davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
An Old Virginia Giant.



The allusion in a recent letter of your
Louisa correspondent, to the old revolution
airy giant hero, Peter Francisco, revives
many traditions and "reminiscences of the
wonderful performances and daring deeds
of that extraordinary man. My father re-
Gently deceased at the advanced age of
ninety, we'll remembered him, having fire.
quently seen him in his native county of
Buckingham, and related many anecdotes
of his stirring and perilous adventures and
hair-breadth escapes as he heard the recital
fall from the lips of the giant himself lie
described him rs six feet one inch in height,
his weight 200 pounds, his complexion dark
and swarthy, features bold and manly and
his hands and feet uncommOnlv large, his
thumbs being as large as an ordinary mans
wrist. Such was his personal strength that
he could easily shoulder a cannon that
weighed |, 100 pounds and he had seen him
take a man in his right hand, pass over the
floor and dance his bead against the ceiling
with as much ease as if he had been a doll
baby. The mans weight was 1875 pounds !,
Partaking of the patriotic enthusiasm of the
times, he entered the American Revolution
ary Army at the age of sixteen. He was
present at the storming of Stony Point, and
was the first soldier, after Major Gibbon,
who entered the fortress. on which occasion
he received a bayUnet wound in the thigh.
He was at Brandywine, Monmouth and
other battles at the North and was trans
ferred to the South under General Green,
where he was engaged in the action of the
COwpens, Camden, Guilford Courthouse,
etc He was so brave and possessed such
confidence in his proweSs that he was posi-
lively fearless. He used a sword with a
blade five feet long, which he could WELD
rs a feather and every swordsman who came
inr each of him paid the ferteit of his life.
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
HUMOROUS.

She may dress in silk, or dress in satin,
May know the languages, Greek and Latin,
May know fine arr, may love and sigh
But she amt 10 good il she can't make pie
How's the Florida cigar crop this
year? That's the key-W West-ion.-Lowell
Courier
1t was the Irish hor5e-doctor that sent in
bill, ''for curing your Honor's horse that
died, 6 shillings."
The New Orleans Picayune says 'Never
marry woman without sense, unless you
are a fool yourself"
'Lenny, you're pig" said fond father
to his little boy Now, do yon know what
pig is, Lenny?' eyes, sir; hogs little
boy. Odd Paper.
There is no indignation more terrible
than that of an elderly man in a horse-car
offered seat by a smypathizing lady, when
h e snorts, "kup your seat, nom; they
hain't stronger man in this earn me! ~
The Danbury News, in a long article tells
"IIow a Hat is Made" The simplest,
cheapest and quickest way to make hat is
to bet on the winning candidate at the
election.-Norristown Herald.
The man who is bringing up family on
an income OF So a week, will be happy to
learn from the fashion prediction ''that the
spring and summer fashions in elegance will
surpass anything ever seen in America. -
Bring nghamton Republican.
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
NOTES ON EDUCATION.

New Jersey has a State school fund of
81 600, ,502. The metric system is taught in
all the schools, and corporal punishment is
abolished in them.
The Texas Agricultural and Mechanical
College has seyenty-six students, and is re-
ported to be prosperng. The standard of
the literary department is reasonably high.
Several of the Baltimore School Commit
tee are in favor of providing the cOlored
schools with teachers and the board is now
considering the matter.
The kindergarten system has become so
popular in St. Louis that the colored citi-
zens have petitioned the school Boards to
establish it in their schools The authori-
titles are considering how TO comply with this
request.
An amendment to school bill, authoriz-
ing the election of women to the Cincinnati
School Board was recently proposed in the
Ohio Legislature ''as 4 joke" The Senate
in merry mood adopted it. The House
not being 50 funny at the time, objected, and
the result was that the Senate retreated
from It's position and the door of the School
Board was shut on women again. Wherein,
it Is supposed, Ohio showed its immense su-
periority in wisdom to England, to Massa-
sachusetts, and to a dozen other States of
the Onion which permit women of good ed
ucation, common sense, and business capac-
ity to have some voice in the education of
their sons and daughters.
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
A Discoutented Baby's Diary

1. January-.Just born. Here's a lark
Papa does not seem very pleased though.
/. February Every nirbt pa walks
about mn and down tho br,Ir,,,, ,,itL
MI Irbaa -. - -
must mn y ~, do san1dtL;no '1i', '""' ~ f''"''
/. March~Nursc Is q .nit.f,I ,bipo
she sticks nins into.a f.iInv ~, nrr7
nose
AnriI-AAor all n,c NAV avon
weary Of the LnttIo
NIav~T ,y;., I c,pIl c,t o. t,,tb
ia L;te 4urlo
I JnneIWbst n uni-,nca IL l. ta
have relations who Len am savipe,
uKatcbett, Latcbatt. p ana dig into
,onr rih, c,;th ~. fJ,.g, 49, 7yybcn
crow -, I'u H. = - tL1,n and s..
b6y tbeyfII Iikait
.Jni,LTbern ara ,,~.a I,oI,i.. newt
door oot the measIe- grt notbing
lis awfuIly dull
/ Augist-Opc of babi.s fr,m next
door came in ~ see ~. t,-ds,. and
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
Short Speeches and Curt Conundrums
SAYINGS AND DoINGs OF Men DISTINGUISH
I'D AND EOT DISTINGUISHED.

SAYINGS AND DoINGs OF MEN DISTINGUISH
I'D AND sOT DISTINGUISHED.
New York Telegram-l
sIr Webster was apt to overindulge him
self at public dinners, but managed. when
called upon, 10 make q sPeech-it a brief
one AT Rochester, New York, he once
delighted the company with the following
Men of Rochester ! am glad 10 see
YOU aud / am glad to see your noble city.
Gentlemen, | saw your falls, which | am
told, are 1870 feet high; that l. very
interesting fact. Gentlemen, Rome had her
Caesar. her Scripio, her Brutus; but Rome,
in her proudest days, never had waterfall
100 feet high Gentlemen, Greece had her
Pericles, ner Demosthenes, and her Socrates;
but Greece, in her palmiest days, never
had d waterfall 80 feet high. Men CT
Rochester 20 on /, No people ever lost their
liberty who had = waterfall 100 feet high :"
On another occasion he finished up with
Gentlemen, there's the national debt
it should 0e paid I'll pay II myself. How
much Is il ?'
This was sufficiently brief but perhaps
the shortest speech ever delived in any Leg
islative chamber was that of the member OF
the United States Congress, who, having
got out this sentence Mr.. Speaker: The
generality Of mankid are disposed to eXer-
else oppression on the generality of man
KIND IN general, was pulled DOWN 70 MS
seat by friend, with d remark You'd
better stop; you are coming out at the same
hole you went in at.
Mr.. Kendall, sometimes Uncle Sam
Postmaster General, wanting some informa-
tIon a. 10 the source of river, sent the toll
lowing note 10 the village postmaster:
sir: ms department desires to know
how far the Tombigbee runs up. Respect
fully yours, etc.
BY return mail came: The 'Tombigbee
does not run up at all; it runs down. Res
pectfully yours" etc.
Kendall, not appreciating this subordi-
Mates humOr, wrote again:
Sir: ''Your appointment as postmaster
Is revoked; you Will turn over the funds, |
etc, pertaining to your Office to your sue
cessor."
Sir, the revenues for this office for the |
quarter ending September Both have been
95 cents; its expenditures, same period for |
taliow candles and twine, $l.0j. | trust my
successor is instructed 10 adjust the bal |
auce.'
His superior officer was probably as much |
disgusted with his precise correspondent as
the American editor who, writing to a Com
necticut brother; Send full particulars of
the flood (meauing an inundation at that
place., received for reply: you'll find /
them in Genesis
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
New Occupation for Women.

With the exception of the dOuble-bass
(violin) and the heavier brass-indeed
| am not sure that these exceptions are
necessary-there is no instrument of
the orchestra which a woman can not
play successfully. The extent, depth
and variety of musical capability
among the women of the United States
are continual new sources of astonish-
ment and pleasure to this writer, al
though his pursits are not specially Of
a nature to bring them before his atten-
ton. 1t may be asserted without ex-
travagance that there is no limit to the
possible achievements of our country
women in this behalf, if their efforts be
once turned in the right direction.
This direction is, unquestionably, the
orchestra. All the world has learned
to play the piano. Let our young
ladies-always saving, Of course, those
who have the gift for the special in
strument-leave that and address them
selves to the violin, the flute, the oboe,
the harp, the clarionet, the basson,
the kettle-drum. 1t is more than pos
sible that upon some of these instru-
ments the superior daintiness Of the
female tissue might finally make the wo-
man a more successful player than the
man. On the flute, for instance, a GER
tain combination of delicacY with fexi-
bility in the lips is absolutely neces-
sary to bring fully out that passion
alluded to and many male players, of
all requisite qualifications so far as man
ual execution is concerned, Will be for
ever debarred from attaining it by rea-
son Of their intractable, rough lips,
which will give nothing but a cores
pondingly intractable, rough tone. The
same, in less degree, may be said Of the
oboe and basson. Besides, the qualities
required to make a perfect orchestral
player are far more often found in wo-
men than in men; for these qualities
are patience, fervor and fidelity, com
bined with deftness of hand and quick
intuitiveness Of soul.
To put the matter in another view
no one at all acquainted with this sub
ject will undervalue the benefits to fe-
systematic use of wind-instruments
Out Of personal knowledge, the writer
pleases himself often with picturing
how many consumptive chests, disma
shoulders, and melancholy spines would
disappear, how many rosy cheeks would
blossom, how many erect forms delight
the eyes which mourn over their droop
ing, under the stimulus of those long
equable and generous Inspirations anC
expirations which the execution of every
moderate difficult piece on a wind-in
strument requires. Sidney Lanier, il
The Orchestra Of To-day" Scribnel
| for April.
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
CONNUBIALITIEs.

"poes your mother know your
route?" asked a rival when the bride
and groom started on their wedding
tour.
One man eloped with the wife Of
another from spelling-bee ia Teuue--
see. Such bees interfere with the
honeymoon.
Wanted girl" implored am ex-
change, some time back but the blind
forces Of nature moved pitllessly on,
and it was a boy.
A lady one day wrote to her absent
husband the following letter, which
may be quoted a. a model It's way: II
write to you because have nothing 10
do; end because ! have nothing 20
say"
The sultan has 1900 servants; and
vet we dare say, when the furlace-ire
won't work, the saltana tells him it is
the hired girls night out, and he has to
90 shining around in the cellar to warm
up the harem again.
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
A Lady's Response to the Toast OF
"The Men"

MRS Dunway Of the New Northwest,
at a literary reunion at Salem, Oregon
toasted" the gentlemen as follows:
God bless 'em. They halve our joys
they double our sorrows they treble our
exposes; they quadruple our cares they
excite our magnanimitY; they increase
our self-respect they awaken our en-
thusiasm; they arouse our affections
they control our property, and out-ma-
nouvre Us in everything. This would
be very dreary world without EN- In
fact, | may say, without prospect ofsuc-
cessful contradiction, that without 'em il
would not be much Of a world anyhow
We love 'em, and the dear beings can't
help it; we control 'em, and the pre-
cious fellows don't know it.
As husbands, they are always cOnven.
lent, though not always on hand as
beaux, they are by no means match.
less" They are most agreeable visit
ors; they are happy at State fairs, and
indispensable at oyster saloons. They
are splendid as escorts for some other
fellows wife or sister, and as friends
they are better than wemen. AS our
fathers, they are inexpressably grand.
A man may be failure in business, a
wreckin constitution, not enough to boast
of as beauty, nothing to speak of as a
wit, less than nothing az legislator for
woman's rights, and even not very brill
liant as a member of the press; but if he
is our own father we overlook his short
comings and cover his peecadilloes with
the divine mantle of charity. Then as
our husbands, how we love to parade
them as paragons In the sublime Ian
guage of the inspired poet;
"We'll lie for them,
Well cry for them,
And if we could we'd fly for them.
We'd anything but die for them"
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
NUMBER l6.

my mother and sisters weeping around
me. Sitting by n table, her fair face
resting on her hand, exhausted and
: griet-stricken, sat my darling. l tried
to rise, but could not
! "Marie-AIarie, come TO me | want
YOU" | exclaimed. agonized at the
thought of the poor child's loneliness
and suffering
What does he mean - asked my
mother, evidently Suppo~ing me bereft
/ Of my senses.
i mean my friend, my preserver,
my saint. VIII you not come to me
I Marie?"
She crossed the apartment. and shyly
advanced to my side, placed her hand
IN mine, and said, Mr. Sinclair, | am
30 glad you are not dangerously injured.
| feared that in saving my life, YOU had
sacrificed your owu'-and the little one
burs lto tears.
st. Marie. it was YOU who kept me
from destruction. Mother. sisters, ser
vants-an left the house without one
word of warning You stood by me,
and | believe would have still stood had
| failed TO awaken, and met death at my
side. St. Marie, | believe l have al
ways loved YOU"
Let me examine his pulse" inter
rupted my mother. He is certainly
raving."
Not bit of it, mother" l replied,
gaining strength by the opposition, and
rising my feet. This may not be
just the time and place to declare ones
love, in accordance TO your strict ideas
Of social etiquette but this night have
| turned my back forever upon the
heartlessness, vanity, and selfshness of
your so-called refined society. Marie,
| love you" and, drawing the dear child
to my side, defed the whole household.
Tell me you return this affection, and
shall be the happiest man on the face
of the earth"
She made no answer, but allowed her
head to remain where had placed it.
That was answer enough
The next day, Miss Marian" was APP
priced Of the change Of affairs. Nv
mother has not yet become reconciled,
but | have never had reason to regret
the confagration which disclosed TO Inc
the boundless love of St Marie.
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
Getting to tho Rear.

Harper's Magazine
The following, related by an officer
Of the Stoncwall Brigade, may interest
some Of our soldier friends
While Jackson'- corps was cautiously
moving to the flank and rear ofthc Union
army at Chancellor-ville the Coufeder-
ate cavalry in advance became engaged
with the enemy. Soon wounded and
bleeding trooper was seen emerging
from the woods in front. After looking
around, he moved in the direction from
which the infantry were marching as If
seeking the rear, or, as the average
gray-jacket would say, the r'ar. Soon
afterward rapid firing explained that
the bluejackets had closed in behind
jackson, and it was not long before tho
poor cayalryman was seen coming back
again. "When opposite the "Stone-
wall, another cavalryman from the
front also arrived No. at once
recognized him, and said, "Iallo, Bill
wounded ?"
Yes" said No. ., but not bad
Let's git to the r'ar."
At which No. ! exclaimed "This
is the darnedest fight I've bin in yit.
1t hain't got no r'ar."
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
QUIET HOURS.

The morning will soon he here,
For over the purple hill
The daylight is chasing tine night away
With foot that b. uJlsric-- and .still.
Oh, the night was So long, So long
As | sat By the window alone.
Watching the moon as It slowly rose
TIN above the trees it sH1uy.
IL looked, ms it hung % the skv.
Like \ goblet filled 90 the hrim
with wine ot an amber, golden hue.
But now 10 Is white and dim.
As II 10 had all been quadci
And only the glass remained
with the thlutesl paieSt, ~hiwmcriug tluEe
To show what IN then confined.
And once, when il fullest seemed
with the spa Killing glirtsriug wine.
A single star, like "a heek ol foam
OF the precious juice of the vine
Went drifting, drifting of,
As we sometime lose % tuv
That, when the goblet Of life is full
Silently floats away.
But now the daylight is here.
And the sad, vague thoughts uf night
Have died away as the suuhgams faIl
Like arrows Of golden light.
All, us quiet hours like these.
When we wistfully look above.
And see the works OF the great, good God.
And think of His tender love
That help us 60 drawer be-
And strengthen ms ou our way.
Til the beautiful night of life ut last
Is merged in eteruIiy.s day.
-ICharlotte L. Seaycr, iu Harpers Weekly.
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
OUTWARD BOUND.

slt and watch the ships 90 ont
Across he widening sea
How Que by one, in shimuerfng sun.
lhey sail awav from me
l SNOW not to what lands they sail,
Nor what the freighis thew bear;
emily know they outward 20.
hlle all the winds are fair.
Beyond the low horizon line
here my short sight must fail.
some other eyes a watch sh Ill keep,
Where er the ships may sail:
By night, By day, or near or far.
y er narrow seas or wide,
Lhese follow still al loves sweet viii.
NhsteVeE may betIde
80 round the world the ships will sail.
10 dreary lands or fair:
30 with them 20, for veal or woe.
Some dear ones everywhere:
And these will speed each laxEing keel
hen homeward il IS laid.
VT "atch VIII keep. er surges deep,
II there d grave be made.
y human love, 50 kind, % true.
Ihat knows nor mete nor bound,
But follows with uuweariad watch
Our daily changing round
. Love Divine, o Love Supreme
W hat matter where | sail
So | but know, where 'er | go.
Thy watch viii never fail
New Iork Observer.
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
The Country on the Line of the y eW
Orleans and Jackson Railroad.
LITTER FROM HON. CHARLES GAYAREE.



~ 'IF A-4'eYi 20 '-i1 / esq "'is
Having Iutery le8ed Mr. Osborn, President
Of the chicago. IT. Louis and New Orleans
Railroad C9luBeuv a. 70 certain measures
which might be .aigrrct 70 attract p5BGLatlon
Z. that -aetsor lF IS. sssfr. ~ .z+si fy.o from
N D-Ias.-- =. T..t-., NJ. H. t-H.ra,
kfrdI. rsr.li4d W.. er.-,-.e-iate tb- r,s5ur-
.e. and a.Iv.-t t,.. to vyI.-r5 ysr, aIftIia We
know mil we'll mar il j.. 10 he interest OF the
railroad essapauvro nave a d-n-e and prosper
ou= population settled a song IT. line OtHer-
I wise tAe passenger trains wil never pay
b. exueuse- But the line has Dot vet come tor
ID. 10 be active in this matter Ne ave al
rradv uur a considerable pa-.jan of tge road
IN uar.a.r nor. ,y-ff,srt.I rails ere The
1 next thing viii Be to write uu The country
. which II fravers--. 10 e-tabl. IN fine hotels
promote the erection Of factories. stimulate ali
/ -1rt- OF iudustre. and offer inducements to
/ lmmi grafton, But be 4ore that. We must stlII
+ continue to spend on the road itself between
this month. April and next autumn. f-om
/ eI zht hundred thousand TO million oI dollars
v men that J. done and IL shall be done
stated, snail devote the revenues u the road
+ 10 the attainment OF the object which we
are nOw conver-lnz. Next winter You VIII
see tue beginning Of the Development Of that
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
Bound to Get In.

There is a mau up in New Hampshire
uaa doesn't earn such sight of money.
Ugt who has "a mania for joining every secret
society That will permit hi- membership
portion of his money, besides which he Is at
-.m. lodge meeting every evening, which
greatly rza~pergtes his wife. The Man
Chester Mirror quotes the following as one
Of the outburs,s of this afflicted woman
maI. when she was comparatively cool and
,..m. slime, He'd jine anything. Thsre
o-ut nothing come along that's dark and
-'y. aal hidden. but he'll jine it. II any
aHUv should get up a society 70 burn his
house down. he'd iiue it just as soon rs he
could -ot iu. and II he had 10 pay u get in,
a-.I 70 aI tic suIdener'-Bostou Post
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
No Homes.
Virginia New Enterprise.

Virginia New Enterprise.l
The saddest phase of this coast probably
of all gold and silvermining regions, Is the
absence OF homes. We mean real homes,
whose founder laid the first hearthstone and
made the first clearing with the thought
that on that spot he was to do his lite's work,
and there at last, amid familiar scenes,
sink into that sleep that is final. The alb
scence of this disposition has made nomads
OF the men of this coast They came here
originally with the thought that in little
while they would return and make the home
of their future in the lands of their birth.
Could the air-castles which have been
erected in thought by men on this coast,
while living in hunks in rude cabins, or in
Blankets around camp-fres be woven into
a picture, what city it would make. But
the years have stolen by; except IN Isolated
cases, the bewitching dreams have never
been realized, and while the hoped-for
homes were never builded back in the land
of childhoods neither, alas, have they been
builded here. We do not mean to say that
there are not plenty of families living IN
what they call homes But those who have
homes which were created with the expec
tation that they would be permanent, that
in and about them were to be boarded the
gatherered treasures Of a lifetime, very
few. This might, perhaps, be expected here
in the desert, but the same Is true of Cali
fornia, especially in the country. AS a rule,
the farm-houses of California and their sur
roundings are a perpetual sign of For
sale" On many OF those farms. men and fam
lies have lived for a quarter of century,
and still it has never been home III any
rightfuI sense of the word. There has never
been a time that the husband and father
has not intended to sell out in the course Of
a few months, and never time that the
family has not hoped he would.
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
what women Can Do.

Washington Correspondent Courier ournai,l ;,
There they are respected, and aPPTef;,a P9IPnt+;na
ton of their abilities is shown oy puss,ns
them at mems desks in the depaptnenstf lsnsf
whenever occasion arises. The two mos mos
abstruse set of sheets, figures ana lepoa onr. :
made in the Office of Controller OF Sne nson eor'
rency are those prepared by MISS -. 0'I McCor-
and a handsome young widow, mrs - HIoGa, ro;se
mick. This lady has young sou - tbese
and educate. The Controller refers $50 = .sT
rataTy wsH MCnIIocb often aludes to the fact
% that when Den Secretary Chase called upon hin Ia
to organize the National banking sysse y"s and I'd
orgaized the bureau with two iauies A-0
one gentleman.
The weekly clarion., 1880-04-21
An ATactionate Cow.
Land and Water.1


have read in your paper lately many
interesting anecdotes Of the affection of ami
mails, and / tempted TO give you the fol
lowing instance of the sagacity of the COW,
which occurred at Beaconsthorne some years
ago to the nephew of a deceased relative,
from whose diary | take the story:
A fine boy of about 10 years of age, the
son of a Mr.. Ivers, had for some time
been INDUCED in the habit of milking a fa~
vorite cow he was one day doing so in a
field adjoining the farm-yard, when s. mis-
chievuos bull, which was in the same field,
ran at the child and tossed him; the COW,
seeing its innocent attendant thus treated,
became enraged, and, running furiously at
the bull, gored him so dreadfully in the side
as to render him wholly incapable of renew
ing his attack upon the child, which he was
about to do. Mr.. Hndderstone, a neigh
boring farmer, was passing through the
field at the time, and took up the child in q
state of insensibility, but he had received
no very serious injury.