davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Opelousas courier., 1884-01-19
me FIRST PRAYER II. congress.

In Thascner's Military Journal under
date of December, 1777, is made anote
containing the identical ''irst prayer in
congress-" made by the Rev. Jacob
Duche, a gentleman OF great eloquence.
Here it is-an historical curiosity:
"Oh, Lord. our Heavenly Father, great
and mighty King Of kings, and Lord of
lords, who dost from Thy throne be-
hold all the powers of the earth, and
reignest with power supreme and I'M
controlled oyer all the kingdoms, m
pires and governments look down in
mercy, we beseech Thee, on these
American states, who have fled to
Thee from the rod of the oppressor,
and cast themselves on Thy gracious
protection, desiring to be henceforth
dependent on Thee. To Thee they
have appealed for the righteousness of
their cause; TO Thee do they now look
for eountenance and support which
Thou alone can give. Take them,
therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy
nurturing carel Give them wisdom in
counsel and valor in the field. Defeat
the malicious designs of our adversa-
ries: convince them of the unrightous-
ness of their cause, and, il they still
persist in sanguinary purposes, oh, let
the voice of thine own unerring JUS
tice, sounding in their hearts, constrain
them to drop the weapons of war from
their unnerYed hands in the day of
battle. Be Thou present, Oh, God OF
wisdom, and direct the counsels Of this
honorable assembly. Enable them to
settle things on the best and surest
foundations, that the scenes of blood
may be speedily closed, and order, har-
mony and peace may be effectually re-
stored, and truth and Justice, religion
and piety prevail and flourish among
Thy people. Preserve the health o.
their bodies and vigor of their minds
shower down upon them and the mil
lions they here represent such tempo
raj blessings as Thou seest expedien1
n
The Opelousas courier., 1884-01-19
HoFdtatg fhe Rcsns.

A good driver always grasps the
rein so that it passes into the hand
under the little finger first, the ends OF
the fingers, after the hand is closed
upon the rein, being in a perpendicular
line. This gives a vise-like grip which
it is almost impossible. for the leather
to slip through. But the wrong habit
young drivers, and especially ladies fall
into, is to catch the rtins in such a way
that when it enters the hand it first
passes over the fore-fnger when held
in that way it is very hard to keep 1t
from slipping, and SO it happens that
when an excited horse gives a quick
jerk and the lady feels the line slip she
thinks her strength is inadequate, loses
her presence of mind, and in a few
minutes somebody's hurt. Ii persons
knew how awkward a poor driver
looks they would try to improve
There's nothing more ridiculous than
a green driver with his arms stretched
away out in front pushing on the
lines" On the other hand, there is no
more pleasing sight than to see a we'll
trained driver, and especially IN the
person of a pretty girl, sitting erect'
with hands close to her slender waist,
the rein curling over her delicate
thumb, and the whip grasped firmly
arching over the horses back, thread
her way without nervousness or lear
| through narrow, crowded streets, or
on broad avenues, leaving her tlmld
| friends behind. In England fox-hunt-
ing has such a hold upon the people
that a girl is taught to ride almost
before she learns anything else. In
France the pleasure of individual drlV-
ing has never worked its way into the
French woman's mind. In this country
there is a change coming, but 1T is
scarcely visible at present except at the
fashionable centres where a few lead
ing ladies are noted as horsewomen.
A New York lady enjoys almost as
much distinction as a queen, SIMPLY
because she knows how to dispense
with the services of a coachman and
tone up her system by manipulating
the ribbons wei a trotter's back as
she flies along the drive.
The Opelousas courier., 1884-01-19
PEARLS OF THOUGHT.

Value the friendship of him VINO
stands by you in the storm.
No man should part with his own
inviduality and become that OF an
other.
Some men give according to thelf
means, and some according to their
meanness.
Men must be decided on what they
will not do, and theybare able to act
with vigorin what they ought todo'
A shrewd observer once said that IN
walking the streets of a slippery morn
ing, one might see where the good ma
tured people lived, by the ashes thrown
on the ice before the door.
There are a set of malicious, prating,
prudent gossips, both male and female
who murder characters to kill time
and who will rob a young fellow OF
his good name before he has years to
know the value of it.
If you cannot be happy in way
be in another, and this facility OF dis
position wants but little aid from
philosophy, for health and good hu'
NOR are almost the whole affair. Many
run about after felicity like an absent
man hunting for his hat, while it IS In
his hand or on his head.
The Opelousas courier., 1884-01-19
Persomar;tv of Locomotives.


mo two engines are alike-I mean
as regards their character" said an en-
gineer to a reporter.
Locomotives have a character, then,
have they?"
"They have, indeed. They have
their p~eculiarities, and their ways and
their moods also. On every railroad
this fact is understood, and each en-
CINE has its engineer, who finds the
longer he drives his iron horse the
more he has to learn about her. Some
times she is cratic as a woman, and
for no apparent cause. Sometimes a
higher pressure is necessary to make
her 90. sometimes under low head she
will fly. And then again, under the
same conditions, she kicks and spurts
like a balky horse. I hare taken out
my machine on the Fort Wayne, and
put her through the run n day at
forty miles like a lady. The next day
it often happens she'll kick and bump,
and has to be forced into going. It's
all according to the way she feels.
However, an engineer learns his en-
gine's p~eculiarities, and knows how to
control them, and if she has any speed
-. oo~ ~o% ~ oy1t of hnrS
The Opelousas courier., 1884-01-19
E'aael.

IN a paper recently read before the
Paris Academy of Sciences, some very
interesting facts were given in regard
to the various materials used al fuel,
with ON Of which our readers are
probably not familiar. Fossil resin,
which has the appearance of yellow
amber, is obtained from the auriferous
alIuyium Of New Grenada. Egyptian
asphalt leaves after burning q red ash.
which is oxide Of iron. Judea pitch is
found floating in Jumps on the surface
Of the Dead Sea. Samples Of pitch
from China are obtained from bore
holes which the Chinese put down for
the purpose Of procuring salt. These
holes, which are usually about 300
fa6homs deep and three-quarters Of an
inch In diameter, are bored with an
iron rope, and the salt water is raised
BIZ q bamboo rod with 4 valve at the
bottom. When the bore hole is put
down to q still greater depth, consider
bio quantities Of inilanmabie gas issues
from II, and the gas y utilized ID light
ing up the work and also for firing the
steam boilers. the Chinese being practi-
cal and wide awake IN this as in many
other things.
The Opelousas courier., 1884-01-19
II Wostdes. Wig.

I wonder why The worlds good things
Should fall in such unequal shares:
Why some should taste OF all the joys
And others only feel the cares2
I wonder why the sunshine bright
Should fall in paths some people tread.
While others shiver in the shade
OF clouds that gather overhead!
] wonder why the trees that hang
So full of luscious fruit should grow
Only where some may reach and eat
While others faint and thirsty go!
Why should sweet flowers bloom tor some,
For others only thorns be toundi
And some grow rich on fruitful earth,
While others till but barren ground?
I wonder why the hearts of some
O'erflow withjoy and happiness,
While others 60 their lonely way
Unblessed with aught of tenderness!
! wonder why the eyes of some
Should ne'er be moistened with a tear,
While others weep from morn till night,
Their hearts so crushed with so-row here
All! well; we may not know indeed
The why's, the wherefores OF each iiie'
But this we know-there's one who sees
And watches us through joy or STRIFE,
Each life its mission here fulhlls,
And only He may know the end,
Ard lnv;nu Him VIC rnov hn strong.
Though storm or sunshine He may send.
The Opelousas courier., 1884-01-19
wonders I'm Store.

Remarkable as have been the adj
ysnces in the uses to which electricity
can be put, according to Professor Mel
vile Bell, the future has eve greater
surprises in store for ns He thinks
the time will come electrical and
telephone messages will be sent with
out wires. The message bearer will be
the rays of the sunlight. The so-ealled
electrical action is simply vibrations in
the air, which produce certain results
at different points and Professor Bell
is of the opinion that inventive genius
will yet enable us to make use of the
imponderable agents to transmit mes
sages between distant localities. In
deed, there are enthusiasts who now
think that we will ultimately be able
to communicate with sentient beings
in other planets. 1t has been
demonstrated that the materials which
compose the heavenly bodies are identi-
cal, and it is a fair inference that
creatures corresponding to our own
race, with the same kind of faculties,
people them. If SO, We may perhaps
yet have a friendly chat with the in
habitants of Venus and Mars. and
probably other worlds in solar systems
beyond own.-Chrsstidn at Work
The Opelousas courier., 1884-01-19
Ho,e a captain Foreteiss a Storm.


Dr.. S. Weir Mitchell, of Philadelphia,
an eminent specialist in nervous dis
orders. recently read before the Phila-
delphia College of Physicians an inter-
esting paper containing the experiences
of Captain Robert Catlin, of the United
States army, who claims to be able to
foretel the approach of storms by pains
resulting from the loss of a foot. crush
ed in battle, in August, 1864. The
captain is ayictim of traumatie neural
gia, through the mutilation Of his foot.
Storms frequently announce their COM
ing by the ~twitching of his nerves
when the storm centreis at distance Of
| $40 miles. It was stated that storms
from the Pacific are felt the furthest
off very soon after crossing the Rocky
mountains. Those which move along
| the coast from the Gulf of Mexico are
associated with neuralgia not quite SO
| intense, and are not felt, as a rule,
until within the average neuralgia dis
lance. Should the pain be on a day Of
intermitting rain, it takes on an addi-
tional activity just before the increas-
ing shower. and continues twenty to
forty minutes. Each little increment
of pain seems to bear about the same
relation to the showers as the main at
tack bears to the storm. Eating a
meal hastens and intensifes it when
on. There is an ebb tide of pain just
preceding meals, and storms coming
within range during the early and
middle sleeping hours do not ordinarily
arouse their victim, but delay their at
lacks until sleep becomes less profound.
Intense auroral periods are also beliey-
ed to produce the pain.
The Opelousas courier., 1884-01-19
The Neat Qmestio,s.

In Scotland they have narrow, open
bitches, which they call sheep-drains.
A man was riding a donkey n day
across a sheep-pasture, but when the
animal came to the sheep-drain he
would not goover it. So the man rode
him back to a short distance. turned
him around and applied the whip.
thinking, Of course. that the donkey,
when going at the top OF his speed,
would jump the drain before he knew
it. But not SO. When the donkey got
to the drain he stopped all of a sudden,
and the man went over MI. Neddys
head. Nc sooner had he touched the
ground than he got up, and. looking
his beast straight in the face, said,
ssVerra weel pitched; but then hoo are
ye going to get over yersel?a
The Opelousas courier., 1884-01-19
Misleading Symptom.

A notorious quack found his bust
ness increasing to such an extent that
he was obliged to take an assistant.
He did not, however, attempt to I'M
pose upon his junior as he did upon
the public, very ~candidly admitting
that his reputation rested on a series
of fortunate guesses and lucky accl-
dents. "You come with me and
pay me a few visits. You will very
soon get the hang of the thing"
The first house that they called at
they found the master in bed. Quack
senior, the moment he set eyes on the
plaintiff, said: ''There. now;
how men of your time of life be impru-
dent enough to indulge in a surfeit OF
watermelon, I can't see. How many
melons did you eat this morning? Inc
best part of three, I'll be bound The
old man, wondering at the acuteness
of his medical adviser, admitted that
he was right in every particular. The
doctor prescribed some simple remedy,
and took his fee and his leave.
No sooner were they outside than
the embryo quack, burning to acquire
such an important professional secret,
commenced: "How did you know that
the man had been eating watermel-
on? You never looked at his tongue.
Or"
Tongue be hanged" said the ell
der; "Ilooked in the woodshed as l
came in and saw the rinds of three
watermelons. You must use your
eyes, my boy"
The lesson sank deep into the young
mans mind, and he endeayored to
profit by it on the very first occasion
that he made an independent visit.
mo wonder you are feeling badly"
said he to his patient, "when you had
been eating horse-that's enough to
sicken a Jerseyman."
Horse T. said the sufferer family,
yet ~Wonderingly.
eyes, horse said Esculapius junior.
"Now tell me how much have you
eaten"
Horse" repeated the patient, indig-
nantly.
Eyes, horse" replied junior again.
"Inever did such a thing, wouldn't"
Here he got madden than ever as the
idea was more fully borne in upon
him "Get out of here, you internal
quack," and with the assistance OF a
couple of the patients stalwart sons,
the pretender to medical science was
bounced.
"And yet" he said, when he Ok,
planned his adventure to his mentor.
whoha lost a patient by his assist
ants injudicious diagnosis; "and yet
saw a saddle in the woodshed as plain.
ly as you saw the watermelon rinds."
Quack senior is nov advertising fol
another assistant, and quack junior is
driving an ice-Wagon.-Ihe Jadge.
The Opelousas courier., 1884-01-19

for them in this world, and crown
them with everlasting glory in the
world to come. All this We ask, In
the name and through the merits OF
Jesus Christ, Thy Son, u Saviour.
Amen
The Evening critic., 1884-08-16
MARIA HALpIN TELLS ALL.
The Story OF Her Wrongs Heard
From Her Own IfpH.

The Evening Telegraph Of Buffalo, N. Y, pub
llshed on Thursday evening an interview
held by momber OF It's stan with Maria Hal
pin at New Rochelle. Following is q synopsis
OF 10 statement OF which the Telegraph claims
to have attested proof. Mrs. Maria Halpin said
to the reporter.
~ was employed at Flint h Kenrs when
Grover Cleveland persistently sought and
nnally made my acquaintance. i was not as
stont as look now, being tall and slender,
and II 10 wonder that endured all suffered
In the years from 1874 TO 1877.
september Id, 1874. Grover Cleveland is his
father, and TO say that any other man was ro
eponsible for his birth is infamous. The at
tempt to connect tho dead Oscar Folsom with
me or my boy, OF which hear, is cruel and
cowardly. 1 had but very slight acquaint.
anee with Oscar Folsom.
suffered for Grover Cleveland and for my boys
sake, that an attempt win be mado to further
blacken me In the eyes OF the world. No one
knows the extent OF my sufrerings.
"After my child was taken from me begged
Cleveland on my knees to lot mo have sight
Of my baby. He was immovable. / found
where the boy was, however, and one day 1
rushed in upon his keeper, snatched him up
and ran away befere thcy could stop mo.
"My sufferings subsequently,, my fruitless
Efforts to have Cleveland ful1ll his promise OF
marriage, his neglect OF myself and our
child, my abduction and violent treatment by
his hired tools, are truthtully but only par
ut would be impossible TO cover the events
that made up those years OF shame, suffering
and degradation forced upon me by Grover
Cleveland"
The Telegram adds: "rhe gentleman TO
whom she made this statement says that, In
the course OF long interview with her, she
wept bitterly as she told OF her wrongs. Her
manner and appearance enforced a conviction
OF sincerity. When told that II was reported
che had made, or was about 10 make n state
ment generating Governor Cleveland, Maria
Haipin drew herself up as II preparing for q
supreme EFFORT, and replied in q most impres.
siye and earnest manner: me make a state.
ment generating Grover Clevoland2 Noveri
would rather put bullet through my
heart"
She said further that she could not truthfully
make any such statement, and Grover Clove-
land would not dare ask her TO humiliate her
self again that he might enjoy honors and
wealth, while on his account she was excluded
from kindred and friends, and patiently walt
Ing for death to end her misery. She then
went Into details OF what she had suffered
from 1874 TO 1877 ut the hands of Cleveland
or his agents, telling q story, the sympathetic
reporter says, "that would melt q heart OF
etone."
Her statements are fortified and corroborat.
ed by facts known In the case, aud by circum.
stances and records bearing upon that event
ful period OF her lite.
The Evening critic., 1884-08-16
HOW THE CANDY WAS DISPOSED or
what Our Jmpertinent Reporter
Saw Three Girls DO and Say I'm n


what Our Impertinent Reporter
Saw Three Girls Do and Say I'm n
street-Car.
An open car carried three lovely young
ladies TO the Navy Yard last night shortly
after dark.
They were all brunettes, and their bangs
were just stunning. They had been on a
shopping expedition, and, Judging from
the packages which they had, they evil
IDENTIFY must have spent above ten cents at
the millinery and two dollars at tho candy
shop. In fact they were just loaded down
with sweets. 1t was really interesting to
watch these sweet girls in white" chew
candy. They appeared TO be keeping time
with each other. Sometimes one would be
about to clap down on caramel, and no.
ticing that the others were not quite ready
or were feeling around In the package for q
select piece, she would stop and say "Ate
you readyP"
"Wait minute, we'll bo all right"
The candy being fshed out Of the bag
they would resume their systematic chow
ing. The girls would talk, first about their
beaux, then OF the last excursion.
"Dollie," said one, "do you remember
how we used to smuggle candy into school ~
Eyes, very well but don't You know that
our teacher served us o very mean trick the
time she took our candy from us and then
ate II herself2'
"Yes; she was always q mean woman
and I'll never forget nor forgive her."
"Oh, Lille, we must save some of this
candy for the boys. Both Sam and Will are
at my house waiting for us, and they'll be
awful mad II we DON'T" spoke up third girl.
"That's So" answered Lille, and she
carefully placed the last unbroken package
under her arm, and said, 1--WE will take
this to the boys
The car rolled on.
AS 1t started up the hill, one of the girls
remarked, Lets each take another caramel
and then give the rest to the boys"
They did so and finally took another,
each, and then another, until the bag was
half empty. Before many minutes, one OF
the girls proposed to cat the rest Of the
candy, as sit would be shame to offer the
boys such little mite"
When the car reached the street where
the girls were to get out, they alighted, and
one Of them began to sing empty is tho
bag, candy's gone"
The two boys whose mouths were set
candy fashion were, no doubt, disappointed
at not getting their share of the sweets.
Girls can't be trusted with candy.
The Evening critic., 1884-08-16
A HARD TASK FOR DR.. CUYLER.
Asked for Proofs OF the wild
Charges Against MIR. RIRina.

II is, so far as know, new thing under
the sun for religious newspapers and Christian
ministers TO take the lead in this work Of de-.
famation, carrying It on sometimes by the
free use OF vituperative epithets, and sometimes
by the less open method of suggestion and
innuendo. And the extraordinary thing about
this onslaught IS that In not ono single In.
stance, 80 far as have observed, has there
been ono particle Of proof brought forward, or
any attempt to bring 1t forward, to support
the most damaging and continually reiterated
assertions. Mr.. Blaine, we are told, is a bad
man, unprinciplod, unclean, corrupt ana dan
gerous exceedingly. A leading religious Jour-
nal, commenting on his letter OF acceptance,
warns his opponents that they must not lot
this crafty man succeed in his little game of
trying to shift the Issue Of the campaign from
his personal character 10 great questions OF
National al and international policy and con.
in writing long letter devoted entirely to
such questions, and containing not q word In
defense OF himself against his mighty &C.
cusers, who every day use up a great deal OF
what should perhaps be "praying BREATH" to
curse him as q trickster-"a dishonest and
corrupt mani" DR.. Cuyler does not, 1t is true,
openly Join in this work OF personal detrac.
tion, but he comes to the defense OF those
who do.
therefore ask him, as the champion OF
these accusere, for proof of what they are con-
stantly asserting without proof II Mr.. Blaine
10 so bad man that not even Christian charity
hns any onlce TO perform In his behalf, and
Christian duty sternly demands that he be
publicly disgraced before the world as base
and dishonored man, II must be an easy m At
ter 10 bring forward clear, convincing, ire
fragablo proof. Not assertions, not forced con
structions put upon plain language, but proof
Let the proof demonstrated, his corruption
y his demagoguery; 3, his rash and reckless
temper; and a, his ILL balanced judgment and
lack OF mental Integrity. Under these heads
may be classed all tho ofrenses which are
charged against him. Let the work OF accusa
tion stop long enough 70 attend seriously 10
the work OF proof, which is now the ono press
ing matter.-"Clement," IN NetO York EUdn0e
M 1
The Evening critic., 1884-08-16
REAL ESTATE.

The following transfers OF real estate were
filed for record August 10 with the Recorder OF
Deeds, as reported exclusively to TIE CRITIC
by j. +. Olmstead 14l6 New York aveuue
Seventh street, west side, between East Capt..
tol and streets northeast square S0S, part OF
lot "a, south 25x06, Henry J. Bright to Sarah
Francis Hutton; S1,d00.
street, north side, between Fifth and Sixth
sueets southeast, square Sf2, suolot b, Will
:. AtshH@; sl,925.
Twelfth street east, 1855 II. IN In. front,
corner OF street north, 1OOh ft. front, square
lOO2 sublOts 30, 40 and Al, william Schwing
ct trustees 10 Edward Kubel; sS37.75.
tenth street, west slio, between aud p
streets northwest square 33S, sublot 81, 20x
CAN'T; $4,000,
Pierce's Place. north side, between Four.
teenth and Fifteenth streets north west square
2O6, sublots 30 and SO, 40Sx00, James E.
Fitch, trustee, TO Thomas Is. Connery; nomi-
nal.
County.
HARLEM, lots L and X and o and 10, Samuel
CToWn's subdivision, John O'Neil TO Michael
O'keil; $3.50,
Mt. Pleasant lots 81 ana N, IA of 80, block
y, T0dd and Browns subdivislon, John Hum
phrey TO John O'Connell; $2, ,6S7 30.
Barry Farm, part OF lot z, section 8, Emily
Allen to Nancy Brooks; $95.
Part OF Pretty Prospect, Evan Lyons TO the
united states OF Amerlcai S3, 800.
georgetown, north side OF West street, near
Mn0ntgomety street, Edgar Frlsby 10 Isaac N,
Rollins; $1,000. uesg's
There IN no QuARel8h,
IL exeels the importsassnSFihley's Belfast gin
ger ale.