davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12
A Story of a Thousand Dollar Bill.

MANY years ago, one night while
Conductor Mckinney of the Southern
railroad wac taking up fares, a man
without q ticket offered him large bill,
and he, as conductors are apt to do, took
it along, saying he would soon return
with the change. The purpose of these
delays lie to make a quiet study of the
bill In the baggage car and see If it is all
right. When he reached the baggage
car with the bill, Mr.. Mckinney found
what he had taken for 800 was q bill
for 81, 900. He returned to the passen-
ger and found he had shifted his seat
Telling him that there was q mistake,
that the bill was for 81 900, he was
amazed to have the fellow repudiate the
whole arrangement. He knew nothing
of it and insisted, and was supported by
q friends testimony, that he had
ticket and that it had been taken up.
Finally Mr.. Mckinney went of with
the bill, which the next day he turned
in to the company, with his explanation,
1t was deposited and drew interest for
several years, was never claimed, and
finally was given to the conductor by
the company. The only explanation
was that some bank burglars were on the
train, that one of them carelessly took
out the wrong bill, and chat they decided
that it was safer to lose 1000 than to
risk being arrested. Probably they
thought he knew of the burglary
Hartford Cores. Springfield Republican.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12
An Athletic Statesman.

The caricature that the French artist,
Gill, recently made of Gambetta, repre-
senting him a. an athlete, Is said to Be q
very faithful likeness. Gambetta is
really an athlete of uncommon strength.
His arms, especially, are unusually large
and powerful. He Is fond of rowing,
and Is regarded as q crack oarsman. Two
years ago he began to fall rapidly into
flesh. His physicians ordered him baths
and exercise, and Gambetta went under
. regular training to pull himself down.
He succeeded in reducing himself, but
he still exercises like professional gym
mast. Every morning lie twists himself
into all sorts of positions on the trspeze,
while his secretary reads to him in q
loud voice all the principle articles of
daily papers. Gambetta, notwithstsnd-
ing his great strength, is no fighter,
although his energy during The Franco.
Prussian war gave rise 10 the opinion
that he was possessed of considerable
combativeness. One day the Admiral
Fourichon, incensed at G&mbetta's
orders to his agents to draw literally
upon the marine arsenals, reproached
him bitterly, and finally, in q fit of rage,
seized him by the throat. Gambetta
could have crushed the admiral with his
powerful fist, but he never made the
least resistance, and finally reasoned
calmly and good naturally with his
fierce opponent. That big fellow"
said one of his physicians lately, "is
taking such good care of himself that he
will surely die in the akin of conserva-
tive, and not in that of q factionist, as
President CREW predicted"
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12
A Witty Parson.

A Scotch clergyman named Watty
Morrison was q man of most irrepressible
humor. On one occasion q young officer
scoffed at the idea that it required 80
much time and study to write sermon
as ministers pretend, and offered bet
that lie would preach an hour on any
passage in the Old Testament without
the slightest preparation. Mr.. Morrison
took the bet, and he gave for the text,
" And the ass opened his mouth and he
spake." The parson won the wager, the
officer being rather disinclined to employ
his eloquence upon the text.
On another occasion Mr.. Morrison en-
treated an officer to pardon a poor SOL
der for some ofense he had committed.
The officer agreed to do 80 if he would
in turn grant him the first favor he
Ihould ask.
Mr.. Morrison agreed to this. In day
or two the officer demanded that the
ceremony of baptism should be perform.
ed on q puppy. The clergyman agreed
to it, and q party of many gentlemen
assembled to witness the novel hap
tism.
Mr.. Morrison desired the officer to
hold up the puppy, as was customary in
the baptism of children, and said:
As / am q minister of the Church OF
scotland, ! must proceed according to
the ceremonies of the church"
Certainly" said the major;-"l
expect all the ceremony"
Well, then, major, ] begin by the
usual question: You acknowledge
yourself the father of this puppy"
A roar of laughter burst from the
crowd; the officer took the candidate fol
baptism away, and thus the witty ministe,
turned the laugh against the infdeI
who intended to deride the sacred ordin
ance,-Er.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12
His Business was Booming.

As one of the most prominent young
burglars of San Francisco was walking
out of court the other day just after
having secured an acquittal regarding bis
latest job by q prompt and business-like
"divvy" with the powers that be at the
usual rates, q well-tO do but anxious
looking stranger touched his arm and
beckoned him into q doorway.
<"You are Teddy, the ferret aren't
your asked the gentleman, "the man
who was tried to-day for safe-crack.
mgr -
breaker.
Why, Just this-you'n excuse my
speaking 30 low-but the fast IL Pve
come all the way from the San Joaquin
to look up party in your line of bust
ness"
"Have, eh?"
"Yes-I-well, I've a little PROPOSE.
ton to make to you"
Exactly" said the ferret, calmly ;
"you're a bank cashier down in the
foothills"
GLOW did you know thatT STAN.
mered the gentleman, much amazed.
"And your cash and accounts are to
be gone over by the directors on the first,
and as you can't realize on your stocks,
you want me to gag you some time next
week, shoot your hat full of holes, find
the combination in your breast pocket
book and 60 through the safe in the reg.
ular way"
"Great heavens, mani how did you
find all that outi"
Why I guessed it. Its the regular
thing, you know. Got three orders to
attend to ahead of yours now. Lemme
see. CANT do anything for you next
week, but might give you Wednesday
and Thursday of the week after. How'll
that suit your"
The cashier said he thought he could
make that do, and in less than five min.
utes they had struck q bargain and
arranged the whole affair.
Even New York isn't much ahead Of
San Francisco in regard to modern con
veniences.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12

with sacks of coal. Ahnge red umbrella
appears, and mandarin follows II, borne
In his chair, and with ragged lictors
clearing the way. We pass Q Pekin
cab-stand, both the carts and mules rather
faded. A golden streak Of FIRE PUSHES
ont of the smitby, and urchins stay and
watch 1t a. they do at home. A blind
man threads his way by beating doleful
tune upon Q tamb0rine. Old men and
young men carry sticks 70 which birds
are attached BY q slight thread under
the wing, and good bird may cost a.
much % 81. There Is o sound not Of
reyelry, but of mouFnful stringed instru-
rnents, and banners CLEAN In the distance
unsteadily advancing through the press;
1t IL . wedding procession, we are told,
and for an hour the procession flows
slowly by; coolies, who have flying scar.
let closks over their native poverty;
bearers with huge structures, supposed
10 be q brides Presets, sometimes In
chairs sometimes on fat trays; and
instruments of music, banner.po g.
dan chairs, heraldic shields, tablets, cool.
les, trays, follow In confused and broken
line as If they had no natural beginning
or end. Overhead there Is q musical
Whirr, incessant but not unpleasing; q
tiny Tyre il inserted in q pigeons tail,
come say to guard it from birds of prey,
and the wind makes the music In its
fight.-Good Words.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12
In Pekin.'

We went down on the broad streets
that run for miles without bend. The
vista is closed by city gate, and broken
by here and there an elaborate arch that
spans the roadway, pylow erected to
commemorate either wealth or virtue;
but the green and gold have rubbed of,
and the structure Is out of line, like q
gravestone where the earth has sunk;
the houses, built of brick, are of one
story, yet as the fronts Of the chemists,
tea, and tobacco shops are mass of gil.
ded and painted wood sometimes 30 feet
high, they make q dazzling show when
new; but paint and gliding wear away
rapidly in this climate, and when the
gold furnishes it is not renewed, 30 that
there are sombre lines of faded finery
broken at intervals by q brilliant flash of
color, like the glare of publich0use in
a street that has lost gentility. The mid
die of the roadway Is the highest; there
are lower roads on either side, and of
these the sidewalks and shops. At inter-
walls the middle is occupied by rows of
booths covered with wooden boards or
with curtains of rags, where travelling
merchants display their goods as in an
English fair, or else cook and sell hot
viands that always attract the country
folks who have come into market. At
other points there are oblong groups of
eager listeners, each group gathering
around q story-tcller, who tells his tale
with wonderful dramatic action; and, as
wise as the editors of Western magazines,
when he has worked up his audience to
the highest suspense sends around the
hat before he begins the next chapter; l
saw him once vehemently shake his cash
box in the face of q mean fellow who was
sneaking away without paying. A few
yards of, q iuggler has an equally eager
crowd, while he swallows porcelain cups
and needles without end. A little furth-
er and there is the veritable box of Punch
and Judy although the distinguished per-
sons on that mimic stage are but very dis
tants and poor relation to their namesake
here. On the sidewalks the chiropodist
operates on way.worn feet, and the bar.
Der IL busy shaving customers and
settling their tails. An ancient scribe
with horn spectacles well on bis nose In
writing q letter for some loye.sick swain,
and q knot of 10 or IL idlers gathered
around to hear It. Other crowds have
collected about ballad-singers and street
musicians; and we are told thatif 1t was
the kite season, old gentlemen of grave
aspect would be flying paper dragons
100 feet long. A ceaseless throng, on
foot and horseback, IL In motion through
all these stationary bodies. Soldiers ride
by with guns slouched across their shout
ders, and others armed with only bows
and arrows. Cows and camels lie about
! the sideways, and the camels are loaded
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12

less and hsartless than he had entered.
He asked no questions; he did not seek
Dora The captain of the Swan, about
10 sail for the Indies, had fallen i'll, and
he accepted the situation without q mo-
ment's hesitation.
On the homeward voyage he put
about 10 relieve q shipwrecked crew.
You'll never catch me at sea again."
one of the rescued confded TO Captain
Smithers' mate, when shs had gotten to
rights on board the Swan. Between
sessickness and shipwreck it's no joke.
You see, the doctor prescribed voyage
for my niece; q love affair, you know
lowered her system. I wonder If ship.
wreck Is Q tonici Save usl Who ls
thatf The captainf Why, man alive,
it's Clement Smithersl Doral Dora!
there was q Providence in our being
wrecked, after all. Goodnessl what's
the matter with the girlf Captain
smithers, don't you know old friendsf
Won't you 90 to Doraf She looks as If
she was going TO faint"
And Captain Smithers went.-HGr-
per's BdsQr.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12
Leadville's Boom.

One year ago Leadville contained only
fifteen hundred people, and was even
then considered q roaring camp" To-
day 1t contains probably thirty thousand
people, and, counting outlying camps,
ten thousand more dependent upon
Lesdville for supplies. It has water
works already established; gas works
Just completed; street rsilways charter
ed; O telephone company's wires already
up, with connections to all the leading
mines, reduction works, and business
Offices In general, four banks, thirty-fve
smelting and sampling works, and thirty
saw mills, in and about the camp; one
hundred and forty-seven lawyers, fifty
doctors, thirteen livery stables, ten dry
goods stores, the largest carrying q stock
worth go, 600, groceries and other lines
of business being proportionately repre-
sented. There are one hundred and eight
gambling and club houses, which an
never found except where money Is very
plentiful. Leadville Is "boom" all b
itself.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12
FARM AND FIREsIDE.
Christmas % Coming.

KARL BOSE.
Christmas is eomingl" some one says,
Carefully looking through
The oit-turned leaves Of bis almanac,
Searching for EomeGl ing new.
"Good wife, Deeember's surely here"
He eFiss. Just think Of that.
With Christmas on the twenty -6fth,
And our gray goose not faI;"
The dame lets 70 ] her knitting-work,
30 great 10 her surprise;
Then. meekiy looking DER her spees,
How can Il be 2" replies,
But, 2aiheTtng up beth sOeK and tho aghts,
She thinks, How swift time fies -
OF miUee-msat mineing round the yard,
And unbSked cakes and pies.
These words are sounding everywhere,
And what q stir they make;
Parlor and chamber, kitchen, hall,
A rightinG-up must take.
Inside, confusion Teigns supreme,
With every kind Of Noise
Grinding and grating, mingled with
The talk Of girls ard boys.
Outside, these sounds are heard IN fear,
With drOoping heads and wings,
Doleful quackings for outraged reOsts,
And Yengeiul dutterings.
Then, meath the shed. q meetings held,
Geese, turkeys, chicks. 20 hear,
When all agree that by I0acI play
Their numbers disappear.
"ChTistmas 10 coming d" children shout !;
sob soon Il will be berei
The gladdest, meTriest Of days.
The best Of all the year
The happy plans are made for what
On Christmas they will do;
"1'll hang my biggest sOck," says John
Says Jane, "I1l hang up twot"
Christmas 10 comingI Wise Is he
Who drives sad care away;
We've all the year for toll and gain,-
Then children be to-day;
And into every stocking hung
May lots Of good things fall.
The while Merry CHRISTMAS time
We wish you, one and all.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12
Trust n B0y.

During the session of the late Episcopal
in Boston, the Bishop OF
Louisiana, in crossing the commons, met
q boy whose face he fancied, and calling
to him, asked him If he had any thing 70
do lust then, to which he said no. "Are
you q good boyT The little fellow
scratched his head and replied: i am
not q very good boy. l cuss q little
sometimes" That candid answer in.
spired the bishop with confidence, and
he then said, after giving his name and
address: "Iwant you TO 60 to q certain
place and get bundle for me, and bring
It to my hotel. There will be charge
of %; here IL the money to pay II, and
half q dollar which you will keep for
doing the Grand" On his return to
the hotel, the bishops friends laughed at
him for his credulity, telling him that he
would never see the boy or the bundle
OF the money again: but In half an hour
the young chap returned, bringing the
bundle and receipted bill for $3.50, the
bishop having made q slight mistake as
to the amount that was due. How did
you manage to pay the extra half dol
larf" he inquired. 81 took the money
YOU gave me for the job. I knew that
you would make 1t all right" And call
right" it was made, and have no doubt
til It the confidence that was reposed in
that boy will do him good as long as he
Clark.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12

~ W. y. coRkKLL-

--,,,
Oni ne olo enap wa me miller gray'
MI ~ nAe Ne nsSe essless sooteN
~ ISa " ~ me zoe, 2, nc miu eeeh aAy,
W., .S , ~ w 80 ~ nAt We oreugnI
'1A PsessAnt sssus tnere Wa on hls tscsi
M nov hearts oSst VIII loys then In ssorsi
N'f 49, 49, w, lne Hoses tnst led Al MS door.
ANno seArtea 10 All that came his way,
OhI AiAe Oh nAn was the miller gray
Ohl quaint old man was the miller sray,
Fun Of Sayi ngs not then undsIstOOd.
In religion, he dared not what was the way
We brought him our wheat, provided 'tuAs good.
hs hkened our lives 70 the dow Of the noss..
- which ase4, was coon lost Ia the oceAn vast;
And the Sheel never ground with water once
passe1.
What more he told Us l cannot say,
OIL a9dAint old chap was the miller gray.
"
On Kind hearted man was the sstileT gray,
AND what wide big pockets he had,
1hsre were sIinSs Tor reps, alley, tors commos-
Perhaps candy 70 make our hearts glad;
nov me devss new OUT and IN as they list
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12
An Ancient Battle Hround.

A remarkable mound containing q
vast number of human bones and Indian
relics was uncovered about three miles
east of Lsnesboro, on Thursday last. Mr..
Newell was blowing on his farm, and
turned up a skull, which he took to
town and exhibited to DIR. ID. f. Powell.
The doctor went out the following day,
accompanied by others who assisted in
the excavations, and as a result of their
labors several wagon loads of bones were
found, indicating that the mound had
been the burial place of fully six hun
dred human beings. The bones were all
of full grown men, there being no re-
mains of women and children, indicat-
ing clearly that these were corpses of
men killed in battle. A copper spear
head, harder than steel of modern times,
q handsome pipe, and other articles were
secured by the editor of the LanesbOro
Journal. Also many stone knives and q
stone maui, of harder material than ex-
lists In this vicinity, was found. Big
Fire." grand medicine man of the Wine
bagos, says great battle occurred at this
place some thirty generations ago, be-
tween the Chippewas and Sioux, the
former coming out victorious, and nearly
annihilating their enemies. After the
battle trench was dug, and some 900
warriors were piled therein. Big Fires
version of the matter looks very reason
able.-PrstOn MINI Republicans.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12
Turkish Morals Compared With Our
Own.

At a dinner party from st. Peters.
burg, at which the Turkish ambassador
was present, the conversation turned on
the social morality Of different nations,
and a young diplomatist rashly vensured
a pleasantly on the subject Of Turkish
harems. The ire of the ottoman repre-
sentative was Immediately aroused, and
he dumbfounded the company by q
TRADE against the Christian immortality
in general. In conclusion he said with
bluntness which does not bear literal
translation: 81 have four wives, and ]
have never paid attentions to any other
females. Which of the company dsres
tell me that his relations with the fair
sex have been similarly restrictedf"
Some rather noted Lovelaces who were
present with their spouses felt q little
awkwark.-LOndon World.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12

oats, clover and potatoes, and have sown
It to turnips after digging the early
potatoes this fall.
"a year ago last spring ] put In 81
rods Of stone drain, 81 feet deep, thereby
converting very wet, heavy spot Of
about onethird Of an acre, which was
nearly surrounded by dry land In alarge
moving lot, into q mellow, productive
soil, which Il neither too wet NOR too
dry. Before drying, this spot was very
wet, and would only grow grass Of poor
quality, being full Of ferns and butter
cup, and when plowed was very lnmpy,
the principal crop being Roman worm.
wood. The surface soil was q dark
vegetable mold ten or twelve inches
deep, underneath which was q very hard
subsoil, eighteen or twenty inches deep,
90 hard that Q pick would make but
little impression upon Il, and under that
Q stratum of gravel, full of water,
which worked out near By, and in spots
this water came mp through the hard
pan to the surface, where it escaped
only by evaporation. By digging
through the hard-pan to the gravel /
have drawn the water of below the
surface, which is becoming very mellow
and productive under cultivation, and
produced last year and this, better crops
than the naturally dry soil surrounding
1t, and especially this season has Il
shown indications of great fertility. It
is pleasure to work on such land, after
one hac reclaimed II. ] really enjoy
going to the outlet occasionally to see
the drain discharge, while the surface is
80 dry and mellow, and to think what 1t
was before" e.
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12
Household Recipes.

PACKING BUTTER FOB WINTER
Work out all the buttermilk; then salt
at the rate of one ounce to the pound Of
butter. Pack in jars, and keep the tor
always covered with strong brine. Keep
in . cool, dry place.
FLANNEL CAKEs.-0ne pint sweet
milk, half teaspoonful salt, two tea.
spoonfuls sugar, yolks of two eggs, and
-four (sifted) enough to make Q thin
batter, Just thick enough TO bake on
griddle; when well beaten add two tea
spoonfuls good baking powdEf, mix thor.
oughly, and lastly, add whites of eggs
beaten to a stiff froth; don't beat them
in, but stir gently through the batter;
bake at once.
QUICK DoUGHNUTs.-One cup OF
sugar, one tablespoonful of butter, two
cups of sweet milk, one egg, two tea.
spoonfuls of baking powder; little salt,
one-half teaspoonfuI of nutmeg or Gin
namon. Place about thTse-fourthf of
tho quantity of Aour In baking dish,
sift In your baking powder, mixing well,
then add sugar, egg, spice and melted
butter, then with q spoon stir In the
milk, making a soft dough. and knead-
ing as little as possible, roll out and cut
round or in twisted shape and fry in hot
lard, taking care to have lard Just the
right heat.
BOILED PLUM PUDDIEG.-One.hal
pound suet, one pound of -four, half
pound dried currants, half pound stoned
raisins, two eggs, half teaspoonful of
grated nutmeg, half teaspoonful CHINA
mon and small pinch of ground cloves,
half tablespoonful of salt, one and one
half cupfuls of milk, citron if you like.
Chop the suet and rub 1t through the
-four, mix the fruit and dredge -four
over it; beat the eggs very light, add the
milk to suet and -four, then eggs, then
fruit; dip pudding bag In cold water,
turn wrong side out, -four well, turn the
batter in and tie, leaving room for the
pudding to swell; boil constantly three
hours.
CHICKEN PIE.-Have your chickens
stewed tender. 1t is a good plan to
cook them the night before the day of
using. The old fashioned way was
always to have q breakfast service from
the pot of chicken intended for the pie
for the Thanksgiving dinner. Maze q
paste by taking one quart of -four, one.
half cup of butter rubbed in the -four,
two teas poonfuls of baking powder, and
wet with milk, making it q soft paste
line the sides and bottom of your dish
"a good sized One) with the paste, taking
about half of the quantity of paste
leaving it quite thick; fill the dish with
the chicken after seasoning with salt and
pepper; take the remaining pastry and
roll out, spreading with butter, and sift.
ing upon It little -four; sold together,
repeating the process three or four times,
at last making it about the size of your
dish, and lay it on for a cover to your
smoother and maze a small cut or open.
ing in the center; bake one hour, should
it brown too fast lay thick paper over
tho tom
The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-12

MEN show their character Ia nothin
more clearly than by what they think
laughable. The man who laughs at
anolher's misfortunes, he who enjoys the
sufierings of brutes, he who is happy
only when causing suffering or the de-
struction of another mans property, and
he who Is amused by sacreligious sayings
and vulgar expressions are not the men
who appreciate really funny items-liks
this one, for instance. -0I City Derrick.