davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20

Fire is devastating farm lands in the
New England states, apd serious damage
is being entailed to crops and buildings.
The losses will foot up more than mil
lion dollars. Many small farmers hav e
lost their sole possessions except the
black chened land itself. From L on.
Island, and some portions of New Jer
sey come reports of ravages by forest
fires. The long continued dry spell in
the eastern states has left all material in
a very inflamable state.
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20

Frank James, surviving brother of
Jesse James, has -been declared not
guilty Of murder by atjury at Gallatin,
Mo-, after a formal trial lasting several
days. The verdict was received by
demonstrations of joy by his crowd of
friends in attendance. 1t follows that
James enjoys greater prestige to-day
than if he had never murdered and
plundered his fellow beings. It must
be that the yellow covered literature
exerts a morhidly sentimental public
spirit over its many readers in that
state
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20
,f94A - 81
"a BAsEBALL. BALLAD.

J. Smith Is dead. That fine young man
We meier shall see him more;
He was member of our club,
siuce 1864. ..@.5
His private virtues were Immense,
sHis manner free, and bluff; sa
He wore paperscollar, and
Was never known to muff,
He rarely took drink more strong
Than Lemonade or pop; ---zeu5 .5,--,or.- -,
He hated drunkards, and was q
;, Magnificent. short stop. s.,S,, ~ +
g His nose was Roman apd bis eyes ~. -
Continually were preled;;
Ha made q splendid umpire, an1 zs~:se
Il 4 beautiful LETT field: t.-*,aA
His hair was red and shingled close; ~
!: Much sunbQrned was his facs;.tH uY.
He never showed, with more effect
), Than on the secUnd base: 3.}aJ 4
}, Being q man he had; his faults, .:
As likewise have we all; .-. ~'''
He felta preference for the New T.; :::;t!
H.. York regulation bail. .......
al He dearly. loved match, I.... zsn:,rs:
And, like his sisters, had but lew
Superiors on the catch. -, Hs'JF- 't~'>
He had q noble mind, as exc
. 4 very rupple wriet;> -, :, i
And when he pitched he gave the ball
=, His own peculiar twist.
Ofpolitics and church affairs
He held restricted views;
His feet were usually ircassd
In canvas, hob-naited shoes: =,
But be is gone. With ins and outs
Forever he is done;
He broke his, heart and hurt his spleen
In making home run. 80 ~ !
His body we have planted now, .sy:...
HIS soul is in the, ,sky;,, g.. ..
The angels reached from heaven down
= And took him oa=t the fly. ..r,r
Burlington Hawkeye.
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20
u = - = - 9 y = '-.---- u.
TIE BLINDPOOL.
How President Willard Secured Con-
troll IF tl,e Norfhern Pacific

How President Willard Secured Con-
troll of tlle Northern Pacific.
i. E. V. Smalley, who has devoted a good
deal of time to Mr.. Wizards affairs and
the affairs of ths Northern Pacific Rail-
way company, and who is now engaged
in writing a history Of the road. tells tie
story oftle famous "blind pool" as fol-
lows:
MI. Willard exercised every precau-
ftion to conceal himselfas s buyer, using
exclusively his private means and cred
it. In this way he very quietly. took
out of the market large hnesy OF the de-
sired stocks during the month
of December, 1880 and January 1881.
virtua} irv consrol nue Of a''Ii%su the market, t
ss regarded three stocks he was buying,
lie felt sure that complete success was
only a question of further investment.
EARLY in February, 1881, he decided tc
call on: his friends for funds for further
purchases such a, manner, however;
as woild not yet disclose the real object
he sought to accomplish. Having abso'
lutte iaith in the soundness of his pro:
iect, and feeling justified in taking large
responsibilities, as the assumption ot
such was in the direct interest Of all
concerned, and was the only sure means
of accomplishing his purpose. he de.
cided to make the strongest appeal any
man could make to the confidence OF
others in him by asking his friends and
followers to place their money. in
his hands without telling them
Accordingly he issued a private circular
f.o ohGIjf fffvy infnrr.2,n ~ fhnn
| tn It he desired them 10 subscribe toward
fund of $S, 600 900, to which he himself
would contribute large part, in order
| to enable him to lay the foundation of a
certain enterprise, the exact nature OF
" h'ch be would disclose thereafter. The
effect of the announcement was marvel
| GUS. The very mystery of 1t appeared
to be an irresistible attraction. The re.
suit was that one-third of the persons
appealed to signed the full amount asked
for before the subscription list could
reach the other two-thirds. Then ar
eager rush of applications for the right
to subscribe ensued, and within twenty
| four hours after the issue of the circular
more than twice the amount offered was
applied for.
"How much money was raised in this
lin all $4,000, 900; the plan was dis
closed to the subscribers to the purchas-
ing syndicate June "a, and on the same
day the new comps ny was fully organ
lzed under the name of the Oregon anC
Transcontinental, it's object being t.
unite the Northern Pacific and Oregon
railways and Navigation Companies"
"What is tn. present relation which
this company holds to the Northern Pa
cifc company?"
MERELY that as holder of its stock"
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20
Talk of the HumoriStS.

Four hundred Sioux Indians are soon
to be baptized in the Missouri river at
Standing Rock. 1t won't make anv Iii.
ference to st. Louis people. They don't
use the water for drinking pur poses.
The strike recalls the story of the old
darky, who hearing the instrument sud-
denly begin to click while the operator
was away, stepped up to IL, and, putting
his mouth close to it, shouted with ali
his power Of lung: 'De ooppahaatah
isn't h'yar! -
Guide to matrimony.-Mr. Editor:
Will you please give me the name of a
reliable matrimonial publication, which
may be trusted to uide, but not mislead,
an earnest candidate for matrimony7
Answer-A very good matrimonial pub
can be procured at any book store.
A New York man whose wife is out OF
town unfolds to friend his scheme to
avoid unnecessary bed-making: "You
see VIC have three beds, and of course
my wife left them all nicely made and L
make them do nine nights and have a
soft place every night" 'Howq"
:sWell, you see they are good, wide beds.
Tonight I'll sleep on the edge of one
of them, tomorrow night on the other
edge, and the following night in the
middle; so on among the whole three.
On Sunday I'll make them." H"!'
When alady living in Chelsea sent to
London for doctor she apolosized for,
asking him to come such distance.
Don't speak of it," answered the, M.
D., II happen to have another patient
in the neighborhood, ami can thus kill
two birds with one stone.
and Malaria. s2
Macbean, British officer, found him.
self in breach Of Lucknow, almost SUR
rounded by enemies, He killed eleven
Of them, and came off unscathed. He
received tile Victoria Cross as q parade;4
and, as the general pinned the cross on
his breast, he wound up his brief ad-
dress with: "And good days work it
was, sir" ''Tutt," said the gallantsol-
der, quite forgetting that he was on pa.
rade, and perhaps little piqued at his
perforina being spoken Of as days
work: "tutt, it didn't take me twenty
minutes = IS sssz4 II 5zs
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20
The receipts of the Iowa State Fair
which closed at Des Moines, on the sth
inst, amounted to $4,000 more than
last year. This is pretty good iudica-
ton that the Fair was ? grand success.

When it is contemplated what a vast
amount of land government has dis
posed otto private individuals in Dako-
ia the past year some idea can be formed
as to the amount of emigration to that
territory. 1t is claimed that during the
year just closed government,has sold. to
private individuals an area twenty-sevep
times the total acreage Of the state oi
Rhode ISlpnd.
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20
ThllrlOW Weeds Wife.

From hts Autobiography.
On the 26tk of April. 1918, was mar
ried at Cooperstown, Otsego county, to
Miss Catherine Ostrander, of that place.
The engagement was entered into in
1914, when we were both, in the judg-
ment Of her relatives. too young to COM
prehend the responsibilities Of such a
step. In fact, they doubted, not without
reason, the propriety of confding the
welfare and happiness of their daughter
to a comparative stranger with unset,
tied and rowing habits. We communed
together on ! the subject, and mu-,
notually agreed to hold no intercourse
either by word or letter for two or
three years, when, if her mind was un-
changed, she was to write to me. inn
mediately left Cool erstown, and neither
| saw nor heard from her for more than
three years, when l=tter came inform
ing me that time had made no change in
her affections, to which replied in SIM
| ilar. terms.
We married without regard to any Of
the prudential considerations which re-
strained many then, and which re-
! ing similar tie. ! had, when the cere7
mony was oyer. just morey enough to
take my young wife to Albany, where,
with good health, strong hands and
| hopeful hearts, we both went earnestly
70 work to earn living. The value Of
our household goods did notexceed $780,
To this fortunate marriage I am indebt-s
ed for as much happiness as usually
falls to the lot of man, and very largely
! for whatever of personal succe IS and Pc
cuniary prosperity have, since en-
joycd.. She more than, divided our
labors cares and responsibilities. But
for Her industry, frugality and good
management must have been ship
| wrecked during the first fifteen years of
trial. When from our changed circum-
stances and condition it was no longer
necessary for her to pursue her labor
ious habits, she still insisted on perform.
ing many duties ordinarily transferred
to servants. Economy, order, and q
we'll regulated system in household
affairs were virtues which I did not pos
sess, and their presence in her saved us
from disaster.
After severe illness of several
| months, just.as the sun was rising one
morning, and I stood watching by her
bedside, she reminded me that it was
the fortieth anniversary of our mar
riage,' and taking from her finger the
ring which had placed on it forty years
before, she put it on mine, saying, II
shall not live through the day." We
had already lost our only son seven
years previously, and. three daughters
remained to me alter my wife had fol-
lowed him. ~
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20

1t is now believed that the surplus of
the post Office department. for the year
ending June 3nth. will be three million
dollars, or almost double that of the last
fiscal year. Should this prove true and
the steady increase of mail busine ss 90
on, it is highly probable that the exper-
lment Of two-cent letter postage will
vindicate itselfby a freedom from de part
ment deficit during the very slrst wear Of
ITS introduction. In that case, it will be
less difficult to persuade Congress to risk
one'cent postage than it was to reduce
the rate from three cents to two.
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20

Some two years ago Mr.. Blaine was
put on the scent Of more than million
dollars OF property belonging to the de-
1unct confederate government, but owing
to the enon-committal propensity ofthose
that knew most about its whereabouts it
has never been unearthed. Now the
question is again revived, but it ap-
pears that nobody knows Of certainty
that the government had any great
amount Of wealth, but it is taken for
granted that it ought to have had, and
SO the conclusion Is readily drawn that
1t did have. The amount is estimated at
the tidy figures Of $4,000. 900, and it is
thought to be slowed away in various
English and continental banking houses.
Perhaps an inquisition of some sort
might force some members of the old
confederate government to disclose what
they knew in the premises.
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20

The statistics of the general land office
show the fact that ..'Uncle Sam is rich
enough to give us all farm" as easily
to-day as he was when that once popula,
song was written. Last year there
were l9,OS5,6S9 acres. Of public land
taken up, being 100000 acres in
excess of the previous year. Nearly
one-half of this amount, or in round
numbers, S,l7l,749 acres, weat to actual
settlers under the homestead act, which
. shows that the farming population
grows in proportion to the rest of the
country. The cities are making rapid
strides in the way Of population, but at
the same time it is noticed that people
40 not congregate there to the extent
they did at the time of the great financial
crash of 1873. The native population
has spread over the farming country,
and the statistics ofimmlgration show
that very few of those now coming in
from Europe remain in the cities; they
20 west and purchase land for farms
They could probably account for the very
large proportion Of government land
disposed of by sa le. The settlers are
learning the value OF timber, too, for 81
lOl 1893 &C. es were takenup under the
Tmber-culture act. an amount which
proves the wisdom of that actand it's val
ue as an encouragement to the renew
ing Of the vast tracts annually cleared of
timber by the lumbermen. Take this
immense acreage in connection Will, tho
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20
The Perils Of OhloraI.

It 1simpossible to say too much agains
the use of chloral, which is as fatal and
more terrible in its ultimate results than
opium. The paags of the opium-eater
have been set forth with appalling vivid.
ness in the prose of De Quincy, but physi.
clans assure US that the results of chloral
are more agonizing and dead.ier still. One
of the most eminent of English surgeons
has called it "crystallized hell" It poisons
the mind as well as the body, and so softly,
so gently, 80 gradually does It enchain the
victim who resorts to it, that he only real.
izes it's power when it is too late to break
the bonds which bind him.. ,...
Some facts concerning its action were
stated to reporter of the New York Trib.
une by distinguished physician, recently.
Chloral is resorted to for an ordin Try It,
tack of sleeplessness, and perhaps small
doses are taken for few days, the result
beng sound, refreshing Sleep with none OF
When the period of sleeplessness is past, all
goes we'll for time. :ij ''..:s|>i
Sooner or later, however, sleeplesness
returns chloral is resorted to, kept up for a
long time and taken in larger doses. 1t Il
again abandoned, only to- resume its sway;
and thus the habit is formed that renders
sleep impossible without chloral, which.
like all narcotics, must be increased in
quantity: as the system becomes habituated
to its poisonous effects. 9Hr
+ TKelarger class Of victims u of the rhloral
habit are men who lead ,sedentary lives,
and those who from temperament and the
nature of their work is peculiarly liable to
suffer from sleeplessness.
One of the most notable examples of thu
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20
RECORD OF CASUALTIES.

At Aldora, Iowa, two boys, sons of Sam
uel Wisner, German farmer who lives
there, were drowned in the Iowa river. The
boys. who were aged respectively eight and
twelve, had been fishing in tae river and
the smaller is supposed to have fallen in
and the other perish ed IN trying to get him
ont. They were tangled up in the fish line
when taken out, the line being wrapped
around the neck of the little fellow.
A young son Of George Rappe, farmer
living between Lanesboro and Preston,
Minn.. wss killed on the 18th inst, by get.
ting caueht by the tumbling rod OF u
threshing. machine. He was completely
disemboweled and his intesines wound
around the tumbling rod.
Seven of the thirteen ice houses at North
Chelmford, Mass, belonging TO the Boston
ice company, were burned on the 18th
inst Loss $35. 900; insurance $40, ,OOO.
The packing house of F. s. Andrews at
New Haven, Conn, - has been burned.
Loss, $25, coo; insured. Forty men are
thro Wn out Of employment: 49,.
A fire at Casey, ILL.,, recently destroyed
eleven houses and several Offices. sLoss
$50, 900.
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20

Many citizens becoming alarmed at the
frequency OF the cyclones and the terrible
disasters which result from them, are tax
ing measures to secure comparative safety
by building storm caves convenient to their
houses, into which they propose to 60 in
the event of a strom.' -,:.:
TIE store of Brobee & Co., at Hutchinson,
was entered by burglars, the safe blown
open, and $12 taker, 10 in another part
of the safe not being discovered.
a. III. Bulls of Faribault coQnty Sc
cured two premiums at the Minneapolis
exposition, and Frank Atkinson two-all
9n cattle. 49,. ,,,
The Blue Earth county fair closed on the
10th inst. The attendance the last day YVES
estimated at about 1000. The fair not only
paid expenses and premiums, but old liabil.
tiles of last year. |'s' u .''
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20
NEWS OF The STA! 4 ! TE. b,

81, Births and Do.atls In Minnesota.
|, From advance sheets Of the forthcoming re-
port Of Commits ioner Of Statistics Malmros is
gathered the following table OF births and
deaths in Minnesota for 1882, as reported by
the officers designated Sby statute 70 keep the
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20
But Little Hope for De Long.

Lieut.. Danenhower's detailed account Of
the Jeannett'e voyage confirms the earlier
impressions of the helplessness and COM
parative fruitlessness of the weary twenty
one months drift. Such auroral observa-
tions and Photographic collections as were
made were lost with the ship; but the nat
uralists notes we're saved. OF the three
islands discovered, the most nor.herly was
in seventy seven degrees and eight minutes
north latitude. - The misfortune of the ves-
sci being caught in the ice, and held there
mercilessly from beginning to end, except
as the bark drifted northwesterly, largely
robbed Of it's expected fruitsa voyage that
otherwise might have led to memorable re-
suits. The Jeanette, however, did travel
over regions never penetrated before,
though she never reached q very high lati-
tude. -. ,as- - ,s.-:-..- =
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20

Surgeon Ganeral Hamilton Of the marine
hospital service, has information from
Yuma, Arizona, of The existence of yellow
fever in .Guymas and Mazstlan, in Mexico.
He says, ho 1eyer, there is no reason for fear
that the disease will spread into Ar IONS.
and from his infoTnsation as to the chsrac-
ter Of the country and climatic conditions
Of the region IN MEXICO in which the dis,
spread much there. z.5s8.=
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20
Obituary..

Hastings, proprietor Of the New York Com
mercial Advertiser, died this evening at clock.
the result Of being thrown from his carriage few
days ago.
Hugh J. Hastings was born in the North OF Ire
when eight years of age. His family finally set
tied in Albany. but soon he came to New York,
and found place as an errand boy in Williams
Albany: 49, . afsst'sssiy cast,ax about Tor some
Wy WIS., Is ss o%asorous Sfs5 us readss. he steadily
for @ The > newspapers. His Undue style and clear
way OF getting at the heart OF his subject took at
once. n 1slo when twenty years e rs 9f age he at
taehd himsIf to hs Albany Dy H. Atlas as
In few years, however, the longing to branch
out for himself took possession Of him, and, be'n.
that time possessed Of the munifcent fortune OF
$3.50. he saw nothing that stood in the way OF his
ambition. The result was the Albany Daily Knick-
erhocker. which was success almost from the
start Long before be was q voter he , had plunged
and Tyler too" He was great admrer of Clay
and an early friend Of Gen. Taylor who,
when he became president, made him col
believer 10 Fillmore, and when the latter became
president be gave up the collectorship. He was
warmly attached to Weed and Seward. and in the
in for his share Of the hard knocks: He was an
able adrot lieutenant. who believed that all is fail
in political warfare. Until year or two ago ne
mas been a STEADY Rtt6nuaut on po'itICaI Cohseu@
tons for two score years. In 1862 he was dele
gate to the National Whig convention-the Ia, last
| one ever held-voted on every ballot against Fill
more, and was more less instrumental in making
Cen Scott the candidate Of the party. He was
also at the birth of the b!ican party aud al
ways friend Of the negro: In 1868 he went ia
New York, having accepted the directorsbip of the
Commercial Advertiser. Thurlow Weed was then
editor, but in short time was obliged to retire.
and Hastings purchased a controlling interest in
journal Th,eugh the long senatorial t,es gh
| of Mr. Conkling's dropped away. the Commercial
| continued to stand up for him with q loyalty no
often witnessed. he had been friend of Mr.
Conkling for years. was instrumental in securing
bis election to the United States senate for the first
time, but of late years more or less coldness ha;
grown up between them, and at the breaking out Of
| the senatorial fight they had not met more than
| once or twice in several years. He esooused the
cause of Conkling, because he believed New Yorl
had been humiiated through her senators: but dur
ing the progress of the struggle he had no conmn'
nication with the senators who were struggling fol
selection. He was hospitable to degree, anG
| had a fine place at Monmouth Beach
The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20
GENERAL VIEWS NOTES.

The report of the commissioners of the
State of New York shows $685. ,3z4 emigrants
landing at the Port of New York from Aug.
3, 1885, to June 81, 1884, inclusive. The
largest number landed in any one month,
6.953, was in May. 1883 and the smallest,
S,3l3, in Jspuary OF the same year. The
duty imposed on the board of returning
paupers, and persons unable to take care Of
themselves to the port from whence they
came, has been carefully exercised, aid a
large number of undesirable persons has
been sent back.
w. Montrose, of the New York Police
Gazette, has been convicted at Atlanta,
Georgia, of distributing obscene pictorial
newspapers, and sentenced to pay 81 900 or
serve twelve months on the chat, panp.
The presiding judge said he will impose the
tull penalty because the defendant was
seeking to get a toothold for paper that
had been suppressed for five years. The
case goes to the supreme court.
A telegram has been recel we'd from Port.
land, Me-, stating that ten Car loads Of
canned goods would be shipped from that
city to its namesake in Oregon, via Blue
Line, Cnicsgo & Northwestern end Northern
Pacific railways. The order is . special one,
the goods being put up ior ! sample Shin,
ment. Eve-y oar will be marked Canned
goods. Portland, Me-, to Portland, Greg"
In the case Of Richards War et al. vs..
State Of California, Involving the title Of
lands claimed 70 be within the limit Of the
Los Angeles Mexican grant, the secretary
Of the interior has decided that applicants
to purchase under the seventh section 81 the
act Of 1865 have no valid claim under such
NJ