davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1888-12-15
THE CHICAGO WEEKLY News. and
LINCOLN Go. LEADER, l year 81. rs
ESSENTIAL LEGISLATION.

/ A~DAJA<AN l. L 81 - Iol4A L ~ ~
Our Territorial legislature vii
soon convene, at which session
much will be expected from it b,
the people to enable them to prop
erly conduct the affairs of State
hood, witch at this time sccms t,
be an accepted fact.
Our statutory laws ares to say
the least, in deplorablc condition
Where 10 begin, or where to end,
W il be Il matter of serious consid
GRAFTON. With this fact in view We
will endeavor to call the attention
Of the legislators to a few measures
l,at need adjustment.
The several boundary lines OF
all our Counties are vague, and in
some instances grossly complex -
In hardly al instance but they CON
tlict, making an incomplete dlvi
sion of recincts, school districts,
road districts, &c. thereby caus
ing erroneous, and often lI!rgal
elections, nonresident officials, vi
cious appropriations and bad gov
ernmcnt generally. Define the
lines, and let the people know
where they live, and who should
receive the benefit of the assessed
property in the proper localities.
In the matter of assessment a
change is demanded in the duties
and administration OF the Assess
or's office. Lincoln County, with
an area larger than many of the
States, has only one assessor, who
is compelled to assess the property
in such length of time, which is
utterly impossible. If he had
wings he could¬ view one-fitth
OF the property to be assessed,
working every day the year. How
can 1t be possible to have legal
taxes when such is the case And
the sa AIRY is grossly inadequate,
Another evil connected with the
assessment of taxes, is the lax
manner in which nonresident and
deIinquents are apprised of the
taxes and penalties. Provision
should e made to properly notify
them, and thus should be done by
publication, thereby creating a sub
sidy tor the press, and above all,
making 'i,les valid This is the
course .proyided in most Of the
States, and is eminent.y satisfactO-
ry. While the publisher would
reap Slight benefit, the public
would garner one correSpondlngly
greater and all at the expense of
the delInqucnts, and in many in
stances valuable property would
accrue to the county, which wou d
otherwise revert to new owners
and escape it's proper share OF tax
alton.
Attention has been generally
called to the excessive tees both in
the sheriff and Clerk of the Court
offices. These are such evils as TO
be conspicuous. Attorneys ana
their clients are in many instances
almost impoverished, and many
poor litigauts are compelled to
torrgo conclusions for want Of the
funds to prosecute to an end. We
should have Clerk of tie Court
tor every county, and his fees de-
fined by statute, and the Sheriff
fee bill fully revised.
The administration of tho affairs
of nearly all the counties, when
placed in the hands of only three
The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1888-12-15
GROCERIES,
VEGETABLES,
FRUIT,
CANNED GOODS

The subscriber has opened a
place of business for the sale of
the above goods, IN the building
on White Oaks Avenue, nearly
opposite Weeds store, and res
tectfully solicits a share of public
renayc.
JOHN A. BROWN.
The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1888-12-15

commissioners, is an evil whic
calls for correction, both as to nun
bers and compensation. AS a
present constituted, jobbery is no
impossible. The different local
ties should have fuller representa-
tion and more attention paid t.
county legislation. With so smal
n representation, county affair
must be neglected and many a ne
cessary improvement go unheeIcC
Give us a County Board, with 1
member from each precinct ol
town. The expense will not be
greatly increased, and a vast am
of good Legislation would be tie
result.
Our School laws ne d revision,
and more ample provisions are de-
mauded for our schools. At pre-
sent to" much depends upon pri
vate mnniiicencH. The support If
our public schools should be com
puISorv. and as we grow older pro-
vision must be made for their main
tainance. 1t will pay to give this
subject careful consideration.
Our highway laws arc in bad
shape. Overseers complain of the
imrossibiity OF compelling the col
lection of poll tax, and in many in
stances, when paid in cash, the a
mount is inadequate People pre-
ter to pay rather than furnish the
necessary labor, and many escape
payment entirely.
The manner of voting calls for
immediate attention. We have no
such thing rs secret ballot Ihe
system. as now prescribed, makes
it impossible for voter to cast a
secret ballot. Anyone can inform
himself as to how his neighbor cast
his ballot. Give us such a law rs
will make this impossible.
Above all, change oLr Jury sys
TEN. The idea OF Juror beng
impanneled who cannot understand
Il word OF the English language !
Let the situation be reversed, and
our statutes be made in good En-
glish instead of bad Mexican We
are now about to apply for admis-
sion into the sisterhood of States
and we should be essentially Am
erican, not Mexican. BY doing as
we suggest much of the expense
and occasion Of Interpreters will
be saved. SO Il day tor an inter
prefer IN every court in the Terri
tory is outrageous, and when we
do away with this official as a rule
and only make hlm necessity our
Mexican fellow citizens will apply
themselves more to our language
and customs, which will be more
advantageous all around.
Witnesses and Jurors in our Jus
tice courts should receive compen-
sation. Take the fee, or a portion
of it, from the officer, and give it
TO the Juror and witness.
The Probate practice sadly calls
for reformation. Too many estates
are uniustly held in the hands of
the court aud administrators. -
Prompt settlements and frequent
and concise reports should be ex-
acted from administrators, execu-
tors and guardians.
Gentlemen of the Legislature
we have called your attention to a
few of the crying evils, and hope
you will receive our suggestions in
a friendly spirit. To you, one al d
all, we wish success In your endea-
vors to make the necessary changes
and new enactments. Call to your
aid any assistance in our power,
and as a publisher or private citi-
zen we will assist and aid you in
our humble way.
CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS -!
The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1888-12-15
CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS !!

Toys and presents for the Young
and the old. Santa Claus, as usu-
al, has sent them ahead of his ar
rival. On exhibition mt
BoND & STEwARTs.
The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1888-12-15

The annual advertisement of the
New York Press will be found
elsewhere in cur columns We
commend The Press to the atten-
tion of our readers. The paper is
scarcely a year old, but it is SO
cheap, so bright aud so earnestly
Republican. that it already has a
greater circulation than any other
Republican Daily paper in Ameri-
ca having attained II National rep
utahon and influence.
Republican patronage from all
,v,r the country is making The
Press great success, and an al
ready bright PAPER is being daily
improved.
The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1888-12-15
IrJ E& E&11HGOR1AM

t came, as the Scriptures say, " Iik
thief in the night" and abou
, O'Clock Il. IN. last Tuesday stol
into the chamber of w. J.. +
Stewait,and cXtingushed the ligh
of his lite's lamp.
Albeit the old gentleman die
not come to White Oaks until Nov
1st., 'S6, he was probably as wei
known as any old settler, par.ly
owing to his quaint appearance. be
ing short IN stature, and wearing
white complexion, hair and beard,
and because of his relationship as
ather Ot our hon0red citizen. L..
w. Stewart. and book-keepcr for
the firm of Bond IL Stewart.
The deceased was " one in a
thousand. In public, post or
lodge, his disposition was retiring,
while with one or two friends he
was entertain ng as a conversation =
aliSt, happy and breezy in his ma
ture as Il school bay in vacation -
Like unto the writer, lie was an
Odd Fellow and a member o; tie
q. y. r.. and it was our fortune
10 have received many social and
brotherl y visits from hrm. Thro'
sGch interviews we learned his in
ncr, his trne character, for on the
outside there were no elnbelhsh
ments, no pretentious reachinggtor
popular attraction or favor. He
had the qualities Of m.nd and of
heart to attract, but rather with
the influence OF the magnet, which
onl V exhibits or .naniirsts it's al
tractlye powers upon approach or
contact. He loved man simply for
his manhcod-pretence, clothed
p 'litlcally, rcligionsly, or IN other
fuse, hypocritical garb, he desuis-
e with all the intensity Of his ma
tlre. True himself, he would not
hypo'hc' e o. any rms princi-
pie tor policy.
HIS demise has impressed upon
rs remembrance OF what some
sage once said, that "every mans
back door looks out upon the abyss
Of death" Whether said abvss
be deep or shallow, wide or mar
row, no one has ever essayed to
return and inform us. It's presence
and reSistIess current we are fire.
qlcntly called upon to r, alize even
before our feet touch the waters,
and such reminders as this tax
ing away" should admOnish us
that pickering among neighbors,
purvcying of slander, lusting after
" flesh pots" will turn to ashes,
whereas the legacy of a good name
though left to kindred and posteri-
ty without costly tinsel, surpasseS
gold shaped and garnered by IN
trigueing hands, thousands of folds.
Wednesday the kindly old gen
tleman was" laid away" in tine old
cemetery, under the auspices of
the Grand Army of the Republic.
The funeral was a large and impo-
sing one. 1t seemed as though ev-
cry adult and child in town were
present. The q. a. K. IN uniform,
W. r. c. in badges, and |. O. q.
L. III rcgalia, were out in strength
proportionate to their numbers,
rendering the procession lengthy
one. The body was first taken to
the Town Hall, where Rev. Lmd
delivered very eloquent and i'm
presSlve sermon from the words Of
Paul, "to 1--we Is Christie die is
gain
The cortege then nDoved TO the
cemetery, where the beautiful rit
ual services OF the G. A. r. were
rendered, and lie little body of the
cid patriot and Christian was low
cred into the depths of mother
The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1888-12-15

VIVA. 1esfrey, matter 81 Proprietor
The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1888-12-15
Assaying tanght in all its branch
cs on r60Sonable terms.
CarizO aOtel.
WHITE OAKS. NEW MEXICO
WM. GALLAGHER, Prop.

This Tletcl is new brick structure and
is furnished throughout with new fuini-
turc Sleeping rooms are well supplied
with clean and comfortable beds, and pro
Vided with light and ventilation. Table
supplied with the best the market af
fords. Every care taken of, and atten-
tion paid to wants of transient guests.
The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1888-12-15

CANDIES, Nuts, Apples and Fan
cy Groceries at
RoND d SrEwARrs.
New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-12-26

ii men been in the
{ in the camp could
half the ex-
: arrival of that
, the next morning
t the instrument
-4dy-gurdy saloon,
kin, the leading
New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-12-26

gambler in the place. 1t took nearly
a week to get this wonder on its legs,
and the owner was the
proudest Individual in the
State. Itrose gradually from re-
cumbent to upright position, amid
q confusion of tongues, after the
manner of the Tower of Babel.
OF course everybody knew how such
an instrument should be put up.
One knew where the ssoff hind leg:
should go, and another was posted
on the front piece"
Scores of men came to the place
every day to assist
s'I'll put the bones in good order.
'If you want the wires tuned up.
I'm the boy
1--we got music to feed it for q
month z
Another brought a pair ofblankets.
for a cover, and all took the liveliest=
interest in it. TWAS atlast in aeon.
dition for business.
It's been shown its teeth all the
New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-12-26

where the apple blossoms sank
through the soft air to join the vio-
let's on the old New England States;
they saw the glories of the Wisconsin
naples and the haze of the Indian
summer, blending their hues togeth-
er; they recalled the heather ofScott-
ish hills, the white cliffs of Britain,
and heard the sullen roar of the sea,
as it beat upon their memo ries
vaguely. Then came all the old
Christmas carols, such as they had
sung in church thirty years before;
the subtle music that brings up the
gimmer of wax tapers, the solemn
shrines, the evergreen, holly, mistle-
toe. and surpliced choirs. Then the
remorseless performer planted his
final stab in every heart with
Home, Sweet Home. 2
When the player ceased, the crowd
skunk away from him There was no
more revelry and devilment left in
his audience. Each man wanted to
sneak off to his cabin and write the
old folks a letter. The day was
DIedkluS DIS sune ldS6 Inau lelU Une
place, and the player, laying his
head down on the piano, fell asleep.
81 say, pard.o said Goskin, you
want a little rest2"
Il do feel tired Z the old man said.
Perhaps you'll let me rest here for
the matter of day or So"
He walked behind the bar where
some old blankets were lying and
stretched himself upon them.
4 feel pretty sick. | guess | won't
last long. I've got a brother down
in the ravine-his names Driscoll.
He don't know I'm here. Can you
get him before morning?"
Goskin started. He knew Driscoll
we'll.
He your brother? I'll have him
here in half an hour
As he dashed out into the storm
the musician pressed his hand to his
side and groaned Goskin heard the
word Hurry and sped down the
New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-12-26

ravine to Driscoll's cabin. 1t was
quite light in the room when the two
men returned. Driscol was as pale
as death.
''My God! I hope he's alive!
wronged him when we lived in En-
gland, twenty years ago"
They saw the old man had drawn
the blanket over his face. The two
stood a moment, awed by the
thought that he might be dead.
Goskin lifted the blanket and pulled
it down astonished. There was no
one there!
ssGonel0 cried Driscoll, wildly.
sGonep echoed Goskin, pulling
out his cash-drawer. "Ten Thousand
dollars in the sack, too"
The next day the boys followed a
horses tracks through the snow, and
lost them IL the trail leading to-
ward Phoebe.
There was a man missing from the
camp. ItWas the three-card monte
man, who used to deny point-blank
that he could play the scale. One
day they found a wig of white hair,
and called to mind when the esstrang-
er" had pushed those locks back
when he looked toward the ceiling
for inspiration, on the light of De
cember "a, 1861.
New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-12-26

on some roast bear, devouringi it like
any wild animal would have done.
As meat and drink and warmth be-
gan to permeate the stranger, he
seemed to expand and Tighten up.
His features lost their pallor, and he
grew more and more content with
the idea that he was notin the grave.
As he underwent these changes, the
people about him got merrier and
happier, and threw off the feeling of
depression which he had laid upon
them.
DO you always have your place
decorated like this?'' he finally
asked of Gosllin.
This is Christmas Eve. was the
reply.
The stranger was startled.
December tWenty-fourth, sure en-
ough.
That's the way I put it up, pard. ;"
When was in England always
kept Christmas. But [ had, forgot
ten that this was the night. I've
been wandering about in the noun
tains until I've lost track of the
feasts of the Church .
Presently his eye fell upon the
piano
Where's the player" he asked.
Never had any" said Goskin,
blushine
Z used to play when was young
Goskin almost tainted at the adj
mission
Stranger, do tackle it and give us
a tunel Nary man in this camp ever
had the nerve to wrestle with that
music box
His pulse beat faster, for he feared
that the man would, like all others,
refuse him.
s1I'H do the best I cam" he said.
There Was no stool, but Selling a
candle-box, he drew it up and seated
himself before the instrument. It
only required a few seconds for a
hush to come over the room. 'SThat
old coon is going to give the thing a
New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-12-26

RATTLE" The sight of O. man atSthe
piano was something so unusual that
even the faro-dealer, who was about
to take in a ftty-dollar bet on the
tray, paused and did not reach for
the. money Men stopped drinking,
with the glasses to their lips. Con-
versation appeared to have been
struck with a sort of paralysis, and
cards were no longer shufied. The
old man brushed back his long, white
locks, looked to the ceiling half closed
his eyes, and in mystic sort of rev
erie passed his fingers over the keys.
He touched but a single note, yet the
sound thrilled the room. TWAS the
key to his improyisa ton, and as he
Wove his chords together the music
laid its spell upon every ear and
heart.
He felt his way along the keys, like
a man treading uncertain paths; but
he gained confidence as he progressed,
and presently bent to his work like a
master. The Instrument was not in
exact tune, but the ears of his au-
dience, through long disuse, did not
detect anything radically wrong.
They heard succession of grand
chords, a suggestion of melodies
here and there, and it was enough.
See him counter with his leftl''
said an old rough,
He calls the turn every time on
the upper end of the board, re-
sponded a man with stack of chips
in his hand.
The player wandered off into the
old ballads they had heard at home.
All the sad and melanchoIy and
touching songs that came up like
dreams of childhood, this unknown
player drew from the keys. His
hands kneaded their hearts like
dough, and squeezed out the tears as
from a wet sponge. As the strains
flowed one upon the other, they saw
their homes Of the long ago reared
again; they were playing once more.
New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-12-26

aHoW many rooms in your new
house. my DEAR" inquired a good
old-fashioned mother other daughter,
who had just acquired a West Side
home. Ten apart ments reception
room, draWing-room, dining room,
larder, cuisine, lavatofy, and four
chambers, besides the attic and fur
nace-room. was the reply. Dear
me, how your father gets things
mixed, exclaimed the old lady.
HE told me after he bought the
house, that there was a parlor, sit
tineg-room, dining-room, pantry,
Kitchen, bathrro ON, four bedrooms,
q cellar and a garnet. s
New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-12-26
$40 Reward
To a compliant Pianer Playe

This he stuck up on the music
rack, and, though the inscription
glared at the frequenters of the room
until midnight, it failed to draw amy
musician from his shell.
SO the nlerry-making went on; the
hilarity grew apace. Men danced
and sang to the music ofthe squeaky
fiddle and Worn-out guitar, as the
jolly crowd within tried to drown
the bowling of the storm without.
Suddenly, they became aware of the
presence OF a, white haired man
crouching near the fireplace. His
garments-such as were left, were wet
with melting snow, and he had a half.
starved, half-crazed expression. He
held his thin, trembling hands to-
ward the fire, and the light OF the
blazing wood made them almost
transparent. He looked about him
once in while, as if in search OF
something, and his presence castsuch
a chill over the place that gradually
the sound Of the revelry was hushed,
and it seemed that this waif of the
storm had brought in with it all of
the gloom and GOODNESS of the war
ring elements. Goskin, mixing up a
cup OF hot eggg-nogg, advanced and
remarked cheerily:
Here, stranger, brace up! This is
the real stuff. =
The man drained the cup, smaked
his lips, and seemed more at home.
Been prospecting hey? Out in
the mountains-cau ght in thestorm?
Lively night, this!'
Pretty bad, said the man.
Must feel pretty dry
The man looked at his streaming
clothes and laughed, as If Goskin's
remark was a sarcasm.
How long out?"
Four days.
Hungry"
The man rose up, and walking over
to the lunch counter, fell to work up
New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-12-26

week. We'd like to have it spit out
something"
Alas! there wasn't man to be
found who could play upon the in
strument. Goskin began to realize
that he had a losing speculation on
his hands. He had a fiddler, and a
Mexican who thrummed guitar. A
pianist would have made his orches-
ira complete. One day a three-card
monte player told afriend confdenti-
ally that he could "knock any amount
OF music out OF a piano, if he only
had it alone a few hours to get his
hands in" This report spread
about the camp, but on being ques-
toned he ;avowed that he didn't
know a note of music. twas noted,
however, as a suspicious circum-
stance, that he often hung about the
instrument, and looked upon itslong-
ingly, like a hungry man gloating
over a beefsteak in a restaurant win
dow There was no doubt but that
this man had music in his soul, per-
haps in his fingers lends, but did not
dare to make trial of his strength
after the rules of harm ony had suf
fered SO many years of neglect. So
the fiddler kept on with his !jigs, and
the greasy Mexican paved his dis.
cordant guitar, but no man had
the nerve to touch thatpiano. There
were, doubtless, scores of men in the
camp who would have given ten oun-
ces of gold-dust,to have been half an
hour alone with it but every mans
nerve shrank from the ieers which the
crowd would shower upon him should
his first attempt prove a failure. It
got to be generally understood that
the hand which first essayed to draw
music from the keys must not SLOUGH
it's work.
1t was Christmas Eve, and Goskin..
according to his custom, had decora.
ted his gambling hell with sprigs OF
mountain cedar and shrub whose
crimson berries did not seem a bad
imitation OF English holly. The piano
was covered with evergreens, and all
that was wanting to fill the cup OF
Goskln's contentment was a man to
play that piano.
christmas night, and no piano
FOUNDER" he said. "This is a nice
country for a Christian to live in
Getting a piece of paper, he
scrawled the words:
New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-12-26
i Piano inCanp.
christmas Carol.

christmas Carol.
might have been five
or later, this is not his
public schools-there was
Ip about ten miles from
upied by upwards ofthree
Iers, every one Of whom
'acked his prospecting
nd left formore inviting
le before sunset. When
YER, these men did not
labors, like the honest
agriculturist, but sang,
Died, and shot each 9TH
Cd seized them.
og the report spread
n street (Which was the
that three men had been
-er Reef, and that the
Oming in. Presently a
conveyance labored up
- by q couple of horses,
with their pull. The
good-sized box, and
it's outlines become
i the glimmer OF q
mere and there, than
effect the idlers.
- enforces respect, and
pc had caught sight
: crowd gradually
and when the
@ stand-still the cart
V surrounded. The
was not in the least
The solemnity Of his
~ asked one.
t -eGamined. Guess 500
vg 2lled his pipe and lit it
'lued:
.-~ bones and load had
le grade. D
10 had been looking on
IT once.
low who you have in
if they happen to be
of mine, I'll lay you
nightly soon see, . said
coolly. "Just burst the
they happen to be the
ant, I'm here
)oked at each other for a
ID the crowd gathered a
nticipating trouble.
r began to pry UP the
. board off and then
ONE old rags. A strip
: dar k, like rosewood,
elf.
films, by thunder!' said
-""H crowd looked quite
yards few up, and the
ready to defend his
Y shifted his weapon a
| manner of the team
itated him that he had
nd to pull his weapon
at of the dead, even if
vas his worst and old
'rIsently the whole of
as off, and the team
TAthe packing, re-
onished groupe the
: which puzzled all
"this is apianner. .
of laughter went
who had been so
respect lOr bIle
something about
the keeper of the
sseveral ounces bet |
# The boys had |
--+-- attention it
ii men been in the
lin the camp could
ned half the ex-
3 arrival of that
the next morning
t the instrument
--------------4dy-gurdy saloon,
kin, the leading