davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Russellville Democrat., 1880-05-27
Our cycionic visitors.
St. I.euis Republican.


 Usually the first accounts of disas- ters are more or less exaggerated. but in the case of the recent cyclone the latest developments are the worst. The deaths at arshfeld-counting those already dead and those whose injuries are likely to prove fatal-will hardly fall short of one hundred; while other towns. with isolated settlements, will probably add twenty-five or fifty more. The number of persons permanently disabled cannot be estimated, nor is it possible to caleu- late the loss oi property. Enough is known, however, to justify the statement that It is the, seyerest calamity of the kind that ever visited this country since the European occupation, and no flood or fire in this country has ever caused such loss of life, We must 20 to the tropical regions to find parallel for it, either in meteorological peculiarities or in destructiveness. Irasf rfl oI srios
 The Republican, in its notices of former cyclones, has taken the ground that their frequent occurrence indicates inn portant changes in what may be termed our atmospheric surroundings; but the assumption that cyclonic visitations are more frequent has been disputed by some whose opinions are entitled to high respect. 1t is claimed that the seeming frequency is due to thu more thickly set tied condition of the rural districts, enabling us to hear of everyone that oc- CUTS, and that the occurrence &of many unreported ones is proved by the "wind- rows," or areas of fallen timber, ofteu discovered in the virgin forest.l This ob- jection, we think, is deprived of much of its force by the fact that the sections inslllinois, Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas, where cyclones have latterly been so disagreeably abundant have been at least tolerably thickly settled for twenty y-five or thirty years. During that period there have always been enough people scattered through these localities to know what was going on; and a cy- clone, whether near or remote in it's point of attack, could not be overlooked or forgotten. Tradition, if nothing else, would have transmitted the story. But up to 1860, the stories are very few and very far between. Our files from 1908 to 1860 do not furnish dozen: but since the aforementioned year, when a cyclone struck Alton, they have been numerous so that now scarcely season pas es without two or three disturbances oi this sort--not all of them serious ln their consequences, but all having the same distinctive and unmistakable character. istlcs. Previous to 1880, gales or hurri- l canes sufficiently strong to blow down
The Russellville Democrat., 1880-05-27
Dispatching Dogs.
Globe Democrat,

On Tuesday next large number of itinerant canines, which were so unfor- tunate as to fall into tue hands of the dog-catcners, will be sent to the happy hunting-grounds There are at present in the pound at the foot of Lesperance street about hundred and fifty dogs, of all ages, sizes, colors and breeds. The little black, and tan, the ladies curly haired lap-dog, the gferocious-looklng bull, the mapgy cur and the mild-eyed setter are all huddled up together, and lyelp in chorus. The lover of ghght can here be surfeited with his favorite sport, as a continual wrangie is going on all the time. The dog-eatchers are a rather remorseless set, and never pity the lost creatures, taking them in as readily as the prowling CUTS. t-s sl.f
 The pound has recently been fitted up in decent style, and is nicely white washed. The pens for the dogs are four in number, each being cell similar to those in the police stations. On the first day of a dogs arrival he is placed in the first pen, and unless clalmant appears he is transferred to different quarters on each succeeding day until the fourth, when he reaches the aeondemned cell and is executed, G-4 ft... e,
 There are now about fifty in the latter cell, but before Tuesday this number will be largely increased. Heretofore the animals were shot, but on next exc cution day they will be dispatched by a much eaiser and less cruel method. Ad- joining the condemned cell is a low roofed room, or rather box, which is tin plated and made perfectly air-tight | Next to this is a room containing two stoves, with two pipes running into the dramatically sealed box, and one issuing through the roof. A busnel of charcoa
 is placed in each stove, the smoke passing through the third pipe, until tht coal has been burned red hot when { damper in rhe smoke pipe ls closed ana the gas forced through the other two in
 to the box. The dogs, which are securely ! inclosed, inhale the carbopic gas thu
The Russellville Democrat., 1880-05-27

fences and unroof houses were not un- common; but the fnnnelshaped cloud with its vibrating tail, whiting trees, stones, buildings, animals. and men into the air, and sweeping the earth like a demon of wrath, was never seen or heard of in northern attitudes.
 Therefore we think there can be no reasonable doubt that our atmospheric surroundings are changing, or. have al- ready changed-and not for the better. Whether the scientific investigation which the Marshfeld calamity may pro- yoke will throw much light upon an obscure and all-important subject, is ex-. tremely doubtful. But any light, how ever small and feeble, is better than total darkness; and we trust the investi- gators--who ought to have the aid and encouragement of the federal govern ment-win do their work as thoroughly as possible. atn swF 4snfa3
The Russellville Democrat., 1880-05-27
ADlyE FOR LIFE.
ssyan Bibber's Rock" on the Kanawha and
 t.,. Its Thrilling Story.

Couier-Journal.
 Just below Kanawha falls, in West Virginia, writes q correspondent, is an overhanging rock of immense size jut- ting out about one hundred feet over the seething whirlpool and the scene of a remarkable adventure. r+.i
 The Indians were in hol pursuit of Van Bibber, a settler and man of distinc- ton in those early times He was hard pressed, and all access to the river be- low, and above being cut of, he was to driven this juthng rock, which proved to be the jumping-of place for him. He enemy above and below, who yelled like demons at the certainty of this speedy capture. He stood up boldly, and with his rife kept them at bay. As he stood there he looked across the river, saw his friends-his wife and her babe in her arms-all helpless to render assistance. They stood as if petrified with terror and amazement. She cried at the top of her voice.
 Leap into the river and meet me"
 Laying hei babe on the grass, she seized the oars and sprang into the skitf alone. As she neared the middle of the river her husband saw the Indians com ing in full force and yelling like de- mons. I.Ir a ta rfrg .l... .s..
 "Wife, wifep he screamed, Pm com ing; drop down little lower"
 With this he sprang from his crag and descended like an arrow into the water, feet foremost
 The wife rested on her oars a moment to see him rise to the surface, the little cannoe floating like a cork, bobbing about on the boiling flood. It was an awful moment; it seemed an age to her. Would he ever riser Her earnest gaze seemed to penetrate the depths of the water, and she darted her boat further | down the stream He rose near her, in a moment the canoe was alongside of 1 him, and she helped him to scramble | into it amid shower of arrows and shot that the baffled Indians poured into them. The daring wife did not speak d word; her husband was more dead than alive, and all depep led on her strength being maintained til they could reach the bank. This they did, just where she had started, right where the babe was still laying, growing and laughing The men pulled the skif high on the land. and the wife slowly arose and helped to lift Van Bibber to his feet. He could not walk, but she laid him down bv his babe, and then seating hegset. she wept wildly just as any other wo- man would have done under the clreun1- stances. That babe 10 now a srand~ father, and that rock is called Wan Blb- ber's Rock" to this day,
The Russellville Democrat., 1880-05-27
SLAIN BY THE GREAT FAMINE.

l. Is ii the moan Of the northern wind Through the hearts of trees, The tremulous trees; or the pleading plaint ofthe wounded hind That faints on the breeze? Is it the dirge the sad sea sings, The qucrulous sea, old white-haired sea; or the bursting heart the torrent filings Down recklessiy! Isit the wall ot spirit lost, So startiugly sad, Sounding so sad; Or the stt1nlght shriek of unburied ghost, sorrow gone mad? Io, Iris the mothers heart-broken cry Der her only child, Her pale dead child; Crushed when the foot of famine swept by Where plenty once smiled. But swift on the wings of the western breeze, Americas heart, Her grand. warm heart, Sends greeting and cheer across the seas To still deaths dart. Thus will we bind in one strong strand The old world and new, old loves to the new; And Ireand's sons Tn this free land fresh life shall woo.
 New York Mercury.
The Russellville Democrat., 1880-05-27
The Russian Headsman's Revenue.
London Telegraph. aaaF. :

There is but one state, executioner in the vast Russian realm, and he is a pardoned malefactor named Froloff, who in the good old pre-. Nihilistic days, when the abolition of capital punish ment was still maintained in Muscovey, committed three successive murders and was condemned to penal servitude for life. When, however, revolutionary successes rendered the services ofan inn perial hangman indispensable. to the Ministry of Justice, FroloH volunteered for the office on condition that an am nesty for his past misdeeds should be granted to him. His offer was accepted and for some time past he has been busy man. For every "fictioii' he re- ceives forty roubles- about e6 sterling from the Russian Exchequer, but that official fee by no mems represents the total emolument he derives from the practice of his gruesome handicraft, for he is permitted to trade upon the su- perstition still current in Russian soceity respecting the luck conferred upon game sters by the possession of morsel of the rope with which human being has been strsngled, either by the. hands of justice or his own. Immediately after young Mladetzy had been hanged, only the other day, Froloff was surrounded by members of the Russian jeu,sesse doree eager to purchase scraps of the fatal moose; and he disposed ofseyeral dozen such talismans at from three ito five roubles apiece, observing, with cynical complacency, that "he hoped .he Mini lists would yet bring him in plenty of money" Therels. indeed, every pros pect, if the Nelikofi regime only last long enough, that Froloti will speedily become d rich man
The Russellville Democrat., 1880-05-27

generated until they become suffocated In about two minutes. The death is per fectly painless, and is even attended with pleasurable sensations, it is sad.
The Russellville Democrat., 1880-05-27

TIT oldest living boatman is David Burns, who lives at Burns Landing, cn the Kentucky river, and Is ninety wears of age. He has walked from New Or leans to Frankfort SIX times, a distance of 1900 miles.
The Russellville Democrat., 1880-05-27

THE following is true and somewhat curious instance of absent mindedness: Two students having called on their girls the night before, were seated few minutes later breakfast. One was silently preparing pancake. After spreading it with butter he began salt in.,, the same, and next slowly peppered it, all unconscious of the bewildered looks of the rest of the table, until finally recovering himself in the act of sprinkling pepper, he stopped and took in the whole situation in twinkling. His expression was then q study. The other student soon after in an abstacted air psssed the butter to his landlady, who had just sat down, uttering the un- intelligibIe interrogation: Paper? It was the conclusion of the others, that calling on their girls had given rise to the exhibition of strange mental phen- omina Tn those young gentlemen.
 THERE is faint smell of Fish in the
The Russellville Democrat., 1880-05-27

THERE is faint smell of Fish in the presidential market.--Netc York .News,
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-02-28
Rainfalls and Forests.

According to paper in Polybibliou,
the following are the laws of meteorology
as affected by forests: 1. Itrains more
abundantly, under identical circum-
stances, over forests than non-wooded
ground, and most abundantly over
forests with trees in a green condition
2. The degree of saturation of the air by
moisture is greater above forests than
over non-wooded ground, and much
greater over Pinus sylvestris than over
masses of leayed species. 8. The LEAKAGE
and branches of leafed trees intercept
e-third, and those of resinous trees
the half, Of the rain-water, which after
wards returns to the atmosphere by
evaporation. On the other hand, these
same leaves and branches restrain the
evaporation of the water which reaches
the ground; and that evaporation is
nearly four times less under a mass of
leafed forest than in the open, and two
and one-third times only under mass
of pines. 4. The laws of the change of
temperature out of and under wood are
similar to those which result from the
observations of NJ Matthew. The gen
eral conclusion seems to be, that forests
regulate the function of water, and ex-
ercise on the temperature, as on the
atmosphere, an effect of ponderation"
and equilibrium.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-02-28
ITEMS OF INTEREST.
Personal and Literary.
LOUISIANA

Five editions of the memoirs of
Madame de Remusat have already been
published in Paris.
One of the late VIM NJ Hunts pic
lures, sold by the artist himself few
years ago for $3.50, has just been resold
for $4,000.
Prof. Tyndall is giving series of
scientific lectures to children in London.
lie has just given one on glaciers.
Mary Clemmer has beautiful house
in Washington, which she paid for with
her pen, and she gives brilliant recep-
tions.
Mr.. Ernest Longfellow, son of the
poet, is exhibiting in Boston large al
legorical painting called "The Choice
of YOUTH
Prof. Jas. De Mile, the author of
"The Dodge Club" "The Cryptic
gram" and other well known works of
fiction, died at Halifax, Jan. %, in the
49th year of his age.
The King of the Belgians has con-
ferred the Leopold Cross on Rosa Bon
heur, the artist. She is the first lady
receiving the distinction. The King of
Spain also conferred on this distin-
guished painter an equally high order
never before granted to a lady.
The S1,O0Nprize offered by the Gin
cinnati College of Music for the best
work by an American composer, to be
performed at the next May festival, has
been awarded to a composition based on
scenes from Longfellow's Golden Le-
gends. The name of the composer is
not to be made known till the compost
ton is performed, but it is supposed to
be Mr.. Dudley Buck of Boston. The
composition is one hour in length, and
is for achorus and orchestra.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-02-28
Playing with Live Rattlesnakes.
from the Tallahassee Fla.) Patriot

v i'~'<
Charles Williams, formerly belonging
to DIR. J. H. Randolph of this city, now
turns an honest penny exhibiting his
wonderful powers over the reptile crea-
ton. A huge rattlesnake, measuring
more than foot in circumference, and
about the length of a man, and several
smaller ones, carried in an old goods
box, mounted on dilapidated Jersey
wagon, drawn by an old horse that looks
like naturalization of the spirit of
"Old Credit played OUT" complete his
travelling outfit. Thus armed, he drives
into the city, stopping on the principal
street, invests in Il bottle Of " corked
ightning," which he gulps down like
water, then, calling up a crowd, and
taking up a collection ranging from 20
cents to dollar, he opens the perform
auce by taking out the huge RATHER and
s:toying'' with him about as little girl
would her dolly, not, however, without
frantic efforts on the part of his snake
ship to resent the insult offered to his
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-02-28
A Bear Fight i'll Maine.
From the Portland Press

A Young man named Oliver, in the
employ of James Webster, ESQ.,, of
Ocono, who is doing an extensive bust
ness on the waters Of Aroostook County,
had a notable experience the other day
with huge black bear. Oliver, who is
20 years of age, and had never before
seen a bear, was passing through the
woods, when he came to a large tree, in
the trunk of which there was large
hole. Thinking it might be the den of
some animal, he thrust his Ak into the
hole, and was surprised when it struci.
some soft substance. He Immediately
cut long pole and repeated the expert
ment, when, without any dallying, u
huge black head appeared at the outer
edge of the hole. 1t proved to be that
of bear of enormous size. As bruin
poked out his head and the fore part of
his body young Oliver struck him clip
with his AK, taking off three Of his toe
nails This surgical operation so en-
ragged the bear that he made an angry
plunge at Oliver and nearly succeeded
in getting him with his AK into the den.
The young man had by this time con-
Guided that it was either himself or the
bear, so he dotted his coat and mittens,
and bracing himself struck the old
fellow terrible blow on the head.
This seemed only to enrage him the
more, and as his eyes flashed fire his
ears stood erect and his breast protrud-
ed and he made another dash at his in
tended victim. But young Oliver was
prepared for him, and dealt him such 4
blow as split open his head from the
base of the brain to a point even with
his nose. This finished the bear, who
snorted few times and rolled dead at
the feet of Oliver. He was q black
bear, apparently what is known as an
" old ranger" measured nine feet from
the tip of his nose to the hind paws, and
weighed over $50 pounds. After he
had killed the monster, young Oliver
became frightened, and standing there
gazing upon his carcass he says he
could feel his own hair rise upon end.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-02-28
Odds and Ends,

>~--N. A-~~~-D'
A forger too often makes his mark
in the world.
To gain place in society a young
man must either be rich or have his
hair parted in the middle.
Young man, if it is II o'clock and
she goes to the piano and plays few
bars of "The Sweet Bye and Bye," you
may consider the seance over for the
night.
The conundrum class will please
stand up. When is mug of ale like a
target? When you draw bead on it.
Why is a silly young lady like match?
Because she's light eaded.-Hawheye.
An Oil City Irishman having signed
the pledge, was charged soon afterWard
with having drank. s''Twas me absent
mindedness,' said Pat, san habit l
have Of talkin' wild meself I sed to
meself, seq l, Pat, COON in an have a
drink mo, sur SEE I, 1--we sworn
off, Thin I'll drink Alone seq to
meself. AN l IL wait for yez outside, ,
sez I. An whin meself cum out, faith
an he was dhrunk.-OiJ City Derrick.
But one month has scarcely closed,
and yet a Philadelphia girl is already
disguised with leap year. The other
evening as she began, "Will you"
her young man, without waiting to as
certain whether or not she was going to
propose, sprang from the sofa, leaped
through the sash, and has carefully
avoided the honse ever since. And yet,
aware that she possessed very large
mouth, she was merely about to ask,
-" VIII you please shut your eyes while
cape Chronicle Herald.
Two small boys, aged about 10
years each, started out few mornings
since to shave some fun One re-
turned home late in the afternoon with
one eye blackened, his nose skinned, his
face scratched, and his trousers fright
fully torn. He said, with q sparkle in
his damaged eye, that he /" had bully
good time.'' The other lad went home
with clothes clean and in good repair,
not scratch on his person, but he muir
INJURED that he "didn't have any fun at
all" Boys are born that way.-Nor-
r5stoacaa Herald.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-02-28

that the coffin he had provided was too
small, so he was temporarily Inferred
until another could be made. When
placed in the ground a second time the
coffin was found to be too near the sur
face; accordingly it was taken up and
an excavation cut in the rock, after
which it was buried a third time. On
the Castlehead estates being sold in
1928, the family directed the coffin again
to be taken up and removed it to the
neighboring chapel yard of Lindale,
where it now lies. '-LondO'a Queen.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-02-28

accumulations of money. Miss May
nard made her debut at a magnificent
ball at her seat in Essex last month.
Of "Tara's Halls, ," of which Moore
sang, nothing but the outline of the
walls remains. Tara, the traditional
palace of Irish kings, is in Meath, IS
miles from Dublin, and belongs now to
Mr.. Preston, whose uncle, Union Peer,
was created Lord Tara. Tara is on
very high ground two miles from Bel
inter, the splendid seat of the Prestons.
"A subject often mooted in English
society is what will become of Baroness
Burdett- Coutts's fortune, which she can
leave just as she pleases. Her only
brother, Sir Robert Burdett, is an &c
centric and economical old bachelor,
with 2 fortune in land of Sl5O,BO a
year, and probably as much in money.
Some of the family, however, are by no
means rich.
The Duchess of Edinburg has three
children, who have all magnificent blue
eyes, and are as free from any suspicion
OF coddling as the severest disciplinarian
could desire. The eldest, Prince Alfred,
is great, plump, handsome, 5-year old
boy. Princess Marie is 3 years old, fair,
and with a wealth of sunny curls. The
Youngest is unnamed and yet in the
cradle.
The London World hears that Mr..
Panmurc Gordon is having Pullman
car constructed for himself, to run be-
tween Brighton and London. A first
rate cook is to be attached to it, and
Mr.. Gordon contemplates having break
fast, if not dinner, con board " daily.
For this luxury the railway company is
to charge him fl, POO per annum; but
then he is allowed to carry a certain
number of passengers, and these will,
no doubt, combine with him in dividing
the expense.
-Pietro Alessandro Garda, the man
who when Napoleon returned from Elba
hoisted the tri-colored flag on the Tuile
ries while the palace was still occu-
pied by the Royal Guards, has just died
at Turin. He was after the return from
Elba attached to Napoleon's staff and
fought at Waterloo. Since then he has
been director of an English mining COM
pany in Peru, volunteer with his
friend Garibaldi, and gentleman of
leisure, living quietly in his own chateau.
Prof. Louis Brown, an artist of re-
pute of Munich, is working on the most
colossal painting, perhaps, ever attempt
ed on canvas. 1t will represent gen
eral view of the battle of Sedan. The
sketch is now finished, and measures 60
feet in length by 10 in width. The
painting itself will be 400 feetby so, and
is to be exhibited at Frankfurt on-the-
Main, it is said, in two years. 1t is need
less, perhaps, to add that building
will be constructed expressly for the
purpose. The view of the battle is tax
en- from a commanding spot affordlng
the sight of the whole Valley Of Sedan.
The artist has selected the eliminating
point of the action, when the last and
most desperate efforts of the French to
open way across the "circle of iron -"
were frustrated.