davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Osceola times., 1882-11-11
Killed by Electric Wires.

New York Special to Cincinnati Gazette.
The first fatal accident with electric
light wires in this city occurred about /
Il. IN. to-day at Canal and Elizabeth streets.
Two men employed a. the Brush Electric
Company were engaged in transferring
wires from telegraph poles on the east
side of Elizabeth street to higher poles on
the west side of the street. In order TO
transfer the wires the workmen were OBJ.
liged to introduce sections about ten feet
long at each pole. The insulated cover
ings were removed for distance of few
inches near the poles, and when the ends
of the sections had been attached the
wires were cut and transferred. Joseph
Staman, lineman, living in East Hous-
ton street, was working on a poeat Court
and Elizabeth streets. Contrary to orders
he removed the coverings from both cleo
tric light wires on the crossarm where he
worked before attaching the ends of the
section to either wire. His body at once
forced connection between the positive
and negative wires. Fred. X Layman,
the assistant foreman, noticed Staman
hanging from the two wires, each hand
firmly clasped. His body was swinging
to and fro in the air, and his limbs trem-
bled convulsively, while his features were
drawn out of shape by the agony he was
enduring. The alarm was given and the
other lineman sent up the pole. They
first cut the wires toprevent further harm,
and then lowered Staman to the street
He was alive but insensible. He was car
ried to the Elizabeth street police station
where he died in about fifteen minutes
The only visible effect of the current on
the body was on the palms of the hands.
There the skin was burned away and the
flesh blackened. He was 81 years old and
married.
The Osceola times., 1882-11-11
,lace is this you've got me into?"

place is this you've got me into?"
"Ihis is my stock-room, where the
boys fit themselves out for their runs and
where they settle up after each run"
docs each one have an account~
"Yes, and that account begins with the
receipt of the goods and ends when we
settle after each run"
"How do you manage it2"
"Very simple. For instance here is n
man who went out day before yesterday.
He took 50 books, POO paper, 100 cigars,
so many figs, nuts, bananas, souvenir
cards, etc, etc. Our goods are charged
up TO him not as papers, books, figs, etc,
but as so many articles at 5, 10, Is, 20
and % cents each, according TO the price.
Now see, on his return we check OFF the
goods as he returned them, and found
that his sales amounted to SIS 60. Thus
we take back the goods not sold, pay the
salesman his commission, and get re-
ceipt from him for all claims, which ends
the account"
What do you consider the best kind
of travellers for your business" the re-
porter asked one of the butchers.
Wedding parties and the way passen.
gers. The one is ready to buy anything
about love and sweetness, while the
other is ready to buy anything they can
not get at home"
"Who are your poorest patrons?"
Commercial travellers and theatrical
people. They are too fly or else tee
poor to buy"
"How do you distinguish as to the
character of your passengers
"How? by their looks and actions. !
can 90 through my train and size it up
to a nickel"
ado you often do that p
always. If go through a car and
find it full of jolly young people, Pm
jolly without familiarity; If ! find a ca,
full of sober student-like looking chaps
then I'll sober and sling the best English
| can conjure up; and when | strike a
delegation Of politicians Pm clown and
make fun for 'em."
Don't you ever make mistake in
your estimator
Never did but once struck party
of four chaps with straight hair and deer
lines at the nostrils and corners of the
mouth, and fired with Ten Nights with
Moody and Sankey' and The Story of q
Minister'S Wife at 'em."
"What was the result7'
"When | went back to collect my
books one of the chaps hollered out
Say, you, what yer givin' us p and while
was sellin' 'em four cigars l found out
they were lightnin' rod agents
Mr. Allanson informed the reporter
that the men are paid commission on
their sales, making $40 to S25 per week
according to their ability, and mentioned
several who have been at the business
for eight or ten years. and seem to
prosper at it better than they could al
any other business. "But sometimes We
get hold of a crooked hand" he said
"and we lose on him. He gets away with
something or other. This is seldom, as
l generally make the new ones give
security"
The Osceola times., 1882-11-11
CHARLES O'C0N0R.
The O'Conor Castle at Nantucket-The
Appointments of the Intcrior-IIis Law
Library.
Providence Press.

Appointments of the Intcrior-His Law
Library.
Providence Press.
After that long and terrible illness,
when Mr.. OConor's life was despaired of
by the whole council of physicians, and
his well written obituary waited for
fortnight in all the New York newspa-
per offices, he came to Nantucket for rest
and quiet summers recuperation.
He returned to his city Office in the fall
restored to health and ready to resume
his legal drudgery, but began to fail so
rapidly that his physicians summarily
ordered him back to Nantucket. Ii was
then that he abandoned his practice and
retired from the bar, settling himself for
the rest of his days in Nantucket.
The O'Conor castle is large gable
frame house, with broad porches on its
seaward front, and, standing on the very
edge OF the bare and breezy cliff, is one
of the most conspicuous objects as one
approaches the island from the sea. Over
$4,000 were spent in the construction.
and although the exterior is plain and
simple. the interior is most completely
appointed, and elegantly furnished. Fur
naces and fireplaces defy the winter
blast. and polished floors, with India rugs
and rattan furniture make it the most de-
lightful ofsummer homes.
This grim old bachelor, whom the Cos
sips persistently tried to marry to Mrs.
Hicks-I ord, is as much character as any
of the Nantucket natives, and inhabits
Al. .,,,,a,nr, -, cp1itary Sfatn a ~
when his nephews and nieces come down
upon him during the summer months.
lie rambles about the cliffs and the town
with his hat on the back of his head and
both hands in his pockets, and is seen
with one hand out only when he has to
carry an umbrella or a bundle. Possess
ed of a large fortune and with great
and honorable career to look back upon,
he takes life easily in these years past
his three score and ten, and devotes him
self to lengthening on this vacation part
of his life Lawyers still appeal to him
for decisions, and he acts as referee in
many knotty cases, writing out his opin-
ions in his own snug library within the
sight and sound ofthe sea.
At present he is busying himself with
fire proof brick and iron building in
which to store his books, and this library
is removed a good distance from the man
sion TO prevent any chance of confiagra-
ton. II is solid and substantial enough
to defy the elements for centuries, and
NAV ftly serve as vault when he ceases
to be the living occupant. His law Ii
brary, comprising several thousand vol
umes, is regarded as one of the most COM
plete and valuable collections in the pro-
fession, and with the addition of his vol
umes of general literature will make an
imposing show when properly arranged
in their new home,
The Osceola times., 1882-11-11
The sun.
Edinburg Review.

In any reference 10 the physical histo-
nv of the sun, the stupendous magnitude
of its sphere must be kept vividly present
to the mind. With diameter los times
longer than that of the earth, the solar
orb looks out into space from surface
that is $1,000 times larger than the one
which the earth enjoys. The bulk of the
sun is ! 100000 times that of the earth
II the surface OF the sun were a thin ex-
ternal rind, or shell, and the earth were
placed in the middle ofthis hollow sphere,
not only would the moon have space to
circle in its usual orbit without ever get
ting outside the solar shell, but there
would be room also for second satellite,
nearly as far again as the moon, to ac-
complish similar course. The weight
of the sun is 100000 times the weight of
the earth, or, in round numbers, 2,OO0,-
900 00O, ,000, ,000, ,000000 Of tons. The mean
distance of the sun from the earth is now
so well ascertained, through investiga-
tions which have been made in several
distinct ways, that there can scarcely be
in the estimate an error of 100000 miles
The distance, at the present time given
is 92,SS5,000 miles. This measure is in
itself so vast that, if any traveller were TO
move at the rate of four miles an hour
for ten hours day, it would take him
$500 years TO reach the sun. Sound would
traverse the interval if there were any,
thing in space capable of transmitting
sonorous vibrations, in fourteen wears,
and cannon ball sustaining its initial
velocity throughout would do the same
thing in nine years. A curious illustra-
ton, attributed to Prof Mendenhall, is to
the effect that an infant, with an arm
long enough when stretched out from the
earth to reach the sun, would die of old
age before it could become conscious,
through the transmission of the nervous
that it had burned it fingers
In order that the earth thus moving
round the sun with chasm of SO, 100000
of miles intervening space between them,
may not be drawn to the sun by the pre-
ponderant attraction Of its $4,000 times
larger mass, it has TO shoot forward in its
path with a momental velocity fifty times
more rapid than that of the swIftest rifle
ball. But, in moving through twenty
miles Of this onward path, the earth is
drawn out of straight line by something
less than the eighth part of an inch. This
deviation is properly the source from
which the amount Of the solar attraction
has been ascertained. II the earth were
arrested in its onward fight,
and its momentum was in that way de-
stroyed, il would be drawn 10 the sun, by
the Irresistible force Of its attraction, in
our months, or in the twenty-seventh
part of the time which a cannon ball
would take to accomplish the same jour
ney.
The Osceola times., 1882-11-11
FEMININE FASHIONS AND FANCIEs.'

Striped plush is blocked into shape as
a lining for the wide brims of felt hats.
Diagonal rows OF narrow bias ruffles
are the new trimming fo.the foot of silk
skirts.
sicilienne and Irish poplin are coming
into fashion along with other repped
goods.
Leather lace with leaves of leather
twine ficelle lace is a novelty for trim
ming bonnets.
Brocades will be limited to yelvets for
the coming season; plain goods will be
preferred in silk and woolen stufis.
Cashmere and cloth with Saxony en-
broidery, soutach braiding, or plain stitch
ing, will make up the bulk of the new
Autumn costumes
Turkish and India embroideries, of
soft, dull, yet rich coloring will trim the
the self-colored cashmere and cloth dress
es worn later in the season.
New wool goods have ball figures three
inches wide, of shade so nearly like
that of snuff that the whole fabric ap-
The long gauze wells formerly used
here, but now out of style, are worn in
Europe and called American wells.
Meanwhile the English mask veil of red
tulle is adopted here.
New bonnets and hats for the season
between summer and winter have the
brim of summer straw with winter vel
vet crown. Styles for the demi-season
are otherwise well defined.
The pelisse to be worn next winter is
precisely like the long plain redingotes
worn two years ago. 1t is made of cloth
and trimmed with braid down the front
and back, but not around the skirt.
The stylish wraps for the first cold days
will be braided cloth jackets for plain toi-
lets, and ficelle-oolored cloth mantles
trimmed with lace and pompoms of the
same shade for dressy toilets.
India cashmere shawls of great value,
and many of them are heirlooms, are
most ruthlessly cut by dress makers to
make short "visities." 1t is said that an
ulster has lately been made of a shawl
that cost $500.
Milliners select the feathers of eight
birds t. make a single turban. Blue-jays,
black birds, magpies, crows, partridges,
hawks, wild ducks, pigeons, swallows and
many other familiarity known birds are
stripped of their feathers to minister to
the new craze.
The only beaded trimmings among the
new goods are solid" passementeries
that show nothing but beads, but there
are many sizes and shapes, such as bu-
giles, fiat nail heads, large balls, and the
smallest beads like seed pearls.
The European custom of carrying in
fants on lace trimmed pillows is adopted
| by American mothers, and the nurse
wears an Alsace capwith bow of ribbon
a fourth of yard wide, with ends that
hang behind nearly to her feet The
nurses dress is the color used for lining
the lace of the baby's pillow.
A great deal of dull red is seen on the
newly imported costumes, and touch Of
red is in almost all toilets, though it may
be only copper-red silk neckerchief, a
flamingos breast on the turban, or terra
Gotta gloves.
White with gold, white with silver, H.
lac and pansy shades, are color for eve
ming and dinner dresses. White, pure
and simple, is losing color because it has
been so generally worn during the sum
mer, and it is now generally accompanied
by red and yellow.
The Osceola times., 1882-11-11
Nav and Paw.
Nax.y Narlr Tr{lnna


The following dialogue and conclud-
ing remarks were one of the features OF
a recent midnight in one of the hotels
here:
"Ma?"
"What, dear?''
''Is that You, map
Eyes, dear"
"Pa?"
"What dear?"
"Is that you, pa?"
"Yes, dear"
"Good night, ma"
Good night, DEAR
Good night, pa"
"Good night, dear"
The dialougc had been repeated at in
tervals of fifteen minutes for two hours,
when an elderly man in the adjacent
room, who had been trying to sleep all
that time, rolled out of bed with thud,
climbed up into the transom, and put
ting his head out, shouted at the top
of his lungs "Yes, it's me nav and it's
me paw now go to sleep, you little brat,
or III come up in there and chew you
up" Five minutes later a holy calm
brooded over the top Of the house, and
no sound was heard save the last sob OF
a weary wave telling its story to the
smooth pebbles of the beach,
The Osceola times., 1882-11-11
Kissing the Pope's Toe.

In Theophile Gautiers "Constantinople
of To-day" is an account Of the ceremony
of kissing the Sultan's toe, an honor
which is reserved for the Vizier, Minis
tiers and certain privileged Pashas. This
act of homage is performed with the Ut
most solemnity, and is marked by every
sign Of respect worthy of so important an
occasion. Referring to the custom Of
kissing the Pope's toe, Matthew, of West
minister, thus explains its origin:
Formerly it was usual to kiss the hand
of His Holiness, but towards the close of
the eighth century certain woman,
when making an offering to the Pope,
not only kissed his hand, but committed
the terrible outrage of squeezing it. The
Pope, seeing the danger to which he was
exposed, cut off his hand, and by this
means escaped the contamination to
which he had been rendered liable.
Since that time the precaution has been
taken of kissing the Pope's toe instead
of his hand; and lest any one should
doubt the accuracy of this account the
historian argues that the hand, which
had been cut off 500 or 600 years before,
still existed ct Rome-a standing miracle,
The Osceola times., 1882-11-11
Sir Garnet In Egypt.

When Sir Garnet Wolseley was young
he was good deal of fop in Dublin, as
was the Duke of Wellington in his youth,
and he used TO drive drag with his
brothers daily into Dycer's repository,
now the family seat, near Dublin. He
then wore long curls. Time had worked
much change when he was staying at the
Clarendon here in 1862 with Col. Rowan.
II has worked still greater since He is
now spare, lantern -jawed, with short,
gray hair and blonde mustache. He
wears sun helmet, wound about with a
handkerchief of white and violet check
his red coat is open at the chest, and
spotted with many stains Of grease; he
has a variegated necktie, woclen shirt
of loud pattern, gray-checked trousers,
yellow riding boots and spurs, an opera
glass with yellow case and strap, and
yellow revolver belt with cartridge case I;
yellow gauntlets, violet pocket hand
kerchief stuck in his red coat gigantic
pair of dark-blue spectacles, and in
his hand he fourishes fan to keep off
the flies.
The Osceola times., 1882-11-11
Verbal Errors to be Guarded Against.

The following examples of the most
common errors in the Use of words are
taken from "The Verbalist," by Mr.. Al
fred Ayres.
Accord for give; as "the information
was accorded him"
Aggravate for irritate; aggravate is to
make worse.
Allude to, for refer to or mention.
As, for that; mot as | know" for mot
that ! know"
Avocation, for vocation; mans yoca-
ton is his business; avocations are things
that occupy him incidentally.
Balance, for rest or remainder.
Character for reputation; one may have
a good reputation; but bad character,
and the two words should never be con-
founded.
Dangerous, for in danger; sick man is
sometimes most absurdly said to be dan
gerous, when it is meant that the poor
fellow is himself in danger-a very dit
ferent thing.
Demean, for debase, disgrace or hum
Bile. To demean ones self, whether well
or i'll.
Dirt, for earth or loan.
Donate, for give.
Execute, for hang, as applied TO the
criminal. 1t is the sentence, not the man,
that is executed.
Healthy, for wholesome, an onion
plant may be healthy; but when you
pick an onion there is no more unhealth-
iness to that although it may or may not
be wholesome as an article of food.
lily, for ill.,
Inaugurate, for begin.
Kids, for kid gloves.
Learn, for teach.
Liable, for likely or apt.
Pants, for pantaloons, or DIETER still
trousers.
Partake, for eat.
Plenty as an adjective, where plentiful
is meant.
Real, for very; as "real nice" real
pretty"
iReside, for live.
Residence, for house.
Retire, for 90 to bed.
Seldom, or ever, for seldom, if ever, or
seldom or never.
Some, for somewhat "shc is some bet
ter to day"
Stop, for stay; where are you stop
ping?" This is one of the vilest Of with
cisms.
Summons, Cthe noun,) for summons,
(the verb.)
Those kind of apples, for that kind.
Transpirc, for occur.
Vulgar, for immodest or indecent.
Without, for unless.
The Osceola times., 1882-11-11
The Profits of the Train Boy.
Milwaukee Wisconsin.

George Allanson, the railway news
man, who has thirty-five newsboys, or
candy butchers" as they are called on
the road, invited Wisconsiner to come
in and see him settle up" Responding,
the reporter found himself in a store
room on South Water street-and such a
room Was it book store? Yes. and
fruit store, cigar store, a fancy goods
store, a candy store, notion store,
news depot, jewelry store, picture gal.
lery, and toy shop in addition. Bana-
mas, oranges, nuts, shawl-straps, tobacco
and cigars, toys, Indian relics. news
papers, periodicals, novels, picture-books
and everything was piled up neatly, yet
with bewildering gpromiscuousness which
fairly iioored the visitor. He was more
bewildcred when young man busi.y
engaged in unpacking a box, yelled out
"Gimme Other Peoples Money For
Her Own Dear Sake and a Bad Bows
Diary, Within an Inch of His LIFE"
"Well, | had the doggondest peanut
run to-day You ever saww remarked
young man who wore $500 diamond
ring and was dragging black box heay-
lily hinged and locked across the floor.
"See here" said the reporter, tugging
1t Mr.. Allanson's sleeve, what kid Of a
The Osceola times., 1882-11-11
PILOTS BOATS RACING.
An Exciting Chase for the steamship
Indiana.
Philadelphia Record.

Philadelphia Record.
The pilotage of the steamship Indiana,
which arrived at this port was the rich
prize for which an exciting race occurred
between the pilot boats Knight and Bay
ard. thirty-six miles at sea. The Knight
is the finest boat belonging TO the Penn
sylvania pilots and the Bayard is the
best of the Delaware service, and the
chase after the Indiana was the first OPP
portunity afforded the rival cruisers to
test their relative sailing merits. The
days on which the large steamships of
the American Line are due at the Capes
are well known TO the pilots, and, as the
lucky man who first nails one of them is
nearly $500 in pocket for his chance"
there is an exciting competition TO over
haul them. The Indiana was due on
Saturday. and the two boats started out
to sea, scanning the ocean horizon for
the first streamer of smoke which would
signal the incoming steamship. The
Knight had been cruising twenty-six
days, and had only boarded five vessels
in that time, so that Pilot Ellis Eldridge,
whose turn it was TO take the next ves-
sci, felt considerable solicitude when
the Bayard was sighted at o'clock in
the evening bearing east nine miles off
the lightboat on the Five-iathom Bank.
Then the chase began. All hands came
on deck to witness the race. The two
boats spread their great white wings
to catch the quickening gale, which sent
| them flying like sea-gulls over the white
capped sea. The object of each boat
was to get TO the east thus shutting each
other out from the open ocean, from
which the steamer would be most likely
| to appear. For several hours il was nip
and tuck between the ocean racers, but
gradually the Knight drew ahead, and
| at 10 o'clock at night, with the moonlight
broad upon her close-hauled sails, she
| was showing clean pair of heels to the
Bayard, and had taken the eastern chan
| mel, keeping a sharp lookout for the ex-
pected steamer. At | o'clock the Bay
ard had been left far to the northwest,
and the two boats were nearly seventy
miles at sea. The Knight then, fearing
| that the steamer might pass her so far
| to the west as to enable the Bayard to
pick her up, changed her course, and
keeping well in the lead, awaited develop
ments. At $3.50 a. IN. on Sunday the
steamer was sighted, bearing north by
northeast, and the Knight without diff
Guilty overhauled her and put Pilot Ed
ridge on board, with the Bayard in full
sight. The result ofthis race has created
a good deal ofsurprisc among the pilots
as it was generally supposed since the
Bayard's masts were regulated that she
was the fastest sailboat in the Delaware
River and Bay. The Knight people now
propose to challenge the Bay ard to a
| test race for $50 side.
The Osceola times., 1882-11-11
MIR. Beecher's Revenue,

To summarize Mr.. Beecher's earnings
with his brain with figures would be a.
bout as follows Pulpit salary, O0,OO0;
lectures, 100000; editorial work, $780,
600; from books, 100000; making him
$500 1000, to which add the 100000 paid
him after the great trial, and you will
find the grand total to be million. To
these earnings for himself must be added
the amount accruing 10 Plymouth church
from Mr.. Beecher's services. The annu.
al income Of the church Is now $4,000
The aggregate for the thirty-five years
will thus be another million, making in
all 100000 coined by the busy brain of
one man.