davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

Nor A pENNY.-The nephew was typi-
cal nephew Of the comedies and novels;
the uncle, the typical uncle. The former
cot himself inlo debt; the latter had to
help him out of debt.
But the most long suffering of men must
at last lose patience, and one fine day the
uncle writes to his dear nephew that all
is over between them. Not another pen
ny.
The nephew flies down to his uncle,s
country seat and falls ut his venerable
relatives gouty feet
"Uncle Peter deal Uncle Peter, just
this once. Aid me to straighten out this
snarl in my finances and will never, nev-
er come to you again"
"Oh, Roland. / know you too well.
Nv sisters sonny only sisters son."
SAYS the old man, wiping away furtive
tear.
"Ah, your heart is touched; you will
assist me once more?" says the young
man.
Listen" said his aged relative; "have
you a rule?"
:" A which?"
A rule--a foot rule"
"Why should l have one? | aln't a
carpenter"
go and find one immediately
The young man, puzzled but hopeful,
goes, and at the end of half an hour re-
turns and says: Uncle dear here is the
foot-rulc."
Every we'll measure this room, length,
breadth and height, so as to ascertain its
cubic dimensions"
The young man, more puzzled than
ever, sets about his task, and at last makes
his report.
5 "Uncle, the room contains 500 cubic
f fect.n
5 "You are sure of that?'
: Absolutely"
D Every WELL" says the old gentleman
+ rising to his feet and speaking in a tone c
c thunder; "and now. sir, if this room
. which contains 3,040 cubic feet wei
t filed with double eagles so tightly tbs
: YOU couldn't ram, jam or cram a thrt
c cent piece into it, wouldn't give You
penny. Git'
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

THE Scorer PEoPLE,-No armed le-
gions are required to keep them royal.
There are PROBABLY not two thousand SOL
diers this dav in all Scotland, and they are
there merely for recruiting and keeping II
few of the fortresses in order. The popu-
lation o-day is barely up to four millions,
and will probably never be greater, for tue
young men and women in the lower walks
of life immigrate to the colonies, where
MANY rise to distinction and accumulate
fortunes. Bengal is said to belong to the
Scotch, on account of the many offices or
cupied by them. They are hard work
inc people, remarkable for their skill in
farming and gardening; but they have a
mortal aversion to sweeping streets on
digging mud, and yet they will work
eighteen hours out of the twenty-four on
their own farms in the long days of sum
mer and autumn. There is probably moi
a single Scotchman this day employed a:
street sweeper in any of our large cities
Those who are too proud to work enlis
AS soldiers rather than dig or beg. The re
lation between the mobiles and the peopl
is very friendly, esp cially in the High
lands, where the poorest, who bear tn
names of their landlords, claim kinshil
with them, and have the claim allowed
Not a landlord has ever been shot or mur
dered in all Scotland during the past tw
hundred years by his tenants.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

We expected it would come. When Dr.
Duryca said: In the main, find that
Calvinism is fence on one side of the
road and Arminnnism fence on the other
side, and almost nobody walks on the
fences, while the greater majority 90 on
the highway between" it needed no pro-
phetic foresight to tell that the heresy-
hunters would soon be after him in full
cry. To be sure, Jesus said, Il am the
way" and left, so far as we have any rec
ord, no will and testament authorizIog
Calvin or any other man to fence up the
way of life, or set up their private toll
gate across it. But 10 proclaim prefer
ence for the highway instead of the fences
is fiat heresy according to the Presbyterian
Banner, which says: If DR.. Duryea has
really left the Calvinistic enclosure and
gone out on the highway, it might be well
enough to march under the proper colors. "
This is the way houest people do.-Golde"
Rule.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

DISCOVERIES OF AMERCA.-A strange
fatality attended the early discoverers O
America Columbus died broken hearted
Rollin and Robadilla were drowned
Ovanda was harshly superseded. Las
Casas sought refuge and consolation in +
cowl, Ojeda died in extreme poverty. En-
cisco was deposed by his own followers
Nicuessa perished miscrably by the cruel
ty of his party. Vasco Nunez de Balbo;
was disgracefully bebeadcd, Narvaez wa:
imprisoned in Il tropical dungeon and at
terwards died of hardship, Cortez was dis
honored, Alvarado was assassinnted, AL
magro was galroted, Pizarro was murder
ed and his four brothers killed.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

Said Mr.. Evarts ut dinner, Thanksgiv-
ing day; elf you find it not incompati-
bic with the multitudnous and necessari-
ly perplexing duties demanding with ur-
gent importantly each its peculiar and
pertinent claim on your unconscionably
overburdened temporal availability, would
you allow me to press on your attention
the insignificant fact that the transferencc
of an ininitessimal particle of the richness
that is bestowed within the interior of the
ornithological comeslible to the creamy
white dish that is now before me woult
be we'll received by him who, with due
consideration of the honor involved, ha'
the pleasure of addressing you by the on
dearing name of wife" In other words
lie wanted some stuflinG -BoSton Trans
crjpt
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

"If YOU want a thing well done, do it
vourseif," is an old adage which docs not
lose its power with the passing years A
GREAT many things must be left for Others
to do; but where II great thing or a good
thing where an important thing, demands
attention, it is folly to lay off sense o
personal responsibility for its doing. AZ
Mr.. Spurgeon has put it, The best com
mittee is a committee of three, and two
of them i'll in bed" 1t is waiting for othel
people to do their duty that hinders th'
| Lords cause at the hands of His people,
This keeping back of those who won
move forward--after the fashion of pick
ing seats in the prayer-meeting-is th
death of go ahead activity.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

DEAD LETTER CURoSITIES. Some Of
the curiostles of the 10000 letters daily
opened at the dead-letter Office were made
public in an interesting lecture recently
delivered at Washington by Carlton
Hughes, who drew on his experience us
clerk in that office. The first dead-letter
of which there is record was held for post
age, and was mailed at Georgetown, S.
c., Nov. %, l777, to the Wilmington On.
G J collector of customs, to whom John
Cogdell announced the arrival of the
schooner Dispatch. Lack of postage and
wrong directions still cause most of the
dead letters, and on one occasion the whole
days mail Of II bank came to that end
through the failure of some one to stamp
the envelopes before they were placed in
the post office. One letter containing
$780, that an absent husband sent home
to his wife, had no address, and when it
was opened was only signed George" "
and announcing his determination to 90
further south. Following this slight clue
the postmaster of the city where the letter
was mailed had the hotel registers exam
| ined, and found thirty-two Georges, ten of
whom were residents, while six of the
Others went south, one of whom careessly
signed his name without stating where
from on whittier bound. A bootblack of
the hotel was found to have been intimate
with the George, and he furnished inlor-
nation by which his $500 was restored.
In another case n New York widow,
named Smith, sent s. to her boy of four
teen years, who had gone into the interior
of tle state for work and fallen sick, but
the letter came to the dead letter office in
dorsed mot found 1t was discovered
that the envelope used was one previously
spoiled and then turned wrong side ont
and directed again in another hand. There
was also a monogram on the envelope
with surname careleSsly written, and
reference to directory showed the name
and initials to be those of well known
New York lady. She remembered spoil
ing the envelope and throwing it out the
window; but who picked it up? The story
WAS told in the presence Of II servant, anC
she remembered to have seen woman
living in tenement near by pich
liz up. This proved to be the wild W they
were searching for; but her boy had al
ready been sent home by kind friends anC
had died. Among the supGrsCriptions o.
these stray missives was one that read
" Postmasters, please deliver to the young
lady living in the first house beyond tn,
wallet factory that wears Il black dres
and sack, white straw hat and brown face
trimmings;' and another advertised
" Sal, if you want to hear from your bo
you had better cum IN ct this letter"
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

Judge not thy neighbor. Thou shalt not
calumniatc. Thou shalt not excite quar-
rels by repeating the words of others. In
dulge not in idle, vain talk. Speak not
words which are to no purpose but harm.
-Buddhist Commandments.
Every blade of grass in the field is meas
ured; the green cups and the colored
crowns of every flower are curiously count
cp; the stars of the armament wheel in
cunningly- calculated orbits; even the
storms have their laws.
They who remember the benefits be-
slowed by parents are too grateful to re-
member their faults. They are happy
who can return to father and mother the
care they received from them in infancy;
still happier are they who can return their
smiles and caresscs, and feel for them the
same love they have received. Old age
sometimes becomes second childhood; why
should not lilial piety become parental
love?-ChineSe.
In 1870 our population was only 17,000,-
600, willie now it is nearer 80 than to the
3S,000,000 of our census of 1870. Mr..
Elliot of the bureau Of statistics, in paper
inserted in Wllker's Statistical Atlas in
1874, projected the line of ascent of the
probable population of the United States
from l870to 1880. His computation makes
our population in 1873, Al, ,983, 900, and in
1880, 5O858,OOO.
p. ~ p, r,,ouo :.
'IEilIElNlE-NSr hEilNENENr AND lol EHl ireie III r. Is
u" ltISoh w'iy tiIo ploMh n'iiu VI i"oTl .I
sickle. Ornamental reading shelters and
even strengthens the growth of what is
merely useful. A cornfield never returns
n poorer crop because a few wild flowers
bloom in the hedge The refinement of
the poor is the triumph of Christian civili-
zlti0n.
c..,. ,v.I.., o,J ,,,,,r,,- coll
O'al''Iu" W ''s''l-''n oi, ny 80 eoo 'eiio .ho
lh% Pe'nu at 1--WE 'cn'S " si'sa on ':ic
Suee's Vi "" Clle'.iS " neiolno ~
T'NAu''o ~ ~ 1t"OI 'i' 'NI'"" w.
"e'il,o Vi loo, aiiI i''o "Ien ,hn TH
manu- ] 10 u'so '.ie sIn % .'m' ho SoT,ro hno,a ,no t
~ u NV P,Houc I,''o o'on1n ~
~ Ne" ilet'S' az 1;o' ioiNi u, o''I ',,n'
~ "n" ~ ''o '''nY 1 ni9's''eio oI,
Ni'l t''' ""u h;,"5 I " "Ii on1;",, "9
"H'le' SLI l'' oo'n .i'''o'i 80 e;.Lcii t,',
"nso. lioi9 nus uooi " n',0 ~, ,,o ot
tiuS,G m ''n NV, W'i'a n'r"S ""5 5or 0"" ,w,horod
uteI"Ua @ a"sV o,1aI s,,,i'' T., onnl @ h"rn;nn
" .us m"i' o,". mo.'1un Iniu ~ o' No snonnE
"i'"' ''' o'O'u " ~ eS' ,i., A.,
,io"oNGi' was tno u""S P'IS .",'a .,,t
"V,. o'o "Yill''.' i;,;,, r,o,,;n,[ hor
o'',i' ~ o,'l 81 Iif, :,
80 iiG'oi '','o - o,.;o5s
''o"'' III NV 'iio9' "''''' '''''T r0i
STRAW FOR FUEL.-The Russian Men
monte settlement in Nebraska has taught
Americans one trick worth knowing at
least. Usually in the prairie states of the
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

DESERTED VILLAGEs.-A young man
oil country, during the palmy days, after Il
recent visit, writes the following: While
roaming through the oil country, our in
terest was excited by having certain local
tiles pointed out to us as the place where
once stood small city. Perhaps no part
of the oil region shows this as much rs
that situated between Oil City and Titus
vile, and no place so much us Petroleum
Center. We stand amazed, and almost
doubt the truth of our informant, when we
are told that this is the Petroleum City of
ten years ago. At that time, as the name
implies, it was the center of the land of
grease Surrounded by the best oil pro-
ducing country, it could not be otherwise.
Vast numbers of houses, stores, machine
shops, ETC.. were erected in u short time.
and in 1868 it was city of 5000 or 1000
inhabitants Everybody in oildom knew
Petroleum Center. The city had banks,
immense hotels, large business houses, and
could boast of three or four fine churches,
The whole country around the place was a
city. At night it was almost impossible to
get through the great crowds of people
collected for all kinds of pleasures. What
a change. Nothing can be compared to it
except the obstruction of war. Instead of
the find residences, the ground is now used
for potato patches; Il road marks the place
where the principal street was; the churches
still stand, but nobody attends them. Per
haps there are 100 inhabitants in the town
now. North of Petroleum Center we
were shown the place where in '6G and G7
was the famous Benniughoff Run. There
remains not sign of anything having
been there. As many will remember, this
was one of the best oil territories in the
country at the time On the northern
part Of this farm was small town by the
name of Dublin. 1t had 200 inhabitants
and was the terminus of the Bennington
Run railroad. Not II single house remains
In fact, one would think. not knowing any
BETTER that it had never been cleared
Many towns like this have gone the same
way. But perhaps the next in importance
is Pithole. Like Petroleum Center, it is
nearly gone. When c. b. Duncan, wht
died in Glasgow some years ago, made hi!
will, he left to IL church of Pithole S25, 900
During the legislation which followed, /
committee was sent to fud the church
They returned and stated that no sucl
building existed, nor could they find an!
one who ever knew of it. The facts are
when Mr. Duncan was in Pithole tn,
church existed in flourishing condition
But it had disappeared long before tn
committee went thore. On account o
this, more than anything else, Mr.. d. wa
thought TO have been caazy when he mad
his will
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

Good, rugged, grand old Thomas Car
lyle! 1t is refreshing to read amid the
mawkish sentimentaity of this latter day
such healthy utterancc as this from his
sturdy pon: " Let wastefulnesS, idleness,
impr0vidence take the fate which God has
appointed them, that their opposites may
also have chance for their fate" As it
is, our philanthropists try to make Us be-
lieve that the special business of thrifty
man is not in any way to enjoy the fruit OF
his prudence and enterprise, but to shield
the shiftless people around him from the
results of their own imprudence and i'm
providence. u. G. Holland.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

SPECIMENS In Il recent orution, n Ner-
mont speaker rather lost track OF himself
and remarked: " When we pass over
these mile-stones of life, it hehooves us to
stop and take our soundings, and see
where we are drifting" This is even
better than the Indiana republican who in
1876 told his audience " to gaily shoulder
their axes and to blaze such path
through the forest that their political sails
could catch the conqncrlng breeZes and
enable them to reach the oasis OF good
times in The Sahara of dubeity which
stretched its Briareus-like arms on every
side.' l,lrlier in Indiana, Us far back us
1886, Governor Wright spoke of the dem
ocratic purity " being founded on a rock.
and that the gates of hell could not prevail
against it, To which wicked Thomas Ii.
Nelson reoncd in an illustration showing
the democratic party, led by Governor
Wright, marching straight up to the gates
of hell, and they not prevailing against 1t.
but swinging wide open ut its expected
and welcome approach" But il remained
for Il republican after al TO outdo anybody
on mixing his metaphors. Said Congress
man Mullens, in 1869, in u eulogy on Il
friend, "Mr. Speaker: | refuse 10 give
way ut the request of Logan and here
ri stand till Gabriel snaps his resurrec-
ton Gun. Our friend is dead. We
shall meet him no more, until the chaotic
touch of destiny lights to living conscious
ness the universal dome, and we see our
selves us others see us in that bourne from
whence no traveller returns. ."-.IlJdRY ar
l q2Gs.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

bowling and flourishing their knives at
once under his very nose. To tell the
plain truth, he was frightened out of his
wits, and the only thing he thought of
was how to shift the responsibility ON to
somebody's else's shoulders as fast as pos
sible. So he said (and it was very lucky
he did, as it turned out) that Latour, being
in government employ, must be tried by
military law; and SO he packed them all
off to the commandant, who, as I've told
you before, was no other than Colonel de
Malet.
1t was no easy matter for the colonel
to get at the facts of the case, for all the
rascals kept shrieking at once, one louder
than another; but at last, bit by bit, he
managed to get Il pretty clear idea OF
what had happened, and then he said very
solemnly: "A French officer does his duty,
let it be what it will. You have come here
for Justice, and justice you shall have
There was great roar of triumph
from the crowd, and poor Eugene look
ed as blank us Il thief in the Sale de la
Police.
90 Before | pass sentence, however,
pursued De Malet, | wish to ask this
young man. (pointing to the son of the
dead Arab, who was the ringleader Of all
the mischief) whether he will accept OF
any compromise
90 No, no! yelled the young brigand- -
life for life!
So be it, said the colonel gravely
and you, by Mussulman law, are you
fathers destined avengcr. Therefore, Jet
the engineer be taken back TO the very
spot where his victim was standing, and
do you 90 up TO the top Of the parapet and
jump DOM upon hinf'
I0nncrre dc cie' i! what roar oI
laughter there was! The very Arab,
couldn't help joining in. As to the young
villain himself, he stood stock-sill for {;
moment. and then flew out OF the court
like Il mailman; and that was the last o
him. We gave Eugene II famous supper
that night ut the Cafe Militaire in honor o
his escape; and the story was in all the
papers next morning, headed, A Judg
ment of Solomon And from that day tc
the end of his lite Colonel De Malet nevel
went by any other name among us bu
solomon the Second. .h-LippincOWS.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

are so certain and so long, there are so
many changes and so many partings, that
this is undoubtedly true, even of the gen
eral anniversaries-thos that belong to
the world and not the person. We laugh
with tears in our hearts, if not in our eyes !;
and there grows to be good deal OF
make-believe in our Joy.
And yet, after all, and notwithstanding
all, this is blessed world, and it is good
thing to be alive in this last quarter of the
nineteenth century-so good II thing that
we will wipe our eyes, thank Heaven, and
take courage, even while at the beginning
of this New Year We pray with Tiny Tim.
God bless us, every one! Mrs. Julia
C. r. D0rr, IN the Cottage Hearth.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

When you hear an evil story of one yor
know to be good, discredit it, and say so
Grapes are not gathered from thistles
neither do thistles grow upon II grape
vine. The fruit tells you from what tree
it came; but you know also what fruit
tree is likely to bear. One you know to be
GOOD ami kind and sweet and noble is no
likely to have done bad or cruel or spite
ful or petty things. Why should you be
lieve tale of him that is, after all, merely
the elimination of the game of scandal?
Many are willing enough to wound wh'
are vet afraid to strike.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

The remark is frequently heard that it is
the most gifted, the generous fellows
who are most apt to fall into intemperance.
The saving is neither true nor useful.
However it may have been formerly, 1t
has come to pass now that, as Prof. living
suggests, the temperance reform has
reached first the minds hat are most
gifted MANY years ago" he says, " 1t
was my good fortune to serve my country
bv being secretary of atemperance socie.
lv. and in that official dignity addressed
letters of inquiry to presidents of colleges
and professors, to ask what was the quality
of the young men who, in those days
marred their college course by the use OF
ardent drinks. Long letters came from
President Woolsey, of Yale, and IRON
Horace Mann, then of Boston, and from
Prof. Mollitt, of Princeton, and they al
bore testimony that genius in their col
leres and schools drank less than stupid
ty; that whiskey was passing away from
the higher order of mind and was to b'
found only in possession of the more sens
ual and less bright. - -AdcOcdtc.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

ART OF SwIMMING.-Men are drowned
by raising their arms above water, the
unbuoyed weight of which depresses the
head Other animals have neither notion
nor ability to act in similar manner, and
therefore swim naturally. When u man
falls into deep water, he will rise TO the
surface and will continue there if he does
not elevate his hands. If he moves his
hands under the water in any way he
pleases. his head will rise so high us to
allow him free liberty to breathe; and if
he will use his legs us in the act of walk
ing Cor rather of walking up stairs), his
shoulders will rise above the water, so that
he may use the less eXertion with his
hands, or apply them to other purposes.
These plain directions are recommended
to the recollection of those who have not
learned 10 swim in their youth, us they
may be found highly advantageous in pre-
serving life.-Scjentifc american.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

Commonly good reputation and good
character 90 together; he who is called
worthy is worthy. But man sometimes
has better reputation than his real char
acter warrants; and again mans repu.
tation is not so good rs he deserves If
the choice must be made, it is hetter to
have good character with bad reputa-
ton, than IL bad character with good
reputation Yet that is not the popular
view of the case. Most persons are de-
sirous of being thought well of, whether
they deserve well or not. There are few
who really prefer to guard their characters
at the cost of their reputation; who Will
yield the good opinion of all their fellows
rather than swerve in the least from the
right to appear to advantage in the sight
of the world. Some who admit that "i
good name is rather to be chosen thar
great riches" fail to realize that it il
better to deserve II good name than tc
have it. No good name is deserved unless
it rests on good character. Character Ii
the great thing. Let that be sought a
every cost-the cost of even reputation, |
need be.