davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13
hallway Postal Clerks.

1t will provoke no invidijus distinction
to say that Of the several branches o! the
civil service no class incur 50 mu ii risk
nor endure mere real labor and fatigue
than railway postal clerks. In almost
every branch of the service the employe
has at least limited control over his
houis of labor. The postal clerk has
none. When the accountant. weary
with his task, stops to rest, while bill
lions play hide and seek with millions,
and columns Of figures 60 marching
throus!, his aching brain, he is not
startled by the sonnd Of the whistle for
the next station. The clerk in the ap-
pointment Office briefs recommendation
until he becomes satisfied that there are
fifty million of people in the United
States that .irc entitled to be President,
but then his work begins at nine and
ends at four. 4 very high order of bust
ness qualifications has to be exercised in
the discharge of the duties of postal
clerks. The plans or ''schemcs," as
they are called, for distribu ing the
mails on postal ears, require the exer
else of very high degree of care and
precision; and hundreds aud thousands
who daily receive, and promptly receive,
almost illegi6ly addressed letters are too
apt to forget that these messages are
accurately distributed and forwarded by
men who have stood from II to Is hours
asserting the mail.
The physical hardships of this branch
of the service are in excess of those per-
tanning to any other. The wear and
tear of the nervous forces consequent on
having to bruce oneself for several conse-
cutive hours in moving train, consti-
tute most serious objection to the ser
vice. Add to this the casualties Incl |
dent to the service (and the postal clerk |
takes his life in his hand'' every trip, |
and we have an average of mortality far
in excess of that pertaining to any class, |
save, perhaps, that of an army engaged |
in actual war. No class of men deserve
SO much of their countrymen as these
self-same overworked and poorly paid
postal clerks.
The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13

first storm, for instance, resulted in the
knocking out" OF a New Jersey far
mer. Another man would probably
have been killed by bolt that knocked
a gold ring off his finger, but this old
yeoman was only temporarily prostrated
and his wife was not hurt at all. 1t is
now generally conceded that electric
storms are irresponsible, and that it is
not safe to attempt to deduce morals
from them. They fall, like the rain,
upon the just and the unjust. They
are as likely to take the roof off a church
as tavern or a railroad depot. Pos
sibly they counteract to some extent
the languorous influences of summer,
and no doubt they are instrumental in
adjusting the meteorological balance,
but whether they are better or worse
than the phenomena of winter is a
question not easily to be determined
The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13

was loud report, and Dutch Mary lifted
her head with a bright red spot in the
centre of it where the ball had entered,
and uttered terrific roar after roar that
startled all the animals in the gardens,
The COW began to below aud tue buff
falOes plunged in their stables, while the
lions and tigers walked to and fro in their
cages a sholt distance away and roared
in responee. This effort only lasted a
moment when the elephants head sank
down again exhausted. The bullet had
not reached a fatal spot. Another flash
and report and another red spot was i'm
printed or the huge head little lower
than the first. The eyes of Dutch Mary
glared furiously. A stream of blood
Spurted from her trunk as she filled the
air with piercing roars. With t:e-
mendous effort She raised herself on her
fore feet-no longer docile, but thrash
ing her head tiercely to and fro with the
effort of reaching some one with her
trunk, which coiled in the air like a
serpent. For moment it seemed as if
she would lift her whole body to her
feet once more, but the strain was too
great. Her cries deepened into groan,
and she fell back heavily on the ground.
The movement had placed her body in a
better position. The keeper pointed his
rifle back of one of the animals ears and
fired. A qniver went through the great
brown body, and then her eyes were
turned back, current of black blood ran
from the last wound, and in few mo.
ments Dutch Mary was dead.
Less than five minutes were occupied
from the first shot until she had ceased
breathing. She was valued at $500.
The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13
A Possibility That Gordon is Alive

a despatch from Cairo says: Some
excitement has been created here among
the English officials and residents by the
story of a Coptic merchant who has juat
arrived from khartoum. He states that
he witnessed the capture of khartoum,
and that Immediately after the massacre
of the garrison the Mahdi demanded the
head of General Gordon for a trophy, but
his warriors produced the head of the
Austrian consul, Mr.. IIansal. When the
mistake was discover. ID second search
was made for General Gordon, but the
Mahdi followers were unable to find any
trace of the hero of khartoUm. They
found several other Europeans, but nc
documents We're found on their clothes to
show thaG either OF them was General
Gordon. The Coptic says that 1t is pos
sible that General Gordon, seeing that all
was lost, may have escaped south"
The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13
THE LIGHTNING SEASON.

The failure of the most approved
appliances to protect the Washington
monument against lightning has caused
wide newspaper comment and stirred
the scientific mind. While the attitude
of the apex of the monument may in
crease the difficulty, yet the fact re-
mains, that the ingenuity of man has
not yet devised an appliance that can
be considered an absolute safeguard
against danger from lightning. Refer
ring to this subject a contemporary
pertinently observes that even as re-
CARDS ordinary thunder storms it
is the steady progress of lightning-rod
agents all over tine country, the statis-
tics Of accidents caused by Lightning
remain about the same. Whether this
is to be attributed to adulteration in the
lightning rods, to the production of a
more effective article OF lightning, or to
some fundamental flaw in the theory
upon which the whole lightning-rod
system is based, is question to be de-
termined only by patient and thorough
investigation. The lightning season,
however, sometimes affords opportunity
for interesting comparisons of the re-
lative toughness and vitality of people
from different parts of the country. The
The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13

the incumbent?" the President in
quired.
"Thc only charge We bring Is that he
is a Republican" was the answer.
is he a good citizen?" the Presi-
dent wanted to know.
eve don't know anything TO the con-
trary," they said.
"Does he perform the duties of Post
mastcr?" inquired the President, fur
ther.
ave are not prepared TO say that he
does not" was the reply.
"Thcn | will not remove him." was
the way the President cut the matter
short. The North Carolina gentleman
expressed their regrets, and said that
such a course would be very disap-
pointing to the patty, and the President
said he was sorry to hear it.
q hope to have the appreciation OF
the Democrats of North Carolina, when
they come to consider calmly the course
of the Administration" remarked the
President, in a conciliatory tone; but
the gentlemen were doubtful about
that.
"Perhaps you are an office seeker, "
said the President, addressing himself
to the spokesman. Il have noticed
that office seekers. when they are dis
appointed, generally think So
The spoke jman affirmed that he was
no office seeker, and was asking only
for a Democrat for Postmaster in the
place Of a Republican, who has held
the office for several years. at is what
we think we are entitled to, and we say
canditlly that our party will be greatly
disappointed"
The North Carolina Democrats went
home that evening.
The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13
THE IMPORTATION OF PAUPERs.
How the United States is Being Flooded
With Foreign Lunatics and Criminals.

How the United States is Being Flooded
With Foreign Lunatics and Criminals
At last Tuesdays session of the Con-
ference of Charities and Corrections, DR..
Charles Hoyt, of Albany, n. y. read a
long paper on pauper immigration. lie
stated that the statute forbddng pau
per, insane and criminal immigrants to
Ian imPosd no penalty excepting the re-
turning of such persons to the countries
from whence they come, and that, as
there was no cooperation between port
officials, it was practically dead letter.
He advocated the examination of immi
grants as to their capacity for seIf-sup-
port by Federal officers, who shall act in
concert with United States consuls and
commercial agents abroad He also ad
vecated a fine in the nature of libel
against vessels bringing pauper immi-
grants.
DR.. lIoyt produced mass of stats
ties which showed that in this country
the proportion of nativc-bor lunatics to
the native-born population is / to co.
while the proportion in the foregn born
is ! in POI. The proportion in New York
State, where immigration centers, is:
Native born, l IN 40; foreign born, l in
1872. The criminal statistics of New York
State show that there are in the Door
houses of the state l pauper of native
birth to every 116 native born citizens of
the state, and foreign pauper to every
80 foreign citizens.
1t was he said, our duty to protect the
country-to protect the vigorous and
worthy immigrants, as well as the native
npulation-aganSt the encroachments
of these classes. If we fail in these re-
spects," he said, ''and the evil continues
unchecked, our prisons, insane asylums.
poorhouses, retreats and other institu-
tions, already Overlooking with the ellete
population of Europe, will need to be
constantly enlarged to meet the pressing
demand of these cIasses-in no nowise
legitimate charges upon our bounty and
for whose custody and care we are no
more liable than for the payment of the
national debts or the maintenance of the
armies of the countries from
which they are sent
The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13
A farmer near Washington, Pa, hav-

A farmer near Washington, Pa, hav-
ing occasion to take his horse from tie
field to the stable, owing to the animal
suddenly becoming sick, unthinkingIy
left his dinner basket behind, which he
was surprised to find on returning sev-
eral days later had been carefully
guarded all the while by his dog which
would not move from the victuals, al
though several neighbors tried to
frighten and coax him away. Had he
been an Elkton dog, he would not only
have devoured his masters dinner
basket, but every other fellows basket
in the neighborhood.
The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13
SHOOTING AN ELEPHANT,
Dutch Mary Kiiled-IIer Death Struggles
"A PitiTul Scene.

|
A Pitirul Scene.
The huge body of an elephant was
stretched on the ground Wednesday
morning. behind the Buffalo Stables in
the rear of the Arsenal in Central Park
New York. The elephant was known as
Dutch Mary, an African elephant only
eight years old, belonging to Baruum,
Bailey y Hutchinson. She had been in
this country only two years, bat was an
intelligent and docile animal and a great
favorte in the circus. She advanced
rapidly in her circus education and
seemed to enjoy the display of her intel
ligence as much as those who saw her.
While Barnum's circus was at the Madi-
son Square Garden in March, Dutch
Mary slipped and fell heavily while per-
forming one of the pedestal tricks, was
placed with another elephant which was
also indisposed under the care of Super
intendent Couklin. of the Central Park
Geological Gardens.
In a few days it was discovered by
Mr. Conklin that Mary was unable to
use her hind legs freely and there were
indications Of paralysis.
Electricity was employed, but the
current from half dozen batteries
seemed to weak too penetrate her tough
hide. DR.. Liautard suggested that if
they could secure a connection with an
electric light circuit it might produce the
desired result, but on further examna-
tion it was ascertaiued that the paralysis
was probably due to fracture of The
vertebra caused by her fall and in that
case Mary was beyond recovery. She
suffered no pain and she was removed
from her companion to the Buffalo
Stables. The strychnine treatment was
kept up and her appetite continued good,
but for two weeks she has remained in
one posture, stretched on her left side,
recognizing everything that was going on
around her and devouring large quaint
ties of fresh cut grass.
''Poor old girl said Superintendent
Conklin yesterday morning as he ex.
planned the Affections of the animal.
''We can't do anything for her, and
On pcCG lldt VIC W III Have W put du Gnu
to her soon. 1t is too bad, Molly"
Molly looked up at him with bright
black eye and then twisted her trunk
around the arm of DR.. Liautard, who
had just come up and now patted her on
the head.
cit will have to be DONE" said lie. 81
have just received a letter from Mr.
Bailey, who tells me, i'll think there is
no hope. she had better be killed hate |
to do it, though"
Superintendent Conklin gave it as his
opinion that there was no chance of re-
covery. A keeper was sent to the Ar
senal and returned presently, bringing a
WINCHESTER repeating rifle loaded with
half-ounae coaical balls.
"Aim in a straight line right alongside
of her eye, Pete" said Mr.. CQnkln," !" so
as to reach the BRAIN
The sick elephant of sudden lifted
her head and sent out trumpet like roar
of alarm Then he. head fell back
against the stable wall, so that it vas
necessary to pry her huge body away
from the wall. She seemed to realiz,
her danger and her eyes showed ALARM
but she was helpless after Ter first exer-
tion. The keeper took his aim standing
within few feet of her head. There
The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13
FORAKER FOR GOVERNOR.
The ONO Republicans Renominate Their
Former Candidate on the First Ballot.

The Ohio Republican State Conven-
ton met at Springfield on Thursday
morning. The delegations of the eighty
eight counties of the State were all full
and over 4 900 persons were packed in
the wigwam. ]. ID. Taylor, of Guernsey
county, was announced as temporary
chairman and addressed the con, en-
ton. He referred to the anomalous
event. by which the government had
passed under the control of the party
which had sought for i long and bloody
years to tear it from its place among
nations and said that the administration
would this year strain every nerve to
confirm its doubtful title byvictories in
Ohio, New York and Virginia. For
President Cleveland he had no criti
cism, believing him to be better than
the party leaders behind him.
Speaking Oh the conflict of labor,
Mr.. Taylor said; ''Both labor and
capital are being driven into bankruptcy
and ruin. Under Democratic rule in
the South the laboring classes have
been kept in condition of ignorance
and vassalage equal to if not worse than
the pauper labor of Europe" AS to a
remedy he said 1--WE protect our
selves against foreign competition by a
protective tariff, but the only way to
protect our people against sectional
competition is to elevate the condition
of the workingman in every part of the
country alike" He predicted sweep
ing Republican victory in the coming
campaign and in the national contest
of 1888.
Judge Joseph B. Foraker, of Cincin-
natl, was nominated on the first ballot
The nominations of General Robert 2.
kenney for Lieutenant Governor, Judge
George w. McIlvaine for Supreme
Judge and John c. Brown, of Jefferson,
for Treasurer, were by dcclamation. J.
A. kohler, of Summit, was nominated
for Attorney General and Wells 5. Jones,
of Pike for Board of Public Works.
The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13
MR.. GLADSTONE RESIGNS.
An Announcement to the House of Com

An Announcement to the House of Com
The crisis has been reached in England.
Gladstone and the members of his Cabinet
have sent their designations to the
Queen. A Cabinet council was convened
at noon on last Tuesday, and the subject
discussed was the proper line Of conduct
to pursue in view of the defeat of TIE
Government in the House of Commons
the night previous Oh the attempt to i'll
crease the duty on beer and spirits. All
the members of the Cabinet were pres.
ent. The public manifested great inter
est to learn the re uit. Great surprise
was pretty generally expressed at the
defeat. 1t was expected that an effort
would be made that night to prevent the
proposed increase of duties on beer and
spirits, but there was no idea that the
opposition would overturn the Cabinet.
Men of all parties seemed to be of the
opinion that the Government should at
least remain Professionally until after the
general elections. The Cabinet was in
session for over an hour. Then it was
learned that its members had decided
that it would be inconsistent to remain
in office longer, and had resolved to ten
der their designations to the Queen.
The following is forecast of portion
of the new Cabinet: The Marquis of
Salisbury, Prime Minister and Secretary
of State for the Foreign Department;
Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Chancellor of
the EXchequer aud leader in the House
of Commons; Sir Stafford Northcote
who (who will go to the House of Lords.
Lord President of the Council. Lord
Randolph Churchill, Secretary Of State
for India. Colonel Frederick A. STAN
ley, Secretary of State for War.
The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13
A FrishtfuI Accident IN France,

At Theirs, town in the department
of Puy de Dome, France, a murder trial
has been in progress for several days.
The circumstances of the murder and the
exciting incidents of the trial have en-
crossed the attention of the people,
and on Thursday (the last day of the
triaD the court house was crowded with
men and women anxious to witness the
closing scenes. When the people were
leaving, Immediately after the adjourn
ment of the court, and were jammed
upon the stone st irway leading to the
street the lofty staircase fell The scene
that followed was appalling. Immense
masses of masonry from above crashed
down upon the struggling people below,
grinding through their flesh and bones
and manning and mutilating them in a
horrible manner. The fall OF the stair
case and the shrieks OF the people lying
helpless i'll the ruins, caused a panic in
the court room, and there was rush for
the now wrecked exite. Those who were
in front were unable to withstand the
pressure from behind, and were hurled
down upon the men and women crushed
in the fall of the staircase, and whom the
people in the street were already striving
to rescue. When at length the panic
had exhausted ITSELF and the immense
stone steps of the fallen staircase had
been removed. many persons were taken
from the ruins dead. Twenty-four per
sons were taken out dead and 1863 were
wounded, of whom about one fifth will
probably die.
The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13
THE ELKTON ACADEMY.

The close of the academic year yes
terday suggests the propriety of a pass
ing notice Of the growth and prosperity
of this school under the management
of its present efficient principal, Mr..
Thomas l.. Graham.
Mr.. Graham was selected as princi-
pal in 1871 upon the best personal and
professional endorsements, and assum-
ed the duties of the position in Sep
tember of that year. The proceeding
term had closed with a reduced num-
Der of pupils. The fall session of that
year opened with only 70 pupils, five
60 of them were state benefciaries,
which number was increased to 3S at
the close of the term in June, 1873.
The following September, the efficiency
of the new principal having been recog
nized, the fall term opened with 81
pupils of an advanced grade.
Since that date the increase of the
patronage of the academy has been
marked up to the present year, during
which the roster of the school shows an
attendance Of 81 pupils. This gratify-
ing evidence of the success of the
methods of teaching adopted by its
present principal is largely attributable,
not only to the advanced curriculum of
the academy, but to the fact that Mr..
Graham has displayed in marked de-
gree the innate faculty of imparting in
formation by original and conversa-
tional methods. As is well known COM
paratively few teachers take the pains
to do more than perform the mere
daily routine of assigning and hearing
rectations. The majority Of teachers
seem to consider the full obligation to
the pupil discharged when the days
regular work shall have been done.
Mr.. Graham holds the theory that the
highest province of a teacher is to slim
ulate and excite spirit inquiry in the
minds of his pupils. TO have them |
ask questions, which the course of an
swering by the teacher shall suggest
others pertinent in character, and seek |
ing to answer which in turn, the infor- |
nation derived outside of the text books |
affords an important part Of the educa-
tional requirement Of the pupils. The
outcome of this method, which in the
absence of better term we describe as
a conversational system, is to teach a
pupil to exercise his faculty of thinking,
and to lead his mind into new avenues
of thought. Any one at all familiar
with the practical business of teaching,
knows that voluntary question peril
nently put by pupil to his teacher is
a favorable indication of a desire to
acquire information. That it indicates
a spirit of inquiry, desire to know the
underlying reason of this or that pro-
position. Such spirit is a welcome
evidence always to the earnest teacher
Of the progress of pupil When this
spirit is n:et by corresponding ability
upon the part of teacher, it follows,
if he possess the patient amiability and
self control SO essential in the charac-
Ter of an instructor of youth that his
teaching must be successful.
These essential qualifications of 4
teacher we believe the present principal
Of the Elkton Academy possesses, of
which the progress made by his pupils
md the general satisfaction of the pat
,ons of the academy afford additional
evidence.
The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13

PRESIDENT CLEVELAND is turning the
Republican rascals out SO slowly that a
disgruntled old Bourbon takes occasion
to remark that up to the time that Mr.
Cleveland enunciated the novel and
extraordinary doctrine of "Ofensive
partisanship," thing totally unknown
to the Constitution and laws, no Dem
ocrat had the slightest conception that
such a criterion OF retention or of re-
moval from Office was to supersede the
long established usage of the Govern
ment. Be patient brother Ere long
there will not be enough Republicans
in office to swear by.
The Cecil Whig., 1885-06-13
A law proposed in Illinois, and fay

A law proposed in Illinois, and fav-
ored by the Trades and Labor Assem-
bly,, deals with the problem of convict
labor. Its object is to devise means
by which convicts can be kept en-
ployed without underselling the pro-
ducts of free labor, and soreducing the
wages of the free laborer. The bill
enacts that the product of prison labor
shall not be sold at less than market
rates that not over ten per cent. of
the convicts shall be employed on any
particular industry, and that a certain
percentage of the revenue shall be set
aside for the support of the convict's
flmily.