davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25

A traveller entered a town in south
western Kentucky on 'court day, when
the streets were full of people from the
country and the stores were crowded
with customers. There WAS quite a bri-
gadc of horse traders on hand, and from
the well-to do farmer, with his prancing
roam, down to the dilapdated darkcy,
with his rickety old mule, that looked
like relic from Noah's ark, all had their
say and their trade, and imagined that
they had the best of it. That is one of
the mysteries of the business. One hun
dred men can make fifty trades and
every man of them make money by it. 1t
reminds me of group OF boys l once
knew who boosted that they could NEE
together every Sunday and make two or
three dollars apiece trading Jackets"
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25
DisaiIOwing Vouchers.

Washington dispatch says that "the new
accounting officers OF the treasury have late
ly been scrutiniZing very closely all claims
and accounts presented to them for settle
ment, and have undertaken TO disallow many
sums paid by disbursing officers, although
the payments were made in accordance
with established precedent. The comp
troller appears to be opposed to free
lunches and foreign travel at the expense of
the United States. He disallowed one bill
of $l4l.25 for subsisting the House Appropri-
alton committee while visiting the Norfolk
navy yard and other places on the United
States steamer Tallapoosa in March, 1854,
and charged Admiral Jouett with 500
expended by that officer in entertain
ing distinguished guests at the New
Orleans exposition. He has also charged
Surgeon John S. Billings, of the army, with
Sl,34D.4 paid to him for III, 7j3 miles OF
travel at eight cents per mile as a delegate to
the international Medical cougre in Lon
don in August, 1881, and while travelling in
England, France, Germany and other Euro
pean countries under orders from the war de
partment. Other interesting cases of disal-
lowed vouchers might be given, but the fore
going will suffice as samples"
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25
LATER NEWS.

A FLOOD of water and quicksand broke
through the roof of a coal mine at Nantcoke,
Penn, blocking up all ways of egress Most
of the six hundred men and boys in the mine
escaped, but about thirty were entombed.
The disaster causes great excitement in the
vicinity
H1LAND HILL, governor Of Vermont from
1855 to 1850, died a few days since at sons
house in Springfield, Mass, aged ninety
years.
RICHARD D. ANDERSON, of Missouri, has
been appointed timber depreciation agent, and
William c. Torrey, OF Indiana, a special agent
for swamp lands.
TIE sensation at Detroit, Mich, is the dis
covery that Frank Knoch, his wife and two
children, all of whose charred bodies were
ound in their burned dwelling at Woolmere,
A suburb of Detroit, had been the victims OF
foul murder. Suspicion resting upon two
brothers OF the murdered man, they and
their mother were arrested.
y LARGE band Of Shans have been com
hitting heavy deprelations in the southeast
,rn part of British Burmah. Four large viii
ages have been looted and burned.
PROFESSOR JOHN c. DRAPER, ND, LII.
D., the eminent scientist, died few days age
at his home in New York, aged fifty years
THE death of ex-governor Hyland Hill, of
Vermont, has been followed by the decease
of his gubernatoral predecessor, Rylanl
Fletcher, who died at Proctorsville in that
State, on the Goth, aged eighty-six years.
a FIRE in Chicago destroyed business prop.
erty valued at $350O00.
\ CRANK heavily armed was arrested q
few days since at Council Bluffs, Iowa. He
stated that he was on his way to Washington
to kill Cleveland
CHRISTIANS are being massacrel in An
nam. Three hundred converts were killed in
one fight by the natives.
A ST. PETERSBURG dispatch states that
a terrible dynamite explosion has occurred
in the Pleijuchin mine in Siberia. The &C.
counts are conflicting rs regards the number
of persons killed, some placing the number e,
400, while others place it as high as 1000
\ SERIOUS outbreak is reported to have
taken place in Corea. A Chinese squadron
and American and japanese men wal
have left Shanghai for the Corean coast
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25

The microphonc-an electric stretho-
scope whose sensitiveness to the faintest
sounds as making "the walk of fly
seem like the tramp of an elcphant"-is
likely to become of great use in medical
diagnosis. In the Atlanta .NelicM AMI
Surgical J0uraal, DR.. Eve describes an
Interesting series of experiments made
by him with the instrument. He was
abe to detect the nature of obscure
fractures by the character of the sounds
conducted through the instrument, and
could difTcrentate ancur;sms from tu-
mors by the sound of pulsation. Intra-
cranial and muscular sounds were made
out with great clearness, and in diagno-
sis for stone the instrument worked with
mathematical accuracy. The doctor
suggests that an audiphone constructed
on the principle of the microphone
would prove inestimable to people of
impaired hearing,
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25

The wild beast pest but slowly disap.
pears in British India. There is, how
ever, a slight decrease in the loss of life
from the bites of wild animals and VEN
omous snakes. The numbers are %, 900
for 1888 and 50. 42J for 1884. The num-
bers representing those due t. snake
bites are 90, O67 and 19,620 in the two
years respectively. The reported loss OF
cattle amounted to 40, G12, against II, rs
in the previous year. OF these, AZ, 944
are said to have been cuused by wild
animals and 1,729 by snakes. Tigers
and leopards are shown to have been
about equally destructive, having killed
1860 and ~, 600 head of cattle respec-
lively. In the number of wild animals
destroyed there was satisfactory in
crease from 10, $40 in the previous year
to 90, rs. The destruction of poisonous
snakes is enormous, but the numbers
have declined from 412, 1872 to $50, 9S1.
Wherever the system of rewards have
been pursued the figures have shown 1.
satisfactory increase, although it natur-
ally happens that here and there too
adventurous snake killer pays for his
daring with his life.
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25
AFFAIRS AT WASHINGTON.
Topics of Interest From the Ma.
tional Capital.
A Congre3sman's Plan to Pay the
Public Debt Faster,

A Washington special to the New York
Herald says:
Mr.. Warner intends to introduce after the
recess a joint resolution instructing the secre-
tary of the treasury TO make n call of bonds
whenever he has n certain amount of cash in
hand, the sum TO be named in the resolution.
Mr.. Warner says that he intends in this
joint resolution to recit3 the exact condition
OF the treasury on New Years Day, and to
require that only certain limited amount of
coin be it god or silver, shall thereafter be
held in the treasury to serve for the
running expenses of the govern
ment and the reserve for green
backs. lie means to require that this amount
for all purposes shall not be so great rs the
one hundred millions now held in gold as a
greenback reserve fund, and his resolution
will require that the amount held in the
treasury sha not at any time exceed the
sum fixed in the resolution, and that all sur
plus which accumuates beyond this shall
be usel to call bonds without delay
Mr.. Warmers joint resolution will be re-
ferred to a committee, perhaps to that on
ways and means, as it includes much more
than silver, and when reported back to the
House it will undoubtedly draw out long
and thorough debate, IL will be seen
that while it includes the silver question
it covers much important ground besides. 1t
attacks the greenback reserve fund, and asks
Congress to instruct the Secretary to dimin-
ish that. and, in fact, no longer to keep it as
n separate fund at all. Also, while the ques-
ton of a bond call has always hitherto Teen
left by Congress TO tine discretion of the Sec
Rotary of the Treasury, Mr.. Warner now
seeks to have this matter regulated by Con-
gress.
The present demand of a good many of the
silver men is for the unlimited coinage of
TO the demand for the repeal of tho Bland
bill
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25
Mexican War Pensions.

The bill INTRODUCED i'll the House to-day by
MI Browne, of Indiana, granting pensions to
survivors OF the Mexican war, entities all per.
sons to pensions who actually served fourteen
days with The army or navy of the United
States in Mexico, and have reached the age
of sixty years ~ who are suffering from
any disability, provided that such disability
was not incurred in the rebellion against tho
United States 1t also grants n pension to
any person who served in the military or
naval service for tn period of three months
during the rebellion AMI who is or shall be-
come disabled ir' IN any cause not the result
of his own gross careleSNnesS or vicious or In
temperate habits 1t also increases the pen
sion of widows and minor children from IS
to $l2 per month
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25

The Boston Record gives the following
good illustration OF the confusion which
the blending of old and new fashions in
some Of our modern houses produces in
the minds of plain people. ga visitor
at a fashionable West End mansion, the
other day, was from the country, and
had not been in Boston for several years.
During this period his host had built a
spick an span new house on the site of
his old one. After going over the gayly
decorated establishment, surveying the
sumptuous drawing rooms and the @s-
thetic attics, the guest came down to the
lower floor, where the rooms, instead Of
having large plate glass windows like
those above, had exceedingly small
panes, in imitation of the fashions of a
century or more ago. The innocent
rural visitor naturally supposed that here
was a veritable vestige of the past.
"Well, john said he, pm real glad
you've kept part of the old house, though
it's an awful small part"
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25
The Seasons Peril.

Now the neat and careful housewife,
As she often did before,
Rises in the morning early,
Sweeps the sidewalk at her door,
Pours upon it pals of water
just as hot as hot can be,
Then admires that shining sidewalk,
Also clean an fair to see.
Scarcely is the job completed
When the water warm and nice,
Parting with its heat directly,
Soon converted into ice.
Forms Il film upon the sidewalk
Thin and cold as charity,
And slide is there established
BY the urchins speedily.
Then the good man. outward going,
Somewhat old and short of sight,
Strides that sid walk and discovers
All the stars that shine at night.
Harsh and wild the words he utters,
Not bit like songs of praise,
> As he rubs himself and wonders,
Wonders at woman's ways.
-New York World
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25

y noble instance of courage and pres
ence of mind is recorded in a New Zeal
and paper. A child, which was on the
track of down grade train, was rescued
when the engine was within two yards
of it, by the engineer ieaping down and
selling it. He was himself thrown off
without severe injury by the cowcatchcr
An English paper frankly says: Had
the affair taken place in England, where
engines are not provided with cowcatch-
ers, the driver would have paid the pen
atty for his bravery with his life"
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25

Many cases of heroism occurred in the
city of Saragossa, Spain, during the re-
cent cholera epidemic. Every citizen
gave money, food or labor to the suffer-
ing. A poor washerwoman, bringing
home clothes to lady whom she found
in state of collapse, in which it was
impossible to warn her, threw off her
dress, jumped into bed, took the dying
woman into her arms, and chared the
clammy limbs until circulation was re-
stored. When the disease had spent it.
self the Spanish government offered re-
wards to the principal officials, who
promptly refused them. 1t then be-
slowed the grand cross of the Order of
Beneiicence on the entire city. This
cross is given only to few individuals,
who have risked their lives for the help
of others; there is no order more highly
valued in Spain. Never before has it
been conferred on an entire town.
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25
The Work Of Conrrcss.

Since the present session of Congress, b gan
TBS bills and joint resolutions have been in
troduced in the Senate, and seven, one of
which originated i'll the House, have been
passed 10y that body. Twelve hundred
and forty seven executive messages, CON
tanning about 1909 nominations. have been
sent by the President to the Senate, and have
been referred to the proper committees, but
no nominations have been confirmed. Two
treaties-one relating to the boundary line
between this country and Mexico. and the
other providing for he settlement of the
claims of certain American citizens against
NeneZuela-have been sent to tho Senate for
ratification.
Twenty-tour bills and joint resolutions
have been introduced to the House Of Repre-
sentatives and four, two of which originated
in the Senate, have been passed.
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25
Rescue of the Monitors Survivors.

From a paper on the Gloss of TIE
Monitor" i'll the Century, we quote the
following: After fearful and danger
Gus passage over the frantic seas, we
reached the Rhode Island, which still!
had the tow line caught in her wheel
and had driftcd perhaps two miles
to leeward. We came alongside under
the Ice bows, where the first boat, that
had eft the Monitor an hour before, had
Just discharged its men; but we found
that getting on board the Rhode Island
was a harder task than getting from the
Monitor. We we're carried by the sea
from stem to stern, for to have made
fast would have been fatal; the boat was
bonding against the ships sides, some.
times it was below the VIII ell, and then,
on the summit of huge wave, lar above
the decks and once, while Surgeon
Weeks was holding on to the rail, he lost
his fingers by a collision which swamped
the boat. Lines were thrown to us from
the deck of the Rhode Island, which
were of no assistance, for not one of us
could climb a small rope; and beside,
the men who threw them would imme-
diately let 90 their holds, in their excite
ment, to throw another-which found
to De the case when | kept hauling in
rope instead of climbing.
1t must be understood that two vessels
lying side by side, when there is any
motion to the sea, move alternately; or
in other words, one is constantly pass
ing tie other up or down. At one
time, when our boat was near the
bows OF the steamer, we would rise
upon the sea until we could touch her
rail; then in an instant, by q very rapid
descent, we could touch her keel. While
we were thus rising and FALLING upon the
sea, | caught rope, and rising with the
boat managed to reach within foot or
two of the rail, when man, if there had
been one, could easily have hauled me
an board. But they had all followed
after the boat, which at that instant was
washed astern, and hung dangling in
the air over the bow of the Rhode Isl
and, with Ensign Norman Atwater hang
ing to the cat-head, three or four feet
from me, like myself, with both hands
clinching rope and shouting for some
one to save him. Our hands grew pain
| full and all the time weaker, until | saw
his strength give way. lie slipped foot,
caught again, and with his last prayer,
sob, God" | saw him fall and sink, to
rise no more. 'The ship rolled, and rose
upon the sea, sometimes with her keel
/ out of water, so that | was hanging
/ thirty feet above the sea- and with the
fate in view that had befallen our much
/ beloved companion, which no one had
witnessed but myself. Istill chung to tho
rope with aching hands, calling in vain
Tor help. But could not be heard, for
the wind shrieked far above my voice.
My heart here for the only time in my
life, gave up hope, and home and friends
were most tenderly thought of. While
| was in this state, within a few seconds
of giving up, the sea rolled forward
bringing with it the boat, and when ]
would have fallen into the, it was there.
l can only recollect hearing an old sailor
say, as fell into the sea bottom of the
boat "Where in the deuce did he come
| from, ~
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25
Senate Committee Meetings

The Senate committee on the improvement
o! the Mississippi river held meeting to con-
slider the bill for making an outlet through
Lake Borsne for the Mississippi river Sew
eral people who favor the bill were before tho
committee. man who has had fifty years
experience rs a navigator of the Mississippi
SAID the river is more destructive to yes Sc 5
and to property along its banks now than ii
was fifty years ago, despite the large sum
expended for its Improvement,
a subcommittee of the judi larry commit
tee, consisting of Senator's Hoar, Evart, and
Jackson, hal under consideration the bank
ruptcy bill.
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25
PROMINENT PEOPLE.

JoHN GURNEY, mayor elect OF Norfolk,
England, is blind.
KING kALAKAUA, of the Sandwich Islands,
i, teri be sueezer.
SAM RANDALL is growing stopped and has
an overworked air about him.
NJ. PAsTEUR, discoverer Of a cure for by
drophoOia, is the s,f-made son OF tanner.
SENATOR EDMUNDs keeps four horses in
his stable. He lives quietly but extensively.
SENATOR GEORGE, of Mississippi, is
thick-set man with auburn hair and full
beard.
GEORGE BANCROFT. the historian, is the
only private citizen who has been given the
right to The floors OF Congress at all times.
CONGRESSMAN SMALLs is the only colorel
member OF the House. lie is from South
Carolina, round and benign looking in his
gold eyeglasses.
CONGRESSMAN OATS. of Alabama, bears
upon his person the evidences of the terrible
injuries lie received III the war. lie served
in twenty seven battles, has only one arm,
and bears the scars of six wounds.
GENERAL BANKS begins to show the in
roads of age upon his once stawart form.
For many years his fine athletic figure and
erect military bearing have combined to
make HIM notable figure in the streets of
Boston.
GENERAL JAMES s. BRIsBIy said in St
it, for the man who shall patent some plan
for branding cattle Excessive branding
causes loss of about $5,OC0,O 900 year in
this country,
QUEEN VICTORIA has formally invested
Lady Randolph Churchill with the insignia
of the Imperial Order of the Crown of India
Lady Churchill is said to be the first Ameri-
can woman who has ever received such a
decoration.
l. V. WILLIAMSON, the richest man in
Philadelphia, is sized up at Sl6,OO0,00O. He
is % years old, bachelor with long hair and
good habits. He gives literally in charity,
but does not spend more than $1,000 year
for his own account.
SENATOR VOORHEES,, of Indiana. will be
one of the principal speakers at the dinner Of
the Holland society, of New York To be
given early in January. Senator voorhees,
is descended in the direct male line from
stephen Coerte Van voorhees,, who came
from Holland in 1860
CLAUS-SPRECKLES is the sugar redner of
California, and the virtual king of the Sand
witch Islands, because he controls their sugar
lands and cultivation, He is also the owner
OF a fleet Of steam and sailing ships and will
now AIRY the mail between san Fra lcisco,
! Honolulu and Auckland, New Zealand.
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25

A prize of $1,000 was offered some
time ago by Mr.. Lorllard, of New York,
for the discovery of the key of the an
cient Maya alphabet. The offer is still
standing. DR.. lie Plongeon, who has
recently returned from a twelve years,
study of the ruins and monuments in
Yucatan, is thus far the strongest COM
petitor for the award.
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25

Winter begins December 21, 1SS5, and lasts
seyenty-nne days.
Spring begins March 20, 1886, and lasts ninety
three days.
Summer begins June 81, and lasts nnety-four
days.
Autumn begins September 81, and lasts eighty
nine days.
Winter begins December 81. 1885.
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25
Erlipscs for 1856.

There will be TWO cclpses this year-both OF the
sun.
/. The first is an annuar or ring-form eclipse
Of the sun, March 5th at $40 O'Clock evening.
1his eclipse is visible only for short time at
Charleston and Washington. by sunset but will be
annuar in the Pacific ocean on tn. equator.
2. The seconl is total eclipse of the sun, Au-
gust 10Th, morning; visible only f short period
by sunrise viii be total in the Atlantic ocean and
ncar Western Africa
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25
Middlebury Register
FRIDAY, DECEMBER %, 1851

VIII some one write history of
China9 President Angel considers this
a fair field for the future historian. He
will have to struggle with the lists of the
Han, the How Chow, and the Tae Using
dynasty, but that is nothing to an enthu-
siastic spirit such rs is needed to con-
struct any living picture of the past.
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25

Mercury, January sth, May 9th. September I'd,
December 22d, rising then just before the sun.
Also, March 22d, July 18th, November 18th, setting
then just after the sun Venus, January 18th,
March 2jth. Jupiter, March 2lst.
The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25
South and West.

ERNEST ATwOOD and his newly-made
bride were drowned while attempting to
cross the Chattanooga river, near Tallulah,
Ga. They had been married the day before
IN anticipation of its soon becoming q
State the Territory of Dakota has opened a
"legisalturen at Huron
THE vote by which the Virginia legislature
elected John w. Daniel to succeed General
Malone as United States Senator, was; Sen
ate-Daniel, PC; Malone. s. House-Daniel,
20; Malone, %.
THE State of Texas has bought large
plantation on which it will employ convicts.
FRANK KNoCH. of Woodmere, Mich, his
wife and two children we're burned to cinders
BY their dwelling catching fire at night
JACKSONVILLE, Fla, has been the victim
of a disastrous fire, much business property
being destroyed and the total loss being esti-
mated at S450,O00 One fireman was killed
and three Others were injured.
THE Dakota self-make Estate legislature"
has elected two United States Senators, "
This action of Dakota in forming itself into n
State government is done to compel Congress
to either accept or rel ect the Territory as a
State.
TIE courts we're called upon to prevent an
announcement of the recent local election at
Atlanta, but the judge has dissolved the in
junction and sustained the cOnstitutionality
of the Georgia prohibition law.
SAM WILSON (colorel) murdered n colorel
woman and her two children at Laurel, Miss
lie was captured and summarily lynchei