina p mo, moth
ing of the kind, "Then tell me, with
out waiting another minute, what has
happened; I can bear it; let me know
the w3rst." "Well, that button l told
you about has got tired of hanging on by
one thread, and here it is.-Etnaira
Gazette.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-28
Words OF Wisdom.

He but waters his soup who takes
many words to tell short story.
Friends are won by those who believe
in winning.
He who has no taste for order will be
often wrong in his judgment and seldom
considerate or conscientious in his &C.
tions.
Some people are like eggs, too full OF
themselves to hold anything else.
Many people find their own happiness
in forcing themselves to be unhappy.
When You are alone watch your
thoughts when in the family circle
watch your temper when in society
watch your tongue.
The real wants of nature are the
measure of employments, as the foot is
the measure of the shoe. We can call
only the want of what is necessary pov-
erty.
Haste turns usually upon matter OF
ten minutes too late, and may be avoided
by habit like that of Lord Nelson, to
which he ascribed his success in life, OF
being ten minutes too early.
Manners are the shadows of virtues
the momemtary display OF those quail
ties which our fellow-creatures love and
respect. Ii we strive to become, then,
what we strive to appear, manners may
often be rendered useful guides to the
performance of our duties.
The most agreeable of all companions
is simple, frank man, without any
high pretensions to an oppressive great
ness one who loves life and understands
the use of it 4; obliging alike at all hours;
above all, of golden temper, and stead
fast as an anchor. For such one we
gladly exchange the greatest genius, the
most brilliant wit, the profoundest
thinker.
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-28

John Rhodes, of Hounslow, England,
dressed himself as tramp, denied him
self the necessaries of life, and took to
the road. He lately died, and his for
tune was found to be over e1OO, 900.
The man bequeathedit to various metro
politan charities. A similar instance of
eccentricity occurred in Marseilles. The
object of the miser was to build an aque-
duct to convey water into the city free,
and it was done. During the life of the
Frenchman he was ridiculed, despised,
and, like Stephen of old, came near be-
ing stoned on account OF his rags and
his meanness,
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-28
Night.
Night came down DER all the earth,

Night.
Night came down DER all the earth,
And took the tired Day,
And clasped her tightly in her arms.
And bore her far away.
The moon like some vast lighthouse seemed,
Far up in the Milky Way;
The glistening stars, like tiny barks,
AT anchor round her lay.
And like a single silver thread
That twines in some dark curl,
The river wound through trees and brakes,
A cleaning band of pearl.
hesrd the soft low dip of oars,
Like weary slow heartthrob;
And the wavelets Tapped the bow OF the boat
low half-broken sob.
And on that night, so long ago,
A vision wondrous sweet
Came to me in its fullest joy,
So perfect and complete.
o golden dream why did wake
To find t past and gone?
The dream was like glorious dey;
The waking. cold gray dawn.
Twere better far that had died
Believing it were true,
Twere better far to sleep for aye
Beneath the sky 80 blue,
Then live, when each long weary day
Seemed longer than before;
When life is but constant pain
A wound unhealed and sore.
The river still flows murmuring on;
The stars are just as bright
As when the vision c5mo to me
That restful summer night.
The same? Yes alone am changed.
Oh God each weary day
wish that had died the night
The vision passed away.
-HUper's Magazine
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-28
The Potato.

Conrad Wilson recently read an arti-
Gle on the potato crop before the
American Institute Farmers Club,
giving much interesting information in
regard to that valuable food staple.
Mr.. Wilson says:
A bushel of potatoes when judicious-
ly fed to animals of good breed will
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-28

Again, as have already shown that
the total potato product of this country
is nearly certain to reach 200 million
bushels as the average for the next de-
cade, it will be seen that if the above
figures are extended 80 as to meet this
case of the total product then it will be
found that the annual potato crop of
the United States is equivalent
The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-28

An acre Of potatoes, when expressed
in the form of other food staples is
meaaura1-
Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1878-02-19
LIGHTNING FLASHES.

The twenty.fourth annual report Of the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
shows tho total earnings "a DO si2.55l,.
i54 ; operating expenses, including taxes,
$7,i7S, 3l3 balance above all payments,
$3.233. $50. The explanation accompany
ing the report says that the road Ia In 4
thriving condition.
Alarger amount Of grain was received
in New York by rail yesterday than upon
any previous day known. Tho receipts
were $40, 648 bushels. The New York
Central Railroad carried $50 carloads,
and the Eric Road 3i5.
The boiler In McCrccry's new building
ON Pine street. nearly opposite tho Stock
Exchange, San Francisco, exploded this
morning, creating . sensation. breaking
some glass, and doing some minor damage.
No u was hurt.
Tho Secretary Of the Navy has testified
before the House Committee on Naval Ex.
penditures that he had 10 cancel most OF
llobeson's contracts. partly on tho ground
Of fraud. and partly because made without
law.
Governor Packard left New York sud.
denly for homo last night on account OF
the death Of his child. This Is the second
death In his family this Winter and Mrs.
Packard Ia very III.
Diplomatists doubt tho truth Of the al.
legged Cuban compromise. regarding 10 rs
an attempt by the ~spaniards to delude the
Havana volunteers.
Now York merchants are protesting
against the new customs regulations, bo-
cause they hinder the transaction Of bust.
Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1878-02-19

TIE United States Circuit Court Of
the District OF Louisiana, has recently
decided a remarkably strange case. On
the Gath OF October. 1875. Craven Nc.
Lsmors. q citizen Of the State, was shot
and killed. by q man named Brahme.
His life was insured by the Mobile Life
Insurance Company. for $1,000. They
paid the money. and then brought suit
for damages to that amount against
Brahms. who was acquitted Of the muir
der by = specimen Louisiana jury. The
ground Of the suit was. that Brahme. by
an illegal act. had damaged the CON-
pany to the extent Of the money which
they had been forced TO pay. The court
decided in favor OF Brahms. and against
the Company. ON the ground that the
relation between the Insurance Com
pany and McLemore was created by u
contract between them to which Brahms
was not a party. and that the injury In.
nictsd by him was upon McLemore
against his personal rights. Now let
murjsrsn breathe easily. They will
not be called upon to pay the life in
surance policies Of their victims.
Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1878-02-19
Hanged for DueIIng.
lProm the Philadelphia Time

lProm the Philadelphia Timer.l
I know but one instance OF q man
having been hung for killing another In
o duel. In 1880, two young fellows
living In Bellsville, 81. Clair county.
ILL.,. had a personal quarrel. II seemed
to be impossible TO reconcile them. and
their friends determined to get up q
sham duel between them, hoping
that the ridiculous issue Of the
affair would bring them to their senses.
One OF them. Alphonso Stewart, chal-
lenged the other, William Bennett. to
meet him with rifles. Bennett accepted
the challenge, and the parties met near
the village. II is sail that Stewart was
in the secret and that Bennett was not.
but believed Il to be a reality. In any
event. after the guns had been handed
to the principals and they turned to
take their positions. Bennett, who
claimed that be suspected some sort Of
hickery. rolled q bullet into his gun.
The seconds. hardly able to keep their
faces straight, concluded the arrange
ments. and at last gave tho word. The
rifles exploded almost simultaneously.
Bennett. Of course. remaining untouched.
Stewart fell to the ground MORALLY
wounded. and expired shortly aftsrward
In great agony. Bennett was at once
arrested, put upon trial, convicted
Of murder in the first degree. and
sentenced TO be hanged. His friends
made the most strenuous efforts to
have him pardonsd. Failing In this,
they tried to have the sentence COM
muted. But the Governor remained
firm against all entreaty. On the day
appointed for his execution. Bennett
was hanged In the presence Of al enor-
nous crowd. This was the first and last
duel ever fought In the State OF Illinois.
The hanging Of Bennett put a stigma
upon the practice. and 1t has been looked
upon with adherence ever since.