davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
, 1888-10-25
DRUMNIERS' DAY.
Thousands of Commercial Men Call on
General Harrison.

General harrfsOn'
INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 20.--This was
"Drummers' Day" in the Harrison calen-
dar of engagements. II was estimated
that from $500 to 5000 commercial trav-
elers, including some other organizations,
participated in the demonstration. Large
delegations arrived during the morning
from Cincinnati, Columbus. Dayton.
GAINESVILLE, Lafayette, Fort Wayne and
Richmond, Ind. Small parties of dozen
or two were in attendance from New
York, Boston, Chicago, st. Louis, Phila.
delphia. Buffalo, Cleveland, Louisville
and other cities. At 3 o'clock the drum
principal streets and out past General
Harrison's house. The general reviewed
the procession from his house and was
enthusiastically cheered. There were $500
marchers, with ten bands. At the head
of the column marched Uncle Samuel, in
typical Rarb, and Immediately behind him
came two stalwart Ethiopians, leading a
monster bull, on whose back sat a drum
mer In costume personating hilarious
John Bull rides the democratic party;
we ride John Bull" Thousands of people
gathered along the route to
witness the prrade. At 43O they
returned to Tomlinson's hall where Harri-
son addressed them. The galleries were
filed with spectators. Among them were
hundreds of ladies. The audience num-
bered 5000. When General Harrison APP
pearcd there was repetition of the wild
scene of two weeks ago when the veterans
were received. The entire assembly arose
cheering, and the air was filed with
waving flags. while the galleries were
sea of white cambrics, the ladies vieing
with the drummers in the enthusiasm.
The cheering confined five minutes when
the audience became seated. only to jump
up again the next moment with renewed
zeal. This was repeated three times.
There were introductory addresses.
HARRIsoN's SPEECH.
General Harrison, among other things,
said My Friends--I do not need to
repeat what have said on former occa-
sions. that l very highly value the respect
and confidence of the com mercial travellers
of the United States. Who should be able,
better than you, to know the commercial
and business needs of our country, whose
hand is every day on the business pulse
of people; you, who travel the country up
and down, upon all the swift highways OF
commerce, and who are brought in contact
with the business men of the country, not
only In our great center of commerce, but
in all hamlets. l believe / may say for
you that as q result of this knowledge of
your business needs, you have concluded
that the policy for the United States is the
policy of a preteci i've tariff. There are
doubtless many representatives Of great
, 1888-10-25

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2O.--Secretary Villas
said to-day that the Sioux chiefs formally
large majority, the propositions made by
the president through the secretary last
Wednesday. They submitted counter
proposition agreeing to accept Sl25 cash
per acre, money to be paid at once. This
proposition, the secretary declared, could
not for moment be entertained by the
government. A small minority signified
its willingness to accept the propositions.
This concluded all negotiations. The
chiefs we're presented to the president this
afternoon, and will leave for their reserva-
tions Tomorrow
, 1888-10-25
IN THE HOUSE.
a Committee Calls ON the Presidcnt--The
Adjournment.

n committee CalIs on the freslucnt--Ihe
Adjournment.
WASHINGTON, Oct 19...-Owing to the
objection to the transaction of any bust.
ness without quorum the house ad-
journed till tomorrow.
WASHINGTON, Oct 20. - When the
house met this morning at IL o'clock, on
the last day of the most protracted session
in the annals of congress, in addition to
the speaker there were but fifteen mem
bers present. In the galleries there were
not more than one hundred persons to
witness the closing scenes. Tie speaker
appointed Mcmillan of Tennessee. Glenn
ents of Georgia and Ryan of Kansas a
committee on the part Of the house to
wait on the president and inform him that
congress was ready to adjourn, if he had
no further communication to make. A
recess was then taken until IL 80.
After recess. Mcmillan, chairman of the
committee appointed to wait upon the
president. reported that their duty had
been performed and that the president
stated that he had no furthur communica-
tion to make to the house. A recess was
then taken until minutes before /. After
the second recess, Ryan of Kansas offered,
and the house unanimously adopted, the
following resolutions That the thanks
of this house are hereby ten
dered to Hon. John G.. Car.
Isle. speaker, for the courtesy, ability
and fairness with which he has presided
over the deliberations of the first session
of the fftieth congress-" As the hands of
the hands of the clock pointed to the hour
of one the speaker said: "The hour of
o'clock having arrived, now declare this
house adjourned sine die " The announce.
ment was received with applause, and the
correspondents in the press gallery evinced
their thankfulness by chanting the dox.
ology.
, 1888-10-25
THE MAIL SERVICE.
Superintendent Bancroft Presents His
Report OF the Years Work.

WASHINGTON, Oct 19.--Superintend-
ent Bancroft, of the railway mail service.
in his annual report, shows that on June
80. 1898, the railway mail service was in
operation upon 143, ,7l3 miles of railroad,
and clerks we're employed in the distribu-
ton of mail on 126, $40 miles. There we're
in operation forty-one inland steamboat
lines. aggregating 1912 miles, on which
postal clerks are employed. While in the
performance of their duties, the postal
clerks travelled 122 2,03l, ,1O4 miles and on
steamboats, l,767.649 miles. They dis
tributed 6 6,52S. .772. .06O pouches OF ordinary
maitland receipted, recorded, protected and
properly distributed 16,00l ,059 registered
packages and cases and ,103,0S5 through
registered pouches and inner registered
sucks. During the year 1878 miles Of
new railway service had been added, be-
ing an increase of GA per cent. The casu-
alties during the year we're more numer-
GUS than for any preceding fiscal year,
there having been 24S accidents to trains
upon which postal clerks were employed.
Four clerks were killed, sixty-three seri-
ously and forty-fve slightly injured.
, 1888-10-25
INDIANA DEMOCRATS.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. Oct. 19.-Contrary
to announcement yesterday, Judge Thur
man was prevailed upon to attend the
meeting in Englishs opera.hous and
spoke briefly. During the afternoon he
went out riding and called on Mrs. Thomas
A. Hendricks and visited the state capitol.
When the evening came he was in fine
condition for a speech The opera house
has seating capacity of 2300 and by
z o'clock fully 5000 persons had crowded
inside the walls and were impatiently
awaiting the coming of the speaker of the
evening. There we're no bandanas on the
stage but the audience was abundantly
supplied with them. When Judge Thur
man entered with Governor Gray, storm
of applause burst forth which lasted over
two minutes. State Committee Chairman
Jewett introduced Judge Thurman IN u
brief but glowing eulogy and the audience
once more yelled itself hoarse. There was
a great jam at the doors and considerable
confusion, which at first interferred with
the hearing, but Judge Thurman's voice
was clear and strong and he spoke easily
for thirty minutes.
Judge Thurman began his address by
glowing tribute to President Cleveland
aud his administration, and characterizing
industrious and patriotic administrator of
the government. He said that four years
ago the country rang with predictions from
political opponents that If Grover Cleve-
land should be elected the country would
be ruined. No calamity was so great that
it was not predicted in the event of his
election. The union soldiers were to be
deprived of their pensions and the rebel
soldiers were to receive them, the rebel
debt was to be paid and everything that
was dark and repulsive to the loyal people
of the United States was to flourish like
Green Bay tree. But the people. he said,
believed no such thing and elected this
man, who has discharged his duty faith
fully in the-station in which he has been
placed. He then went on to demonstrate
that not one of these predictions had come
true. No union soldier had been deprived
of his pension under Cleveland's admins.
tratien. Nearly twice as much money
had been awarded to pensioners by the
bills signed by Grover Cleveland. or by
allowances of the commissioner of PEN
sions, than was given by all his prede-
cessors together. Neither had any rebel
soldier been pensioned. He concluded his
speech by discussion of the tariff ques-
tion. in presenting which he pursued the
same arguments utilized in his former
speeches.
, 1888-10-25
THE SCIENTIFIC MEN.
They are Engaged on Plan to Irrisate
barren Lands.


Barren Lands.
WAsutNGroN, Oct, O.-.-About tf busi-
est place in the city now is the geological
survey. Major Powell and his staff OF
scientific men are engaged day and night
in the solution of the problem presented
by congress in the new act for the survey
of arid land with view to the irrigation
of the barren lands of the great basin be.
tween the Rocky mountains and central
Kansas. 1t comprises $4,000, 900 square
miles or one-thlrd of the entire United
States and good deal OF this cannot be
economically irrigated for various reasons,
but it has been decided by Major Powell
that quarter of it and perhaps more can
so attractive to settlers that it will bear
luxuriant crops and support dense popn-
lation. IL one.fourth were irrigated it
would make the other three fourths value
able as auxiliary timber and pasture lands.
Regarding this vast undertaking,
Major Powell said to a correspondent:
"You may say we have begun to
begin. 1t is stupendious pro.
ject, involving territory as
large as Europe. which supports a popu-
lation of $50, 100000. see no reason
why the land now unfertile may not ulti-
mately be brought sufficiently into subjec.
tion to be desirable for farms and enough
of it rendered arabic by irrigation to sup
port as many as are likely to seek homes
upon it. The selection of sites for reser-
voirs, canals. etc., rests upon complete
Typographical survey, which is the first
factor ia the problem. Nothing can be
done until that Ia at least approximately
made. A large part of the arid region
has been thus surveyed, and we are now
equippinR thirteen parties for this special
, 1888-10-25
THE INDIAN DELEGATES.
They Have Not Accepted the Propositions
of the Great White Fathers.

WASHINGTON, Oct. l9--The Sioux
chiefs have not yet formally notified the
secretary of the interior of their decision
upon the propositions submitted by him
last Wednesday. 1t is known, however,
there is a strong opposition, headed by
John Grass, to accepting 81 per acre. 1t
is believed they would accept the PROPOSE
tions as a whole with the substitution of
l.25 for 81 in this item, and it is quite
probable that the president and secretary
will accept the increase.
The members of the Indian police, who
came with the delegation, had confer
ence with Indian Commissioner Oberly,
and the members of the Sioux commission
to-day, at which the police asked for an
increase in their pay. The officers are now
paid $40 per month, and prvates IS per
month. each having to furnish his own
horse Their requst will no doubt receive
favorable consideration. One of the COM
missioners expressed the opinion that cap
tains should receive $50 per month and
the others salaries ranging from that
amount down to 800. 1t is said their SER
vices are almost indispensable.
The Sioux conference finally broke up
in row tonight. Fifty of the Indians
have signed to Secretary Villas, rejecting
the governments proposition and demand
ing that they be paid Immediately 81 .25
per acre for all land ceded to the govern
ment. The minority consisting of about q
dozen Indians from the Lower Brule and
Crow Greek agencies, and one or two from
the PINE Ridge agency have signed the
letter, stating that they represent the in
telligent Indian delegation and accepts
the governments proposition as fair and
just. They urge the government to stand
by its proposition and 90 with it to the
Indians on the reservation. They also
, 1888-10-25

ing finished its business" was ready to
close the present session by adjournment
at o'clock to-day.
THE CIVIL SERVICE,
Senator Blackburn submitted voun'
inous minority report from the committee
on operations of the civil service, and IL
was ordered printed with the majority re-
port. The elaborate report OF the MAJOR.
ity, says the minority. gives evidence OF
many months of careful preparation. NO
information, it is declared, was furnished
the minority of the committee for the pur-
pose of closing the case; nor was IL even
intimated that the end had been reached
and the matter summed up For TINS
reason the minority was unable, In the
few days allowed them, to follow out IN
detail the tediously stated case; but would
endeavor to exhibit more fairness in deal
ing with the testimony than the majority
had done. IL is declared that an effort
had persistently been made by the major
ity against the protest of the minority to
limit the inquiry to the time covered by
the present administration, and all efforts
to bring out the facts as TO the operations
of the law, under the previous republican
ad dministrations, was invariably denied by
the strict party vote. Despite the effort
of the majority, however, the. report
declares, it appeared from the tes-
witnesses of all evils and abuses COM
planned of to-day, came down to this ad-
ministration as an inheritance. Levying
assessments upon government officials for
partisan purposes which was in general, II
not the universal practice prior to March,
1885, and the discrimination in the matter
of appointments, because of political
views, was proven by no means novel
feature, nor one which had been intro
duced by the present administration. he
testimony in regard to the New York
custom house, it is declared, shows that
nine tenths of the witnesses who testified
were dismissed officials who were anxious
to air their grievances and tell what an
outrage had been perpetrated, by reason
of their dismissal from office. Nearly
fifty typewriter pages OF the re.
port are devoted to an analysis of the
testimony taken with respect to New
York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and lndi-
ana, and the points made in the majority
report are discussed at length. The report
concludes: IL this proof, taken from four
cities, be accepted as evidence OF the con-
dition of the public service throughout the
country the intelligent men will realize,
and honest men will admit, that to-day,
are ten republicans holding office and
drawing pay from the federal treasury
where there was one democrat in the
service. Under a democratic administra-
tion is it to be wondered at, If, considera-
tions being equal. positions had been
given democratic applicants for office.
THE WIND UP.
Business was then informally suspended,
n waiting message from the president or
, 1888-10-25
Nominations Not Confirmed.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20. The following
probate judges of Utah were nominated
by the president but we're not confirmed :
John Houston, Garfield sounty. Francis
Hammond San Juan county; William G.
McGregor Iron county; William T. Stew
art. Kane county; Thomas Watson, Wa
satch county; X. w. Cross, Water county
James A. Melville, Willard county; Sam
uel Francis, Morgan county.
, 1888-10-25
Army Expenses,

WAsHINGToN, Oct. 20.--The report of
Gen. w. II. Rochester, paymaster gem
eral of the army. has been submitted to
the secretary of war. Total receipts
during the year were Sl6,0 .664; the
disbursements, S14.461 ,703. In regard to
the matter of monthly payments, General
Rochester says forty.one posts are now
paid monthly, leaving thirty.eight posts
to which the system can be extended.
, 1888-10-25

WAsHINGToN, Oct. 20 General Greedy,
chief signal service officer, iu his annual
report, calls attention to the inadeuuacy
of the present methods to insure proper
instruction in military signalling at the
army posts The percentages of success
full weather for predictions for the year
were: For weather, 7S4; wind, i75.5.
temperature, 74.2; general average Of
767
, 1888-10-25
Tho Acts Approyed.

WAsHINGTON. Oct. 20.-The presiden
approved the acts making an appropria
tion for the enforcement of the Chinese ex
clusion act; the act for q lighthouse OF
Roe island, California.
, 1888-10-25
THE LAST HOURS.
Only Seven Senators Had the Beneat Of
the Final Prayer.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20.--Only seven
senators had the benefit of the fnSl prayer
of this session, of the chaplain, namely,
the presiding officer, ingalls,, Allison,
COckrell, Mitchell, Paddock, Salisbury
and Teller. During and Immediately af.
ter the reading Of the journal it was rein.
forced by the presence of Blackburn,
Reagan and Sawyer. committee of two.
consisting of Allison and Salisbury, were
appointed to join like committee on the
part OF the house to wait upon the presi-
dent and inform him that Congress hav-
, 1888-10-25
Cleveland to Visit New York.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20.--The president
reviews the business mems parade in New
York next Saturday afternoon.
, 1888-10-25

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19.-The PRECEDENT
approved of the general deficiency bills
this afternoon.
, 1888-10-25

charge the majority with acting in bad
faith. John Grass is the leader Of the
mi nority.
The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1888-06-13
4 Biz Treasure Vault.

The 800, 600, 900 vault is the largest
construction of the kind In the world.
AS it now appears IL looks like mod
ern improvement on the dungeons 0f
the old 1nquisition of Spain, Italy and
Austria. Descending into depths 81
the massive foundations Of the Treas
fury, about thirty feet below the surface
of the public Thorough flares outside and
crossing dingy. dimlY lighted bare
apartment, great square Of steel,
standing partly open il steel CASE
Iment. suggests the entrance to the new
vault. This door, about eight feet high
and six feet wide, ID six inches thick
and weighs s. 900 pounds, or two and
one-half net tons. To move it on its
trucks into its steel casing requires the
desperate exertions of five men. a me-
.chanical device is now being construct
ed % lessen the demand for this
amount Of muscle ii handling the
ponderous portal. "a lock one foot ii
diameter, resembling the highly pol
lished bottom Of adishpan and operated
through a conn inatio Of the most del
icate and intricate mechanical appli-
ances by means OF a key about the size
Of an ordinary night latch key, throws
the powerful bolts into the slots in
frame, and q time lock holds them
there against anything short Of blowing
up the building by the roots until the
hour fixed for the morning rounds of
the official custodian OF the vaults.
II Passing through \ the jaws OF this
monster of human contriyances aRGinst
burglarious attempts, the chill, Damp
air and inky darkness suggests the
strength and isolation Of this vast treas
ury box. It is So feet long, so feet
wide and 10 feet high, surrounded by
massive walls of masonry and brick
five feet thick. In the dim light of q
candle the wired lattice work Of inter-
facing bars of steel which form the six
teen cells. each ten by twenty feet, may
be vaguely seen. Around the inner
cage leads d marrow corridor, where
the custodian Of the vault may make
his rounds Of inspection. Upon a trans
verse central corridor the cells open.
Each door is fitted with an ingenious
device for fastening, which will not
catch until the door is entirely shut
and the key removed.
Each of these cells will hold six and
a half million dollars, or two hundred
tons of silver dollars, or grand total
of j, 800 net tons, equal to 100000, 900
silver dollars. If the corridors were
used for storage this aggregate could
be increased to 128,UOU,O 900. Some
practical idea of the extent Of this
treasure may be formed when it is rea-
lied that to transport it would require
at least ], 800 wagons, which would ex-
tend in a: continuous line from the new
City Hall of Philadelphia to Norris
town, or train of cars which would
extend from the Broad Street Station
TO Fifty-seeond street. Il Washington
FL "a 4" ~ sgt%
The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1888-06-13
Crushed by a Python.

It is not every Dne who has seen q
python take q meal. It is usually averse
TO dead food; put it is partial to a live
rabbit, or chicken, or q guinea pig, or
by preference rat. .. The. python seems
TO know that the tsk sfTy 10 escape,
and he gives it no tlss Quarter. With
. rapidly that can hardly be conceived,
he seizes the rat with his mouth and the
fatal coil passes around the creature,
squeezing all the life out of it. and re-
ducing the body to the form of an elon-
gated sausage. which the snake lubri-
Gates with its own slime and swallows
entire. "
If fowl is put into python's cage
the snake seems to sometimes take
notice, and the frightened bird, finding
that no harm comes to it, begins to
rathe its feathers and to peck about, oc-
easionally trying its beak on the snakes
skin. But after a while the end of the
Jpy rhon's tail may be seen to culver with
q strange EN- otion, while the small, black,
beady eye is fixed upon the fowl. Sud
denly there is CONFUSION. The snake
has moved and the fowl has disappeared,
and can only be discovered by the end
Of feather or two protruding from the
coils in the pythonfs neck, which have
crushed the birds life out. ~ s' ~, !
In its natural state the python will
catch deer or wild pig and crush it in
the powerful coils of its neck. There is a
well authenticated story OF large python
having caught two wild sucking pigs
simultaneously, crushing both with the
same coil of its neck. In the case of a
python which was killed by the horns of
the buck that it had swallowed the snake
must have been able to break all the
bones Of the body, but the stag's horns
were probably too sharp and pointed to
be easily crushed, and the snake rashly
took the chance Of digesting them in its
stomach.
No stories of a python killing
man ever came to my knowledge, but
pne of the keepers at the Calcutta Zoo
logical Gardens had his arm much in
lured one morning by python coiiingI
itself on it and squeezing it severely be-
fore the man could be rescued. Long
AAA's Magazine.