davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15
An Expensive Whistle.

A Florida letter tells this wal story /:
When the Union gunboats made their APP
pearance in the harbor of Fernandina q
have forgotten under what officer Yulee
had his headquarters there, but the troops
fed, and he found himself obliged hastily
to load his valuables and papers on a train
and leave. Fernandina stands on the
north end of Amelia island, and between
the island and the mainland there are
vast lagoons, through which winds a tor
tuous, inky bayou. The railroad crosses
this on a short bridge some miles from
the town. There was a lively race be-
tween the escaping railroad train and one
of the gunboats for this bridge. Yulee,
who was on the train, knew the gunboat
could not approach very near to the
bridge, and when the train reached it, he
could not resist the temptation to stop on
it, and have the engineer give d defiant
toot. One version is that the old gentle
mar placed his thumb to his nose, and
executed with his fingers certain hooking
and derisive gyrations well known to boys
on the street; but this | consider apocrr.
phal. Forewith the gunboat waved around
and sent a shrill whistling up the bayou,
which went high over the train. The
gun was lowered, and the second shot cut
the train nearly in two, just back Of the
engine. III CONSERVATION the old gentle
man leaped from the train, ran ahead to
the locomotive, climbed aboard, and he
and the engineer together pulled out in
all haste, and made no end of running
until they had put a long distance be-
tween them and the gunboats.
In telling this story afterward to Col.
L. A. Hardee, nephew of the famous gen.
eral of tactics memory, the old gentleman
said that that foot ON the whistle cost
him $40, 900.
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15
Genius of the Mestcon Peopte

GentNS OF tNe MeTtCON FeOVtes
The Mexican government, poor as you
call it, nevertheless supports 10, 900 pub
lie schools, where you can see the poor
Indian boy with his slate and primer, as
we'll as the young man Or young woman,
solving problems in mathematics, chem
istry, ETC., with facilities equal to many
colleges in the United States.
If you pass through the Academy OF
San Carlos you will see pictures executed
by native Mexican artists in the highest
style of art, comparing most favorably
with any production of the academies
of design of Paris, Rome, Munich, or
elsewhere.
Go with me, if you please, to a narrow
lane in the small but picturesque city OF
G~uernavaca, and there in a small room,
working with implements of his W
make, you will observe a native, whom
you would perhaps class among the poems,
carving a crucifx in wood, so highly ar
tistic, with the expression of suffering on
our saviour's face so realistic that any
foreign sculptor of the highest renown
would be proud to call it a creation OF
his own.
Again, visit with me the village OF
Amatlan de los Reyes, near Cordoba, and
observe the exquisitely embroidered hui
piNn of some native woman, surprising
in many respects the designs of the art
necdlework societies Of New York or
Boston-not to mention the fine filagree
work, figures in cay and wax, as exc
cuted by the natives in or near the city
of Mexico, the art of pottery of Guada-
l~ajara, the gourds, calabashes, and
wooden trays highly embellished by nae
tive artists whose sense or acceptation of
art is not acquired by tedious study at
some academy of design, but is Unborn
and spontaneously expressed in such
creations.
Only yesterday. in my walks about
town, | entered the National Monte de
Piedad, where I heard the sweetest and
most melodious strains from grand piano
of American make, and beheld, to my
astonishment, that the artist was a ma
tive, a cargador, or public porter, clad
in cheap sombrero, blouse, white cotton
trousers, and sandals, with his brass plate
and rope across his shoulders, ready to
carry this very instrument IN his back to
the residence of some better-favored
brother f.om a foreign land.-Merican
FiunDrier.
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15

sGE y
A Washington correspondent remarks
that ''personsl remarks are usually out of
order, but glancing from the reporters
gallery of the House over the array of
members crowded on the floor, one cannot
avoid being surprised by the ~prepond95-
ance of baldheads that not only glisten
in the sunlight, but impress the casual
observer with the fact that baldheaded-
ness must be one of the memorable pre-
requisites for membership Of the popular
branch. This denudement of capillary
ornamentation does not seem to be con-
lined to any n section or degree of lati-
tude, but is generally and uniformly scat
tered throughout the representatives from
all parts of the Union, and without re-
spect of age. In fact the oldest members
Of the House, such as Judge Kelley, born
Id 1914, Ex-Governor Curtin and General
Wolford, born in 1917, possess compare
lively full heads of hair, while much
youngermembers appear to have been sub
jected TO the sand-papering process.
The veterans account for this by alleging
that in olden times they did not stand on
their heads so profusely as at present.
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15
Ho,e the shah of Persia Lives.

The Shah leads a very simple life, says
a Teheran letter to the London Globe.
He is an early riser, and generally an
hour or two after sunrise energies from
the inner apartments, has a walk in the
garden, and then receives some Ministers
in audience. He is occupied with affairs
of State till about noon. He then par
takes Of his midday meal, eating frugally,
and generally of one dish only. He
takes no wine with his meals, although
he has the permission of his medical adj
visers to drink it. After the midday
meal he retires for an hour or two to the
inner apartments. Very frequently, too,
he has this meal in the women's. apart
ments. He comes out again for three or
four hours in the afternoon and evening.
Very often he goes out shooting, and
then leaves early in the morning and re-
turns in the evening. having thoroughly
tired all his men and animals. In his
leisure hours he likes to read the favorite
Persian poets and historical works and
books on science and art; he also occa-
sionally writes poetry, which his own
people tell him is superior to that of
Hafz. The unbiased critic can only say
that the shah's poetry is above mediocre
ty. In spite of his having been twice in
Europe, where he saw much of the ways
of Kings and Emperors, he has not yet,
in Persia, sat down t 0 a meal with any
one else, has not yet attended any State
dinner, and does not, as q rule, return q
salute. His vices are few, his virtues and
good qualities many; although we may
say that he is one of the most sensible
men in his dominions, and the best ruler
Persia has had for over a century. That
he has not done as much for the country
as it was hoped he would do is not entire
II his own fault, as I may show in future
letters.
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15
St,,aagEed by an Octopus.

ltaNB28FH
An American travelling in Europe
about ten years ago observed in the gay
pst assemblies of Paris and Vienna. and in
the gambling halls at Monaco, Mr.. c.,
Dne Of his fellow-countrymen a scholarly,
grave man, whose tastes and pursuits in
life, as also his work, lay wholly in study
and research.
What can bring him night after night
to such places? He looks utterly wretch
I'd, Z the stranger asked Of an American
official.
He is the victim of an octopus was
the TESTING reply. Ellis wife is n Of
those soft, clinging, absolutely selfish
creatures, who wrap themselves about a
mans life, and bend it to their will, stiff
ing it andsdrawing all the strength out
of his soul, precisely as the deYil-6sh
would out Of his body. Mrs. c.
chooses to live . fast, dissipated life, md
she forces her husband to indulge her in
it By her incessant caresses and protesta-
lions Of affection
a year later Mr.. c. became a bank
rupt, and soon after lost HIS reason, and
after a few months he died. American
correspondents writing home stated that
the cause was unknown, as his domestic
relations were most happy. But those
who knew him best, said that he had
been "gtiiled BIZ an octopus.'
Lavater declared that each human face
bore d likeness to some animal, and also
indexed the character; thus that We
found ii some men the features and quail
ities. Of the lion, the mastif, or the wolf;
and IN some women those Of the rabbit,
the dove, the cow, or the serpent.
If we follow out this whimsical fancy,
we may class many human beings with
the clammy, bloodiess octopus. They
are usually men 81, more often, women Of
weak inteIlects and indomitable viii, who
invariably consider their own comfort or
wishes first ii life, and who have found
wheeling by gentle anner and caress
81 the surest war to success.-Youth's
Elimination
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15

trips between Boston and Providence,
but near the back end found on read
ing:
.About ten miles north of Marietta,
Ga; turn to right where highway bends
to left; go into woods about ten rods;
look for twin beech tree, with initials ID.
S. G. cut low down"
My heart gave a jump. That was the
spot where the. Yankee cavalry run me
into hiding, and these Were the initials |
had seen ON the tree! Had this stranger
come down to unearth a skeleton? / was
wondering over the matter when | heard
the clatter of hoofs and knew that he had
returned. He had discovered the loss of
his book. Now, then, / did what you
may call a mean trick. | pocketed the
book, got down stairs without being seen,
and went to the nearest Justice and de-
manded a warrant for the arrest of George
Paige for robbery. Before he had ceased
looking for his lost memorandum a con-
stable made him prisoner. Meanwhile I
had engaged a horse and wagon, bor-
rowed an empty tea-chest and a spade,
and, as Paige went to Jail, I drove out Of
town. / wanted to unearth that skeleton
myself.
1t was six years since / had left it, but
l had but little difficulty in finding the
grave, although the beech tree had been
cut down. Indeed, l walked almost
straight to it, and, though the initials
were indistinct, they were there as wit
nesses. In half an hour l had unearthed
the ''corpse." He, or it, consisted of a
rotten cofee-sack wrapped around a
moldy blue blouse, and inside the blouse
were three gold watches, $500 in gold,
$1,000 in greenbacks, half a dozen gold
rings, a fine diamond pin, two gold
bracelets, a gold-lined cup, a full set of
cameo jewelry, a solid silver back comb,
and about four pounds of silver spoons
and forks, the whole find being worth to
me nearly So, 900.
The stuff had been deposited there by
two or three or perhaps half a dozen fora
gers, and much of it had been stolen
from the dead on the battle fields.
When the treasure had been secured I
drove on to Gainesville, and from thence
sent the horse back and telegraphed to
Paige my regrets at his situation, as I
had discovered my mistake in accusing
him. He was held a day or two and
discharged. He rode out to the spot,
found the treasure gone, and left the
State without a word as to what his real
Grand had been.-Detroit Free Press.
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15
An Ersse,s Hold ON Savooes.

There is a tale told of q sea captain,
who, in a distant corner of the southern
seas, visited an undiscovered or unex-
plored group of beautiful islands. After
landing and trading with the gentle ma
tives, he was astonished by the visit of a
white man, evidently q person of means
and consequence, who, after making
himself very agreeable, implorad the cap
tain to give him a story-book, If he had
such A thing in his possession. The cap
tain had, and, deeply touched by the
pigs and cocoa-nuts which the white ex-
lie had given him, bestowed on him a
copy Of the Arabian Nights Entertain
melts. Overcome BY the present, the
exile burst into tears, and cried: .eYou
have saved my life, and given me rank
and wealth On explanation, he said:
ST should long ago have been eaten, but
while they were faftening me / learned
enough of their language to tell a child
the story Of Little Red Ridinghood, =
The child repeated it, and the whole
population were mad with joy. They
had never heard q story before. From
that day 7 became great . and honored
man. When they had q national festival
I sat on top Of j hill, and thousands wept
while some elderly relative was being
cooked for d feast) 1T the cruel death Of
the grandmother as caused By the wicked
wolf. / had with me d volume Of Fairy
Tales and / soon began to set q price on
my performances. Red Ridinghood' ID
rather worn T only get . hundred cocoa.
nuts for her now but cinderella is still
good for four pigs and ! turtle, and
Beauty and the Beast brings six Of sov-
u, according the quality. But with the
Arabian Nights I shall be able 10 60 on
accunulating pork y the end 81 ny
dags
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15
Il FnssssSu or Giants.

Oscar Coulter Of Walker county, Ga,
Is d deputy United States marshal, and IS
the youngest and tallest man in the ser
vice il Georgia, standing six feet eight
inches III bis stocking feet. Mr. Coulter
has Eve brothers, aud the shortest one
measures sik feet four ii shes and the tall
est Six feet eleven inches, one six feet
seven inches, = six feet six inches and
TIE other six feet Eve inches, The six
bsethers measuring together thirty-eigat
feet seven Inches. The average weight
81 the men i 200 pounds: Their fathes
measured aix feet Eve inches aud The
nofher az fsst Ten inches. Nj. Coulter
saia with i laughs MD are the smallest
peQpls e ous settlement when tlle
eireas VS. III Chattanooga recently faey
offered Is 1906 eaah and expenses IL 81
WIth tha circus, but ID are able ii work
saa MAKE y living and don't want Il
ses Nth i circus
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15
Wnff foa. HE.

Seward runs the little stream
Where the wagner cools his team,
Where, between the banks Of moss,
Stand the stepping-stones to cross
Ger them comes O little maid,
Laughing, not a bit afraid;
Mother, there upon the shore,
Crossed them safely just before.
This the little iassieis plea
Wait for me, wait for me!
Alb, so swift the waters rum
One false step twas all undone;
Little heart begins to beat,
Fearing for the little feet,
Soon her fear will all be lost,
When the stepping stones are crossed,
Three more yet on which to stand
Two more-one more-then on land!
IT'S the little lassie's plea
Wait for ME, wait for mel
An, for you, my laughing lass,
When the years have come to pass,
May One still be neal to guide,
While you cross Lies river wide,
When no helping hand is near,
None, if you should call, to hear
Think, however far away,
Mother still knows all you say;
Zen in heaven heeds your plea
Wait for me, wait for mel
&c. C. Bingham, in Washington News.
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15
The HeL1,fna Hand.

/ shall never forget the feelings / had
once when climbing of the pyramids
of Egypt. When half way up, my
strength failing, | feared l should never
be able to reach the summit or get back
again. | well remember the help given
by Arab hands, drawing me on farther;
and the step could not quite make my
self, because too great for my wearied
frame, the little help given me-some-
times more and sometimes less-enabled
me to go up, step by step, step by STEP,
until at last I reached the top, and
breathed the pure air, and had a grand
outlook from that lofty height.
And so, in life's journey, we are climb
ing. We are feeble. Every one of us,
now and then, needs a little help; and if
we have risen a step higher than some
other, let us reach down for our brothers
hand and help him to stand beside us.
And thus, joined hand in hand, we shall
go on conquering, step by step, until the
glorious eminence shall be gained. All,
how many need help in this worldl-
poor, afflicted ones; poor, sorrowing
ones; poor, tempted ones, who have been
overcome, who have been struggling, not
quite able to get up the step; trying,
falling; trying, falling; trying, despond-
ing; hoping, almost despairingl Oh, give
such q one help, a little kindly aid, and
the step may be taken, and another step
may then be taken; and, instead Of dy-
ing in wretchedness at the base, he may,
by q brothers hand, be raised to safety,
and finally to glory.-Bishop Simpson.
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15

Lady Macdonald, wife of the premier
of Canada, has a private car when she
travels about the dominion or through
the United States. She was returning
from Winnipeg recently, her car being
attached to a Canadian Pacific train
which was showed in. She learned that
the regular passengers were suffering
from hunger, the regular dining car be-
ing side-tracked at some station. She
accordingly ordered her servants to dis
tribute the provisions in her private car
among the hungry passengers, and re-
lieved their sufferings until the next
station was reached, when they provided
themselves with everything that the
town afforded.
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15

Mexico is said topossess only about 100
factories of all kinds, owing to the pau
city Of water and the high cost of fuel.
These factories employ about 1s, 900
hands, and those devoted to weaving
contain $500 looms and $50, 600 spindles.
The largest cotton mill is at Queretaro,
employs 400 hands, and manufactures
the unbleachad cloth worn by all In
dams
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15

France hasa genuine phenomenon in
the person of Professor Chevreul, the
scientist, who has passed his one hun
dredth birthday. He does not smoke and
never tasted spirits in his life. He works
in his chemical laboratory every day and
reads without glasses. He Is the Oldest
working scholar and scientist in the
world
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15

To some men the matter of an inland
Sea Of Sahara is still a live issue. An
estimate just made by a French engineer
puts the probable cost of making such a
sea at $50, 900, 900, the bulk of the cost
being In canal cutting.
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15

drew blood, and put one of his fingers on
it. Again he made a cut, and put down
another finger. and so on till he had no
more fingers free. "Ah," said he, as he
paused in his work, "a BARRIERS is a diff
cult trade, we ought to have " thousand
Gnrorc -
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15
Remarkable TIME.

StI'm not a sprint runner said Char
ley, .'but | made fifty yards oncc in re
markably quick time. 1t was just tina
far from the front door to the gate, an.
my girls father held the dog and allowet
re ten seconds to clear the distance"
IT grasp the situation" replied Gus
ssbut fifty yards in ten seconds is no
fast time.s
mo, but when | reached the gate
had eight seconds to spare.n-Neo Yor,
Sun.
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15

Theodore Roosevelt, a well-known
New Yorker, is authority for the state-
ment that the present system of farming
viii die out before the end Of the CEN
fury.
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15
Reward OF S50.-FifiF Dollars

n Live STOCK So ,eiatiosl for eyiden ,e that viii lsad
to the apprehension and conviction Of any persons
guilty of stealing horses or cattle belonging 10 ans
of members of the Association may be seen 81 tns
house of the Secretary. Jno. NJ. Ware, In Baileyues Or
at the Clerks Office in Opelousas.
j. E. SHUrE. JN0. NJ. WARE, Ssc5..,
The Opelousas courier., 1886-05-15

The death rate from chloroform is
cording to Q recent estimate, | in I, 900
Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-08-18
N,oRrdAGE SALE.

~
Default having been made in the terms and con-
ditons OF a certain indenture Of mortgage, bearing
date the 18th day of May, A. ID. 1850, and exc,
cutod by and between BENJAMIN Desermeau ana
Mary Desermeau, his wife, OF the city ana county
OF Alpena State of Michigan, OF the FIRST part, ana
Bernard Wolf, of the same place, OF the second
part aud duly recorded in the Office OF the keg-
ixer OF Deeds for the county OF Al
pSna, on the thirteenth day OF May, "A. ID.
ISIS, in Libor OF Mortgages ON page ~,
and by which said default the power of sale in said
MORTGAGE contained has become operative, and II
being claimed that there is now due and unpaid, at
the da te hereof. said mortgage, the sum OF nve
hundred and nfty-one dollars ls55l, principal and
interest together with an attorney fee Cf twenty
five dollars 5.00, provided for in said mortgage,
and no suit or proceedings, either at law or in
equity having been instituted TO recover the
amount secured by said mortgage, OF any part
thereof, now, therefore.
Notice is hereby given that on the 2lst day of Au-
gust A. ID. 1856, at ten o'clock in the forenoon OF
said day at the front door OF the Court House, in
the city of Alpena, county of Apena, and state OF
Michigan, that being the building IN which the CIR,
cult Court for said county IN which said mortgaged
premises are situated is held, there Will be sold ut
public auction, 20 the highest bidder the premises
described in said mortgage, much thereof as
may be necessary TO satisfy the said debt, the IN
terest thereon and said attorney fee and all costs
and charges allowed by law Said mortgaged
premises are situated in the city OF Apena, county
OF Alpena State of Michigan, and described as fol-
lows: All that piece OF parcel of land described in
said mortgage as follows, 20 wit: Lot number two
~ in block eighty eight 1857 of Fletchers third ad-
BERNARD WOLFF,
GEO H. SLEAroR, Mortgage
Attorney for Mortgage.
Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-08-18
A Remarkable Machine.

The calculating machine invented
by Prof Thomson, says the New York
Sun, appears to excel in its ingeniou;
adaptation to a variety of results,
even Babbage's wonderful apparatus
BY means of the mere friction OF
disk, cylinder. and ball the ma
chine is capable Of affecting numer-
Gus complicated calculations which
occur in the highest application OF
mathematics to physical problems,
and by its aid any unskilled person
may, in a given time, perform the
work of ten expert mathematicians.
The machine is applicable alike to the
calculating of tidal, magnetic, mete-
geological, and other periodic phe-
nomena it will solve diflerential
equations of the second or even high
or powers or orders; and, through
the same wonderful arrangements of
mechanical parts, the problem of find
ing the free motions of any number
of mutually attracting particles, UNI
restricted by any of the approximate
suggestions required in the treatment
of the lunar and planetary theories,
is done by simply turning a handle
Elk.
Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-08-18
MORTGAGE SALE.


Default having been made in the conditions OF a
certain mortgage, whereby the power to sell there
in contained has become operatiyel, executed by
Thomas simpson, of Alpena, Michigan, TO Francis
jean Jr. of Saginaw county, said State, dated the
fourteenth day of May, IN the year Of our lord one
thousand eight hundred and siXty-seven, and re-
corded in the office of the Register of Deeds for the
county of Apena, in the State of Michigan, IN
liber of mortgages, on pages 3il and 3i2, on the
there claimed to be due at the date Of this notice
the sum OF seven hundred and eighty-four dollars
and eleven cents s7Sl1ll, and no suit or proceed
ings at law in equity having been instituted TO
any part thereof n9ice is therefore hereby
THURSDAY, the 10th day Of SEPTEMBER
Next at one o'clock in the afternoon, shall sell at
public auction TO the highest bidder, (sae TO take
place at the front door of the Court House. in the
city of Alpena, said Alpcna county, that being the
place for holding the Circuit Court for said Apena
countyl the premises described in said mortgage,
or so much thereof shall be necessary TO satisfy
the amount due on said mortgage, with ten per
cent interest and legal costs together with an at
torney fee of twenty-five dollars, as expressly pro-
yided for in said mortgage; which said premises
are described in said mortgage as follows, TO Wit (:
All of lot number three (3 of section number
twenty l20 containing thirty -four l3i acres, more
or less also lot number four til, of section twenty
1901 entire fractional section twenty-One l2ll all
in township twenty-nine (20) north, of range nine
l9l east, containing seveny-eght and ten one-hun-
dreds 7S 0l00 acres more or less, according TO the
FRANCIS JEAN Jr,
Mortgage.
LINDYER, PORTER & HAFFEY,
Attorneys for Mortgagec. 7T6wl3
Dated Jnne nth, 1856,