davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-02-04
Suffering In Silesia.

Such a severe winter as that under
which the populations of Silesia,. East
and West Prussia and the Duchy Of
Posen have been suffering has not been
experienced in Northeastern Europe
since the year 1912. 1t has come like
doom upon the poor people after long
spell of "bad times" and almost total
failure of the potato crop, upon which
the peasantry of these com paratively
speaking sterile regions mainly depend
for their winter sustenance. The reports
reaching the German home office from
its administrative and medical officials
respecting the condition of the Iaborlng
classes, TEEN with heartrendlng details
of starvation, hungry-typus and death
by exposure to cold, brought on through
lack of necessary clothing and fuel.
We read of parents all but naked IN
wretched empty rooms forlorn OF flre:.
the corps.s of their children, victims OF
typus, lying uncovered on the floor, with
no means left to them OF obtaining the
rudest coffin for the dead or the coarest
morsel of food for the living. We hear
of wemen, driven to despair. lying down
deliberately in the snow to die, in order
to put an end to their intolerable misery:
A whole tribe OF gypsies were found
frozen to DEATH in a wood near Rybulk,
Upper Silesia. Men, women and chill
dren huddled close together in the snow,
hoping to keep the vital spark alight by
common contiguity, but they were all
frozen stiff and stark and covered by
several inches of snow when discov-
cred by gendarme performing his
ronnds on the morning in question.
! Large quantities of meal have been
I distributed by the State authorities
throu ehout the Ratibor county and in
the Olsau and Thurze districts, where
famine and sickness have swept away
vast numbers of the inhabitants, but the
general distress throughout Germany's
eastern provinces appears by the latest
account to be undiminished in acuteness
and threatens to depopulate territories
already too sparsely inhabited.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-02-04
Years That End In Nine.

Beware of the years that end in nine!
We give the following facts for what
they are worth: In $50 the Adriatic
was frozen; ll79, eight feet, of sno in
the temperature zone until the month
of April; 1869, sleighs could pass on the
Cattegat between Jutland and Norway;
1889, hard winter. the peasants OF Scot.
land eat grass like certain king Of
Israel; l4U9, the Danube was frozen;
1909, frozen bread was eaten at the
court of France; 1859, the port of Mar
seilles froze; 1859. the rivers in Italy
were frozen over; 1899. terrible winter;
1903, the famous winter that saddeuel
the last years of Louis XIV, the earth
WAS frozen for two meters down: 1929,
l74e. 1863. the rivers freze; 1889 the
wear of the revolution; 1909. tine Seine
was frozen; 1929. snow lay on the
ground for fifty-fou days in France;
That of 1899 WAS also rigorous winter.
and the winter of 1879 seems to start
well. In France the winter of 1879 has
been unusually severe, but in the United
States the winter, thus far, has been ex-
ceptionally pleasant Partisan.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-02-04
Horrible Crime Of a Cree Indian.

The first execution in the Canadian
territories took place short time ago at
Fort Saskatchewan, mounted police
outpost. the victim being Swift Runner,
Cree Indian. who was guilty of mur..
der and cannibalism. He murdered and
devoured his family, consisting Of his
mother, vile and seven children. Three
police overlook him in the valley Of the
Kith creek, fifty miles north of Fort
Saskatche rs he was fleeing to the
Athabesca territory. They carried him
to the fort and sent for Sheriff Richard
son. On being charged with the crime
he pleaded guilty and offered to conduct
the police to the remains. He had
camped in hole or cave at, the base of
the mountains, and the bones of his VIC
Tins Law scattered about the floor. They
had been boiled. Hooking his tingerin
the eye of one Of the skulls, he picked it
up and said in the most nonchal liant
manner: "This is my mother" and so
on with the other skulls, nine in all. He
said whisky had demoralized him and
made him feel like a wolf. He killed
them all one night while they were
asleep, and buried the bodies in the
snow, cutting them up and boiling them
as he needed them. He was forthwith
sentenced to death, and his request to be
shot instead of hanged was refused. The
Indians throughout the district were in
vited to give their view on the case,
and they unanimously approved of the
sentence. The murderer and cannibal
met his death with stoical Indifference.
The Indians who never before saw or
heard of death by hanging, were anx-
ious to know if it was a species OF tor.
t,lre, and Swift Runner said if it would
suit the police he would kill himself
with q tomahawk and save the hang
man further trouble. 1t was bitter cold
forty below zero. At 8 A. NJ. the
hangman, a half-breed, appeared with a
coil Of rope, but lie trembled that the
Indians drove him off and b und the
y. isoner themselves. Then they stood
him up against tile scafold posts: and
danced the death dance, while Swift
Runner laughed and appeared to look
upon the whole business as good joke:
At 9:3O A. NJ. he demanded
more food, and after eating pound CT
pemmican mounted the gallows and sub
mitted himself to the executioner, who
had recovered his nerve. One of the
police officers ATTEMPTED to read q
prayer, but his voice was drowned by
the ieers and shouts Of the Indians, and
Sheriff Richardson gave the hangman
the signal. The trap fell and Swift Rnn-
ner went down with fearful force. there
being a drop of five feet. He died with
out a struggle. The body was cut down
in an hour and buried in the snow out
side the fort. In the afternoon the In
dians held a grand feast, rejoicing at
being we'll rid of a most accomplished
villain
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-02-04
The Tannel Under the Hudson.

Ine hudson river tunnel 1rOm Jersey
City to New York is now under way,
excavation in the tunnel proper having
been commenced on the Jersey side. In
New York property has been secured
for inaugurating the work from tllrt
end, where shaft will be sunk at the
foot of'Morton street to the same depth
rs that in Jersey City. The work will
be carried on night and day simultane'
ously at both ends. Powerful pumps
are constantly in use to keep down the
water, which in the shaft in Jersey City
flowed very rapidly at a depth of forty
feet.
The Jersey City incline to the tunnel
proper is 3,4O0 feet in length, the tunnel
itself 5, 400 feet, and the New York city
incline 5000 feet long, making total of
about tw o and half miles.
The walls of the tunnel are circular in
section, and built of hard brickwork in
hydraulic cement. 1t will contain two
tracks and be lighted with gas.
1t must prove of inestimable service to
the railroad system and a great boon to
the travelling public. The nature of the
conditions at present surrounding its
inception in the way of construction
promises successful undertaking.
An,e7tcGn Engineer.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-02-04
Hailr0ad Tunnels.

The Chicago Inter-',cean has been co-l
lecting statistics of railway tunnels, ann ~
finds the more important 10 number
957, with a total length Of .2st'mi'es
They are distributed as followsa Great
Britain, I4O tunn, Is and 81 miles;
France. 25s tunnels and 50 s miles; Bel-;
rum, 90 tunnels and o7 miles; Ger,
many many and Ausiris, 97o tunnels s, and ,l SIT
miles; Italy, IS tunnels and asa miles; mics
North America, lis tunnels and 3S
miles; South Areric - tunnels ana
n. les. OF English tunnels the most
n,,ted for magnitude and dithc9,ty OF
construction is the Kilsby on TIE North
western railway. length l:Ss S mi!es,
chiefly t, ON nearly = fifth Of its ]eng.hn
being in quicksand saturated WIKI
water.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-02-04
The African Transportation Problem

The International ASSOclaLlOn mas
practically solved the greatest difficulty
in the way OF the African problem
that, namely of transportation. Hitherto
it has taken travellers many months and
cost them great sums to get from the
coast to the interior. The bite of the
tsetze fly, which infests all the tropical
regions of Africa, is fatal to the horse,
the mule, the donkey and the OK. Con-
sequently all goods have to be carried
on the heads of porters, who could not
carry as rule more than fifty to seventy
five pounds apiece, who had to be fed
and paid, who were iusolent, disorderly,
unreliable and sure TO desert just when
their services were most needed. AS
the only currency of Central Africa is
beads and calico it took an immense
corps of attendants to enable the tray
eler to get up from the coast, and the
more porters the more mouths to feed
and the greater the cost of the expedi-
ton. The International society has,
however, substituted Indian elephants
for porters, and the experiment has sue
ceeded wonderfully. In a letter from
Brussels of the date of October 18th,
1879, speaking of the progress made by
NM. Popelin and Vanden Heuvel, Of
the Belgian branch, and Of the success
full passage of the Mahata, we are told
that Mr.. Carter's elephants joined the
explorers in good condition at Mpwa-
pwa. 1.-THE elephants, laden with
about one thousand pounds apiece. sue
ceeded in crossing the mountains. swim :
ming the rivers and traversing the
swamps and ravines. Contrary to the
opinion generally received, they were
able to dispense with bread, and to sub
sist upon such proveIder as the country
furnished. They journeyed across dis
tricts infested with the tsetze, the bite
of which, as is known, is mortal to
horses, cattle and asses. Literally COW
cred with these insects, they did not
seem to suffer annoyance" Another
litter Of still later date says: "It re-
mains to inform you, sir, that the ele-
plants have so far perfectly sustained
I'LL the fatigues and all the privations to
which they have been exposed. They
braved the Marenga Ukali; they have
remained forty-two hours without water
and thirty-one hours without food,
marching twenty-seven and halt hours
laden with more than thousand pounds
apiece"
This is conclusive. and it would seem
that as soon as the transportation prob
lem is solved the complete opening up
of Africa to commerce is only q question
Of time. That continent is very rich in
all sorts of vegetable and mineral re-
sources; it has large population, and
al. the civilized world is interested not
only in finding new markets for their
goods, but new fields to which emigants
may 20 in search of a ing.-Baltimore
Sun,
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-02-04

in the room, except the fitful blaze be-
hind the finder. Grandelaw had Leen
called out Of town on business for q
night or two.
Indeed" "said Mrs. Grandelaw. "Is
it not tedious AFFAIR.""
1T would be, perhaps, if any one but
Victor Blumenthal were painting it."
Nina started and dropped her fan.
Hadsbe come to Laurel Lodge to hear
of Victor?
"And who is Victor Blumenthal?''
asked Stella's aunt" another flame OF
yours?"
II have seen no symptoms of. that
kind" laughed Stella. " I wish l might.
He would make an ideal lover"
"But he is married." spoke Nina out
Of the shadow, and there was the sound
of tears in her voice, if any one had had
ears to hear. "He is married, Stella"
"Then Grandelaw has told you about
him? Yes; it was so romantic-and
sad"
Didn't the marriage turn out well?"
asked Mrs. Grandelaw, to whom ro-
nance meant nonsense.
THAT depends" returned Stella.
"He married his cousin Theodora-"
II have no patience with cousins mar
rying." ..
in this case. Blumenthal's grandfather
had left all the money to Theodore and
her mother. Victor was poor as be-
came an artist to be. I suppose Theo-
dora had always loved him, but she in
sisted upon being married to him on her
death-bed, that he might inherit her
portion of the fortune. She died an
hour afterward."
Nina sat like one stunned byian earth
quake shock; all Grandelaw's perfdy
stood out like the handwrit ting on the
wall. Victor had loved her after all
His kiss had not been treachery. She
would 90 to him. She would leave this
prison for ever and ever. How had she
ever dreamed of loving Grandelaw some
dayy2 , ,o. -.,,.,. ,-.a - ~
Nina said, when she kissed Mrs. Grand
claw goodnight. II shall always bless
you for it; but-Stella would make
Grandelaw a better wife, and you a
wiser daughter"
"My son and I think differently" re-
piled his mother: but she remem bered
afterward that Nina had fingered and
hesitated-"just as if che wished to ask
pardon for something" Mrs. Grandelaw
explained; and when Grandelaw him
self returned to Laurel Lodge, there was
a little three e-cornered note on his library
table, in Nina's hand, which read:
eff I should marry you, Mr.. Anson
Grandelaw, some day, in looking over
your file of old Tribunes, I should hap
pen upon one containing the marriage
of Victor Blumenthal to his cousin
Theodore, and the notice of her death
on the same day, and your deceit would
kill whatever love I had learned to bear
you.
$50 good-by, and make Stella happy.
Nina"
Soon after writing this letter Nina re-
turned home, where one day she met
Victor. Explanations followed; the
Old life was taken up again, and
Nina's happiness was assu. ed for all
time when she became Victor's wife,
Hnrper's B1z1r.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-02-04
The Toll.Gate Keeper.


Within fork where two roads meet,
And form as onefa broader-street
That downward leads, his dollhouse stands
Exacting tribute from both hands.
Tall, slender beams, and swinging light,
With ropes to pull them down at night,
Like well.sweeps lean, or fish-ro1s sly,
To catch the fishes going by.
Here has he been, year in and out,
For halt century, about;
Watching the travel, up and d,wn,
To and from the market town;
Exchanging greetings, jokes and news,
And sometimes, briefly, weighty views;
As much q landmark as tree
Has this old Gilman come to be.
With bits OF information rife,
From panoramic peeps OF life,
A woven web Of history
OF all that region formed as he.
Within the dollhouse many hours,
The cold, or heat, or sudden showers
Excuse Pve made, to hear the good
Old yarns OF my own neighborhood
But e'er alert his ear to feel
The faintest sound O. hoof or Wheel.
The story stops, and strides he out
To man the gate, warder stout.
He meets all comers, day and night,
And, ike star, his lantern light
Cleans in summer, flashes in cold
When does he sleep, this watchman old
A huckster's sorry horse he checks,
And doleful fowls stretch out their necks,
While on the box, a sunken heap,
The grt asy hueksteI snores, asleep.
Doctor passes and wags his head,
Tells who is born, who sick, who dead.
Farmers wagon slrieks down the hill
And pays the gate fee back from mill.
Hallooing men and barking dogs
Urge on q drove of trudging hogs.
A monster stack rolls down the way.
OF timothy or clover hay.
Emigrant's dusty, covered car,
Coming and going very far.
Under the pixies white cloud there move
A horseman and q cattle drove.
A Atamily in Sunday rig,
A preacher in his rocking gig
They pass the gate and do not pay
There is no charge to church to-day.
With mirth and shout and bounding steed
The groom and bride theii party lead,
Or, slowly vending, comes train
Whose charge will not pass by again.
Or, 10! the royal pageant sec
A circus and menagerie.
Along the snowy turnpike track
The singing wheels 60 forth and back.
And sleigh-belled horses rush and snok'
And siddy riders laugh and Joke.
The toll-gate keeper iears the rain
." No wear on metal, all clear gain;
Finest sleighing ever saw,
But woe the pike when comes the thaw"
John Clorer.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-02-04

The population of our globe, estimated
at about 1,3OO,000,OOO is ruled by 10
emperors, IS kings, Al princes, II sui
tans, 10 khans, 6 grand dukes, 6 dukes,
vice-king, l nisam, radia. imam,
7 bey, and % presidents, besides large
number of chiefs of wild tribes. OF
the republics, nineteen are found OH
American soil, leaving only nine for the
rest Of the world.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-02-04

One of the 'life.saving stations on the
California coast has been officially
named the Maggie Geddes. This is a
recognition of the bravery of Maggie
Gcddes, of San Antonio. She is only
nine years old. Seeing younger play
mate fall down high embankment into
a mill-race, she instan tly jumped after
it. The water was deep, and ran swiftly
toward large wheel; but Maggie was
p good swimmer, and by q desperate
str uggle got ashore with her playmate.
Such GOODNESS and courage were
deemed worthy of special honor.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-02-04

The best thing out-A bad cigar.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-02-04

The Gerhard-Rohlfs exploring expe-
dition, which started under the auspices
of the German African Society to cross
the Sahara to Wadai, in Central Africa,
has come to grief. Before the party had
made half the distance from the last
fountain to the objective point, they
were robbed of clothing, money and
scientific instruments, the safe conduct
guaranteed them to the contrary not
withstanding. Wadai is the hilly coun-
try south of the desert, and is thought
to be the key to The most important un-
solved questions of African geography.
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-02-27
Her DOWry.

At the very moment when q French
mademoiselle makes her appearance in
the world, her papa begins to think
of her dot. A sum of money, however
small, is immediately put away in her
name. Every year he saves from his
income, and these savings are added to
the original sum. Any unexpected
windfalls brought to him by q good
stroke of business or fortunate invest
ments are wholly or in part consecrated
to the same purpose. Thusth original
amount, Insignificant in the beginning,
being always put at interest, increases
itself to a pretty little dowry by the
time the little girl has reached q mar
riageable age: Unlike many heads of
families in America, who, from the very
warmth of ;heir affection for wife and
children, spend their entire days, and
often evenings, toiling at counting
house and Office, the French husband
and father lives in the midst of his
children, occupying himself constantly
with their wants, their wishes and the
growth of their minds. His business
hours are short; therefore, he has time
for walks, excursions, drives, in all of
which, when, possible, he makes them
his companions. Thus intimate rela-
tions between parents and children are
from the beginning established and
maintained, the feeling between father
and daughter seeming to be peculiarly
beautiful. He denies himself pleasures,
even comforts, that he may provide for
her future. She repays this devotion
BY implicit obedience and .unquestion-
able love. - -..sr :. -,sa t.-,.,. ..nt.
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-02-27

CURE OF DpHTHER1A.-When 4 mem
Der of the family is attacked by this
fearful disease, the best medical aid
should at once be called. The danger
is too great to allow this advice to pass
unheeded. Indeed, even in apparently
light cases, that appear to be progress
ing to speedy and favorable termina-
ton, the patient often suddenly dies,
and what are called the sequence Of the
disease its later effects on the organs
and tissues of the body-frequently re-
suit in death, or protracted disorder
and suffering. It will therefore be seen
that intelligent professional treatment
is necessary to prevent, if possible, such
serious results. But in some cases q
physician may be SO far away as to rem
der his assistance practically impcssi
BILE. For such, We say there are three
principal remedies. The first is the
saturated solution of chlorate of
potash, given in teaspoonful doses ev-
cry hour. The French physicians rely
largely on this. The second is chlorine
water diluted with from two to forr
times as much water. A prominent
physician of Springfield, Mass, has for
the last sixteen years found it almost
uniformly effective. Prior to its use,
he lost half his cases. The third rem
edy is sulphur. Dr.. Field, Of England,
has obtained remarkable cures with it.
His prescription ID, we believe, to mix q
teaspoonful Of the -four Of sulphur in q
wine-glass of water, and give it as q
gargle. If the patient is unable to gar
gle, blow some Of the dry flour through
quill upon the diseased parts Of the
mouth and throat; Of. burn some Of the
sulphur on . live coal, and let the pa
tient inhale It's fumes; or, filing the
room with the fumes, let him walk about
and inhale them. The patient should
always be kept warm, the bowels open,
and the system we'll nourished With
eaily dieestsd iQod
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-02-27
The Boomerang.

The boomerang is q weapon of tho
Australian aborigines, and in the throw
ing of it they are very dexterous. It
consists of piece of hard wood, with
the curl of parabola, and is about two
feet long, two and half inches broad,
one-third of an inch thick, and rounded
at the extremeties. One side il fat,
the other is rounded, and it is brought
to . bluntish edge. It is discharged
with the hand by one end, the convex
edge being forward and the fiat side
upward. After advancing some distance,
and ascending slowly in the air with .
quick rotary motion, it begins to retro
grade, and finally falls to the ground
behind the thrower. A weapon OF
similar form, but wanting the return
fight, has been found in use among
savage tribes both in India and Africa.
The surprising return-motion is pro-
duced by the bulged side of the missile.
The air impinging thereon Lifts the
instrument in the air, precisely Is BY
hitting the obique bars in the wind
mill it forces it to 60 round. The Aus
tralians are very expert in hitting bros
with it, the animals, of course, being
behind them, and not aware that they
are being shot ct.
Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-02-27

with him. It was reported in the work
house, and he never denied it, though he
was charged with it frequently, that in
addition to composing little poems which
were insertedin the newspapers at Stock
ton and elsewhere, he was regularly en-
gagged in. writing serm ons tor some clergy.
men with whom be had = permanent con
nectiop. Cartwright wrote fuently. He
lived very contentedly IN the Workhouse,
where for some time he was paid for by
his friends. He was taken out sometimes,
but he could not control himself when
outside, and no matter what allowance
was made to him, he spent 1t. lie had q
great number Of friends, and he (the clerk)
was frequently applied to :tozrmake ar
engagements for hls maintenance out fof
the house. At one time he had an allow
ance Of 81 per week, and he used to. drive
about in cabs, smoking expensive cigars
and dining in the most expensive res
tauraDts. Mr.. Bailey said that not twelve
moaths ago he was at the .workhouse
when Cartwright drove up IN a handsome
phaeton, smoking cigar. BE said he
had been to see his friends. He often
said he had been to sec his. friend, the
late MI. Calender, whom he said he had
brought out, land who would not have
tee.1 Member from Manchester but tor
b M