davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11
A WITNESS POWER.
Need of the Oath in the Various Courts
Justice.

Need of the Oath in the Various Courts of
Justice.
Iwould abolish all oaths of office, OF
'promissory'' oaths. The only value
of these, as it seems to me, lies in their
setting forth the nature and the duties
of the Office undertaken, and thus i'm
pressing these on the mind of the per-
son undertaking it. But this end
would equally be attained by a declar-
alton, while the failure to discharge
these duties is now guarded against by
ample powers of dismissal. There is,
in short, but one class of oaths which [
would retain--namely, those taken in
courts of justice or in those legal pro-
cesses which are connected with such
courts-atlidavits, sworn interroga-
tories and the like. And / would do
so because a court of justice is the one
and only place | know of where pow
er beyond all legal restraint, or at least
beyond all immediate legal restraint or
prevention, still remains, and therefore
still needs all the checks upon the ex-
ercise that we can devise. No barbar-
ian warrior with his foe at his feet, no
baron of the middle ages, with dun
geon keep and right of pit and gallows,
ever possessed more tremendous power
than that which is nowadays possessed
by the witness or the jurymen in court
of law. A word from his mouth may
consign an innocent man to the gibbet
or to lifelong imprisonment; may
strip him in "A moment of all his pos
sessions or blast him with social out
lawry as terrible as the terrors of the
communication of old. Against such
power as this we do well still to take
all the security that an oath can give
us. For this reason, and for this alone,
would |, while abolishing all, or nearly
all, other oaths, retain this only. 1t is
the only one which seems to me to
completely fulfill the conditions which
make oath-taking expedient or even
morally right Contemporary Revieso
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11
HISTORIC DOGS.
Showing How These Faithful Animals
Figure i'm Annals.


At time when dogs, especially met
ropolitan dogs, are somewhat under a
cloud, it may be well to recall some of
the claims of our old friend to respect
and esteem. Every one remembers the
dog of Ulysses, who died in greeting
his master just returned from his long
wanderings, and the story shows the
consideration in which the dog was held
in the heroic ages of Greece. The old
Persians, too, held the dog in high es-
TEEN; to the Magians he was sacred
animal, the representative and friend
of Ormuzd the Beneficent, and the
great satraps were distinguished by
their trains of hunting dogs, as was the
King himself, and Xerxes set out for
the conquest of Greece surrounded by
a great body-guard of faithful dogs.
Those most highly priced by the Per-
slams came from India, so called, prob
ably from the Bactrian regions, where
the dog is still held in high repute.
Captain Woods tells us that the old
fashioned Uzbeg would think it no in
suit to be asked to sell his wife,
but would resent an offer for
his dog as an objectionable af-
front; while among the border tribes of
Turkestan the epithet of the dog seller
is one of the profoundest contempt.
Indeed, the birthplace of nations is
probably the original home of the dog,
and when orr Aryan ancestors began
to migrate westward from their ancient
seats with their flocks and herds they
brought with them, no doubt, their
fierce and faithful dogs, who have left
their descendants ofto-day-the English
mastiff, the Pyrenean sheep-dog, the
Albanian wolf-hound. Ancient laws
too record the estimation in which the
dog was held. "A herd-dog that goes
for the sheep in the morning and fol-
lows them home at night is worth the
best OK" say the ancient laws of
Wales.
The best herd-dogs of the present
day perhaps are the Breton sheep-dogs
rough, shaggy, uncouth-with an
aspect as if they had little of the blood
of brlin in their veins, but highly
valued by their possessors, who are not
to be tempted into parting with them by
anything under the price of the best
OK; and the Breton dog is one of the
most sagacious of his kind, watching
and tending his tiocks with an almost
incredible zeal and devotion.-AU The
| Year Round.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11
One Dollar Per Year.
PERSONAL AND LITERARY.

There are one hundred and fifty
papers and magazines edited by col
ored men published in this country
~ Y. Mail.
The report that Anna Dickinson IS
wretchedly poor is denied. A friend
who saw her recently says that she was
happy and had ''lots of money. -
Chicago Journal
In England last year 1907 new
books were published. Of these the
largest portion-636 volumes-were re-
ligious. There were also brought out
1888 new editions.
Miss Catharine Wolfe, the wealth.
est spinster in the country, has S15,-
100000. Curious that Catharine, with
so much capital, hasn't captured
lamb-like mate yet.-N Y. Tribune.
Mason Evans, the Tennessee "wild
man of the mountains" who has been
living in a cave in the Chillowee mount
aims for twenty-five years, was caught
recently and put in lunatic asylum.
1t has just been discovered that
James Pebbles, who recently died at
Oxford, N. H., at the age of one hun
dred and four years, was soldier OF
the Revolution and fought at Bunker
Hill. Boston Journal.
The richest men in Russia are two
Swiss brothers named Noble. They
bought up immense tracts of oil lands
and now control more petroleum than
the Standard Oil Company There is
no way of computing their wealth,
which has been estimated as high as
$400, 100000.
Mr.. John w. Mackay's grandson.
called the "young Prince tolonna," ,"
was christened in grand style at cost
of six hundred dollars, which, says the
New York World, is said to be more
than the child's father receives in a
year for serving as an officer in the
Italian army.
"A man must be very poor in these
days not to be able to own something
valuable in the way of library, An
English firm proposes to make literature
cheaper than ever by printing a series
of standard English and American
works to be sold at the low price of
three pence volume. The books
will be well bound and printed. Cur
rent.
Mrs. Lily Macallister Laughton,
Regent of the Mount Vernon Associa-
ton, is asserted to have "the smallest
and most perfectly formed foot in
| America" She once gave one of her
slippers to a charitable fair, where it
was raffled for The luckily number
was secured by Bishop Potter's son
Frank, who used his prize as watch
case. Chicago Tribune.
| Three Senators have only three
legs between them-one apiece. They
are Butler and Hampton, of South
Carolina, and Berry, of Arkansas.
Butler lost his right leg at the battle Of
Brandy Station, on the 9th Of June,
1868. Berry lost his at the battle of
Corinth, Miss, October 4, 1862, Hamp-
ton, after riding gallantly through the
war without serious injury, lost his by
fall from his horse.-N. Y Post.
M. Paul Gibier, who has continued
his studies of hydrophobia in the
laboratory of Koch, writes to the
French Academy of Medicine that he
has been absolutely unable to obtain g
rabid dog in Berlin, and that the ply.
sicians in the Imperial Veterinary
School in that city state that they have
not seen a rabid dog for more thar
three years. M. Gibier attributes this
condition of affairs to the fact that ir
Berlin all dogs are muzzled.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11

Wen, sur, one day / he'd scraped up
the last dustin NV meal outen the meal
chist, en- parched the last grain NV rye
ter make coffee; en- says / ter myself
'ef the good Lord don't send us some
thin ter eat, me en- my young uns is
goners. Well, sur, | went to the door
ter see ef the ash hopper wuz rum
MIN, en- hope / may never see the
back Nv my he'd ag'in eff | didn't see
Jake Hawkins cum rackin' up the
road, astraddle NV thet same ole pore
hoss, en- when | seed him, |
sed ter myself 'ef you air a
comm arter somethin' ter eat
ag'in, you'll miss it this time, Mister
Hawkins Well, sur, Jake rid up, he
did, en- he sed:, Miss Johnson, hyar is
piece NV meat en- a turn NV meal fur
ye'-l wuz so takin' on surprise
couldn't say nuthin'-'I thought ez
mebby you might be needin sumthin'
ter eat while Lige was gone, en- / hope
you'll take it fur the sake of the good
time me en- you he'd together when we
wuz youngsters CROWN up together. ;
w hen Jake sed that he turned en- rid
oil, he did, en- | never hev set my two
eyes on him sense. But | hev never
furgot him. | hearn people say he
moved up into Tennysee. Now, mister,
eft you should ever see Jake in yore
travels tell him you seed me, en- / sed
howdy; EN- you kin tell him, eff he's got
erry boy ter send him down this way
a courtin'. Tell him he kin hev Mandy
that's sis fur the akin. En- tell him
she's the purtiest gal in Pike County,
Ala, ef her NOR does say it herself.
En- tell him.
s. Please excuse me, madam, for in
terrupting you, but | am very tired, and,
and if you will be kind enough to show
me where will sleep, l believe | will
go to bed"
-" You'll lie right over thar. Gist take
yer cheer erlong with you to hang yel
clothes on
1t was fortunate that l carried my
''cheer," for the bed was one of the old
fashioned high water kind, and had tc
get on the chair to get into it. And
while the garrulous old woman sang to
her baby, l fell asleep, trusting that
Jake Hawkins or somebody else would
bring something palatable for break
fast.-Ark0nsdaC IraUeter.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11
CUPlD'S FRANKS.
The Pretty and Encouraging Romance of
Coal Stove.

The Pretty and Encouraging Romance of
Coal stove.
One day last fall, after talking until
his throat was sore, Detroit stove
dealer succeeded in selling widow a
coal stove, but it was with the proviso
that if every thing didn't work salts
factorily he was to make it. Two days
after delivering the stove he got his
first call. A boy entered the store and
said:
Mrs. - wants you to come up
and fix that stove. The house is full of
smoke"
A man was sent up, and he found
the trouble to be with the chimney.
Only three or four days had passed
when the boy came in again and said;
That stove is putting and blowing
and soaring the widow to death. She
wants the same man to come up again. ="
He was sent, and it was discovered
that she didn t know how to arrange the
hampers and drafts. Every thing
seemed to run well for a week, and
then the boy walked in to announce:
'She sent me down to have you send
that man up again. The house is full
of coal gas."
The man went up and applied the
remedy, but inside of three days the
stove got to putting; two days after
that the fire wouldn't draw; then it
drew too much; then gas escaped
again. At length the dealer went to
the house and said:
Madam, you gave me thirty dollars
for the stove; how much will you take
for it?"
II wouldn't sell it.
But | can't be sending my man up
here every two or three days all win
ter"
"You won't have to. I've concluded
to marry him in order to have some
one here in case of accident
And three days ago they were quietly
and happily married.-Detroit Free
Press
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11
A GRAND BURST.
The History of the Eccentric Oil Well at
Stannard's Corners.


Stannard's Corners.
"The eccentricities of oil wells are
numerous" said former operator in
the petroleum regions, ''but if there
ever was funnier oil well than the one
they put down at Stannard's Corners,
in what was the Wellsville territory,
then l never heard oft. The people of
Stannard's Corners got the oil fever
bad, and made up their minds that if
there was oil lurking around anywhere
in the bowels of the earth the lurking
place was straight down under STAN
nard's Corners. So they hustled some
money together amongst EN-, and
started the drill to tap the lake of
grease that was rolling and tossing
down among the subterranean rocks.
The whole town-fifty men, women
and children, all told-hung around
that drill every day, and after two or
three weeks the tools tapped vein of
gas. The town went wild over this
news, and performed regular green
corn dance around the well. The
driller thought he'd wait for later de-
velopments, so he drew his tools and
drove big wooden plug in the casing.
Then he bored hole in the plug and
put in pipe to carry off the gas But
the plug wouldn't stay put, the gas hav-
ing a strong head. So the people got
three or four dry-goods boxes, filled
them full of stones, and piled them one
on top of the other on the plug.
"When bed time came that night the
people left the well and went home.
They all got up bright and early and
took their positions at the well again.
The boxes of stones were then all right,
and the people felt that they had the
oil-well fastened as tight as a stick in
wise While they were all discussing
about what amount of oil she would
flow as soon as the real sand was
tapped there came sound as of a bat
tie close by. The store boxes shot up
ward and onward. There was shower
of stones and splinters around the
town for about ten minutes, and the
people took to the woods. That's all
there was to the oil well. They went
to work again, and put the drill down
SO far that it seemed some Chinaman
must surely grab it and pull it into his
back yard, but they never got another
smell of gas nor any more sign of oil
than if they had bored into the walls of
the Astor House. That one grand
burst of imprisoned gas exhausted the
whole business, and the Stannard' S
Corners oil-well passes into oil-region
history as about the only one that ever
went dry without there being drop OF
oil in it to go dry. IN Y. Sun.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11
HUMOROUS.

The world moves. 1t probably
finds it cheaper to move than to pay
rent. Boston Transcript.
Papa, baseball players ought to
be good skaters" "Why do you think
so Charlie?" Because they strike out
so easily. .'-Philadelphia Call
New Water Works." says a black
head line in an exchange. New cider
works, but we didn't know that new
water acted similarly. Norristown
Herald.
An exchange asks; "What is hos
tile furniture?" Don't know unless it
is armed chairs. -EUdnSUiUe Argus.
A gold-plated harness comes pretty
near being hoss style furniture. re.-MarG-
tbon Independent,
--"1s there any danger of the boa
constructor biting meP' asked a lady
visitor at the Geological Garden. Not
the least, marm,n cried the Snowman;
''he never bites-he swallows his wittles
whole. IN Y. Examiner.
Customer (in restauranG-Waiter,
this chicken soup has feathers in it.
w dlbtI- ltS, san. IL W NuII SOuU
made outen chickens dot am old 'nough
to be bald, sab, yo' II have to 20 to
some odder 'stablishment.-N Y Sun.
with population of about 300,-
000,0 900, China, has not single insane
asylum" SAYS an exchange. Exactly;
but, my dear brother, you should re-
member that China hasn't a single
book agent, either.-Ne1Omdn hide
| pendent.
The new servant-"You are sure
Mr.. Blowton is not at home?" "Well,
| | ought to be. He told me so when /
took your card up, and said if you would
call some time when he was out he
would be glad to see you. .n-PbiIadel-
| phid Press.
| Mrs. Homespun-''OurJ John is the
greatest fellow to put off YOU ever
saw" Mrs. Blank-"He procrastinates,
eh?n Mrs. H-"0h, dear, no; | don't
think John would do anything so bad
as that. He only puts everything off.
That's the worst / ever heard anybody
say about him. ."-Boston Transcript.
"A medical authority says: Persons
have been bitten by mad dogs and
have not gone mad" Then the dogs
couldn't have hurt them very badly.
The man who is not made mad by be.
ing bitten by a dog ought to be an
angel. He has too good a temper fol
this wicked world.-The Judge
Seeking Biblical Information
Bobby-"Ma. didn't Methuselah have
more'n one name?" Ma (reading)-
''Only one, of course. Now dom
bother me any more" Bobby (after
long pause)-"Ma,c can't ask you on,
more question:" Ma-"Yes. yes. y
Bobby-"Wss Methuselah his first o
! last namef'-Harpsr's Bazar.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11
A LITTLE LOVE STORY.

When she was five, this love of mine,
sent to her valentine
A frail and fair lace-paper sheet,
Which bore the legend short and sweet:
with golden ilair and eyes of blue,
The prettiest girl know is your
She liked the poem and, to show it.
She kissed the blushing little poet.
At fifteen, this dear love of mine
/ sent another valentine
A casket whose silk covered lid
nest of dainty bonbons hid,
Where lay card this TO repeat,
The hard-worked line; Sweets to the Sweet :
And her gratitude could see
When she gave equal shares to me.
To twenty grown, this love of mine,
| sent her cne more valentine
A box whose cushioned surface might
Throw out jewels starry light.
This, dear. to you, and you to me-"
A scrap of paper read and she,
10 thank me for the sparkling thing,
Gave me the hand that wore the ring.
Ruth Hail.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11
REAL AGONY.
Major Ben: Perley Poore Describes Some
Scenes at His Wedding.

Major Ben; Perley Poore Describes Some
Scenes at His Wedding.
Major Ben: Perely Poore's wedding
was part of quadruple affair, his
brides sister and both of her two
brothers were all married on the same
day, and the Majors father-in-law thus
had his home depopulated at one
hymeneal stroke. Poore SAYS that in
his own case he was never quite GER
tain that he was married, there was so
much confusion during the ceremony.
He had passed the preceding night in
Washington, and he and his friends
had not intended to retire at all; land
so" the Major says, ''when | reached
the church and stood up to be married
/ hardly realized what was going on.
was haunted by two awful thoughts:
| was afraid that where there were so
many brides might somehow be mar
ried to the wrong woman; and then l
noticed that 1 was standing right over
a big open register in the floor, and l
was desperately afraid that when l
took out the ring | might lose nv grip
and drop it down that register "-Bos-
ton Budget.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11
DAMARALAND.
A Country Whose Antiseptic Climate
Heals Serious Wounds.

A Country Whose Antiseptic Climate
Heals Serious Wounds.
One of the most curious results OF
my observations is that the climate Of
Damaraland possesses what we might
call an antiseptic character fol-. several
months of every year. The quality is
an attendant of the long annual
drought. Every living thing suffers
during that period of the excessive
heat, and much comfort is impossible,
even in the shade, while, in places ex-
posed to the warm winds, the ther-
mometer has risen to one hundred and
twenty-nine degrees; and the sand, un-
moistened for six months, becomes so
hot that 1 have seen eggs hardened in
it. This arid heat is opposed to the
propagation of ferment, for it dries up
every thing that is exposed to the
wind before it has time to sour. No
manifestations of tuberculosis are
known. Wounds of every kind heal
remarkably quickly and well, without
enough suppuration taking place to
make the bandages stick. The manner
in which large, neglected wounds heal
of themselves would form an interest
ing study for professional surgeon. |
observed a case of Herero whose
right lower arm had been shattered in
battle by musket-ball The healing
process had worked itself out in such a
way that the whole lower arm with all
its muscles had become withered and
useless, while the upper-arm bone was
whole and covered at its lower end
only with brown skin. All the muscles
and ligaments of the elbow-joint had
vanished, while the shoulder-muscles
remained, SO that the unpleasant spec
tacle was presented of the man appear
ing to gesticulate with his bones. A
woman lived at our station whose feet
had been barbarously cut off in some
war several years before, so that her
captors might more easily get off the
iron ornament which the Herero wom-
en- wear on their ankles. Although the
woman had to lie helpless for "a long
time, her wounds eventually healed up,
and now she has been hopping around
on her knees for thirty years. C. G.
Buttner, in Popular Science Monthly.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11

"Mother," said Philadelphia youth, 81
can not understand Hattie. I'm afraid
she's coquette. Last night, while pass
ing, saw her in the parlor, and, dropping
in, found her alone. When l asked her to
marry me she gave little shrek, and
jumping up, ran out of the room and let me
go home feeling like a fool. / can not un
derstand such conduct"
But can, my son. She was around
here early this morning and explained it
all. You know she didn't expect your"
"Yes."
"Well, she had onions for supper, and
when you popped the question she knew
you would want to kiss her il she said yes,
and she was afraid you would smell the
onions. She told me to tell you to come
around tonight and pop again. ."-Phila-
delDhia Herald
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11
Valuable Sweepings.

1t is estimated that the value of the
sweepings of the floor of a goldsmith's
workshop become worth about one hun
dred and fifty dollars per square foot
m ten years. A tub, used in one of
these workshops as receptacle for the
dust from one polishing lathe, yielded
fifty dollars in a year. OF course where
such valuable prizes are to be got from
dust" tricks are not wanting to se-
cure them. 1t is said that the work
men sometimes oil their hair, and then
run their dusty fingers through it, and
that the gold-dust which then adheres
to the hair is afterwards washed out.
One msn carried off in a few weeks,
ON the moistened tip of his finger,
thirty dollars worth of gold filings
Christian at Work.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11
Equine Intelligence.

Knickerbocker Jones, a young society
dude living ON Madison avenue, took q
ride on horseback for his health last SUM-
day. In about an hour he came home in a
hack and was very lame.
where's your horse2" asked his sister.
HE VIII be home after awhile. You see l
took straight cut through the park, but
che horse took another road. l wasn't
going to wait for him, I. Times.
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11

"A composer of music whose halo
did not fit on that particular day said
to friend: ITO compose a piece of
music is a serious affair. II musical
idea comes into your head, you won't
happen to have any paper handy, and
if you have any paper You Will ind II
hard work to find publisher. and
even if you secure publisher he may
fail to pay YOU anything for your
trouble, and besides. very few viii buy
YOUR piece, and if any one should buy
it he would not know how to play it,
and in all probability if he played it he
would not like it. ~ i, Tribune,
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11
A Palpable Mistake.

Mrs. Smith, am very sorry, Mrs. Hen
bricks, but consider it my duty to inform
you that saw your husband coming out
OF a saloon last evening.
Mrs Hendricks-Whst time was it, Mrs
SMITH
Mrs. Smith-About eight o'clock.
Mrs. Hendricks-Did you say he was
coming out or going in2
Mrs. Smith-Coming out.
Mrs. Hendricks (positively)-You have
mistaken him forsome one else. John never
comes out OF saloon as early as eight
o'clock.--M Y. SUM-
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11

earth like solid brain power. It's q
tempting subject, and / could spin
out fine essay on it, but l
must iorebear. must try this milk. am
tired as thunder dragging that heavy can,
and my tail feels as if had been unscrewed
just back of my ears" With these words
the Cat impatiently opened the can and
found that it was filled with mustard in
stead Of milk.
MoRAL-This Fable illustrates the impru.
dence of premature rejoicing, and teaches
that all the pretty day-dreams and Elusive
fantasies did not pass away with Alusacar
and MalYnlio -Lne
Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-03-11
HUMAN NATuG

The men who kicked about the heat
Now growl about the cold
Old people wish that they were young,
The young that they.were old.
A man is always saying that
A womans lots sublime;
A woman that she were man
Is wishing all the time.
The maiden thinks that marriage 10
A happy, blissful reign;
And when she's married, then she wants
To be maid again.
We think If we million had.
Our troubles would be DER;
And when we got million, then
We want million more.
-Whfn