davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-17
Definition OF Genius.
Notes and Queries.

Nb'tt anu Ruflltr
! wish to draw attention to the fact
that the definition of genius as 1.-THE
capacity for taking infinite pains is
not true one. At best it merely ex-
presses a portion and that the least inn
portant portion. of the truth. TO com
plete the definition we require the adj.
dition of the following words, viz,
combined with the faculty Of discern
ing whether she object is worth the
trouble. and in which direction success
is most probable. These conditions
are absolutely necessary. The true
genius is he who sees his way, and
who, seeing it, pursues it with the ut
most care, neglecting no circumstance
as being too trivial, and concentrating
his strength upon the most hopeful
point of advance. The mere taking
of infinite pains, without any guiding
power to render such pains successful
iy nothing but dunderheaded stupidity
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-17

BUDDENSIEK, the skin" builder OF
New York, through whose greediness
and carelessness several lives were los +,
has been sentenced To 10 years impris-
Onment. The sentence is n warning
that will e needed by others OF his ilk,
and will teach them that they cannot
shirk responsibility for single life lost,
or Jingle limb broken through their
recklessness or negligence. Budden
siek's sentence will be a practical re-
minder to every careless builder that he
is personal y responsible for every life
lost through al material. worse work.
manship neglect ofordinary precautions
to insure safety and defiance of the law.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-17

demonstrations James is an
earnest advocate of the esta lishmeni
of postal savings banks He is strongly
convinced of their necessity rs means
of encou aging habits of saving among
the very poor, and also rs the best
guarantee to them against loss by the
failure and robbery of banks. He says
that the banking hours of the savings
banks as they now exist are inconven-
lent and detail loss on depositor. of a
part Of days work. 1t is ca Ter to go
TO a poStoilice than to bank even in
the large cities, while in thinly settled
parts of the ountry they have no saw
ings banks while they do have post
offices.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-17

THE prisoners held by the chief Big
Bear have been taken to Fort Pitt, thus
practically ending the half-breed rebel
lion ia the Northwest. The troops will
pursue the Indians no further, but leave
them to be subdued by hunger. AL
though the lighting is thus happily over,
the Canadian authorities are by no means
through with the matter. Riel is to be
disposed of, and the causes of half
breed discomfort are TO be removed
The Dominion Government will doubt
less see that this is the time to do full
justice to the settlers of the Northwest,
no matter what their extractions, and
thus prevent outbreaks in the future
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-17
The Telephone Girl.
Through Ma

Through Mail.
The telephone girl is yet in the land
of the living. Ii the folks most inter-
ested knew of her last adventure, how
ever, she would probably be peacefully
sleeping out yonder among the tomb
stones on the wooded hill, with her
poor cold hands folded across her
bosom and her jet black hair cluster
ing about her white neck and banged
down over her meek and lowly gaze
corpse. There is great mystery
they cannot fathom. She could, IL she
would, but she will not, and so the
world moves on and she lives, moves
and has her being.
She had been reading "Bucolia, or
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-17
How Long an Advertisement Serves.

One of Commissioner Hams advent
ures at New Orleans is related by him
as follows:
"A little thing that made great inn
preston on me when | was lad was
an advertisement in rhyme, printed
in The Name FdrDier when it was pub
lished at Winthrop by DIR. Holmes. 1t
ran as follows:
Ezra Whitman 10 his friends,
This humble nOtic', greeting sends
THAT couplet has come TO me a
hundred times in the course of my life
With Mr.. Whitman was not acquaint-
ed, and it was such simple thing that
| don't see how it became SO fixed in
my memory. One February day, at
New Orleans, while my thoughts were
far away from Winthrop, n iine-look-
ing, elderly gentleman, apparently
about 20 years of age, came into the
Maine headquarters.
care you from MaineP' | asked,
as asked scores of people.
al am. My name is Whitman he
replied.
"rIn what part OF Maine do you
livep'
winthrop
"Mr. Whitman, said, do you re-
member rhyme like this:
Ezra Whitman 10 his friends,
This humble notice, greeting sendsp
"I guess do; wrote it, said he.
"'Well how long was that printedP
".Fifty-two years said he, after
thinking an instant.
"'Pretty good advertisement TO last
all that time, wasn't itp"-Lewistno
Me. Journal.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-17

TIE most extraordinary effect of one
of the recent Iowa tornadoes was the
blowing away of a three-year-old child
to such distance from its parents that
its parents have not yet been traced.
The poor little thing was found in a
field, dying. 1t appeared to have been
blown out of bed, for it was almost
naked, and no doubt the house from
which it came was completely destroy
ed by the storm. The presumption of
course is that it was carried a consider
able distance by the wind, as II 1t had
belonged in the neighborhood it would
have been identified, even II its relatives
had all been killed.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-17
Monetary Conference Next Month.

The Latin Monetary Union expires
by limitation during the present year,
and meeting has been called TO take
such action as the expiration may re-
quire for the benefit of the nations rep
resented in the organization. The
meeting will open in Paris four weeks
from Wednesday, April ID.
Is it possible, aud IL it desirable, to
have the meeting expanded from a
convocation of representatives of the
Latin nations ilto a conference in
which all the great nations of the earth
shall be represented? These questions
may be unhesitatingly answered in
the affirmative if it can be arranged
that the attention of the conference
shall be confined to two points-the
declaration of the value of silver as
related to gold and the agreement
that the silver coins of each nation
shall contain metal enough to be in
trinsically worth as mnch as gold
coins of the same denominations, ac-
cording to that stad ard of valuation.
The Latin Monetary Union was or
ganized in 1865. and France, Belgium,
Italy and Switzerland were the origi-
nal members. Greece was subsequent
ly admitted to the leauge, the pur-
pose of which was to establish UNI
formity of weight and fineness of the
silver and gold coins of the countries
it represents. It's influence has been
great, and there can be no doubt that
much benefit would result from con.
terence of all the nations to declare
a valuation of silver as related to gold
in Coinage. the iluctuation of the
price of silver would be reduced to a
minimum, as result, and it might
be many years before an honest silver
dollar would lose its equality with
gold dollar. were the proposed uni
formity established. -NelO York Mail.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-17
Very Like.

PhIladclphia Call
First Paragraphcr-"'Did you hear
about that steamboat named Mark
Twain. which exploded few days
ago2"
Second Paragraphcr-"No what was
the matter?"
First Paragrapher-'Well. my the
DRY is that IL had just read 'Huckle-
berry Finn! and exploded with indig.
nation"
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-17

An esteemed contemporary says that
woman's heart is always open to a
smile. There are some mems mouths
affected in the same manner and to q
greater degree.
"Milkman, why does your milk al
ways look so blue?" inquired tho
housewife. "My cows come from Bos-
ton, num-" proudly replied the milk
man, land they're blue-bloods.
The average size of American fami-
lies has decreased one-tenth since 1850.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-17

The famous Pfeffers hot springs, near
Ragatz, Switzerland, which gave out at
the time OF the recent eruption of Vesu-
vius, are running again.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-07-17

The Chinese language has several thousand
letters. but I Is the one most used.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-11
In the sOudau,

That we hear no more of the troubles in
the Soudan aud upper Egypt ID due to the
fact that the adherents OF the deceased False
Prophet are having their own way there. His
death does not seem in the least to have
abated the enthusiasm which, during his life,
he was instrumental in aTousing. Those
Arab tribes in the valley Of the upper Nile
which were loyal to the Khedive and friendly
to the English, deprived Of the support which
they had counted upon, have, it seems,
thrown in their lot with the revoluiionists.
From the first cataract of the Nile up into the
Soudan, the vast possession that the Khedive
of Egypt once held, has now been lost, and
the necessity of soon defending the frontiers
of old Egypt seems to be pressing itself to
the attention of the English authorities. If
the English were to Withdraw from Egypt,
in the absence of Turkish assistance, the
Arab leaders would quickly overrun that
country aud take fOrcible possession of it,
for not only would the Egyptian people offer
no resistance, but it seems quite probable
that they would welcome q conquest by these
desert tribes, which would subject them to q
tyranny no worse, at least, than that which
they have borne for number OF years past.
So long as the English defend the borders of
Egypt, an Arab advance Is practically impos-
sible. Men and supplies could readily be
sent by steamer up TO the first cataract, and
25, 600 or 80, 600 English troops, well supplied
with artillery, could at this point hold the
valley of the Nile against an Arab army, ever
though the latter we're composed of hundreds
OF thousands Of men.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-11

A rumor, credited to the author Of a book
recently printed at Birmingham, Ala, was
widely circulated not long ago, to the effect
that John Wilkes Booth, the assassin Of Pres.
ident Lincoln, was still alive. A Boston man,
who is well acquainted with the widow OF
Booth, wrote to her, enclosing the newspaper
paragraph. His letter brought the following
reply:
IAN item in the Boston Herald has Just
come to my notice, of some man, unknown,
in Birmingham, Ala, who has desire to res
urrect John Wilkes Booth. Whoever this
man may be, let me warn the public that his
only mo::?e must be to make money; for, as
sure as the sun shines in the heavens, 80 sure
is John Wilkes Booth dead. /, myself, saw
him buried saw and examined his body be-
fore it was laid in its final resting place. He
carried marks upon his body known only to
his family and intimate friends, and these
marks we're identified by his family. We all
know that the last act OF his life was wrong.
We also know that we should not judge. We
know not the why or the wherefore, but it is
my opinion that those OF US who live long
enough will learn that, although 1t was John
Wilkes Booths hand that struck the ia tai
blow that ended good mans life, yet it was
those who we're in high authority who were
the head of a diabolical conspiracy the re-
suit OF which stepped several families in the
deepest OF woe and left nation to mourn.
Although not generally known, ]. w. Booth
left famiy-a wife and two children, son
and daughter, now grown to manhood and
womanhood. This family has lived in secu-
| sion and under false name for 20 years. For
these innocent ones sakes let their dead alone
and let them sorrow in peace beg for the
sake OF the Booth family, now mourning over
the death Of the mother Of j. Wilkes Booth,
that the public will show some little charity,
and leave the wrong that some one has done
in the hands of higher power, who, in His
own good time, will make all things right
Let the dead rest, for the sake Of the living
and the innocent"
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-11

The mystic letters written on visiting cards
are a source of bewiderment to the Con-
gressmen from the rural districts, who can
not decipher their meaning. Once that stall
wart Kentuckian, Senator McCreery, met q
foppish young constituent who had just re-
turned from Paris, and said to him II re-
ceived your card the other day. recognized
your fathers name, which ia the same as
yours, and supposed that il was his son but
what did the letters f. p, written in the cor
ner, mean ?" why, Mr.. Senator" replied
the travelled man, at is customary in Paris
to write the initials Of certain words on leav-
ing cards. For example, had l been going
away, l should have written p. p. c., the in
itials OF Pour preadre cOn9e,--to take leave
As it WAS, calling myself, wrote E. p, the
initials of En- PersOnne, i'm person" "Oh," ="
said McCreery, II understand" A week or
so afterward, the two met again, and the
young man said Senator, received your
card, but couldn't comprehend what the let
ters S. b. A. N. in the corner meant. Pray
interpret them ?" "With pleasure" said Nc.
Creery, his eyes twinkling with humor.
rs. B. A. N. are the initials of Sent by a
Niger"
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-11

"Frst Of ALL" she said, "I want FIVE hun.
dred dollars set aside for a monument for
father. / want him TO have a real handsome
one, and know the others won't get him
anything decent Then | want the rest OF
my share tied up, 40 that nobody kin touch
1t, and kept for mothers benefit as long rs
she lives When she's gone, the rest OF them
kin have Il. But want her to be comforta-
BILE and know jest how they will use her,
II they get chance"
There was a cessation Of hostilities among
the Hilands after the signing of the will un-
Til Mary AIMS DEATH and then they quarrel
ed iercely. They wrsngled 10 public and In
private. The administrator said he had new
er seen such avarce displayed The probate
Judge rebuked them openly In court for their
unseemly contention. Hopeless OF ever set
tling the estate amicably, the administrator
procured an order from the court to sell ev-
erytbiug at public auction and, at this sale,
the wool, which had caused Steven Hiland
so much distress and ut last had cost him his
life, was sold for forty five cents pound. A
broker had offered several cents more for II a
few days before the sale, but the mutual dis
trust and jealousy Of the heirs were too
great to admit OF any arrange ment for ac-
ceptng the Offer
Long before the final settlement Of the es-
tate not one Of the children would speak 10
any Of the others; and they separated and
went to their own homes, apparently deadly
enemies. "However, "blood is thicker than
water" They did not make friends outside
their family circle easily aud, after a little
while. they made up their quarrel aud we're
on good terms again, with only an occasional
rupture to show how fond they we're of each
other. Mrs. Hand elected to return with her
son to the West and thanks to Mary Ann's
bequest, she was able to spend her old age in
great comfort.
Mary Ann and her father sleep side by side
in one Of the dreariest and most forlorn Of
New England burying grounds. The showy
marble column, erected in accordance with
her wishes, seems strangely out Of place. 1t
eXcites comment and question from strangers,
and then the story OF the boarded wool and
Steven Hiland's death is told. And 10 the
daughters affection has helped to perpetuste
the tale of the fathers svarice and greed.
-EUery Other Saturday.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-11

Senator Edmunds Is the author OF an
"Open Letter" in the December Cen tury on
the question ''What shall be done with our
ex Presidents. Senator Edmunds urges
that the scheme of making OK presidents life
members of the Senate is repugnant to. the
theory of our government and would work
unfairness in the representation of the states
in Congress- He sums up the case as fol-
lows;
''There are many considerations against
disturbing the present autonomy of the Sen
ate, which have not time to 60 into. There
is nothing that l know of in the nature of
republican government which makes it nee
essary that an ex president should have any
other station or title than that OF an eminent
private citizen who has done his country i'm
portant service in the most trying and diff
cult Of all its public employments"
Mr.. Eimunds regards the question whether
suitable pecuniary provision for the mainte-
nance of a retiring president might not well
be made as worthy of serious consider alton.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-11
Miscellany.
The CharcoaI-Burpsr's Friend,


The collier lives in Stony II ollow,
All bronzed and bearded, rough and tall;
He turns-his mouthlng mastihs follow;
His horses neigh across the wall
The stubborn oxen heed his treadi
His looks recall the bringing houndi
The snake lifts up its FURNISHED head
To meet Wild, elusive sound.
Late autumn brings his blackened features
To these harsh hills he loved Of old;
Housed here with ierco and furry creatures,
His great red fires deride the cold;
The summer long he ranges wide;
He tracks the Forest green and blindi
By fallow field and mountain side
His coiling smoke dlssolveH in wind.
The white-skinned birches fell together
when strong gales blew and brief suns shone;
A widening round In April weather,
Grew upward to a shining cone.
Its gaping mouths are crusted deep
Its smouldering centre wastes away;
His searching eyes long vigis keep;
His blinking lantern mocks the day.
Thus baok-the heavy watch Is over
His rhythmic call rtngs sweet before.
Wild rabbits mufied deep In clover,
Lift their wide gaze beside his door.
The squirrel drops from roof and vine,
Leaps TO his shoulder, cries and clings;
Tue robin whistles In the pine,
The thrush remembers May, and singsl
what crouchng wildwood things have found hiiu
Charmed from their covert, who eau say7
step-the chattering circle round him
Dlssolves in shadow, and away
They scatter 10 the crnmblng rocks,
Their sylvan signal echo-borne-
The lonely barking Of fox,
pigeon crying In the cornl
In narrower circles closing on him,
He knows the partridge where he lies,
Her bright, emboldened glance upon him
That startled head-those shining eyesl
He sees in pastures high and sweet,
On sunny hillsides green and lone,
The orange lizard bask in heat,
Embossed against the burning stone.
Some charm lmpes the fierce, free creatures
To that rude frame aud lawless mind
Brown, massive throat aud hardened features,
Aud eyes remorseess to his hind.
Some look he wears for these alone,
His closer kinsmen never knew
look, breath, tireless tone,
BY probing instinct proven true.
dora Read GoOdale IN Independent.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-11
Hnrer.nII nm IincnIn.

Under the singular caption of "Motley and
Monarch" Col. Robert q. Ingersoll contrib
utes to the December North American Re-
view genuine 'prose-poem" on Abraham
Lincoln, who is summed up aud photograph
ed in q single paragraph, thus
'Strsnge minglng Of mirth and tears, Of
the tragic and PrOtesque, OF cap and crown,
of Socrates aud Rabelai-. Of Eiop aud Mar
Gus Aurelius, OF all that is gentle and just
humorous aud honest, mercitul, wise, laugh
able, lovable, and divine, and all consecrated
to the use of man; while through all, and
over all, an overwhelming sense of obligation,
of chivalric loyalty to truth, and upon all the
shadow OF the tragic end"
We give q few other noteworthy character
izations from the same article;
Nearly all the great historic characters are
impossible monsters, dsproportioned by Hat
terry, or by calumny deformed. We know
nothing of their peculiarites, or nothing but
their peculiarities.
Washington is now only a steel engraving.
About the real man who lived and loved and
hated and schemed we know but little.
Hundreds of people are now engaged in
smoothing out the lines of Lincoln's face
forcing all features to the common mould -
so that he may be known, not as he really
was but, according to their poor standard,
as he should have been.
Lincoln never finished bis education. To
the night of his death he was n pupil, a
learner an inquirer, a seeker after knowl-
edge. You have no idea how many men are
spoiled by what is called education. For the
most part colleges are places whtre pebbles
are polished and diamonds are dimmed. II
ShAkspere had graduated at Oxford, he
might have been q quibbliDg attorney or a
hypocriieal parson
Nothing discloses real character like the
use Of power. 1t is easy for the weak to be
gentle. Most people can bear adversely.
But if you wish to know what man really
is, give him power This is the supreme
test. 1t is the glory of Lincoln that, having
almost absolute power, he never abused it,
except upon the side of mercy.
He was patient as Destiny, whose undeci-
pherable hieroglyphics were 80 deeply grav
en- on his sad and tragic face.
Lincoln was the grandest figure of tht
fercest civil war. He is the gentlest memory
| of our world.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-11
The Very One.

An eastern young man returned home a
few days ago from a trip to Colorado for his
health, and in narrating his adventures he
told about buying silver mine for $4,000.
II knew they'd rope you in !" exclaimed the
old man $50 you were ass enough to buy a
humbug mine ?" eyes, but didn't lose any
thing. formed a company aud sold half
the stock to a Connecticut man for $1,000.
'Y-you did?" gasped the old man as he
turned white 'I'll bet Pm the one who
bought it" II know you are" ooolly OBJ.
served the young man, as he crossed his legs
and tried to appear very much at home
Wal Street Ddily Nelos
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-11

Joseph II, Emperor of Germany. travelling
in Disguise, stopped at an inn in the Neither
lands, where it being fair-time and the houses
crowded, he readily slept in an clubhouse,
after a slight repast of bacon and eggs, for
which and his bed he paid the charge of about
three shillngs and sixpenoe English. few
hours after, some of his majestys suite COM
ing up, the landlord appeared very uneasy
at not having known the rank of his guest,
"Pshaw, man" said one of his attendants,
"Joseph is accustomed to such adventures,
and will thing nothing of it" Very likely, "
replied mine host, "but SHALL can never
forgive myself for having an emperor in my
house, and letting him of for three and six
nanca
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-11

The following anecdote is told of the cele-
brated surgeon, Mr.. Abernethy; One day,
during the examination OF a class of students,
he asked one of them what he would do in
the case of man being blown up by gun
powder. ~ should wait till he came down
again" was the cool reply. "True," rejoined
Abernethy. "And suppose 1 should kick you
for your impertinent reply: what muscles
should put in motion ?" 1.-The hexors and
extensors OF my right arm," said the student !;
"for would floor you directly
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-11

An adventurous American is exciting the
wonder Of the Oriental world. Mr.. Thomas
Stevens, who started from San Francisco on
a bicycle tour around the world, has reached
Teheran, in Persia. A correspondent of the
London Times writes ''The Oentaurs of
old and the first Spanish horsemen in Mexico
did not cause more wonderment than this
intrepid bicyclist in all the villages and towns of
Asia through which he passed. 10 some places
the people would not let him enter their viii
lagos or have any dealings with him In 9th
ers they stoned him, taking him to be the
devil himself. Mr.. Stevens proposes TO win
ter here and TO continue bis singular journey
through Khorassan, Afghanistan and China.
The Shah has taken great interest in his per-
formanoes, aud invited him TO a display of
his skill at one of the royal palaces in the
neighborhood Of TeheTan."