davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-03-08
AnAsthetic Bullets,

A German chemist has invented new
kind of bullet which, he urges! will, if
brought into general use, greatly dimin-
ish, if not altogether remove, the hor-
rors of war The bullet is of brittle
substance, breaking directly it comes in
contact with the object at which it is
aimed. 1t contains a powerful anas-
thetic, producing instantaneously COM
plete insensibility, lasting for twelve
hours, which, except that the action of
the heart continues. is not to be dis
tinguiyhed from death. A battlefield
where these bullets are used will in a
short time be apparently covered with
dead bodies, but in reality merely with
the PROSTATE forms of soldiers reduced
for the time being to state of uncon-
sciousness. While in this condition they
NAV, the German chemist points out.
be carefully packed in ambulance wag
ons and carried off SIS prisoners. Whole
cities may in like manner be reduced to
helplessness by means of shells charged
with the same compound. The an@sthet-
ic bullet is also strongly recommended
TO the burglar and to the householder,
no risk of hanging being involved by its
use.-;St. Jdmes'S Gazette.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-03-08
T e X M 8 :.
A Durable Hol1sa.

A gentleman of Parkersburg, Pa,
George i. Huston, will build house
entirely of iron. The floors of the hail.
vestibule, and library will be laid with
polished cast-iron tiles, in which differ
ent qualities of iron will be used to pro.
duce the same variety of color as in or.
dinary tile flooring. Ali the other floors
of the house will be of stout iron plates
firmly bolted to the iron ioists. The out
side walls and inside partitions will b.
composed of two courses of iron platea
firmly bolted together, so as to be ar.
tight. These hollow iron walls and par.
titions will be used instead of chimneye
and for conveying heat to different parte
of the house, and for ventilation. The
hot smoke and gases from the furnaces
passing through the sides of the roomA
in this way will, it is claimed, be almosa
sufficient to keep the house comfortable
in the coolest weather, so that the heat
ing can be done with about one-half the
fuel required in ordinary houses. Az
the doors and window-sashes will also bs
iron, but will be constructed in such
light way and so nicely balanced upon
hinges and weights as to open and shm
as easily as those made of wood. In
the parlor will be mantel of polished
steel handsomely ornamented. Ther
will be similar one in the dining
upon which will be engraved hunting
scenes. In the library will be massive
mantel, SO constructed that it will look
as if it were made of pig-iron fused to.
gether. Mr.. Huston aadmits that This
house may cost twice or three times a.
much as an ordinary house, but claima
that with little attention it will last foi
centuries without repairs, and will nevea
cost cent for insurance.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-03-08

+ The annual report of Manager Locke
gives the following particulars of the
care taken of the Hoosac tunnel: A
gang of miners take care of the roof and
sides of the tunnel, and two gangs work
on the track in the tunnel and one mile
from the portals on either side. Under
this arrangement no stones have fallen
on the track the past year, nor in the
five preceding. The amount of loose
rock found is gradually diminishing,
but this system of inspection will have
to be continued many years to insure
safety. On account of smoke in the
tunnel it is difficult to arrange any sig
nal except that which will make a noise,
and for this reason none but torpedoes
have been considered practicable. No
train is now allowed to enter until the
one preceding it on the same track has
passed out, and no train is allowed in on
either track while there is passenger
train in the tunnel As business in
creases it will be necessary to use sig
mails. A telegraph operator will have
to be stationed at the center, dividing
the tunnel into blocks. In order to carry
out the above successfully, the atmos-
phere must be reasonably clear, and the
whole tunnel must be lighted. Within
a very few years the natural increase
of business will require that trains
should be drawn through the tunnel by
understanding or coke-burning en-
gines. Then the electric light, which is
of little Or no benefit in smoke, should,
when the tunnel is kept clear Of smoke,
be used to illuminate every foot of the
track, SO that signals may be used to
about the same extent as in the open air.
During the year 63,578 east-bound and
64,030 west-bound freight cars were
hauled through the Hoosac tunnel, max
ing total of 127, 7,60S. OF these 1895
Of the east-bound and So, 653 of the west
bound cars were loaded. A total of H.
900 trains has passed through the tun-
mel during the year, of which 1000
were passenger and 5,107 freight, max
ing an average of Al trains a day. A
total of III 1856 east-bound and of no.
654 west-bound passengers were carried
over the road during the year, and
1,O43, $50 tons of freight were moved.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-03-08
A Case of Mistaken Identity,

Tom Paschal is, or rather was, San
Antonio boy, about twenty-five or thirty
years ago. He is now district Judge of
one of the judicial districts of Western
Texas. He is the son of the late Judge
j. A. Paschal, and nephew of Hon. G.
w. Paschal, the only man who was able
to digest the laws of Texas-so it will
be seen that Judge Tom Paschal comes
bY,his judicial mind honestly. In per-
sohal appearance, he bears considerable
resemblance to Capt. Ben Thompson, of
Austin, whose name may be familiar to
some of our readers in connection with
the violent death of a prominent San
Antonian named Jack Harris.
Not long since, Judge Paschal was
over his district. He had paid for a
sufficient number of seats to accommo-
date his family, but the energetic stage
the result was that Judge Paschal had to
forty miles. A father may cling to his
when his children cling to him for forty
miles, he wishes he had never been born.
When the stage reached its destina-
ton, Judge Paschal hunted up the agent
at that end of the line, and made few
judicious remarks about the manage
ment of that particular stage line.
AS general thing, stage agents are
not remarkable for having their tempers
under control, but this one was an ex-
ception. He received the rebuke of
Judge Paschal with a degree of humility
that was positively phenomenal. He
said:
Captain, hope you will overlook it
this time, and next time you come over
the line you shall have stage all to
yourself, and it shan't cost you cent. ~
After the interview was over, the
stage agent said to friend:
g If any other fellow but Captain Ben
Thompson had talked to me that way, /
would have made it hot for him."
"Why, you confounded fool; that was
not Ben Thompson, that was Judge Pas
chal." Z
"What!" gasped the stage agent.
f" say that was Judge Paschal. He
can't hit barn door with pistol if he
were to shoot at it for o week"
+" You say that galoot was only a mis-
erable judge?"
That's all
And here have taken sass from q
Judge! l am disgraced man if don't
find him.
The stage agent put on his pistol, and
went over to the hotel to demand an
apology, but Judge Paschal had just left
on the train. If the agent had found
him there would no doubt have been a
tragedy.
No doubt the stage agent would have
at least rolled Judge Pasehal in the
mud, when the interview took place, if
it had not been that he was fully per-
suaded he was talking to Ben Thomp-
son. whose skill as marksman is cele-
brated all over the country.-Te1as SJt-
mas
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-03-08
Pluek on The Plains,

An instance of boys pluck, endur-
ance, and success is shown by the re-
cent sale of E. G. Cowle's half interest
in his cattle ranch at North Platte,
Neb., to his partner for s77, 800. COwles
was born at West Farms in 1916, and for
some twenty-five years lived and work
ed around Westfield. Ten or twenty
years ago he found himself with 300 in
his pocket, and, concluding that if he
ever was going to make anything of
himself he must break from his old
associates and habits, he suddenly took
the train westward and landed in
Omaha. From there he drifted to
Texas, and for two or three years drove
cattle from that state to Colorado. On
one of these trips the drivers were all
killed by hostile Indians except himself,
he escaping by the swiftness of his horse.
When he got little money together, he
purchased a few head of cattle, and
from that time his success has been
gradual. He is now, and has been for
some years, connected with the United
States detective service, chiefly engaged
in looking up lawless bands of horse
and cattle thieves, and he has had more
than one prisoner taken from him by
infuriated ranchmen and hanged to the
nearest tree. He will probably pur-
chase another ranch and remain amid
the scenes where he has so quickly made
fortune -Springfeld (Mass.) Repu6-
Hcdn.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-03-08
Ozone and Enthusiasm,

The highest piece of buncombe ever
perpetrated upon long-suffering COM
munity is the oft-repeated tale that
''you don't feel the cold in Manitoba"
OF course you don't. When you see
men shuffling along Main street as fast
as they can shuttle; their fur caps pulled
down over their eyes and ears; their
faces covered with mufflers; their bodies
wrapped up in heavy furs; warm moe
casins on their feet, fur gloves on their
hands, and for all that, huge hump on
their backs, you are not to suppose that
they 60 about like that because they feel
the cold. Not bit of it. It's the won
derful enthusiasm produced by the ozone
in the air of Manitoba which makes the
people Just trif1e eccentric. When
you see man leaning up against a
fence or the side of a house to thaw out,
he isn't cold. It's nothing but that con-
founded ozone in the air stirring up his
enthusiasm again. No one ever feels
cold here, the atmosphere is SO dry so
bracing, so exhilarating, 80 utterly too
too in its vigor that people merely light
fires and burn Goals out of pure COM
passion for the coal dealers, who have
got to live Just like others.
When the mercury goes 40 degrees
below zero, it isn't cold. It's only just
beginning to feel warm then, and all
this talk about frozen ears and noses,
blistered fingers and hands, is only in
dulged in by spiteful people, jealous of
the ozone in our atmosphere. You
don't feel the cold in Manitoba. Never
lose sight of that one solid fact. 1t is
truer than the gospels of Ecclesiasticus,
and when some poor fellow gets frozen
| to death on the prairie rest assured that
| he never felt it, but just lay down out of
pure spite and died. When you are
/ told over fifty times day on the street,
! by passing friends and acquaintances,
! that ''it's stinger,' you must remem-
Der that they are referring to some by
gone event, which happened before
YOU were born, and mean no reference
whatever to the wonderful ozone of
Manitoba.
/ Last night was the warmest expert
enced in Winnipeg for century. The
fact that the mercury froze in many
thermometers was nothing but the mean,
wretched spite which affects even ther-
mometers. They knew it was warm,
pleasant night, but the ozone affected
! even their enthusiasm, and they had to
do something eccentric. We haven't
had cold day this Winter yet. Moth
ing but ozone and Wisani-
peg Times.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-03-08

She paused to look at me. l felt as if
a severe tension on hernerves had given
way at last, and quite crushed by the
fear of her treasures being lost, her re-
serve had broken down and she appeal
ed to me in her need
Fifteen years ago my husband de-
serted me. He was led away by evil
influences, and while for my children s
sake would have pardoned him, I
never saw him again, or heard one
word of him until learned through the
papers that he was dead and had left an
estate to his wife and children / could
not grieve, except that he had died un-
forgiven by me. have toiled for years
70 maintain my children So for their
sakes / applied to the lawyer to obtain
possession of the estate. Oh, the shame
of finding another claimant in Frace to
my children's name and honor!
''The careful French lawyer said I
must prove our claim as wife and child
rem by the production of the marriage
and baptismal certificates! And I did
not know where they were! The min
lister was dead and the witnesses had
dishonored my children, and for days
could get no relief from my anxiety un-
til by flash as if from heaven Iremem-
bered that I had placed the certificates
and other papers in the old cabinet I
had parted with to Clutchem & Keep. |
went to them; they had sent it here for
sale, and now you"
She broke down with moan of des-
pair. 1t was more than I could stand
That cry and the pitiful story forced me
into action at once.
''You shall have back that cabinet,
madam said solemnly, as if devoting
my life to its search.
''Ch, sir, you will do noble deed if
you find it for me!'' she cried gratefully,
looking at me with beaming eyes.
Her face looked to me as if a halo
came over it, and 1 dimly felt why Ihad
stood bareheaded before her. Truly
had 1 stood in deaths presence the
death of hope and love in this poor
woman's life-the requiem of gladness
and impulse.
She left me with a hopeful smile, tax
ing my hand with a pretty grace, and 1
watched her go down the shadowy room
into the sunlight of the street, but the
shadows seemed to fall from her.
I telegraphed to the Western firm.
They had the cabinet and rectrned it at
once; so that before many days the
nervous little fingers were searching in
the presence of the lawyer and myself
for the precious papers.
She found them! / shall never forget
her face as she held them up. The halo
was there as she said softly
'sThank Godr'
1t seems to cling to me yet, and to
make me think how much misery our
evil passions can work for the innocent.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-03-08

Irrigation is necessary in order to fiji
the best land in California for agrieul-
ture The annual melting of the snow
in the mountains furnishes ample water
for the purpose in many sectionsi but ii
seems that an enormous number of wa
ter claims have been taken up by incor
porated companies. In this manner the
right to take water from a number oi
large lakes and rivers has been disposed
of The companies, however, have ia
only few instances taken any steps to
make use of the privileges granted, but
content themselves with prohibiting 9th
ers from using the waters. Thus they
have come to be regarded as serious
hindrances to the prosperity of the State.
A demand that all such privileges shall
be forfeited is likely to be needed by she
present Legislature.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-03-08

The white cliffs on which Dover
Castle stands are the last objects which
the traveller loses sight of on his way to
Calais, and the first object which his
eyes discover on his return journey
homeward. The buildings themselves
are standing witness OF every change
in English history, from the occupation
by the Romans to the present reign.
Both cliff and castle, it might have been
confidently prophesied, would last as
long as the English nation itself, but the
cliffs are now being undermined by the
action OF the sea. The waves have for
many years been gradually washing
away the coast line on both sides Of
Shakspeare's Cliff, and they now
threaten to carry away the base of the
Castle of Dover.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-03-08

A pathetic scene was enacted in an
Arkansas legislature some time ago,
scene which some of the present repre-.
sentatives remember and regret. Col
Blitherheel. a gentleman who served
with distinction during the war, never
allowing anyone to take ham out of the
commissary department without pay
ing double price, was elected to the leg
islature, or more properly speaking,
was, after counting of votes, allowed
to represent the county. Shortly after
taking his seat, desirous of instituting
political reform, he introduced bill
for the prevention of fraud in elections.
colonel said: 'tMr. Speaker, we can
not allow any man who is not legally
elected to represent a county in this in
telligent body. The eyes of the north
are upon us, and we cannot afford to
ignore the critical gaze, for to immigra-
ton we must look for the country's de-
velopment l am reformer. L fought
too hard during the war"
"Ahem,'' exclaimed member, clear
ing his throat.
The colonel stopped, and regarding
the member for moment demanded;
''What do you mean, sirP
'What does who mean?'
''You, SIR
"What did do?''
"You said ahem.n
II was merely clearing my throat"
''Excuse me, apologized the colonel.
II thought you were casting lnslnu-
ations on my war record. As l was
saying, Mr. Speaker, we cannot afford
to disregard the gaze of the north, and
therefore urge the passage of the bill. :"
The bill was read third time, sub
mitted and passed, and then, upon mo-
ton of the colonel, committee was ap-
pointed to see whether or not all the
members were entitled to their seats.
Several days afterwards, the committee
submitted the following report: 1--WE,
the committee upon which was con-
ferred the duty of investigating
frauds in elections, do hereby beg leave
to say that all of the members
This is exceedingly gratifying, Mr..
| Speaker" said the colonel, ''for it does
me good to know that every member Of
! this house is entitled to his seat, and
| that no more can it be said that the
people of this state sanction fraud
LeG tLe SecIcudlS Ilioh 1cnuliIS IH0
report. Read on.
THAT all of the members, continued
the secretary, ''except Colonel Blither-
| heel are entitled to seats, but that he
was elected by fraud and should be un-
! seated
"Hold on" exclaimed the colonel.
"There must be some mistake in this
thing. Why, l am the man who moved
the reform"
'And the first to feel it, exclaimed
a member of the committee. II move
that the report be adopted" The mo-
/ ton met with storm of sanctioning
applause, and upon submission the re-
/ port was adopted.
'.Ahem," said member as the col
onel was escorted from the house.
| arkansas TraUeler.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-03-08
-----------------------------
The Two Glasses.
There sat two glasses, filed to the brim,
On rich mans table, rim to rim;
One was ruddy and red as blood,
And one rs clear as the crystal flood.

dnere sat Two glasses, hlled TO the br1m,
On rich mans table, rim to rim;
One was rudy and red as blood.
And one rs clear as the crystal food.
Said the glass of wine to the paler brother:
Let us tell the tales of the past to each other.
lean tell of banquet and revel and mirth,
And the proudest and grandest souls on earth
Fell under my touch, as though struck by
blight.
Where was king, for ruled in might,
From the heads of kings have torn the CROWN
From the heights of fame have hurled men
down;
have blasted many an honored name;
I have taken virtue and given sf1ame;
I have tempted the youth with sip, taste,
rhat has made his future barren waste,
Far greater than king am l,
Or than an army beneath the sky;
have made the arm of the driver fail,
And sent the train from the iron rail;
have made good ships go down at sea,
And the shrieks of the lost were sweet to me,
For they said, Behold, how great you be;
Fame, strength, wealth, genius before you
fall,
For your might and power are over an
Ho! no! pale brother" laughed the wine,
Can you boast of deeds as great as miner"
Said the water glass: ''I cannot boast
OF king dethroned or a murdered host;
But can tell of heart once sad,
OF thfrsts I've quenched, of brows I've laved,
Of hands have cooled and souls have saved;
have leaped through the valley. dashed down
Flowed the river and played In the fountain,
Slept in the sunshine and drnpped from the
sky,
And everywhere gladdened the landscape and
eye;
have eased the hot forehead of fever and
-, pain, @
have made the parched meadows grow fertile
with grain;
can tell of the powerful wheel of the mill
That ground out -four and turned at my will
can tell of manhood debased by you
That lifted up and crowned anew, 50.
cheer, help, strengthen and aid;
gladden. the heart Of man and maid;
set the chain-wine captive free,
And all are better for knowing me-"
These are the tales they told each other
The glass of wine and its paler brother
AS they sat together, filled to the brim,
On the rich mans table rim to rim.
~ -TPittSburg Post,
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-03-08
Thrilling Experience on Street OaY.

Twas night on the horse cara windy
weird, ghastly night. The pale moon
shone fitfully through the patches Of
dark clouds that ever and anon chased
each other over her face. It was the
hour when ghosts delight to prowl--
only, if any were abroad, it would have
been necessary for them to have put oa
their ulsters, for it was bitter cold. The
blizzard's biting blast whistled mourn
fully through the telegraph wires and
sung a funeral dirge. 1T was sight such
as brave hearts quail at. Not q sound
was heard save the mournful song of the
blizzard and the rumble of the wheels
of the horse car. Suddenly the pale
moon hid her face behind a cloud. Every
thing portended storm Disaster was
in the air. The Old Driver on the front
platform ceased to swear at the horses.
He pulled his blanket tighter about his
body and piled the whip in silence and
the car sailed along through the mud
and slush with renewed speed. 1t be-
came dark-very dark. Asolitary pas
senger sat in the corner, with his head
dropping upon his breast. He was tired.
He had been out with the boys.
Suddenly the Old Conductor started.
He glanced nervously at the heavens.
nothing was visible but canopy of in
tense darkness. Not gleam of light
was to be seen in the windows of the
rows of houses. Not a man was in sight.
They were alone. the Old Conductor and
the solitary passenger. Suddenly cold
blast of wind swept into the haf-opened
door and seized upon the oil lamp. There
was q sputter of flame, as if in angry
protest, and then it expired. The car
was darker, gloomier and more ghast-
ly than ever. The Old Conductor hesi-
tated no longer. He cleared the space
between the door and the solitary pas
senGer with stride, and in an instant
stoo3 before the sweetly-sleeping man.
A smile erept over the sleeper's face.
Perhaps he was dreaming of home. It
was o beautiful sight, but it had no ef-
feet upon the hardened conscience of
the Old Conductor. He paused but
moment, and then, seizing the solitary
passenger by the shoulder, shrieked in
the startled sleeper's ear:
"Gimme chaw O. tobackerr'
81 amt got none," was the sweet re-
sponse, and the solitary passengers
head again dropped on the solitary pas
senger's breast and the tired man was
again asleep.
The Old Conductor turned painfully
away and strobe back to the platform,
and the car kept right along on the
course, just as if nothing had happened.
And the blizzard whistled just as mourn
fully, and the sleepers in the brick
houses slept just as peacefully, and not
one of them knew the momentous event
which had just occurred in the lives of
wo men.-PbiEGdeLphtG Times.