davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
AMERICAS TALLEST MAN.
A Texas Farmer who stands Nearly Eight
Feet High.
New orleans Democrat.

Being at the house of Mr.. Franklin, in
Titus county, mention was made of the
Texas giant, and learned that he was a
near neighbor of my host. Mr.. +. kindly
consented to accompany me to the tall
mans abode.
When we entered we found the giant
smoking his pipe. While l ruminatcd
on the mode of approaching him took
notice that he did not appear very tall as
he sat, yet my friend, who sat near him,
a man of ordinary height, seemed only
as half-grown boy. Pencil in hand,
said to him:
"Mr. Franklin thought you would be
willing to give me some items of interest
in regard to yourself, in which the pub
lie will take an interest"
"Oh, certainly" said he. 81 was born
in South Curolina, in the Greenville dis
trict, May 5, 1880. My father removed
to Morgan county, Missouri. in 1888. In
1850 l went to California by the overland
route, and returned by Waterfront
Chagres to New Orleans on the Falcon.
From New Orleans | went to Missouri
and was busy farming until the war
broke out. March s, 1858, | married
Mary T. Thurston, my first cousin. She
has borne me four children. all boys
Only one is living. One lived to be over
n. He was @ feet I inches high. My
father was only 6 feet ? inches. Mother
was little over the average height. NV
father was twice married. His IL chill
dren were 10 boys and girls. The boys
were all over feet. had one cousin
who was feet inches
What number is your boot?" | in
quired.
1t is 10; my foot is IS inches long
and wea- number l5."
what size is You hat?"
II is 7s.n
Il have been measured" he replied
q foct. y inches, in ordinary boots"
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
A Connecticut story.
Hartford Cou -nnt.

A Meriden correspondent writes:
Seven years ago there was born in the
Berlin Hotel little girl. The mother
was a stranger, who tried TO get some
one to take it, but it was of no use. No
one would have anything to do with it,
and az soon as she was able the authori-
ties made her leave town with her child.
She was elegantly dressed, and well sup
Piled with money.
She finally found a woman to take
charge Of the babe, and this woman
shortly ahcrward moved to this town,
where she has liz ed the greater part of
the time since.
For three years she received visits
from the mother of the child, who at each
visit made her valuable presents and
paid her literally. She claimed TO come
from New York, but nothing has been
heard from her in four years, and if she
is living ordead is not known. No trace
OF her has been seen since her last visit,
when she left her child in the usual
manner.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
A WILD DEER IN TOWN.
What n Whitc-Tailed Meteor did to Wake
up Some West Virginia People.


Keyscr Tribune,
Saturday last witnessed an exciting
episode along Water street and the pan
handle of Keyser. A large deer, chased
by dogs, was first discovered along the
western brow of Fort Piano, facing the
town.
Walking and sometimes trotting, he
attracted general attention and excited
men, women and children, who gazed
up at the knightly forester that seemed
confused and undecided whether to take
the corporation by storm or retrace its
course.
A black canine came around the point
and saw the buck about the same time
that his decrship recognized the dog.
The dog made dash at the deer and
cut short all deliberation on the subject
and down they came "nip and tuck"
blowing up the rocks, the buck skimming
the undergrowth and the dog ripping
through on double tongue, close in his
rear, making the descent in full view of
a hundred spectators.
Just east of the creek, on a dead run
for the Potomac, several dwellings, gar
dens etc, confronted the frightened and
hotly pursued animal, but he paused not
nor avoided any distractions and
bounding gardens, over wall and into
the Potomac, swan across and made his
everlasting escape in the timber skirting
Queens Point, while host applauded
in his wake.
Cyrus Grimes shouted: "A horse, a
kingdom for horsew Ike Purgit rush
ed down the creek with loaded shell
in his hand, but no gun. Bill Bell, of
the Keys House, came out with an empty
gun without any purpose whatever OF
shooting, it being against law to kill deer
out of season.
Some of the leaps, from heel to toe,
measured forty feet and when jumping
the railroad it got tangled in the tele-
graph wires. Bell thinks it never touch
ed the water, but cleared the Potomac at
single bound.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
A CHAMPION AT CHECKERS.
Something About an Old Man Who Lives
to Play and Plays to Live.

Something About an Old Man Who Lives
to Play and Plays to Live.
Elmira Free Press.
Friday about noon man with grip
sack and large cane, dressed like far
mer and looking as if he had just blown
in from the way down backwoods came
to town.
1t soon turned out, however, that the
unpretentious and verdant-looking stran-
ger was no less parsonage than James
Wiley, the champion checker player of
the world.
Mr.. Wiley is Scotchman, and has
beaten the bcsi players that the world
has produced and now he is regarded by
all as the champion.
He has been playing in Blossburg and
thought he would stop at Elmira while
in this vicinity.
Yesterday he played with Counselor
NJ. NJ. Mead, Postmaster Berry, Calvin
Wheaton and one or two of the best
players in the city. None of these men
were able to do anything against him,
and Frank Sackett, the champion of the
city, only succeeded in getting three
draws out of nine games.
Mr. Wylie is man about sixty years
of age. His hair is white, and, like Hor-
ace Greeley, he wears beard under his
chin. His deafness makes it impossible
to carry on conversation with him. He
sits quietly, not taking his eyes off the
board, and taking no notice of those
about him, or anything except his game.
He wears spectacles and has an intelli-
gent and kindly face and good head.
He has done nothing else but play the
game of checkers since he was fifteen
years of age, and his game cannot be
beaten. He looks away into game, so
that before an ordinary opponent has
commenced he has won the game.
He makes good living by playing, as
there are plenty of enthusiasts who are
willing to give twenty-five cents to play
with him, and plenty more who will
give that amount to see him play. He
lives in Scotland, and has been in this
country about six months, although this
is not his first visit.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
Story of n Very Polite Man.
Saratoga Journal.


Before the days of railroads Horace
Greeley left Utica one morning in a
stage coach. His only fellow passenger
was gentleman of prepossessing appear
ance, with whom he fell into conversa-
ton. After while the stranger drew
from his pocket ciear-case and offered
its contents TO Mr.. Greeley to take c.
gar. He declined the polite offer and
the conversation was resumed. Pres
emily the gentleman, taking cigar from
the case, put it in his mouth, and return
ed the case TO his pocket. While they
were talking he abruptly but courteously
remarked TO Mr. Greeley:
II hope, sir, you have no objection to
a cigarr'
"None in the world,' answered Mr..
Greeley, when il is not lighted"
OH replied the gentleman, Il had
not the remotest thought of lighting it,"
"Then and there" said Mr.. Greeley,
laughing, ..ls the only time | was ever
outdonc in politcness. 1 afterwards as
certained that my victor was the famous
I apt. Sherman, Of Lake Champlain.'
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21

that stands in Montgomery county. The
trunk at the butt is nine feet in diameter.
This is from the Vidette, Of Augusta,
Mo: "The largest thing we have seen in
the way of a grapevine is piece Of vine
about six feet long, which was cut by
some hands who are clearing land for I.
Il. Stanley, on his place near town. The
larL est part measured tbirty-nine inches
in circumference. The hands also found
a curiosity in timber growth. 1t is
tree from which limb comes and grows
upsome two and half feet, when another
limb comes out and joins the lower limb
about foot from the body of the tree,
which is almost as large as both Of them
below the place Of joining.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
THE FINEST OF BABIES.
A BIT of Humanity that can Wear Little
Finger Ring as u Bracelet.

Chattanooga Times.
The smallest baby in the world is at
the house of Mr.. Poe, on Carter street. 1t
was born last Wednesday. 1t is the
most diminutive creature immaginable,
weighing only one and half pounds at
the time of its birth and scarcely twenty
six ounces yesterday.
1t can hardly be described. The en-
tire body is not as large as the forearm Of
an ordinary person. 1t is just eleven and
a half inches long and in no portion Of
the body is it more than six inches in
circumference. Its head is no larger
than an English walnut. Its arms look
like mans little finger, and the legs
like the centre finger. Its hands are not
as large as five cent piece.
The child is perfectly formed, and its
physical organization is complete in eve
ry detail. Its head is cove ed with all
the hair usually found on one so young
and in all particulars it differs in nothing
from an ordinary child, except in size.
In answer to the question whether it
cried, Mr. Poe smiled, and said:
"If you had seen me walking the room
last night to quiet it you would not ask
the question. 1t cries as loudly and lus-
tily as any child ever saw"
The mother was asked regarding its
nourishment, and she replied:
at takes its snourishment perfectly nat
ural and has most voracious appetite.
The child is doing very well. To show
you the size of its arm will take this
ring from my little finger and slip it over
the child's hand to the elbow" and, suit
ing the action to the word, the ring, a
very small one, was slipped over the fore
arm with the utmost felicity.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21

All this time Thompson, who was
about seven feet from the surface OF the
earth, kept his spirits in a way when
astonished those in the throng arouhu
the well.
Once he cried out "Keepit up, boys;
I can stand il as long as any other man
can in my fix" He kept up his nerve
for nearly two hours without utterlng
word of complaint until heavy chunk
of dirt happened 10 fall on the earth over
him. when he cried out "For Gods sake
take that weight off my head" lie was
soon relieved and nothing more was
heard from him. The men on the out.
side meanwhile we're digging with all
their might and main. One man would
work as hard and fast as he could and
then throw down the shovel, which was
soon grasped by willing hands. >, ;,
DR.. Labrie arrived about three O'Clock
and went to work with vim. He took
off his coat and handled shovel in
manner quite creditable to himself
When at last the Duried mans head was
reached the doctor got down on his
knees and pulled the dirt away from him
with his hands. After the earth around
Thompson's breast had been loosencd SC
as to allow him to breathe freely,
barrel with both ends knocked out wa
put over him to prevent any dirt from
falling on him. When they had freet
his hands from their long Imprisonment
Thompson went TO work himself, to th'
surprise and qualification of everyone
and threw the dirt away from around hi
body and legs with an energy that woul'
have done credit to any man.
His tenacity, grit, courage and prescnc
of mind was commented upon by every
one. At about half past five o'clock h
pulled his foot out from the dirt and civ
ing or, of Joy, leaped toward the mel
who had rescued him and, grasping thei
hands shook them with II fervor tha
showed his feelings more plainly tha
words could have done. He had bee
in that living grave for three hours an
q half.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
Migration of Tunkcrs,
Richmond stat,

Richmond State.
a correspondent writes from Bealton
Station
"A movement of the Tunkcrs Of the
Valley of Virginia over the mountains
INTO the tide-water counties has begun.
Some fifteen or twenty of the community
nave settled in Fauquier and Upper
Prince William counties, near this station
and they report that community Of 40
OF % houses will reach the section in the
early spring. These men are excellent
farmers, and having sold their lands in
the Valley at from $50 to $50 per acre
they have bought and are buying lands
hereabouts at from So to SIS per acre and
settling down to improve themD
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21

The London Engineer in referring to
the power of the albatross, its weight of
twenty-eight pounds, its wings thirteen
feet tip to tip, and its ability to keep in
motion for whole day, says: eve have
in this bird machine burning concen-
trated fuel in large crate at a tremen.
dous rate, and developing very large
power in a very small space. There is
no engine in existence which, weight
for weight, gives out anything like the
mechanical power exhibited by the al
batross.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
The Learned and Ignorant.

\ recent census bulletin shows that o4
the various states and territories, New
Mexico is the most illiterate and Iowa
the least. In the latter state only per
cent of the population above ten years of
a~c cannot Rad, while in the former
territory 60 per cent. cannot read.
In Massachusetts the percentage of
persons who cannot read is about per
cent, in New York about per cent, and
in Ohio about 3 per cent.
The southern states are more illiterate
than the states of any other section of
the country; As per cent. Of the popula-
ton in South Carolina being unable to
read.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
A BAD FAMILY.
why the Old Man Could not Row u Stranger
Over the River.

Why the Old Man Could not Row Stranger
Over the River.
Arkansaw Traveller.
A gentleman in Arkansaw stopped at
the rail fence surrounding small house
and addressed a woman who appeared at
the doorway:
"Good evening, madam"
"Howdy, SIR"
"Where's the landlord?"
"Pm the landlord"
"Wher's the boss?"
''Pm the boss"
where's your husband?"
Drunk"
"That's bad. / wanted somebody to
row me over the river. Is he sober
enough to accommodate me?"
"No"
Eyes"
"No."
"Why%
Drunk"
"Have you any brothers?'
"Got one"
as he old enough to pull skiff?"
"Yes, sir"
"Where is he ?"
Drunk"
"What's the matter with your family
anyway ?"
Drunk"
"What caused all of them to get
drunk?
whisky"
"a mean what is the occasion for all of
this"
drunkenness"
"You don't understand me. want to
know what made them drink so much
whisky ?"
"Cause they could get it."
"How did they get it,"
"They started still house the other
day, an to-day the first whisky was
drawed Off"
"Was your husband ever sober
MANI"
"Yes, when the still burned down."
"When do you think he'll be sober ?"
"Look here, stranger, you've axed a
good many fool questions, and would
talk along toward the heels of the
evenin', but when | see man tryin' to
act the fool let him go. As long as
you axed me questions in the bounds Of
reason, listened to you, but when you
ask when my husband will get sober,
I'll have to call you fool an shet the
door. Good day, stranger"
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
An Alligator BOY.

i'lNha Stdbc JOUfIhI.
DIR. Hamilton has discovered the great
est living curiosity of the age. Those who
have examined testify that il beats any,
thing they ever saw. The curiosity is in
shape natural human being, colorod
boy, Is years of age, who was born of
slave parents, near Grenada on the Miss
issippi river, in the State of Mississippi
From the shoulders down his 81 in is like
That of an alligator, thicl,ly covered with
black scales and the whole is rs pliable.
though thick and tough, as the hide of
one OF these animals. In the summer
,ime these scales drop Off leaving inden-
lures IN the skin, where new ones form
and grow on again. His name is Moses
Eskridgc, and he came here during cxo-
dus time, along with his father and step
mother.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
N.WAHK-TATE'S DISAPPOINTMENT.
A LoycIcss widow Robbed Him Of His
Reason.
Ieavenwoith Dispatch.

Ieavenworth Dispatch.
II is a custom prevailing among the
Pottawactomic Indians, who are quar-
tered on a reservation in jackson county
about fifty miles west of here, that when
one dies his property and widow shall
90 to his brother, if he has one.
This custom is usually honored, but
there has Just occurred case in which
the widow objected.
N-Wlhk-Tate, who is not a dead lndi-
an, but is, nevertheless vouched for as
good Indian, happened to be the surviv'
ing brother, and being without wife or
child he urged his suit, but he was re-
fused.
From that time he became changed
man. and. following the examples of his
white ncighbors, took to strong drink,
and persisted therein until he became
deranged, and proved such a terror to
his tribe that he was brought before the
Probate Judge at Iolton, adjudged insane
and placed in the county Jail until the
authorities at the State Insane Asylum
could be communicated with.
While on the reservation N-Wahk-
Tate did some curious things. Killing a
a cat, he placed it within the skin OF a
wildcat, and carried it around his neck
until he met some one. Then he would
shake the dead animal at the person,
which would greatly Tighten some OF
the more superstitious Indians. A num-
ber of wears ago a member of the tribe
killed q man and preserved his heart.
This article fell into the possession OF
N-Wahk- Tate, who, after becoming in
sane, ate it.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
HIS SKULL IN HIS POCKET.
A Miner Whose Recovery from Dread
fGl Blow is Deemed Miraculous.
San Francisco Fxar, ,insr,

full Blow is Deemed Miraculous.
San Francisco Examiner.
On the 4th of December, 1876, John
Harris. miner, was working at the bot
tom of the Yellow Jacket shaft, at Gold
Hill.
Through the carclessncss of one of the
workmen at the top of the shaft IN axe
was dropped through the mouth Of the
pit, which in its descent struck Harris on
the head, the keen edge cleaving his
skull diagonally and stretching him at
full length in bleeding and supposed
diving condition. He was Immediately
conveyed to the open air and medical
attendance summoned, although his
death was expected to occur at any mo-
ment.
The sufferer, however, proved to be
very tenacious of life, and the attending
surgeon decided to remove the injured
portions of the skull, which was accom-
plished successfully, thirteen pieces, COW
ering an area of 3lx29 inches on the apex
of the Uranium being taken out.
Strange to say, Harris began to improve
and at the expiration of a few weeks flesh
had grown over the aperature and he
was apparently as well as ever.
Harris has since been to England, his
native country, and applied to the surg
cons of Guys Hospital in London, to per
form the trepanning operation, which
they refused to do under the circumstan-
ces, as the wound had entirely healed,
and they deemed. it prudent to let well
enough alone. They, moreover, pro-
nounced his recovery one of the miracu-
lous events OF the century, and were at
loss to account for it upon any surgical
hypothesis.
Mr.. Harris is still engaged in mining,
and claims to be able to perform as much
work with the pick and drill as any Of
his comrades. He is now ia this city on
a short visit, and yesterday exhited to an
Examiner reporter, with pardonable
pride, the upper crust of his hcadpiccc,
the detached particles Of which he car
ries around in a small sack.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21

McMillan's Magazine, in giving some
facts about English intemperance, says
that the temperance societies in England
have been very active during the past
year, but that nevertheless, the consump-
ton of beer has increased more, proper
tionately, than the population, and that
the number of arrests for drunkenness
has increased. II is therefore suggested
as a natural inference that the labors
of the temperance reformcrs have been
misdireeted.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
A Babe of the Nevada Woods.
Virginia City Enterprise.

Virginia City Enterprise.
The last issue of the Placerville Re
publican reported that two young men,
while out hunting at Missouri Flat last
Sunday, found 'baby boy, apparently
six or seven months old, out in the grease
wood, several hundred yards from any
house, quite alone, and calmly sleeping.
1t was carefully tucked up in sort Of
crib, and when awakened seemed per-
fectly healthy and contented." We are
informed that the baby is still kept
there, during the daytime at least, and a
woman, supposed to be its mother, has
been seen togo repeatedly and look after
and care for it,
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
Sustained Itself.
Arkansaw Traveller.

Dr. Ike, who for some time has been
bestowing medical attentions upon the
wife ofblack Silas, met the distinguished
citizen the other day, and said ?"
"Ise Just from yo' house, Mr.. Silas, an
it is wild pride dat / can say dat de sci
ence OBJ medicine hab, at my hams, sus-
tanned itself. said dat yo' wife had
swamp fever, didn't l 2"
81 believes yer did"
"An. was right, sab"
"But how is de oman gittin' along
since left de house ?"
"She's dead"
"But whar does de establishment of
science come in?"
"In de fack dat found out what killed
herr
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21

We were taught that the ability of flies
to walk on the ceiling was owing to a
power in their feet which enabled them
TO hold on by suction. But Mr.. II. De
Witt, of the Berlin Society of Natural
History, has discovered an exudation of
q sticky matter from the foot OF fly by
fastening the insect on the under side of
a plate and viewing it through micro
scope. The adhesive matter seems to
pass down through the hollow ofthe hair.
Probably the same method of holding on
applies to all insects.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21

The law that bodies evaporate the
moisture they contain the faster the more
surface they have will remain true in re-
gard to earth, and it will follow that the
Amer the soil is pulverized, the faster it
will become dry under given ciicum-
stances but evaporation, to be rapid,
requires dry air to receive the vapor
And 10 give the soil the most benefit from
dew, it must be made porous, so that the
moist air can touch the greatest surface.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21

A surgeon at the Maternity hospital.
Paris, observing great mortality among
infants who were somewhat feeble in
their earlier hours, provided a box for
them similar to the sort used as incuba.
tors for poultry. The machine was SO
constructed as TO maintain an even
lc1t of - degrees Fahrenheit, and the
INFANT kept in it from two days to six
weeks comes out strong.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21

The bill for the punishment Of wife
beaters, which has passed the Tennessee
Legislature, provides that the whipping
post shall be erected in public place,
and that the number of lashes TO be laid
on shall be fixed by the jury before
which the offender shall be tried.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
JllNi;0S.

The late John Lindsay, of Covington,
weighed more taan 400 pounds.
The trunk Of an apple tree near New
Albany. Ind, is eighs feet in circumfer-
ence.
William Frazer, Of Coyinc;on. Ala, re-
Gently killed an eagle which measured
seven feet from tip to tip.
Mr.. Durham. Of Clayton, n. C., owns n
reed 50 big that It viii hold a gallon Of
whisky bstwcsn any two Joints.
The largest tree in Michigan is pine
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
The Tariff on Imported Books.
London News.

One would be driven to the painful
theory that after all the possible perver-
sion of the American child by monarch
ical and European ideas and the abstract
advantages of dear books are only wells
for very simple jealousy of competition.
IL il were not for these terrible reprints
already alluded to, Messrs. Holmes,
Whittier and Aldrich laboriously stem
ming the tide of pollution with the mop
of twenty-five per cent. duty while the
Chicago printers pour it in as fast as
steam presses can work, is an imagina-
ton not perhaps wholly solacing to the
English authors pocket, but grateful to
his sense of the absurd.
The Osceola times., 1883-04-21
An Otter Caught in a Net.
Missouri Rcpub lean.

IN odd thing occurred near Glasgow
the other day. An otter was accident.
ally caught in dip net by George Rose
about half a mile below the Hurricane.
The otter was under water when the net
strJck him and became so entanglcd in
the meshcs as to be unable to free him.
self. Rose pulled on the net until he saw
what he had caught, and then held the
otter under water until il was drowned
II proved to be magnificent specimen,
measuring ten(?) feet from tip to tin,
Rose sold the pelt for so.