davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08
The Age Of The Cat.

A member of the Hartford County bar,
relating some "reminiscences of the court
in times gone by, told of case wherein
one of the famous advocates of that time
had bad@ered and crowded witness un-
I'll he lost his temper. The witness in
cidentally said something about a cat,
and the crafty lawyer seized upon this
as means of still further worrying the
witness.
How old was the catP'' asked the at
torney.
II don't know" p" was the answer.
'.How old do you think she wasp
'.It was Tom-cat." :"
II didn't ask about the sex of the cat,
/ asked how old it was
'sYou asked how old she was"
"Well. how old was that catP''
81 told you 1 didn't know"
'Well, how old do you thinkP"
30, l can tell,
"You can tell how old you think she
was
Il tell you. 1 don't know"
"Now," said the attorney, al want a
plain answer to a plain question. How
old do you think that cat wasp
The witness looked straight at the at
torney, whose shining bald head was
the most prominent feature of his figure,
and calmly said, 20, l can't guess how
old the cat was, but she was old enough
to be bald-headed. -
The lawyers ruddy face assumed a
deeper hue, the spectators and members
of the bar Uttered, and even the stern
features of the court relaxed into a smile
at the answer which ended that line of
croSs-questioning.- - Hartford Times.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08
The Assessment system.


The assessment of office-holders for
the support of political machines has
been one of the greltest of the evils
which the Republican party has inlet
ed upon the country during its twenty
years. lease of power. The system
struck directly at the vitals of the Civil
Service and destroyed its efficiency. 1t
was no longer a question as to Gov
ernment employees fitness, but entirely
as to his ability and willingness to pay
an assessment to aid his party IN re-
tanning itself in power. The dangers
and evils of the system have been too
ably and frequently set forth TO need
elaboration at this time. In the be-
ginning the people did not fully appre-
ciate them. he Republican leaders
flushed with victory impressed upon the
adherents of the party the doctrine that
TO the vlctors belong the spo Is Long
continuance in power made the leaders
boid and the system grew apace, until
within year or two it has assumed
enormous proportions. Like great
octopus it stretched out its long. hid
eous arms IN every direction and to the
limits of the country. The system be-
came an inherent and most important
part of the policy of the Republican
parry The party found itself un-
able to r@tair loSver--without CON
troll OF the offices. Presently the
people who had been lulled
into feeling of security by the specious
promises of the Republican party were
awakened to a sense of their peril
They beheld instance after instance O
the suffering caused by the corrupt anc
cruel system. Their ewes were opened
TO the dangers of an Office holding aris
tocracy arising in the land. They saw
the peril to their institut' ons which
arose from the continued dominancy o
a party which sustained itsell lbv the us,
of fabulous sums OF money and by oper
methods of corruption. They knew a
last thatthe time had come for actor
and the note of warning was sounded
But the Republican leaders refused Il
heed it. They stuck more closely II
Hubbellism and once more impudentl,
attempted to buy themselves into tn,
people's favor. 1t was too late. Armed
with the ballot the people made a crane
charge along the whole line. Al one
fell swoop Hubbellism was vanauishet
and with it the Republican party wen
down. The leaders in this charge wer,
the newspapers of the country gener
ally, irrespective OF party. although tn,
democratic press was fiercest in It's as
saults. 1t was the newspapers tina
awakened the people from their leth
argy by exposing the evils and danger
of the system. Now that Hubbeliisn
is in the same coffin with the Republic
an party and the lid nailed down, tn,
newspapers must be given full credi
for their share in achieving the great re
suit Hargfsbasrg (fa) Patriot.
-The Umatilla Indians in Oregon hay,
l6. 600 acres of land under cultivation.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08
A Draft on the Imagination.

''My father. said Gilhooly, solemnly,
''was more sensitive to colds than any,
body l ever knew. The slightest ex,
posure gave him a cold" ="
That must have been very disagree
able.''
'sIndeed, it was. He never could sit
near draft for minute without catch
ing cold. / remember on one occasion
he was sitting in the office of friend,
when all at once my father began to
sneeze. He insisted that there was a
draft in the room. Every effort was
made to discover where the draft was,
but in vain. The doors and windows
were closed, and there was no fireplace,
but my father kept on sneezing, and in
sisting there must be draft in the
room, and so there was"
where was it?''
''In an envelope on the table, and it
was only little draft for three dollars
and forty cents. - Te1aS Stftings.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08
Freezing a Corpse.

Every corpse that is taken to the Paris
morgue is now quickly converted into a
block almost as hard as a stone. This
result is obtained by Cares chemical
refrigerator, which is capable of reduc-
ing the temperature of the conservatory,
where each body is laid out in some
thing closely resembling a camp bedstead
in stone, to fifteen degrees below zero
centigrade. At the back of this room
is row of stove-like compartments, in
which the corpses are boxed up and
frozen hard before being exposed to pub
lie view. As an illustration of the in
tense cold thus artifcially secured, a
Paris journalist, in describing a recent
visit to the morgue, says that in opening
one of the compartments the attendants
took the precautiOn to wear a glove lest
his ''hand would be burnt by contact with
the cold iron." The corpse, which was
taken out of its receptacle. had been
there nine hours. The doctor who ac-
companied thevisitor struck the dad man
on the breast with a stick, and the sound
was just as If he had struck stone
Paris Paper.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08
Well Up in Botany.

Yes, she visited the country and con-
sidered herself superior to ignorant, COM
mon farmers. She was learned in botany,
and with lofty airs told Farmer d. she
knew every plant that grew. The far
mer coming from the field one day
plucked cluster of blossoms and car
ried them to the house do you know
these blossoms?' he asked of her. go.
yes. of course do. she replied "They
are very rare and SO beautiful; too sweet
for anything. | am perfectly familiar
with these flowers; / know all about
plants; these grow on trees in the
woods" What is their namepn asked
Farmer D., with sly wink at his wife,
who stood by choking with laughter.
ssWhy-really- can't recall their bo-
tanical name just now; but l suppose
you have some vulgar name for them
..Wel1., replied d, I'VE ignoraDt farm
ers call them potato blossoms" 'You
horrid thing, cried she, spitefully, "to
bring me such mean old weed" She
cut short her visit and returned to town.
-Newna,s Ga } Herald.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08
War OF Mustaehes.

A mustache war is now waging in
the great city of Berlin. For some in
explicable reason the hotel-keepers of
that city took it into their heads to re-
quire their walters to have shaven up-
per lips. No rebellion followed, and
then the order was extended to house
servants Still no rebellion Embold-
ened by success in these two orders,
mine host had the temerity to order the
cooks to dispense with their mustaches.
That was going too far. The sleeping
lion was aroused. AT last accounts the
momentous question at issue between
landlords and cooks was undetermined.
with some prospect of a retirement of all
male kings of the kitchen in favor of
those who would be sure to comply with
the regulation, Notwithstanding any and
all hirsute predictions. 1t is obvious
that Alexander Humboldt did not live in
vain. The home of that greatest of
modern philosophers has risen to dignity
never dreamed of in his philosophy
London Eaho
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08
A Brooklyn Negro,s Luck.

A Brooklyn colored man ironically
known as SNOWFALL after having
followed for many years whitewashing,
boot backing and other pursuits of many
colors, has come into possession of $780,
0OO About half century ago his
father bought lot which subsequently
passed out of his possession. The son
recently brought suit to regain it. He
won. but the upper court reversed the
decision. He tried again and won; the
decision of the other court being again
adverse. The third jury went against
him when the upper court gave a de-
cision in his favor. The fourth jury
gave him verdict and the upper courts
sustained it. He was so impatient to
get his property that before the Sheriff
had given him possession he was arrested
for the Illegal election of tenant He
has already increased the rent of his
tenants to repay himself for his legal
expenses. .-Dttroit Post and Tribune
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08
LeprOsy.

The existence of Ieprosy in New Bruins
wick, on the Miramichi River, in a low
fishing population. and upon Cape Bro
ton Island, has been for some time
familiar. Contagion appears to have
been clearly proved in the former settle
ment, but in the latter all cases are the
descendants of one woman, significant
suggestion of precautions which should
be taken in eradicating the disease. In
the United States several cases of the
disease have appeared among Norwegi-
ans in the Northwest, particularly in
Minnesota. Nearly all the cases are of
those infected before their arrival. but
a authenticated instance of the
transmission of the disease by descent.
1t has also appeared at intervals since
1916 in Charleston. 5. c., while in
Florida it was prevalent more that
century ago, and the large number of
cases in Louisiana in 1875 required a
special hospital. In 1866 it reappeared
in Vermillion parish, in that State, and
other cases are now there. In Cali
fornia and Oregon the Chinese immi-
grafton has. as might be expected, intro
duced the disease.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08
A singular Fatality.

Early in the present year man named
Lansard fell down the precipice of Bella.
vardaz, on the road between Giettaz and
Flumet in the Alps of Upper Savoy. On
October Turin merchant by the name
of Bibollot, while travelling the same
road with two school teachers from Clu-
saz, stopped to examine the wooden
cross. which had been erected at the
scene of the accident in accordance with
the local custom. 81 cannot understand
what Lansard was doing to lose his foot
ing here,'' said NJ. Bibollot, land still
less how he should. have been killed. !"
He had scarcely uttered the words when
he lost his balance and. fell headlong
down the precipice. His companions,
descending into the gorge by footpath.
found their friend frightfully mangleds
and half an hour later he died.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08
A Curious Tobacco Vow.

In 1860, when Heister Clymer, of
Reading, Pa, was defeated as the Dem
ocratic candidate for Governor, DIR.
Jacob Sheetz, a well-known citizen and
physician of Pottstown, made vow that
he would purchase no mere chewing
tobacco or use any until tho Democrats
succeeded in electing their candidate for
Governor. That vow he kept sacred for
sixteen long years until Wednesday,
when thoroughly satisfied that Pattison
had been elected, he stepped into we'll
known tobacco store and purchased the
weed by the pounds, and had 1t cut up
into plugs. Whenever any OF his trends
many of whom were aware that the
Doctors long tobacco fast was over,
would ask him for ''chew'' he pulled
out his large BAG. in which he carried 1t
and gave them whole pug; ne
Doctors determination not to chew or
buy tobacco until the election OF Dem
ocratic Governor was known all over tins
section Of country and many joke was
created. - Chicago Herald
The silly little fish, IN nope OF ninnS
his own stomach, snaps at the balted
hook and succeeds only III hlhng the
stomach of the fisherman The man
who thinks to play a sharp game on the
sharper should remember the lesson Oh
the fish and not play his sharp game
0oston HaDscript.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08
Stray Freight.


How does your company keep track
o., trace up and ind and restore lost
iar,elght?n asked a representative Of the
rfes Press yesterday of man employed
y. Ia lhe lost freight department of one OF
ne railroads in this city
!. a should ike much to give YOU an
leemi but it would be as much as my
SITUATION =, IS worth to tell of our methods.
1hey are very strict in their orders
'ASss'tlnst giving reporters items.
diliicalt'N
IT is, remarkably so"
How far away from the shipping or
receiving point has lost freight at last
Deen recovered?''
Thousands of miles. For instance, last
september a package was shipped from
piand Rapids to Detroit, and was lost en-
route. Yesterday we received notice
that i bad been found at Boston and
would be sent here inamediatcly.n
: ~ . - sstlls ssttch errors OCCUR
MANY ways. The niarlSiuXsellaaY be
indistinct and Incomplete, shipping bills
are often incorrect; and now. for in
stance, | spent nearly four weeks last
August looking for case of shoes to at
last learn they had never been shipped
from the factory
Don't .you ever find mistakes the
other way? That is. don't you find
freight on hand not down on the shipping
bills?i
.'Yes. have just such a case before
me. A barrel of goods has been re-
eeived mt Adrian, the address of the con-
signee being all right. but nothing to
indicate who sent it. We must find out
who sent it, and the letters &C X. b.,
Detroit, being ON the barrel we have
inquired of c. X. Burnham & Co, but
they know nothing of it.
q How do you trace all these facts 50
accurately?'
BY our receipts, our shipping bills
and all of our carriage and warehouse
records. Each station agent and ware
house man must be ready to at once give
an account of every article which he has
received or sent away.
= Suppose a thing is stolen en- route,
how do you locate the scene of the rob
bery?''
"There are a great many ways in
which we learn the truth. As for exam
pie, notice was received at this Office the
other day from a firm in Peoria, Ill.
stating that they had received case o.
shoes which had been broken open and
four pairs of shoes taken out. Eael
railroad company has leaden seal which
must be broken before apackage can b'
opened, and by tracing the seals we
found that the breaking open of the box
took place either before it reached The
depot in this city or after it was taker
away from the depot at Peoria. By
further tracing it was at last learned tina
the shoes were stolen by trucknan a
Peoria
:. But supposing freight-loaded ear
standing on a side track, is broken int
at night?'
Well. that is the easiest kind of short
age to trace. We have just succeeded
in conjunction with all the other roads il
this city, in discovering a large leakag
4 in the vicinity of the Detroit & AIilwau
/ kee & Grand Trunk Railroad Junction
srs V. - lIll rrr...l .ss ines e.sy Wv "
little less secret about this kind Of HvC
IN there would be less of it to do
Id :. Perhaps so. Detroit Free Pr
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08
Turn about is Fair PLAY.

A Cat which had just settled herself
between the sheets for nap was aroused
one night by howls and yeowls on the
roof OF shed near by.
'For the land 5 sake but what is thatr'
she exclaimed as she rose up on end.
The howls continuing, she got out of bed.
raised the window, and called out:
I'm the name of mercy, what is want
ed and who are you?'
Pm Free Citizen y was the reply
But why those howls?''
I'm singing. Fact is, Tn serena
ding you.n
But l don't want it. Go away orrn
iniure you for lifer
But the man refused to move foot.
Hair brushes, boojacks, water nitchers
and bed steads were heaved at him in
quick succession, but he lodged each
missile and continued to sing until the
Cat cut her throat in desperation.
Moral: Turn about is fair play. and
the chance is sure to come Detre:t
Tree Press.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08
Demise Of RepnbIIcanism.

A little more than one month ago the
death-knell of arrogant nisrule sounded
in Ohio. and on the 9TH of November
followed a funeral rye OF far more I'M
pos no proportions. Not one or Two
States alone participated in the solemn
proceeding, but the whole big country
with amazing unanimity. But there IS
more ioy than sorrow at the final de-
mise of the Republican party, and the
feeling of glad relief which geherally
prevails finds voice in the popular YER
Dict. We'll r.d Of it. !" Hencelorth it
will be only IN sweet memory that the
canting saints of the party VIII be asso-
ciated with the monumental fraud OF
New jersey as smiling partners in big
steal like the River and Harbor 5ilL 1t
will be only in tones of warning that
Keifer will be mentioned as Speaker of
a National Assembly, and only in the
black book history VIII be discovered
the shameful record OF a ma ority
usurping the seats of other members
fairly elected thereto Business issues
will assume the place of insane isms and
the popular voice will be heard and re
spected. AS the mangled remains OF
the late political body are viewed. 1t is
only surprising that it should have sur
yived so long, being .icted with SO
many ills, as to be burden to itself. 1t
IS only as the debris is cleared away
from the scene OF the awful Radical
disaster that the victims can be counted
and laid to rest; hut while this is done
let the funeral bells toll the glad tid'ngs
of the demise of party which. being
unfit to live, was yet able to 20 inn
measurable harm. = omaha Herald
A NEW baby recently arrived in the
family of a Louisville journalist, and
para was excessively proud over the
event. Turning to the cd black nurse,
..Aunty.'' said he. stocking the little
pate, this boy seems 10 have q ournal-
4 istic head. . s-Oh, . cried the untutored
old Aunty, soothingly. .'neFer you
mind bout dat; datll come al right
J in time - Louisciifs co,irie r-Jo~ygsf',
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08

Don't put yourself out" said Fritz,
observing the motion of my lips. Wind
as the capital of speech, and You shall
have your share of it,
Thrusting the nozzle of a bellows into
my trachea, FRITZ dom know how he
did it all with only two hands pumped
and blew away with might and main.
doubled my fist. or thought did, to
knock him down ashe apProaehedto IN
sert the bellows. Il was a singular cir
cumstance that, so far as sensation went,
| seemed to be in the full possession of
all my members.
As / said, | doubled mp my fist. or
imagined did. and struck out Justify as
Fritz came near. but the blow fell on
nothing. Fool that l was.-there lay
my bodily appurtensnces all dead before
me.
VILLAIN, rll have YOU hanged for
this!' | yelled with the first puff of air |
received from the bellowS. 'l'll go at
once and summon the Coronerr'
Alas forgot had no legs
keep a. civil tongue in Your head or
| III be ohl.ged r atit-oif your Avind, =
said Fritz.
..How long can | live thusp" | asked
..Probably twenty minutes" he an
swered: THAT is il my strength doesn' t
give way. It's hard work this pulling
and pumping both at once
-sFor goodness sake keep it up" l
pleaded. don't mind what l said
about going for the Coroner. was a
little excited Just them
I'm not afraid of Your going, said
he. ..But tell me all about your feel
ings. old fellow
9aI'm getting too short of breath to
talk much, Ireplied.
Fritz renewed his exerdons. but his
energies, it was evident, were failing
rapidly.
..No use,'' he said at last. I've got
to give itup. My strength is quite ex-
hausted.
..Don't-Son't stopr' / gasped.
Cant help it, he answered.
If YOU stop I'll kill youra I whis.
pered, hoarsely, for the stream of air
was getting feeble.
Fritz laughed tauntingly.
became infuriated. / was seized witt
q sudden desire for vengeance. I felt as
though had hundred hands. each Ell
dowed with giant strength | made
desperate effort 10 Sprinr upon Fritz
and. TO NV astoniShment, this time sue
ceeueu. my MINUS were ~ MS tnIodt
| but Fritz was strong and held me at bay
Hal hair he laughed.
In an instant everything was changed
[ no longer saw my headless body on TIL
floor Ny head was as fast as ever Oh
my shoulders, and Fritz was holding M
In his arms and laughing at the violene
of my struggles.
1 ] have never taken hasheesh since; fo
: it was while under the influence of tina
a drug that Fritz strange talk abou
Brown -Sequard's Investigations and Ger
t tain extravagant theories of his own mad
v me imagine myself the subject of a hor
t rible experiment, the frightful details o
which assums1. for the time, realit]
, 70 which thenses were as actively
alive as the khis moment to the OF
+ jects whiS touch.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08

"A case of interest, as showing the
strength of tradition among the jew, is
that one of the race on Long Island, VITO
has succeeded, after long struggle, a
lawsuit and the intervention of con
stables, in placing a stone over his wifs's
grave with her portrait carved thereon.
1t was held by the trustees of the cepe-
terry that the widower' procedure was in
violation of the ancient tradition. which
forbids one to make g'aven image.
But the courts sustained the widower's 8
right, and gave him the means to en-
force BrookIqas Eagle.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08

Gentlemen may now appear in pub
lie without gloves, this liberty being
granted probably because ladies now
wear twice as much kid on their hands
and arms as fashion demanded two
years ago. Some compromise was neces-
sary in order to keep the market steady.
~ T. Herald.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-08

mo perfect iav has ever come to me-"
An odd mar said.
t.A perfect day FOR us can never oe
TIL we are dead
The Young inp h eur,l him. and he turned away
pid men ne cr tin,i earth the perfect dag
For which they sought
A day all free from c:re?- so running Ger
With life's delight
That there seemed room or wish for nothing
From dawn to niEht7
The young King said.
80 search-find one who found them-if you
All, wise gray hesdI
81 trust that some time such day will come
The King said. But the old mans lips were
A doubter he.
THAT you. and those about you all may know
MY perfect day,
A bell shall ring out when the sun IS low,
And men shall say:
Behold .this day has been unto the King
'4t A day rcptete
with happiness. 1t lacked not anything
A day most sweetr
In high tower. ere night, the passers saw
mighty bell.
The tidings OF day without flaw
Some time to tell.
The bell hung silent in its lofty tower.
DAYS came and went
Each summer brought its sunshine and IL
flower.
It's old content;
But not the happy day he hoped TO see.
"Rut soon or late
The day of S-sys." he said. will come to me.
/ trust and wait
The years, like waves upon a restless stream
We're away.
And in the Kings dark hair began TO gieam
Bright threads of gray
Men passing by, looked upward to the bell,
And smiling said:
Delay not of the happy time TO tell
Till we are dead.
But they grew old and died. And silent still
The great bell hung;
And the good King, bowed down with age, fe
His cares among.
At dusk, one day. with dazed brain, from h
room
&c slowly crept
Cprattling tDwer-stcps. in the dust and gloon
while watchers slept
Above the city broke the great bells voice,
Silent so long.
behold the Kings most happy day! Re
joicev'
1t told the throng.
Filled with strange awe, the long night passe
At morn men said:
'sAt last the King has found his happy day
The King is deadi
--Eben f. Rerford, IN Boston Transcript