davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27
The Remorseful Dancer.

A dramatic incident occurred last
night in dancing saloon at La Cha
pclle. One of the dancers was sud-
denly seen to rush toward the door,
his eyes rolling wildly and his face
livld with terror. lie shouted out
frantically to Que of the municipal
guards posted at the entrance: car
rest me! I am a murderer!' The
soldier was stupified with astonish-
ment and recoiled before the strange
action of the man, who seemed more
like a maniac than Il rational being.
TIE self-confessed assassin, however,
reiterated his appeal, and was imme-
diately handed over to the police, who
took him to the adjacent station. Here
he told the inspector that yesterday,
after an alteration with his wife and
her mother, he stabbed the two wo-
men to death with knife. He ct
once fled from tho scene of butchery,
and, after wandering about the sub
urban streets aimlessly for some mo-
ments plunged into the midst of the
dancers in order to drown the re.
membrance of his guilt. The soidisont
murderer's name is Joseph Persuy.
He is shoemaker, and thirty-one
years of age. He has been living apart
from his wife for the last five years.
lhe police are not quite certain
whether they have to deal with .
madman or a real criminal, and an
inquiry has been ordered.-Paris Dis.
pGtch to london telegraph.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27
A Great Festival.

Sunday, the 18th inst, was the an
niversary of one of the most character
istic festivals of the Russian empire
the ''kreshtchenle Vod. or "Christen-
ing of the Waters" The performance
is said to date 900 years back to the
time when Prince Vladimir and his
chief spearsmen dipped themselves in
the Dnieper and swore ''to be true to
Christ and his law" Ever since on
the 18th day Of January, in every part of
the va t empire, the cross is plunged
through the ice into the rivers, and the
priests traditional formula of blessing
is uttered over it. In st. Petersburg
the ceremony assumes the aspect of u
national festival. AS the MONDAY gun
sounds, the gate of the Winter Palace
swings slowly open and a single figure
appears-that of the Grand Duke Con-
stantinc, his brother Michael, or even
the Gar himself. Then the High
Priest descends to an opening pre-
viously cut through the ice in the Neva,
and, plunging the cross into the water
solemnly pronousces the words of con-
secration. Globe.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27
Running Down q Storm.

About two years ago the signal-ser.
vice bureau at Washington notified
The Constitution that cyclone-or GER
tainly a very heavy wind-storm-migh
be expected to pass through Georgia
within twenty-four hours after the
notification. On its way from the gulf
to the Atlantic. The cyclone did not
come within the time prescribed. Up
on inquiry, the bureau folks stated
that they had lost the cyclone some-
where in the gulf, but they expected
it to turn up later. 1t did turn up tho
next day, and it turned up a pretty
big slice of Georgia.
That was about the first definite at
tempt in this section to furetell
storm. 1t is now common thing for
the bureau to notify us that in forty
eight hours cold wave or storm
will reach our city. The storm signal
afioat over the custom-house is held to
be about as reliable as the clock ovci
the way on the capitol. The business
of the weather is rapidly becoming one
of the great sciences. For example,
the observer at Portland, Oregon, re.
ports the barometer very much de-
pressed at his station. There is the
nucleus of a storm. Instantly the
points around Portland are tested and
the area and location of the storm thus
accurately outlined. An hour later
the same points are questioned again.
Of course the storm has shifted its
position, for storms never stand still.
A line drawn from the initial point OF
the storm to its second point shows
the direction in which it is travelling.
A comparison of the time of the obscr.
vations shows the speed at which it is
going. These two points settled, the
people along its path are notified that
it is coming and when they may ex-
pect it.
This foreknowledge can be carried
much further. As a matter of course,
there are certain conditions that pre-.
cede storm. These are carefully re-
corded. By looking over long series
of cyclones, for example, and noticing
the exact changes of atmosphere that
precede each one, general principle
of ante-cyclonic action can be estab-
lished. This once done, whenever
these conditions are observed it may
he safely predicted that they will
breed a cyclone. The signal-service
bureau is already of vast practical
benefit. In predicting even for a day
or two storm, its warning will save
thousands of dollars to the people.
When it reaches the point where it
can accurately predict the coming of
cyclone in time for the people to es.
cape its fury, it will have done a work
that will command universal respect.
Atlanta Constitution.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27
Some Man to be surprised.

/ was in Nine. Hewitt's corset insti-
.ution the other day, on Nineteenth
street, when the wife of rich brewer
brought her two daughters in to be
newly rugged with stays and cordage.
was her parting admonition. as she
left them awhile. The eldest disrobed
to lit on the new thing. She was q
tall, slender girl with nicely round
ed waist aud good bust and pretty
arms, while she stood in her tailor
made suit; but when she undressed, ye
Gods her handsome myrtle green
cloth waist was lined with silk. 1t
was padded an inch thick on the back.
1t was padded five inches thick over
the breast. The upper part of the
sleeve was slightly padded, but the
under half had fully three inches of
cotton. From this padded cell the Ia
dy escaped and I trembled lest some
one should open door and let in the
high wind blowing outside. Every
bone in the narrow littlo chest was as
visible rs the bars of the CRATE. Two
such broom sticks as those poor arms
I have seldom seen. I suppose she
had pair of drumsticks to match and
bold, brave woman she is to trust
herself round on EN-" Madame pro-
duced the corsets--a marvellous feat
of white embroidered on blue satin.
Behold thou, corsets were padded in
front at the top and at the bottom be-
hind; so between Hewitt, tho stay-ma-
ker, and Everhall. the dressmakcr,
Miss Malt Extract was turned out q
''p:ump aud pleasing person. But
oh. my! there will be one indignant
man in the world by and by, and the
resort of the swindled will be denied
him. He can't 60 down to the mayors
Office and make q complaint; he will
have to grin and bear it and pray that
the cotton crop don't fail.-NeV York
Letter in 81. LOUIS Republican.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27
Protected by a Horse.

A lady we'll advaced in years was
found recently wandering along the
road near the residence of Mrs.
Colonel Hunt, and, on being question:
ed, she said she was searching for
buggy containing a child. She had
left the buggy short distance from
the house, and the horse attached to it
had wandered off. The Dight was
bitter cold. Yesterday it was discov-
cred that the horse had wandered in
to the woods, and becoming tired, had
lain down. The child. bright little
girl, was found by some boys next
morning snugly sleeping against the
breast Of the horse, with its head lying
on one of the animals forelegs. The
little one had evidently become cold,
and when the horse lay down went to
try to make it get up, when, the boys
think, the sagacious animal managed
to place it with its head on its arm, SO
to speak, to keep it from freezing to
death. The mother was overjoyed to
recover her child, and will keep the
faithful horse as long as she lives. -
Le0pes,su0rM Tines,
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27
1xat,ah Hastla.

A dispatch from suakim, Africa, Of the 18th,
says the British forces set out again
this morning at daylight in the direction
taken yesterday. They carried two days
rat.ons and 1900 gallons Of water.
They had six Gardner guns A five hours
battle with the forces Of Osman Digns follow
cd, on the bills back Of Hasheen Osman's po-
sition was finally captured BY the British
Gen. Graham In his report eays: Our killed are
two officers two men Of the British and five se-
poys The wounded are officers and ~ men of
tho British and ono officer aud ten men Of the
Indian contingent The infantry behaved
with great steadinesa The number Of rebels
is estimated ct 1900 The rebel loss is mot
known, hut heavy The engagement lasted
five hourA The Arabs carried Of all their
dead and wounded Natives report numbers
OF Osman Digna's mon deserting, having be-
como disheartened The British troops have
returned to their former camp, near, Huakim
Osman Digna sent disbursements numbering
Loo to Hasheen to assist In opposing the
British
Cen Graham telegrsphs Gen Wolssley the
result Of the operations has bcen to establish
strong position commanding the Hasheen
valley and protecting the right flank and limo
Of oom,sunieations in ensuing operations
says, worked admirably and CALAMITY on very
difficult ground, covered with high thorn
bushes aud occupied by IN agile and deter
mined enemy, thus showing the troops able TO
master Arabs In any condition.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27

ded with detonsting fuse; but when
badly prepared. or confined or frozen,
T. e very easily exploded. This lia.
bility; which has cost many lives, and
the further fault that It can not long
be kept. led Nobel. In 1867, to mix It
with silicious ashes, or infusorial earth,
and In this form 1t is known as dyna-
mite or giant powder. Kaoline, tripoli,
alumtna, sugar, alum, burnt clay. and
. mixture OF sawdust and chalk are
also sometimes used as absorbents;
but that most frequently employed %
an lnfusorial earth found in Germany
and called kieselguhr. This earth will
take up three times its weight of nitro
glycerine without becoming more than
damp to the touch. and it gives to
dynamite the appearance of . mass Of
moist brown sugar. The great ad-
vantage over the pure tro-glycerine
10 that 1t can be handled with almost
entire safety; noordinary shocks will
explode it, unless 1t is confined under
pressure; 1t will withstand higher and
lower temperatures than nitro-glyce.
rine will bear. and when ignited In the
open cir will burn slowly. But it is
as q easily exploded as nitro-glycerine
itself BY . percussion fuse, and its ex.
plosive force is probably as great,
though on this point there is some con.
dict Of authorities. These qualities
and the ease with which it is made,
taken in connection with the other
important fact that confinement and
dryness are not requisite for explo:
sion. as is the case with gunpowder,
peculiarly fit it for the work OF secret
pl0tters like these who have Just made
such terrible use of it In London:
Moreover. a certain control can De
exerted over the quickness of its &C.
tion by altering the proportions of its
Ingredients, and the dynamiters have
evidently been making good use of the
fact. There are indications, too, that
they have been carefully studying into
other modern destructive agencies.
Chloride Of nitrogen, for instance. is
one of the most terrible explosives
known to chemists, though it decom-
poses itself within a day or two, and
b! pochloric acid is hardly less danger
Gus. Potassium chloratc is exceed
ingly violent, and various attempts
have been made to utilize it, though
not with great success, because of its
dangerous sensibility to friction and
heat; and the danger is greater when
sulphur Is used in the compound.
This sort of mixture is peculiarly we'll
adapted to the bombs Of the Nihilists,
and the dynamiters are thought to
have employed it on occasion; but as
1t involves the handler in personal dam
ger it can never become popular with
such towards. and they generally stick
to the safer compounds of which
nitro-glycerine forms the basc.-St
Louis. Globe Democrat.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27
Faithful Canine paper Carriers.

Sagacious dogs on the line of the
Naugatuck Railroad serve their mas
ters US news boys. They have been
taught when young to go a consider.
able distance from home to the trains
and bring papers when thrown out by
the newsmen or baggage masters.
Their habits have been observed and
are related by trainmen, who have
witnessed them day after day. A dog
owned by Philip Mclean, proprietor Of
the Gate House on the Thomaston
road. goes every morning from home
to Inchliff's bridge where the tram
crosses the river, a distance of one and
one half miles, and carries the morn
ing paper home. The paper was form
erly thrown off by the brakeman on
the last car and there the dog watched
for it. Lately it has been thrown from
the baggage car. The dog appeared
angry at the change, barked furiously,
and waited sullenly for some time be-
fore going on his errand. He has not
yet become reconciled to the new way
Of delivering his paper. Another dog
owned by Edward Osborne at q farm
house a mile back from the railroad
comes regularly to meet the early
morning paper train below Naugatuck.
His nose is seen through the board
fence as the train winds curve, wait
ing patiently. He leaves the house
when he hears the whistle at Beacon
Falls, and reaches the train in proper
time without ever getting left.
During the receut political campaign
his owner, who had been for u long
time taking The Mes0s, changed to an.
other paper. The keen instincts of
the sagacious animal soon discovered
the change and he at once refused to
carry the new paper home. His mas
ter was unable to coax or drive him.
New and different papers were expert
mented with to no avail. While u
young dog he was taught to carry The
News and he firmly persisted. The
late Senator William Brown had pet
dog that could readily distinguish the
whistles OF the New-England engines
from the Naugatuck and New-Eng land
roads at the same time side by sida.
The faithful dog always found h,s
train and car, and stood in waiting for
The Hartford Times, which he carried
home to his master for many years.
There is dog below Derby, on the
Naugatuck road. who has acted 40
family newsboy for several years, car
rying papers from the cars for his en-
tire neighborhood. The papers are
thrown out of the cars under full
speed. Whether one or large bundle
of them the dog is able to lug them off,
making good time back. Newspaper
Agent w. II. Beardsley tells of a num-
Der of other dogs that perform like
service. He mentions one that has be-
come an old veteran us newsb0y and
cannot now, from age and rheumatism,
get down to the cars. A younger dog
has made his place good. a fate that
has greatly grieved the old dog, whose
master still cars for him ON account
of the good he has done.-New Haven
NeUs.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27

among the most primitive people al.
wsy a involved extravagant expressions
of grief; as tearing the hair. beating,
and sometime cutting the body. Flu.
neral feasts have prevailed almost uni.
versally, from the most barbarous
ages down to the present time. These
had their origin. no doubt, not simply
in q desire to do honor to the dead,
but in belief that the departed spirit
also took part In the good cheer. The
rude music which usually formed q
part of tho funeral ceremony among
uncivllixed races, was undoubtedly in.
tended to ward of the evil spirits
which were supposed to be in the VI
cinity of a corpse. Funeral dirges
were adopted as an expression OF poig-
nant grief. These we're an Important
part Of funeral rites among the Greeks.
The Egyptians held q tribunal over
the dead. Any one was allowed to
bring to this tribunal accusation
against the corpse, and II it was shown
that he had lived an evil life burial
was refused. II no accusation was
brought. the relatives ceased lament
ing, and pronounced enconiums ON the
dead, enlarging upon his many virtues.
Tho laudatiOns of the dead, to which
we thay trace the funeral sermon of
the present day, probably originated
with the Jews. The Greeks had fun.
eral orations in which they gave full
history not only of the deceased but of
all his ancestors. The Romans took
this custom from the Greeks. The fun
neral customs of the early Christians
were partly adapted from the Romans,
and modified 50 as to express tine he.
lief in resurrection: They adapted the
custom of vigils also, in which the sur.
vivors were expected to ponder upon
the shortness and uncertxinty of life
and 'the narrow house apl lointed for
all living" A service also took place
at the grave, the object of which was
originally to declare the belief of the
survivors in the future rising of the
body. This service was abolished at
the Reformation, and service and ex-
hortation in the church substituted. A
part of the service is still performed
at the grave by all using tho form Of
burial adopted by the English Church
or that of the Roman Catholics, but
many Protestants omit it.-Inter Ocean.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27
The Man With a Hobby.

When the gods showered humanity
with blessings, one Of the biggest in
the bunch struck the man with hob
by, and made the days of his life the
same as summer in Elysium. If
some old fossil would take locomo-
motive headlight and start out on
pilgrimage with a determination to
keep on going until he cornered an
absolutely happy man, ho would only
have to 90 over to the next block and
get the man with hobby un der the
beams of his lantern, and his mission
would come to sudden end. He
could blow out his torch and 90 back
to his tub at once. The man with the
hobby fills the bill as closely rs the
specifications seem to require. At all
events, he comes as near enjoying per-
ennial sunshine as any body enrobed
with flesh ever can, for contentment
never leaves his doorstep, and the
birds are always singing in his heart.
Corn bread is the same as pie to him,
and a summer coat as warm as buff
falo role. While others are worrying
about hard times, losing appetite,
ambition, and desire to live, this man
with the shining garments has strad-
died his beast Of leather and straw.
and is galloping along with speed
that fills his veins with warm blood
and keeps his heart bounding with joy.
While dyspeptics are brooding in de-
spair, he is filled with transports by
the excitement of his ride, and is
drinking bliss from the contemplation
of scenery Of his own construction.
Every sense is ravished by the delights
imagination has planted along his
pathway. Roses here, tiny rivulets
yondcr, meadows of beauty on either
hand, and the fragrance of ben sons
everywhere. This man, with heaven
under his hat, never grows old in
heart. but goes bounding along, day
after day and year after year.
with unabated ardor, until his
limbs grow weak with age and his
step too feeble to carry him to his
steed. But, as long as he is able to
galloping away from the cares of
sarth; going toward, ever forward,
with his face to the sun, bearing the
talisman OF hope, and turning all
things into the pure gold of joy. The
grade is always the same, and his
steed never tires. No mountains to
climb; no hills to decend; no streams
to ford. or deserts to cross. No
changing of speed; always the same
delightful canter in the meadows of
Beulah Land. He may be poor in
purse, and enjoy few of the comforts
Of earth; but the stores of heaven are
always within easy reach, and he is
rich in the possession of that imperish.
able gem so few ever get even
glimpse Of serene content. Find a
happy man and you will soon discover
that he is mounted. Put your hand
on the shoulder of the unfortunate
who is always under a cloud, and you
will observe that he is plodding along
on foot. Reader, if you would have tur-
key for dinner all the year round, and
enjoy digestion as unswerving as an
air line or woman's opinion. take the
advice of an experienced equestrian OF
the foregoing order. who keeps we'll
filled stable. and get into the saddle
without an hours delay Chicago Led
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27

IT is reported that the village sys-
tenn among the Meunonites. in
the northwest, is likely to be to
. considerable extent broken up
in the coming spring. OF the thir-
ty families now in Schanzenfeldt, all
except about a dozen will take up
residence ON their several farms, re-
moving their buildings, which are of
logs, from the village. Two smaller
villages in the same section of country
arc to be entirely broken up. Various
circumstances have contributed to this
result, financial difficulties being one
Of the chief causes.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27

NICHOLAS VAN HORN, q well-to- do
farmer and widower, of llabershan,
Ca, and the father of two children
over so years of age, was married re.
Gently to Miss Ivy. a child of ~. Dur
ing the ceremony the child began to
sob. when the old man patted her on
the head in fatherly manner, and
wiped away her tears with his big
bandana.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27

In cutting tunnel of the Oregon
Short Line railway, in Wyoming terri
tory, four coal veins were struck, the
shortest of which was twenty feet
thick. The coal burns to q white ash,
Is . good stea:ning coal, but possesses
the defect of slaking badly upon expos
ure to the air. In mining, about one
fourth IL waste, because of this dispo.
sition to slake and crumble.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27

PETROLEUM as a fuel has been ex-
perimented with for several days past
on freight-boat at Oakland, Cal. The
experiments thus far have been emil
nently successful, and the steam pro-
ducing properties Of the fuel satisfac-
.torily demonstrated. Several econ
omic questions in relation to its use.
however. remain to be decided.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27

TIE Buffalo Commercial rema, ks |:
1.-THE town of Charlestown, w. ", is
the only American city paved with
bricks in the middle of the streets,
bricks turned endwisc and set on
wood. They last wcll, and have beep
known 200 years in Holland"
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27

A NEW horseshoe is now being made,
which is in two parts. the upper part
designed to remain permanently upon
the foot, where it will last for an in
definite time, as no wear comes upon
it; the other, that which contains the
corks, and which is Joined to the upper
in an ingenious manner. The lower
halves of the shoes are interchangeable
sharp corks for ICY weather and dull
ones for heavy draft horses, or they
may be removed entirely at night to
prevent injury to the animal while in
the stall.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27
ooal IN Dakota.

The Fargo Argus says Of tho Heart River
coal: This coal, though Of the bituminous
family or order, is the hardest western coal
yet found In actual result tho Touring mills
this coal with wood, and their certsfcate 10
given that six tons Of this coal il equal to thir-
teen cords Of cottonwood, the latter being
the principal wood ON the Missouri slope In
. few days the certificates Of over forty Of tho
most prominent business men Of Bismarck viii
est fuel now In Dakota, and for cooking and
heating purposes it is the equal Of any west
ern coal
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27
Funeral Rites,

From the very earliest times, the
accessory act of disposing of dead
body has always been attended by cer-
emonies of some kind expressive Of af.
lection and grief. and also of the pop
ular religious sentiment among those
taking part thsrein. Funeral rites
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-27

JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL, United
States minister to England, was asked
recently. by New Orleans exposition
exhibitor. for his autograph, and asked
to write it upon piece of silk which
was furnished, The ink ON the silk
blurred badly. and, returning it. Mr..
Lowell got off the following: II sup
pose an author might be glad to have
what he writes spread, but in this case
I have vainly tried to prevent it,"