davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03
A LINING
An Explosion in a Virginia Mine Proves
the Doom of Nearly Two Hundred Men.

An Explosion in a Virginia Mine Proves
the Doom of Nearly Two Hundred Men.
There was an explosion in the coal mines at
Pocahontas, Tazewell county, Va, Wednesday
at 1880, and 120 to $50 miners were killed.
The mine has always been considered a danger
Gus one, the soft coal found there being per-
fectly saturated with the deathly fire damp.
There is no hope entertained of rescuing
those in the mine. They must all be
dead. Such a perfect scene of destruction
is hard to picture. The passages in the mine
have been entirely destroyed, and the entire hill
will have to be excavated to get to some of the
chambers. The fact that the mine is on fire
makes the operation of rescuing
A number of bodies were discovered. horribly
mangled, some of them with their heads torn
from the trunks, others with the limbs all gone,
presenting an appalling spectacle. The work
of destruction was not confined entirely to the
interior of the mines, but houses, 2OU or 800
feet removed from the mines were overturned
and in several instances demolished A
large ventilator of the Southwest Improvement
company was blown to atoms. and the mines
cannot be entered till another is constructed for
the purpose of freeing the atmosphere of the
sufocating fumes.
The men of the mines are mostly Hungari-
ans without families. A number of negroes
from the surrounding section are also en-
ployed there. The mines had not long been
open, but the company had gotten well under
way and were supplying a large section of
country with coal The prospect was most en-
couraging. A large eoaling station for the u D
ply of ocean steamers was in course of con-
struction at Norfolk. While the accident
will have the effect of retarding
work at the mines Il
is not believed it will cause permanent discon-
t%inuance, as a great deal of money has been
expended there by northern capitalists COM
| posing the Southwest Improvement company
POcahOntas is in Tazewel county, III miles
west of ~Lynchburg, at the fiat top mountains,
and is the western terminus of the New River
branch of the Norfolk & Western railroad
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03
Personal Points.
Rcd. the ciantess. Is dead.

Jessie Reed, the ~gisntess, is dead.
Wendell Bollman, constructor of the Famous
Bollman bridges throughout the country, died
at Baltimore aged seventy.
The New York World asserts that Gen
Grant was rendered the Presidents vessel, the
Dispatch, to take him to Fortress Monroe, but
he politely declined the offer.
Mrs. Col. Hunt Of Michigan will contest Col.
Hunts will, bequeathing $1,000 each to Josh
Billings, Eli Perkins and Artemus Ward
The legatees have not made claims.
Helen Spangler, wife of Hon. Z. T. Spangler
of Coshockton, o., and author of "a Physi-
clans Wife and other well known novels, was
found dead in her bath room.
NJ. O.. G. Lewes writes to the Boston Tran
script that ''when the Biography of George
Eliot upon which Mr.. Cross is engaged, and
forthcoming volume of Essays have been
given to the world there will remain hardly
anything of George Eliots imprinted.
Al Grand Haven, Mich, on Tuesday, Esther
P. Cutler, daughter Of Dwight Cutler, an extern
sive lumberman. was married to John n. Bag
ley of Detroit, son of the late Gov. Bagley.
Mr.. Cutler is well known in Minnesota, having
extensive numbering interests at Duluth, and
being a frequent visitor to st. Paul with his
family.
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03

Senator Anthony attributes his recent
very severe illness to the smoking of
cigarettes. Just why these little paper
rolls of tobacco are worse than ordinary
cigars, does not fully appear, but they
are so declared byphysicians and others
competent to express Judgment upon
them. Excessive smoking whether of
cigarettes or cigars, is the parent of
much functional disorder, especially of
the heart and liver. ''You have a to-
bacco heart" has come to be a common
exclamation of physicians, after apply
ing the stethoscope to persons suffering
from palpitation, intermittent action,
of the heart, etc. Abstinence in most
cases is the only sur remedy. ~
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03
The Criminal Calendar.

At Norwalk, Ohio, Mrs. Blinzey was jailed
for maltreating an adopted child
A strange man committed suicide in Vienna.
The police believe he was on his way to kill the
emperor and other members of the imperial
family.
John Boyle, for four years treasurer of Erie,
Penn, and for several years previous tax col
lector of the First ward has been missing since
the 10th. His accounts are short $1,000.
Mrs. Emma Coolidge, divorced from George
B. Coolidge, and highly connected in the south
ard west, was arrested at Philadelphia for re-
peated attempts to kill her son, aged ten. She
was held in 81 500 bail
The trial of John B. Griffin, Seneca Miller
and George Mulkins for the murder Of Samuel
Grener of Pawling began the 18th inst at
~Poughkeepsie, N. Y, resulting in a verdict of
murder in the first degree.
Three Of the Kid Wade a have recently
been tried before Judge Tiffany, in Brown
county, Neb.-Culbertscn, Morrison and Horace
Stewart. Stewart was acquitted, but gilbert
son received eight years and Morrison seven.
When the case of Moses Weftein, the Fargo
clothier, was called in the Milwaukee munich
pal court Weston failed to appear. His bail
was decided forfeited There were three sep
crate indictments against Western, with $1,000
bail in each.
Missouri Valley Qowa) special.-The sheriff
of Brown county, Neb., has arrested William
Marsden, supposed to be the leader of the gang
who recently waylaid and hanged Mr.. Richard
son, a member of the vigilance committee.
TIL vigilance committee will probably reorgan-
ize.
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03
nriscsl1aneous News Notes.

Several pieces Of alleged Ceur dAlene quartz
n Portland were proved to be from California.
The liabilities of Billups & Co, bankrupt
New York cotton brokers, aggregate $6S0,00O;
assets, $3.50.
Joshua Eggleston, waiter in a Schenectady,
N. Y, eating house, has inherited 81, 600, 600 by
the death of his uncle in California.
Shropshire & Co, wholesale liquors, of New
Orleans have failed. The firm was established
in 1875, and claimed to be worth $4,000.
Search is being made for Miss A NJ Free
man, of Camberwell, England, who has fallen
heir to $4,000 by the death of her uncle.
Edward E. Nickerson & Co, boot and shoe
manufacturers, of Lynn, Mass, have failed
1t is reported that their liabilities are four times
their assets.
Edward G. Nickerson, a respected business
man having an establishment on Long Wharf,
Boston, has been missing for four weeks, and
all efforts to discover his whereabouts thus far
have been futile.
The value of crop and live stock products of
Illinois for 1888 is $780, 79 1000, or a decrease
of S67, 404,o coo as compared with the previous
year, due largely TO the depreciation in the val
ue of farm crops and failure of the winter
wheat and corn crops.
The Women's Foreign Missionary society
held an anniversary at Philadelphia. Numbers
of auxiliary societies, 1879; increase, $50 over
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03
An Irreconcilable Enemv.

France is henceforth a vast intrenched
camp, which can be defended in a weel
by one million and in a month by three
millions of men,. [ know that all is not
yet perfect in this immense organization
but | also know that each day q great
step in advance is made. well, them
it will be asked, what is there to be
anxious about? So much the better il
you are strongly armed; no one will
think of attacking you" Yes, no doubt
but you must understand that France
land herein lies the gravity of the pres
ent state of things) desires with ardol
proportional to the growth of he1
strength, to be formally sci
free from the night.
mare-dread of a possible invasion. Hel
defensive power is only partially e a
surfing, and her immense armament is a
heavy burden; there is a fragrant con.
tradiction between the institution Of
universal barracks and those republi.
can aspirations which are becoming
more and more democratic day by day,
The simplest solution would be to fling
OuA0C1FOo db VI hdAdIuS upon O6iilduJg
to take back from her our former from.
tiers, and to disarm her. That being
done, we, too, might lay, down oul
arms. This is what is called la revanche,
Many people enormously imagine that
the French cherish the idea of it, but
nothing of the sort is true. There is
not within my knowledge a single poll
tician who dreams of such a thing, an6
among the people it would be most IN
popular. This terrible game, in which
our fate as a nation would
be the stake, would depend upon the
hazard of a battle lost or won, and we
will not play it, except in the last *
tremity. But it remains none the less
certain that we continually confront
Germany as an irreconcilable enemy,
more on account of the harm she coulC
still do us than on account of the harm
she has done; and that enemy
is certainly not one to be despised,
If Germany is u bugbear, we assuredlJ
give her Ilustrious chief, the Chancellor
of the empire, many sleepless nights.
He knows right well that the moment
an enemy of his uprises anywhere be
may count two-us and that other.
Unless he should reduce US to abso.
lutte impotence, we although conquered,
shall present an eternally insuperabls
barrier to his ambition.-T. Colani, IL
the Fortnightly Review.
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03
THE PITH OF THE NEWS.
Washington Gossip.

Combinations: Post chaplains, Rev. +. W.
Brady. Iowa; Rev. W. II. Scott, Illinois. Post
master, Lewis S. Wheelock, 0watonna, Mimi.
The opponents Of the whisky bill in the house
ridicule the claims of its friends that it has any
chance of passing. They say it is too dead to
talk of: that when a motion to consider a bill Is
defeated, it is absurd to talk of getting a ma
iority for the measure.
The house committee on judiciary has favor
ably reported, Mr.. Raymonds bill providing
for two additional justices of the supreme
court in DakotS. Itgiyes one additional Judge
in North Dakota and one in South Dakota
The Judge in North Dakota will have Jurlsdlc-
ton over United States cases.
A sensational story was published here to
the effect that thu ough the efforts of Senator
Logan and Representative Boutelle of Maine,
new witnesses had been discovered in the lat
ter state whose testimony will have the effect OF
reopening the whole Fitz o Porter case and
reversing the recent action Of the house. Both
these gentlemen deny knowledge Of any such
found such evidence, but have not been look
ing for it The whole thing is a fraud
The house committee on coinage, weights and
measures agreed to report f%avorably Repre-
sentative BANDS bill TO stop the coinage of 81
and 81 gold pieces, trade dollars and Scent
nickels, and to limit the coinage of double ca
giles to 20 per cent of the bullion purchase.
Representative Nichols was instructed TO report
favorably a bill to establish an assay Office at
Deadwood, Oak. The proposed location of an
assay office at Deadwood is in response to re-
quests frequently made by southern Dakotians
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03

previous year; number of members, S9,632;
increase, 1861, with 4,O65 life members, 24S
managers and AZ life patrons. Receipts Of the
fiscal year from Oct /, 1882, to Oct /, 1855,
s12L,S23.
Ex-Congressman Garfield of Chicago, now o
Dakota, says the chances Of passing the bill to
open the Sioux reservation are very good, and
they hope to secure its consideration in the
senate very soon, Senator Halves and Con
gresham Holman, who have charge of the
bill in their respective houses, are both agreed
upon what should be done, and are earnestly
in favor Of opening the reservation. The COM
pensation to the Indians is believed to be much
greater than they could secure from the land
in any other form, and the advantages to Dako-
ia are incalculable.
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03

The national debt in December 1883,
less the cash in the treasury was ST.
509, 7S5, 060, and the interest charge was
$50, 100 ,131. This interest charge in
Guided $3,877, 1897 paid for interest on
bonds issued to the Pacific railroad
companies. In 1929 the interest paid
on Pacific railroad bonds was only ST.
794.857, or less than half the amount
paid last year. The debt has been re-
duced in the fifteen years named ST.
1858, 200 and the interest charge, by
nearly go per cent. The smallest re-
duction of the debt in any one year was
8 ,730, 472 in 1874, and the greatest was
$151, 684 1851 in 1882. At the rate of
pay ment in 1892 the whole debt, less
the cash in the treasury, would be paid,
if it could be called at its face, in less
than ten years. The largest amount
of revenue ever received
from customs in the history of the gov
eminent was 1920, 410, 730 in the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1882, and the next
largest amount in any year was $214,-
706,496 in 1888. The largest amount
aver collected as internal revenue was
5000, DOG, S13 IN 1866 and the smallest in
any year since her was sos, 7S4 in
1874. The government issued to the
several Pacific railroad companies 1884,.
623, 512 in bonds. This debt bears 6
per cent. interest and the goSernment
pays the interest and is responsible for
the principal. These Pacific railroad
bonds will be due July g, 1884. The
national debt per capita is now $2S Al
and the annual interest charge pei
capita is 95 cents. The debt per capita
was heaviest per capita August 81, 1866,
when it was $78 % and the annual inter.
est per capita was 81 30. The debt bore
on the people four and a half times as
heavy in 1865 as it does now.
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03
bismarck Rather conci1tatorv.

The st. Louis Westliche Post publishes ex-
tracts from an official dispatch of Prince Bis
marck to German consuls III the United States
in regard to prohibition of American pork.
Bismarck instructs consuls to do everything
in their power to cultivate friendly re-
lations between Germany and the United States.
He says the prohibition of Amer
lean pork is for sanitary reasons and has no
unfriendly character whatever, and intimates
it would be for the interest of the United States
to adopt such sanitary measures as exist in
Europe, and thereby put Germany in a position
to permit the importation of American pork.
The dispatch shows conclusively that the Ger
man chancellor does not want to provoke re-
t~aliation, but it is his aim to preserve friendly
relations between Germany and the United
States.
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03

Uncle Rufus Hatch, the noted New
York fnancer, still continues a roaring
bull, and looks for a return of confidence
and higher prices in all dividend pay
ing stocks. He says the present con-
dition is the outgrowth of over-produc-
t~iveness in all kinds of securities and Of
grain and proyisione; that there has
been a lack of confidence in railroad
management and Misrepresentation, and
that the trouble with grain is that it has
been sold at such high prices that the
rest of the world has undersold this
country in all the products of the soil.
Mr.. Hatch was formerly a growing
bear, but, strange to say, as he grows
older, takes q more cheerful view of
things.
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03

The first fast through mail train from
New York reached st. Paul in 43 hours
from New York and II IL from Chicago.
Postmaster General Gresham and First
Assistant Hatton who were on the train,
explained as to an extension of the fast
mail service to points west and north
west of st. Paul that no plans are now
agreed upon, and none are contempla-
ted. The present change affords these
sections great relief, and it is time
enough to think of fast mails beyond St.
Paul some distance in the future. The
saving of time by the new arrangement,
for points west of Fargo is tw~enty-four
under the present winter schedule, and
twelve hours to various other points.
The mail train does not take passengers,
but can do so at the option of the rail-
road.
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03

Boston has resolved that women shall
receive the same wages as men who do
the same work in the public schools.
It's council voted to give a woman in
charge of a grammar school 81, ZOO per
annum, the same received bymen in the
same grade. This is only simply Bls-
tice, providing the roman does her
work as well as the man. And here
lies the difficulty in the question of
wages.
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03
The Marke

9SIc.
Corn-No. 3, sac.
Oats-No. 2, SIC.
Rye-No; /, &c No. 2, 500
Barley-No. 2, 63c.
CHIoAGo.-Wheat, No. 2 spring. akc093c:
No. 3 spring, 7S0S2c.
Corn-52Ic053Lc
Oats-31X@32o
Rye-5S%c.
Barley-64c.
Flax ~Seed-$1.53.
Pork-$1I6 COOLIES
Lard-$9 221f@sa.3c
Hogs-S525M1.40.
Cattle-$525@6.25
ST. PAUL-Wheat, No. / hard, sL.O2: No. Q
regular, S5c03Sc.
Corn-No. z, 51c@56c; new mixed, 45cCa47c;
rejected, 44cC046c.
Oats-No. 2 mixed, 30J%c033c.
Barley-No. z, Coo; No. 3 extra, SOC; No. 8.
Rye-No. 2, SIC.
Ground Feed-s18. O0@1S50
Corn Meal-$1S.O0
Bran-S12. 50013.5 80
Baled Hay-Wild, s65O@z5o; timothy,
Live ~Hogs-s550.
Dressed Hogs-s8. 270s85O.
Timothy Seed-s1. 20.
Clover Seed-s5.65
Potatoes-40c
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03

Upon this information Gen. Sheridan
at once acted, fought and won the bat.
tie of Opequan, on the 10Th of Septem.
Der, the key to his whole campaign il
the valley. Later he acknowledged the
valuable information she had given ano
presented her with a watch and chair
as a memento of the occasion. The gov
eminent then followed with a clerkship
and now the G.. A. r. proposed to rec.
ognize her loyal service not only senti
mentally but substantially by holding
receptions for her benefit.
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03
Fitz John Porter Bill Finally Passed

On Tuesday the 18th inst. the senate passed
the bill for the relief of Fitz John Porter by
a vote of 36 to p. The senators voting for the
bill were ali Democrats except Hoar of Massa-
nesota, and Sewell of New Jersey.
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03
A WAR REMINIscENcE
The Despatch That Came in a Monstrou,
Mouth.

The Despatch That Came in a Monstroui
Mouth.
The Loyal Girl of Winchester is thu
sobriquet given to Mrs. Rebecca M. Bon
sal. Her maiden name was Wright
and she sprang from Quaker stock
She and her family, with the exception
of n sister, were loyal. Her tw,
brothers were in the northern army
and her father refugee. 1t would TAX,
a volume to tell of their persecution.
and sufferings, and Rebecca's active in
terest in the cause has been told in som.
and story. Tuesday evening she w {.
complimented with a historical recita
by post 2, G.. A. r. of PHILADELPHIA
The wheel of fortune has not turned
many prizes for her. A position at tn,
national capitol is about the only reco0
milton she has ever received from thu
government FOL most invaluable services
Our grand army posts are about to do
something in the way of a tardy recog
milton of her loyal and brave conduc
in time of revolution.
When Sheridan took command in the
Shenandoah valley he was in sore dis.
tress for information as to the strength
position and condition of General Early,
army. All his spies failed to give hin
the needed knowledge. He had hearo
of Miss Wright's NOV Mrs. BonsaD pro
nounced union sentiments and he do
termined to approach her upon the sub
ject of the enemy's plans. One day in
September, 1864, a trusty black man
appeared in her house and said;
"Miss, am yo' fo' de union?"
Shy and suspicious, she did not q
first answer him, but finally her nstura.
womanly instinct determined her t.
trust the messenger, so she answered:
eyes, John. Why?"
The darkey smiled broadly and theI
proceeded to dislodge from his mon
strous mouth a little roll of paper, done
up in a tin-foil, the following note:
SEPTEMBER 10, 1861 learned from Majol
General Crook that you are a loyal lady ant
still love the old flag. Can you inform me o
the position of Early's forces, the number O
divisions in his army and the strength of am
or all of them, and his probable or reported in
tentions? Have any more troops arrived from
Richmond, or are any more coming or reporto1
to be coming? | am, very respectfully, you
obedient servant, p. H. SHERIDAN,
Major General Commanding.
You can trust the bearer.
Without hesitation she replied to thil
note as follows:
SEPTEMBER 10 1851 have no communica
ton whatever with the rebels, but will tell you
what know. The division of General KershaV
and Cutshaw's artillery, II guns and men
General Anderson commanding, have been sen
away and no more are expected, as they cannot
be spared from Richmond. / do not know how
the troops are situated, but the force is mucl
smaller than represented. / will take pleasure
hereafter in learning all l can of their strength
and position and the bearer may call again.
Very respectfully yours,
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03
Rail and River Notes.

The Omaha has issued anew freight tariff on
all freight from ST. Paul to the Black Hills.
The rate quoted is $50 10 per 100 pounds. This
is a reduction of twenty-five cents per 100
pounds from the rates announced a few days
ago.
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03

New Orleans for a month past has
been thronged with northern people,
especially denizens of the northwest,
and all were charmed by the climate
and other good things.
The Mineral argus., 1884-04-03

Sabasta Alessandro, under sentence of death
at Easton, Pa, attempted suicide by cutting
an artery.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-07-31

more indispensable. In every free
commonwealth there is as great a need
for an opposition as for Government;
md though the Republicans should con.
tinue to hold the keys of power and
place for another quarter of a century,
the Democrats will continue to oppose
their principles and resist their devel-
Opment. They may continued for a
long time and on many fields, to fight
none but those losing battles, and the
tired and exhausted veterans may sad
ly drop out of the ranks and disappear,
But new recruits, young, ardent disin-
terested, believing in liberty and de-
voted to the republic, will rise up to
take their places.
No calamity can eXtinguish Democ-
racy; no error of those who are tempo
rarily intrusted with its leadership can
break it down; it is immortal.-New
York SIN.
Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-07-31

The financial pinch to which trade
and business is now being subjected is
not due to any natural causes. Crops
are good and there has been no balance
of trade against us. There is as much
money in the country as there was a
year ago, and perhaps more, but it is not
in circulation.
The stringency is an artificial one and
caused mainly by the action of the
banks in Withholding money from cir
culation. That the banks have this
power, first of unduly and enormously
expanding the circulation and then all
at once subiecting it to an uncalled for
and enormous contraction, is very un-
healthy for the business of the country
largely dependent upon them, and is
a power that the banks ought not to
have. The Chicago NeaOs says of this:
Nearly all the financial correspond
ents writing from New York say that
these failures are traceable to the New
York banks of late eincontinently and in
discriminatory shutting down upon the
more ordinary financial accommoda-
tions due their customers. To-day none
but customer who dare not be denied
HtS Ills pdpCl ulSCOutlttu. IL Is dCUudIly
charged by financial editors that the
New York banks have practically ceased
to loan money upon reasonable collat-
eral.
The bank statements of the latest
dates forbid the idea that the banks are
unable to make advances. On the con.
trary, they hold reserve larger in
amount than has ever previously beer
it their tills. Why, then, is this system
of merciless contraction continued at thu
the expense of loss to their customer
and of incalculable injury to the trade
of the country?
One reason given is that the bank
desire to be strong in order to be able tt
move the immense crop that will short
} ly be poured into our mercantile cen
ters. But in reality advances in grain
. if legitimately made and especially i
the products is exported, furnish thei
own means of carriage and exchange.