davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-03
KANSAS STATE NEWS.
Grazing Lands.


A committee appointed by the Western
Central Kansas Stock Association, an
organization consisting of sixty stock
growers living on the grazing lands OF the
State of Kansas between the Smoky Hill
and Arkansas Rivers, recently prepared
petition to Congress asking for the dispo-
sition of the Government grazing lands In
a manner that viii be more beneficial to
the settler and the Government than the
present methods. The petition represents
that ''the Western third of Kansas, the
Western half of Nebraska, and large por'
lions of Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming
Dakota, and Montana, are not adapted TO
agricultural pursuits, mainly for the reason
that the rains in this territorial area are
unreliable and untimely. This same area
however, furnished subsistence for ages to
millions of buffaloes, and 1T has been
demonstrated that it will also subslst
domestic herbiverous animals. Only IN ex-
ceptional cases have agricultural pursuits
been followed with any degree OF success
in this region, and what success has been
attained has been accomplished mainly by
irrigation. Settlers who took Homestead,
Presumption or Timber claims in the Gov
ernment grazing lands in Kansas, with
view to engaging in farming, have been
compelled either to abandon their claims
and leave the country, or change thelr
occupation 20 that of raising live stock, or
have become impoverished in their efforts
at farming" Further: "In a grazing
country, where people are wholly de-
pendent upon the growth Of live stock, one
hundred and sixty acres are insufficient for
the following thereon of this occupation.
One hundred and sixty acres of grazing
land, producing mesquite grass, will main
tain only sixteen head of cattle or horses.
Enough land for the maintenance of two
hundred head of cattle or horses is needed
for the independence of the settler in a
grazing region. Practically two thousand
acres of land in a grazing section are only
equivalent to one hundred and sixty acres
in an agricultural section" The petitioners.
therefore, ask Congress for the passage OF
law dividing the grazing area of the
United States into two thousand-acre
tracts, or tracts of four sections, each tract
subject to settlement under the same OF
analogous conditions imposed for the ac'
luirement of land under the Homestead or
Presumption laws.
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-03
UNDER SHROUDS OF SNOW.
Twenty-Seven Lives Lost and Immense
Damage Done to Mining Property in Col
orado by AVaIanches of Snow.

Damage Done to Mining Property IN Col
Orado by AvaIanches of Snow.
DENVER, COL, Dec. 20.
A special dispatch from Telluride, Col,
dated the 9th, via Montrose 26Jh, states
that about noon on Monday snow-slide
came down in the Marshall basin and car
ried off the shaft-house OF the Mendoza
Mine, which at the time of the accident
contained fourteen men. Eight of the oc-
cupants We're killed outright. Four sue
ceeded in digging themselves out, and
these four subsequently rescued the two
r, naming men i'll a badly injured condi-
ton. As the telephone wires from the
mine to the camp were in damaged con-
dition the news was not received III the
camp until five o'clock that afternoon, and
then only these few meagre details were
given. A large number of men lmmedl-
atelNleft for the scene of the disaster. But
as yet they have not been heard from. 1t
has been showing for week, and it is now
/ over four feet deep on the level. The pres
ent storm is the most extensive and DAM
aging of any ever known in that region. A
stage-driver who had made his way on
foot over the surrounding country reports
that twenty-Seyen men have lost their lives
by snow-slides within the last few days,
while the damage to mining proper
ty is enormous. Two men named
Gunter and Peck were killed
by snow-slide at the Nevada mine, also
at Telluride. The latest information from
Ophir and Ames, neighbOrinS towns, re-
ports that the mail-carrier from Silverton,
who was due on Friday, had not been
heard from and he is supposed to have
been lost and persisted i'll making an at
tempt to cross the range. The Mendoza
mine is the most promising in the San
Miguel mining district of the San juan. 1t
employed the largest force OF men, and was
one of the few mines which continued work
during the winter months. There is the
: greatest interest here to learn the names of
! the unfortunate miners, as some OF them
have families living in Denver.
A special received at one o'clock this
morning gives the names OF killed at the
! Mendoza mine as follows: j. II. Bond, c.
/ S. Herrick, Thomas Dunnegan, VIM. Tay-
| lor, John Davis, VIM. Applewhite, F. Sla-
! ter and Lewis HutchinS The latter lived
! about twelve hours after being rescued.
! Thomas Wheatly was found about twelve
/ feet under the snow, with his leg broken,
/ but still alive, and it Is expected that he
/ will recover He was buried fOrty-six
/ hours Two men, Joseph FrelinghuySen
/ and James Burns, were found dead to-day
/ by George Pohivar in the Goldhug cabin.
! A slide struck this cabin OH Friday and
| moved the cabin about 100 feet. Many
/ more accidents are known to have occur
| red, and an excited crowd is around the
! telephone office, the only means of COM
munication, all day.
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-03
THE LATEST.

THE sanitary condition of Havana (Cuba)
is reported to be improving. Only ten
deaths from yellow fever for the week ended
December 26. The cases were scattered
among the population and not confined to
shipping and military hospitals as they
usually are.
MISS HILL, of Hill-Sharon fame, recently
had Frederick c. Burchard arrested at San
Fran cisco for testifying in court that on
April IS, 1881, he was engaged to be mar
ried to her.
In late interview with Mr.. Morrison,
Chairman of the Ways and Means Com
mittee, he is quoted as saying that the COM
mittee will report a bill making pretty
general reduction in existing duties; that
in arranging the provisions of the bill the
committee will look to the possibility of
preparing measure that can pass Con-
gress, but whether or not the bill can get
through the House without being amended
so as to destroy its usefulness, is a matter
of mere conjecture.
THE French Government has decided to
prohibit the importation of American
salted meats until the Chambers have pro-
nounced upon the bill which the Minister
of Commerce will introduce at the begin
ming of next session. The prohibition does
not apply to the ports of Havre, Nantes
and Bordeaux, where, however, arrivals
are subjected to rigid scrutiny.
The dead body of Penn Girt, negro
preacher, was found the other day six
miles from Brinkley, Ark, beside hog he
had killed. 1t is believed he was shot i'm
mediately after killing the hog.
THE Trades Congress at Toronto (Ont.) 4,
unanimously resolved that the future wei,
fare of the working people of the Dominion
required the prohibition of the importation
of Chinese labor.
Upon evidence showing fraud in making
entry, the Commissioner of the General
Land Office recently cancelled twenty-one
entries of public land in Colorado, twelve
in Dakota and seventeen in New Mexico.
JOHN II. DODGE, of Grand Island, Neb.,
recently suicided by shooting himself, at
Omaha, where he had gone to see his wife,
who had separated from him.
The Secretary of the Navy has issued an
order to suspend work in the Boston Navy
Yard January 15 and the dismissal of halt
of the force. The breaking up Of con-
demned vessels will be continued and the
yard be converted into a ropewalk.
ELLEN Bros furniture store, at Eau
Claire, Wis. burned recently. Loss, $751;
600; insurance, $4,000.
A LATE wind storm destroyed number
of houses in Brooklyn, n. Y, and did much
damage along the ccast. At Pittsield,
Mass, it was also quite destructive.
THE business failures of the country for
| the week ended December 2Sth were 214, a
large decline from the previous week.
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-03
TIE SOUTH.

WHILE a family named Gray, consisting
of man, wife and two children, and two
middle-aged ladies from Illinois, were
crossing Petit Jean Creak, near Paris, Ark,
recently, they were swept away oy tne
swollen stream and all drowned.
AT Pine Bluff, Ark, the superintendent
of gang of convicts, was found guilty OF
whipping prisoner so severely as to cause
death, and was sentenced to the peniten-
tiary for twenty-one years.
THE other night, as the collector of the
First National Bank of Nashville (Tenn.)
was going to the post-office with the days
mail, he was assaulted as he passed his
own gate and beaten on the head with
large stone, the assailant securing the bag
with the mail and disappearing in the
darkness.
ABOUT eleven o'clock the night before
Christmas Henry Pferfer, Wright McLe-
more and Thad McLemore were taken from
a saloon at McDade, Tex, by fifty well
armed masked men, carried mile into
| the brush and hanged to tree. The men
| were under arrest for horse stealing and
other crimes. The next day six men,
| friends and relatives of those hung, went
to town and provoked quarrel with some
| of the men supposed to be engaged in the
hanging. A fight ensued, during which two
of the six, Jack Bayley and Asa Bayley,
were killed, and a third, Howard Bayley,
badly wounded. A young man named
Griffin, was also mortally wounded.
A STREET fight took place at Allendale,
| S. c., on Christmas, in which two persons
were killed and five others wounded. John
| Hudlett, Marshal of the town, Evan and
joyce Strange and others, had an alterca-
cation with Frank Weaver and Ulry Mid
| dleton, in which the two Stranges were
wounded. Returning from this fight, which
was carried on until Weaver and Middle
| ton got nearly out of town, they met l.. b.
and Frank O'Bryan and Gus Allen return
ing from dinner party, when one of the
Strange boys insulted them. A general
row ensued, sticks, knives and pistols
being freely used. Evan Strange and Tom
Hudlett were killed outright, the two John
Hudletts severely wounded and the two
O'Bryans slightly.
Miss STEVENSON, a young lady living
near Bastrop, La, was accidentally shot
and killed Christmas day by young man
named Kitchen.
GENERAL MCKENZIE, commander of the
Department of Texas, has been temporarily
relieved of command on account of nerv
Gus prostration and mental depression
and it is stated his condition is such as tx
lead his friends to send him to the Military
Insane Asylum at Washington. During
the war he was twice severely wounded
and had much nervous trouble which af
fected him for years. His friends feal
that should he recover from his presen
mental prostration he will be incapacitatec
for active service.
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-03
A FRIGHTFUL EXPERIENCE.
The Sufferings of the Crew of the Barb
Mohawk in Long Island Sound During .
Recent Blizzard.


Recent Blizzard.
NEW HAVEN, Conn, Dec. 26.
The crew of the bark Mohawk, of Quebec.
Captain Grassland, met wita terrible ex-
perience while passing through Long
Island Sound. The vessel sailed from New
York Saturday night, bound for Calcutta,
laden with choice cargo Of merchandise,
and while passing through the sound was
in chage of Pilot John O'Brien. The crew
consisted of Captain Grassland, three
mates, two stewards and thirteen sailors,
made up of Irishmen, Norwegians and
Japanese. To-day nine of these men lie IN
New Haven Hospital, suffering from the
effects of frozen feet, hands, ears and faces
The injuries of three are so severe that 1t Is
feared amputation will be necessary. Sun
day was terribly bitter day, and Pilot
O'Brien says that during his thirty years
experience he never saw anything like It,
The wind was north, and an icy blizzard
set in. The pilot lost his reckoning from
the steam mingling with the ice and snow,
which converted the atmosphere INTO an
impenetrable N st. An effort was made TO
reach this port. The ship was covered
with ice and snow. None among the crew
escaped frost-bites, and some OF them were
| respond to duty. Several of the crew were
sent aloft to loosen sail. They crowded up
the slippery rigging onto the long
aruis of the foreyard. The work
was nearly completed when, with a
| wild shrek which chilled the frozen
veins of all, one of them slipped
from the icy rope on which he was stand
ing and fell headlong to the deck, thirty
feet below. He died three hours afterward
| from broken back. The suffering of the
| crew was terrible. When the weather
/ moderated Yesterday, the frost began to
| ooze from the bodies of the unfortunates
/ As the frost worked out the frozen skin
! would puff up and fill underneath, so
| that their hands and feet looked like great
! bags of water. Their agony was such
| that they were unable to sleep, and there
was nothing on board to relieve their pain.
| Owing to the storm of Monday an anchor
| age was impossible, and it was found when
an attempt was made to clear away boat
| that there were not enough able-bOdied men
| to man the boat. The Mohawk finally
reached New Haven harbor yesterday, and
| after perilouS trip in light boat, Pilot
| O'Brien reached there and notified Health
! Officer Lindsay OF the distress on board,
| and reached the vessel this morning, and
the disabled sailors were taken to the hos
pital. Coroner Boltman visited the vessel
| on a tug, and viewed the remains of Sonlta
Ogete, who was killed by the fall. He is a
Phillipian, and will be buried here. Those
injured are John kimbe, japanese; Toms
Diy, Japanese; Frank Silva, Portuguese
James J. kOped. Dane; Charles Fortune,
| French: Henry Bache, German; Joseph
| Husta, German, and Peter Flores, Domin-
20. No such terrible experience in Long
Island Sound has been eGualled for fifty
| years.
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-03
Run Down by n Train.

HOUSTON, TEX, Dec. %.
This afternoon E. T. Lewis, conductor,
had hand-car and three men on the Inter
national and Great Northern Road, return
ing to town, having been repairing wire
fence. While near Cd Summit, a work
train, consisting of an engine and caboose,
ran into them, killing one white man, badly
wounding a negro and another white man,
and seriously injurinG Lewis. passen-
ger-train brought the victims to town, and
the wounded were sent TO the hospital. The
negro recovered consciousness momentari-
Iy, and gave his name as Henry Bentley.
The wounded white man died soon after he
arrived AZ the hospital.
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-03
WASHINGTON NOTES.

Iva recent interview, ex-senator Spencer
stated to a Washington correspondent
that the investigation of the star-route
trials by Congress would be urged, his
object being to learn why some persons
were tried and Others were not, and why so
much money was paid the Government at
torneys. Dorsey was but small fry in the
star.route cases: there were Western men
deeper in than he.
JUDGE WYLIE discharged ex-senator
Spencer, arraigned at Washington for con-
tempt, owing to an informality of the sub
poena.
Mr., BLAND, Chairman of the Committee
ON Coinage, Weights and Measures, is said
to favor recoining trade dollars into stand
ard, and thinks the issuing of the latter
should not be stopped. He is also OF the
opinion that mint ought to be established
in the Mississippi Valley.
THE wife of General R osecrans died at
Washington a few days since. after a
lingering illness.
THE Secretary Of the Interior has ordered
Inspector Benedict, Agent Tufts and Special
Agent Townsend to proceed at once to Mus
kogee, Indian Territory, to investigate the
Greek troubles arising from the recent cleo
ton of Chief, and make recommendations
looking to settlement. The recommends
tion will form the. basis of final action of
the Interior Department. The gentlemen
above named are instructed to inform the
Greeks that the Department will, if neces-
sary, inforce the action recommended.
THE House Committee on Appropriations
held meeting recently and decided to
prepare, if possible, Pension, Fortifica'
ton, Consular and Military Academy Ap,
preparation bills during the recess, so as
to be presented to the House when Con
gress assemblies.
IT is said that Perry Belmont has got G
splendid new house in Washington, and is
having it fitted up in a manner to make
Vanderbilt envious.
The issue of standard silver dollars fol
the week ended December 23d was $416,5OO
The first five months of the present fisca
year the total internal collections were
S51, ,279, ,43S, being $11, ,343, 81 less than the
corresponding period last year. In spirits
the total increase of collections were 81,
074,771; fermented liquors, increase, $497,
3SS; total decrease of collection in taxe
on tobacco, S9,191, COL; from banks anC
bankers, SIC, ,6S2 ,921; miscellaneous taxes
$3,6O6,231
A PETITION requesting Congress to pre-
vent the importation of foreign laborer:
under contracts made abroad was said tt
be receiving many signatures of working
men in the mining and manufacturing dis
tricts of Pennsylvania.
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-03
THE EAST.

WILLIAM HATFIELD, an escaped convict
from Michigan, was arrested recently at
Malone, n. Y, by Sheriff Stockwell. Hat
field stabbed the Sheriff, also Allen Stock
well and wife. He was finally captured
after being shot through the thigh.
A sLEIGHING party, numbering fifteen
persons, went over an embankment at Mill
Village, Pa, recently, and James Krouch,
Charles Imshwaler, Mary Kutter, Caroline
Green and Mary Hessler were seriously
injured.
CAPEN, Superintendent of Schools at
Canton, r. l., and Joseph Morton were
killed by snow plow on the Boston &
Providence Railroad the other morning.
IT was reported that there were pros
poets of trouble in the bituminous coal dis
tricts of Pennsylvania. Over fifteen
thousand miners have expressed willing
ness to cooperate and assist in general
strike.
r. S. SMITH & Co., of Providence, r. l.,
have assigned. The firm operated two cot
ton mills in Providence, two in Johnstown
and one in Woonsocket, in all $1,000 spin
dies. The failure involves the suspension
of the Providence Steam Mill Company,
Grafton Manufacturing Company and the
Franklin Manufacturing Company. The
total Indebtedness of the firm is about
S1,700,000. The company's property will
be sold and the proceeds divided among the
creditors.
J. P. DIEHL, formerly Collector of Gus
toms at Philadelphia, was found dead in
bed at Jersey City, N. j., recently. Coal
gas,is believed to have been the cause of his
death.
THE Free Thinkers Convention met at
Salamanca, n. Y, the other evening. There
was a large attendance. Among the
speakers present were ex-Rev. Burnham,
of Michigan, and John E. Remsburg, OF
Kansas.
THREE men while recently digging coal
near Girardville, Pa, were buried by fall
ing earth. One was fatally and the others
seriously injured.
A RECENT dispatch from Hanover, Ger
many, stated that Colonel Henry r. Rath
bone killed his wife and committed suicide
They were connected with the most prom
inent families of Albany, N. Y. She was g
daughter of ex-United States Senator
Harris.
THE number of failures in New York
lily III 1000 Was of0. udDlllJleS, 4-OsOOi yo4O
actual assets, 1854, ,451.
HEAVY snow storms lately blockaded
travel and interrupted telegraphic com
munication in the Northern and Eastern
States.
IT was currently reported that three
+ thousand employees of the National Tube
works Company at McKeesport, Pa, viii
accept the reduction of from twelve to
twenty-five per cent. announced to take
place soon.
ARTHUR G. CURRIER was probably fatal
ly shot by Lena West in a bar-room al
Newburypert, Mass, on Christmas night
The woman knocked Curriers' hat of
when he pushed her away. Then she sho
him.
A FEW nights since General Grant while
stepping from carriage at his residenc'
in New York, slipped and fell on the side
walk and was reported badly hurt.
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-03
Fracas at a Christmas Festival.

FULTON, NO., Dec 20.
At the Richland Church, about six miles
north of town, the negroes had festival
and oyster supper last evening. Every
thing passed off quietly till about ten
O'Clock, when the peaceable crowd was con-
verted into a mob Clubs, razors and pis-
tolls filed the air, rendered hideous by
screams and profanity. Sam Bruner, Dave
Brown, Sim Leach and Geo. White taking
active parts. Bruner was struck over the
head with a club and taken from the church
for dead, but came 70 life after time. He
was reported dead this morning. A NUM-
Der of others received slight injuries.
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-03
A Fiery Yisitant During Mass.

DUBUQUE. IA, Dec. 25.
While Rt. Rev. Bishop HeHnessy was
celebrating pontifcal high mass Christmas
morning the lighted candles on the altar in
some mysterious manner set fire TO some OF
the fabrics, and in few moments the altar
was in flames, projecting to the height OF
about ten feet. For a time it seemed that
the whole cathedral would be enveioped IN
the flames. The janitor and attending
priests quickly removed the burning fabrics
and after much difficulty and labor the
flames were exlinguisled and disastrous
panic ayerted. The church was crowded.
Mass was proceeded with after the blaze
was extinguished.
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-03
THE WEST.

PROF. A. ]. MANNETT, of Marietta, Ohio,
was recently elected Chancellor of the
Nebraska State University, which has been
without head for two years.
The heaviest snow storm for years oc-
Cured in Central Illinois on the 22d.
A LARGE meeting of Democrats and Re-
publicans was held recently at Salt Lake
City for the purposes of indorsing Presi-
dent Arthur's recommendation Of Legis-
lstive Council for Utah; also for the pur-
pose ofendorsing Governor Murray's stand
for laws for good government. The meeting
was addressed by leading men, and strong
resolutions passed. The country was ap-
pealed to to sustain the President and the
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-03
Welcome Christmas Gifts.

JEFFEsoN CITY, Mo-, Dec. "a.
Governor Crittenden, in accordance with
a custom observed for many years OF grant
ing pardons at Christmas to one or more
conyicts who have been in the Penitentiary
a long time and have record for good con-
duct, pardoned Bradford Norris, negro,
who was convicted of murder in the second
degree in st. Louis, March 25, 1873, and
sent to the Penitentiary for life, and also
to John Shropshire, who was convicted
March 25, 1871, in st. Francois County OF
murder in the second degree and sentenced
to twenty-five years in the Penitentiary.
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-03

Lizzie Booker, of Louisville, arose
from bed on which she had been pros
trated with fever, and said: 81 shall be
dead in twenty-four hours. / have
few friends whom l desire to see, and I
am going out now to visit them. Then
/ shall return and lie down on my death
couch" Her mother would not con-
sent, but she let the girl go from room
to room about the house in her delirium
to bid her friends goodbye. The girl
gave minute directions as to her funeral,
and returned to her bed, and at ten
o'clock the next morning she died
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-03
Identification of a Counterfeiter.

INDIANAPUIIS, IND, D0C' II
a member OF the Vincennes gang OF
counterfeiters arrested last Friday, VINO
gave his name as James Summers, has
been recognized as James Sprague, vino
was sent up in 1873 for six years for coun-
terfeiting. He was a desperate prisoner,
and worked up plan TO escape, by shoot
ing the officers in the courtroom during
the trial, that came near proving success
full. He was released lass June and at once
returned to his old business. Sprague, neS'
to Pete Mccartney, is Indiana'S most
prominent member of the order of coun'
terfeiters.
The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-03
A WEEKS NEWS.
Cleaned by Telegraph and Mail
CoNcRESSIONAL.

THE Senate met on the oath and only
transacted executive business. Inc speaker
laid before the House message from tne
President transmitting une oh 70 the
trial conviction and execution of the late
Patrick O'Donnen The Speaker announced
the Committees and the House ADJOURNED.