davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01

THE Philadelphia Bulletin calls to
mind the fact that gold never really
was any cheaper than at present be-
cause, before the war, by reason ofthe
different State bank currencies, there
was almost always discount on bills
varying from one to ten per cent.
Now the National banking system
has done away with all this, and it is
perfectly safe to say that a thousand
dollars in paper currency taken at
random from the money drawer,
would buy more gold this week than
ever before in the history of the coun-
try. 1t is good for our people to just
think of this. Here we are with an
irredeemable currency, the govern
ment not paying its debts inthe mon
ey of the world, and yet as every man
of so and over can well remember, we
never before had the difference be-
tween our paper money and specie so
slight, nor did we ever buy Eastern
exchange so low, that is, on specie
basis. five can only realize it there
is the least loss to-day in m inter-
change of money for commercial pur-
poses throughout the entire limits OF
the country than ever before existed.
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01
A Horse Story.


A most miraculous display of ami
NAL endurance has come to light in
independence, Mo. On or about Feb.
IL, one of Messrs. Larkin & Sons
large bay bus horses mysteriously
disappeared from the open common
directly in the rear Of their stables on
Rock street, and, slthougha thorough
search wac made, no trace of the mias-
ing horse was found. They finally
advertised the horse as strayed or
stolen, and offered reward for his
recovery, but still no trace could be
found until Monday last. st
Mr.. II. z. ST. Clair had occasion to
go into his carriage house for the first
time in several weeks, and, on open
ing the door, bcheld, to his great as
constituent, the missing horse, which
had undoubtedly been shut up ever
since the day of his dissppearance-
twenty eight days-without q single
drop Of water, and all the food he had
had was about $50 pounds of bran
which Mr.. st. Clair had placed in the
carriage house a short time before
the disappearance of the horse. The
bran was entirely consumed, and the
greater portion of the box which ii
had been in had been eaten by the
starving hose, which had also eaten
its own manure, as none was found in
the house.
1t is supposed that the horse, in itt
wanderings. had found the door ol
the carriage house open, gone in, and
the door had blown shut and fasten
ed, and, as no one had occasion to en-
ter the house, it had been prisonel
ever since. When Mr.. St. Clair dis
covered the horse it was very mucl
emaciated, but was still upon its feet
and rushed for the door as soon as i
was opened, and made its way direct
ly to the stable of its owners. Tha
it had not had water during the TWEEN
lty-eight days Imprisonment is known
to be a fact, as there was no water il
the house, and no one had been ther,
during that time.
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01

in the way is the valyoo NV the clean
shirt. l kin do the Watts hymns well
enuf, and kin hold up on swearing,
but that eileen shirt will solve that
problem afore / sleep. und if I sue
ceed, the Corners that knowd me onct
will know me no more forever. will
stay in Washington doorin Hayes
term, and eff we elect Reform DIM
ocrat in 1880, it will 60 hard eff I can't
make my callin and eleckshun shoor
for four years more. Eff I kin only
git this first appintment
PETROLEUM V. Nasty,
Anxiously.
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01
Sly Sammy.
Chtcauo T;,pao

IL would like you to tell the public
for me-" said Sammy, "that am not
now and never will be again . can
didate for a seat in the Senate or in
the Governors chair. l could not
nO,U accept such a nomina nation, ,-'pon
honor, could nOt,-even if it were
unanimous one"
"Shall ! say that you will not be
candidate again for any political Of
fee 2" asked the reporter, who had
preference for expressing much
meaning in few words.
ooh, now, that's another thing"
said Sammy. II might accept the
Office of commissioner of deeds. You
know / have been sent twice to the
Assembly, and was q member of two
constitutional conventions, but not at
my solicitation. Such position -
the latter ] might fill, but further
!. Good day, sir"
Poor Sam Tilden! The man con-
tinues 10 bamboozle himself with the
idea that he is predestined to get the
Office of President. He still labors
under the delusive notion that the
country is painfully anxious to svin-
dicate" something by again trotting
out the slippery New Yorker, again
listening to his sham announcement
that "reform is necessary" and put
ting him in the high office from
which the the conspiring confederate
brigadiers excluded him in 1877.
He still suffers under q violent attack
Of presidency ON the brain,-an at
tack which has never left him for an
instant since that high-miuded, learn
ed, honorable, and illustrious states
man, Mr.. John Morrissey, first put
the idea into his head. He confident
lily intends to be candidate for Pres
ident in 1880, and is now, under the
public pretense Of giving his atten-
ton exclusively to his private affairs,
planning and plotting to that end.
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01

With the democrats in the majority
in both houses of Congress, they will
have the power of the purse and of
the sword. III. State Register.
With the ''power of the purse"
they would, no doubt, with exceed
ing great alacrity, honor all rebel
claims for loss and damage by war.
There are now nearly $500, ,OOO, 900 of
this description of claims before Con-
gress. Chicago Journal.
May be SO and may be not. Atany
rate, up to the present time the DEM
ocrats have had a majority in the
House of Representatives for two full
sessions, and have not hOnored any
such claims.-IW. State Register.
No ''such claims" were presented
in Congress until the Southern claim
ants were encouraged to do so by the
fact that the democrats had secured a
majority in the House of Represen-
tatives," and the only reason why the
democrats of the House are delaying
action regarding them now is the fact
that there is a brave lion in their way
in the shape of the republican major
ity in the Senate. Once let the demo-
Gratis secure a majority in both houses
and the work of plundering the ma
tional treasury for the benefit of rebel
claimants and Southern jobbers would
go on apace.-C Chicago Journal.
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01

The Washington correspondent of
the Philadelphia Tines tells this story
of how the purported interview with
Senator Conkling came to be publish
ed in the New York World:
Not long ago a Conkling organ was
started in Utica, the Republican, and
q Journalist named Mines, of New
York, was employed as the editor, or
one of the editorial writers. With
him COnkling made free, often invit-
ing him to his house, and telling him
at every opportunity the condition of
affairs in Washington as seen through
the Conkling glasses. This gave the
editor themes to write on and hints
as to the policy Of the paper. Mines
carefully noted these points, and laid
them away in his vest pocket, taking
particular pains not to miss anything
OF a personal or sensational character.
His opportunity to use them came at
last, for, getting on spree in New
York, he was discharged from the pa
per. After getting over his headache
and steadying his nerves, he set about
preparing the interview, and paper
in New York was found willing to
print 1t and pay for it. This is the
whole story. -'
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01
Honesty. Capacity. &C.

atS Shy washington I>Vtcos Apru
We heard the other evening, an in
cident illustrative of this new gospel
of reform. A chap presented himself
at the government printing office with
an order from the president to be Civ
en- a place. He wasn't needed at all,
but an attempt was made to comply
with the presidential mandate. He
was given a place, but it seemed that
to have place and receive the pay
was the limit of the gentleman's ca
pacity. He couldn't set type, he
couldn't ''tend press" hecouldn'tcor-
rect proof. And after various exper-
iments it was found that the only pos
sible labor that could be assigned to
this child of the Rutherfordian dis
pensation of reform grace was to have
him hold copy while somebody else
corrected the proof. By and by a re-
duction in the force was ordered and
this incompetent was gladly dismiss
ed. But to the dismay of those in au-
thority he shortly returned with a
peremptory order under the presiden-
tial sign manual to be given a place.
And there he sits holding copy in
which shall be written the beauties OF
a civil service reform which makes
honesty, capacity and experience the
sole tests for office,
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01

A HAYES platform, so-called, is go
ing the rounds of the press. We have
never deemed it of sufficient impor-
tance to call for word of discussion.
We have no good authority for saying
that it is the Presidents platform.
We shall presume unless the evidence
disproves it, that like good civil SER
vice president, he is doing what his
Judgment dictates is best in the
strict performance of his executive
duties. So far as the Presidents acts
make a platform for the republican
party, of course there could be no OBJ
lection on account of his rules on civil
service. To formulate the platform
in words, however, is hardly within
his duties. We are very certain, in
deed, the people will make the plat
form and that the existence of Pres
ident Hayes will be just so far ignored
as ordinary decency will permit.
Prominence for President Hayes in
.vepublicanism il forever debarred. 1t
matters nothing, henceforward, what
he ays; he can only impress the coun-
try by what he does.
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01
More About the storm.

CINCINNATI, April 25.-Advices
from q number of points in the inte-
rior of this and adjoining States indi-
cate that the storm yesterday and last
evening was very general and very
severe in this locality. No serious
damage ensued beyond the leveling
|of number of trees, fences, ETC.
Tom Webb, hod carrier was quite se-
riously injured by flying bricks from
an unfinished building.
A Somerset, KY, dispatch states
that the storm was unequalled for
persistency and general fury. It un-
rooted stores, blew down. dwellings,
stables, kitchens, trees, fences, and
blew out windows, and in fact did
more or less damage to nearly the
entire population Of that place.
A house half q mile from town oc-
cupied by colored people was blown
fiat to the ground. There is hardly
Q farm or forest in that county but
received more or less damage. One
spot Of half an acre had forty -four
trees uprooted.
At Remington, Ohio, q small
brick school house was demolished,
injuring nearly all the scholars; some
| lutte seriously.
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01
What DOCS This Mean.

We don't know, but would like to
very much, what all the following
talk means from two prominent pa
pers of this state. 1t presents very
very remarkable case and we cannot
harmonize it with the integrity and
ability of the commission:
A correspondent writing from this
oity to the Dubuque Times complains
that the selection of Mr.. Came
ron as Secretary of the Railroad Com
mission is a violation of the law,
which forbids any person from acting
in that capacity who was at the time
of the passage of the law connected
with a railroad. This mistake, if mis-
take it be, might not have occurred
had the commission exercised its right
to choose its own secretary.-BWiisg-
ton Hd,ckeye.
Are we to have noend of queer spots
in this Railroad Commission business?
The law required that the Commits
sioners should be appointed, one in
the eastern, one i'm the central and one
i'm the western part of the state. Mr..
Ivy 10 WI y nCuiiy CIui-uiStuht iOili
the eastern" and the ''central' part
of the state, while McDill is consider
ably nearer the central" than the
"western" part. Soon afterward came
the statement, which is not denied,
that the Secretary of the Commission,
at the moment of his appointment,
was the Superintendent and Chief En-
gineer of the Burlington & Northwes-
tern Railroad, and resigned both OFF,
ces only after his appointment. As
the law explicitly recites that ''no
person in the employ of any railroad
corporation shall be employed as Sec.
retary," Cameron is not only inelligi.
BILE, but his appointment is illegal il
not actually void. Now comes the
Hdukeye with the additional clear in.
timatiOp that the Commission did moi
choose its Secretary, but that the
choice was made for them by some
one else! Such rejection as this up.
on the Commission, and coming from
the source it does-the home of the
Secretary and of Governor Gear-i.
quite sufficient to challenge public ex
PLANTATION. 1t is much better that the
bottom facts be promptly made
known, than by mistaken silence tG
multiply and magnify the current
suspicious Dubuque Times.
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01
Denies the Ugly Accusation.

The recent stories about Bishop
of Michigan, and Mrs.
formerly Miss Fanny
Richards, OF Detroit, have called
forth the following denial:
The Rev. S A. McCoskry, care DR.
Mason, No.ll3 West Twenty fourth
street, or Forty-fourth street, New
York.
Return Immediately and clear
yourself and me from this vile charge
l demand it.
Mrs. FRANK BANNIsTER.
To the editors of the Detroit Epe.
ming Nesos Mrs. Bannister declared
with most tragic indignation, that
there was not q word of truth in the
story. Her father had been mem
ber of the British Parliament fol
Greenwich on his death-bed he had
written to Bishop McCoskry request.
ing him to act as her guardian, q
trust the Bishop had accepted; az
such he had had the custody of mon.
ey sent for her support by her uncle,
who had been q classmate of the
Bishops at Oxford. She denied that
Bishop McCoskry had ever paid q
single cent for her schooling or any.
thing else, except from her own
moneys. She had never received
but four letters from him, aud these
only of the most commonplace char,
acter; nor had che ever acted as hi.
amanuensis. The letters which have
caused all the Bishops trouble sh,
declared must have been forged
He was innocent, and why he should
resign and fly to Europe was NOR,
than she could understand. But hs
should not leave the country till sh,
was vindicated, though she had to gs
en- foot to New York to stop him.
Here. at present, the case, in lega
parlance, 'rests." The burden o
proof now falls upon the accusing
parties.
The Episcopal Bishops will holt
their next annual meeting May II
when action will be taken on the res
ignation of Bishop McCoskry. o
Michigan, and possibly, also, on th'
scandal which has been published
against him.
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01

JUDGE SAMUEL B. MCLIN and one
Dennis, of Florida, have come in to
bolster up Montgomery Blair's reso-
luton to GUST President Hayes. The
Judge failing in getting an Office to
suit him, turus on Hayes and gives to
the public his own infamy. 1t
amounts to worse than nothing and
will fall still-born.
The Chicago Times in commenting
upon the matter of Judge McLin's
and Dennis confession, says:
"The confession of the Florida re-
turning board would carry more
weight if the criminal suits against
the confessOrs had not been nOue 31roSs-
ed just before the confessions were
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01
The Penitentiary Investigation.
Gate City,

/
The investigation into the affairs
of the Ft. Madison Penitentiary du.
ring the Wardenship of Seth II. Craig
which has been in progress for some
time past, is drawing to close, so
far as the taking of testimony is con-
cerned, and the commission will soon
make report Of the result of its la
bors to the Governor. Prompted by
spirit of fairness and q sincere de-
sire to give DIR. Craig every opportu-
nifty to vindicate himself, the Gate
CITY has very carefully withheld edi-
torial comment while the investiga-
tion has been in progress, and has
contented itself with giving full, fair
and impartial reports of the facts as
developed, neither suppressing any.
thing of importance for or against
DIR. Craig or giving any undue prom
inence to the most damaging disclo-
sures, leaving the reader to form an
unprejudiced judgment of his guilt
or innocence. But the disclosures
which have recently been made by
the testimony render it useless to try
to conceal the fact that the investiga-
tion has made q very bad showing
for DR.. Craig, and that it is probable
that the worst that has been charged
is true. They show that the affairs of
the penitentiarv have been grossly
mismanaged and that the funds Of
the state have been systematically di-
verted and squandered. Ghey show
that goods for the penitentiary
have been purchased and paid for at
one price and billed and charged up
to the state at an advance of twenty
five pr. ct. They show that money has
been appropriated for goods and SER
vices for which no equivalent was ev-
er rendered to the state. They show
that goods purchased by DR.. Craig
for his private use, and shipped to
Faragut, Iowa, were paid for out Of
the funds of the state. They show
that exorbitant prices have been paid
for goods, and while there is no posi-
tive evidence that DR.. Craig received
liberal drawbacks on these purchases,
everything points very strongly in
that direction. Vouchers charged up
to the state show quantities and pri-
Gee largely in excess of those upon the
books of the persons from whom pur-
chases were made. 1t will be borne
in mind that the case as it now stands
is simply for the prosecution. What
DR.. Craig may be able to show in de-
fense of the suits that have been en-.
tered against him remains to be seen.
But his efforts to stop the investiga-
tion by injunction and his abandon
ment of the case after having failed
in so doing, would indicate that he
mas no defense to make.
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01

SOME Ottumwa man who signs
himself IA Greeley and Hayes Re
publican" according to the Register
of the 26th inst, has been writing
that journal and taking it to task be-
cause of its radicalism and severity
upon Hayes. The Register publishes
the letter and replies at length. Ia
ken together the whole thing is ra-
ther rich. We hardly think that
Greeley and Hayes man. will covet
any further controversy with the
Register. We cannot, for the life OF
us, think who this Ottumwa man can
be, but his style has the strongest
symptoms of his being a democrat.
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01

FROM all quarters in Europe there
is decided dependency in regard to
peace prospects. London journals do
not hesitate to admit that the sign of
England's actions is war. of course,
ut this distance, with the meagre
knowledge we can obtain of the true
inwardness of affairs, a very reliable
opinion cannot be formed, but from
the best light attainable we believe
that England thinks there is no safe
and satisfactory way for herout of the
situation but to fight her way out and
that she is preparing carefully and on
a grand scale to do this very thing.
We believe she will fight to re-estab-
Ilish the Turkish power to something
like its old strength, and that she
thinks she can do this, not perhaps by
maintaining all of her old territori-
al dominion in Europe, for some of
this was an element of weakness rath-
er than of strength, but to, neverthe-
less, give her a good foothold i'm Eu-
rope, and especially strengthen her in
Sio
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01

BLUE JEANS militia in Fountain
county, Indiana, armed with the APP
proved Springfield rifle, made an un-
provoked attack on the d-n Mig
gers, as they styled them, and shot
down three of them. The c0lored
men offered no resistance whatever;
they were wholly unarmed, and ran
for their lives and while fleeing were
shot. We shall see what this North
ern democratic state will do with the
murderers. If ku-kluxing negroes is
to prevail with impunity in Northern
democratic states as well as in the
South, where democracy controls eve-
~ state, the opportunity is at hand to
demonstrate it. Like deeds through
out the South have disgraced the
American name, and we shall see ifit
is to be heightened by repetition Of
the same thing in the old free states.
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01

The Ottumwa Courier announces
the name of l.. M. Cooley, Of that city
for fourteen years the Clerk of Wa
Ipello County, as candidate for the
republican nomination for Secretary
of State. We copy the Conrier's an
nouncemeut to-day. Mr.. Cooley is 9
gentleman of intelligence and culture,
thoroughly well posted in public af-
fairs. an ardent Republican, man Of
iunspotted record and fair name, and
in every way qualified to fill the Of
flee Of Secretary of State. He left q
leg at Vicksburg, being wounded
three times in the charge on that
stronghold of the rbbsls. But man,
even il he has bit one leg, And the
other left on the battlefield of his
country, will run well for Office in the
ranks Of the republican party.-State
! ReQister. s
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01

term in the Michigan penitentiary
for larceny, the thing got a little too
hot for his democratic brethren, and
for appearance sake they thought he
better step down and out. Anything
he might have done as q rebel or in
aid of rebellion did not hurt, but
stealing and having a penitentiary
record fastened upon him was too
much to put up with successfully.
This we hold is spasmodic effort Of
honesty on the part of O'Connor's
brethren, and an injustice to him, for
brethren should dwell together in
harmony, and if the rule is enforced
of turning out all democrats of this
kind, there will not only be lack of
all harmony in the party, but terri
BILE thinning of the ranks. s.a
Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-01
Judge knapp's Letter OF Accept

We confess to some surprise that
Judge Knapp accepts the nomi-
nation of the Iowa greenbackers.
OF course if this step is an honest one
he accepts also the platform Of the
party. He certainly would not seek
to deceive the party nominating him
by not alluding to the platform in his
letter Of acceptance, and hence the
public, conceding his honesty, must
conclude that his silence touching the
platform is an acceptance of it:
KEosAUQuA, April. Chairman Of
National Greea6dck State Central Com
mittee, Des MoiWes, l0,rd.-DEAR SIR:
i am In receipt of your esteemed fa-
vOr of the 10th inst, advising me of
my nomination for the office Of Judge
Of Supreme Court, by the National
Greenback party at theAr State con-
vention recently held in Nes Moipes,