davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05
A Midnight Vigil.

The night is dark, the air is raw and
chill and damp, the storm is raging. An
old and eminently-respectable citizen,
out on North hill, is sleeping the sleep
of the just with the snore of the
wicked, and the private clocks, On their
respective brackets and mantels
throughout the city, for Burlington has
no town clock, are tolling, as well as
they know how to toll it, the hour O,
80 a. m.
A violent jangling at his door-bell
awakes the eminently-respectable citi.
zen.
Shuddering, he crawls out of bed;
muttering. he gropes across the floor.
Swearing under. his breath, he falls
over rocking-chair. -
At last he finds a match, lights a
lamp, and, descending the stairs, opens
the hall door, and admits gust of
wind that blows out the lamp, and a
torrent of rain that drenches him to the
skin. 30
What is wanted?" the respectable
citizen asks.
"Are you the resident owner of this
property2" promptly inquiries the
caller.
Il am" wonderingly replies the emf
nently-respectable citizen. 1860. .,
"Were you in bed when I rang?"
Il was" replied the eminently re-
spectacle.
@That was right" cheerfuny e1claims
the caller; chat is the place for man
OF your age at this time of night. I
am surprised to see you out of it. Get
back to it, and pleasant dreams"
All is silence after the crash that en-
sues, save the hooking smile that dies
away in the distance. The fragments
OF the lamp that are revealed on the
sidewalk by the coming of the dawn
indicate either that the lamp fell out of
balloon at the height of about twenty
nine miles, or was hurled at some OBJ
ject with great force. When will thu
mystery be solved?-Batrlingto tom
Haavk-EYe.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05
An Anecdote Of Gen. Johnston.

OF Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston it is
related that one day in Utah, when his
command was two days distant from a
mailing station, he found that Captain
had returned to camp forgetting to post
letter which the General had intrust-
ed to him. But all the commander
said was, II can imagine no excuse for
such carelessness, Captain"
Not long otter the General himself
discovered in a winter. coat which had
been packed away letter which long
time before he had received from the
Surgeon with the request that he post
it. He had taken it to the station, for.
gotten to post it, and it had remained
in the pocket for six months. The con.
scientious General first apologized 10
the Surgeon, and then he sent to1
the Captain and said, II beg your par
don for reproving you for an ofense in
which myself set the example"
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05
Historical.

"Now, ladies and gentleman shout.
cd the book-agent; "before the picnic
concludes, I want to sell every one OF
you copy Of the Life of P ocahontas.'
She was an Indian girl, Poky was-they
called her Poky for short-but she
wasn't the kind that went around ped
ding baskets and blow-guns. Not fres
quently. She sta! ed at home playing
croquet in the front yard, or went to
the Ladies' Aid Society, and didn't
take no coppers off o. nobody. The
celebrated John Smith came travelling
them parts as agent for q family paper,
but Poky wouldn't let her father raise a
club. She married Smith afterward,
and the last act Of her. life was to die 81
consumption" just here Officer Uncle
Sammy Jones approached with q shot.
gun, and the meeting adjourned. -Neu
Orleans Times.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05
Packing q Trunk.


The man who takes over ten min
utes to pack trunk is dolt!" said
Mr.. Bowerman, as he sla@med down
the lid and turned the key Mrs.
Bowerman had been at it just seven
days and seven nights, and when her
husband went up stairs at 10 O'clock
she sat down before the open trunk
with tears in her eyes. You see how
it Isl" she explained, as he looked down
upon her in awful contempt. Tive got
only part of my dresses in here, saying
nothing of thousand other things, and
even now the lid won't shut down.
I've got such headache I must lop
down for a few minutes" She went
away to lop, and Mr.. Roweyman sat
down and mused:. "Space is space.
The use of space is in knowing how to
utilize it" Removing everything, he
began repacking. He found that a silk
dress could be rolled to the size of a
quart jug. A fresh]y-starched lawn was
made to take the place OF pair of slip
pers. Her brown bunting fitted into
the niche she had reserved for three
handkerchiefs, and her best bonnet W as
turned bottom.up in it's box and packed
full of underclothing. He sat there
viewing sufficient empty space to pack
in whole bed, when she returned, and
said he was the only good husband in
this world, and she kissed him on the
nose as Returned the key. It's simply
the difference between the sexes" was
his patronizing reply, as he went down
stairs to turn on the burglar-alarm.
When that wife opened that trunk !!
But screams and shrieks would avail
nothing.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05
Gossip About Senators.

One of the pages in the United States
Senate gave in a crisp style his opinion
OF some of the members of that body,
who are courteously alluded to as
statesmen. OF Senator Thurman he
said, "He is good man. He whirls a
big bandana and blows his nose on
schedule. He is the snuff Senator.
There is only one thing he likes better
than Ramseys jokes, and that is casino.
Senator Bayard is very fine gentle
man, and is good to the pages. His
weakness is good goers on the road. He
is like Grant and Bonner. Everybody
likes Blaine. He is just what you would
suppose him to be from the reports of
the newspapers. Hoar is good -natured,
but somehow the boys don't hang to
him. Jones is brick. 1 made $50 on
one of his speeches. Always got mon
ey, and trusts the boys with his errands;
have known RACES to have $4,000 of his
money at one time. Ransom, of North
Carolina, is as good as the best. Cor
don and Lamar are pleasant, and Ben
Hill il not bad man. Wade Hampton
is a fine fellow. The pages get SIS a
month. The boy that gets the Presi-
dents room is rewarded with $1,4OO a
year. The perquisites for the pages are
considerable. A good one has no
trouble in making 800 month. A
complete book of the autographs of
Congressman and heads of departments
brings $50. A page made $500 out of
what was known as. the deadlock pict-
urea humorous sketch. While the
Electoral Commission was in session
the boys had good opportunity to
make something. They speculated on
the extra tickets the Congressman
shelled out. I knew boy who made
$50 off the bier of Charles Sumner. he
sold the flowers for $40. Wormley paid
him $40 for one bouquet. When the
casket was removed, he watched his OPP
portunity, and cut the fringe from the
bier. He sold it to the colored people
for $50, dealing it out in pieces. We
pick up good many relics. I have the
inkstand President Grant used in per-
forming his last official act" And this
is the way these pious little pages turn
an honest penny.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05
Whistling In England.

There is much less whistling among
farmers men than forty or fifty years
ago, and less singing also. When I was
Q boy most of the men sang at plow and
with their teams. Their voices, borne
over the hills by the breeze, we're one
Of the charms of q country ramble.
They mostly sang love song s or senti.
mental ditties. remember "The Mis-
tletoe Bough" was great favorite
with one of my fathers men. Some
time ago I remarked to the rector of a
neighboring parish how very seldom
heard men singing at the pillow COM.
pared to when was a boy. He replied !.
"That is because you were bred among
the hills, and now live in fiat country !;
men don't sing in fiat countries" I felt
this was correct. Milkmaids sang to
their COWS, without which it was be-
ieved they would not "give their milk
down." If you meet a country girl
nowadays and ask her, "Where a,e
you going to-, pretty maid ?" you can
never say the reply was, "A-milking,
sill" for maids no longer milk, but leave
it to be done by men called "garthmen."
At the "clippins" all the men are ex-
pected to sing, but those who could not
might whistle, as I have heard them
more than once. Like milkmaids
"clippins" have all vanished. Those
kindly gatherings, where the master
and his neighbors and his men all made
merry together, have all gone, and we
have steam plows and reaping machines
and laborers' unions instead. Although
there is yet more singing in billy than
in fat countries, it is certain that far
mers' men neither sing nor whistle half
as much as they used to do. As far
back as I remember our middle classes
considered whisting vulgar Gas boys
were not allowed to whistle). It is pos.
sible the lAborers have now got to think
so too. Railway trips, and more ready
access to towns, are bringing everything
to dead level, and gradually efacing
the old-fashioned country ways.-Notes
and Queries.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05
The Medicine Man.

A colored man known as Uncle Squills
was yesterday circulating around the
City Hall with basket Of popcorn,
warranted to cure dyspepsia in its most
aggravated FORM" He had pretty fair
luck Tor while, but at .ength came
across an official, who nibbled at the corn
and remarked:
"Uncle squills, I had always supposed
you to be an honest man."
$50 is so is.''
Tim afraid not. Here you are selling
op-corn under false pretences. You
know perfectly we'll that this corn won't
cure dyspepsia. =
"Well, sah-well, J" stammered the old
man, as he scratched his head.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05

Yesterday morning IN old negro man
arrived in the city from Sc. Louis il
search Of his before he-war wife, The.
old man went of into the war with hin
master, but, undergoing ! change 20
itically, deserted him and embraced the
emancipation cause, and now, after so
long time, he comes back "a the
scenes OF his childhood. After making
o great many inquiries lie learned that
his wife had married again and that
she and her husband were living down
on Second street. Arriving at the des-
ignated house the old man, stiff with
rheumatism, hobbled up the narrow
steps and fell against the door, which,
yielding to the weight Of his body,
opened. Sitting near the window was
tall, bony woman. Near the fire.
place, rubbing fiddle with greasy
WOODEN rag, sat man.
1T seems ter me like" said the Wis
itor, dropping down on trunk, shat
you useter be my wife afore dc wah."
Bless de Lord!" exclaimed the
woman, SITS beginnin' to hitch onto
ne in de same direction"
"What does dis prankin' mean? " said
the last husband, dropping the rag and
throwing the fiddle on the bed. aSplain
yourselves"
"Dis oman useter be my .nnt'ral wife,
and I've come heah ter see if we can't
make some sorter 'rangements in re-
CARDS to it. 4
sole man." said the last edition of
matrimony, "de bes' and MOS p'lite
thing is for yer to go'way an ten ter yer
business. Dis oman ant myself under
stands each oder putty tolerable we'll,
an' de bes' thing is fer yer ter leve us"
Daniel" said the woman, when
yer was young yer was q, pretty squar
sort of Teller, but now de rheumatic
have cotch yer, and fore God doan"
wanter rheumatized man. Dan, you's
bow-laigged at de bes'. Sides all dat,
Use changed my ligion."
Let me sight yer to parable in de
law, 'cording to Blackstone" said the
second husband. De frs deed and
de las will am de mos powerful. De
frs deed am subject to de las will.
Wasn't it o deed when you married dis
oman? Want de ack of margin her
o deed 2"
Tibber shoah," said the first hus-
band, redectingly.
Want our marriage q will? Want
it de 'oman's will dat she married me?
Answer de question squarly.
"Yes."
Well, den, 'cordin' to de law, de
'oman's nine" 's
"Dat's fac, Dan," said the woman.
@Aint yer gwine to give me no alum
money!" asked Dan. q
De. law don't mention that said the
victorious husband.
Dan arose from the trunk and looked
around the room. A tear stood in his
eye. Suddenly his face frightened.
Gin me dat catfish over dar, an I'll
leave you" -
De law don't mention de fish, but
I'll gin it ter you"
Daniel picked up the fish, ran his fin
ger through its gills, and passed out
nto the street.-Little Rock (Ark.)
Gazette.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

IT wns not until 1880 that wheat
found its way into Mexico, and then
only by chance. A slave Of Cortez
found . few grains Of wheat in parcel
of rice and showed them to his master,
who ordered them to be planted. The
result showed that wheat would thrive
we'll on Mexican soil and to-day one of
the finest wheat valleys in the world is
near the Mexican capital.
HE tallest men of whom record is
made were German named Hans Bar
and Hungarian soldier, name not
given, who lived several centuries ago,
each of them being eleven feet high;
their Weights not known. The heaviest
man of whom record is made was Miles
Darden, the Tennessee giant, who was
seven and one.half feet high and
weighed over 1000 pounds; he died in
1857. Daniel Lambert, the English
mass Of flesh" was five feet and eleven
inches in height, and weighed 739
pounds.
SOME one truthfully says that the
science of mechanics draws it's vitality
from coal and iron. Coal emancipates
AOA 1IOIU AIS CEu(loucSS auO 1uFu1SuGS IL
with power as an instrument of COM
MERGE. The union of these two minerals
has solved the question of production,
and has rendered distribution easy.
The world is embarrassed only with the
difficulty of consumption. Coal fashions
iron and drives the finished machine.
The dirty thing is the great vehicle of
civilization. Iron is an instrument;
coal is cause. Iron is an agent of
industry, and coal is master power.
ESPRIT photography" is explained
by Rochester photographer: Il take
piece of glass and on it paste the
photographed heads of such spirits as
I wish to produce in hazy outlines
about the head of the sitter-so. In
the center of the glass I put nothing,
but arrange the spirits in semi-cir-
Gle. Then from this prepared plate I
take a negative, and afterwards posi-
tive. When sitter comes for photo
graphs I take negative just as would
any ones. When the printing is done
I place the positive plate of the sitter
under the positive plate of the Spirits
and allow the sun to print both. The
spirits being in semi-circle, the fin
ished photograph appears as if the sitter
were surrounded by heads in the air."
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05

Como, now, Uncle Squills, own right
UP that this stuff won't cure dyspepsia, .
urged the Official. IS. IS
swell, sab, !" replied the old man, after
g great mental struggle, - am not dun
certain bout the dishpepsy bizness, but,
TO- de Lawd,l do believe dat dis CON
will turn dc wuss case of consumpshun
wrong side out lcss'n free days by dc
clock! I'll sort q weak en- on dishpepsy.
sch, but I'll stick to consumpshun right
frew dc season, sale or no salol'
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05
Oratorical Success.

The purpose Of great speech u 70
persuade men. It may be brilliant and
eloquent, 10 much 20 that men will say
Of it, "that il oratory,. and 60 on about
their business. When men act "a. II
they had not heard word Of speech,
il is a failure, even if it is thought wor-
thy Of . place among specimens Of elo-
quence.s
"A great speech" said O'Connell.
speaking Of addresses to jury, lis a
very fine thing; but, after all, the YER
dict is the thing"
Prof. Mathews, from whose book on
"Oratory and Orators" we quote O'Con-
nell's remark, insists that no one would
discover the perfect orator, If such there
could be, while he was speaking. He
tells two anecdotes to illustrate his as
sert;on:
When Chief Justice Parsons, of Mass.
achusetts, was practicing at the bar, a
farmer, who had often heard him speak,
was asked what sort of q pleader he was.
aOh, he is good lawyer and an ex-
callent counsellor, but poor pleader,"
was the reply.
but does he not win most of his
causes?"
Yes, but that's because he knows the
law, and can argue well but he's no or.
ator."
A hard.headed bank President once
congratulated him self, in the presence
OF Mr.. Matthew's, on resisting, as fore
man of jury, the oratorical blandish-
month of NJ T1,ox ~ .ts-
Knowing his Skill" said the hard
headed man, lin making white appear
black, and black white, Imade up
my mind at the outset that he should
not fool me. he tried all his arts, but
it was of no use; I just decided accord
ing to the law and evidence"
"Of course" answered Mr.. Mathews
you gave your verdict against Mr.
Choate's client?"
Why, no; we gave verdict for his
client; but then we couldn't help it; he
had the law and the evidence on his
side."
It never occurred to the bank Presi-
dent or to the farmer that Choate and
Parsons were after verdicts, not admira-
ton. And they got them, because they
sunk the orator into the advocate.
Thou madest people say, How well
he speaksl" said Demosthenes to Cice.
70, in Fenelon's Dialogues of the Dead, =
"but I made them say, Let us march
against Philipp"
That was true, but it required many
passionate appeals from this prince Of
orators before the Athenians uttered
that cry.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05
Haunts of Charles Dickens.

mr.. ). H. Liddons, who knew Charles
OlcKens' says he found himself very late
one night at railroad station near North
witch. Scarcely had l set foot on the
platform, }" he writes, ''when was accost-
ed by tall young man of the woman
type, who had come to fetch the letter
bag. "Do you wish Tor bed, sir,' asked
he, "or are you going ou2" I told him
that I was bound for Northwich. two
miles off. "You cannot get there, 'sir, till
later in the morning. l will drive YOU
there as 60 with the mailbag at eight
o'clock" Accordingly I concluded to
accept bed and supper, if possible, at
the hosiery close at hand. I entered the
kitchen where q brisk fire was burning,
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05
All That Glitters is Not Gold.

One of the beauties and charms of an
editors life is in his deadheading it on
all occasions. No one who has never
tasted of the sweets of that bliss can be-
gin to take in its glory and happiness.
He does 800 worth OF advertising for a
railroad, gets 'spass" for year, and
rides $25 worth; and then he is looked
upon as deadhead or half-blown
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05
Bismarck's Dog.

my dog. where is my. dog2" were
Bismarck's first words on alighting
from the railway station at Vienna.
The dog Sultan, who attacked
Gortschakof during the congress,
bounded to Bismarck's side, ignoring
Andrassy and Prince Reuss, who kept
at respectful distance. Bismarck
and Andrassy entered the Emperor's
private carriage, when the window was
suddenly opened, and q stentorian
voice cried, "Mein hund, wo list mein
hund?" If anything had befallen "Sul-
tan" it is believed the Austro- German
alliance would have collapsed. How
ever, Sultan" was assisted by the court
funkies into the carriage and sedately
sat on the rug.
The crowd at the hotel were stupefed
to.see Sultan" leap out of the court
carriage, contrary to etiquette, and
greet the by-standers with unpleasant
demonstrations.
The sight was ridiculous, and the
people fed in all directions, "Sultan"
having bad reputation. Recently be
manned the Berlin foreign-ofiice Official
for lite, for sitting in Bismarck's chair.
Six Berlin detectives are watching
Bismarck's hotel, Sultan's predecessor
having been killed, as Bismarck firmly
believes, by two social democrats
TSe1a31a Cor. Mem York Herald.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05
A Snake with Twenty-Five Rattles.

Mr.. Robert Blevins killed, last week
on top of the Iron mountain, southeast
Of Bristol, q wonderful rattlesnake, lack.
ing only one inch Of being eight feet
long. circumference six inches behind
the head, and twenty inches in center
Of the body. When coiled it could not
be more than covered by large-sized
wash.tub. It had twenty-five rattles.-
Bristol (Va.) Nc,cs.
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-11-05

The people Of Che United States re
ceive their letters through $4,000 poSt-
Offices.
The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1879-09-09
Reading at Seven and Half Miles
Distance From The Candle.

On the evening ofJuly u, the Max
i'm electric light was put in operation
on the tower of the Grand Union
Hotel, Saratoga Springs, N. Y, with
o view 20 test the extent OF its illuu-
mating powers. An open parabolic
reflector was used-no lenscs-and
care was taken by Mr.. Maxim to set
the points Of the carbons little at
one side of each other, and 10 adjust
them 10 the exact focus ofthe reflect
or. When this was fairly accom-.
plished the light was turned toward
q SPOT in Ballston Spa, New York,
* miles distant, where, by previous
arrangement, group of several hun
dred persons were assembled TO wit
ness The experiment. So powerful
was The light, so accurate the focusing
and alignment, that the designated
place in Ballston was instantly ilumi.
mated, so that ordinary print could be
read, the time seen on watches, etc.
The night was clear, still, and dark.
The experiment was made at 81
o'clock p. NJ. This is believed to be
the greatest distance at which illum-
nation OF equal degree has been &C.
complishcd. We are indebted to Mr..
IL. 5. Maxim for the above particu.
lars.
The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1879-09-09
Cheap Gas.

A new era is dawn,ng. A Gas
company exists in Philadelphia which
has offered to supply that city with
gas at 90 cents Tor thousand cubic
feet. There will DC no humbug about
the mattOr, The gas is 10 be good,
consisting "chieily of hydrogen, and
not of carbonic oxide" The only
stipulation made is that the arrange.
ment shall be upon business basis,
without any intermixture of politics"
The formation of the gas is accom-
plished by means of the "Gill pro.
cess" Nearly pure hydrogen can be
produced, it is claimed, by superheat-
ed steam acting upon incandescent
coal. by adding a small amount of
carbon in vapor, the best illuminating
gas, both for brilliancy and uniform
ity, can be produced, while the ex.
pcnses is very small, as four gallons of
naplha and % pounds of coal, whose
combined cost is only 10 cents, will
make 1000 cubic feet. There will be
no deposits of lampblack, and "no tar
in the retorts or elsewhere" neither
viii there be any offensive odor in
The process of manufactures Toledo
Blade,
The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1879-09-09
Four Hours in the Dark.

1t is a humilaiing confession to
make-hut geography is pitiless, and
our national vainglory must bow to
Its decrces-that for four hours In
every twenty-iour the entire territory
Of the United States is deprived OF
sunshine. As the sun goes down on
our farthest Aleulian island its morn
ing rays are just Lighting up the hin
tops OF the western coast of Ireland.
and the breadth OF the Atlantic lies
between us and daylight. TO our
Fenlan citizens this may be another
and cogent reason for annexinr the
dear little Isle OF the harp and the
shamrock; but until it is done the
eNaliant cry of the Rocky Mountain
Ffes6yterian, that the sun never sets
M the United States, must be admit.
ted n tritle exaggerated. 1t does set
every day, and periodically, four
hours before it rises.
In the depth Of our humiliation we
may possible console ourselves with
the reflections that-ihough our Brit
ish cousins can say with truth what
we cairnot-the sun really shines on
me United States when it is up. We
have TO submit to four hours ofsm
Iessness day: England is lucky to
get four hours of sunshine. So life
has j! rompcnsaiions, aud existence
in The United States remains endur-
able, though we do not Geographic
cally speaking) making quite so great
a spread as we thought