davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01
FAvoRlNG SILVER COINAGE.
A Meeting in New York Under the Auspices
of the Anti mop league,

A Meeting in New York Under the Auspices
of the Autobiography League
NEW YoRK, Dec. ia meeting under
the auspices of the Autobiography League
was held at tile Metropolitan Hotel last
evening to consider the silver coinage ques-
ton. Edward S. Pierrepont presided.
Among those present were Frederick A.
Conkliny, Dexter A. Hawkins, General Gar.
rett Magic, David Healey, L. E. Ransom and
others. In his opening address MIR. Pierrepont
stated that the objection to silver as money
was alleged to be its fiuctuation In value.
He maintained that it did not tluctuate any
more than gold. or would not if adopted by
Inc world as a money metal. A. J..
Warner, Of Ohio, said that as q re-
suit OF making II metal do the
money work of the world. instead
of %two-gold alone, instead Of gold and sill
ver-prices have fallen from thirty to thirty
1--WE per cent. within the past ten years. Mr..
Warner argued at some length to show that
PRESIDENT Cleveland was mistaken in sup.
posing that continued silver coinage would
drive gold out of circulation. Resolutions
Wereadopted petitioning Congress to resume
tho free coinage of standard silver dollars,
and to provide for the issue by ali
sub-Treasuries and National repositories of
Treasury bills of the denomination of 81,
w and SIS on deposit Of silver coins of any
Kind. The resolutions also declare mono-
metaltsm to be unconstitutional, and pres
ent reasons why free silver coinage would
benefit and not injure the country.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01
A WAR INCIDENT.
How q Confederate Cruiser Was Captured
IIy Infantry.

How q Confederate Cruiser Was Captured
Iiy Infantry.
Captain William Dillon, a Western
steamboat man, tells the following Incl
dent, as occurring in 1864, to . re-
porter:
1.-THE whole history has got to be
written yet. None of those little Incl
dents that make up the story have been
told until lately. The funniest thing
that happened, to my knowledge, has
never been in print. 1t was the capture
by a company of Hoosier infantry of a
man-of-war which the whole American
navy couldn't take. That sounds funny,
but it is true. The man-of-war Fox had
eluded capture for a long time, though
vessel after vessel and squadron after
squadron had engaged her in fights,
chased her, and hunted her all down
along the coast.
zone day in 1864 she put into a little
bay surrounded by the rebel lines to
take on fuel. A company of darkies
had been hauling sugar cane back into
the country, and the large carts were
being driven back with only a little loose
fodder and stuff in the bottoms, when
Captain Booze, commander of a COM
pany in the Twenty-tirst Indiana In
fantry, met the train a few miles out
| side the Confederate lines. The soldiers
piled into the carts and made the dark
les drive them through the lines down to
the coast.
Then the soldiers sprang out of the
carts and dashed aboard. She was cap
turcd without a shot being fired.
Captain Booze placed the crew in Gus
tody and made them run the vessel
round into the Mississippi River,
where she was turned over to the
naval authorities. A vessel hailed
the Fox on the voyage round, but
Captain Booze thought he could out
sail her, and ordered all steam IN. The
other ship fired a shell, and it burst
pretty near the Fox. Then Booze hove
to-, but he refused to surrender the prize
until she was safe in the Mississippi.
Up to 1873, when l saw Captain Booze,
his men had not received q penny for
that capture. If a naval force had
made it they would have divided up
q good-sizcd fortune, but the laws did
not contemplate naval engagements by
the infantry, and there was ne provision
to cover the case."-W Wheeling InteAi,
genccT.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01
Metal.C Cutting Machinery.

An account is given of the introduce
ton into England by Nine. De Long of
her m~etal-cutting machinery, which has
for some time been in successful use in
France. She has now, it appears, per-
fected some ingenious machinery,
worked by steam-powcr, which cuts with
the utmost precision the hardest and
softest metals in any design, SO that by
it can be produced a gold lace-pin Or a
steel castle-portcullis from the solid
metal, without any molding or filing.
This unique industry is divided into four
general branches. The first is the pro-
duction of gates, doors, balcony-fronts
and other architectural metal-work,
without casting-plates of brass a foot
thick being thus cut into lattice
work at Il single operation; a second
branch is the making of lattice-metal
work filled in with glass, to super
sede the ordinary leaden frames for
church and other ornamental Win
dows; the third branch comprises the
inlaying of plush and ebony jewel
cases, cabinets, ETC., with red and yell
low copper, steel, and other metals;
and a fourth for the working of pic
ture-frames, baskets, crcsts, etc, out Of
the solid metal fully finished Chicago
Tribune.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01
BURNED TO DEATH.

Horrible Fate of u Man, His Wife and
Two Children Near Dctroit-An Insane
Woman in Wyoming Territory Cremates
Herself and Two Children.
DETROIT, Mich. Dec. 17.-F. Knoch, TWEEN
ty-eight; his wife, Susan w. Knoch, TWEEN.
ty-lwo, and their children, George Knoch,
three and Frank A.. Knoch, nine months,
were burned to death in their home. q
small frame house in Woodmore, a suburb
of this city, yesterday morning. The house
was discovered to be OH fire at $3.50 a. m.
by some men on their way to their homes.
Help was summoned, but before it came the
building was consumed.
After day had dawned the ruins were
searched, and Knoch was found Oh the
floor in the front room with his wife in his
arms. Both bodies were burned to a crisp.
A few feet away was all u~nrecogniZable
mass, supposed to be the remains OF the
oldest child. Later the SearcllerS found
the crumbling ashes of the baby.
The men found a revolver i'll the ruins,
and it is said that knoch never owned q
weapon. This, coupled with the fact that
Knoch was known to have some money in
the house, leads to the suspicion: that MUIR
der was committed for the sake Of robbery,
and that the building was fired to cover UP
the crime. The position in which the ashes
of the family were lying seems, however,
to oppose this opinion. A Coroner's Jury
met and adjourned till later in the week.
VICTIMS OF A MOTHERS INSANITY.
LONG PRAIRIE, w. T., Dec. 17.-Mrs.
John Miner has for some time manifested
symptoms of insanity. Tuesday evening
she saturated papers with coal oil and dis
tributcu them around the house. Early yes
terday morning she made the remark that
she was about to destroy the whole family.
Her husband proceeded to put her out OF
the room, but, OF opening the bedroom door,
discovered that the house was In flames.
Upon reaching the front door with one OF
his children he found it locked and the key
removed. He ran to the back door and
found it nailed. Finally lie and his little
daughter succeeded in escaping through
window, but were both badly burned. The
unfortunate woman, with four other chill
dren, were burned to death.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01
A Cuban Priyateer Seized.

NEW York, Dec. 1.-THE steamer City
of Mexico, formerly running between this
city and Havana, was seized at Boards
stores in Brooklyn yesterday on a charge
made by United States officers that she was
being fitted out Tor a filibusterlng expedition
against Cuba. The vessel was sold 10 an
unknown Spaniard about three weeks ago
for S25, 900, and he Immediately had
her fitted up to accommodate five hundred
men, and had engaged a crew. The Gov
eminent officers found that a greater part
OF TIE cargo III the hold consisted of inn
proved firearms and ammunition. which
was removed. There was no Other load IN
board save 1000 tons of coal. The shin
was to have sailed from New York as a
merchant carrier to Newport News, where
the insurgents were to board the vessel and
proceed to Key West. There the arms
We're to be distributed and the expedilion
made up.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01
A DECISION.
Judge Peterson's Opinion on the Averag
Bill Collector.

Judge Pcterson's Opinion on the Average
Bill Collector.
A powerful decision was recently rem
de.ed against bill collectors by a Nashville
Judge. The Judge, 1t seems, is in the habit
OF taking All appeal when a bill is presented
TO him. This annoyed the collectors. One
bold young fellow was determined to face
the jurist i'll his den and argue from tabu-
lated evidence. showing that tile Judge was
much in debt to a wholesale liquor house.
The untiinclilg young man walked into the
court room. took a position in front of the
Judges desk and said:'
This is Judge Peterson l believe"
eyes the Judge answered, as he sus.
piciously eyed the young man.
The collector handed the Judge a bill.
The Judge looked at it, recognized it as AN
old acquaintance. handed it back to the
young man and said:
"Tell them that I'll co me by and settle.n
"They've heard that several times al.
ready" the collector replied. s'Now I
want to know whether to come back here
or not"
mo, you needn't"
"Well. then. I'll stay until you render
your decision"
The Judge flew out over the desk, like
a piece of ~Whalebone, and knocked the
young man dOwn-knocked all his teeth
into the southeast corner of his mouth. 1t
is likely that the young mar may appeal
from the decision. but it should teach a les
son to bill collectors. Why, hang it, when
a man says that he will be around the first
OF the month why don't they thank him
politely and retire?-Arlunsu,U Ira rcler.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01
A Story of SaIadin.

In an Eastern land an eccentric man
gave up all worldly concerns, and
went to live the life of a hermit in the
woods. But it so happened that rats
were numerous in the woods, so he had
to keep q cat. The cat required
milk, so a COW had to be kept. But
the COW required tending, so a cow
boy was employed. Then the boy re-
CURED a house to live in, 10 a
house was built for him. To look
after the house, a maid had to be en-
gagged. To provide company for the
maid, a few more houses had to be
built, and people invited to live in
them. In this manner a town sprang
up. The maid said: "The further we
seek to go from the world and it's cares
the more they multiply."-Goldcn
D0ys.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01
A GENUINE SPIDER STORY.

How This Curious Insect Folds up Ito
Web.
There must be some insect lovers
among the Tribune, Young Folks"
and l want to tell them of q curious
fact about spiders.
Some days since, while sitting on the
porch enjoying the early morning, I
noticed two beautiful spider webs
among the vines. / have been fond of
watching spiders yer since L. was a
very little girl, melted thereto by my
father having taken me into the gar
den and shown me a large, brilliantly
colored fellow that had made his web
in q currant bush, and desiring me not
to mcddlc with it. l have been inter-
ested in them, and bees and ants as
well, ever since, and have watched
them for a great many minutes at q
time.
While looking, all at once I saw one
of the spiders from the center of
the web drawing two threads together
as he went; he unfastened the end and
went back rolling up the thread; then
he took the next two threads extending
from the center, once doubling part Of
the web as l have seer the sails of q
ship furled; this continued until the
whole web was folded into q tiny pack
ct, whom he took it between his fore
legs and hid himself under a leaf. Then
/ turned my attention to the other, and
in a short time this performance was
repeated, and he too went to his re-
pose.
AS much as I have watched these in
sects I never saw anything of this kind
before, nor have l ever read of such q
thing. Several times during the morn
ing l saw the spiders each under his
chosen leaf and the next morning there
were two webs as before. This time I
couldn't watch the folding, but after
breakfast l came out to look for them
and they were both gone. The third
morning there were two webs, and l
saw n folded and after a time re-
turned and found the other gone. This
has been repeated nearly if not every
day since until to-day, when there were
no more webs to be seen. l have not
seen them folded every day, but I have
seen them spread and returning after a
time found no trace of them. There is
no to disturb them and the work
has been done by the curious littl,
own II itself.-N. Y. Tribune.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01
FOR OUR YOUNG READERS.
HE KNOWS.

HE KNOWS.
s'Tis just as true
That what you do
Old Santa Tau
He knows; because
He knew about
My running out
To slide, that night.
Mamma said No; but ! forgot.
And in the morning guess what!.
My stockings were as thin anu straight
Is when l hung them by the CRATE.
"Ilooked inside
And, how l criedl-
found a whip,
And on a slip
Of pnper, this:
'My little Miss
You should obey,
Mamma Away;
But If you're tempted yet again
] truly hope you will refrain
Or pause, my little maid-oh! pause
And think upon Old Santa Claus
"And then-'P. S.
My little Bess.
o put your hand o.
Behind the stand
And when l did
found there. hid,
My incest pair
OF stockings. where
He'd Allied them full. OIL dearl Such fun
All knots and hobs and overrun
With every kind of lovely thing.
l was so glad l had to sing.
"And In the toe
found, you know,
Another note
Old Santa wrote;
The very best
You ever guessed,
read and read.
Hear what 1t said:
A this is for my little friend
Who minds Mamma and does no end
OF kind and pleasant deeds;
Doe not forget, but always heeds.'
Snow, don't you see
That 1t must be
Quite as ] say?
And, any way,
think we should
Be very good.
Not Just because
Old Santa Claus
Knows all the things we ever do,
And gives us pretty presents, too
But coz it's right, | do believe.
And SO does my big brother, Steve.
-Lizzie Burt. in N. Y. Independent.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01

PAsTEUR's parents were of humble
origin and poor. His father, an old
soldier, decorated on the field of battle,
took up the trade of a tanner when .the
war was over. returned to Franco, and
was Obliged to work very hard to keep
the wolf from the door. Nevertheless,
nc found time every evening to super
intend the lessons of his son, who at an
carly. age was sent to college, and of
whom nc was determined to make an
educated man.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01
OhlO's Official Vote.

COLUMBUS, O., Dec. 17.-Ihe Slate Can
wasting Board completed the canvass on the
State ticket yesterday afternoon, and
the official plnralities are as follows
Goyernor-Foraker (Rep.), 35s,2s1; Hoad
~ (Dem.), 341, 1880; Leonard (Pro.),
ss'osl; Northrop (Gbk.), s,ocl; For.
aNcrs plurality, 17,451. Lieutenant
Governor Kennedy Rep.), 800, TO;
Warwick (Dem.), 341, 500; Frost,
(Pro,) s7.043; Cooley (Gbk.) 2,o57; Ken.
nedy,s plurality, 1921. Attorney General
.-koliler (Rep), 800. 500: Lawrence DENY.
s4i'76s; Clevenger Pro.), $500; Bakm
t1ok'), 2,o7l. kohler'' plurality, 19.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01

A coLiIERY cavcd in near Po~ttsyille.
"a. a few mornings ago. taking witt
1t a long stretch of the Lchigh Valley
track. Maggie Bchning, a tcn-ycar-oll
girl. witnessed the sinking of the earth
aud al the same time heard the rumbIinp
OF an approaching freight traiu The fran.
S'-.waHingg Of her apron attracted the at
tent'on of the engineer and the train
was stopped just on The brink. The
grateful men, who were saved from a
horrible death, raised apurse for the lit
tle heroine and reported her brave act
tc headquarters.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01

TIE Toronto Globe thinks that a bct.
Ter understanding between mistress and
maid would end ;hc hitherto irrcprcssi-
bic conflict between them. The Globe
advises the mistress to try to put her.
self in the servants place, and the serv-
ant to try the same process. Sometimes
the 1atter does try it. and the plan
works beautifully, especially when her
mistress is at the seaside and Bridget
has the run of the house.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01

A PITrsBukGER named Benjamin
14uth, ST., the fortunate inventor of a
process 10y which old steel rails may be
pro'tabiy worked over into nail plates,
must dave been born to goo. luck. He
has sold the right to use the process to
an Eastern syndicate of live firms, who
pay hin a royalty OF $3.50 per day for
the first year, and $500 per day for the
remaining sixteen years of the life of
the patent.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01

IHE harm done to life and property
by natural gas is quite serious; but it is
not likely to prevent the general use of
At. Pittsburgh and vicinity, says the
Detroit Free Press, have found it too
valuable and too economical an agent
Tor manufacturing purposes to give it
up because it kills II few people every
week and blowsup ancighborhood now
II then, Firc-damp also kills, but
they have stuck to coal mining notwith-
standing.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01
MOSQUITOES.
How a Chicago Ananias Silenced His Cum,
netitors.

AAS" =" A"AAA" IA 1xA6 COA2s
petitors.
Jimson, the champion fish-story tel
Ter of the North Side; Pinney, the
champion snake-story teller of the
South Side, and a few others of lesser
note, were assembled one evening las:
week, when the spirit moved Unison to
speak.
81 have heard a good deal abor5
New Jersey mosquitoes" he said, mus
ingly, "but I never took much stock in
the stories until this summer"
"What changed your opinion?" in
CURED a quiet little fellow in the back
of the crowd.
"Well, I was down in the southern
part of New Jersey visiting an old
farmer. One night we heard a terrible
believing, and the old man took his
gun and we sailed out to the cow.
pasture; but We were too late"
TOO latep' remarked one of the
crowd inquiringly.
eyes. too late. One of those blasted
mosquitoes had stuck his bcak clean
through a COW and pinned her to a
tree. was awfully sorry. One of the
most valuable cows, you know"
There was q moments silence, during
which the crowd looked at Jimson in
admiration. Then the quiet little fellow
remarked:
"Of course it killed the tree toop"
ooh, yes; split it right in two"
II thought likely"
Than there ,,ro, c~oALo. ~ -
Pinney asked:
"Did you ever see Barber & Jones'
boiler factory in the northern part ..of
the State?"
mo-" responded Jimson.
II thought not" returned Pinney.
"Ihey. have a pretty large mosquito
there that they keep for business pur-
poses"
What for?" queried one.
Gle sticks his beak through the cop
per plates, and then they rivet them"
'Is that SOP"
eyes, indeed; but they've lost him.
One day they riveted his beak into a
large boiler, and he flew away with the
There was a look of I'VE on the faces
OF all beholders as. Pinney finished.
Several rose and stole away to some
quiet nook'where they could give vent
to their emotions in tears.
Down in Pennsylvania" said the
quiet little man in his quiet, unassum-
ing way, II once saw a mosquito of
considerable size. He was placed on
an immense raised platform about
three hundred feet high, and had been
trained to use his beak to drill the oil
wells"
One man groaned audibly.
"But what was he on the platform
forp" inquired Pinney.
ellis bcalS was too long to be used
on the ground. Why, one time he
made a slip, and the blamed thing
went clear through to China"
"Oh, come, now, that's too much"
exclaimed several in unison.
"Fact, l assure you. And that wasn't
the worst of it. 1t clinched on the
other side, and the darned mosquito
flew away with the world"
Their was a sound as of some one
falling, and Pinney was carried out
senseless. When the crowd returned,
1;mson had died from notification,
The Rambler.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01

GENERAL SANTIAGO CUEyAs, of the
Mexican army, has been visiting West
Point with the purpose of getting infor-
nation about the management and
course of instruction at the Academy to
use in the Military Academy Of Mexico
at Chapultcpec.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01

The bill to prohibit the mailing of
newspapers and other publications con-
taihing lottery advertisements, intro
duccd by Senator Wilson, of Iowa, pro-
S'dcs that itshall be unlawful to convey
by mail or deposit in any receptacle for
mail matter any newspaper or other
publication containing any advertise
ment of a lottery, and provides a pen
atty OF $500 for each violation of the
act.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01

A GRAPEVINE growing at Oys. Por-
tugal. is said TO he the largest in the
world. 1t covers an area of 5,315 square
feet, and the stem at the base measures
six and a half feet in circumference. Its
maximum yield was in 1864, when it
produced a sufficient quantity of grapes
TO make los gallonssof wine.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01
The Shah of Persia apnears +,

-1ne onan OF Persia appears to be a
great and severe art critic. The story
c%irculates in French papers that one day
the Shah was looking at II picture rep.
resenting Judith with the head of Holo-
ternes. This head did not seem sufi.
GENTLY realistic to him, so he summoned
the artist, and in his presence took his
sword and chopped off a slave's head
which he then babe the artist examine, SO
that NC might be better informed in fu
ture
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01
The Market in Their Favor.

First Tramp-1 say, Bill, have yer seen
de paper dis mornin'?
Second Tramp-Yes.
First Tramp-How's stocks?
Second Tramp-Dey was way up yester
day. wild prospecks of furder advances tor.
day.
First Tramp-IFs goin' our way, Bill.
You take Broad street an I'll take WALL
". Y. S,ly
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01

MISS CLEVELAND has settled the
vcXcd question. over which Washington
Aout ton has been all broken up for some
time, as to who shall assist her in re-
cciving on New Years Day. She has
decided that only wives of Cabinet Off
Gers shall assist, their precedence to be
determined by the relative position OF
tlIcir bubbles in the Presidents council.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01

A COMPANY has been formed in Rus
STA for building a railroad, the rails Of
which are to be made Of paper. In
connection with this the New York
World fscetiously remarks that this
country can give Russia points in the
matter of building railroads on pape-
and running them on water.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-01

CREMATION is making rapid progress
III all sections. New Orleans has Just
organized a cremation society, and is
placing its stock on the market to raise
funds to erect a suitable building. Gen.
eral Bcaurcgard is actively interested in
the project, and the movement rs IA
vorcd by the clergy of all dcnomina-
tons, including Prcsbytcrians and Cath
Olics.