davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-07-29
David Davis Sensitive About His Size
from the Chicago Inter- Ocean. !


Judge Davis was quite sensitive as to
his large proportions. Said gentleman
Yesterday: 81 had known the Judge, in
casual way, for many years, having
been at his house in Bloomington and
called on him at the Grand Pacific Hotel
in Chicago two or three times. One
afternoon, some four years ago, 1 called
on Wiliram F. Story, of the Times, in
his editorial rooms, and found him en-.
gagged in conversation with Judge Davis,
who greeted me cordially, but / was SO
struck with the great reduction to his
size since 1 had last seen him that ]
made an involuntary observation upon
it, intended to be compliment. In
stantly the Judge changed his manner
and addressed himself to Mr. Storey,
giving me to understand that he was Of
Tended.
THAT evening Imet Long John Went
worth, and related the occurrence to
him. You made bad break, said he.
why, as we'll as l know Davis, l would
not think of abiding to his size. Two
or three years ago took him out to my
farm at Summit. l have there a buggy
with pretty high seat, built expressly
for me. Without thinking of the diff
ference in the length of Daviss legs and
mine, | seated him in the buggy beside
me and we started out to drive over the
farm. Presently l noticed that Davis
was wobbling about uncomfortably, and
that he was like small schoolboy on a
bench, his feet being several inches
above the floor. Making some excuse
returned to the stable and told my
hostler he had forgotten to put in my
stool, and that he knew deuced we'll I
couldn't ride without it. The stool was
put in; it Just fitted Davis and he was
comfortable, but it brought my knees
up SO near to my chin that | was miser-
bic. Still l endured the torture without
word, and drove all over the farm.
Then, to emphasize my success at. self
control, when got back to the stable
blamed the hostler for having forgotten
my stool at first, and told him never to
do it again. Long John told me at
this time that Judge Davis had been
undergoing heroic treatment for obesity,
and while he heartily congratulated
himself on his success he couldn't bear
to have anybody else congratulate him. !"
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-07-29
End of a Romantic Wedding.

A sensation was created at the Queens
Hotel, at Niagara, Ontario, when Mrs.
Best Dickson, a handsome young lady,
walked up to her husband and asked
him to come home, Dickson is the
prince of Buffalo dudes and his folks
are very wealthy. His grandfather is
Ira H. Best, of the United States Ex-
press Company, and has kept him iber-
ally supplied with money.
Take that person away" said the
dainty dude, "and call policeman, for
she annoys me-"
Then be walked into the barroom.
Mrs. Dickson asked for an officer to
arrest her recreant husband for deser-
ton. The country magistrate inclined
toward the pretty wife, and people in
the hotel sympathized with her. No
arrests were made, and truce was de-
clared until the Hon. Daniel n. Lock-
wood, Best's lawyer, and Josiah Cook,
the wife's attorney, could be sent for to
60 down from Buffalo.
The marriage was romantic in some
respects. Best was petted darling of
society, and fell in love with pretty Ida
Stiles, the daughter of policeman and
the ellie of Cold Springs She was poor,
and Best's mother objected. though I'M
successfully, to the match. As final
measure Bes was incarcerated in the
Blu talo State Asylum for the Insane to
recover from the effects OF a dissipation
including billiards, cigarettes and lem
onades. Really, it was done to keep
him away from his inamorata. Best then
was constancy itself, and when iber-
ated WIS more in love than ever. On
the night of November % Policeman
Stiles's house was raided by other po-
licemen, and his wife. daughter and
some visitors arrested They were
charged with disorderly nduct and
fined An appeal was taken to the
Court of Sessions and conspiracy was
charged. On December Best and Ida
were married. They lived happily a
few weeks, when Best disappeared, to
be found on the occasion above referred
to. Meanwhile Mrs. Dickson sued her
mother-in-law for $50, 600 for taking her
husband away. That suit i still pend.
ing. Policeman Stiles is greatly
erieved at the treatment of his daugh.
ter, and there Is much sympathy for
him and his family. The suits arc
brought more to secure happiness for
tn girl than to recover money from the
dudes rich relatives. Mrs. Dickson is
unable to account for her husbands
change of feeling toward her.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-07-29
4 Paper Railroad Tie.
DURABLE, LIGHT AND ELAsTIC-HoPEs OF
ITS INVENTOR.

'tThat is railroad tie" 1t was of
the regular size and polished as smooth
ly as piece of Italian marble. The
grain was so fine and the whole appear
ance was so artistic that it might easily
have been taken for chip from pillar
of Grecian temple instead of such a
practical thing as a railroad tie. The
speaker was a short, stout, sadfaced
man with large head and overhanging
brow, and was the inventor of this Rst-
bette sleeper, and in his little Office in
Fulton st. there were many models of
cars and railroad tracks scattered about.
This" said he as he patted the rail-
road tie lovingly, sis the result of years
of labor and | believe now that it is per
feet. 1t is made of paper, which be-
lieVe is to enter to large extent in all
building operations at no distant day.
The great enemy to many things is
moisture, and in my invention, of course,
a means had to be discovered to prevent
dampness from having the slightest eff
feet, as a railroad tie being in the
ground is subjected constantly to it, and
a rotten tie might cause the loss of many
lives and much property. The process
of manufacture is secret to a certain ex.
tent, but the tie is absolutely fire and
water proof. There; l will throw
piece of the prepared paper into the fire.
You see it will not burn. l have sub.
merged it for weeks and months in both
hot and cold water and the moisture
has never been found inside the sur
face. Consequently, it cannot rot.
Though apparently as hard as iron, an
ordinary spike can be driven into it
without difficulty, and when the spike
is in position the material is of such
nature that it closes around the iron and
holds it SO firmly that it can never be
loose. There is also certain amount
of spring in the tie, and when there is a
load on it it operates as a sort of cush.
ion and takes away certain amount OF
jar from running cars. Under certain
conditions, by slightly altering the COM
bination of materials, the paper can be
made so hard that it will turn the edge
of the hardest tool without being more
than scratched. The ordinary wooden
tie will last about five years under the
most favorable conditions, while this
paper tie will stand any kind of wealth
er for at least thirty years.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-07-29
PESTS OF FIELD AND GARDEN
The Enemies that Infest the Growing
Crops.

The result of the investigations re-
Gently made by the two entomologists
employed by the Department of Agri-
culture at Washington to visit the Or
ange County onion fields and report
upon the nature and habits of the worm
which first appeared hereabout last sea-
son, and has proved a destructive en-
envy of the crop, will be made public in
the Commissioner forthcoming annual
report. Mea while the accounts given
to the press are in most features incor
rect, inasmuch as the writers confound
the new pest with the familiar cut
worm, which happens to be unusually
destructive this year. 1t is the latter
grub that works above ground, and by
night only, and that the growers pick
and destroy by lampl ght. The new
conner first appears in active form as a
fly, which deposits its eggs on the
shoots of he young onion. In a few
days tiny white grub is Matched,
which proceeds to bore into and feed
upon the bulb of the onion, killing the
plant. Having fulfilled It's mission, and
at aimed a maximum length of about
half an inch, the worm leaves the de-
Gay OhAOA 4OA q IClhSO III sui
near by, where It's skin hardens and it
takes the pupa form, and this in turn
gives birth to the fly. The process of
development from the deposition of the
eggs to the appearance of the perfect
fly is so speedy hat three or four broods
are generated in the one season. In
fact, their ravages are continued by
fresh swarms until the onion grows too
hard for the grub to penetrate it. Most
of the crop in this section is still vul-
nerable, and he various remedies tried,
among them frequent sprays of the
pants with salt water or I've, have failed
to noticeably abate the plague Cur
rent estimates Of the damage in this
county place the loss at one third of an
average crop of 400. 900 bushels. The
fly has also attacked the leaf of the
beet, depositlng its eggs beneath the
epidermis, where the grub feeds upon
the green matter until it reaches ma
turity and seeks a hiding place in the
ground. Many good housewives have
been shocked by finding their kettle of
boiling beet "greens" covered with a
scum of loathsome worms.
This season, for the first time so far
as is known, a well-known greenhouse
pest, the little red spider, has extended
its depredations to the corn fields in
certain localt ties. 1t has been discov-
cred feeding on the soft inner surface
of the blades of young corn, of course
destroying the plant. The various
branches of the family of beetles that
feed on herbacious plants have also
been more numerous than ever before,
but an industrious resort to the custom
airy precautions and remedies has pre-
vented serious harm.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-07-29
Would Argue with the Highwayman
From the San Francisco Post.


Mr.. McRoberts, now editor Of the
Leeds England) Mercury, was at one
time reporter in this city He was
the most argumentative, and, at the
same time, the calmest man that ever
struck the town. He would stop work
at fire to argue. Mr.. McRoberts was
on his way home early one morning,
when an American citizen suddenly
popped up with pistol levelled at his
head, and said:
"Throw up yer hands,"
''Why 2" asked Mr.. McRoberts, un-
disturbed.
Throw them up"
''But what for!"
''Put up yer hands" insisted the foot
pad, shaking the pistol. "Will you do
what l tell you ~
THAT depends" said Mr.. McRob-
erts. eff 20 can show me any reason
why should pit up ma hands, I'll no
say but what l we'll, but yer mere re
quaist wad be no Justification fur me to
do sac absurd thing. Moo, why should
you, a complete stranger, ask me at this
DOR O. the mornin', on a public street,
tae put up my hands y
''Dash you" cried the robber; 'if
you don't quit gabblin' and obey orders,
I'll blow the top of your head OFF,
"Whaat Faith, man, We must be DOT
o. yer heed. Come moo puir buddy -
said Mr.. McRoberts, soothingly, coolly
catching the pistol and wrestling it with
a quick twist out of the mans hand
come, moo, an I'll show ye where
they'll tax care o. We, HechI Dinna
We try tae fecht, or ecod I'll shoot ye.
By the way, ye might as weel put up yer
ain hands, and jist walk aheed o. me.
That's it. Trudge ava noo."
And so Mr.. McRoberts marched his
man to the City Prison, and handed him
over to Capt. Douglass.
SIT wuddna be bad idea tae pit him
in straitjacket," he said, serenely, to
the officer. "There's little doot but the
body's daft"
And he resumed his interrupted home
ward walk.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-07-29
Men Killed by an Elephant.

A terrible elephant story comes from
India. 1t appears that on the morn ing
of the Sth of April last, while an ele-
plant was being ridden by its eper in
the district of Sultanpore, in Dude, the
animal resisted "proddIng with a
spear by pulling the man from his back
and throwing him some distance away.
Fortunately the man fell in hollow,
and remained there undiscovered by the
elephant, who went to a neighboring
village. There he chased an old man
into a house, then broke down the
walls, pulled the man out, and dashed
him to pieces. The same night the
elephant knocked down several houses
in quest of human beings in the villages
of Sardarpur, Bargaon, and Jaisingpur.
He killed six men in BersOma, three in
Sofa, four in Gangeo, four in Mar
dan. He likewis killed a bullock and
a pony and also completely destroyed
a new carriage. The animal used to
stand a. the doors of house, force his
entry by demolishing the walls on
either side, and would then kill as
many of the inmates as he could, pur-
suing others who tried to run away
He mangled the corpses terribly. After
SECURING a victim, he sometimes re-
turned to the spot to see if life was
extinct, and would commence mutt at
ing the body afresh. He carried v
eral bodies long distances and threw
them into ravines, etc. The elephant
found his way to the Dehra Rajah's
palace, where he tried to enter the
house of a gardner; but some men
mounted on three elephants, assisted
by spearmen, drove him off. He then
returned to Bebipur, where he led to
break down his masters house, in
which several persons had taken refuge.
The police got into the house from a
back window, and were obliged to send
for help to the Dehra Rajah, who sent
three elephants and some spearmen.
The animal received two gun shots on
the head at Bebipur, which, how yer,
only temporarily drove him off He was
ultimately captured at imminent risk
by the Rajah's three elephants and men.
--PaU Mall Gazette,
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-07-29
Ignorance of the Yankees.

Old Bob Toombs made a speech in
which he declared that the Yankees did
not know which end of a gun to hold
to their shoulders-didn't know how to
shoot a gun. In one of our first engage
ments down the Shenandoah Valley the
Federal troops got at us hot and began
giving us the deuce. AS they poured
the shot into us and began to drive US
back, one of my men said to me: "Cap-
tain, do you remember what old Bob
Toombs said about the Yankees not
knowing how to shoot a gum"
Yes" | answered.
"Well," said he, "doesn't it occur
to you that they are learning pretty
fast?"
At the breaking out of the war l
spoke at a war meeting, and held that
the South was not prepared for war.
had been at military school and had
accumulated few ideas on the subject
l declared that we had no cannon and
no facilities for making them.
Mr.. B. got up and made fiery speech.
He said the assertion was nonsense.
What do we want with cannon9 We
want no cannon; we Will cut their
That is about the idea of the war
many of our people had.
The first time we were under artillery
FIRE that same man lay by usy side. It
was an awful sensation to be fred at
for the first time with cannon. The
shells. shrieked over us and crashed
through the trees, and we were fright
ened out of our wits. We lay on our
faces, and probably all of you had ex-
perience of how close you can get to
the ground under fire. don't think 1
was an inch thick. Just after ire
mendous crash and roar, B. reached out
and touched me and said = Captain, 1
guess you were right about those can
non. We ought to have fought this
out inside of the Union"
was captain of battery soon after
that, and was engaged in fierce fight
where many of my men were killed or
wounded. During the fighting l often
admired the cool, brave conduct of
stalwart six-foot gunner named Jones.
After the fight l said to him, "Jones,
where are you from2"
From Vermont" he answered; az
have recently settled iu the South"
Vermontr' said 1 in amazement.
Are there any more soldiers like you
in Nermont"
eyes, captain, there are plenty of
them, and, seriously, don't be deceived
by these stories about the Yankees not
fighting. The North is full of just as
good and better so diers han l am.
They'll give you all the fighting you can
attend to"
THAT made me rather weak in the
knees" said Captain Howells. laugh
ing, and l began to question as to
whether we had not bitten off rather
more than we could chew.
"While thought, in the beginning,
that one Southerner could whip ten
Yankees, before we got through was
willing to tackle one at time. and
didn't mind if he had been in the hos
pital.- Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-07-29
Hearst and the Drunkard.

Senator Hearst Is not mean: on the
contrary, he is generous with his money,
hut he Is not in the habit of releasing
his grip on dollar until ne knows
where it is going For instance;
'Please, sir, will you ASSIST d poor
man who is out of work and has lam
lily depend n on himG" ,r
This inquiry was made by fellow
who darted out of dark doorway, near
the Senator's newspaper Office, one even
ing last winter.
The Senator turned watery eye on
the beggar, saw his unshaven mug, ms
shabby fafment, and unwashed, Ashaky
$50 you've got a family, have youR
Where dye livep
Ground on Pacific sire t, sir" =.
eco ahead and take me there. Ii
YOU amt lyin' I'll do the square thing,
pardner." .1,
The man had family, sure enough.
He showed the Senator into a toul room
in the third story of q rookery. Ihere
were three children, decent looking
woman, and q sewing machine. Inc
woman wept when questioned 1hey
were very poor and often hungry. All
their trouble came from the drunken
ness of the husband. That culprit sui
lenly owned to the truth of this state
ment.
"All right" said Uncle George, ris-
ing. He gave the woman sum OF
money that made her speechless.
'Come along with me-" said Hearst
to the husband, who obeyed with alac-
rlty.
At the next corner the Senator turned
the amazed man over to policeman.
"Book this fellow for vagrancy," said
the philanthrophist. "rll appear
against him tomorrow. He's been
striking me for a piece"
"Now, you," said Uncle George next
day, when he had secured sentence Of
three months for the loafer, ''if you've
a mind to be decent when you get out
come to me and I'll give you show.
And the man, three months later, die
come. Uncle George sent him and hi
| family to one of his ranches, where, t
do the fellow justice, he has avoided tn
bottle and behaved himself.
81 amt opposed to drinkin'," tn
Senator is given to remarking. eff
man can afford it, all right, but whe
he can't go in for sendin' him to Jail.
San Francisco Post.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-07-29
A MAD KING.
Stories Fold Of King Louis of Bavaria

The poor mad King Louis of Bavaria
will never again ast0nish Paris by one
of the flying visits he was SO fond of
paying to the French capital. 1t is now
well-authenticated fact that he used
often, when supposed to be secluded IN
one of his country palaces, to indulge
in a trip of few days to Paris, to go
to the theatre and the opera and to go
shopping. SometimesIhe would give way
to the widest vagaries, to the infinite
worriment of the unfortunate officers
that he had selected to accompany him.
Once he bought out the entire contents
of famous florists shop on the Boule-
wards, had all the flowers transported to
his rooms at the hotel, and suffered
them to wither piled up in corner.
On another occasion he ordered a fac
smile of the royal standard of Bavaria,
the ize of the original, to be executed
in precious stones by prominent jew
eler of the Bou1evards. But that gen
tleman had some suspicion of the real
state of his strange customers mental
condition, and he never fulfilled the
order. The diamond swan, made In
Munich, for the helmet of the kings
''Lohengrin" costume, cost some thou
sands of dollars. There was no end to
his follies and extravaganza. But within
the last year his mama for regal mag
nifcence had turned into bloodthirsty
Neroism. He was continually ordering
off persons to immediate execution, and
refusing to be pacifed till he was con-
WINGED that his orders had been obeyed.
One day one of his lackeys, in the act
of presenting him with glass of water
on salver, made false step and split
small quantity of the water on the
king, who instantly few into q violent
passion, summoned the colonel of his
guard in great haste, and orde. ed him
| to run the insolent scoundrel at once
through the body with his sword. "Ple-
| beian blood should not be shed in your
maiesty's presence" quoth the colonel,
and, selling the affIighted servant by
the collar, he dragged HIM from the
room. ''Now, run for your life" he
whispered. as soon as the door was
closed behind them, and while the re-
leased culprit went off at full speed in
one direction the colonel hurried away
in another. He dashed into butchers
shop, stabbed several times a leg OF
mutton that was hanging against the
wall, and then returned as fast as posi-
BILE to the palace. Placing his blood
stained sword before the eyes of the
king, he said, mournfully and simply
"Sire, your wishes have been fulfilled,
And King Louis fell upon his neck anG
instantly appointed h i'm his prime min
ister-an appointment which, it is need
less to remark, was never carried into
execution.-Paris Correspondence Phila
delphi0 Ileleqr0ph.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-07-29
How Gen. Lee Courted Death.

A Washington letter says: Mr.. Rea
gan gives me new fact in Gen. Lees
history which is not generally known in
the North. He said that towards the
close of the downfall of the Confeder-
ate Government there was a very gener-
al impression among the high official
of the COnfedeTacy that General Lee
intended to lose his life on the field of
battle. This impression was shared by
the officers of Lees army. Gen. Lee
never lost. an opportunity of placing
himself in a position of danger. Gen.
Reagan says that he drove out from
Richmond to see Lee upon the day the
fought. AS he came up near where he
could see Lees headquarters he saw the
shells bursting continually around his
tent and blowing up the ground in front
of him. Some of the officers asked Mr..
Reagan to try and persuade Gen. Lee
to move his headquarters behind piece
of timber near by. All felt that he was
exposing himself too much. Mr.. Rea-
! gan said to Gen. Lee: II do not pre-
sumo to advise any general in the midst
/ of battle, but are you not exposing
| yourself too much2 Ought you not 90
back nearer your reserve?" Gen. Lee
said he had no reserve. He he'd only
one ne of men. He did not dare to
| shorten his line for fear it would be
turned, and did not dare to thin it fol-
fear it might be broken. Gen Lee evi
IDENTIFY souGht death many times during
the closing days of the war. That was
the view of the Southern leaders then
and is still believed by many.