davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19
MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS ASp
THINGS,


Did you ever notice how suddenly
timid woman who is humming an
operate air will switch off on to a
religious hymn when a storm comes
up and she hears the first clap of thun-
der?
Professor to a young lady student
Your mark is very low, and you have
only just passed. Young lady-Oh, /
am so glad. Professor, surprised
Why? Young LADY, do so love a
tight squeeze.
After recalling the circumstances
of Byron's final illness, and in view
of the fact that he was bled three
times in one day, though already
weakened by malarial fever, the Lam
Get concludes that the old-faShioned
physicians killed him.
The hay ricks on the Cashel es-
tate of George Harrington, NJ. p.
for the county OF. LoDgford, Eng
land, who is conducting the negotia-
lions between England and the vati-
lean, were burned by an incendiary.
Four harveSters boarded a freight
train at Whitehall, Ill, to steal a
ride. Four other men boarded
the same car, apparently for the
same purpose, but after the train
was in motion drew revol vers on the
first four, and, after making them de-
liver what money they had, drove
them off the moving train. One man,
Patrick Knight, fell headlong and
was killed. Two tramps, responsible
for the deed, were arrested at Brighton
A number of unsuccessful at
temptS have been made to raise the
steamer Daphne. Over eighty bodies
have been recovered. An inquiry,
instituted by the government, to as
certain the cause of the accident, has
begun. The builders of the Daphne tes-
titled that she was launched in pro-
per manner and no fear entertained of
danger. They said that the deck on
the Starboard side had been removed
to admit of boiler plates, planking and
! other material that were slowed in the
other parts of the deck. She
sank on her port side.
81 have made it rule through life"
he said at the lunch table the other
day to the man at his left, never to
NEEDLE with another mans business"
That's right, perfectly right" was
the reply. But | see you have new
confidential clerk ?" "Yes, sir; yes"
Hes hard-looking case. Eve seen
him drunk a dozen times, and l
wouldn't trust him out of my sight
with a nickel. Took him in out of
charity, eh 2" "Well, not altogether,
you know. He happens to be my old
est son." Then there was period of
silence so painful that both wished
some one would yell "fire' to break it.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19
FASHIONS FANCIES.

Excess of color in dress is now con-
sidered vulgar.
Bonnets of straw fringe are the
novelty for midsummer.
Basket bonnets represent great
PUSHES braided together.
Hand painting, embroidery and
lace are the decorations for fine fans.
The favorite folding fan for the
pocket and general use is of Tuscan
straw.
One of the caprices is to trim
basket bonnetS with punches of
wheat or straw.
Large, inexpensive Fayal straw
hats are trimmed with a single bow
of white null.
Tortoise shell sticks are preferred
for black lace fans, and pearl sticks
for white lace.
The plaineSt made white muslin
dresses are the most becoming, and
are easily laundried.
White India scarfs, with white and
fringed ends, are tied around the
crown of rough straw hats.
The coming dress sleeve obliterates
the shoulder seam of the corsage, ex-
tending in point to the neck of the
dress.
The fringe of which straw fringe
bonnets are made has uncut loops,
and comes in natural straw color and
shades Of lavender, olive, blue and
red.
White wrought fchus with wrought
edges in Irish point or trimmed with
Valencienues lace are preferred in
warm weather to linen collars for
neck wear.
Plain linen bands are worn outside
the dress collar, some of them with a
fall of lace three inches wide gathered
and set on the turned over upper
edge.
Collarettes of lace take the form of
high rufus or of row of lace turned
down over ribbon passing around
the neck, finished with two jabots
side by side, giving square effect.
Organda square kerchiefs for the
neck come in blocks of fine buff, pink
and pale blue, with rosebuds printed
on each block. Bulgarian linen scarfs,
with gray Turkish embroidery on
each end are used by milliners to trim
rough round hats and small capotes.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19
ALITTLE TOO MUCH.

If, under the provision that one
fourth of the state revenue be given
to the maintenance of schools, and
while it is known that schools in
economically administered counties
are now conducted for six months or
more, why should we provide for a
tax of 20 cents on the 500 for the
benefit of the schools. This would be
three times as much as is now given
to the schools, and it is known the
permanent school fund is all the time
growing in Understanding capacity.
Those counties that now run schools
six months each year would have an
annual school apportionment great
enough to conduct schools eighteen
months, while those which keep up
their schools now only four months
each year would have fund great
enough to maintain their schools
twelve months. When the legislature
was considering this question, con-
servative people regarded 20
cents direct taxation for schools too
great; in fact, it is fanatical propo-
sition which the people will not
indorse. The STATESMAN has no
objection to a specific tax for the
schools, but it desires all taxation to
be liked at such rates as the people
can afford to pay; and especially does
it not want counties given, as many
are now given, more money for edu-
cation than they can possibly use.
Heretofore it has been shown that
one county in this state receives
$40 for each child of scholastic age
within its limits. High taxes and
surplus revenues encourage extrava-
gance, and unless we may maintain
economical government it were best
to abridge the powers of those that
govern.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19

A NEW freight car was shown at
the Chicago exhibition which prom
ises to revolutionize railroad rolling
stock. 1t is known as the gondola
iron car, the carrying capacity being
equal to any strength of the axle
Upon test at the exposition one OF
these cars, thirty-five feet in length,
standard gauge, was loaded with TO-
600 pounds of pig iron, and though
subjected to the severest usage,
there was not the least appear
ance of strain or detection. The car
after the several trials, appeared as if
it had not been loaded at all. OF
course, nothing but an iron car could
withstand such pressure. The lon
gitudinal stills are constructed of heavy
wrought iron tubes two and halt
inches in diameter, each sill being
composed of two tubes, held in po-
sition, one few inches above the
other, by strong malleable iron clamps
The holsters and head-sills are COM
posed of chuned iron. The car is sc
constructed that various parts are
interchangeable. In the draft-frame
the usual Jugs, bolts and nuts are dis
penSed with.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19

at IS doubtful" says the Whining
ton News, eff Senator Bayard ever
has made an important public adj
dress without declaiming against
'sumptuary' laws, although we do not
recall that he ever condescended to
explain what he meant by the
phrase" By the same token, says
the Philadelphia Record, we are
bound to believe that it is doubtful
if Senator Bayard ever made an im-
portant public address that he did
not render an important public service,
whether he explained what he meant
by .sumptuary laws" or not. The
people of the United States, in their
condition as colonists, and as the citi-
zens of sovereign commonwealth,
have had ample opportunity of find
ing out what Senator Bayard or any
other man means when he talks about
sumptuary laws, and all free people
have ample reason to dread the opera
ton of such laws.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19
Abuse of Witnesses.

There is probably no evil connected
with the administration of law in our
courts which calls more loudly for re-
dress than the severity and injustice
visited upon the heads of innocent per-
sons who are summoned as witnesses.
Men who are innocent of any fault
but that of having been involun-
tary spectators of other mems
crimes, or disputed transactions,
are dragged into court against
their will, either to secure the pun
ishment of criminal, or, perhaps,
more frequently, to give testimony in
civil case.
1t would be natural to suppose that
one who had thus been compelled, at
considerable personal Inconvenience,
to attend to duty so onerouS, would
be treated with at least ordinary CIV
ility and respect. But this is not gen.
orally the case After being sworn to
tell the truth, he is beset by several
sharp practitioners who have made
this business study, and who use
the most despotic efforts to befog his
intellect, to confound his ideas, to per-
pick his memory, and, if possible,
to betray him into uninten-
tional error. If in such hands
he becomes so worried as to utter
seeming contradictions, he is dashed
without mercy as a perjurer. Or If,
after spending all their impudence
upon him-after brow-beating and
torturing him to their hearts content
the lawyers are unable to puzzle
him, and he still adheres to mis- simple
story, mark the seeming malignity
with which he is aSsailed in the adj
vocate's argument. How his motives
are impeached, his character criticised
or blackened, his most sacred feelings
ridiculed, until he seems a mon
ster too vile to be believed
We have known some eStimable
men of sensitive minds who have
not recovered for weeks from an at
tack of this sort, made by skillful
speaker, without a shadow of excuse
for it, save in his anxiety to sustain
sinking cause.
Should any reader think this picture
overdrawn, let him or her visit some
of the courts nearest to their respect
i've residences. There are courts, l
am happy to say, where the judges
occasionally interpose in favor of
respectable witness, but in most of
them the lawyers have free license
TO utter the most scan.
dalous abuse without check or him
drance. All this seem to us to be
wrong in principle. and productive of
serious evil in practice. 1t hightens
the difficulty of-procuring the atten-
dance of respectable witnesses, as few |
are willing to submit to such whole
sale abuse. 1t lessons the dignity of |
the judiciary, and tends to impair the
force of any rebuke administered to
wrong doing by bringing the innocent |
and guilty alike into condemnation.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19

GEN. CHALMERS and a few other
sneaks and bummers lately held a
convention in Mississippi. at was
not such an assemblage." says the cor
respondent of the New York Times,
''as would under ordinary circum-
stances be calculated to inspire conf
dence in its ultimate success. 1t
lacked force, character, intelligence,
and, what is more than all, subStan-
tial numbers" Only thirteen out of
the seventy. four counties in the state
were represented, but Chalmers made
as much fuss as though it were a
body representing every element in
the state. A platform declaring, as
all fraudulent political organizations
do, for "a free ballot and fair count, >
was adopted. 1t also declares fol
the supervision of railways; the cleo
ton of judges by the people; the pas
sage of a law to prevent officers from
stealing and issuing certificates OF
election to parties not elected, ano
indorsing President Arthur's south
ern policy. The convention, it is
said, began and ended in Chalmers
Chalmers drafted the platform which
was adopted. Chalmers made long
and vicious speech, the subject o.
which was Chalmers, and the conven
ton adjourned without giving thu
party, which it was supposed to rep
resent, a name. The independent
movement in Mississippi is dead fol
the present. Chalmers was more
than it could stand.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19

A WASHINGTON special says that
Mr.. Carlisle looks hopefully upon his
chances to be made speaker. With
one exception, the Georgia delegation
in the next house is alleged to be
pledged to Carlisle for speaker. Hon.
James II. Blount has been very active
in behalf of the Kentuckian, and fiat
tering reports have been received
from other Southern statesmen in the
same interest. The Virginia Demo
Gratis in the next house, although hith-
erto pronounced fer Carlisle, have
changed front recently, and one of the
strongest members of the delegation
has declared that ex-Speaker Randall
will be their choice. One of Black
burns strongest hackers says that
neither Randall nor Carlisle will get
there, but a Northern man not yet
named will be speaker.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19
Pressed to Death.

In early times 1t was considered
that criminals accused of felony could
not be properly tried unless they con-
scented to the trial by pleading and
putting themselves on the country.
After reading the Indictment to him
the question was put: "Hew say you
are you guilty or not guilty?" If
he said mot guilty." thenext question
was: "Culprit, how will you be
tried?" To which the prisoner had
to answer, "By God and by my coun-
try" If he willfully omitted any por-
ton of that answer he was said to
stand mute, and jury was sworn to
say whether he stood mute of malice
or mute by the visitation of God. If
they found him mute of malice, that
was equivalent to pleading guilty in
cases of treason or misdemeanor;
but in cases of felony he was
condemned, after much exhortatioa,
the to peine forte ct dure-
that is, to be stretched naked on his
back, and to have iron laid upon him,
as much as he could bear and more,
and so to continue, fed upon bad
bread and stagnant water on alter
nate days, till he either pleaded or
died. This strange rule was not
abolished till the year 1772, when
standing mute in cases of felony was
made equivalent to a conviction. A
case actually occurred as late as 1926,
when one Burnwater, accused at
Kingston assiZes of murder, refused
to plead. and pressed for an hour and
three-quarters with nearly 400 weight
of iron, after which he pleaded not
guilty and was convicted and hang
ed. In 1858 Maj. Strangeways was
pressed to death. The object of re-
fusiDg to plead was that, as in that
case there was no conviction, no for
fixture took place, and the property
of the accused person was thus pre-
served for his Blackwood
Magazine.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19


GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS, in Har-
per's Weekly, says the Republican
must base their hopes for success in
1884 on their ability to prove that
their party is capable of purifying it.
self, by Kidding the country of corrupt
and faithless office-holders and putting
a stop to the betrayal of the peoples
trust, term that has become almost
synonymous with office-holding
Hope deferred maketh the hearts of
the people sick-too sick, in fact, for
them to be caught in any clap-trap
promises or protestations of Republi-
cans, by whom they have been so long
deceived.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19
EDITORIAL NOTES.

Among significant indications of an
intention on the part of Bismarck TO
abolish the German reichStag, if il
does not prove more tractable, are a
number of articles in the Cologne Ga
Zette. the greatest of the German
newspapers. Treitschke, tn ehistorian,
for one, would not regret the change.
He says in a recent article: among
i'll imperial institutions, the parlia-
ment has been the most conspicuous
failure. 1t has ceased to be
a productive power" In Germany,
us in England and the United States,
the slow, uncertain movements of
legislative bodies are probably
felt as great evil, but history shows
that in contests with arbitrary power
the legislature has been the most eff
Gent defender of popular rights.
Very little that is studied at school
enters into the adult life of the man.
What the school does is to give him
the use of his mind. One of the most
important uses of mind is language,
for it is upon the majesty of this that
ones success depends in acquiring the
thoughts OF others or in communi-
eating his own. For discipline in
language no means is so good as study
of the noble old tongue of Homer,
Socrates, Zenophon, Plato and De
mosthenes. All this has been proved
in practice over and over again. If
our American colleges get little out
OF our Greek study, this does not in
vail late the value of its study under
the more enlightened methods of OK
ford, Cambridge and the German uni
versities. To crowd this out in favor
of the bland and elusive French or
the melifiuous italian would hardly
be progress, even if done on "the
Quincy plan"
Brazil is not successful in attract
ing emigrats. 1t spends upwards of
100000 a year in this way but while
100000 people came to the United
States in 1880 81, only 40,781 entered
the empire of Dom Pedro, and the
most of these came from Italy and
Portugal. Two reasons are given for
this result. One is the fact that a
large proportion of Brazils vast terri
tory is practically inaccessible, and
the other that while the emigrant is
fed and lodged at the government
clearinghouse at Rio Janeiro after
he lands, while he is given free trans
portation to the government lands,
and few seeds and tools, and is for
six months allowed twenty cents a
day for each adult in his family and
ten cents for each child, he 0eyerthe-
less gets very little land, and, besides
being remote and very often imprac-
ticable to develop, the land is high
priced for he is allowed only
eight acres, for which he must either
pay down $40 an acre, or else $16.2O
an acre in instruments covering six
years. 1t is no wonder emigrants pre-
fer the United States as their adopted
home.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19

The New York Commercial and FL.
nancial Chronicle says that this years
cotton crop will be the greatest ever
yet produced in the South. 1t is eSti-
mated at 100000 bales, which is
more than 100000 bales larger than
the crop of last year, and 100000
larger than that of 18S0-81, the largest
hitherto recorded. The present crop,
while 30 per cent larger than that of
the preceding season, is produced
from an acreage 1.55 per cent less,
the plant of 1928 having been 16,
$4,000 acres, and that of 1882
1881, 900. The great difference in
yield is attributed to the fact that the
season of 1882 was exceptionally
disastrous to cotton culture, while
that of 1928 was unusually favor
able. The Chronicles estimate of the
acreage of the crop just planted-that
is, the crop of 1883-4-is 15,449,-
600 acres, which is the largest yet re
ported.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19
THE SOUTHERN STATES.

The death rate among the whites
would constitute Charleston the
healthiest city in the Union.
The Atlanta, Ca, boys are waging
a fierce war on bangs. They have
formed syndicate to give no girl ice
cream that wears bangs.
An Atlanta drug clerk, Fred Pal
mer, says he could kill some one every
day in the year by following doctors
prescriptions as written. This
thoughtful clerk is only one of a
thousand. The others follow pre-
scriptions to the dead letter.
While negro woman was picking
blackberries across the river, two
miles from Montgomery. Ala, the
other day. she was bitten by a rattle
snake and almost instantly killed. A
companion of the woman killed the
snake, which had twenty-eight rat
ties and a button.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19

II could not have been supposed
that England would not put her
Egyptian conquest to advantage,
Though the khedive is the vassal of
tine sultan. the British prime minis
ter is more powerful in the ancient
seat of Egyptian government than
the sultan of Turkey. When the
English expedition was sent out to
suppress the revolt of Arab Pasha
the idea of annexation was strenli-
ously repudiated by the English min
istry. and no doubt honestly; but
having once involved itself in the
domestic affairs of the coun-
try, the ministry finds it diff
cult to extricate itself with credit. 1t
} has in some measure made itself re-
sponsible for the reform of the Egyp-
tian administration, and to that end
psaust not turn back now that it has
S.s hand at the plow. Mr.. Gladstone
governing Egypt through resi-
lent agent. He will never annex the
country, but the Conservatives are
riaently going to return to power
Wore many years, and they prefer to
ke Egypt bodily, rather than con-
z,ie TO govern it by proxy. 1t must
u WAYS be born in mind that the Sui
AM copld be induced to sell bis depen-
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19

The bulk of the coinage of trade
dollars is now in China, the amount
in circulation in the United States be-
ing very small fraction of the whole.
Congress will undoubtedly soon enact
some legislation to protect the holders
of this much-abused coin. although
the passage of bill for their redemp-
ton would doubtless result in the re-
turn of much of the coinage now out
.-of the country.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19

THE investigation in the Hill case
which was at first pooh-poohed by the
supervising architect and his friends.
has become serious enough to warrant
the employment of another lawyer on
the part of the defense. The prose-
cution has very clearly proved gross
extravaganza, to say the least, on the
part of somebody. The case promises
now to be further complicated by the
charge of bribery.
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19

Two thousand and two and half
tcres of good grazing land, situated
twenty-five miles from Austin. Title
is good; water on the tract-several
branches and one fine spring. Will
sell it for $1,000. one-third down, the
balance in two vendors lien notes for
81 600 each, one and two years time,
at ten per cent. Call at ID. w. Jones
81 Co.'S store on the Avenue. A de-
sirable rancho for raising beef-cattle
or mutton near good market.
f. RAINEY.
ie06U1t
The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-19

John ForsyGn, OF georgia, a Virgil
nian hy birth, was one of the cham
pions of Gen. Jackson in the senate
of the United States. and when the
opponents of "Old Hickory" adopted
the time-honored designation of
"WhigS," he undertook to denounce
it. He would not, he said, degrade a
name associated with so many glori-
Gus revolutionary recollections to a
coalition of diScordant political mate
rial. He would rather call it the
punch" party. Like that inspiring
beverage, this coalition has been con-
cocted in the senate from the lines of
the Mississippi Mr.. PoindeXterl, the
tariff sugar from Louisiana Mr.. Por-
teri, the potent Old Medford Rum of
Massachusetts Mr.. Webster], home
made arrack from South Carolina Mr..
Calhoun] Bourbon Whisky from Ken
lucky Mr.. Clay], and dash OF poteen
to catch the Irish vote. He did not
call the names Of the senators to
whom he thus alluded, but as he
looked toward each one there was a
roar of laughter.
Mr.. Preston, of South Carolina, re-
sponded to Mr. Forsyth, and asked
him whether the real concoctor of po-
litical punch was Gen. Jackson. who
sought to unite slch discordant polit-
ical elements as was controlled by
Forsyth, Isaac Hill, Benton, Wilkins
and others. He concluded with the
sharp remark that the mixture with
which the despotism and bad policy
of the president had thus rarely
brewed chad been, he believed, after
all, found to be quite so agreeable to
the presidents palate as the real mix
ture is to the palate of the gentleman
from Georgia"