davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30
American, Aren't You 2

Some years ago, says San Francisco
letter, an emigrant from this country
kept small restaurant in town situa.
ted in one of the great stock raising dis
tricts of South Australia. He was pre-
sumably the only Yankee in those parts.
There was an enormously rich old stock
cattle range at intervals, whose nation
atty was matter of doubt, though he
usually passed for a taciturn and I'M
communicative bachelor Scotchman.
One day this wealthy but solitary old
chap entered the restaurant OF the man
from the States. When he left he
looked hard at the proprietor, and then
simply remarked:
American, aren't you ?"
On being answered in the affirmative,
the millionaire cow-puncher walked
away without another word.
Regularly once week he reappeared,
silently ate hasty lunch, and made the
same stereotyped inquiry, receiving the
same emphatic eyes, stree !" in reply.
At last there came time when the &c.
centric old customer did not return.
One month went by-two. At last a
wagon stopped at the door, and the old
fellow, pale and wasted with sickness,
was helped out and supported into the
saloon. He called for his usual steak
with weak but logged determination,
ate morsel, and then tottered up to
the counter. AS he paid his bill he
whispered hoarsely:
American, aren't you ?"
"You bet," replied the proprietor,
pleasantly.
Stretching out his shaking hand, the
old customer said:
'Shake So am !.
Then he tottered away without an
other word. Three days afterwara q
lawyer came into our young country
mans place and told him that the queer
old guy out on the Thompson range had
died and left him a cool million dollars.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30
MUCH ADO ABOUT FIVE CENTS
The Great Amount of Detail Work In the
Treasury Department.


Two gentlemen were talking the other
day of the great amount of detail work
in the United States Treasury Depart
ment. As an instance of the scrupu-
lous exactness with which the work in
the Redemption Bureau is done, one of
the gentlemen told the following story:
''Several years ago." he said, 81 was
living in the country, and had among
my possessions arg old desk One Jay,
in going through this 1 found four
pieces of the scrip money of small de-
nominations which preceded the return
of silver. Two of these pieces were
quarters and a third was q ten-cent
scrip. Each of these was in fair con-
dition. The fourth was a ragged and
soiled bit of paper, with nothing but its
size and feeling to indicate that it had
ever been money. After studying it a
long time, I concluded it was originally
a five-cent scrip. 1 determined to send
the three good pieces to the Treasury
Department for redemption, more as an
experiment than anything else. But
my wife insisted that the ragged piece
must go along with the rest. To humor
her L enclosed it with the others, and a
note asking that the scrip be redeemed.
ga week or ten days later I was in
formed that there was registered let
ter at the Post Office for me. l found
huge envelope with three red seals
and the card of the Treasury Depart
ment upon it. In the envelope were
several papers, three or four, with
printed and written matter upon them.
The papers were blanks which had been
filled out and extracts from the law con-
corning the redemption of fractional
currency. From the documents
learned that the three pieces had sup
posed were redeemable were counterfeit
and of no value, and that the only piece
upon which 1 could base claim against
the Department was the tattered and
torn five-cent scrip. Down in one cor
ner Of the big envelope was a smaller
one, and in one corner of that was
bright nickel five-cent piece, which the
United States Government had sent to
me in return for my five-cent scrip"
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30
Liability for Carelessness.

n passenger on a Pullman palace cal
going from st. Paul to Portland gave
his pistol to the porter to put away. In
going through the car the porter
dropped the pistol and it was discharged.
The ball struck woman in the car and
caused serious Injury. She sued the
Pullman company for twenty five thou
sand dollars damages. The company
contended that it was against the rules
for the porter to receive as custodian
any baggage, package Or article from a
passenger.
Judge Deadly, of the United States
Court in Oregon, has laid down the law
in the case. He holds that the com
pany cannot escape liability by showing
that the porter acted contrary to orders.
II he was acting in "the course of his
employment" when he took charge of
the weapon and was guilty of negligence
in dropping it the company that en-
ployed him was liable for damages.
Whether the porter was acting in ''the
course of his employment" in this in
stance was a question Of fact to be de-
termined by the evidence at the trial.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30
No Chance for Adventures.

New York at present offers no chance
for Adventures, says a local paper
Take the specially of clerks, for in
stance. There are not less than 5000
out of employment, beating their board
ing-house keepers and gradually falling
into crime. A similar proportion of me
chanics are also idle. The dock labor
ers, or 'longshoremen, as they are called
were paid during the imitation AZ
cents per hour. This class has no Ger
tain employment, but depends on
picking up jobs, and when at work the
men are often driven like slaves. Al
present they are glad to get 25 cents pei
hour, and do not make more than two.
thirds of regular time even at that. The
industrial classes in New York city are
in a wretched condition, and strikes can
not remove the trouble. An effort was
made there some time ago to form a
colony for the banks of the st. Johns,
Florida, and if successful the example
will be followed. There is a conscious
ness among many sensible people that il
is time to get out of New York.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30
How List Fed his Audience.

The composer was making tour in
France during which he came to pro-
vincial town where he was to give per-
Torrance; but when all was ready to be-
gin, the audience was found to consist
Of seven individuals only. Liszt, moth
ing daunted, mounted the platform with
a bland smile upon his face, and, bow
ing suavely to the almost empty benches,
said "Ladies and gentlemen, this is a
most uncomfortable hall; therefore, if
it will be agreeable to you, l will have
the piano taken to the hotel where I am
STAYING, and there, where we shall all he
much more at our ease, L will play
through the programme"
The proposal was cheerfully accepted
by the seven guests, who adjourned to
the hotel, where Liszt not only went
through the entire programme, but
afterward pressed his audience to par
take of supper he had ordered for
them. Next evening, on the occasion of
n second concert, the hail was full to
,uffocation, and many had to be turned
away at the doors.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30
THE TYROLESE MALI.
How She Saved the City of Brezenz from
Assault and Sack.

One of the loveliest lakes that ever
lay encirled by rugged mountains is
Lake Constance. The skies shove are
reflected in the blue bosom of the lake
below, and as you watch the white
clouds passing over, you think it just
piece of heaven on earth. Above the
lake has stood for thousand years or
more the quaint old Tyrolean city Bre-
GEM, and it is the legend of this city
how the town was saved one night 300
years ago-that am going to tell you.
A Tyrol girl left her home and friends to
90 to service in the Swiss valleys. She
stayed in Switzerland 30 long that her
inconsistencies was forgotten; the Ian
guage of her friends was no longer
strange. and when she led her cattle out
to pasture she looked no more on this
side and that, wondering in what diree-
ton lay dear old Bergenz. Still she
used to sing to her masters children the
songs of her native land; and at night,
when she knelt for her simple prayer, it
was the words of her childhood which
came to her.
Suddenly arose in that peaceful val
ley strange rumors Of war and strife
talk of spinning or working among the
women, and even the little children
seemed afraid to go out alone to play.
One night the men and women were as
sembled, and talked over plan for a
secret attack on the stronghold of the
enemy, Bregenz Their words were
like death to the Tyrol maiden; and as
she thought of the beauty of her native
city-that it was her old home, and
where her kinsfolk still lived-she saw
in her new friends only the foes of her
country. Their words sounded in her
ear ''Go forth, save Bregenz; and
then, if need be, die r. She went with
trembling haste to the shed, loosened
the strong white horse that fed daily
from her hands, mounted him and
turned his head toward Bregenz. Out
into the darkness they fy-faster and
fas.er-in her heart prayer for Bre-
gem. She hears before her the rush of
the Rhone. Her horse draws back in
terror, for the bank is steep and high
one moment, and in he plunges. 1t is
hard struggle, she cannot see through
the darkness, the water rushes above the
name of the horse, but at last it is over,
and the noble horse bears her up the
steep bank on the other side. Again
they rush onward, and just at midnight
they reach the city-Bregenz is saved.
The battlements are manned before day
light, and the advancing army is met
with defiance. That was 800 years ago,
but the old stone gateway which was
erected on the hill to do her honor
stands there still. And still at night, as
the the warder PAGES to and fro, guard
ing the old gateway and calling each
passing hour, when midnight comes he
calls the maiden's name.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30
THE DAUGHTER Objected.
she Did Not Propose to Have Her HRppi-
ness Bartered for n Pen= sy lynnia Farm.

|
The papers are telling a story about
q wealthy middle-aged widower who owns
farm on the border of Wayne and Lu-
zerne counties, Penn. 1t is occupied
by farmer named Obert, and Mines
| boarded there with his family. Obert's
daughter Lena is a pretty girl of Is
| years. A short time ago Mines offered
to make a deed of farm near the one
on which he lived if he would give him
his daughter in marriage. Although
the daughter was entirely ignorant of
the fact that the widower Mines desired
| to marry her, her parents eagerly ac-
the girl about their intentions toward
| her, and Mines never alluded to the
subject in his daily conversations with
her. The Oberts at once began to pre-
pare for the wedding, which was set
| down for the evening of Oct. 1. Mrs.
Obert greatly astonished her daughter
by telling her that she intended to give
large party. She gave her no hint,
however, as to what the occasion of the
party was going to be. The people who
were invited were also not informed of
the true character of the gathering.
party created a susprise in the neigh
borhood, as they had never been known
before to extend the slightest hospital
ity to any one. A new dress was
ordered for Lena, and it was brought
home from Scranton by her father on
the afternoon of the day of the party.
With it were so many things that sug-
gested bridal apparel that the girl
laughingly said to her mother that if she
wore them people would think she was
to be a bride. Her mother thereupon
told her ali, and that the neighbors had
been invited to witness her marriage to
Dominick Mines. A neighbours girl,
who had been engaged to help in the
house on that day and evening, says
that upon hearing the truth about the
party Lena stood for some time staring
at her mother, pale and speeches..
Then she seized the wedding garments
and, tearing them into shreds, scattered
them about the room. After denouncing
both her father and mother for their
unnatural conduct she left the house.
She walked all the way to Scranton,
where she has friends, whom she is
still with. The true situation at Oberts'
was explained to tho guests as they ar
rived for the party, and all of them left
the house filed with Indignation at the
parents of the girl and with feelings of
sympathy and admiration for the
daughter who had SO bravely refused to
barter herself for their gain.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30
The Best of the Three.

Thomas Wentworth Higginson, in 9
letter to the Press, says: l remember
that soon after the war, when | was urg-
ing an eminent employer of labor to give
occupation to all the returning soldiers
who came in his way, he pointed tc
three men at work in his bayfield,, and
said: Zone of those men was a private
soldier; he is the best man ever hired.
Another was his captain; he does his
work very well. The third was the
colonel of his regiment, and all l can say
is, that if that is the way they range as
they go upward, [ should be sorry tc
hire Encouragement at any price," Tle
moral is, that the civil war is long since
ended, and we must test men by then
fidelity to the great works of peace.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30
With Their Heads Of.

The Gloucester, Mass, Advertiser
says: One of the crew of the schooner
Francis W. Romans, of Gloucester, in
forms us that on the recent trip to
Georges they caught large shark and
cut his head off, which they left on
deck. and threw the body overheard.
Ten minutes afterward, to the great sur
prise of ali, the shark was seen swim
ming alongside without his head and re.
manned in sight three quarters of an
hour. This seems Incredible, but sew
eral of the crew substantiate it. Capt
John Hawson Informs us that he has
witnessed the same feat on the west
coast of Africa when the crow would
catch sharks and cut their heads off. the
fish would swim off as if nothing had
occurred
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30
Wholesale Grave Robbery.

A letter from GAINESVILLE, Ohio, says
The discovery that this section of the
country has been literally riddled by
graveyard ghouls has created the wild
est excitement. Six weeks ago, when
graves at Wood were opened, no suspi-
cion was felt at GAINESVILLE but Friday s
robbery of Miss Dyers grave at Eos
toria woke the people up and a vigorous
search is now being prosecuted. AT
this place two suspicious persons
prowled about the town several days last
week the night before the discovery of
the robbery of Miss Dyer's grave they
disappeared. When the news of the
outrage reached the town rumor OBJ
tanned that these two men were grave
robbers. As two bodies had recently
been buried in the graveyard at James
vile, which is half q mile from the near
est house, it was resolved to examine
the graves. Both were found empty; in
one not thing remained but hand
kerchief In the other were the clothes
of the deceased. The bodies taken were
those of Henry Snyder and Maria
Jacobs, both middle-aged people.
To satisfy curiosity and to remove
doubts more than twenty graves of per
sons buried within two years were opened
and eleven were found empty. The
names of the missing are William Ed
ward Bonby, James Miller, Mary
Brown, Mrs. Alice Morgan, William
Lewis, Peter Lewis, Grace Simons,
Louis King GnfanD. Harry Seney, Alva
Rice and Mrs. Belle Porter. When the
graves were rified no one can tell, and
there is nothing like clue. The village
is but few miles drive from three rail
roads, and the isolated situation of the
graveyard made it favorite resort for
the ghouls. The discovery of these out
RACES has produced profound sensation
and the families of those interested are
Frustrated and one death is likely to re-
suit.
Every graveyard in this neighborhood
is being searched. At BirdsviIle, five
miles east, and at South Baltimore vio-
lated graves were found. The persons
who robbed the graves would soon find
a tree if caught, and the dissecting room
receiving the bodies would be wrecked.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30
The Railroad King.

The story is told of New York mes
senger boy who brought dispatch into
the private office of certain great finan-
cier and railroad king, and who, while
he waited for an answer, leaned on the
great mans desk and whistled lively
tune, to which he kept time with his
feet. The great man was shocked
throughout his entire system, and he
bent upon the audacious imp gaze
whose severity would have unnerved a
police captain; but its only effect upon
the uniformed urchin was to cause him
to wink one eye with much unconcern,
while he still continued his tune and his
shuttle. Then the great man said stern
ly: "Boy, this is not Harrigan &
Harris !' To which the unhumbled
young rascal replied: "WelI, you bet
yer life it amt; wouldn't pay no hall
dollar to come in here"
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30
The Great Icebergs.

One popularity of the great icebergs
that have come down from the North
says letter from ST. Johns, n. F., was
that they appeared to follow each other
as if arranged in single line of march,
but at irregular distances. This is &C
counted for by the supposition that the
bulk of themare fragments Of an enor-
nous ice-mass which was seen on the
Labrador coast some time ago. If the
accounts of two Captains who were close
to it can be relied on, this was the
largest iceberg ever seen in northern
ATTITUDES. One of the Captains estimated
it to be Is miles in length and three OF
four in breadth; the other made it 20
miles. Allowing a margin for the ex-
cited imagination of these worthy skip
pers, this must have been an astonish-
ing island of ice. As it did not make
its appearance off our shores in its full
dimensions the great probability is that
it grounded on some rocky ledge. By the
action of the summer sun its joints had
become loosened, and by the rising and
falling tides and the force of the waves,
as it hung on the ledge, great fragments
were snapped off, and falling, one by
one, with sullen plunge into the waves,
foated off as icebergs, thus in part Great
ing the ghostly procession which has
been filing along our shores for the last
ten days. All of the immense group,
however, could not have had the same
origin. 1.-THE Oldest inhabitant" does
not remember anything approaching
to the ice phenomena of this year. In
ordinary years a few icebergs are seen
after the LIST of August. But now we
have huge fleet of them sailing past in
the middle of September and chilling
our atmosphere. Since the beginning
of February stream of icebergs and
foes has been passing at intervals.
Some great ice movement must have oc-
CURED in the arctic regions of an unusual
character to cause such an abnormal
disagreement and call into existence the
vast ice argoaies of the last seven months
As a consequence, the supply of the
next few years may be comparatively
small, and we may have but few of these
mighty wanderers of the deep, the arc
tic warehouses being temporarily ex-
hausted.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30

Both the Mason & Hamlin organs and
pianos excel chiefly in that which is the chief
excellence in any musical instrument, quality
of tone. Other things, though important ARE
much less so than this. An Instrument with
unmusical tones cannot be good musical in
strument Yet all are not good judges of
such a matter. An inferior quality of tone
will often please the uncultivated ear best at
first; though time and use will reveal the SUI
periority of really good tone. Hence in Sc
Letting an organ it is safer to choose one from
a maker whose reputation is thoroughly es-
tablished, and whose productions are acknow-
knowledged to have superlative excellence,
especially in this chief thing.-Boston Jour
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30

The RICHEST YOUNG WOMAN Miss
Mary Elizabeth Garrett, the daughter
of the late John W. Garrett of Balti-
more, is now said to be the richest I'M
married lady in this country. The esti-
mates Of her fathers wealth run from
SIS, 100000 to $4,000, 900, and of this
she received third. Miss Garrett re-
ceives as her share of the property the
elegant and costly residence at the
corner of Monument and Cathedral
streets, with all the plate, furniture and
pictures it contains. She will also be
the owner of Monticello and of the
beautiful Garrett cottage at Deer Park,
where Der father died. In addition to
this property, Miss Garrett will also
come in for her third of the personal es-
tate of the testator. Miss Garrett is %
years old.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-30
THE SLEEPING-CAR PORTER.
How He Arrunges IL That No Guilty Mar
Shall Escape.

To try to escape the porters levy ol
twenty-five cents is practical impossi-
bility. Men have boosted that they had
the courage to do so, but no properly
authenticated case has ever came tC
light. 1t requires an amount of bravery
that the average American is not pos,
sessed of, let him boast as he may. The
highwayman's weapon is not sword or
nocuoTfs evos~--e- elethesfbroom.- H
calls you up to the captains Office tc
settle in the following manner:
"Brush you off, STRIP
sThank you, L brushed myself off o
moment ago."
"There's lot of dust on the back Of
your coat yet, sir.
''If you still demur he takes your hat
and gives it most vigorous busting off,
gradually leading you off into the dread
te-chamber. Then he lays on Mac,
duff. He dusts you off with energy and
precision. He puffs and pants over it
and exerts himself very visibly. Then
he stands expectant and draws his hand
across his heated brow as if he rarely en-
countered so rough job. It's seldom
that man is so hardened as to pass
that stage without his hand automatically
seeking the quarter that lies dormant in
his pants pocket; but grant for the sake
of argument that there is man who
could calmly say, "Thank you," and
take his crimson seat in the car again.
The next stage is after this fashion: the
porter walks up and down the aisle and
stops before YOU, saying:
"Did brush you off, sir"
"You did,"
"Ahem. I hope you're satisfied,
SIR"
Perfectly satisfied"
A pause.
"I'm glad you're satisfied, sir"
Another pause, during which you feel
that the eyes of all the passengers are on
you and that you are becoming unpleas-
antly conspicuous.
"Were your boots BACKED to suit you.
sir?"
"They were we'll BACKED"
"You see, some likes one kind of
backing and some another. generally
give satisfaction, sir; least, I never see
no gentlemen complain.
If YOU make no move at this, the final
catastrophe occurs. The highwayman
drops all politeness as thrown away on
such a boor, thrusts his hand before
you while he holds the whisp under his
left arm, and demands:
"Porter, please"
Then he gets his quarter. Detro5,
Free Press.