davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21
Backbone,

Wnen o person compliments another
by saying he has good deal of "back-
bonc." he comes very near stating q
scientific truth without knowing it,
perhaps. At least, so remarked
naval medical officer to a reporter
of tho Star tho other day, rs the
latter stopped to chat in the room of
the Naval Examining Board. .'Step
up here a moment" continued tho
officer. conducting tho reporter to a
measuring-rod which stood in ono
corner of tho room. This rod, besides
having the movable arms with which
q mans height is gagged, had another
Intermediate arm below, by which tho
length of his legs is determined. Tho
difference bctwcen these measure
ments of course shows tho length of
his body and head, or the length Of
his spinal column, including his head.
'"rhere," said the officer. after the re-
porter had subjected himself to the
measuring process, "you are 69s
inches tall. your legs arc 33s inches
long-prctty good legs-and that
leaves length of body Of 36 inches.
That's pretty good-abovc the aver
age"
"Wcll. what does it all meanP" ask.
ed the reporter.
.'Boilcr power,'' remarked IN Of
ficial who was standing near"
Tho medical officer, cnlarging on
tho figure thus suggested, proceeded:
"That's it. You sec Quitting his
hand on his head), here's tho governor.
Here" he continued, lowering his
!, do J., 60 nj, Sts., l.
lungs and the heart are here, and be-
low arc the abdominal organs or
viscera. Your mouth and nostrils are
bowers, You shovel in coal-takc
food-in your mouth. 1t is turned in.
to steam-blood-and goes out in
every direction, you sec, towards the
surface. Now the man with Il long
body has great deal of boiler surface
''Then tho man with considerable
backbone is stronger than tho ono who
has notp"
"Wcll, that is one circumstance to
bo considered with others of course.
Tho man with backbone is apt to have
greater power of resistance. lie can
endure moro toll and resist disease
longer. Why wore there NO men in
war SO good for long march as your
duck-leggcd fellows with long bodies?
Tho long-leggcd men could not stand
it. Gen. Sheridan is good specimen
of a man with Il long body-long grasp
on life-and Gen. Grant is another. !"
''There was a case here not long
ago." continued tho officer, (which
would indicate that mans backbone
had Il great deal to do with his general
character. An officer who was ex-
amined for promotion was found to be
physically. mentally and professional
ly unfit. and also morally unfit. He
was dropped from tho service. Whom
VIC came to take his measurement wo
found he had tho shortest backbone of
any man in the navy who had ever
been examined. He did not have great
physical power of resistance, you sec.
When he graduated at tho Naval
Academy he stood very high. When
he had to do duty it is probable that
his strength failed him and he resort
cd to stimulants. The taking of stimu-
lants became a habit, and gradually
affected his intellectual powers. HIS
mind being weakened, his morals were
soou undermined. All of this, you
see." laughed the officer, "camc, of
course, from having short back.
bone. "-NCW York STIR.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

How many chances people who are
not blessed with riches, or cursed
with riches, as the case may be, SEQ
whore money could be used to do
good. A poor man has large family
to support, and 1t is all he can do to
live and pay rent. He works hard.
and is cheeful, but no is worried all
the time. If no owned little house
he would be rich. Suppose Stanford
should invest assfcw hundred dollars
in a house and deed it to such a man
for a dollar. The gratitude and love
of that poor nan and his family ough
to mako u crying millionaire happy.
Instead of buying hundreds of oil
paintings and marble statutes of .his
dead boy. and placing them whero
they can be soon all tho time, to cry
their hearts out over, Stanford and
his sorrowing wife should go out in
to tho world with their burdcnsomo
riches and mako hundred thousand
people happy, and tho sorrowing
mourners could be happy themselves
on the million they had left, as long a.
they livc.-Peck's Sun.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21
General News.

There ia rumor that Chief Engineer An.
derson, Of the Northern Pacific, is to be
economical out OF Office.
1t is runored that a consolidation will
soon bc effected between the Pullman and
Wagner sleeping car companies.
New York Central and the Pennsylvania
are said to have reached an agreement
which will make them masters OF the Trunk
Line situation.
The official figures, just issued show the
property valuation Of Illinois to be S733,-
533, ,951-a decrease OF $4,000, 900 from
last years record.
Chicago Times: 1t took nearly one hun
drcd years to build the Washington monu-
mcnt. But this brilliant record OF delay
will probably be beaten by New York in the
erection OF IL Grant monument.
The New York Worlds subscription list
to raise S1OO, 900 for the pedestal OF tho
Bartholdi statue was filled in 147 days.
The $3.50, 900 raised by popular sul,scrip.
tions for the Bunker Hill monument was
obtained in eighteen years.
John W. Duncan, Long View, Tex, law.
yer, in order to prove his assertion that
promiscuously signed petitions were value
less, secured n petition praying that one OF
the most respected men Of that town bo
hanged, with the signatures OF all the county
officers and fifty business men appended.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21
I,lemistes on the Standard Dollar.

Morgan, the English cngravcr of
tho standard or "buzzard" dollar,
animated doubtless by an ambition
similar to that of the Ephcsian dome,
smuggled into his work in two places
the initial letter of his surname. AL
though microscopic in size, these
"Ms" arc plainly disccrnible on the
coin even to tho naked eye after a
careful search. An eagle-eycd Wall
street man recently discovered ono of
the letters, and started among his ac-
quaintanccs tho following puzzle:
''Find three letter Ms ON tho standard
dollar" Two are readily found-ono
in the word 'unum" and another in
America" but the third is not so
easily found. An interview with Chief
Drummond, of the United States &C.
cret service, showed that thcro are
four Ms, instead of three, aud tho
fourth. hitherto unnoticed oven by
Wall street men, was pointed out to
the reporter. Mr.. Drummond laughed
when his attention was called to tho
matter and said: "Thc presence of
these extra letters ON the standard
dollar was first brought to my notice
by ono of my clerks. They were, of
course, cut in the die by Morgan"
The Chief of the Secret Service ac-
knowlcdged that they had not escaped
tho attention of the countcrfciter, who
had placed them ON the false coins.
Similar instances of the mutiliation of
dies are recalled in tho case of English
and French engravcrs' work. Wyon,
tho artist to the English Mint, many
years ago, placed on tho plate of a
postage stamp NV" on so minute a
character that for years the stamp
circulated without u doubt of its per-
fection. Tho cventful discovery of
the blcmish created q sensation IN
England. Tho Objectionable addition
to the work was promptly erased, and
stringent law passed against tho
commission of a like offensc. In tho
reign of Napoleon III. an engraver
placed the initial letter of his surname
on the plato for stamp. This also
was of such microscopic Dimensions
that it escaped detection for long
timc. The discovery of tho fact led to
the same result rs in the English
casc.-NcW York Tribune.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

e TIE great seal Of England consists
ofstxo silver disks. closely fitting zone
tothe other, in appearance not much
unlike two bright tin saucepan lids
without handles; and these disks, on
being separated, would reveal on the
inner surface of one deoply-cut de-
vice of the Queen enthroncd, with
representations of the cardinal virtues
around her, and on the other her Maj
esty sitting on highly caparisoned
horse, attended by a page. These two
silver disks are, in fact, tho matrix by
means of which is formed that cnor-
nous wax seal commonly known as
tho great seal of England. and which
is affixed to acts of the Sovereign which
it is the royal pleasure publicly to
make known.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21
The Cyclone I'm Now York.

The storm at Norwood, N. Y, ragged over a
territory fifteen miles nlength and hall
to othree-quartersoi mile in width. The
wind was accompanied by terrible hail
storm. The damage to crops and fruit is
not to he estimated. The principal
losers in Norwood are the Norwood Lum.
ber company, the Osdensburg 4 Lake
champlain Railroad company, whose
Pearson broom handle and hoop factory.
Over one hundred residences, and innun,er.
able barns and sleds were destroyed and
lamaged. Several sugar bushes were totally
destroyed. The damage in Norwood and
vicinity is estimated at about $15O,OOO.
The loss OF life 80 far reported includes:
Michael Martin, n farm hand.
Mrs. David Fitz,bboas.
The injured are:
fatally.
Mrs. George Cramer.
Mrs. Oliver Lunderman.
4. s. Il. Leslie.
Carl and Rufus King.
Charles Miner.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21
Historic ADril.

April 4, 1912. Florida was discovered.
April 5, 1S4l, President Harrison
died.
April 8, 1912, Louisiana was admit
ted into tho Union.
April IA. 1865, President Lincoln
was assassinatcd.
April IL, 1909, Hudson landed q,
Manhattan Island.
April 1s, ls47, tho battle of Cerro
Cordo. Mexico, was fought.
April 10. 1875, the battles of Lcxing.
ton and Concord took place
April "a, 17O4, the first newspaper
in America was published.
April 25, l777, Lafayette arrived at
Charleston, South Carolina.
April 80, 1889. George Washington
the first President of tho United States,
was inauguratcd.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21
Personal News Notes.

Ex-Congrcssman Robert Mallory died Mt
his farm near La Grange, KY, OF kidney
trouble.
George Alfred Townsend has an income Of
$50 600 year, and cntertains handsomely
at his home on West Thirty-fo street,
New York.
Cadet Davidson, who should have grad.
uatcd ut West Point in June, hut who was
tried by court martial, found guilty and
sentenced to punishment for insubordinl.
tion, will have served out the sentence on
the 2Sth.
Charles Wright Of Wcthcrsfield, Conn,
seventy four years old, was found dead in
his barn. Wright was one OF the leading
botanists of the country. He was employ.
Ell by the government in an expedition to
Texas and Arizona, and had also explored
Cuba for the Spanish government.
Lieut.. Frank e. Browncll of Cleveland.
Ohio, is at Saratoga. He was tie member
OF the Fire Zouaves who shot Jackson, tho
proprietor Of the Marshall house, Alcxun-
dria, who murdered Col. Ellsworth on MAY
"a, 1861, when the latter tore he rebel flag
from the hotel. Lieut.. I}rownell wears the
insignia worn by Col. Ellsworth and dis.
colorcd with his blood.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21
The Millionaire Mourncrs.

Almost every day the papers havo
something to say about the sorrows
of Senator Leland Stanford and wife,
of California. Their case is pitiful, in
decd. Worth fifty million dollars,
they go about their great house, cry
ing and wringing their hands. They
had boy, an only child, aud hc died.
It is hard to give up an only child,
but millions of people have borne up
under such terrible iniliction. Tho
man worth fifty million dollars, how
ever, cannot sec how his immense
wealth could not have saved tho boy.
He would have given million dollars
a minute for the boys life, but money
can never be of use in such cases, cx-
ccpt to alleviate suffering for time.
It cannot save life that is doomed.
And the millionaire mourners do not
know what to do with their money.
They never expect to enjoy moments
happiness again, and can sec no way
in which they can ever enjoy smile.
Nothing looks bright to them, and un-
less they brace up and do something
to take their minds of their sor-
rows and troubles they will both die
maniacs from grief. The Sun could
point out n way in which they could
both be happy yet, if they have hearts
in them. 1t would be to distribute
forty-ninc of their fifty millions, where
it would do good. Let them take
million dollars for Il starter and pro-
vide u building where poor children
can be educated and clothed and fed.
Let Stanford go around among tho
poor of his own city and meet tho mo-
theirs of beautiful and bright children
who arc in rags and suffering from
hunger, and say to the mothers, "Hcrc,
rlother, you take this fifty dollar note
and go buy clothes for yourself and
the little ones. and send them to my
school, and l will board them till they
graduate" Suppose he had a thou
sand children in San Francisco
being happily educated, and low
ing him, and praying for him.
Could he see one Of their happy
faces without thrill of pleasure
that would be the next thing to happi-
ness? Could he watch their growing
up to manhood or wOmanlood without
feeling that his life was far from being
q wreck, even though his bravo boy
was gone to heaven? Stanford might
have hundred thousand children that
would otherwise be of no account,
growing up noble and educated, in
different cities of the Union, and not
feel it. He could become q man who
would be so loved by tho whole people
of this country that he could not
walk block in the whole land with
out feeling that all eyes were bright
cnod at the sight of him, and all hearts
jumped with pleasure when he passed.
AS ho wanders around now, there is
pity and contempt expressed towards
him, pity for tho loss of his child, and
contempt for his dirty millions. Money
in such quantities is beginning to be
looked upon as disgrace. Tho only
value that money has is its power of
doing good and making people happy.
II Mr.. Stanford has got no family left
to he made happy. and cannot be made
happy himself with his money, let
him shed it, make others happy, and
thcn he is bound to be happy himself.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21
Made a Mistake.

There is young lady in town who
feels that she made mistake. She is
sweet II and very girlisl looking. The
other day she met u young gentleman
who is rather slim and not very in,pos.
ing in appearance. He looks young
too.
"Oh," she said "do please como
with mo. am going to find a servant
somewhere on Minna street. wish
you would accompany me. for l don't
know where have to CO."
He was only too glad, and between
them they discovered tho house where
tho servant-girl was to bo found.
They were ushered into the parlor,
and presently a stout, buxom Irish
woman appeared.
"You are tho woman who wants q
situation?''
"Yis, MISS"
,,, We'll. our family is very small.
There is only three"
Tho Irishwoman gazcd at the eirlish
figure and at tho slim young gentle
man twirling his hat in his hands.
"rhrec, begorra! And how old
moight tho baby be?'-San Francisco
Chronicle.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

WHEN, soon after the war, the Uni
ted States sent a monitor to convey to
the czar the resolutions of congress
!congratulating him on bis escape from
assassination, the officers Of the Amer
lean vessel were gorgcously enter
tained at st. Petersburg. At great
banquet in the winter palace the en-
thusiasm ran SO high fair young prin.
cess tore the diamond necklace from her
throat and threw it down tho table
toward the officers, exclaiming: "Aux
Amcricains!" The string broke, and
the diamonds scattered over the floor.
The officers picked them up and press
cd them to their lips, amid shouts of
..Vive Ia Russie! Vivc les fcmmes
Russestn
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21
THE NEWS SUMMARIZED.
The ar...hopper. coming.

Washington speci,.l.-The signal service
observers in the Northwest have been send.
ing telegraphic reports for a month past
In regard to the visitation Of grasshoppers.
Many of the observationsgtve no cause for
serious alarm, but in a few localities the
pest has made it's appearance in full
force. Tho agent sent into the field
some two weeks ago confirms the worst
statements that have been made. Not only
are there large numbers Of this destructive
Rocky mountain species ut work, but tho
common ''nativcs" and non-migratorys spe-
cies are also more numerous than usual. At
Fort Buford and Poplar Crock agency the
locusts are very abundant and are damag-
ing the crops. On July 20, during the mid
die Of the day. a large proportion OF the
Rocky mountain species left toward the
east and southeast. Tho outlook for u
general sweep OF the gr,,sshoppcr plague
eastward another year il ut this time pret.
ty clearly indicated.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21
DAKOTA TERRITORIAL NEWS,
Dakota Civil Service Examina.
ton.

In accordance with instructions
from the U. s. Civil Service Commis
sion, an examination ofapplicants fol-
the Departmental service at Washing.
ton, will be held at Bismarck, Oak,
Sept. sth, 1885, beginning at 10 a. m.
The examination will be con.
Quoted by a special Board OF
Examiners appointed by the Com
mission, under the supervision Of
Commissioner Thoman, who is sexpect-
to be present. The Classified Civil
Service is in three branches, the De-
partmental, the Customs, and the
Postal Service. The examination at
Bismarck is for the Classified Depart
mental Service at Washington, only,
unless the Commission otherwise re-
quest.
The Dakota commissioners are c. A.
Lounsberry, Geo. Hughes and A. j.
Conover, who willfurnish all necessary
information, by addressing Civil Ser
vice Examining Board, Bismarck, Da-
kota.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

!, TIM colebrationof tho e5oth ami
versary oi The Boston. Latin school,
April 2S, win 10 10 notable occasion.
Tho grafton will be by Rev. Phillips
Brooks, and the poem by Mr.. Robert
Grant rtf
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21
Cssualty Record.

sturtevant Lupber Company Of Glove.
land, o., lost 500, 900 by fire.
Mrs. j. s. Lantx, and old lady living near
Logan, Ohio, swallowed hcr false teeth whilo
coughing and cholsed to death.
Robert Williams, manager Western
Union Telegraph company at Butler, Ga,
shot and killed himself by accident.
Fire in the fifth story of No. 167 Duane
street, New York, occupied by Greene &
Blackwell, candy manufacturers, caused a
loss OF 500, 900; fully insured.
A dispatch from Saratoga says the
storms, including rain, wind, thunder and
lightning exceeded anything felt there in
fifteen years, and over four inches of rain
fcll in three and one-half hours. A team
lightning and instantly killed.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21
A MischieyOus Cnstom

A painful and mischicvous custom
prevailed on May eve, in the south Of
Ireland. SO late as tho year 1925. Il
was common practice for school. bows
on that day to consider themselves
privileged to run wildly about with a
bunch of nettles, striking at tho face
and hands of their companions, or any
other persons whom they thought
they could assault with impunity.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

EVER since President Garficld's
burial lieutenant and sixteen men of
tho regular army have guarded his
grave. 1t is expected that this guard
will be, continued till the proposed
mOn1mentis cOnpletcd.y
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

The late Richard Grant White was
precociogs;ih bis youth. When only
g years old he constructed an electrical
apparatus that worked perfectly, and
before going to college he had col
lcctcti a valuable cabinet of mincrol.
ogical specimens.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

DON Pedro Of Brazil wants Capt.
Eads to come to BIO and mako an es-
ti'nate on tho cost of jettios for the
port of Rio Grande de Sui,
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

IT is evident that Miss Sarah Althea
Hill docs notstand inawe Of the courts.
In her recent trial for contempt be-
fore Judge Sawyer. of the United States
circuit court she intimated very plainly
that that gentleman had como under
tho influence of MIR. Sharon's money.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

MINISTER PHELPS is said to be. an
"Anglo.maniac," and his house and
grounds at Burlington, VT, resemble
an English country gentlcman's cs-
tate as closely as Yankee ingenuity
can make them.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

AN unusual number of mon with
classical names have risen to proml-
nenco in this country. Among them
we find Ulysses s. Grant, Horatio Sey-
mour. HoraesG Greeley, Hannibal Ham.
lin, Lnci1s Lamar &
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

Mr.. JONES, Of The New York Tines,
relates how ho. once called at tho
white house during President Jackson's
term and found Old Hickory sitting by
the open fireplace in tho library smok-
ing a corncob pine. cir. r
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

Nix. ALEKED SMITH, Ncwport's mill
sslionaire real estate owner,rhas purcha-
I cd from DIR: ". Mott Francis for ST.
600 thesportr.it of the slatc William
Cullen Bryant painted by A. H. Wen
zer, the Danish artist, who was we'll
known In Now York for thirty-four
Years = 49, 7-''' S@ r'
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

AWAsH1NaroN correspondent writes
that Senator Wade Hampton is smit-
ten with tho charms Of Rhea, the
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

WHIrELAw REID has had his bust
cut In marble, but finds much fault
with the artist because he didn't pad
out the checks.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

MINISTER PHELPS writes his sigma
ture in tho same manner man steps
on banana-peel-with decided
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

tachcd duty for four ycars back to their
regiments. An exception, however, will
probably be made in the case Of Lieut..
Greedy in order to allow him to complete
his report on the Arctic expedition,
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

QUEEN VICTORIA has declied to
change her will on account of brand.
new grandson.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

Mrs. SENATOR EDMUNDs has sent a
$50 check to the Methodist mission at
Ogden. Utah.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

IT is said that as thers arc about
5000 different languages woman
need never be at loss for words.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

The altar is u thing Of yesterday, the cradle
of to-day, and the grave Of tombhorror.-
Whitehall Times.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

OF Richard Grant Whiteit is said
that s.while literature was his profess
ion, music was his solace and delight,
and'he was far prouder of his knowl.
edge Of violins than of his reputation
as u Shakspearcan scholar" Of violin
this connoisscurship wonderful stories
are told and there. seems. no doubt
that he possessed aerare and peculiar
faculty Of discrimination in regard to
these instruments. His own instru-
ment was the cello, upon which no
played in quartet that met at his
mouse weekly.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-08-21

ONE cubic inch of gold, says the
Jeweler's Circular, is worth $21O; ono
cubic foot, S3l2,3SO, and one cubic
yard, 50, 796, 1872 (counting tho ounce
at $18). At tho commencement of tho
Christian era there were altogether
$427,000, 900 worth Of gold, but at tho
time of the discovery of America only
s57, 100000 remained. At present
the value OF all the gold in the world is
counted s6, 800, ,00o;o 600