davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-12-27

/ "1f you want the wires tuned up,
I'm the boy"
'I've got music to feed it for a
month";"
Another brought a pair ofblankets
for u cover, and all took the liveliest
interest in it. Itwas at last in con-
dition for business.
'It's been showin' it's teeth all the
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 losing speculation on
his hands. He had II fiddler, and IL
Mexican who thrummed guitar. A
pianist would have made his orches-
ira complete. One day three-eard
monte player told a friend 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-
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-12-27
The Christmas SDirit.

Christmas is not only the mile-mark
of another year, moving us to
thoughts of self-examination: it is II
season, from all it's associations.
whether domestic or religious.
suggesting thoughts ofjoy. A man
dissatisfied with his endeavors is &,
man tempted to sadness. And in the
midst of the winter, when his life.
runs lowest and he is reminded of
the empty chairs of his beloved. it is
we'll he should be condemned to this
fashion ofthe smiling face. Noble dis
appointment, noble self-denial are not
to be admired, not even to be par
doned, if they bring bitterness.
1t is one thing to enter the kingdom
of heaven MAIN; another to MAIN
yourself and stay without. And the
kingdom of heaven is of the childlike.
of those who are easy to please. who
love and who give pleasure. Mighty
men of their hands, the smiters and
the builders and the judges, have
lived long and done sternly and vet
preserved this lovely character; and
among our carpet interests and two
penny concerns, the shame were in-
delible if we should 10 Sc it. Gentle
ness and cheerfulness. these come be-
fore all mortality; they are the per-
feet duties. And it is the trouble
with moral men that they have
neither one nor other 1t was .he
moral man, the pharisee, whom
Christ could not away with. Ifyour
morals make you dreary, depend up
on it they are wrong.-RoRERT LOUIS
STEVENSON. December Scribner's.
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-12-27

81 used to play when was young"
Goskin almost tainted at the ad-
mission.
stranger, do tackle it and give us
a tune! 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.
"I'll do the best l can," he said.
There Was no stool, but seizing a
candle box, he drew it up and seated
himself before the instrument. 1t
only required a few seconds for q
hush to come over the room. '"That
old coon is going to give the thing q
rattle" The sight Oft man at the
piano was somethingso unusual that
even the faro-dealer, who was about
to take in fiity-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 Il sort of paralysis, and
cards were no longer shuffled. The
old man brushed back his long, white
locks, looked to the ceiling half closed
his eyes, and in a mystic sort of rev.
erie passed his fingers over the keys.
He touched but a single note, yet the
sound thrilled the room. It.was the
key to his improvisation, and as he
wove his chords together the music
laid it's 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 a succession of grand
chords, suggestion of melodies
here and there, and it was enough.
"See him counter with his left!'
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 melancholy, and
touching songs that came up like
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-12-27

toned he avowed that he didn't
know a note of music. TWAS noted,
however, as suspicious circum-
stance, that he often hung about the
instrument, and looked upon i: long
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 ENDS, but did not
dare to make trial of his strength
after the rules of harmony 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 S
nerve shrank from the ieers which the
crowd would shower upon him should
his first attempt prove a failure. 1t
got to be generally understood that
the hand which first essayed to draw
music from the keys must not slouch
it's work.
II y \ y
1t was Christmas Eve. and Goskin,
according to his custom, had decora-
ted his gambling hell with sprigs OF
mountain cedar and a 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
Goskin's contentment was man to
play that piano.
christmas night, and no piano
pounder,' he said. "This is a nice
country for Christian to live in.'
Getting a piece of paper, he
scrawled the words:
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-12-27

dreams of childhood, this unknown
player drew from the keys, His
! hands kpeaded 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
where the apple-hlossoms 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 Brit ain,
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
glimmer 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"
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 letter. The day was
breaking as the last man left the
place, and the player, laying his
head down on the piano, fell asleep.
81 say, pard," said Goskin, "you
want little rest?"
II do feel tired" the old man said.
Perhaps you'll let me rest here for
the matter of a day or so"
He walked behind the bar where
some old blankets were lying and
stretched himself upon them.
81 feel pretty sick. Iguess I won't
last long: I've got q brother down
in the ravine-his names Driscoll.
He don't know I'm here. Can you
get him before morning?"
Geskin started. He knew priscoll
we'll.
"He your brother? TIL 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
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-12-27
CASABIANCA'S CHRISTMAS.

The boy sat at the festal board
His eye was bright and clear
And shone like diamonds in the dark
He knew not what was fear.
He opened wide his cherry lips
And said: MA may go
To work a-eating cake and pie
You people are SO slow?"
His mother heard not what he said,
The boy impatient grew,
OF turkey and plain fare he'd tired,
And wanted something new.
And soon the outer world was lost
To that fair urchin's thought
And manfully he ate away
1t was fierce onslaught.
His mother urged him to desist,
His father said he'd die;
But still the boy kept right along
Devouring cake and pie.
They left him there alone to fight
His way and make his mark;
Right sturdily he ate along
From noon-time until dark.
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-12-27
SONNET TO SANTA CLAUS.

Hail, Santa Clausl All hail, thou Xmas
mysteryl
Hail. patron saint of ofminiature humanity!
Bold driver of feet reindeer DER our houses
roofs,
Thy wondrous sledge packed high with
sweet affections proofs
With well-nigh everything, penny-whistle
from
To Laughing doll'' for Maud, and "wooly
horse" for Tom,
Like "magic bottle" or the widow scurse," "
holds out
Until it reaches the last lone chimney on
route!
Hail, Santa Claus, oil hail! The rash icono-
clast
Would relegate thee to the crypt where my this
are east;
But, long as "buds of promise" cheer, and
chmneys stand,
Wilt thou, on Xmas eve, drive forth on
missions grand?
o live forever, dear st. Mich, whom chill
dren bless,
And may thy opuence of shadow ne'er be
less
DAN d. LYON.
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-12-27

$40 Reward
To O. compliant Pianer Player.

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 any
musician from his shell.
So the merry-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 q while, as if in search of
something, and his spresence cast such
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 coldness OF the war;
ring elements. Goskin, mixing up a
cup of hot egg-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-caught in the storm?
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 sarcasm,
"How long out?"
"Four days"
Hungry"
The man rose up, and walking over
to tho lunch counter, fell to work up.
on some roast bear, devouringit 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 not In 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 Goskin.
"This is Christmas Eve," was the
reply.
The stranger was startled.
December twenty-fourth, sure en-
ough.
s'That's the.way / put it up, pard.n
''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,
blushing
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-12-27

"You should make your children
more careful than to spill a drop OF
ink on the WALL said the angry
landlord. ''It will be a big expense.
but I'll have the painter come at
once, for | couldn't allow such an
eyesore to remain in . house of mine
five minutes after saw it." ssI'm
very sorry about it, she replied II
suppose that as the painter is COM
ing you will have him fix that stain
on the ceiling where the rain came i'm
six months ago" New York Sum-
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-12-27

A littlegirl was sitting on the floor,
when the sun shone on her face.
"Go 'wayl go 'way!'' she cried,
striking out at it. "You move, dear.
and it won't trouble you" said her
mamma. "P SAINT; / dothere first,"
said the little one.-Youth's Com
panion.
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-12-27

Have Just received o complete
stock Of new goods. A grand assort
ment from which to select your sum
mer suits.
Call and examine and leave your
order.
The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-12-27

That night q groan, an awful groan,
Rang out upon the air.
The boy was dreaming that a mule
Had hold of his back-hair.
A horrid phantom tweaked his nose
And pinched his rosy cheeks.
And there he lay in the same bed
For even thirteen weeks.
And when at last he rose and dressed
His brow was marked with sorrow,
And the next Christmas he will save
A few sweets for the morrow.
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1888-06-20

In Persia or Turkey, if a husband
wishc' n divorce from his wife, all ho has
to do is to order her out of tho house,
Tho Pcrsans, however, havo custom
which serves as a check upon this pro,
ceedng Tho law gives all her own
property to woman who is turned away.
and as piecaution against divorce the
husband in tho marriage contract Is gen.
orally required to promise considerable
sum of money aa wedding gift to his
bride. This money Is not forthcoming
at tho wedding, nor expected, but 1t is
placed to tho wfe's credit as q debt owed
to her by her husband. AZ in case of
divorce this money would havo to bo
paid over tho amount Is Usually made
so largo that II Ia virtually beyond tho
husband's meapR Consequently divorces
are comparatively few IA Persia, - Zoo,
ton Transcript,
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1888-06-20
FACTS FROM TIE FIELD.
Ihc Report OF the South CnnIi-
na agricultural Drpart-
mrmt for June I.

COLUMBIA, June 13.-Thc state
department of Agriculture furnish
"H the following statement show
ing ihr condition etc., of the crops
june ! based on the reports of 25l
county and township cOrrcspon-
dents:
TN" crop prospects in South Car
DINA are not generally so favora-
bic rs at this date last year. rhc
seasons during the month OF May
were unravorable for cotton; cool
nights, high winds and excessive
rains retarded tn" growth of the
plant and caused the crop to be-
come grassy. II is the general
opion OF the correspondents that
tIc crop Is fully two weeks later i'm
development than on the lSt of
June, 1857. In some favored local
ltirS the plant is reported healthy,
well cultivated and Vigorous. The
area has been Slightly increased
over last year.
Corn lands have been well pro
pared and Ia" crop W"ll cultivated
Whi'" NOR" I"ltiIiH"r, per acre have
been uScI than ordinarily. The
growth WAS SLOW carIN in thr
month fran, ,I,n I,,.l. r
the more loyorahl, .r,.nns ,nnnIit
ted greatly. Abuut thrur-rnuriI.
OF the cron j. rIout.L nn uni.n,i.
and the condition of this nrr; 80
the crop clio. ~ annrnyiull,ns nm
avcrarr. In,yI,nIy NV, h,,m
Hooded and N"uc damage has re-
suited from the rrr.hrts In.nr,,,
have injured the rron ON haitian
lands. At present The prnsurct for
the usual Weld is prnmisium
Wheat was iniurrd bv loir rrn.t.
and rust. risrnrd prcm,turrlv. ana
the Yield WAS rrdilrrL below las,
year l'nl'avurabIr seasons h,s
somewhat reduced the virlI o,ts
Harvesting began the latter n,rt
of May.
The other crops, includinm pros.
rice, swcrrand Irish potoIncs. su.
gnrcInr and sorghum. pconuts cIc
are fully IN to an ,y,r.,uo n,rri.S
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1888-06-20
what it Costs to Build and
Equip Il Canning Factory.
The TradcSnanl


Fruit and vegetable canning is
destined to become Il most valuable
industry in the South. The qucs-
ton is attracting deep interest and
the moro closely il is investigated
the moro encouragement it offers
rs most profitable and safe invest
mcnt. NuE TRADESMAN believes
that the 'uturc of the South is de-
pendent on our industries being di-
HcrSllicd and there is 40 field that
offers moro inducemrnt than the
Dranch above alluded to.
TO give our readers a better idea
Oh the cost ofa moderate sized fruit
canning establishment, THE IRA
DESMAM has had prepared by Mr..
ThOs. Y. Hall, IF Chattanooga, an
expert mechanical engineer, Il care
iulIy prepared estimate of the cost
OF such an industry We below re-
produce his estimates:
E$timatcd cost Of Il EruH ana I'pU-
cfdblc Cunning FuctOry, Witd Il
cupocfty Of j,OOO TuhS PEI. duy
~ ten hOurS. 4 iSO curungpd to
M"""unct"rc 3,OOO cans PEI. du1.
ohrj1 horS" power tubular boiler.
$3.50; one horse power UPRIGHT en-
ginr, $50; ono combi. cd talk ana
boiler feed pump, TI2a; one - no
rl%onal coil heater, T35; one water
supply tank 5XG feet, made of cv-
press, SID; one rectangular tank
with Wrou sht iron basket hinged to
side for Scalding Tomatoes, $35;
three 80 gallon steam jackrtcd cop
per kettles for working parinrs.
cores and refuse fruit i'm iclics, etc,
$40; one Matthews patent process
sing machine, $3.50; one four head
power Gaping machine, $l2O; four
palr square point y III. .capping cop
prrS, $40; tw" No. fire pots with
burners for city gas, -; one No. 90
H'"r'"vant blower for fire pots S2S;
one solder m"ul |, pot and laLlc,
T""; Valves, piping, hrIting, shaft
ing, hangers, pnIlrys, etc 800; one
rotary solder cutter, SO. Total ~
600.
The last iitc items can be used
IN connection with the following
TOOLS for manufacturing cans, which
Is usually cone during the slack
uaN9 IN TN" canning department
ana with same hands that do thr
canning: one Ne. >! lover press
Tor cap dies, so; ne 40. 20 excel
Slor Slnaring shears, T5j: one 40.
hanu forming rolls, 50; one IL.
combination die for tops and bot
toms, S:}3; one IL. combination
die for tops and bottoms, %3j; one
> 10. continuation die for tops and
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1888-06-20

USED TO WASH TilE FACES OF
FEDERAL Sol OH RS.

Tho Rev. Mr.. BrHdWrll j. Il mDod
man, n good citizen and "A good
prrachCr. He il n colnrrl man
with Il form Anl face that attracts;
attention. He j. the prrsihilw 81.
der, an'l was wcll-raiacd hy Il %l-
vannnh gentleman and ha- ihr
manners Of II wrhtlrmnn. He j..
my nri%hbor, and we like him for
h" sets II good example to his race.
Congress has Just passed. hill to
pay him nearly four thousand dol
lars for tour bales of cotton that
S1h"rman'S bumm"rS picked up aud
carried away TO keep i"r him and
forgot to return. cha bill was
passed unanimously. and we are
glad of il. \ thousand dollars \
bate is right fair price for cotton.
That claim was allowed because
MIR. liradwrll is II colurch man, ami
it shows the kindly feelings OF the
people both North and south to the
colorch race. Mayh" this is the he
ginning Of the great restoration.
Maybe our white folks will come
next and Tu some of thc Surplus
thnt is in the treasury.
II they will pay us what they owe
us and took from n with malice
nior"-lh"ught we won, say Il word
more about the tariff nor Internal
revenue SEQ there are a l,t of
cIaims being fled from the South,
and wonder il the claimants were
Union men So-callrd, or our mrm-
bcrs OF Congress just taking them
up promiScuouS. If they are MI
Union men lhcy are getting pretty
numerous ol ln'r, ana, reckon VIII
G"l NOR" thi"E"r more dVn~"r, rs
'"o' says, II '"hEr"SS is going To
pay 'h"m. Most al ct III" original
H'r"SN'"h'S'S are drad, bat ia" m
ion men are lN"lN-Gull" Ilv"lN,
Nr''' 'I' inr' =, "" W"r" all tor
union 81, 't'' i'rlh'll'i"N. \ few
Wah''h |" iGht tut tor TIA" fun Of
lhr 'hIn", hui not many Most ot
us !hN' wanted to Srr"'i'-to dis
So'F' IN" partner thIr--'ha!' ail.
we never iT"l'"'"" TO o'hNh"" th"'r
''''''"'' nor in."ri 'r' M'ih ih|
S"Nor','''n '' Na~h'n&inh So.
h'N'r h''','t"" l'"'f :; h"iI!, Anl
W" never percy 'd lh'r' would h'
n"! h"''"r"n al!' $huN'"" Wi'h
.h' .h' n"NS '"' S''"SN"n' h'it Wh"'
,h' n%n,'h,E come ON 'I"'' h"''"r-
in@ anu "''''','' ~ gent ~ 'l'
,"S ""''' N"'' rN'FN hn'N N"N'i
,'l' ,'''i' ''''t''N''' ,'u, 'h' women
NV r ,''' !','''I,'',7' ""' we yer" 'l'
W. ~. - WV '''!'' :" ''@,'' ,' ,H''N ""W'''
~, - ','''', '''".' ,''F''"'N
""' ,,, ~ ,"rH ",'' ~ I" "'"'" we
M"''''' ''N' r' '"'''' ;,l"''' 'H'' -.
~ v'','>'''''' my ~ ''Ni''hN."''
r,,, rn" ,,''''|,T u''! ','""' 80 '"''
,r i"'r "'' '" ~ NY ",,' '',I
''',' sn,' ~ ,,,'l' '','' "" ~ ~ ~
!, +, ,', ,'''' XXX i''l '"'
49, "L KIN i,,. '',.,i',',' y v
rl N,,,',;,.,
hnn,n 49,, mn'i n",'i ~, 49, ~ r'Ii 'i'',' ""'
"'n,ni ~ ~" Ir',", "r '''' '".' i 49,
,n'r,', MIX. ,'., ,'' ~ 'l ''''
vnry u,,ni, n,,,I;,., ,,nn ,,.',-
- 80 ~ ~ - ''.N 49, - w -
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1888-06-20

UNION, 5. c. June l3-At 1I1O
last night fire broke out and swcut
a whole block Of Union. 1t began
in Swink ~ OutZrIls drug store.
The origin is unknown bnt il is not
supposed to be the work of IN in
cendlnry, The loss is about as fol-
lows: iarr ~ Thompson, groceries
T2,Soo, binding $1,000, fixtures $500
Swink ~ ontz"l, drugs, S2,IOO, W..
III. Gust, confectionery no Insurance.
loss 500, Green Bros, stock $l.jOU
X. W. Harris, building, $500, iy-
lures in post ollirr, Hunter BALD
ing, SO; f. +. Foster building,
$500; j. Is. Young, stock of goods
5000. This is the second dcstuc-
tive fire in Union in two months.
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1888-06-20

The lIawkinsvillc q Waycross
Railroad Co, lhWkinsville, Ga.,
has hecn chartered.
The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1888-06-20

CnAHLEsToN, S. G.. June I3-At
Georges Station to dny liehtcninr
struck The house Of Prof. y. c. CON.
mrr and instantly Killed Miss Annie
rmtnr,I . - tr,ndn,,. ,' "r n.rn''l :
inrnnt in , ry,Jin ,iitImn, INK ;; ~. W
il md slruct Mia. nrmu'' ,t1,' ,.'1", ''.,ss '"s
sittinr in I'M n,iIlin nr,,'o u -" "'H
" '',','''. ~ Wv ""''''
Ii is stated that the scvcntv.llvc
Democrats from California who at
tended the st, Louis convention
were moro lavish in thcil cxpcnd-
lures than any other organization
They reached the scene of action
several days before the great BODY
convened. They occupicd suunrb