davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1879-07-04

THERE are sixty-fve life prisoners
in the Penitentiary. and the number
is constantly increasing. and will in
crease until the law is changed to
make death alone the penalty for
murder. Our Solons altered the law
under the belief that life punish
mentis a more humane one, but re.
ally it is not. Who ever heard Of q
hardened murderer sentenced for life,
getting religion and bearing evidence
that he was going straight to glory
when he died9 No body. They don't
banker after religion, but after q drea-
ry life, die and go to the devil. But
sentence a man to be hung, and no
sooner, he goes to work to make his
peace, his calling and election sure,
and no matter how hardened or aban-
doned he is. his salvation is assured,
and he usually dies with a word Of
warning to sinners on his lips, and an
earnest entreaty for every body to
NEE. him in heaven. The conversion
of such fends could not be accom-.
plished any other way, and ii our
next Legislature has a desire to save
souls, put an end to murder and cut
off useless expense to the State, il
will change the law which makes it
discretionary with the jury to say
whether a man should be hung or he
clothed and fed at the expense of the
State for the balance ofhis natural life.
The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1879-07-04

AT five O'Clock Tuesday evening,
the first session Of the Fortyeirth
Congress expired, and sigh Of re-
lief went up from one end Of this
broad land to the other. The mean
policy Of the Republicans that made
the extra session necessary, and their
desire TO thwart the expressed will Of
the majority, has been met with Sc
we're rebuke by the accomplishment Of
every thing Of importance that the
Democrats sought, and our party has
reason to exult over the following
grand results Of the session
First--Iimiiing the power Of the Prcsi-
dent to use the military ut he polls
Seccnd-The repeal Of the test oath.
Third Changing the method Of drawing
jurors in the United States Courts.
Fourth-The nulliAcafion 81 the Law
authorizing the appointment Of Depuiy
Marshals az elections.
Finh-Creation Of the Miasissippi River
Commission, which Is the beginning Of a
grand scheme Of Improvement Of that
river.
Sixih-Removal Of duty on Quinine
Seventh-Appointment Of yellow 70
yer Commission.
We could hardly ask more than has
been accomplished by the extra ses-
sion, and Democratic members can 60
home to their constituents, confident
that their acts will be met with
hearty approval. They have demand
ed nothing outside of the principles
Of civil liberty, while the Republi-
cans have opposed them at every step,
and placed themselves on record
against civil liberty. The people will
decide at the next election whether
they will have the man Hayes and his
followers to reign over them longer.
The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1879-07-04

Sulky Hay Rakes.

How in use Call and sKamins our
Machines and Raksa
The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1879-07-04

The eyes of the Nation with big
NJ are now fixed upon the contest in
Ohio, for rs goes Ohio before the Pres
idential contest, so goes the Union.
The Gubernatorial race is between
Genl. Tom Ewing and Genl. A. v.
Rice, with three legs, and Charles Fos-
ter and one Hickenlooper, with four.
The two former went heart and soul
into the war for the protection Of the
Union, while the latter we're measur.
ing off calico and drinking beer, and
never thought Of fighting ill after the
war was over and peace declared. The
canvass was opened on the 18th al
Columbus, when Genl Ewing made
an eloquent appeal for tree elections,
fair count, and against the willful
assumption Of Hayes TO thwart the
expressed will Of a majority Of the
people. II the Democrats Of Ohio are
alive to the importance Of the contest,
Ewing and Rice will be elected by
,.,,...,haIuoin0 maiorifias.
The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1879-07-04

THE people Of Cincinnati are TAX.
ing steps to get rid Of the black pail
of smoke that forever hOven over
that enierprising city. The only way
We can see out of the difficulty. is 10
,lso the wonderful coOk-Stoye patented
a year or Two ago.
The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1879-07-04

Will Phil Thompson give an &C.
count Of bis stewardship
The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26

shriyel and fade away, and was left
alone.
Ycu smile, sir; you think 1 dreamed
all this. Wait until you have heard me
through. / rushed ont Of the hat,
bounded over the garden-wall and ran
home as if all the fiends were after
me. Next day called upon the mngis-
trate Of the town and told him my
story. Strange TO say, he betrayed Lit
tie surprise, and remarked that facts
had recently come to his knowledge
which indnced him to believe that Owen
Roberts was the real murderer, and that
the order for his arrest was already is
sued. A few hours later, Roberts was
in the clutches of the law, and when told
that he was accused by witnesses both
from this world and the world of ghosts,
broke down completely and confessed all.
He was tried, convicted and hung on the
very gallows where poor Dick Wirion
innocently swung. The ghost Of old Hu
came no more, and the good people en-
joyed long immunity from supernatur-
al visitations.
The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26
A Hero of the Parisians.

During the siege of Paris there was
nobody more popular, and afterward
there was nobody more unpopular than
Sergeant Hoff. He with his own hand
slew twenty-seven Germans during the
first six weeks Of the siege. His gal
lantry was rewarded by praise lavished
in his regimental order Of the day and
the Legion Of Honor was bestowed on
him.
The minister OF war told him that it
was very important that dispatch
should reach Marshal Bazaine, and
offered him 81 600 to undertake the
mission. 1t was perilous. He staked
his head on success. 1t was easier for
him than for many Frenchmsn-he was
an Alsaciau and spoke German we'll. He
said to the minister of war: L accept
the mission, but 1 refuse the money
Howl after howl OF indignation went
up when it was found Sergeant Hoff had
disappeared. It was said that he had
always been Prussian spy and was now
a traitor. The government gave the
keynote to these howls to save Hoff's
life il he were discovered as he passed
through the enemy's lines. He safely
reached Bazaine. The war over, he was
made keeper Of Vendome Column. The
keeper of the Triumphal Arch died the
other day, and Sergeant Hoff, to the dc.
light Of Parisians, has been appointed
to the vacant place.
The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26
''What Is ItW

Yesterday forenoon farmers horse
and wagon were hitched on Congress
street., near Larned, and after the man
had gone into store an individual, who
must know something about human GU
riosity. walked slowly down to the wagon
and carefully examined a hind wheel.
In ten seconds he was joined by two
boys. In minute there was q crowd
of six. The man looked at the wheel
from one side and the other, and the in
creasing crowd did the same. In three
minutes there were twenty people around
the wagon. Some looked over into the
box and some at the wheels, but no one
said anything. The man first mentioned
seized the wheel and shook it and then
measured one of the spokes with q
pocket rule. When he had finished the
crowd numbered forty. No one could
say what had happened or was about to
happen, and the mystery was fast be-
coming intense, when q corpulent citi-
zen bore down on the crowd and cried
out
What's the matter here--any one
been hurtY
No, sir was the quiet reply Of the
man with the pocket rule.
What is it, then p
4 was looking at this hind wheel.
What's the matter with the wheel p
asked the fat man as he seized and
shook it.
Nothing
The fat man soowled, clenched his
hand, looked up and down and then slid
and in thirty seconds no one was left
around the wagon but small boy, who
was trying to hook an old umbrella. -
Hree Press,
The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26
John Newton and His Rihle.

The Rev. John Newton, the hymn
writer, who was minister Of st. Mary
Woolnoth in London, spent the former
part Of his life at sea. He was, as he
tells us himself, great sinner. From
his youth up he had often had eonvic-
tions, but never deeply felt his danger till
on the homeward voyage he was brought
into such condition that his life hung
in doubt before him. From the state in
which the vessel was, every hour SEEM
ed as if it would be the last. The sup
posed nearness OF eternity filled his mind
with solemn dread. To die happily, he
felt he had need, great need, he
knew not Of what. Filled with trouble.
he rememered that his mother was a
great reader of the Bible and that she
often spoke with delight of what she
found in it. He remembered also that
she had given him Bible when he went
to sea, with entreaties that he would Of
ten read it. He thought he must still
have the Bible somewhere, but he could
hardly be certain. Down he went to his
chest, at the very bottom OF it found his
mothers kind but long-neglected gift.
He opened ii with eagerness, and the
first words that caught his eyes were
these: III ye then, being evil, know
how to give good gifts unto your child
ren, how much more shallyour heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to them that
ask HimP' 1t came home to his con-
science that it was the Holy Spirit that
he wanted. He resolved to cry earnest
ly for this gift. He did cry, and was
heard, and answered.
The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26
Care of the Eyes,

Nothing is more injurious to beauti-
full eye than short sight, The unfortu-
nate victim, taught by instinct to mar
row the aperture and bring the focus
nearer, is always wrinkling the two eye
lids, and neither splsndor nor softness
nor lovely shape avails under such a
habit; the head, besides, is always being
thrust forward to aid the sight, and q
line which, if it is not a frown resem-
bles one, comes upon the forehead be-
tween the eyes, and mars the white,
smooth surface that should be there, to
the destruction of that calm beauty
which it ought to have. This near
sightedness is defect, too, constantly
becoming more frequent wkh us,
whether from habits of study, from life
in narrow streets. from ancestral neg
lect, or from some unexplained cause.
1t is not little singular that those who
have the rearing and instruction of chill
dren do not guard more carefully against
so wretched tendency. In some cases
it is, to be sure, a hereditary disease
that can hardly be treated curatively,
but simply 80 as to become no worse;
but in many other cases it is an accident
that could have been entirely prevented,
or that, having occurred, can be entirely
cured; and one would presume that its
avoidance and treatment should be
among the first active anxieties of pa
rents SO solicitous to prevent other trou-
bles and deformities, since even when
the near-sighted are able, by careful and
sleepless discipline, to escape the de-
formity Of it, it is only through the
really serious trouble of giving up more
than half Of the pleasures of the eye, the
pleasures which most must think those
OF the highest sense Of all.
The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26
Birds and Civilization.

There is large series of the smaller
birds of our woodlands and prairies
which have been decidedly benefited by
the advent OF white men here. or but
one sort of quadruped, the field mice,
can this also be said. 1t is commonly
observed that almost no small birds are
seen in the depths of o forest, but that
they become abundant as one approaches
the neighborhood Of settlements. Tray.
elers through Siberia know that they
are coming near village when they be-
gin to hear. the voices of birds, which
are totally absent from the intervening
solitudes. Every ornithologist has
proved these facts in his own experience,
and explorers who go to uninhabited
and primeval regions have learned not
to expect there the chorus that greets
their ears from the great army of song
sters in populous countries.
The song birds, the small denizens of
our summer groves, pastures and mead
ows, seem, then, to recognize the pres
ence of mans civilization as blessing,
and have taken advantage of it, both
from love of human society and for more
solid and prosaic reasons. The settle
ment of country implies the telling of
forests, the letting in upon the ground
of light aud warmth, the propagation of
seed-bearing cereals, weeds and grasses
enormously in excess of natural state
of things, the destruction of noxious
quad1upeds and reptiles, and the intro
duction Of horses and clttle. Each of
these alterations of nature Except in
some cases-the woodpeckers, for in
stance) is direct benefit TO the little
birds,
The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26
A WELSH STORY.

An old man named Hu Hirwan was
found murdered in his cabin. He was
a strange creature-half savage, half
idiot, who lived alone, his only compan-
ion an enormous, ill.favored black cat.
He had the appearance of the abjectest
poverty, yet it was generally believed
that he possessed considerable money
concealed somewhere about his premises.
The more ignorant OF his neighhors in
sisted he had dealings with the evil one,
and some went even SO far as to affirm
that he came to his death by no mortal
hand. A belated peasant, going home
from the village tavern alter more than
usually heavy orgie, declared that as he
passed the hut he saw the old man strug-
Cling with his satanic majesty, in the
shape OF gigantic black cat; and as the
cat, his only companion, was seen no
more after the murder, the story gained
considerable credence. The authorities,
however, took somewhat different view
Of the case. An examination of the
body revealed an ugly wound on the
side Of the head, as if inflicted with o
bludgeon. Suspicion rested on worth
less fellow named Dick Wirion dick
the foolieh), who was seen prowling
about the place on the evening of the
tragedy. He was arrested, brought,
according to the custom OF the country,
to the presence of the murdered man,
and made TO stand over-i. According
TO this time-honored test, il the prisoner
is innocent the defunct makes no sign;
il guilty, the wound opens and squirt of
blood flies on his person. Poor Dick
was hit square in the face with thin
stream of gore, fell to the floor in fit
and was carried back to prison. A
bloody club was found back OF his cabin,
several sovereigns were taken from his
pocket, which added TO the accusation
OF the corpse, seemed to make the case
against him clear as day. In those times
il did not take long TO prove a man fit
for tho gallows. Dick was tried, con-
victed and sentenced at single sitting
OF the court, and a week later was COM
fortably and quietly hanged.
Hardly was the poor fellow under
ground, when strange stories began to
be whispered around the peasant fire.
sides. II was said the cabin Of the muir
dered hermit was haunted. Unearthly
noises were heard in the dead Of night,
sounds as Of men struggl.Jg in mortal
conflict; shrieks and eroans suoh as new
or came from human lips; cries for help
and peals Of demoniao laughter were tes-
tilted 10 by reputable witnesses. A
fisherman sworo that, passing by one
The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26
A Menn Trick.

A few days since party Of gentlemen
were together. One man, joker, step
ped up to member Of the party, and,
holding long hair before his eyes said,
See here, old fellow, this looks sGspi-
cious. Where did this long hair c)me
fromP' why, that's from my wife's
headp Are you sure of itT Sure OF
it ? Of course l am. You don't suppose
you would find any other woman's hair
about me, do your No, probably not;
but / am sorry You are 80 sure il is your
wife's hair, for just picked It Off tho
coat Of this gentleman, pointing to q
friend near by.
The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26
Carried Over the Falls of Yiacaro.

A terrible tragedy was enacted at
Niagara Falls, in the presence Of about
five hundred people, when 'Pi' Walker,
a noted smuggler and river pirate, went
over the falls before their horrihed gaze.
The Erie railroad had gotten up a spe-
cial Sunday excursion from Buffalo.
which was patronized by a large number
OF people, and Goat island, Prospect
park and the shore near the Cataract
House was covered with sightseeTs.
Suddenly some one on the shore oppo.
site the upper end of Goat island raised
the awful cry OF warning: "A man in the
rapids ! and as the people focked to the
edge of the water they saw a small boat
with a single occupant, slowly being
sucked into the white water.
The man was rowing for all he was
worth, but he seemed to be dazed either
with fear or intoxication, and he was
unable TO make much headway. Sud-
denly the oarsmRn Caught a crab,' his
oars flew out of the rowlocks, his head
went down and he lay at length in the
bottom of the boat. The boat then
turned its PROV down stream and began
to descend the rapids of the American
falls, its pace growing more and more
swift, until finally it struck rock about
two inches from thesurlace and stopped,
and began slowly TO twist and turn in
the eddying current.
The crowd screamed TO the man to
jump out and cling to the rock, and the
widest excitement was manifested upon
the shore. But he still lay in the bot
tom of the boat and made no apparent
attemptsto do so. A dozen schemes of
rescue flashed through the minds of the
spectators, and two old guides had al
ready started on run up the stream to
procure rope and another boat, when the
boat swung round and once more felt
the force of the current, and now began
its mad plunge to destruction.
The surging water caught the light
skif in its clutches as though it were a
feather and bore it downward, bow for
ward, on a mad and dizzy race. But
only for few rods, then second rock
obscured the way, and with crash the
light boat struck against it and parted
in twain, the port side going all to
pieces, while the starboard was not so
badly damaged. The body OF the man
was flung headlong into the eddying
maelstrom, sucked under for moment,
and then tossed to the surface just above
the bridge which leads to Goat island.
He threw his arms wildly into the air,
and those who were on the bridge saw
for an instant a white and haggard face set
in the agony of despair; then he was
again drawn below the surface, never to
reappear.
There was something absolutely sub.
lime in the relentless grasp of the hur-
rying waters. They fairly seemed to
rend the man limb from limb, and old
guides who witnessed the catastrophe
say that the body never will be found in
a whole condition; that it was literally
ground to pieces against the jagged
edges Of the bowldors against which it
was tossed.
The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26
Ayeteran Omce.holder.

1t is seldom that any official OF the
government holds his place for half a
century, but short time since the
clerks Of the state department gave a
dinner to William Hunter, the second
assistant secretary Of state, who went
into Office in 1929, under Jackson, and
has been continuously in the service OF
the department ever since. He is sey-
enty-four years old, and has always en-
ioyed the highest confidence OF the many
secretaries under whom he has served.
Mr.. Hunter is rivaled only by the ven
erable negro Lindsay, who keeps the
door for the secretary Of the navy, and
has paced that quarter deck since the
days Of John @ Qlinoy Adams.
The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26
Chinese Fans.

The cheap paper fans which are i'm
ported into this country in such vast
quantities are formed from piece Of
bamboo about foot and a.half in
length and half an inch in diameter,
split two.thirds Of tho way down into a
number Of slips, each very thin aud ap.
parently fragile, while really possessed
Of its full share of the strength aud
flexibility Of the parent stem. These
slips are spread out in the same plane,
with their tips slightly bent over, some
what like a mustard-spoon, and then
strong paper is pasted over the whole
as far down as the splits extend, tho re =
naming unsplit half serving as handle.
The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26
prernlence of C0lor blindness.

A curious examination has been going
on in Philadelphia for the last eight
months under tho care Of DR.. Keyser,
surgeon OF the Wills Hospital for the
Blind, in order to find out how far color
blindness exists among the men who
manage the trains on the railroads pass.
ing through Philadelphia. The doctor
reports that of the train hands employed
on the Bound Brook, North Pennsylva-
MIA, Philadelphia, Wilmington and Bal
timore, and the Delaware railways, three
and a. half per cent. are color blind-that
is, they will mistake colors for each
other-and eight and a.half per cent.
cannot distinguish shades of colors. -
AS person who is color-blind cannot
distinguish the red from the green sig.
nails which indicate safety or danger on
the road, the Importance of this fact can
be readily understood. In England the
eyes of all employees of railroads are
examined with reference to color blind.
ness, and some steamship lines have for
many years used the same precaution. -
The slightest defect of vision in man
will ensure his discharge. Other steam
ship and railway companies should en-
force the same rule.
The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26
Shorter Burial Service.

The Protestant clergymen of Troy
have passed resolutions to limit burial
services, as far as possible, to scripture
reading, singing and prayer. One OF
the reasons FOR emitting sermons on
such occasions is thus stated: ministers
are often embarrassed and brought to
degree OF discredit by inappropriateness
OF remarks by ignorance Of peculiar fea.
lures of the life or family of the de.
ceased person, by saying too little or too
much in the view Of biased and pre-
JUDGED minds and fear Of giving offense,'
The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26

A new and remunsrstivs branch OF in
dustry has been succ ccessfully introduced
into Georgia. TIE wife and daughters
Of Mr.. Reeves, Of Upson c.uuty, in that
State. have thousands Of silk worms at
work, A handsome profit is realized by
the beautiful silk thus manufactured.
The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26
A Funeral Party Struck BY Lightning.

Lightning struck the house of J. D.
Barnard, town of Little Valley. N. Y,
doing damage to both pc son and prop
erty. A few Of the people in the neigh.
borhood had assembled at Mr.. Barnard's
to attend the funeral Of child who had
died of diphtheria. The people had
just got together andswere about to open
the services, when tho lightning struck
the house, passing down the chimney,
demolishing the stove-pipe, and dividing
it into two parts. One branch struck
Mrs. j. B. Munger, tearing off both
shoes, burning q hole in the heel OF one
of her stockings, and blistering place
on her foot the size Of o silver dollar,
and emitting the flesh on the bottom Of
the other very badly. She was also
burned on the lower part of her limbs,
and her dress torn to pieces. She was
rendered insensible by the shock, and
was supposed for time to be dead. The
dress Of another lady was torn some
what. and other people shocked by the
bolt, but no one was hurt much except
Mrs. Munger. The other part OF the
bolt passed into tho room in which the
body Of the child lay, and when near
the center of the room shivered the floor
and passed through, killing two dogs
that were under the floor.