davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

A WRITER of note has aptly re-
marked that the day Of the long news
paper leader is fast passing away, and
that the writer who wants to be read
must boil his articles down to a brief
paragraph. That is quite true. The
long leader stretching over third of
the editorial page, a few years ago SO
common, is now rarely met with. No
body writes them except journalists
who are paid for their work by the
ward. and few there be who read them.
We write of our own country, for in
England the long newspaper article
is common, though even there the
paragraph is coming into favor and the
DAYS of the long leader are numbered.
Americans are too busy to read col
umns on single subjects when so many
different things are daily occurring that
they must know something about, and
must gain that knowledge from the
newspapers. And, besides, life is too
short to put things into columns that
can be covered in from twenty to forty
lines. Mr. Labouchere, the gifted
editor Of London Truth and one Of the
very brightest men in England, enters
a protest against the ponderous leading
article. 81 never read an article, :"
he says, "and certainly never wrote
one, without being convinced that it
would be materially improved were
about two-thirds of it cut out.''
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15
Literary Notes.

B. P. SHILLABER, better known as
Mrs Partington," is over seventy
years Of age. He lives quietly in
Chelsea, Massachusetts.
The opening article in Harper's g
Magazine for March is description of
st. Louis, by William Henry Bishop.
1t is splendidly illustrated.
IT is SAID that Charles Nordhoff,
the Washington correspondent Of the
New York Herald, receives from that
paper salary Of $4,000 per year.
COLONEL HIGGINsoN's American
History series in Hdrper's Magazine
grows more and more interesting. The
paper in the March number is on The
Early American Presidents"
THE leading article in The Manhattan
for March will be on Dartmouth
College, - the Alma Mater Of Webster
and Choate The article will be
profusely illustrated with portraits and
from drawings made expressly for it.
Miss ELLA WHEELER, the poet, is
twenty-six years of age, and with her
pen has earned and paid for a pleasant
little home in Milwaukee, in which she
resides with her mother and a younger
sister whom she has educated. 1t is
said that Miss Wheeler is to be married
in the spring.
HARPER's MAGAZINE for March
does not contain single article in its
varied contents that has not a strong
claim upon the attention of readers,
and its illustrations are more than
usually fine. The frontispiece engrav.
ing is an illustration of the third part
of William Blacks new novel, Judith
Shakespeare, from a drawing by E.
A. Abbey.
The Egyptian question, which is
now exciting so much attention in
Europe and this country, will be dis
cussed by Gen. w. w. Loring, Pasha,
in a paper entitled What will Become
Of Egypt" in The Manhattan fol
March. General Loring's service OF
ten years under the Khedive Ismail,
during which he conducted the cam
paign against the Abyssinians, makes
the General one of the greatest living
authorities on all matters relating to
Egypt.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

A REPORT that nearly five million
letters and packages annually find their
way to the Dead letter office at Wash
ington leads the New York Herald to
the conclusion that 1--WE may
strengthen our proud list Of distinctive
national qualities by the claim that we
are the most absent minded people in
the world" No other nation will be
likely to dispute this new claim. Only
an American will carry letters, and
especially his wife's letters, to and from
the post office a dozen times, each time
forgetting to mail them, and then drop
them in without a stamp on them.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

H. H. WARNER, of Rochester, New
York, who is largely interested III
patent medicine and comets, has offered
a prize Of two hundred dollars for each
discovery Of brand new comet made
during the year 1884. There are GER
tain conditions which you must pay
strict attention to if you want to COM
pete for this comet prize. First: The
comet must be discovered either in the
United States or Canada. All other
comets are positively barred out
Second The comet must be unex-
pected. A comet that is running on
regular schedule time and is known to
be due this year will not pass. Neither
will the comet do which you may dis
cover some dark night when you 60 out
for drink and run the pump-handle
in your eye. That sort Of comet is un-
expected enough but you can't find it
again just when you want it. Third
When you discover a new comet you
must hold it by the tail until you have
telegraphed the glad tidings to Pro
fessor Lewis Swift, at Rochester, and
given him the exact time of discovery,
the position and direction of motion,
together with full data in regard to
brands and strawberry marks, 50 that
other astronomers may find it and
know it when they see it. This is a
rare opportunity to make two hundred
dollars. When the days have length
ened and the sun has strengthened,
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

THE Yonkers Gazette, one of the
most carefully edited weekly papers in
the country, is having pleasant little
controversy with contemporary about
hematter Of giving credit forthat which
one newspaper copies from another,
and at this stage Of the discussion the
Gazette is conspicuously on top, as Mat
thew Arnold would say. A newspaper
that habitually steals one-half or more
Of the matter that appears in it's col
umns as original need never expect to
have many of its articles, original or
stolen, credited to it by its carefully
edited contemporaries. There is too
much uncertainty about its loaded
matter. It may deceive some Of its
readers but not those who edit its ex-
changes. Those who want credit for
their work should themselves give
credit where credit is due, as near as
they can. Mistakes will happen in the
best regulated newspaper offices, but in
the matter Of omitting the credit
line they should not happen too often.
The charge that there is mutual ad-
miration society," among certain news
papers that are regularly quoted by a
great number of their contemporaries
has no foundation, save in the fact
that every newspaper that uses the
scissors honestly admires every other
newspaper that is conducted on the
same plan.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

THE FLOOD now raging in the Ohio
Valley is the greatest ever known there.
1t is terrible. For miles and miles along
the river towns and villages are under
water. Thousands of people are camped
on the hills and are suffering for food
and shelter. At Gallipolis one hundred
and fifty houses have floated away. At
Middleport a house went floating by
with woman sitting on the gable end.
They rowed out to her and appealed to
her to get into the boat but she said she
''had four babies below" The glass
was broken and the children were seen
floating dead. New Richmond, town
of three thousand inhabitants is
cut off from outside communication
save by skiffs, and the water is in every
house. The flood has at last begun to
abate about Cincinnati. The "cold
wave.'' which entered the desolated
districts yesterday, will greatly aggra-
vate the sufferings Of the homeless and
destitute. Appeals for aid are meeting
with liberal responses.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

The man who is all the time saying what
he is going to do when he accumulates
five thousand dollars, seldom does it.
Ten years ago two poor but honest young
men, named William Henry and John
Thomas, sat upon rail fence trying to
pry into the future. Said William Henry,
"When I accumulate five thousand dol
lars I am going West to buy herd of
cattle, and in short time I'll be a rich
man." John Thomas did not reply, but
got down off the fence and went West
while the walking was good. To-day
William Henry does not own a solitary
COW, bull or steer, while John Thomas
has more horned cattle out in Wyoming
than you could count in a week.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15
Items.

BOSTON has now a Cremation So
ciety regularly organized.
SARGEANT BATES threatens to lee.
ture all through the Presidential cam
paign.
THOMAS KINsELLA, editor Of the
Brooklyn Eagle, died on Monday after
noon, after an illness of three months.
He was So years of age.
REPORTS from Nevada state that
Wednesday night was the coolest ever
known there. The thermometer regis
tered 45 degrees below zero.
A STAGE COACH full Of passengers,
which left Oroville, Utah, more than
two weeks ago, has not been heard of
since. 1t is believed to be buried in
the mountain snow.
ONE MILLION DOLLARS in counter
felt paper money and about two hun
dred thousand dollars in bad coin are
contained in the safe at the headqUar-
ters of the Secret Service detectives in
Washington.
r. DAVIS CAREY and Theodore G.
Carey, Philadelphia stationers, were
held under $4,000 bail on Tuesday to
answer the charge Of purchasing, for
sale, an imitation of P. & J. Arnold's
writing fluid.
WAYNE MACVEAGH describes in the
March Century the ideal President,
and ventures the opinion that the po-
litical party nominating the man who
approaches nearest that ideal will win
the coming election
MAXWELL B. OCHILTREE, a wealthy
resident of Wilmington, died on Satur-
day from the effects Of a dose Of car
bolic acid, administered by servant in
mistake for a solution of asafGtida
prescribed by physician. Mr.. Ochil-
tree was 81 years of age.
THE Maryland Historical Society has
fixed upon March 81 as the date for the
celebration of the two hundred and
fiftieth anniversary Of the founding of
Maryland. A monument to commem-
crate the event is to be erected at st.
Mary's at the expense of the State.
EDITOR JOHN MCLEAN, of Cincin-
natl, talks about the Ohio floods in
the following sensible way 81 do not
see how government work on the Ohio
river can prevent floods, which of late
are Of annual and increasing violence.
They must be stopped by individuals.
The sinner is the individual who cuts
down trees"
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

AMERICANS will not be likely to
find anything very entertaining in
Queen Victoria's new book, and, if
we may judge from the cable summary
printed in the New York papers on
Tuesday, the Queen would have lost
nothing in the way of the respect Of her
subjects and other folks by having kept
the manuscript Of her diary for her
own private reading instead of printing
it in book. The work is described as
disconnected diary from August,
1862, to September, 1882, J" and the con-
Guiding page is devoted to the death Of
John Brown. In truth, there seems to
be great deal Of Brown in the book.
1t is told how Brown was once thrown
out of the carriage while on an eXcur-
sion and how the Queen was much dis
tressed because Browns legs had been
dreadfully cut at the back Of the
knees" On another occasion Brown
q hlllOhJ OOAOy W LllO
Queen when she had a cold, which
shows that Brown was not bad sort
of medical adviser and knew something
about simple family remedies that have
been tried and not found wanting
Again, during visit to Scotland, very
enterprising reporter stationed himself
on hill and with spy glass tried to see
what the Queen and Beatrice were eating
for luncheon, and Brown went and tried
to persuade him away but it seems
that Brown was hardly big enough to
persuade the reporter to go away. He
continued his observation. 1t appears
that if Brown were left out of the
Queens new book it would be much
smaller volume than it is. The cable
doesn't say, but we presume that the
book is bound in brown.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

WITH OLD TINE REGULARITY.-The 164th
Monthly Drawing of The Louisiana State
Lottery took place on January 18th. The
Commissioners, Gen'ls Early and Beauregard,
obtained the following result: Ticket No.
81 1893 drew the first capital of $4,000, sold in
fifths, costing each 81 one was sold to a gen
tleman i'll New York city, another to a news
paper man in Petersburg, Va, the others
Scattered everywhere as usual Ticket No.
20O96 drew the 2d prize Of 900. sold in fifths
also; one in Chicago, ILL.,, another in Wash
ington, d. c., to government employe,
probably who does not seek publicity
Ticket No SO, I76 drew the Sd Capital prize Of
$IO,OOO sold in flfths also one each held by
Henry Munk No. 276 Gratiot Ave, and Mr.
Samuel Levy, well-known citizens of Detroit
Mich. Nos. 12l4 and 81, 253, Sd Capital
prizes, drew each S6, 900, sold in f1fths; among
others to W. NJ. Lackey, of Bells Grayson
Co., Texas, through Merchants and Planters
Bank of Sherman, Texas. Many winners
seek to conceal the fact of their having
drawn prize. But let every one try for
himself on Tuesday, March II, 1884, when
the 166th Grand Monthly Distribution will
occur, and of which NJ. A. Dauphin at New Or
leans, La, will fully inform you on applica-
tiOn.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

THE Yonker'S Statesman thinks that
law to prohibit the manufacture and
sale Of cider would be an " unwarrant-
able interference with the freedom of
thepress." Buttheeditor Of the States
man never drank any Cecil county
cider. However, it is not good, plain
old-fashioned cider, such as our grand
fathers drank, that is making so much
trouble in certain sections Of this vale
of tears. It is another sort of liquid,
with a strong ordor Of corn whiskey,
that is going about in the disguise of
cider over on the Eastern Shore, and
filling poor, weak man choek-full
of woe.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

THE publication of the morning edi-
tion of the Baltimore Day has been
discontinued and the evening edition
has passed under the control Of G.. w.
Cruikshank, Esq. Mr.. Croasdale is no
longer connected with the paper. 1t
seems that the morning edition of the
Day was losing money very fast and
the publishers couldn't stand the drain
any longer. An eight page morning
paper without a good deal Of advertising
at fair rates is an awful drain on a
bank account.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15
Stlistellanfous @drer's.
1861. 1884
S.N.ReynoIds&Co.

While thanking our numerous friends for
their liberal patronage in the past, we take
great pleasure at the beginning of our new
year in announcing to them and the public
generally that our arrangements tor business
are now much better than they have hereto
fore been, enabling us to offer better bargains
and advantages to purchasers than before
Our general stock is and will ever be found
compile in all the novelties of the season and
in every description of goods in the most
desirable styles and qualities.
On our Bargain Tables will be found new
bargains every week for the next sixty days
of which our friends should take the benefit.
We commence this week with
Five Ladies Black Goats reduced from $500
to 1913.
reduced from $500 to $3.50.
Five Ladies' Black Beaver Coats, fur trim
med reduced from 500 to $500.
Four Ladies' Black Beaver Coats, satin trim
med reduced from $500 to $3.50.
Three Ladies' Black Beaver Coats, plush trim.
med, reduced from $3.50 to $500.
Three Ladies' Black Beaver Coats, plush trim
med, reduced from $l0.5O to 800
Three Ladies' Black Pilot Cloth Coats, re-
duced from $IlO0 to $3.50.
Four Ladies' Black Pilot Cloth Coats reduced
from $500 to $3.50.
Two Ladies' Corkscrew Cloth Dolmans, re-
duced from Sl2.00 to $3.50
trimmed, reduced from $500 to $II 90
One Ladies' Fancy Colored Coat, reduced
from $500 to $3.50.
One Ladies' Fancy-trimmed Coat, reduced
from 500 to $500.
Three Ladies; Fancy trimmed Coats reduced
from $3.50 to $5.75.
Four Ladies' Fancy-trimmed Plush Goats, re
duced from $500 to $500.
Three Ladies' Fancy-trimmed Plush Coats
reduced from 500 TO 500.
Three Ladies' Fancy-trimmed Plush Coats,
reduced from So. so to $3.50
Two Ladies' Fancy trimmed Plush Coats, re-
duced from $l1.00 to $3.50.
Two Ladies' Fancy trimmed Plush Coats, re-
duced from $12.0O to $780,
Four Black Stockinette Coats, reduced from
800 to $3.50.
Three Black stockinette Coats, reduced from
$3.50 to $3.50.
Two Black stockinette Coats, reduced from
$12.00 to $780,
Five Black Stockfnette Coats, reduced from
$500 to $l2.00.
One Black stockinette Coat, reduced from
$3.50 to 1915
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15
Valuable Information /! ImD0rt9nf

IN RECEIPT OF 25 CENTS VIZ WILL
- mai NAL the following interesting pamphlets
OF vital Importance to every citizen The
History Of Our Public Lands, The c
OF the Railroad Question: - 1.-THE ImpendinS
Crisis" ;" What Coal Ought to Cost, ""Corru6Ss
nd 9lo9, i,Ispeelf cations another New Road
TICEh six weeks on trial
USTICE" is sixteen-page weekly iour-
mai, established in 1882 by the late Peter
Cooper and other eminent scholars and phi
Ianthropic gentlemen of the CITY of New
York. 1t is printed on the finest paner in
the latest style of the art, and devoted cbietiv
10 exposing every form of robbery and cor
ruption in public matters. wi
Its principles are ANTI-MONOPOLY. the
the few. PAA' iiSSes oi
II Is also an excellent family paper. con-
tanning the most carefully selected misceI
a1lay.- ANY with a view to interest and instruct
every person, both young and old.
1t is Independent, impartial and abIv eon.
quoted, and contains each week much matter
OF the greatest Importance and Interest fo
the general inquiring mind "
Fr1ce, q per yearin advance. Liberal terms
N. Y. City. D0A OiO'
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

Somebody has discovered that kissing
is an American institution. Oh, we'll, that
is all right, and we are now more than ever
determined that American institutions
must and shall be preserved. But there
are no american institutions that were
not known to the Chinese $4,000 years
before G. Columbus came to America to
lecture. Any intelligent Chinaman will
tell Won SO.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

Those who write for sample copies Of
this paper should enclosed postage
stamp. not for publication but as an evil
dence that they don't take the publisher
for bald-headed philanthrOpist who is
printing paper for his health and paying
postage for amusement. We think we
said something like this once before, but
it is evident that good many persons in
the United States and British Possessions
overlooked our remarks on that occasion.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

GRANT is still in his room with his
crippled leg, and reporter who re-
Gently visited him thinks he will have
to fight it out on that line for a good
many weeks to come. A bruised leg is
no trifling affair to man who tolls
not and lives high and smokes many
fifty-cent cigars.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

THE followers of the Mahdi continue
to make the Soudan extremely un-
healthy for other folks. They have
captured Sinkat and killed Tewfik Bey
and his men. Only four sick men, the
Cadi of Sinkat and thirty women we're
spared by the rebels.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15
HOUSEHOLD GOODS /:
TERI MS:

All sums of $40 and under, Cash; over that
amount a credit of seven months Will be
given by purchaser giving bankable note
with approved endoTser. (The Fat Oxen
cash.)
RS- 10 goods TO be removed until the above
terms are complied with.
JNO. F. STATS.
JNo. W. NAUDAIN, Auctioneer. feb.s-ts
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

IT'S very probable that the President
will soon appoint Mr.. Spruance to the
vacant Judgeship in Delaware. And
the appointment will be satisfactory to
about everybody but the Dover ring.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

They are talking of abolishing cider, or
rather of prohibiting its sale, over in Cecil
county. If they do it the snake that plays
the leading part in newspaper serpent
stories over there will not be rs long by
nineteen feet as he was last. year.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

"I see,'' said Mrs. Hayes, the other
night, as she finished figuring up how
many ducks she would sell and how many
she would keep for seed this year, and
took up the newspaper, "I see great deal
in print about President Arthur's pants.
Such comments are very disgusting, I
should say. The papers didn't speak 50
about us when we were at the head of the
nation, Rutherford" "No ma'am," said
Rutherford, timidly, "they never to my
knowledge referred to my-that is your
I mean our pants" and then Rutherford
got up and went out to the kitchen to see if
the brick for Lucy's feet was hot enough
to take to bed.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15
So 90 A YEAR, IN ADVANCE.

To CoRREsPoNDENTs.-Com on
topics of local interest are always welcome,
but to insure insertion they must be briefand
to the point. We do not hold ourselves re-
sponsible for the views of correspondents.
Anonymous articles will receiveno attention.
Address all communications to the Proprie-
for
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

ALAw ought to be passed prohibit
ing the publication Of the hatchet-en-
graved heads of Men of the Hour, :"
with which many of the newspapers
Of to-day are afflicted. - Yonkers Ga
zpfto
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

A REWARD OF FIVE DOLLARS will be
n paid for information that will lead to the
sons who shall cut, break or otherwise mutt
late any tree upon the streets of Middletown.
By order of the Town Commissioners.
febl5-4t JOSEPH HANSON, Secretary.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

We learn from reliable exchange that
the wealth of the United States is SS72 for
each person. We wish the fellow who
has the SS71.S5 that belongs to us would
fetch it in before we grow too old to enjoy
wealth.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15
TERMS OF SALE:

All sums of $40 and under, Cash; all sums
over that amount a credit of 10 months will
be given by purchaser giving bankable
RF The public are invited to call and look
at Stock before the day of sale.
THOMAS LAVENDER.
S. NJ. ENos. Auctioneer. febl5-2t
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

An exchange says that Miss Elizabeth
Cleveland, a sister Of Governor Cleveland,
"is a very successful lecturer" That
may account for the Governor being a
bachelor.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

"Your face is very familiar" said a
Colorado man to a thoughtful person
whom he CHANGED to sit beside in rail-
road train. cit strikes me that we were
colleagues in the Ohio Legislature in
1865" "You are mistaken" replied the
thoughtful person, sit was in the Ohio
penitentiary we met. You had a
cell just across the corridor from mine. !"
"Oh, Yes 1 remember now," said the
other. "My memory is little tickle at
times but felt sure that we had served
our State together in some capacity. L had
got it into my head that it was in the
Legislature. My mind is much relieved
to know was not there. Let us congratu-
late each other.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15
9etu advertisements.
NOTICE.

WE HAVE this day sold our entire interest
w in our Stove. Heater and Tin-ware De-
partment to Mr.. Harry Davis, to take effect
from February lst. All bills contracted pre-
vious to February first, 1884, will be settled
at our Office. All bills after that date will
be settled with Mr.. Dayis at his place of bus
mess on Broad street.
S. NJ. REYNOLDS & co,
MIDDLErowN, DEL, Feb. 18th. lsS4-4t
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

young folks in pairs, assorted sexes,
will greatly enjoy sitting at the window
of evenings till a late hour looking for
a 5000 prize comet.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

CONGRESS has appropriated $500, 900
for the relief of the sufferers by the
Ohio floods. The amount should be
doubled at least.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

Yoke-shaped belts are worn on the
full walking skirts, and those with
heavy draperies sewn in with the skirt.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

Black silk and wooden house dresses
are lightened up with cherry or titan
red Moeires of surah.
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15

"After all, it seems, there is arrest for
the wickedP' said the burglar, when the
policeman caught him..
Middletown transcript., 1884-02-15
HOUSEHOLD AND KITCHEN
EURNTTTTR

Fifty-two yards of English Brussels CARPET.
lot of S.ply Ingram Carpet, Bedsteads, Blu,
reaus, Wash Stands, l Extension Table.
Settee. Chairs, Mahogany board, l Parlor
Stove, l Aurora Heater, air-tight Wood
Stoves, Bedroom Coal Stove, No. 10 Niagra
Cook Stove and Fixtures, in good order; lot
of Kitchen Tables.
DAIRY FIXTUREs:I Churn, Butter
Tubs, lot of Milk Pans, l large Milk Cup-
board, well ventilated.