davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03
The Talking Man.

Don't you like to meet a talking man
when you travel? The man who talks
necessarily and never says anything. I
have met him on railway trains on al
most every road between Kansas and
Maine. have sat beside him and heard
him fill mile after weary mile with the
dreariest chatter about nothing, until I
was ready to pray far broken rail, o
burned bridge, an open switch, a wild
train, anything in the shape of instant
and painless death, to save me from
lingering torture. You may wonder
that sleep never kindly comes to the re-
lief of the victim of the talking man.
He won't let it. When he sees you be-
gin to look sleepy, he clutches your arm,
he shakes you by the shoulder, he says !;
See? See?" at regular intervals, and
from time to time asks you what do
you think of that" to insure your wake
fulncss. | have often wondered why
this talking machine could not just us
well talk to the stove or panel in the
car. becausc;ls nc intelligence is required
to conduct his conversation. none should
be necessary in listening TO it. But he
won't tux that way. Hcappears to find
his incentive to talk in your suffering.
His cloqurncc is born of. your agony.
You have heard him us l have. You
have wished him dead, you have won
dered why Il mcrciful Providence ever
turned him loose on mankind. expect
Providence itself sometimes wonders the
same thing. when it hears the man when
he has II full head of steam or and some.
body to talk to. o.-Burdctte. IN MtOkeye.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03
The Face OH the Silver Dollar.

A letter from Philadelphia says: An
interesting story in connection with the
new silver dollar has Just come to light
here. The secret has come out, through
the Record newspaper, as to who the
young lady was that sat to Mr.. Morgan,
the designer, as u model for the head
which appears on the coin. The lady
who has thus been raised to fame, and
whose name will be chronicled in his
tory, is Miss Anna w. Williams. resid-
ing with her widowed mother at 1903
Spring Garden street, in this city. In
1876, when Mr.. Morgan was making de-
signs for the coin. he was introduced to
the lady by Mr.. Thomas Eakins, q friend
of the family. He desired to have true
representative of American beauty en-
blazoned upon the coin, and the profile
of Miss Williams appeared to him as the
best approach to it he had seen. The
lady, who is of i very modest and retir-
ing disposition, was induced to sit, and
after four or five interviews, sufficient
sketches; had been secured to proceed
with the worA. The artist wrought up
the face afterward to its present appear
ancc, us it. is shown upon the coin. 1t
would be impossible to recognize in it
any resemblance to Miss Williams. The
Grecan nose and delicate lips had their
foundation in her features, but the full
rounded chin resembles more that of the
wife of Mr.. Morgan. Miss Williams is
Il blonde and considered quite pretty.
She is teacher in the girls department
of the House of Refuge. and about
eighteen years of age. This sets at rest
the numerous stories which have been
in circulation as to whom the face on
the coin belongs to.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03
Death Advertisement.

In Munich there is the custom
advertising the deaths. A considerable
portion of the daily newspapers is de-
voted to these announcements. l will
roughly translate one which / happen to
see just now:
"It has pleased God the Almighty, in
mis- inscrutable providence, to take away
our lnnermost love, best husband,
father, grandfather, uncle, brotherin-
law and cousin, Herr -, dyer Of
cloth and silk, yesterday night, ut IL
o'clock, after three weeks of severe
suffering, having partaken of the holy
sacrament, in his sixty-sixth year. out
of this earthly abode of calamity, into a
better beyond.
"Those who knew his good heart, his
great honesty, as well as his patience in
suffering, will know how justly to esti-
mate our grief" =,
This is signed by the deep p-grieving''
survivors-widow, son, daughter and
daughter-in-law, in the name of the
absent relations. After the name of the
son is written, "dyer in cloth and silk. "
The notice closes with al announcement
of the funeral at the cemetery, and Il
service at the church the day after. 1t
is common to engrave upon the monu-
ment the business as well rs the title of
the departed. d.-Saatnter11.gS.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03
A Fanatics Expedient.

A story is told of a crafty American
skipper who escaped the clutches of a
hostile cruiser by hoisting the yellow
flag, and exhibiting one of his crew over
the bulwarks stitched up in hammock,
as if about to be flung into the sea. AS
his vessel was lying off a port where the
yellow fever was then raging, the priva-
teer took the alarm and shcered off.
Even this, however, was exceeded by an
episode of the Egyptian war of ls39-4o,
when Admiral Napier's squadron was
cruising in the Levant. The lookout
man Of an English frigate one morning
saw an Arab in the water, seemingly in
danger of drowning. A boat was low
cred, and the swimmer picked up; but
he died shortly after being brought on
board, with all the symptoms of the
plague, and was quickly followed by the
captain and a fourth of the crew. 1t was
afterward found that this desperate fa-
natic, finding himself death-stricken,
had deliberately swan off to the ship,
with the intention of carrying the infec-
ton among his enemies!
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03
The Rattlesnake'S Kiss,

A correspondent in Lafourche parish,
says the New Orleans Democrat, guran-
tees the truth of the following details
Near the Cutoff, M. Lambasse and his
son both fell victims to snake bite under
the following circumstances: Lambasse
and his son were serpent charmers, who
cared rs little for rattlesnakes rs they
would for turtle doves. They were con-
stantly surrounded by their venomous
pets, serpents Of the most deadly species.
with which they played fearlessly. Last
Sunday, Bib, who had a magnificent
rattlesnake, tried to sell it to one of his
friends. For this purpose he took it out
of barrel where it was kept, and, in Or
der to show his skill, tried to make the
reptile "kiss him." The serpent, un-
willing to grant the caress desired, ended
by becoming so enraged that he bit his
charmer's tongue, and also his left arm.
Immediately after Bibi's father took the
serpent in his hands, and tried to show
those present that his son had acted
clumsily, or was charmer of much in
ferior character to himself. So saying,
he put the head OF the hideous creature
in his mouth. The serpent bit him also.
Father and son were both attacked with
frightful pains shortly after, and their
bodies became horribly swollen. They
died in excruciating torture.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03
A Brazilian POst0ffce.

The postoffice in Para, the principal
seaport of Brazil, is located in an i'm
mense room; a vestibule is rallied off,
within Which are several tables covered
with letters and papers. How letters
are assorted is described by corres-
pondent of the Boston Journal:
There are no boxes alphabetically AZ
ranged, nor is there any mail delivery as
with US.
EVERYTHING comes by water, and as the
communication from the south is but
once in two weeks, 'and from up the
river once ir nine days, it follows that
the postoffice is for the greater part of the
time deserted except by a few clerks,
who seem to have little to do except to
receive and deliver the few letters trans
iently coming in.
But when, as sometimes happens, the
steamer from the south arrives the same
day as the one from the north, a Euro.
pean steamer day or two before, or just
sailing, and the river mail down about
the same time, then the old postoffice
wakes up into life and activity.
Its gloomy halls are thronged with
merchants and clerks, strangers and citi-
zens, rushing about, seeking and carry
ing off their letters.
Then follow hours of hard work, for
as the American steamer only remains
six hours in port, a world of writing has
to be done in this short time to answer
all the correspondence, and there is no
rest for the merchants or their clerks,
until after the steamer is gone.
Wien the mail arrives at the post
Office it is not sorted in an orderly man.
ner, as with us. but the bags are taken
into large inner room, dimly lighted,
and emptied out upon long table let
tiers and papers all together-and here
the clerical work ceases, and the public
rush in and make their own selection.
Now ensues a scene of confusion which
you must witness to fully appreciate.
AS the table has but four sides, and
these are lined by perhaps fifty or sixty
people, while three or four times as many
more are waiting for a chance behind,
and the table is filled so full that often
the letters and papers slip off on the
floor, and as every letter and package
must 60 through every mans hands be-
fore he is satisfied that he has got all
that belongs to him, you may imagine
that it is work of time and uncertainty
to get ones letters.
In day or two the large table is
pretty well cleared, and what is left is
removed to smaller one near the main
entrance, the papers placed on top, and
the letters in the drawer. Here any one
goes, at any hour the Office is open, and
searches for letters and papers without
let or hinderance.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03
Enormous Land Sales.

It is safe to assume that Uncle Sam is
the largest operator in real estate on the
face of the globe, not counting such little
operations as the purchase of Alaska, nor
referring to Santo Domingo, which lie
did not buy. As it is, this government
has all the land it can comfortably con-
troll and vast deal more than will be
improved for long years to come. AS II
retail dealer in land, the government
shows total transactions of a magnitude
that appeals to the spread eagle side of a
citizens pride In 1878, the allotment OF
public lands on homestead entries
amounted to upward of 100000 acres.
The largest previous one disposed of
since President Lincoln signed the Home
stead act after 1860 was in 1872, amount
ing to 100000 acres. From l872,.in no
year have the transactions been much
more than half rs large us in 1878, while
in 1877 the transfers from the govern
ment to settlers were only about one
third as large. Each homestead settler
in the last ten years has taken IN aver
age Of 100 acres, thus indicating during
last year alone population of nearly if
not quite 250, 900 new settlers on the pub
llS lftuIo, NV pClSOIlo w CtLSii
family. In area, the new country settled
up in 1878 would be twice the area of
flrm lands in the Bay State, OF as much
us bakers dozen of such common
wealths as Rhode Island. Added to the
land disposed of by the government, we
must also remember the lands sold in
Texas on account of land grants to rail
roads, the sales of railroad lands and of
special land grants in many of the States.
The sale of Texas lands for the year end.
ing June 30, 1878, was 3,5O0,00O acres 4;
railroad grants, l,250,000 acres; State
grants, 100000 acres, or a grand total,
including 100000 acres government
homestead grants, of l3,5OO,0OO acres.
According to the census of 1870, the total
farming area of the United States was
placed at 400, 100000, of which not one
half was improved. The increase in the
last two years has added at least five per
! cent. to the farming lands of the coun-
try, thus furnishing employment for al
most unlimited bone and sinew. And
still there is room for the masses. who
wish to flee from the etfctc despotisms.
as we'll as for the able-bodied young
man who wishes to avail himself o
Horace Greeley's advice. - Nes0 York
Graphic.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03
A SIumberer's Escape.

As the New York express was nearing
the crossing above Steamers Run, about
nine miles from Baltimore, the en-
gineer observed q country wagon
moving slowly along the road in the
direction of the rails. He blew the
whistle loudly to attract the drivers at
tention, but all to no purpose, the old
nag attached to the vehicle plodding
slowly along toward the crossing.
Seeing that the animal would reach
that point almost simultaneously with
the train, the engineer applied the
brakes, but unfortunately too late. The
train was running at full speed, and pas
sengers who had thrust their heads out
Of the windows to ascertain the cause of
the unusual whistling held their breath
in horror rs they saw the locomotive
dashing with relentless momentum into
the Inflated wagon. The horse was
struck on the head and side, the wagon
smashed to pieces, and the form Of the
man, who Il second before occupied the
drivers seat, was hurled about fifty feet
away from the track rs the train dashed
on past the spot, with the mail Car, which
had jumped the track, hopping over the
ends of the ties.
AS soon as the speed of the locomotive,
which had run about a quarter OF a
mile past the crossing. could be checked,
the train hands went back to ascertain
the extent of the damage. The head of
the horse was found wedged under the
truck of the baggage car, and the legs
and cntrais of the poor beast were
scattered all along the track. He had
been mangled almost to atoms. AT the
crossing the wagon was found COM
pletely wrecked. and not many yards
away, lifting himself from the ground
and rubbing his head, was the driver,
whom every one on the train thought
had been killed.
He was apparently not more than
twcnty-four years Of age, and to all ap-
pearances he escaped with but very
slight injuries. In answer to the many
questions put to him he stated that ne
was returning home from market, hav-
ing nothing in his wagon but some gro
ceries and corn which his father had told
him to purchase. At the time of the ac-
cident he was, he says, asleep, and did
not realize what had happened until ne
saw the crowd coming toward him from
the track. He filmed and swore like 4
trooper whc., he saw the remnants OF
his horsc.scattered about the track and
expressed forcible desire that he, in
stead of his horse, had been killed.
When reproved by passenger on the
train for his swearing. the young fellow,
between another voIley of oaths, NUT
tered something about having to face the
ire of the old man, and then proceeded
to pick up what he could of his grocer
les and corn. The train was delayed
nearly an hour py the mishap.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03
The Suicide City,

San Francisco may fairly be called the
Suicide City" From 1860 to 1874, the
reported cases of self-destruction aver
aged about thirty. five q year among the
white population. But in the latter
wear the number suddenly jumped to
sixty-onc, and it has since reached ln3.
Compa.ative statistics show that tn"
proportion of suicides to all deaths III
San Francisco is fully three times rs
great us in New York, although IN
Stances of fself-dcstruction arc from varl-
Gus causes extremely frequent in the !:tt-
ter city. The mania for self-dc,struction
in the chief rity Of the Pacific slope is NJ
tributed to the consequences OF the uni
vcrsal passion of the population for gam
bling in mining stocks. SUICIDES m
creased with the growth of the mining
excitement, and Since the collapse OF
mining shares in 1877 over 2OO persons
have cut short their existence with thelr
own hands. Taken in connection VIII,
the business losses. crimes, suffering and
disorders of the last few years, the a6ove
facts show that the Bonanza mines nave
not proved an Hunmixed blessing to the
people of the Golden State.-butato
Courier
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03
Terrible Fate Of a Show Elephant.

Cooper, Bailey & Co., proprietors of
the London and international Aus
ralian shows, have sustained Il heavy
loss in the death Of the elephant Romeo,
which took place under peculiarly hor
rible circumstances in Boonville, Mo.
Romeo was one of the ten trained ele-
plants whose performances so far have
been one of the most attractive of the
show, and was valued at $4,000. One
of the appurtenances Of the show is an
immense electric apparatus which is
used in connection with the electric
light that supplies illumination for the
entire canvas of the circus. This ma
chine consists of large magnet and an
immense armature, which is made to re-
volve two hundred and fifty times in a
minute by means of thirty.tive horse
power engine, The apparatus is of in
tense electrical power, a knife blade held
within two feet of it becoming so heavily
charged with the current that it can be
used thereafter rs loadstone Pro-
fessor Sherman was getting his battery
in readiness for the afternoon perform
ance, had :" fired up,". set the machine
in motion, and click, click, went the
lights one after the other, as the elec-
tricity flew along the insulated cables.
When all was in working shape the pro-
fessor sauntered off leisurely, and had
not his attention called to the r. achine
again until he heard an unearthly roar
and crash coming from the direction
of the battery. He was startled, rs was
also the small army of workmen inside
the tents and the Large army of boys and
idlers on the outside. Everybody rushed
to the spot. The roars continued to re-
sound through the canvas, and for a
while the greatest CONSERVATION held the
crowd. On approaching the vicinity OF
the electric machine Romeo was found
in the throes of the death agony. and
with his trunk torn away by the roots
from its base. The poor beast lay there
shorn of its strength, and presenting a
horrible, mutilated appearance. Every
thing was done that it was possible to do
for the dying animal, but its agonies
were terrible, and when at length it
gasped its last there was feeling of re-
lief among those who surrounded its
mountainous corpse. Joseph Kinslow,
the leader of the band, who witnessed
the accident, says that Romeo, who was
roaming around in the tent with his
nine giant companions, shambled up to
the machine and was shifting at the
armature when its trunk was caught in
the revolving apparatus, and the animal
was thrown violently to the ground and
the trunk carried away by the whirling
machinery. Professor Sherman righted
his apparatus in short time, and few
necessary repairs were Immediately
made. Romeo was buried within the
show grounds.-&. Louis Glode-D|mo-
cru{
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03
A mission school in Philadelpl

A mission school in Philadelphia has
in its basement a large bathing and
swimming department. There are four
great tubs in which the dirty little chill
dren are free to cleanse themselves. and
to take aquatic exercise under prescribed
regulations. Each tub accommodates
nearly two dozen children ut time.
Thesurrounding floors and walls are of
brick and concrete, so that no restriction
is put on splashing. A man with IL small
whip in his hand stands by during the
bathing hours ready to castigate anyof
the young persons who are unruly or vio-
lent. To their credit it must be said that
he is seldom compelled to use it, The
girls bathc and swim on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays. and the boys
on the other days of the week, The rule
is that no child shall be allowed to enter
the baths more than once day. Many
of the boys dodge this rule by exchang-
ing clothes and presenting themselves in
such combinations of costume that the
man with the whip does not recognize
4hem..
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03
Wanted.

Wanted-a man, good, honest and brave,
Who doth all the vices eschew,
Who'll battle undaunted his honor To save.
To himself and his fellow men, true. :.
Wanted-a woman, no feminine tame,
Like fashion and prejudice make,
A creature Of folly, just woman in uaine,
But woman, as God did create.
Wanted-afriend, that shall stand by our side
When friends and prosperity speed;
Fen faithful through all though others deride
A friend that's friend III our need. r
Wanted-a Christian, one who can tccl
For the sinner. who ever he be,
Who'll pray with the isot, with The Ma;gdalen
kneel-
From schisms and hypocrisy free.
Wanted-sweet truth, and constapcy rurc,
And taith, OF a tangible shape,
And justice, and mercy, and charity lair,
This earth bright Eden to make.
~ --yModYn argo
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03

A man employed on the farm of Will:
liam Potter, in Sassafras Neck, Cecil
county. Md, was dislodged from his po'
sition on the platform of a steam threshel
bya wagon being driven close alongside.
Another workman was standing near
him holding a three-pronged fork with
the prongs upward. Workman No.
was forced either to fall upon the belt
of the thresher, in which case he would
have been thrown into the machine, or
upon the fork in the hands Of his fellow
workman. He chose the latter course.
One prong of the fork struck him under
meath the chin, and glancing from the
bone, ran throug gh the lower and upper
lips and out about the check bone. With
some effort upon the part of both men the
fork was drawn out, when the wounded
man sank to the ground. He discon-
tinued work for the remainder of the
day, but was at his post the next morn
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03
An Old Hens Last " Lay"

Once man of great invention
Made O nest for hens to lay in,
With mean deceittul bottom,
That would slide and let the egg out
Failing through small aperture
Then would slide and close the hole up;
And he sold it to the owner
OF hen, the boss producer
OF most delicate I" hen iruitage."
Now the hen was mighty gritty,
And she spread herself to do it,
So she laid an egg enormous;
Then arose in great ela.son,
With her feathers all a-flutter,
And her body all a-cackle,
And she said, Gas sure as shooting,
have laid an egg exceeding
My most sanguine cackleations,
Far beyond my eggspectation.
Where's that egg? May stars and garters
In the name OF all Ewes daughters
Can not believe my senses?
Surely have not gone crazy!
Well, if this don't beat the dicken,
May never hatch chicken"
Long she pondered DER the matter,
Ger this strange hallucination,
Ger this most complete deception;
Then she squared down to business,
And she laid another apis,
Though ofcourse it was a-missing,
Though she scratched around the litter,
In her efforts to espy it.
But why make the story longer?
Thus in fatal repetition,
OF this eggy operation,
Passed the day until the evening,
When the owner came to find her,
Found her naught except her wattles,
Half her bill and some pin feathers,
While within the box beneath them,
Where that tooling slide had dropped them,
Found he eggs a halt-a-bushel.
Gone, heroic Henawatha!
Died she in the nest OF duty,
Victim OF mans vile deception.
Surely she must have interment
With that nest as her sepulchre,
For she layed herself within it.
Cincinnati Grange Bulletin.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03

It may be some solace to those who
are always dissatisfied and are wanting
to change every day, that wherever they
90 on earth they must take themselves
with them. Hampton.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03

Albert Victor and George Frederick,
sons of the Prince of Wales. were known
bv the nicknancs Of" rat "and " Her
ring :" on board the training ship Brit
tania. where they recently completed the
course with high honors.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-03

The Zulus cannot comprehend revol-
vcrs, and never take them from the dead
bodies of their English foes. ..