davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-07
Internal Machines.

The most powerful internal machine
made is what is known as the "eight-day
machine" Like the "ticker'' it can,
however, be set from one minute up
ward. A machine of this description
recently made in Philadelphia was four
teen inches high, six inches square, and
contained the equivalent of three thou
sand pounds of gunpowder. 1t can,
however, have either a square or SPHERE
cal shape. 1t is made of galvanized
iron or stout tin. The clock movement
Is 50 arranged that it can be taken out
and away from the machine and con-
nected again at a moments notice. The
operator, if he desires to divert sus-
plc,on, carries the empty canin his hand
and the clock movement in his coat-tail
pocket. The explosion is caused by de-
@natlon. A sliding bar of brass, drawn
oy "a screw attached to the movement,
Shen it arrives at the slot in the small
pfass disk, springs upon a delicate glass
Hai made of a hair tube. The vial,
winch contains a powerful acid, and is
aefmetically sealed, in breaking allows
ne acid to escape. This causes the
%gs'tonation and the explosion follows.
ahe wire on the top of the movement,
winch is held in place by a rubber band,
connects with the cap. The acid runs
M 1'o a chlorate Of potash combination.
inls machine a be sunk in water or
scfeted in any liquid or compound-in
! ooS OF oranges, a keg of nails, or a
aeat OF bread. The force of the explo-
sao, would be sufficient to tear the largg-
s eM building in the world to atoms. II
Wp,aeeo IN the basement of the capitol at
"%ashlngton and set off not one stone
m nos5 peculiarly constructed and deadly
nuae!lne isthe ''little exterminator." tits
~ inches high and four inches square,
s;a INN sheet brass, nickeled on the in
r n and outside, and has no lid, only Il
oh;nNu'Ve hole in n corner The ma
o mI, "u is hlled with a volatile, the fumes
NV winch cause instantaneous death. The
r GneiPie is the same as that of the an
~ nn Chlnese 'stink-pot'' used by them
In1!ectlvely in warfare with pirates.
sn, a,n brass tube runs in through the
o nuall mole in the corner, having upon its
is Nsel END a ere cap. Upon the cap
f .1. watch movement. A spring
s1 w., INTO a slot and releases a minute
tho msprlng saw, which is operated by
hnI movement, and saws off the delicate
c,t;. Ibis establishes direct commune
ir m;. with the oxygen of the air, which
Smtles the volatile. The most sicken-
evan. u | pour out from the box, killing
d,o.iy person within a radius Of one hun
tia ieet. The sensation of this vola-
=" IS Ake that caused by CAYENNE pep.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-07
Shifting for Luck.

1 heard of a nurse the other day, Q
Caithness woman, who spat after some
had looked ut the baby, in order, she
explained, to avert the "evil eye" In
the Hartz district of Germany if the
COWS are driven before the door of q
witch the herd must spit thrice, (Grimm.)
Fishwo men spit for luck on their hansel,
(Grose.) A boxer, even nowadays,
spits on his hands, and a smith slloeing
a refractory horse takes the same pres
caution. Scot, in his ''Discoverie Of
Witchraft," recommends splitting into
the shoe of ones right foot to insure
safety from magic. 1 find some
instances of this in ''Vestiges of Ancient
Manners and Customs in Modern Italy
and Sicily" by j. J. Blunt, 1928. page
1874; "Human saliva was heretofore
very generally used as a charm, (Pliny,)
N. H., y. 52,) and was thought particu-
larly %etficacious against the venom of
poisonous animals. Pliny quotes some
authorities to prove that the pernicious
powers of toads and frogs may be dis
armed by this means, and .scrpents
rendered innoxious by splitting into their
mouths On. H., xviii ~ The testi
mony of Varro also, cited to show that
there were people in the H%ellespont,
near Pasium, who could cure the bite Of
snakes by their saliva, (vii,, 2.) Now, it
is curious that a set of men existed in
Sicily to this day, called Giravoli, who
profess to heal the wounds or venomous
animals by their spittle. They frequent
the neighborhood of Syracuse, and
annually assemble in numbers at Palaz-
zuolo on the festival Of st. Paul, theiE
patron saint Notes and Queries
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-07
Finding Things in the Street.

The driver Of a car on the East New
York line was looking upon the ground
behind his horses as they were prancing
along Broadway, Brooklyn, yesterday
afternoon, when suddenly he turned the
brake and tied up. Then he got off the
car.
.'What is it this time? A nickle, a
pocketbook, or q diamond?" asked the
conductor.
The driver paid no attention to the
conductor, but put something into his
pocket and returned to the car. He
pulled it out ome distance on and
showed his find to a reporter. 1t was d
half dollar, much fattened and worn.
[ often find dimes and quarters be-
tween the car tracks," said the driver.
$50 do most Of the other drivers. There
are some drivers that have their eyes in
the cutters, and others that have them
between the tracks. Sometimes we find
a good deal, often nothing, and only get
laughed at for our trouble. l have
found money, brass. combs. scissors, a
brass watch that wouldn't go, school
medals, and lots Of things l can't re-
call"
A dispatcher of a Brooklyn city horse
car road said:.
An old driver will pick many things
out of the. street that pedestrians will
not see. I knew u driver who picked
a j 1000 bill out of the gutter once, and
the best of it was he kept it and has it
now.
The drivers in this city are forbidden
by q rule of the companies to leave the
cars to pick up things they see in the
street. Nevertheless. they manage to
oct many articles. The drivers Of cabs
and trucks are often fortunate. Their
eyes are on their horses and on the
ground as well, and shey seldom miss
anything.-N. Y. Sun.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-07
The Suez Canal a Sewer.

The Suez Canal, which has long been
familiary described as the Ditch through
the Desert, is now, it seems, in u fair way
Of becoming an open and u stagnant
sewer. The stations on it's banks are
drained into it's waters. 1t is never
flushed, there is notide, and the stencils
becoming intolerable. DiarrhGa and
sickness prevail on board vessels de-
tanned in the Canal, and as d%etentions are
increasing in number and in duration,
the matter is becoming serious: M. de
Lesseps must bestir himself, or this nui-
sance will constitute Il serious addition
to the long array of counts in the indict-
ment against his monopoly. by which
English ship-owners are preparing to
support their demandfora second canal
Null GuzeLLe.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-07

was successful, although the engines
did not work. It demonstrated
that . submarine vessel could
be handled. We worked it by
taking steam through q hose from
. steam launch. The next one I got
from the Delamater Works, April 19,
1881. | took it to the docks of MI.
Vanderbilt Morris at Fort Hamilton,
where l kept it ten months. He wit
messed my experiments with it. I have
travelled all over the lower bay beneath
the water. We ran her into mud banks
at full speed; she always rebounded.
We were fifty feet below the surface at
times. l have been down under water
as long as two and a half hours. That
is much longer than would be necessary
in warfare. Half an hour or fifteen
minutes would enable mi to travel the
necessary distance to fix a torpedo to a
vessels keel. We demonstrated that
this could be done by actual expert
ment. The papers had a good laugh
over what they thought was a failure 1
was an Irishman and kept my secrets to
myself. That was conclusive evidence
of Fenianism. It was at once decided
that l was building a boat to encourage
servant girls to contribute to the skir-
mishing fund. The fact is, 1 do not be-
long to any society, and do not want to
do so; | have gone into this on business
principles. When my experiments are
complete and the value of certain ideas
is determined, I will be looking for cap
italists to form a stock company to build
these vessels"
'.Have you ever had any accidents
Under water?"
..'My engineer, George M. Richards,
did. He made a dive under a tug near
the dock as he was putting out into the
river. He left the manhole open, and,
of course, she filled. The men on the
tug picked him up as he foated out.
He was unconscious for ten minutes.
When these vessels are properly secured
before starting there is no danger, be.
cause a man must attend to. business tc
keep them down. If his hand slips OF
he forgets himself for a minute the boa.
will rise to the surface"
The new boat was taken to Pamrapo,
where the old one is. The experiments
will be made at Pat McGeihan's ship
yard.-M. Y. San.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-07
A Sharp Blackmailer.

Isaac H. Lockwood isNcharged in the
United States Court in Connecticut with
using the mails for fraudulent purposes.
After a rather checkered business career
Lockwood went to Stepney, where he
had an aunt, an aged lady, named
Beers, who gave him q home and money.
At one time she advanced him $24O on
diamonds valued at $500. He was very
busy at this time, writing all the time
and taking a great many letters to the
%postofice. Finally Lockwood wanted
his diamonds back, and would not pay
the $240 in lieu of whicht they were held.
His aunt refused to deliver them, and
he %thereupon caused her arrest, al
though she was sick, on a charge of
theft. Judge Beers, of Bridgeport, was
sent for, and adjusted the differences,
but Mrs. Beers brought u suit for ma
licious prosecution, which is still pend
ing, awaiting the termination Of the
action instituted in the United States
Court by the district attorney.
Lockwood had devised one of the most
ingenious confidence games ever known
in this country, and was reaping the
proceeds of his cleverness while at Step
ney last winter. He mailed to addresses
in every section of the country many
circulars headed ga Practical Philan-
thropy! $3.50, 600, the Bequest of a
Banker for the Benefit Of the Bank
ing Fraternity of the United States -
The circular calls attention to
an alleged bequest by a retired banker
of $780, 600 for an original and unosten-
tatious charity. The retired banker, it
is explained, was, when a young man,
employed in a Boston bank. He was
fond Of society, and, possessing extrav-
agant tastes, he was drawn by slow
degrees into a rate of expenditure far
In excess of his income. At last he stood
upon the brink Of ruin, a.defaultcr in
the sum of $S5, 000. In despair he ap-
pealed to Every wealthy and eccentric
friend" for counsel. The latter gave
him 1856, 600 in cash to save him "to a
life of usefulness" Two conditions
only accompanied the gift. The first
was that an account should be kept dali
ly of all personal expenses, and me
third of the young mans means should
be saved in cash and the account bal
anced quarterly. The'second condition
was that in after life the money thus
saved would be used to save some per-
son from ruin and disgrace. The re-
cipient of this strange legacy is said to
have grown rich, but died without find
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-07
Mr.. Hollands Little Demon.

Since September, 1882, a sign has
been displayed on the door Of an upper
room in Thomas Gannon's brass
foundry, Jersey City. 1t read: "Posi-
lively no Admittance. This Means
You" Within the room workmen were
building a working model of a sub
marine torpedo boat invented by John
Philip Holland. On account of its
small size not more than two men could
work on it at once, and they dragged
along until last week, when it was COM
pleted.
Yesterday the door was opened and a
San reporter watched half a dozen men
launching the new vessel out of the
front window and down a pair of skids
to a wagon waiting in the street below.
The new craft is what is commonly but
%untruthfully called cigar-shaped. 1t is
the exact shape of the double-cone fish
line hobs. It is 16 feet 9 inches long
and 20 inches in diameter. The shell
contains six strakes of boiler iron, the
upper strakes being three-sixteenths of
an inch thick and the bottom strakes
one quarter of IN inch. 1t is stiffened
with six rings of T iron. Under both
the bow and the stern are keels four
and a half feet long, the one under the
bow being made of lead and weighing
218 pounds. The rudder is hung to the
stern keel. On each side Of the rudder
is q horizontal rudder or fin, that works
on the principle of a balance
rudder. The two work together. When
the forward ends of these rudders are
raised while the vessel goes through
the water they naturally elevate the
stern of the vessel and depress its nose,
causing it to dive under the water.
When they are heldin that position and
| the empty compartments made for the
purpose are filled with water, the vessel
will remain below the surface. For the
present the new boat will be propelled
by a wheel 10 inches in diameter, with
"a inches pitch. The wheel will be
turned by a treadle until MI. Holland
completes a new chemical engine.
On the top of the vessel, one-third OF
the way forward, is hinged a circular
dome of cast iron. A ring of rubber
makes an alright joint when the dome
is secured. There are nine skylights in
the dome, each about one by two inches.
A small iron trough runs forward from
the dome over the middle third of the
vessels length. Itcontains an iron pipe,
and is a part of the apparatus for hand
ling the torpedo. The displacement of
the vessel, loaded, is $500 pounds.
The craft contains a number of new
ideas not utilized in the one made at the
Delamater Iron Works in 1881. just
what these improvements are Mr.. Hol-
land declines to say, because they have
not yet been patented, but they include
methods for handling torpedoes and
supplying fresh air to those within.
With the treadle power Mr.. Holland
says he can reach a speed of from three
to four knots an hour. When the new
engine is in place he thinks the speed
for very short distances will be as high
as ten knots.
This is Mr.. Hollands third working
model. The first was completed in
1878. Speaking of it and his Work on
the others he said: ''The first one
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-07
Stolen Horses.

A gentleman of my acquaintance pur-'
chased a horse at auction but was soon
obliged to surrender the animal to it's
owner, from whom it had been stolen.
1t may be mentioned in this connection
that New York is a favorite market for
horse thieves, who have a secret under
standing with a certain class of auction
GERS. The method is as follows: Horses
when stolen in agricultural %neighbor-
hoods are "run off, to some secluded
spot, where their condition is exam
ined. If they are of blood stock they.
are ..grained ups and put in handsome
condition. If on the other hand they
are common animals, they are hurried
off their hands. Horse auctions are
held twice a week, and the longest war
ranty is tw~enty-four hours. Prices are.
generally low, which is no more than
might be expected when one considers
the risk. Horse au%ctioneers at one time.
adopted the method of advertising ami
mails belonging to distinguished owners.
One might, for instance, notice a sale Of
q carriage team belonging to August,
Belmont" The latter, Of course, never
heard of the animals, but he would
probably never see the liberty taken
with his name. Horses said to belong
to Vanderbilt have also been advertised.
This is a bold imposition, but in a city
like this the boldest frauds are the most
successful. Such an advertisement not
only draws a good company but also
disarms the suspicion of anyone who
might be in search of a stolen animal.
1t is difficult, however, to identify
horses, since u jockeys so completely
change their appearance. 1t is said
that a large proportion of the animals
used on the street railroads are OBJ
tanned of horse thieves.-N Y. Cor.
Rncboofoo. non7ocrnf
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-07

ing an opportunity to help any person Al
he had been helped. He therefore CON
ceived the idea of leaving $780, 900 as .
sort of trust fund for the benefit of bank
officers who have defaulted. The circular,
1t is announced is sent to every bank
in the United States and the following
paragraph appears in it. "Fersons who
do not stand in need and within the de-
sign of this assistance will be too honor
able to seek any advantage by pretend
ing to, and they will see that this circu-
lar does not fall into improper hands,"
The recipient of the circular is invited
to a personal interview with the execu-
tor, under whose signature at the bot.
tom of the circular is the address: Post
Office box Nc. 1876, StepneyD Depot. Conn.
Lockwood procured the names and
addresses of bank officers and employees,
circular. After bis arrest a manu.
script story in the same line, en-
titled, "a Bankers Life, by Himself"
was found among his effects. He sent
out five thousand or more of the circu-
lars, and in order to do this was obliged
to find a post-otfice where his operations
would be winked at. It is believed by
the authorities that George Page, the
Postmaster at Stepney, knew of the
scheme and was a partner in it. Page
was arrested, but escaped, and is now
believed to be in Dakota.
Answers to the circulars were received
in considerable numbers. They came
from bankers and bankers employees,
from children whose fathers had been
1Scn1n4c% 0~l rryS-or rrL@~4 1,,e1n~In
were defaulters. Among the writer's
whose confessions and appeals for help
are in the hands of the authorities were
a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers
stationed at Guernsey, a ruined
Irish gentleman, an attachc of
the British Wesleyan body, a poor
Glasgow woman writing in behalf of
her dishonest husband and a host of
persons in the country, including reas-
urers of benevolent associations, bank.
clerks, one delinquent lawyer, and n
editor in a Boston newspaper Office. The:
letters present pitiful stories of dishon-
esty and pecuniary need. Lockwood's
game, after he received these letters and
became conversant with the affairs of the
writer's, was to blackmail them by
threatening to report them to the tinan-
cial institution or firm from which they
had stolen according to their own con-
fessions. While the Government has
obtained possession Of copies of the
circulars sent out, and many replies re-
ceived at Stepney, it has none of the
letters which Lockwood wrote in reply,
and by which he made his collections.
The publication of the facts may bring
some of them to light. Nor does the
Government know how much he realized
in this way, but the officers know that he
received a great many registered letters.
When the cashier of the Fourth National
Bank in New York received one of the
circulars some time ago, he wrote at
once to the postmaster at Stepney asking
him what kind of a scheme was being
carried on there. Under the circum-
stances it was not strange that the now
missing postmaster did not bring the
matter to the attention of the author
ities.-COr. CHICAGO Times.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-07
Notes on the Tramp in New Jersey.

Say, DOSS, SAID the latter, larger
and older of two tramps who were re-
clining upon q bank and indolently ad-
miring the landscape in the neighbor.
hood of New York Bay Cemetery a few
days ago, ''what a goes to Jersey
City?"o
The track was within five feet of his
grassy lounge, and the reporter pointed
to it and said: ..Just sit where YOU are,
if it doesn't tire you too much, and
you'll get the car"
''Oh, it amt any trouble, but I'm not
goin' to Jersey City. just come from
there. I only asked out of curiosity,
and I'd like to know how in thunder
the cars pass each other, for one has
just gone up"
It was a single track, and the tramps,
not accustomed to horse car journeys,
were not acquainted with the system Of
switches, at which the driver who ar
rives first remains and swears until q
brother jehu from the opposite direc-
ton comes up and passes him. The re-
porter gave the required information,
and the tramps thanked him and dozed
off again.
..Rather die than work." exclaimed a
tramp on the old Bergen road when the
old saying was recounted to him.
''Why, nobody likes work better than a
genuine tramp. But he is too indie
pendent to take anything that is offered
him. He doesn't care for manual
labor, but he is very fond of light, in
tellectual employment. 1 work.
Look here" and he unstrapped
a little satchel from his back,
opened it, and showed a grayish pasty
| substance, prepared in small squares,
which he said was used by all the
! crowned heads Of Europe to remove
grease spots from their garments and
make them look equal to new. The
farmers of West Jersey also bought q
good deal of it. &
SIT is only ten cents a CAKE" added
the tramp insinuatingly, land dirt
cheap"
.'Where do you get it?" asked the re-
| porter, examining it.
Il make it myself" was the proud
reply. cit is only chalk and water. I
have to moisten it every day to prevent
its getting dry and powdering. [ sold
nine cakes to q man a mile back on the
road"
.'He1l be acknowledgements norm
ing when it gets dry and powders
suggested the reporter.
s1fI could sell one more cake" said
the tramp, taking no notice of the re-
mark, II should have earned a dollar,
for it costs me nothing"
The reporter bought a cake, and
added:
''Does it really remove grease spots?"
"Well, no, it does not,'' replied the
tramp, candidly; ''but a good many
people think it does. I direct them to
put a little of it on the place they want
cleaned, and then rub hard with a wet
nail brush. OF course, if the grease is
not too old, or has not penetrated too
far, the rubbing with the nail brush
and the water would have taken it off,
or, at least, reduced it; butthey attribute
1t all to the chalk. Then, even when
the grease spot is old it disappears when
it is wet, and the people sometimes in
vitc me to dinner under the impression
that it has gone altogether. I'm quick
at my meals, and ] I'M far enough away
before the garment is dry and the grease
visible; and. yet they say tramps are
lazy!'-N. Y. Sun.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-07

Some time ago a gentleman EN-
ployedin one of the Oswego, N. T., banks
lost two dollars. One day recently he
received the following note: "Mr.-,
a long time ago you lost two dollars. !
found it. Here is n dollar. Please
call this ever and oblige, A poor boy
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-07-19
Breaches of Promise in Japan.

The curious hold superstition has on the
mind of the japanese is very we'll illustrated
by the proceedings taken by the Japanese
damsel when lover proves false to his
vows. When the world is at rest, at 2
o'clock in the morning, the woman arises.
She dons white robe and high sandals or
clogs. Her Golf is metal tripod, in which
are thrust three lighted candles; around her
neck she hangs mirror, which falls upon
her bosom in her left hand she carries q
small straw igure-the efigy Of her faith
less lover-and in her right she carries
hammer and nails, with which she fastens
the figure to one of the sacred trees that
the shrine. Then she prays for
the death of the traitor, vowing that, if her
petition be heard, she will herself pull out
the nails which now offend the god by
the mystic tree. Night after
night she comes to the shrine, and each time
she strikes in two more nails, believing that
every nail will shorten her lovers life, for
the god, to save his tree, will surely strike
him dead.