davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-04-03
BIRDS OF SPRING.

They are come, with futter and chirp, and song
To the earth, lain barren and cold so long,;
And heartsome, lightSome cheer they bring,
These wee adventures, birds of spring!
OH love the little bod breasted things
Braving the ow-ScartS-whlch winter ntngS
Spitefully back on the northern blast,
When forced to flee from the spring at last
Daring the rain clouds, heavy and gray,
Which chill the life Of the sweet young May;
Through froStS and storms they 6litheiy sing
Bright little, brave little, birds of spring.
Plumed augurS of nearing summer days;
Of perfumed breezes of blossom sprays;
OF Strawberries, red as your lips, little maid;
OF hare-bells, rs blue as your eyes, in the glade
OF emerald billowS everywhere,
And swinging ScytheS in the sun bright air;
OF mellow, slumber6us, August Moons;
OF haZy sunsets, and golden moons;
OF purpling vintage; OF harvest SheaveS;
OF boughS full.frulted of ripening leaves;
Prophets clear of this shifting ring,
Do they warble and twttter-my birds OF spring!
And these dainty denizens of the air.
IN their prudence, and patience, and loving care
Are images sweet, so it seems TO me,
or n provident, tender humanity.
They fashion Their dwellings, cosy and wee.
ALI Tor tse younglingS yet TO be;
And SocTf, for the wants OF the callOw brood,
They will forage the garden,and field. Land wood
From dawn until darkness OF summer days,
They will wing their busy, volceiui ways;
And my heart will swell With the songs they sing
My early, my CHEEKY, birds of spring!
Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-04-03
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

CACKLING. ALI sorts of incredible
stories are told of the ostrich farms of
California. The latest is that in the
morning, during laying time, if the wind
is in the right quarter, the cackling Of
the hen ostrich can be heard at a dis
tance of forty miles.
A BRIGAND. ! Black Bart has robbed
more than a score of stages in C4lifOr-
MIA single handed. lie had a habit Of
writing doggerel verses and pinning
them to rihed express boxes. The re-
wards offered for his capture amounted
to nearly $l5, 900, aud a stray bit of
his versilication finally betrayed him.
A BODY OF WATER. When ii is
considered that the Ohio drains basin
of more thln two hundred thousand
square miles In area, aad that the esti-
mated weight of an i1ch of rain over
single square mile is about sixty thou
sand tons, the mental effort to reckon
up the deyastations wrought by the late
floods seems useless.
Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-04-03
A. REVOLUTIONARY
"REMINISCENCES.

The following story was told num-
ber of years ago, by an old Revolution
ary soldier, to his children and grand
children, as they SAT around the festive
board of a Thanksgiving dinner. The
writer, then quite youth, was present
though not as a relative-and heard
it, and treasured it up in his memory,
and now gives it to the public, as near
ly as he can remember, in the Ian
guage of the veteran, suppressing only
the names Of the parties introduced,
which for various reasons he does not
wish here to state.
The 18th of April, 1775, (began the
aged narrator, was day long to be re-
membefed, not only by myself, but by
all who take pride in our glorious
institutions. The ever to-be -remem-
bered morning dawned bright and
beautiful, the sun rising in calm glory,
as if it were not to witness the bloody
opening of that great drama, upon
which the eyes of the whole civilized
world were instinctively turned, aud
whose closing scenes haYe left us a free
and independent nation.
l was at that time about tWo-and
twenty years of age, and was in the
employ Mr.. s**#*, of Lincoln, as a
farmland. I had gone down to the
field alone, about the usual hour {:
but had not been there long, when Mr..
S**** came hurrying down, and, in an
excited tone, said +:
''David, there are great things going
on and the time has now arrived
when we must either take bold stand
and defend our rights with our lives, or
tamely submit like towards to British
oppression"
asked him what he meant, and he
replied
ga messenger has just passed by
uClO, Ol1 Illo way W dhI1 III Lu0 COuDUTy,
who says that a large body OF British
troops, on their march from Boston to
Concord, passed through Lexington
early this morning, and. without pro-
vocation, fired upon the militia and
citizens, killing and wounding quite a
number"
He futher said that great alarm pre-
vailed throughout the country round
about-that the bells had been rung
and the drums beat to arms-that men
were everywhere leaving their work
and hulrying to the field of action
and asked me if was willing to take a
part in the coming struggle.
eyes," replied, ''if matters haye
come to such pass, / would rather bt
Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-04-03
Too Much Vim. "

Riding on the cars one day last
week, on one of the roads out of Chi
cago was man, not yet in the prime
of life,s far as years go, but who was
in his old age, so far as mental and
physical condition is to be considered.
He was what might be called a total
wreck in person and appearance. A
few years ago this man was consider
ed one Of the most promising young
business men in the city. He was
full of getuptoitivness pluck, push aud
energy. But he lacked one thing
Modification In an evil hour he
became excited in speculation, and for
a while he made money hand over
fist Everything he touched seemed
to turn to money. He finally sold
out his legitimate business and went
into speculation exclusively. He had
the finest Of everything. But one day
stocks began to tumble. The man
knew what he was about invested
more and finally he too, with his
stocks took a terrible tumble, and
when he looked about he found him
self bankrupt He was too proud
to take a clerkship, but pawned his
fine clothes, jewellery, etc, and took
to drink. The result Of all of it is
that man to-day is deep down in the
mire of despondency, and the friends
he had in his prosperous days, those
who feastcd at his expense, aud those
whom he had helped in time of need
only point their finger at him and
sneoringly call him "the fool.n Vim
and energy is a good thing. Ambi-
tion and desire to better ones self is
an excellent trait in any mans compo-
sition, but with these traits a young
man is very apt to get "rattled,' if he
lets his ambition run away with COM
mon sense or when he refuses to list
en- to reason, A young horse gener-
allv stands better chance to win q
hurdle race than an old one, but in its
eagerness to jump the hurdle it often
breaks it's neck. Better be little old
and fogyish than to let reckless youth
run at will unbridled. Let well
enough alone, young man, and stick
to legimate business, and you viii, ,un-
der ordinary circumstances, come out
the winner. Young man. if you would
win fortune, work and wait, but work
good deal more than you wait
Peck's Sun.
Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-04-03
HUMOROUS.

''Let me dream again." so you were
arrested and :ined yesterday for being
drunk and dis orderly, and here you are
again to-day for the same offehsel Pris-
oner (who has been pumped on): Yes,
Judge, but can you arrest man twice
on the same charge? Judge: Certainly
not. Prisoner: Then lemme 20, Judge,
this is the same old drunk
She-''I think it's a sin and q shame
to kill the dear little feathered songs
ters. If had my way I'd make law
against killing birds. Guess people
wouldn't starye if they let the birds
alone.' He-"But what would the
ladies do without hat ornaments?" She
-"Oh, that's an entirely different
thing. OF course when there's an ac-
tual necessity for shooting the dear
creatures one must stifle ones feelings,
you know"
A crowd of sitters were occupying
.heir usual positions in grocery store
swapping stories, and watching for a
chance to "catch'' somebody, when
one of them carlessly remarked:
at is a very high-toned affair"
"What is?" quickly interrogated a
young man from the suburbs.
"A thunder Storm" was the reply.
The man who was caught merely
said: "oh, and congratulated himself
on the fact that lightning seldom
strikes twice in the same place.
A scientific doughnut maker
BREAD exclaimed a Vasser College
girl. "Bread Well, 1 should say I
can mako bread. We studied that in
our first year. You see, the yeast fer
ments, and the gas thus formed per-
meates everywhere and transforms the
plastic material into clearly obvious
atomic structure and then" "But
what is the plastic material you speak
of 20 "Oh that is commonly called
the sponge" I" ''But how do you make
the sponge ?' "Why, you don't make
it; the cook always attends to that.
Then We test the sponge with the thel-
mometer and hydrometer and lot OF
other instruments, the names of which
l don't remember, and then hand it
back to the cook, and | don't know
what she does with 1t then, but when it
comes on the table it is just splendid"
Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-04-03
BETRAYED BY BAD GRAMMAR.

Three of these girls say they go to
school regularly" remarked Justice
Power in the Tombs police court the
other day, as four children We're about
to step down. Agent Chiardi, who
had arrested the three as delinquents,
and the other for picking up bones,
took the fourth girl to one side and
said he knew the others did not go to
school.
aren't they all together ?" asked
the court.
"No, sir" answered one of the trio.
"Us don't belong to she !"
"What? The next girl who goes to
school was that sentence correct 2"
"No, sir"
"What should she have said?"
"Her amt one of We"
Horrors The next try it"
"She bent one of us three"
The justice groaned and asked the
fourth girl to repeat the sentence. She
had said nothing about school, but she
replied, "She is not one ofus."
"You are discharged" said the court
"The others will have chance to study
in a reformatory.
Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-04-03
WHEN THE SUN IS SHINING.

Pouting. my darling, because il rains,
And the flowers droop and the rain is falling
And drops are blurring the window pancS,
And moaning wind through the lane is calling
Crying and wishing the sky was clear,
And roses again on the lattice twining!
All well, remember, my foolish dear,
'TiS easy TO laugh when the sun is shining!'
When the world is bright and fair and gay,
And the glad birds sing in the fair June wealth
er,
And summer Is gathering. night and day,
Her golden chalice of sweets together,
When blue seas answer the sky above,
And bright stars follow the days declining,
Why, then, tits no merit TO smile, my love:
"TiS easy to laugh when the sun is Shining"'
But THIS is the time the heart to test
When winter is here and storms are bowling
And the earth from Under her frozen vest
Looks up ar the sad sky, mute AMI Scowling;
The brave little S. rit should rise 10 meet
The seasons gloom and the days repining;
And THIS is the time 10 be glad; for sweet,
"'Tis easy 10 laugh when the sun is Shining!'
Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-04-03

HORSES. An idle team may be win
tered upon good hay alone, but when
lightly worked, a little grain at noon
may be needed. They are to be kept in
good health and flesh, and the amount
of grain should be govarned-accordlng-
ly. Horses doing heavy work will need
a few quarts of ground oats and corn
daily, in addition to an abundance OF
the best hay. Young colts should have
excellent care, for their future useful
ness depends largely upon the growth
they make the first winter. Linseed
oil cake in small doses is one of the
best remedies for costiVeness in the
young farm animals.
Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-04-03
Four Yeass Old.

What makes it night want TO go
Way of behind the sky and see.
The worlds as round as IL can be,
Somebody told me, so know.
You yellow Moon. how bright You are,
Have all the stars been put to bed
And is it true, as nurSey said,
That you are the baby stars mamma
And are they sometimes naughty too?
i cried n little bit to-day;
The tears would cOme-where do they stay
When peoples eyes won't let them through
Ny dolly's in in the grass out there,
Be quiet, Wind! you rustic so,
I'm 'fraid you'll wake her up. you know,
Please hush, dear Wind?-I wonder where
T hat four-leaved clover is that grew
Down by the fence his afternoon.
I'm four years old, too. Tell me, Moon,
When shall | be as old as you?
The clocks are striking in the town,
Oh, dear, haven't said my prayers.
The little birds, think, sing theirs
heard them when the sun went down.
Where did it go, and why Some day
I'll know great deal more, / guess,
When m not quite so Sleely. Yes,
Mamma, I'm coming right away.
Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-04-03

a friendly form hurrying up to me,
when l faiu ted and knew no more.
When | recovered consciousness, |
found myself lying upon bed, in the
house of a Samaritan, and learned that
the British had been met at Lexington
bY large reinforcement, and had ef-
fected their retreat to Charlestown, be-
ing followed to the very Neck by some
Of cur men, and suffering continual
losses all the way.
l also learned that my good host was
the friend who had so providentially
come to my rescue. Being little dis
tance behind me, he had heard the fir
ing, and had hurried up just in time to
save me. Taking up my apparently
lifeless form, he had borne me back
and sccreted me in some bushes, stand
ing guard by me till the enemy had
passed and then with the aid of some
friends, had carried me to his own
house, about half mile distant.
Here, under the best of care, l re-
manned for several weeks and just as
bad once more begun to get abroad in
the fresh air, news came of the glor-
ious battle of Bnnker's Hill, aud filled
me with new vigor and life.
A few days after, though still far
from complete recovery, l joined the
army at Cambridge, and once more
took an active part in that great and
righteous contest, whose glorions re-
suits, my children, we all now enjoy.
Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-04-03
Ten Million Car Wheels.

'There are more than 10000 900 iron
car wheels in use on American rail-
roads," said the master mechanic of
one of the trunk lines, ''and it requires
about 525 pounds of pig iron to make
one wheel. About ,25O, 900 wheels are
worn out every year and the same num-
Der Of new ones must be made to take
their places. The iron men are called
upon for only small proportion of the
312 500 tons of material required for
these new wheels, however, for nearly
100000 tons are supplied by the worm
out wheels themselves. Formerly the
life Of car wheel was estimated at
eight yeaIs, but the reduction of the
railroad generally to the standard guage
and the improvements in loading and
unloading facilities. have materially de-
creased the length of service that q
wheel may be depended on to perform.
The uniformity in gauge keeps cars in
more continuous use, while the decrease
in time of loading and unloading en-
ables them to be put to more active
service even where they are run only
on short local routes.
"These figures do not include the
wheels on palace CD aches and the bett
class of passenger coaches. The wheels
on the grade of rolling stock are now
made almost exclusively of paper. They
are as servicable as iron, and combine
lightness with strength great desider-
atum where speed and econemy in mo-
tive power are of param sunt import
ance.n
Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-04-03

How a Little Quaker Schoolma am
Helped Him to Win Winchester.

saw by the Philadelphia papers the
other day that the Grand Army posts
in that city had given reception to
Mrs. r.. NJ. BonsaI, and happening to
walk down the street with General
Sheridan, asked him if he knew her.
'Do know her he replied with a
surprised look OH his face 81 should
say | did. That woman Was worth
whole brigade Of soldiers and several
batteries of artillery down in the Win.
chester campaign, and she was one of
the genuine heroines of the war;"
"Tell me about her?'
well, you see 1 always believe in
fighting on information. People said l
was reckless and daring, and all that,
and when | happened TO win a fight
they said it was Sheridan's luck. But
| tell you there wasn't any luck about
1t. | meyer went it blind. | always
knew what l was going to hit before
made a strike, and generally tried to
strike at the right time"
"And down there in ca continued
the general, "when | lay bfeore Win
chester | wanted information of what
was going or in the enemy'S lines, and
| wanted 1t awful bad. | must have it,
don't you see, but how | was going to
get it | didn't know. Crook was pretty
well acquainted IN all that country and
one day | asked him if he didn't know
some one in Winchester we could de-
pend on. He said there was little
Quaker girl in the town that he
thought was all right, and l concluded
to try her. There was an old darkey
who had garden patch about fifteen
miles from my headquarters, and he
had pass TO go into Winchester three
or four times week with vegetables
for the Confederate officers and towns
people. l had him brought to my
headquarters one night and asked HIM
if he knew the schOoma'am. He said
he did and then | asked him if he could
get note to her without giving her a.
way. He said lie could, and then
wrote her a letter on tissue paper, ap-
pealing to her loyalty and requesting
her to give me some information Of
what was going on in the rebel camp.
| wrapped the note up in the foil, in
little wad, don't You know, and made
the old daFky carry it in his mouth.
The next day he went into town with
load of vegetables and gave it to her."
"What was her name?"
''Rebecca Wright was her name then,
but she is married now and her nus
bands name is Bousal."
did you get an answer?"
Eyes, the darky brought me back
reply in which she gave me some very
important information and promised to
send me more from time to time. We
kept up a correspondence after that
and l knew everything old Early was
doing. After few weeks she sent me
word that Kershaw'S division of 5000 or
10000 had been detached and was going
to join Lees army. As soon as | learn
ed that he was gone and was far
enough off to prevent his getting back,
made the attack and captured Win
chester"
"Did you find the girl when you got
into town?n
Indeed L did, and my report of that
battle was written in her school room."
twas she ever reWarded?'
"Well, got her place in the treas
ury department, and it was there she
got acquainted with her husband, but
think she is entitled to pension"
Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-04-03
Young Warriors.

At the first battle of Bull Run
John Meigs, a son of General Mcigs,
and West Point cadet, seeing no
generals about, assumed and for some
/ time directed the movement of the
troops, the officers supposed he was
aid-de-camp, and that the orders came
from the generals. Seeing the Con-
federates massing in the wood to take
Green's Battery, Meigs ordered
Colonel Mathewson to move quietly
/ with his regiment to the support of
the battery. The movement was
promptly executed by the First Cali
iornia, and then two other regiments
were brought up. Later in the day
the youthful general, seeing the field
was lost, said to Colonel Mathewson {:
you had better fall back toward
Centerville."
And by whose authority do you
give me such orders as that?' inquir-
ed the colonel.
"Well, sir" said young Meigs, "the
truth is for the last two hours / have
been unable to find any generals, and
have been commanding myself
saw young Meigs on the field,
and he was wounded through the
knee, but remained on duty, although
in terrible pain and faint from the
loss of blood He was afterward kill
ed in the Shenandoah Valley.
In the First Iowa there was lit
tie mite Of a drummer boy named Ed
ward or, as he was more commonly
called, Eddie Lee. At Wilson's
Greek be had both feet shot off by a
cunnon ball \ wounded Confeder-
ats, who was shot through the bowels
and Law near Eddie had taken off his
suspenders. and making of them liga-
lures, tied up Eddie's stumps to stop
the flow of blood. During the night
the soldier died and Eddie lay on the
field all night beside him. In the
morning, as soon as it was light, the
First Iowa were surprised
to hear Eddie's drum beating
the reveille down in ravine. One
of the men, following the sound of the
drum, went to him and found the lit
tie fellow seated on the ground vigor-
ously beating away, his drum fasten-
ed to bush by his side.
Good morning, corporal" he said;
"oh, get me some water, l am so
thirsty"
The corporal got the water, and
while he was giving the boy drink,
the Confederates came up and captur-
cd them both. A horseman took Ed
die up tenderly before him and carried
him to the Confederate camp, where
his stumps were amputated and the
wounds carefully dressed, but he died
in few hours after the operation was
performed.
Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-04-03
NEwapAprR LAWS

IL subscribers order the discrimination OF
newspapers the publishers may continue TO
send them until all arrearageS are paid.
III subscribers refuse or neglect 10 take their
newspapers from the Office 60 which they are sent
they are held responsible until they have settled
the bills and ordered them discontinued.
III subscribers move to other places wthoutins
forming the publisher, and the newspapers ar
sent to the former place, they are responsible.
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1884-02-28
Fearfu1 Cyclones nt tha south.

A terrible cyclone passed near Rockingham,
North Carolina, late Monday night, the 18th
inst, killing from fifteen to thirty people and
wounding great number.
The cyclone that swept through Alabama on
Monday caused the loss of great many lives
and q vast amount of property. At Leeds the
residence and premises Of Dr. w. F. Wright, a
railroad contractor was demolished The
body of Dr. Wrights mother was found an
hundred yards from the house, fearfully man.
gled. Annie, JEANNE, Thomas, James and Ed
ward, children of DR.. Wright, have arms and
legs broken. Harriet McCrew, cook was
killed OF twenty four carts, two wagons and
three horses in the place, nothing remained but
the carcass Of one horse. Latest intelligence
but adds to the horrors Of the woful story
From the names of the dead already published
it appears that hundreds of lives were lost
From Georgia the reports ore of the same
tenor as those from Alabama, and in North Car
DINA, also, and in South Carolina, the lists of
the dead are frightful The cyclonewas Of the
same character as those of previous years,
bounding from point to point, creating terrific
winds for ten miles on each side of it's track.
Southern Illinois. Missouri and Southern
Ohio hati y Joucn of the cyclone, and o good
deal of property was destroyed, but there were
not many fatalities
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1884-02-28
How q Blizzard Approaches.

A Dakota paper gives the following descrip-
ton of the recent blizzard: s'Until about Ais
the day was sunny, pleasant, and with temper
ature as mild as spring The streets were
filled with people-ladies .promenading in the
enjoyment of the ethereal mildness. Sudden
ly and without the slightest warning solid
white wall of frost and snow appeared in the
northwest 1t seemed as if the bluffs in that
direction had suddenly shot upward to a
height of a thousand feet SO sudden and COM
pact did this icy wall appear. In a second OF
time the storm burst with appalling fury, and
the windows which had by mildness of the at
mosphere become clear of frost, were heavily
coated with cling snow on the outside, and
heavily frosted particles on the inside. The
air grew terribly cold, and was darkened by
flying frost and snow. The high walls of the
hotel directly opposite were not to be seen. All
objects were hidden by the flying and rapidly
driven snow. People on the streets sought
shelter and the stores were temporarily used
for protection from the fierceness of the howl
ing blast Darker grew the atmosphere to
such an extent that business in the Office was
stopped until lights were procured"