davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-31
Rudderless.

Mr.. F., a passenger on y ~
ocean steamers lately, found an
college friend in the Captain and
passed some of their leisure tins
discussing their former classmates
their fate.
l never could understand said !
F., one day, .'why Will Petit j
not succeed. He left college eouinl
for every qualification for the strng|
of life. He had sound health a yioorr|
intellect, warm affections and a com|
tence. He proposed to enter the n
istry. but just before leaving colle|
fell in with some free thinking felld
and gave up the idea. Then he stud|
law and was admitted, but after a wed
practice he closed mis- Office and VI
to farming. l meet him now and IN
He had become a skeptic, but talk
little of his religious doubts. I'll
he leftlfarm and wife, and went to q
ifornia gold hunting. =,
SIN 1876 l was in Idaho, and ther
met Will. He had lost everything I,
supported himself by odd Jobs of wo
principally driving cattle. He v
neither n drunkard nor a gambler.
he had never succeeded in anythj
which he undertook. He tried 3 n
road to luck two or three times q We
He was now almost insane over his
position to Christianity and talked
%cessantly of religion, with the vilest a
most profane abuse, A month or t
later he died, in the same bitter hum
a rebel against God if there ever v
one. 1t is a mystery to me why such
man should have made such an end
After a short silence, the Capts
said;-
"Old sailors have q superstition Il
there are phantom ships that travel
the sea. I saw a vessel once that e
planned to mi how the idea originate
1t was a full-rigged bark, under $
and driving before a brisk sou'-westt
There was not a living soul on boar
[ surmised that some v%irulent disea
had broken out on her, and the CT,
were all dead or had deserted her.
tried to capture her, but could not,
'Several months later I passed h
again. Her top mast was gone, h
sails hung in rags. and the wind dro
her where it would. A year after 5
came across our bows one stormy vi
ter evening. She was a shattered hu
every plank started; the waves wash
her back and forth. She went down
last into the darkness and storm.
"She was a good ship at first, bu
he added, significantly, "she had
her rudder."
How many young lads who r.
this are starting out on the lie
voyage which waits for every man, "
equipped, and apparently promisil
but without a rudder!-Youth'S G!
DQuiOn-
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-31
..Sav 49,, .o,,n deor.o he whispercd.

"Say .yss' again DEAR - he whispered.
''I'll be SO good to you both"
The smile grew more decided, and she
bent forward as if to kiss the child's
fair temple, but Albert, perhaps misin-
terpreting her design, bent forward also,
and the kiss fell upon his mustashed lip:
Mrs. Trim and Mrs. Fargo, who had
tip-toed from the room some moments
before, were embracing each other in
the sitting room, with tears of irrepres.
sible laughter. Half an hour later Mn.
Fargo returned to the tparlor, thought
fully overturning chair as she
passed through the hall.
"Well," she said, elf you two have
come a place where you can leave off,
perhaps you will come to dinner"
1--WE have resolved never to leave
off," said Albert, ''but dinner will not
go amiss."
I'm afraid it will be very much
amiss," observed his mother. at has
been waiting an hour."-FeK1 Gray, ~
N. 0. ISMeS-D Democrat.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-31
Escaping the Asylum.

A peculiar case is reported from Sui
livan County. Two Monticello doctors
were called upon to examine a citizen as
to his sanity, his friends averring that he
acted strangely Of late. The physicians
said that the best place for some time to
come for the patient would be the Mid
dletown Insane Asplum. While the ex-
animation was in progress in one of the
doctors offices, a resident of an adjoin-
ing village stepped in to obtain a pre-
scription for some trifling ailn1ent. In
making out the commitment papers the
examiners of the insane patient got the
names mixed, the certificate of insanity
being made out in the name Of the man
who was all right mentally.
The papers we're given to the officers,
and they proceeded to look up ..their
man." he in the meantime having coolly
walked out of the DOCTORS Office. He
met the officers on the street and passed
a joke with them about the hot wave,
remarking that he thought he would
take a trip to Coney Island, and regret
ted that the official duties of the officers
prevented tlom from going along.
After an hours search the officers found
the gentlemen whose nanae had been
put in the certificate of insanity through
mistake, and they told him they wanted
him to take a walk and a mice ride"
Fearing that they were bunco men or
some OF the sharpcrs following in the
wake Of John j. O'Brien's circus, which
is making the tour of the river counties
on the west side of the Hudson, he re-
fused to have anything to do with them.
Finally the officers showed the asylum
papers, and suggested that the best way
would be to 60 along quietly. The
patient protested vehemently that a
mistake had been made, and the officers
We're only partially convinced that a
blunder had been perpetrated, when a
Port Jervis gentleman came along and
tried to convince them of the fact. A
hurried trip was made to the DOCTORS
office, where profuse apologies were
rendered to the Sullivan County farmer,
who had narrowly escaped being locked
up in the asylum. The officers had
''heard just such stories as his before
The lunatic meanwhile made the most
OF his time, but instead of going to New
York, on his way to the seashore, he
took an opposite direction. The officers
succeeded in catching him.-Kingston
en-. ~ FREEMAN.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-31
Gather the Fragments.

Be nm economist of time. Time I
money and more than that. 1t is th4
stuff that eternity is made Of. Bel
therefore, misers of minutes. We tald
Of loft hours" and ''spare moments
but we have none to, spare. True. wd
need recreation, relief from the daily
pressure of care. Sleep, can not be safe
ly abridged. The tension of modern
life, the rush and rivalry of business
make rest a necessity not q luxury
Overwork is a sin against the bodvI
We owe it to ourselves and to Others "a
keep the body in its best physical conf
dition- We are gathering up the frag-l
ments in so doing. Proper relaxation
is a part of true economy; but the poln7
to be remembered is the value and slss1
%nitieance of all our hours as related to
the aim of life. This understood, we
shall be frugal of oar scanty and less
ening store.
Fragments of tfme saved will rapidly
accumulate wealth, material and splr1
itual. Many valuable books have BEEN
prepared in moments of comparatn1
leisure. In the gold loom of the Phlla7
delphia Mint is a perforated hool'I
through which passes the dust or III.
ings OF gold the aggregate value o1
which is thirty thousand dollars every
year. This is but a hint Of the gain
cred wealth of many men who ha'e
learned how to husband minutes. hlnl
words and deeds that take but a NO
ment Of tinae may be like fruitful seeus3
the harvestinggs of which may be supa1
latively rich in this life and in the lllssJ
come. o the Joy of memory that consj
from utilizing fragments o time! WIai1
more than the swecpings of the. so:u1
room they enrich alike the life OF naa
who ava. and that 81 him who serve
An extra visit to the closet. tae III
provenent of some fugitive impresslo
or some passing acquaintance, msj
start streams of b%eneiicent lnhuens
that will not only momentarily feiio5
and restore a wearied soul, but leanI
permanent effect on character: w.
We need is a strong purpose 1olloH
out by systematic and persistent GU
day by day.-Rev. DR.. John d.
sing.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-31
VILLAGE WEDDING BELLS.

Ring on, ring on, We wedding bells!
Theresa duty rests with you;
The JOY you make is a joy that tells
OF hearts that arc brave and true.
1hc times arc hard for simple folk;
They'reoft in stormy weather;
But a man and wife must pub through life
And breast the waves together.
One side of life is as dark as night;
The other is clear as day.
In doing right you keep to the light,
And the dark will pass away.
Though times be hard for simple folk,
And we mourn the ills of fate,
Tho rule for man is, do what he can,
He must learn to work and wait.
Behind the clouds a silver light,
A Joy for the faithful heart,
Then plight your troth by a solemn oath,
10 be true till death do part.
ITS not in vain the wedding bells!
Ring Joy on the wedding day:
Though the battles nigh, yet hopes are high
And hearts are merry and gay.
Ring on, ring on, ye wedding bellsl .
There's a duty rests with you;
The JOY you make is q Joy that tells
OF hearts that arc brave and true.
Good Words.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-31

The oldest officer in the German
Army, Field Officer General Herwarth
Won Bittentield, who died a few days
ago at the age of lightweight years, was
one OF the few remaining veterans who
entered the army at the beginning of
the present century and who earned
their first laurels at Waterloo or Leip-
sio The most active part of General
Bitteniield's life began when most SOL
diers think of retiring. He took a lead
ing part in the great wars under the
present Emperor, whose senior he was
by n year only.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-31

BE not ashamed of thy vlr;]
Honor is a good brooch to wear !
mans hat at all times.--Ben J00so"'
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-31

Night brings out stars as so'i
shows Us truths.-R. j. Bailey.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-31


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The Osceola times., 1884-10-04
A THUNDERB0LT ON A FROLIC.
The Sort of Electricity which Cannot be
Chained and Confined.

The Sort Of Electricity which Cannot be
Chained and Confined.
During the thunderstorm Monday after
noon the blacksmith shop of Combs & Bow
man received call from passing thun-
der bolt and several persons who were in
the hop had close escape from instant
death. w. II. Bowman relates that he had
just finished mending sickle bar and was
standing at the anvil with hammer and punch
In hand, while Bud Porter stood on the op-
posite side of the anvil holding the bar for
him, when suddenly streak of lightning
came down the fiue, knocked the fire from
the forge, wrenched the sickle-bar from
Porter's hands and hurled II across the shop
breaking 1t in two pieces, and at the same
time throwing Bowman and Porter clear
across the shop, they bringing up against the
opposite wall, but fortunately both escaped
any injury whatever, not even being stunned.
John Woods, who was at work In another
part Of the shop, was knocked down and
sustained painful bruises.
instantaneous with the report Of the con-
cussion there was at Dr. Forests house,
most in direct line from the shop, a sound
as of breaking glass, and upon examining
his premises, the doctor found that shaft
of the lightning had penetrated one Of the
windows In the east end of his kitchen. The
fash was almost binding and the report
deafening ana for an instant almost every
one in Alturas believed that his own premi-
ses had been struck by lightning. MOdoc
Independent.
The Osceola times., 1884-10-04
SENSE AND SENTIMENT.

A rollingpin gathers no remorse.
The best of watches are secondhand
ed.
Queen Victoria has recently made a
new will.
Earnest prayer is the disinfectani OF
the soul.
What the living man earns, urns the
dead.
An Illicit whisky maker has still
tongue.
A good man errs when he drops good
manners.
my business is picking up" says the
rag gatherer.
The Shanghai roosters still wear their
feathers high.
People who live in glass houses should
waste no putty.
He who lives but for himself, lives but
for little thing.
The American Navy has 1000 offices
and less than 100 ships.
Silence is the wit of fools aud one of
the virtues of the wise.
Steel without a ring to it and 'rine"
without steal are comparatively un-
known.
The electric light is voted nuisance
by the summer tourists with flirting ten
dencies.
Education begins the gentleman, but
reading, good company and reflection
must finish him.
II is said that quiet eyes denote self
command. Come to think of 1t, SO does
quiet mouth.
A New York bank Presidents wife
calls her husband Honey" This NAV
be because he is in cell.
Scholars are frequently to be met with
who aIe ignorant of nothing saving their
own ignorance.
Turnips fed to sheep are said to make
milton tender. Will cabbages fed to
lawyers make legal tender?
The seersucker craze will be of few
days, but the beersuckers, like Tenny-
soh piooh, Will W OH ioieNcT.
The proper question to ask young
woman who is about to elope is, docs
your mother know your route?"
AT nose competition, held lately in
Austria, the prize went to man with o
gigantic nose of deep violet blue.
Queen Victoria's poor relations are
now beginning to speculate upon the
amount that coed lady proposes to leave
them.
Since the earthquake many timid peo-
pie have taken out accident policies. 1t
Is an i'll quake that shakes nobody any
good
The young lady who was blamed for
allowing her glove to be discovered in a
young mans pocket stated that she had
no hand in it.
The Osceola times., 1884-10-04
Courtship by Revolver Going Out.
Philadelphia Times.

Those afectionate persons, the young
men who go courting with loaded revol-
vers, have been less plentiful this year
than formerly. Determined, however,
to maintain the custom, Joseph Rice of
New York went cunning for his sweet
heart, Lena Stone. He succeeded in
wounding her very seriously and in get
ting himself into jail without bail.
This method of courtship has only
been in general use for the past few
years The circumstances that made its
adoption either necessary or desirable
have never been fully developed, and
doubts have even been expressed whe.h-
er they were capable of any rational ex-
pianation. But that the method has
found home in America, as many other
undesirable things have, can n be de
MED.
1t may be that our youths have tired
OF the old, staid and accepted ways OF
th,ir fathers. They may long for an ag-
cessive campaign, or they may be anx-
ious to create distinctive American pol
icy. But in any event, whatever its ori.
gin or motive, nothing can be more graf
flying than its gradual decline. 1t is
not encouraging for young country to
have to send its girls 10 the grave and
lis boys to Jail simply because they can
not agree to be married.
The Osceola times., 1884-10-04
A coin Story.

When Mr.. Lincoln was running for
Congress ON the Wing ticket in 1874, in
the old Sangammon, Illinois, District,
there were few kickers in his party.
In the course of speech in the district,
he illustrated the state of his mind on
this subject by telling the story of q
jackass he owned when young man.
He said:
"The case of that jackass was most
singular. When everything was pleas
ant all around he would kick the worst.
When his rack was fullest and his stall
fixed with new straw, and everything
real comfortable, that jackass would
start in on the almightiest spell of kick
ins that was ever seen. All the veteri-
nary surgeons in the neighborhood
came around and tried to find out just
what made that critter kick 80. They
never could agree about it. One thing
we ali noticed was that he always bray
ed and kicked at the same time. Some.
times he would bray first and then kick
but other times he would kick first and
then bray, SO that confused us, and no.
body in that whole county was ever able
to find out whether that jack ass was
braying at his own kicks or kicking al
his own brays."
The Osceola times., 1884-10-04
CHINA'S MILLIONS OF MEN.
What the MonstrOus Dragon May DO II
Proggsd to tho Figh. Ing Point.

What the Monstrous Dragon May DO II
ProgRed to tho Figh Ing Point.
An Alta reporter called at the Chinese Con.
sulate yesterday afternoon to see If any ad-
ditional facts had been telegraphed. The
yellow flag faunted from the roof of the
building and the usual air of calm content
pervaded the place. The Consul, courte-
Gus, well-educated Chinaman, as are all the
diplomats Of that nation, great and small,
said that he had no official notification of the
declaration Of war by China, but had no
doubt it was so. The seizure of Kelung In
FormOsa by the French troops, pending the
diplomatic discussion, was an outrage to
which no self-respecting government would
submit, and yesterday 1t appeared that the
Chinese Emperor celebrated his birthday by
declaring W ar and vindicating the honor OF
his country. The gentleman was aware that
France despised the power Of China, but he
WAS also aware that China had made rapid
strides In the art of war during the past de-
cade.
At one hours notice she could put in the
field one hundred thousand men armed with
Remington breech-loading and magazine
rifles and with all the necessary Gatling
guns, Hotchkiss guns and field pieces. She
had ninety million men capable Of bearing
arms and was not short OF money. Her
navy, officered by Europeans, consisted of
forty first-class line of battle ships and
twice as many gun-bOats. He credit was
good, her people loyal and the French would
find out that the big guns and big words of
the foreigner had no further terr0rs for Chi
namen. Alta California.
The Osceola times., 1884-10-04
Not just Then,

All old Lexingtonians speak of the power
of putting things which Mr.. Clay possessed,
but they say 1t was something to be felt, not
to be initiated or described. Illustrative Of
It Is the story Of Tom Marshall's visit to Lex
ington on one occasion to down" the great
Wing leader. Mr.. Clay had to face back
salary grab. There was no question of the
facts. They were all against him. He had
come home TO his Blue Grass constituency,
and was to meet the charges and reply to
them from the front of the Lexington court
house.
Marshall had been sent for, and had come
to show the weakness of Mr.. Clsy's defense
and to clinch the political scandal. Clay
commenced to speak, and Marshall stood In
the crowd, well toward the front, listening.
As the orator progressed with bis vindica-
ton Marshall edged back toward the street.
At length Marshall reached the opposite aide
Of The street. and Stood IN the 0utskirte Of
the crowd. Clay reachsdhls eloglng peG1od1
9 AaEshAll wa6 sdyplng asu1na ~ eesn9.
The Osceola times., 1884-10-04
STORY OF A STATE PRISON,
The Case ola Man Who Though Innocent,
Spent Ten Years In jail.

The Case ola Man Who Though Innocent,
Spent Ten Years In Jail.
Governor Knott has pardoned James W.
Morrison out of the penitentiary. Ten years
ago Morrison was convicted on circumstan-
tial evidence of the murder of w. A. Bush
at POlsgrove Landing, Barren county, this
State. The circumstances as developed in
the tiial were about as follows: Not quite a
year before the murder, Morrison, then only
about twenty-four years Of age, settled at
POlsgrOve Landing and soon made reputa-
tiOn as a clever, gentlemanly fellow, who
was inclined to be rather fast and reckless.
He met and became infatuated with Julia
johnson. He had rival in the woman's
affections In the person of W. A. Bush. One
night the two met and quarreled, and Morri-
son drew pistol and fired at Bush, but
missed him. Not long afterward Bush was
seen to drink some whisky given him by
Morrison, and, when he was suddenly taken
Ill and died, 1t was at once charged that Nor
nson had poisoned him.
What led to your pardon?" asked a re-
porter who saw Morrison yesterday.
well, some time ago the main witnesses
In the prosecution against me. the three
HarrOd brothers, began to talk about hav-
Ing made mistake In their testimony. Ny
friends urged me TO send for them and have
talk about 1t, but declined to do so, say
Ing that they had sworn my liberty and al
most my life away once and did not wish
anything more TO do with them. They final
ly confessed having given faulty evidence
and repeated this to a number of my friends.
Mr.. H0gue, the lessee of the penitentiary,
told me he had a long talk with one of them
and that he had made some important dis
closures. After that they confessed to the
Governor, who I'll decided on the pardon"
What became of tn. three brothersg'
shortly after making the confession they
were caught In boiler explosion and one OF
them was instantly killed and the other two
badly injured. l have an impression that
they finally recovered, but don't know
what became of them"
"Yes, everything seems very strange to
me, he continued in answer to question.
Ten years is a long time, and many changes
have been made since was here last The
only only thing grieve over is the death OF
my last and dearest relative, my mother,
which took place five weeks ago to o-day. II
she could have lived to see my innocence
proved and me free man, would to-day be
the happiest man alive" and tears sprung
into the poor fellows eyes as he spoke.
Louisville Courier Journal
The Osceola times., 1884-10-04
A Remarkable Woman.
Chicago Times .

The news was not thought worth send
ing by telegraph, but a most remarkable
American woman died recently in the
town of Bloomington, Conn.,, at the ad-
vanced age Off years. This woman
was Julia Brace, whose name appears in
every encyclopedia, and whose history
has been told a thousand times. At the
age of ~ years she lost both her sight
and bearing, soon losing, too, ier power
of speech, and 80 far all her long life she
was blind, deaf mute, deprived of her
most important senses, yet learning to
distinguish articles, persons, aAd even
colors by her nice sense Of touch. Her
tenacity of memory was wonderful. For
more than thirty years she was an in
mate of the American asylum for the
deaf and dumb at Hartford, and was a
subject Of sympathy and curiosity to
thousands Of visitors.
The Osceola times., 1884-10-04
You Must Think Of Dose Things.

Der clothing peesness," he replied, as
he wiped his face with red bandana
and sat down on two-dollar trunk at
the door, "vhas What you might call play
ed oudt. II vhas hard scratching to make
a tollar."
"But people wear clothes all the time"
"Oxactly; but peoples hat changed a
good deal. Some folks vhas all for style,
and dey go to tailor to get a fit. Odder
peoples buy ready-made clothing, but SO
many of us vhas in der peesness, dot it
vhas hard sledding Eafery mans who
come into my blace expects to beat me
down. Easery man look der goots all
oafer for cotton, und it vhas hard to de-
ceive him."
"What do you ask for that tweed suitT'
"Vhell, my first price on dot suit vhas
$l4. After I talk for ten minutes ! drop
to$12. If der customer pegins to pull
out cotton fiben make der price $40, sl
which put my hand on my heart und
assure him dot lose oafer tree tollars."
"But if he doesn't take it?"
"Vheli, go oudt und my yhife sells II
to him for SO as great favor. Der vha'
no more brofit in tweed suits. haf tt
pay 81 in Rochester"
II suppose you make up on trunks ant
satchrls?"
Make oopi Why. man, 1t what do
part Of der peesne@ what ruins me! Lcol
here. Here vhas trunk init patton