davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
Measuring BY the Eye.

A correspondent of the Boston Trans
c,ia,t suggests that children should be
exercised in measuring by the eye. He
says that years ago, when he went to
school in a little weather-beaten school
house, the scholars had most exciting
contests over the teachers fayorlte exer-
else of having them estimate with the
eve the size and weight of different OBJ
iocts in the room.
He would hold up his cane and have
each scholar tell how long it was, and it
was lucky child that could come within
half foot of the right length.
He would measure an urchln and then
have the scholars try to produce the
measure on the wall. He would mark
off an inch, or foot, or yard, in some
conspicuous place and then see how near
ANYBODY could come to chalking the
same length upon the blackboard.
And it was astonishing how wide
astray one would go. The fact is, our
eyes deceived us ridiculously, even upon
the commonest things.
At first thought which would you say
was the taller, three year-old child, or
barrel of -four? And could anything
but actual measurement convince you
that the same child is half as high as q
six-footer?
There is an old saying that child two
years old is half as tall as he ever will
be, and after few experiments In meas.
uring, one can easily believe it, but moi
before.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
Not Used to Him.

A policeman heard a whistle shrilly
blown and female voice calling for help,
and after short run he reach the scene
of commotion. A man was getting up
and falling down again on the door-steps,
and female had her head out of an up
per window and seemed to be half scared
to death.
"What's the matter ?" asked the Off
Ger.
GA man has been kicking on the door, :"
she answered.
"This man here ?"
eyes. I thought he'd tear the whole
house down."
The officer reached out for the man
and made two discoveries at once. 1t was
the woman's husband, and he was fight
ing drunk.
"Why, this man wouldn't hurt you
he's your husband" he called ont.
"Is that SO? Charles, is that you ?"
"Bet yer life's smee," mumbled
Charles.
"Then you really must excuse me,
Mr.. Officer. You see, we have only
been married six weeks and I do not
readily recognize him yet. I'll be down
in minute, darling"
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
An Encounter.

The boys may be interested in the de-
scription of combat In Maine as pub
Ished in the Boston Journal between
puma and two young men who were
hunting partridges in the vicinity OF the
Medomac Pond
They came suddenly upon q panther,
and it would be difficult to tell whether
they or he were the most frightened
The puma, after giving a terrible grow,
slowly retreated, when one of the sports
men, Prof. A. E. Jones, of Washington,
fred at him, the shot taking effect IN his
side.
This only served to inAame his anger.
Turning quickly, he came with mighty
bounds straight at thesportsmen. They
had only time to fire one shot when the
animal was upon them.
With leap he crushed Prof. Jones to
the ground, when his companion, q. B.
5tickney, with wonderful quicSness,
inserted shell into his gun, and placed
the muzzle against the animals head,
discharged it and killed the animal in
Stantly.
MIR. Jones owes his life to the nerve
and GOODNESS of his friend. he was for
tunate in escaping with only few slight
scratches on the lower limbs, and a large
cash on the breast which leaves scar
he will carry to his grave.
Several farmers in the neighborhood
have lately found the mangled remains
of a number of their sheep and lambs,
and this animal had probably destroyed
them. The panther measured six feet
and four inches from tip to tip, having
claws nearly two inches long.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08

had watched the movements Of the President
up to the time he saw him and Secretary Blaine
emerge from the house Of the latter and walk
down Fifteenth street. Said Guiteau: "They
walked along SO lovingly, arm in arm; they
had their heads together like two school girls.
Their fellowship was delightful, and It con-
6rmed me in my belief that Garfield had sold
himself body and soul to Blaine, and that Blaine
was using him to ruin the stalwart wing of the
Republican party" Here the witness be-
came furious in his manner, and wound
up by saying Blaine was morally re-
Eponsible for the death of Garfield.
1he witness testified that be believed in pre-
destination; said he believed that from the
foundation of the world down to the present
time, God had predestined that he should take
the life Of Garfield, and that it would have been
impossible for him to resist the temptation.
The use OF the word "murder BY Judge
"Don't use that word murder" said he.
"You are entirely too free with the word"
Are you not on trial for murder 2" asked
Porter. So It Is said" !" he answered. Judge
Porter then again questioned Guiteau about
his practicing with the pistol prior to the
shooting, and he became very angry and re-
fused to answer. Prisoner said he had an op-.
portunity to shoot the President on q former
occasion, but he refrained because he was
accompanied by Mrs. Garfield. "Would
you have shot him on the morning of
July 2, Mrs. Garfield had been with
him?" asked Judge Porter. To this the
witness persistently refused to answer,
taking up the New York Herald and settling
himself down to read. After some time he was
induced to talk, but still declined to answer.
Succeeding, he narrated the incidents con-
nected with the day OF she shooting and then
the following closed the cross-examination
Questien-Qn solemn manner)- =" And from
that hour to this you have never felt regret or
remorse2" Answer regret giving pain or
trouble to any one, but have no doubt as to
the necessity of the act or the divinity Of the
act" Question-"You have never limited at
any remorse2" Answer" Ny mind is per-
feet blank on that subject" Question" Do
you feel any more remorse about rendering his
wife widow, and her children fatherless, than
about breaking the leg of that puppy dog 2"
Answer-"I have no conception of it as q
murderer killing" Question" And You feel
no remorse2" Answer Gin low and almost in
audible voice)-"of course feel remorse so
far as my personal feelings are concerned.
feel remorse as much as any man, and regret
the necessity of the act, but-"(raising his
yoioe) Judge Porter" The eEoss-e1amina-
e1citedly, "my duty to the Lord aud
American people oyercame my personal
feelings If the Lord had lot in
spired that - d could not hays been done. y
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
LATER NEWS.

: THE Times and Democrat of New Orleans
have been hyphenated.
MRS. COLEMAN, who shot Coles, of Miners
Theater, New York, was found guilty of muir
der in the third degree.
TIE propeller Jane Miller went down in Geor-
gian Bay, Canada, with all on board, twenty
five persons, including sixteen passengers.
An INTERNATIONAL skating competition is to
be held at Vienna, Austria, January IA to 16.
ALI the world is invited to contest for amateur
and professional prizes.
IT 1s reported arrangements have been made
to relieve creditors of the Mechanics National
Bank, Of Newark, New Jersey, by partial pay
ment, and to revive the bank.
FATHER MoCARTY, q parish priest at Green
field, Mass, was fatally shot at the door Of his
residence by q man whose wife had left him
and taken refuge at the parsonage.
ANDREW CARNEGIE, of Pittsburg, has made
an offer of q free library, for which he will
spend e25O, 900, provided the city will agree to
make an annual appropriation of $15, 900 for
maintenance.
F.B. L1LLEY, an e1-Deputy Auditor of the
United States Treasury, has been indicted for
taking bribes, and G. F. Brott for rendering
tn6m. IQeSe are the uTbL StdI hOutc
ments. Others will probably follow.
A DUBLIN dispatch says Dillon is seriously
Ill. Miss Reynolds, conspicuous at Berehaven
for her advocacy of "no rent, " has been served
with summons charging her with aiding and
abetting q criminal conspiracy to prevent the
payment Of rent.
A DIABoLIoAL attempt was made the past
week to blow up the city Courthouse, at Mon
treal, by an Internal machine, which was wound
up like clock and contained about ten pounds
Of dynamite. 1t is made Of zinc, and is very
complete piece of mechanism.
In THE caucus of Republican members Of
lhe National House, General J. Warren Keifer,
Of Ohio, was nominated for Speaker on the
was his most formidable competitor. Edward
McPherson was nominated for Clerk.
SEVEN prisoners, including John ]. Webb,
under life sentence for murder, and Davis
Rudabugh, have escaped from jail at Las
Vegas, New Mexico. Rudabaugh was mem
ber Of the notorious "Billy the Kids" band,
and was sentenced to hang for numbering a
jailer in attempt to release Webb.
DURING Fanny Davenport's performance at
Lady Macbeth" in Philadelphia, a sensation
was caused by sheriff's officer leaping on the
stage to serve legal paper on the actress. He
was promptly elected. The legal proceeding
grows out of the trouble between Anna Dick
inson and Fanny Davenport regarding TIN
American Curl drama.
FouR Touring mills, representing about one
tenth of the milling interest of Minneapolis
| Mimi, and cotton mill, have been destroyed
by fire. One of the mills, which had been shu
down for some time, exploded from what i
supposed ignition of confined gas, leveling it
walls to the ground, killing four men, two
them fremen, and injuring q number of others
| The loss on the five mills is estimated at owe
$500, 900, including 900 on the cotton mill
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
Another Arkan.a. Lynchins.

Summary vengeance, when merited, is per-
haps good thing, but it is beginning to lcok
as though vengeance in Arkansas is sometimes
little too summary for the good health of
those whose guilt may be in doubt. James
Holland, and two companions named Helphrey
and Carey, were some months ago arrested,
charged with the murder of an old man in 1879,
named Burgess James. Holland made q con-
fession in which he stated that Carey induced
Helphrey to commit the murder for money,
which was to be divided between the two, and
and his only participation in the crime was
cognizance of the facts. Subsequently guard
Of the jail named Hill was bribed and all three
escaped, Holland going to Polk County, Tenn.
He was recently apprehended, arrested, and
returned to Dardanelle, Arkansas. On the
night of the prisoners arrival at Dardanelle, a
mob visited the jail, battered the door down
and took him out and hanged him to the same
tree on which a mob hanged Taylor some
months ago. When Holland was reached by
the mob be began: "TIord have mercy on
me this is too bad. Lord have mercy on my
wife and children. Tell my wife and child"
Before he could finish he was gagged, and be-
ing dragged from the Jail, he was launched into
eternity,
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
Charity.

"Win you do me the favor to read this
paper ?"
"Can't do it-left my eyeglasses
home, was the reply.
:" Then / will state the contents to
you"
/" No use-no use. Pm so deaf I
couldn't catch more than on word out of
three"
/" I'm poor man with wooden leg,
SIR"
Yes-I see-I see. Lots of poor men
have no wooden legs. You are lucky, sir,
and / congratulate you. Must have cost
you fifty dollars, and I presume it is a
nice leg"
eff you had any clothes, SIR"
I" Yes, but I haven't.
"Or old boots"
I'm wearing my old boots, you see.
You are just six months too early to get
'em."
"I haven't had a meal since yester-
day"
house, and for the last three days I've
had to eat cold lunch off the piano"
Then you couldn't spare a nickel ?"
How can I? Amt walking home
because I haven't money to ride on the
carr"
" Is that so2 Then we're both hard
up"
OF course we are."
And being you're the worst off here's
q cold sausage I got at house below,
and here's nickel to rid on the car ]
tell you, sir, us poor folks has got to
have more pity for the rich and do bet
ter by 'em or wen all go the poor-house. F."
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
A High Old Time.

One hundred swedes, railroad men, hailing
from New York State arrived at Alton, Pa,
during the past week, and the first thing they
did was to get drunk and clean out number
of saloons. A general melee followed, the men
fighting among themselves, and a dispatch
states that four or five were fatally injured
and twenty badly injured. The weapons Of
warfare were stick andRstones, or whatever
came handy, and the riot is said to have been
the most fearful ever occurring in that section.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
Lake Ontario Getting shallow.

The harbor of Toronto is threatened
by marked fall in the level of Lake
Ontario. Observations taken during
long period indicates that the waters of
that inland sea are gradually subsid-
ing, and this in spite of the fact
that in the drainage basin OF the lower
lakes the rainfall has not materially di,
minished. Various attempts to explain
the phenomenon have been made, but
the most probable cause is found in the
artificial changes of the outlets of the
lakes, by which the volume OF water
escaping has been greatly increased.
The blasting of rocks in the Gallops
Rapids and the removal of distractions
seem to have operated like the lowering
of dana, and the consequence is that
many of the ports are now accessible to
vessels of light draft only.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08

W. A. Walker and Aonzo R. Walker, broth
ers, and a. boy fourteen years old, who
were en- route to st. Francis County, Ark.
from Russell County, Ala. in wagons,
were found murdered in their beds three miles
from Aberdeen, Miss. A fourth person who &C
companied them is suspected Of the deed,
and has been captured. Their skulls were all
crushed with an ak, and apparently without
awakening them, as the coverings over them
we're undisturbed
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
Horrible FIendi.hne...

A farmer named William Bishop, living in
Licking County, Ohio, while hauling heavy
load of slate from Granville, small village,
became enraged at his horses because they were
unable to pull their load, and attaching rope
to one of the poor animals tongues, pulled
that member out by the roots. The tongue
was found on tine roadside the next day, but
the facts did not become known until the day
following, and it was with difficulty that the
authorities kept Bishop out of the hands of an
incensed mob. Licking County is the homo of
the man Cummings, who, year ago, tackled
his boys tongue to q stick as punishment
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08

From Raleigh, North Carolina, comes the
news of the lynching of John Brodie and
Shadrack Hester (colored), who were taken
from Oxford Jail by hundred masked men
and hanged 10 . tree in small grove, neAs
the spot where they killed T. NJ. Lynch. They
made full confession of their crime
special from Yazoo City, Mississippi, says
the two negroes, Jordan and Craig, were caught,
and confessed to the assassination Of Robert
Catlin, near Huntsfeld Landing, on the 17th
of last month. Their intention was to kill
Mrs. Catlin. subsequently the negroes were
hanged by the infuriated citizens, near Shep-
pardstoWn.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
The South Americas Troubles.

The President has taken action In regard to
the Peruvian and Chllian matter. A circular
from the State Department has been sent to all
our Ministers in South America, setting forth
the desire of the United States to see an hon
orable and permanent peace established be-
tween Chilli and Peru. Our Ministers are in
structed to make known this friendly wish to
the governments which they represent, and to
suggest that all should unite in an effort to
secure an equitable settlement. The letter is
quite q long one, and is understood to
cover the whole ground presented to
the United States by the relations
between Chill and Peru. At the same
time it makes clear the real nature Of the in
structions which were given to Generals Hurl-
but and Fitzpatrick. It was deemed best to
send two agents of the States to Chill and
Peru, for the purpose Of arranging the mis-
understandings which have been brought
about by the indiscreet actions of our two
Ministers. The gentlemen selected for this
purpose were Hon. VIM. H. Trescott and
Walker Blaine, the Third Assistant Secretary of
State. Mr.. Trescott is well known in connec-
ton with diplematics of the government, and is
a gentleman of great skill and prudence in
matters of this kind. Mr.. Walker Blaine goes
as an officer of the department..
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
How the Women View II.

Since the lynching of Chris. Davis, in Athens
County, Ohio, for the outrage perpetrated on
old Mrs. Luckey, at Albany, the women of that
village have held meeting and passed resolu-
tions commencing the lynching. This is a
slight hint to legislatures to the punish
ment such crimes deserve, in the opinion Of
those who are liable to fall victims.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
The NinetIeth Crank.

Very few people have any idea of the num-
ber of cranks who turn up at Washington. On
the 29th ult. Edward Fits ALIAS P. Paul, was
arrested, he being the ninetieth crank who has
been arrested in the capitol city since the
shooting of Garfield. He stated that he had
come to Washington to save Guiteau.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
The CashIer Trick.

The Cashier of the Prince Edwards Island
Bank is the last star performer who has ap-
peared on the boards. He, however, did not
call the Directors together and tell them all
about it and say he was sorry. He suddenly
became non est, and simultaneously the discov-
cry was made that he had stabbed the vaults
of the institution to the amount Of 1900, 900.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08

Mr.. JOSEPH JEFFERSON, the actor,
after enumerating the various parts
he has played, suddenly recalls the fact
that b" Rip Van Wrinkle" is one of them,
which he declares he has played +" "about
$500 times" and for which he hopes to
be forgiven in "a better world, where
there are no matinees and no man
ayers"
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
why She Laughed.

An Austin butcher employed Uncle
Nose to take around some bills to his
customers. He took one to Mrs. Nc
Spilkins on Austin avenue. When Mrs.
McSpilkins saw the bill, she added up
the amounts charged each day, and
found fifty cents too much had been
charged. She told old Nose SO, and he
undertook to add up the bill in order to
impress Mrs. McSpilkins with his learn
ing, although In reality he does not
know one figure from another. Unfor-
tunately for his reputation for learning,
he ran the column Of the days of the
months, instead of the amounts charged
for meat, working his mouth, as if he
was really adding figures.
"You Is right, man, dair's fifty cents
short. I can't make muffin else out OBJ
hit, /" and once more he pretended to add
the days Of the month.
As he went down the alley, he re-
marked to himself confidentially, ST
bleeves dat woman has done lost her
senses. I hear her lafin' yit. "-I'eras
Siftisa0s.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08

Mrs. Miller, widow living near Waterloo,
Iowa, whose husband died two weeks since,
became deranged from grief and murdered her
two children, aged three months and three
years. Her crime was not discovered until two
days after the deed had been committed, when
she was found lying in bed with them, one on
each arm
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
sarab Bernhardt stoned.

Intelligence from Odessa says Jew batting
mob stoned Sarah Bernhardt's carriage as she
was driving home from the theatre, on the
ground that she was of Jewish descent. They
also stoned her hotel, and stopped the per-
formance at the theatre.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08

A New Orleans dispatch says Margaret YES
yey, aged nineteen, was shot by her lover,
Henry Menne, aged twenty-one, who then shot
himself. Both are believed to be fatally
wounded. Menne left letter saying they had
made up their minds to suicide, as the mother
of the girl would not allow him to visit her.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
Matrimonial Frauds.

The State of Indiana, of late, has given birth
to a number Of Matrimonial Benefit AEsocia-
tions, and already the announcement comes
that two of the associations have failed. Failure
will be the tltinadtuns of all of them.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08

The 400, 900 wax candles in the 700
rooms of the imperial palace at Berlin
are instantaneously lighted by single
match, the wicks being connected with
thread of gun cotton which, ignited at
one end, springs to its work throughout
tho house
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08

Little Willie Blake, a New York boy aged
only three years, during the absence of his
mother, poured kerosene oil on his infant
brother in the cradle, and set fire to the fluid,
burning the child to death.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08

"PAT, my boy, we must all of us die
once" The sick man turned over in
disguised frame of mind, and replied:
"That's just what bothers me. If we
could only die half a dozen times ]
wouldn't worry about this"
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08

At meeting Of tke Labor Standard Ameri-
can Auxiliary Association in New York, it was
proposed to raise q fund for the erection of
monument in memory of John Brown, of
Harper's Ferry fame.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08

A BosroN mendicant said to gentle
man: ST should like to have 10 cents to
appease my hunger. I have 40 cents,
and with 10 cents more could get quite
q decent supper"
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08
Rutter. Chee.e and Eex..

The Butter, Cheese and Egg Convention at
Cedar Rapids. Iowa, urged the necessity of
legislation to stop the oleomargarine fraud.
1t is stated that 60 per cent. of the article sold
for butter is nothing but oleomargarine.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-12-08

Storms at sea, near the coast of England,
have destroyed an unusual number of fishing
boats, and the fishing interests have sustained
heavy damages.