davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
Tough Lightning Yarn.

The following extraordinary story is
told in Stroudsburg, where it has many
believers: In the summer of 1875 two
farmers, named respectfully Hoganshelf
and Kemming, had IA quarrel concerning
a boundary line. The matter was finally
decided in Hoganshelfs favor. lie
thereupon ordered Kemming never to
darken his door or set foot upon his
land lie further ordered that when he
died Kemming should not be permitted
to take pait in the funeral services, and
in case his family disregarded his wishes
in this respect he prayed that lightning
w uld shatter his coffin to pieces. Years
passed and the neighborhood forgot
about Hogaushelfs prayer. Finally he
became violently i'll and his phvsici ms
stated he could not live As death
grew near few lucid moments inter
yened, and, summoning all his energies,
Hoganshelf raised himself up in bed and
in distinct tones repeated his prayer of
former years. He died a short time af-
terward, and his family, disaegarding
his wish, as the vagary of an unsound
mind, invited Kemming to act as pail
bearer at the funeral. The invitation
was accepted, and in due time the
funeral proceeded on its way TO the lit
tie graveyard in Cherry Hollow without
an incident to mar the solemnity Of the
occasion. Arriving at the grave, the
coffin was lowered into its narrow cell.
As the ropes were being removed from
the coffin a black cloud obScured the
sun and almost instantly drcnching rain
followed. The clergyman stepped to
the open grave to say the last prayers
over the remains, when suddenly sharp
flash of lightning descened from the
heavens and shattered the coffin to
pieces, exposing the corpse. Six men.
who stood 10y the grave, were rendered
unconscious, and the mourncrs and
Others fed in terror from the spot. In
the evening the grave was closed by
nei9hbors. -AtteHt0to. Cir. nicle.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
SODA LOCOMOTIVES.
QUEER MOTORS USE IN THE STREETS
OF CITY WHERE sTSAM Is FoRBIDDEN.a
rFrom the Philadelphia Record !

QUEER MOTORS X USE IN THE STREEFS
OF CITY WHERE sTEAM Is FORBIDDEN.
[From the Philadelphia Record.
At the Baldwin Locomotive Works
there are in course of con struction four
locomotives which are designed to be
run by soda, which takes the place of
fire under the boiler. Soda has much
the same power as coal without any of
the offensive gases which that fuel
emits. The engines are now nearly fin
ished, and are to be shipped within two
weeks to Minneapolis, Mimi, and are
to be run on the streets of that city,
where steam engines are forbidden.
The engine has much the same ap-
pearance as a passenger car. 1t is about
sixteen feet long, entirely boxed in,
with no visible smokestacks or pipes, as
there is no exhaust or refuse. The
boiler is of copper, eighty-four and one
half inches in diameter. and fifteen feet
lcng. having tubes running through it,
as in steam boilers. Inside the boiler
will be placed five tons of soda,
which upon being dampened by a jet
of steam, produces an intense heat.
When the soda is thoroughly saturated,
which will occur in ab nut six hours,
the action ceases, AMI then it is neces-
sary to restore it to its original state by
forcing through the boiler a stream of
superheated steam from stationary
boiler, which drives the moisture en-
ii ely from the soda, when it Is again
ready for use. The exhaust steam from
the cylinders is used to saturate the
soda, and by this means all refuse is
used.
These engines are the first of their
kind that have been built in this coun-
try, and are being constructed under
the supervision of George KuchIer, a
German engineer The engines will
have about the same power as those on
the Ne York elevated roads, and will
readily draw four light cars Soda en-
gine5 are now used in Berlin and other
European cities very successfully, and
they also traverse the st. Gothard Tun
mel, under the Alps, where steam en-
gines cannot be used, because the length
of the tunnel renders it impossible to
devise a system of ventilation which will
carry off The foul gases generated by a
locomotive. So overpowering would
those gases become that sutfocation
would ensIe
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
Whisky and Pistols in CO-partnership

What is our country coming to that
every young man carries weapon of
death in his pocketa They did not use
to do so. / understand that most every
lad in our community carries a pistol.
What for and why2 Are our laws and
our courts powerless to protect our peo-
pie? Have We no Judge nor juries2 Have
even the boys got to protect and defend
themselves A man may be constrained
to carry pistol on some emergency,
but believe Judge Hammond was right
when he charged the grand jury that a
man who habitually carried pistol was
coward. The pistol may make bully
of him and then he is still more con-
temptible, for he is a dangerous fool.
/ heard a young man confess that he car
ried a pistol for two years and one morn
ing he forgot it, and he felt so helpless
that if fellow had have crooked his
finger at him he would have run like a
turkey. This made him ashamed of him
self and he discarded it for good.
Whisky and pistols are in co-partner-
ship, and it is bad tirm.-B.U Arp IN
dU 'nto Constitution.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
Sunken Irish Cities.

There are numerous legends of sunken
cities scattered throughout Ireland,
some of which are of most romantic
origin. Thus the space now covered by
the lake of Inchiguis is reported in
former days to have been populous and
fiourishing city; but for some dreadful
and unabsolved crime, tradition says, it
was buried beneath the deep waters.
The dark spirit of its king still resides
in one of the dark caverns which border
the lake, and once every seven years at
m .dnight he issues forth mounted on his
charger, and makes the complete circuit
the lake, a performance which he is
to continue till the silver hoofs of his
steed are worn out. when the curse will
be removed and the city appear once
more in all its by-gone condition. The
peasantry affirm that even now on a
calm night one may clearly see the tow
ers and spires cleaning through the
clear water. With this legend we may
compare one tod BY Burton in his
''History of Ireland" 'In Ulster is a
lake So 600 PAGES long and $1,000
road, out of which ariseth the noble
northern river called Bane. 1t is be
lieved by the inhabitants that they were
formerly wicked, vicious people who
lived in this place, and there was
prophecy in every ones mouth that
whenever a we'll which was therein, and
was continually covered and locked up
carefully, should be left open, so great
q quantity of water would ISSUE there
from as would soon overflow the whole
adjacent country. It happened that an
IL +r INT. \, hoo rH
her child cry; upon which, running
away in haste, she forgot TO cover the
spring, and coming back TO do it, the
land was SO Overrun that it was past
help, and at lencth she, her child, and
all the territory were drowned"
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
A Queer Little Western Railroad.

There Is little narrow guage railroad
in central Illinois which is rather anus
ing. 1t runs through rich farming
country and is owned and managed
by wealthy farmers. The conductors,
engineers and brakemen are farmers
sons who have grown weary of raising
cattle and corn and who have taken 10
''railroading' as a relief The various
stations along the line of this little rail
road are of no consequence whatever.
except to their score or mole of inhabi-
tants and to the farmers of the neigh
DorhoOd. A train starts from each end
of the road every morning after break
fast, runs to the opposite end of the
road by dinner time, returns again for
tea, and ties up for the night. As there
IS no telegraph line connected with tho
road, nobody at any of the stations
knows when train is coming until it
arrives in sight AS the rails are laid on
ties placed on the fiat prairie, and as
of the road to the other, the
tall grass has an awkward habit of
getting under the wheels and stopping
the train. Not infrequently, also, the
light rails spread apart and the cars run
Of the track, and go tumbl1ng along on
the virgin prairie. Whenever little
accident of this kind occurs the engi-
neer, conductor, brakemen and passen-
gers jump to the ground and lift the
cars into place again. The passengers
ride in a car reserved for them in the
rear of a long line of freigh' cars. Half
of this car is partitioned off in order
that it may also serve Tor carrying mail
bags, express matter and baggage. Not
infrequently passengers walk into a vii
lage ahead of the train and announce
that the cars will follow them in an
hour or two, providing that they can be
kept On the track long enough. Some
times locomotive gets stalled on some
one of the several gentle hills along the
line. The trainmen thereupon quietly
wait until the other engine appears.
Then the two engines draw the train up
the hill. Notwithstanding the oddities
which exist in the management of this
little railroad it hauls large quantities of
freight ana is making money for its
stockholders Chicago NeocS.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
SNAKES IN TROUBLE.
HOW AN OLD FARMER CLEANED OUT AN
ARMY OF BLACK SNAKES.
From the Middleburgh (Pa. } Post.

tFrom the Middleburgh (Pa.) Post.
Mr.. Wills. Weller, residing about two
miles south of Middlebursh, at the foot
of Shade Mountain, while engaged in
clearing a piece of new ground ON his
farm on Thursday of last week, was
terribly annoyed by the number of black
snakes on the patch Some he killed
but great many escaped his "brush
fork, " and nearly all ran in the direction
of a large brush pile in the corner of the
patch and close to bank over a spring
which was covered by thick growth of
underbrush. He concluded to iuvesti-
gate matters little and it did not take
him long to satisfy himself that he mad
struck a colony of the reptiles which
had taken harbor under the pile of dry
brush.
He noticed particularly large one
basking in the sun few yards from
the place, and he proce eded to get
rail from the nee with which to de-
spatch it, but in doing so he broke one
of the stakes on the fence. The noise
caused by the breaking of the stake
evidently aroused the sleeping reptiles,
and he witnessed a perfect volley of
snakes darting from under the thick un-
derbush in.o the brush pile He stood
rivited to the spot with astonishment,
and looking UP saw no less than twenty
snakes of all sizes sticking their heads
out of the brush pile. Remembering
that he had used bundle OF long
straw for a seat on his ''stone boat" he
hastened to get it, and setting it on fire
cast it over the brush.
In an instant the whole pile was one
blaze, and he then witnessed a scene
VIII ch he says no one would ever care to
behold again. The heat was so intense
that none of the reptiles could possibly
escape, and they rolled out of it black,
blinded, and scorched, biting at every
thing they touched. and in most instan-
Ces died with their fangs fastened in
their own charred bodies-evidently
preferring suicide to death in the flames.
Some darled from the outside into the
fire, madly striking at the flames, until
their bright black coats had been turned
into an ashen gray by the heat In fif-
teen minutes a smouldering stump was
all that was left of the brush pile. He
was about to leave the spot, when he
to look into the stump, which
was hollow, where, covered by thin
layer of ashes, lay no less than buck
etful of snakes, resembling huge sausa-
ges in a large crock, roasted Just hard
enough to cause the flesh to drop off.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
Very Costly Stupidity.

Two or three years ago, saws a hotel
clerk, was night clerk at the Hotel
Nantasket. at Nantasket Beach. One
night John L. Sullivan, with Pete Nc
Coy and few of his other sp rting
friends, came in and wanted something
to drink. 1t was after 10 O'clock and
the bar was closed, but the head bar
keeper happened to be near the desk,
and knowing Sullivan he opened the
doors and the party went in. They sat
at table for some time and drank a
couple of bottles of wine. They had
evidently had some before coming to
the hotel, and they felt the effects of it
pretty strongly. AS they sat there
dispute arose about some point or other
which did not understand. and Sulli-
van finally wanted to bet a hundred
dollars that he was right. ''Oh, come
Off" said Mccoy, ''vou haven't got
hundred dollars" "H'aint n retorted
Sullivan in a loud voice, as he rose from
the table, ".'ll show you I've got money.
See here!" and quick as a wink he drew
a magnificent gold watch from his vest
pocket, released it from the guard and
threw it with his whole strength against
the partition which separated the wine
room from the hotel LOBBY. 1t sounded
like bullet from a gun as il struck the
woodwork. OF course the watch was
ruined. That was sample of the reck-
less and foolish displays which he fire.
quently made in those days.
But it is not only the "plug ugies'
and ''thugs" who do such things. !
ave seen exhibitions equally nOnsensi.
cal on the part of some of the highest
toned bloods of the Hub, l happened
in rich hotel bar in Boston one night
when a youth who occupies place in
the ''best society" came in and ordered
wine for himself and friends. They sat
at table in front of the bar, and after
the bottle had been emptie1, the young
man deliberate y picked it up and sent
it crashing through a magnificent
French mirror which filled the whole
wall back of the bar. Then he drew
his check book from his pocket, signed
Il blank and before the proprietor had
time to show anger, asked him how
much he should fill it out for The
hraaL cost him 81 200
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
SHORT SUMNER SERMONS.
As Delivered by Brother Gardner, of the
Lime Kiln Club.

Oar am certain fin9s which you kin
chald down on de cellah doah wild
feelin' dat you am gwine to hit nine
times whar' you miss once.
De wus5 a mans breaf smells de clus-
ser he am gwlne to get to you in an argy-
ment.
1t am twice as easy to spend fifty
cents 10 60 to de circus as it am to pay
back two shillins of borrowed money.
No man can remember whlr he
frowed his empty cans an bottles until
he diskivers dat somebody has dumped
ashes ober his fcuce.
Broadcloth an silks look well on de
street, but dey doan hitch VERY well
wild cold 'taters at home.
De value OF de dog you kick am no
gauge fur dc feelins Of de owner if he
happens to be around.
Nine men outer ten borrow wild de
expectashun of ben' just so much ahead
De odd one will want to borrow agin as
a reward fur his honesty.
1t am po Herful easy to discriminate
between wise man an fanatic. De
wise man be'ongs to your party; de
fanatic to de opposishun.
While YOU should luv your naybur as
yourself, doan' gin him to understan'
dat you kin be depended on to lie
awake o nights to purtect his grape
arbor.
De man who fggers dat he kin so live
as to dodge slander an escape mali ce,
has got heap o thistles waitin' fur his
bar feet.
The average mans bizness word kin
be depended on up to sartin p nt--as
fur as he will profit by l1eepin' it.
De problem of livin' doan' depend so
much on hangin' to an old velvet ca'pet
in de parlor as it does in savin' de crusts
an crumbs in de kitchen.
When a mans whisIley costs mo- dan
his flour lie should stan ready to vote
fur de buildin' of two wings on de
County House.
While 1t am true dat all men war;
created equal, a heap OF us have got
spilled in de bringin up. About de
only time social barriers am abolished
am doorin' a steamboat eXploshun. =
Detroit Free Pros.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
No Change TO Spare.

A lady writes from Seal Harbor, Nj.
Desert, to friend: yesterday | went
to the ost Office and asked the Post
master if he could change me five dol
lar bill. He said: : o, / couldn't
think of it; need all my change for
my customers sighed and exclaimed:
Dear me how cm l get a doliarl No
body seems to be able to change this
bill.' Whcreupon this rare and simple
man took out two half dollars and hand.
ing them to me said: why, madam,
III &end you a dollar. Here it is +
course didn't take the money, and he
seemed so hurt that | said If I didn't
success in getting my bill changed
would return and take it gratefully.
This incident speaks we'll for the hon
esty OF Seal arbor's previous Summer
visitors.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
Advertising Rates.
DAISIES ON THE FARM

She painted them on canvass
With rapt, artistic air,
She wore them in her bodice,
And in her raven hair.
She thought farm life idyllic,
And said its greatest charm
Was lent it by the daisies,
The daisies on the farm.
'tDo you not love the daisies?"
To the farmers son she saith,
But all the praise he uttered
Was underneath his breath.
1t sounded energetic,
But she felt vague alarm
That he did not cove the daisies,
The daisies on the farm.
She read to him poem,
A pastoral complete;
He seemed unsympa .hetic,
Though her voice was very sweet.
With some repressed emotion
His fa9e grew dark and warm,
For its burden was the daisies,
The daisies on the farm.
Soon the charming summer boarder
To her city home returned,
For soul of higher longing
Her aesthetic nature yearned.
And the farmers son, undaunted,
With his scythe upon his arm,
Went to battle with the daisies,
The daisies on the farm.
-Teras StfItngs.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
In the Country.

The Rochester Dsm1rra' says: A lit
tie 10 vear-old New York boy is visit
ing in a pr Dminent farmers family in
uron, and there is scarcely day, per
haps, that he does not do somethin :
that would be sure death to any country
boy. On Wednesday they were build
ing a grain stack by the barn. TIE
stack had reached height of about 10
feet, and against this stood ladder p
feet in len Gth. As the farmer came in
with another ,oad of grain, to be placed
on the stack, he was horriied to see his
little guest perched upon the top most
round of the ladder II feet above the
stack. To show his skill at balancing
he stood up on the ladder, and while IN
this position the foot of the ladder gave
way, and the top, with the boy on 1t,
described an acre o. - feet in diameter.
As the BOY was pitched from the ladder
he turned complete somersauit, stlk-
ing upon his back at the opposite side
of the stack, aud rolling to the ground
unhurt. and quite elated with his aero
batic feat
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
THE UMPIRE.

When the energetic umpire goes to
umpire gees to umpire, He has 10 S
of things to occupy his time-py his
time, In every crowd there is an UNI
pire jumper-umpire jumper, Who in
sists that he'll decide for the home nine
the home nine, And the crowd the
umpire dearly loves to bother-loves to
bother, And que-tion his decision every
run, So taking one consideration with
another-with another, The umpire's
life is not happy one-happy one
Detroit Free Press.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09

A PROTEST. An eastern banl, leceiv-
ed not long ago, on deposit, a check
for 50 on bank in Dakota. 1t was
forwarded for collection in due course,
and after some time same back protest
ed, with $3.0i fees. 1t was afterward
ascertained that the man who drew the
check was also the notary public of the
Dakota bank on which it was drawn,
AMI so pocketed $3.05 fees for protest
ing his own S3 check.
A Kansas man has discovered that IA
ears to the square rod make 40 bushels
of corn to the acre.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09

ON THE PALL FIELD. -"Pshawl why
didn't the fool hold that ball! 1t was
an easy one" That is what spectator
on the grand stand said when the catch
er missed a "high foul coming right
into his hands. In few minutes more
an easy one came into the stand in the
vicinity of the same spectator, and he
jumped over three men and lost his hat
trying to get out of1ts wav. That's the
way with some folks. They get wrathy
when other folks fail to do what they
themselves couldn't do in Is years prac-
tice.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09

came to. However it was, that was
what happened to him, and it never
cost the State cent to get rid of that
,marderer.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
THE JOKERS BUDGET.
LITTLE HUMOROUS READING FOR
ONE TO SMILE OVER.

A Summer Terror-He Knew Wafer-A
Boston Boy-Tliey Were Not RIpe-A La
Dor Note-Uh, George-DOts and DaslIe $,
Etc, Etc.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
DO WN STAIRS.

Fitzbiffin--I dine at lot of swell
houses in the season; but as to the din
ners one gets there, you know-well,
I've eaten as good, and better, at the
house where l was dining few nights
ago, in Berkeley square, actuaily-there
was no fish!
Skynner-They had eaten it all up
stairs, | suppose,
Fitzbiffin contributes no more to the
conversation, which from that point be-
comes hilarious -LORi0a Fun.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09

At wedding in Grinnell recently the
groom was a native of Bath, NJ y, the
bride of Bath, n H., and the officiating Z
clergyman, DR.. Magoun, of Bath, Me.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09

A young widow in Waukesha, whose
husband had been dead month, and
whom she had always supposed to be
free from small vices, was overhauling
his clothes the other day. She found a
large plug of tobacco in his coat pocket.
ooh, George! George!" she exclaimed
.despairingly, you and Twill never meet
in the good worIdr' In another pocket
of the same garment she found life
insurance policy for $1,000, of which
she had before known nothing, and she
burst forth exultingly, "Oh, yes we will !!
we will! Heaven will forgive him his
one little fault r'- Ch cdgO Tribune.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
TERMS S1.5O.
A SUMMER TERROR.

They sat at the open window, and
gazed out over the sea; and the scene
was full of quiet, and tranquil as could
be; when strange unearthly groaning
like voice of fate was heard, and the
leaflets erst so quiet by its frightful
sounds were stirred. And the maiden
shrieked in terror, '''Tis the fierce and
dreaded cyclone; can hear its dreadful
mutter, and its weird, wild, woful tone ~
But the youth, though pale, was fear
less; and he said: ''Oh, bear thy pain; ;
it's the village band who practice
When the robbins nest again !"-Musi-
cal Herald.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09

Tom Anierry, of the University of
Texas, has trouble in meeting his bills.
TO pressing creditor he said:
81 can't pay you anything this
month"
That's what you told me last month "
"Well, kept my word, didn't l '''-
Austin Sjftin0s
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09

A Cohasset fisherman employed a new
ly arrived I,ishman, who said he knew
ster pots, of which he had many set
about the rocks Off that place. Upon
Paddy returning from his first trip he was
met by his employer, who was mach as
tonished at not seeing any Holsters in
the dory, and upon inquiling the rea.
son was surprised at the reply that
''They was none of thin ripe, Tor they
were all green, an threw them over
board ag'n.n
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-09
HER OWN WORK.

In house on Commonwealth avenue,
not many evenings since, paterfamilias,
unwonted 10 such duties, thought it in
cumbent upon him at certain pc
riod during the evenings exercises
to take his youngest son up stairs
for short outing based upon the child's
disobedience to its mother. The echoes
from the interview penetrated to the
parlor, and while there was great SYM
pathy for the afflicted heir apparent,
laugh could not we'll be restrained,
when, in the midst of the "boo- -boos, "
was heard the shrill, treble voice, "Pa,
| think it's real mean for you to pank
me. Why don't you let mamma do her
own work ?"-B0St0n Rec0rd.