davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Telegram-herald., 1888-06-03
A. Cute a. the Yankee.

The Canadians have appropriated solid
chunks Of cuteness from the Yankees IN the
matter OF contracts and contracting. A short
time since the Dominion of Canada awarded
a contract for the building Of bridge over
the Fraser river. on the Canada Poetic road,
to a Canadian contractor at 81. 500, 600 He
sublet the work to Philadelphia contractor
for 600 900. who in turn let the job TO an
other contractor for sloo.00o. and be let Il to
another contractor for $4,000. at which
figures the bridge was built-ChicaGo Herald
Telegram-herald., 1888-06-03

Young wife-John. | wish you would
rock the baby.
Young HusbaDd-Whstu I rock the
baby fort
Y W.-Becsuse be h not very weu
And what's more. half Of him belongs to
yos. and you should net object TO rock
him
Y. H-wsli- don't half belong 70 you 7
Y W-Yes.
H-wsll- yeu can rock your half.
md let my half hoiser.-Cleveland Town
Topeca
Telegram-herald., 1888-06-03

Gsrhnx. tr>sx n - cisy - Chfesrn b
c-ssse <urr>~fs4 sa~s r xhe r.osnt * eoo7orny-
T.ers are s~o fzr7ees - oossfr1c-d tta<
ss~---s ~. srs~~r 6zr-czlv an - eat roof,
~h.ncs sne z.-here = 1ssrzped th~osz1 eAu1es
rsnrszx - 49, Scr seaow. 1s~~e f4ra>cce
A. szr~szx ssoaz sfty sox Y~r dsy.-sa~-
- 6z6rnk
Telegram-herald., 1888-06-03

CtonuafS DIos-. JODOlng ARt =. Detroit, ID
For sale in Grand Rapids at retail by H. Leon
ards Sons & Co, Monroe-st. A Rasch. 122 Canal
ST.; John Cordes. l27 Canal-st.: J. Van Der Neen
JOG Nonroest.: Van Der Veen Whitman. 10
Monroe-st. Cornelils Fox. 95 South Division ct:
G. II. DeGrsaf jr.. 22l South Division-st.: T. II.
Hart, 254 South Division st; X B. Huston. 4S7
South Division St; W. r. Chapman, as aonth
Division St; 7. Falling & Co. 503 south Divi-
sion-st-; Philip Graham, All and 40 south Divi-
SIGN 81. Geo. Tubergen. IS South Division st. A.
ID Young, Weslthy and Jefenon-av II A.
Hydorn. 80 West Bridge St. f. II. Emery. Is West
o. =. aison, i5s West Bridgest Chss. Petersen
les West BFidgeSt: J. 81. Peasley 6s6 Wealthy
ave: J. q. Lehman. 40 West Bridge-st. J. g.
Blakeley Co, 1876 West Fulton-st.: A G.. Wag-
ner. lq7 East Bridgest: o. 8mmons, I2 Esst
BridCe-st Winchester & Sons. 24i East BridRe-st :
Thomas Keaiing, 2l9 East Bridge-st; Mrs g. j.
kruioenier 327 Fast Bridge-sf: G. F. Williams
q Pleinfeld ave-. n r. Kroner - son. s5 Plain
field lave. c. II Saunders. So Painfsld-eye.. z
b. Downing. 2f5 Plainfeld-ave y. Van der Mas
20 Plainfieid-ave.: J. G. Gray, l33 South Divi-
sion s.: Hannfk & VrueRink ls6 Ellsworth ave !:
Melis Hardware, II and 70, Crandville-ave.
Brink Bros & Quint, - Grandvilie-av J.
Wierenga. IS Grsndville-sve.; John Normnest
g. Grandville-ave John :. Dyksirs, West Leon
ard and Tuner-sts; T. Van Der Neen. West
Leonard 81.
Geo. c WeathnTbee & Co, PHELPS, Rrsoe & Co,
Wm Donnsn a Co. MoTan, FitUimmons d Co.
Naumsnn Dueweke Sterke l. Forkel, DetToii.
Mich. Foster. stevens 4 Co. Hawkins 4 Perry.
Bulk iey, Lemon q HOOPS Amos 5 Muzzelma1 d
Co r. LeoDsrd's Sons. JobhiDg Agents Tor Mich
igsn who bur 2. 50 and 100 gross lots.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24
Women in French Public Offices.

The French government has only recently
begun TO employ women In the public Offices
II has now about six thousand In the postal
and Geographic service. tn which they are ad-
mitted after a competitive examination which
has 10 be pretty severe, owing to the large
number OF applicsnts-from five to ten every
vacancy, although the salary Is wretchedly
small. II takes long ye ars of service to reach
the maximum Of 500. NJ George Michel dis
cusses the working Of the experiment In the
last number OF the EcotOmiSte Franco 4, and
gives some interesting details about its cOudL
lions. The Office hours OF the women are
from 10 10 D and they are ridi gly confined to
one portion OF the building, which no man
is allowed to enter except the higher officers
OF the department. They are furnished by the
government with a hot lunch In the building
or breakfast, as they call 10. at from 10 TO ID
cents, from a kitchen established for the pur-
pose. No letters are allowed TO be delivered
to them at the office. All letters addressed to
them there are sent to their homes. As TO the
quality OF the service rendered by the women,
what their superiors say is that they are far
superior 10 men In everything which calls for
manual deXterity. In sending dispatches,
classifying bonds and coupons, verifying and
sort nc postal orders, in the keeping OF ac-
counts, their superiority is incontestable. VI.
Michel SAYS: "They discover errors with that
sureness Of sight which belongs TO women ac-
customed 10 count the points OF a piece OF
tapestry or the threads OF a piece OF linen TO
be marked. They also give very close atten-
ton 10 the copying aud the vcriication Of
tables OF fl gures But as soon rs the work
ceases 10 be in some sort manual their super.
lority diss ppears i'm most cases. They can
not follow up a correspondence or extra ct
the essence OF a transaction from a bundle Of
papers. Their turn of MUD rebels against
this sort OF work-it loses itself In details.p
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24
Telegraphing Made Easy.

The new electric type writer relieves
the operator Of every duty except press
ing down the keys. The carriage
moves automatically to the starting
point whenever the end of a line has
been reached, and also moves up one
notch or line at the same time. But
the most important Office of the new
instrument seems to be its use in re-
ceiving and transmitting telegraphic
dispatches. 1t is said at the patent
office that the instrument can be used
both as "a transmitter and receiver of
intelligence over n single wire, no mat
ter how great the distance may be.
The receiving instrument does not re-
quire the attention of an operator. but
prints the dispatch automatically.
The instruments at both ends of the
line pr mt the dispatch sent, and so n
safeguard against mistakes are provid-
,d. Ii is claimed that the electric type
writer will be valuable a. a local aid to
business. and offers many advantages
over the telephone. One advantage
claimed for il is that no matter wheth-
r a person called up - at h $ place of
business or not, the message a be
printed through the medium Of the
typewriter. and will be there for
perusal on his return. The dispatches
printed ar, in letter form and not nm
endless tape. The instrument has
been christened the dynamograph.-
Philadelphia Record
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24
malefactor. A fourth, the gun. is used

malefactor. A fourth, the gun, is used
in military executions.
he guillotine was designed as a
labor-saving machine during the reign
of Terror by DIR. G~uillotine, who was "A
member OF the constituent assembly in
1883. There were toe many heads to
be removed by the overworked public
eXecutioneer and this device resulted.
The apparatus is very simple Be
tween two uprights slides a triangular
knife, weighted at the upper edge. 1t
Is held in position by a catch. The
victim is laid upon a sliding or fitting
board, securely strapped, and placed,
face downward, with his neck in line
with the groove. A narrow board with
a semi-circular notch slides down and
secures him. Their the trigger is sprung
and the descending knife does the work.
Death is necessarily instantaneous. Ii
is said by some that the ingenious doc
tor persisted on his own machine, but
there is good reason to believe he es-
capped that grim joke of fate and died
peacefully in bed in 1914.
saw an execution by the guillotine
in Marseilles some years ago, The
victim was a young Italian, a wife
murderer. ! was summoned to be at
the Jail at daybreak. In France the
condemned felon does not know the
day nor the hour appointed. This man
was aroused from sleep, pinioned, half
dragged, half pushed, s%hrieking and
moaning into the yard. bound 70 the
fitting plank, thrust forward and killed
all in four minutes. There was q
great deal of blood. a little tremor Of
the limbs, one %convulsiye movement of
the eyelids. In ten minutes from the
time the man had been aroused from
his sleep the eXecutioner was taking
I e apparatus of death apart.
B%eheading by the sword has been a
favorite method in almost all countries.
| saw a head struck OIL by the two
handed sword in a ' llage rear Nagasa-
Xxi, Japan. Both the eXecutioner and
his victim were delIberatea Il cool. The
latter knelt and bowed his head. The
former drew his long, glitteriug weapon.
keen as a razor, wiped II W tn a bit Of
gaudy silk, TOOK his stand, raised the
sword, and tn "A quick, drawing
stroke severed the head. gjy ng vent to
a load, Kissing aspirate "a he did SO.
The point of the weapon did not reach
the ground The eXecutiOner then re-
moved the sta ms with some pieces Of
tissue paper. wiped the blade again
with the silk, sheathed it and strobe
proudly away, followed by cnvious eyes,.
The offender had, | be ieve, testified
falsely in an examination by the tax
collector.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24

zation. There can be no doubt that
public opinion favors the proposed
method. Time and time again the
gallows has bungled its horrible work,
some hitch in the mechanism or care
lessness on the part of the e%xecutioner
having resulted in the decapitatiCn or.
worse still, the slow strangulation of
the condemned man Occasionally,
too. the rope has broken and a thous
and deaths in one inflicted by the delay
in adjusting another. The passage of
the proposed law will forever prevent
these ca~tastrophes.
The execution of malefactors has
been a serious matter of consideration
for lawyers in all nations and in all
times. The more barbarous the people
the more barbarous the method.
in india, the sword for offenders of
rank and the den of cobras for male
fact rs of low degree were popular.
Fire, sacred TO the sur was o holy TO
be used. Poison was a favorite method
of INJECTING death with the a%ncients.
In Gree g the hemlock, among the
Persians a species of upas, among the
Egyptians q ground glass administered
with food were frequently used. The
Romans var ed their forms of capital
punishment much according to the wise
rule of the modern Mikado. Roman
citizens could only die by the sword.
st. Paul being "A Roman, was beheaied.
st. Peter an alien, was cruc fled. Hurl
ING male'actors headlong from the
larpeian rock was common. A Nestal
Virgin who was untrue to her vows
mac - a.. lrv - h.,n gfAanl 90.
death. Tarquin Priscus changed this
to burying alive. Her companion in
crime was scourged to death in the
forum. Later, in the days of Caesars,
criminals were oftener exposed to wild
beasts in the arena, contributing amuse-
ment as well as moral instruction to
the masses.
Torture was considered a wise adj
iunct to capital punishment for cen
turtles The rack the cauldron, the
gridiron. the scavengcr's daughter, the
pincers. iron mask and scourge were
employed Breaking on the wheel was
popular for a long time-the felOn be-
ing fastened, with his arms and legs
apart, to a huge wheel his bones were
broken by blows from an iron bar.
Malefactors were torn asunder by
teams of horses; they were burned at
t e stake, hanged, drawn and quarter
ed, fayed alive. boiled, broiled and
roasted, served up to death in a thous-
and ways, each as revolving and ter
rible as skilled ingenuity could devise.
What W. now reckon as minor Of
lenses were deserving Of death two
centuries ago. Blackstone enumerates
100 o~ffenses VIII Oh in his day in Eng
land were adjudged worthy of death
''without benefit of clergy that is.
the condemned was forbidden even
religious consolation in his last hours,
the law aiming at the destruction of
both tody and soul. Civilization has
changed all this. Penal servitule and
fines are ~adiudged for all offenses not
against life or the state. and only muir
der, treason, and in some states in the
union and in some countries rape, are
deemed worthy of death.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24
a FAIR
She Goes into IA New York Book Store
aud Tai es what she likes

A well known merchant Of this city.
SAYS a New York correspondent Of The
Baltimore american. whose trade is
principally among the female fashion,
abies. q yes some startling information
about kleptomania, which he pronoun-
ces II Il seaSe.
Having just threatened to prosecute
one OF the women in this city for theft
| have been IN q position to know a
cons derable about the extent to which
kleptomania obtains among shoppers
generally" So d the merchant to-day.
IL have a Customer whose pilferings
are worth more to me than her pur-
chases. although she buys heavily.
This disease has taken such firm
hold upon her that her husband pays
her bills without question. This lady.
whose wealth Is up in the hundred
thousands. will not hesitate to pick up
tr fling articles and conceal them. For
these we invaribly send bills at the
highest prices. The husband is so ac-
customed to these bills that each week
he laws aside sn amount he terms nee
die fund. as needles are the articles
most commonly preferred by his
wife. Nor will this kletomaniac
hesitate to steal most trihing articles
from her best friend. Free
quently persons whose houses she
visits report the loss OF small arti-
cles TO her husband. who always pays
the amount. explains the disease to
which his wife is n victim and begs that
nothing be said about the theft far
Their than a presentation to him OF a
bill for the smount A Broadway
baker. whose shop it is her custom to
visit. makes out a monthly bill for Jun
cheon loss And so. wherever this KEEP
tomaniac-r Oh though sho is-visits, a
bill, suspiciously worded, is sure to fol-
low.
During the holiday season the deal
ers in fancy articles complained Of the
loss Of such goods as this k%leptomaniac
would fancy, and one OF them took oc-
casion TO shadow her in her shopping
tour through his place. He discovered
that the lady had appropriated about
thirty dollars worth OF goods, for
which she did not offer TO sell. while
spending hundreds OF dollars for hand
some articles for presents. The pro-
prietor Was is a qusndary. To remind
lis fair customer Of the fact that she
was a thief meant the loss Of the profits
on her purchases. and not to do so would
be to encourage her to greater thefts.
Ascertaining her husbands address
the merchant sought an interview. He
threatened prosecution at first until the
wife's disease for thieving was explain
ed.
Now there is a standing agreement
between the husband and the proprie-
tor of the store. TO the effect that when
in future the wife visits the store.
she shall be closely followed by a
salesmen with account book. The val
ne Of all articles stolen shall be noted
and q bill sent, without the lady's
knowledge. 10 her husband. who pro-
misses TO settle promptly for everything
provided exposure is carefully guarded
against"
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24
The b

A Colorado man gives TO a Boston Post write,
some gossip about ex-senator Tabor OF that
state, who during his thirty days term attract
ed much attention 10y his ostentstious display
OF wealth and pride he took in the new Mrs
Tabor, whom he had inst taken TO himself
after divorcing the first. Mrs. Tabor herself
~. display, and In Denver used TO attract
all ewes In the opera box which the senator
kept for the exclusive use OF his family.
Lately, however, she has become somewhat
surfeited with her notoriety, and has been
seen In the body OF the theater. The first
Mrs. Tabor lives not farifrom the ex-senator's,
and they probably run across each other
nearly every day of their lives. They had
when they were married a young man with
them known as An adopted son, and he still
maintains friendly relations with both his
foster father aud foster mother. He is in
business In Denver and has some dealings
with the first Mrs. Tabor. When the senator
cast her of he gave her property worth about
$500, 900, and II has increased greatly In value
since. There WAS one plot of forty lots, OF
which the lady has recently sold sixteen for
100000. She has another block In another
part OF the city which brings her ia a good
rentsl, though the houses are so eIpen-
sively built that they do not pay such
a fair percentage on the cost as they other
wise would. The senator and the present Mrs
Tabor go about a COOL deal n Denver and are
usually well rece we'd, though there are some
circles that are exclusive toward the lady.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24
Shot with Peas.

The last stroke of the hour Of mid
night has Just sounded. Still he fingers
neal the door with her in the steap
heated hall.
1t is very late" she murmur half
reproachfully as he squeez $ her hand
for the 18th time.
Was that 9 or 10 that struck" he
asked.
1t was ~"
Twelve! And your father is"
Sitting up until you go. and I'm
afraid he will be angry. Oh! Lawrence,
| fear, | dread, 1 tremble 60 softly
perhaps he will not hear"
There was a sound like that OF the
drawing of corks. the door softly opened
and closed, and Lawrence Longstop
went out into the night, the starless,
tenebrious night.
A moment later there was a flash, a
loud report. a wild yell, the hurried
patter on the walk of flying footsteps.
and the maiden's terrible conjecture
was realized as she bebeld her father
enter the hall with a smoking musket
in his hands.
''Ohl father" she shrieked in an
agony of dread, You have killed himl
You have killed him.
"No | haven't. 1t was only peas; he
amt hurt much. 1t was only peas"
''Oh. what Will his folks in Boston
sayP"
''Bostonl Was he from Boston,
''He was
Hang me, If I'd a known that l
would have loaded with beansl'
The Prince and Princess OF Wales will
give a ball at Marlborough House on FRI
day. March q, in celebration OF their liver
wedding, and on Saturday. March 10, there
is to be a large FAM V dinner party con
sisting solely Of Qualities.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24
THE AMERICAN ELECTRIC LIGHT.

The old u got up from his bed In a huff;
Said he, "a have lighted this world long
enough.
IL | smile down in sunshine all cry in a
breath,
Put a veil on your face, you will scorch
us to death
IL ] put on a cloud cap, then one pro
longed scOld
Come out from behind there, we're freez-
ing with cold
So, Dame Earth, | propose to remain in
eclipse;
You NAV trust for your light to the old
tallow dips,
Or to kerosene lamps, or to gas, or TO
stars;
Perhaps you can make an arrangement
with Mars;
You ma find some poor fool who will
light up your sky,
But no contract with me; l am off, SO
good by"
'Old Fellow the Earth cried, don't
give yourself airs.
You may possibly find | can manage af-
fairs.
Your a great one for business Some
times you shine
For fifteen or twelve hours, and some
times FOR nine.
We have always too much sun or else not
enough,
And we can't turn you on, or we can't
shut you OIL.
Old fellow, you're done for, come, bring
on your night.
show you my daisy American light! !
Electric and brilliant and steady and
clear ,
1t will KIN ok your spots out every night
in the year.
New York Granhic
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24

The garrote is worse to my notion
than the guillotine, though but little
blood is shed. The felon sitsin a chair.
To a stout post behind him are affixed
two clasps of iron, which wien joined
encircle his neck. Through the post
and the back OF the collar passes a
screw. When this is turned by the
executioner the collar is frightened and
an iron wedge enters the neck at the
base of the brain, dislocating the axis,
piercing the spinal cord and producing
instant death. | saw a brigand thus
killed at Valencia There was no cap
over the face. When the fatal moment
came | heard, or fancied | heard, the
snap of the bone, and the contortion Of
the face was CHASTITY. The head fell
forward and the criminal was dead,
but the grisly horror of the manner of
his taking of haunted me for years
At the execution of Mrs Druse at
Herkimer last year the Rev. Mr.. Pow
ell, her spiritual adviser. kept her
shivering and moaning under the GAL
lows on n of the coolest days of the
year, while for ten horrible minutes he
aired his views on capital punishment
and recited a 10 ty bit of rhetoric pre-
viously given To the newspapers. His
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24
COrsets and Such.

At q boarding school which | attend
ed six years ago it was a custom Of
many of the girls to loosen their cloth
ing before sitting down to an evening
of study in our rooms. One might
have thought that we expected all the
knowledge freshly assimilated to go
direct to the region of the waist but
the physiologi cal principle was sound.
When respirati on. digestion and circu-
lation are im~peded the brain cannot do
its best work. But there came a time
when this deplorable custom, long o N
tinued in secret. tire atened TO be pro-
us were establi shed at the tables in the
girls parlor during that fatal no ur
when a party of ladies and gentlem en-,
escorted by the governess, were sho wn
through the building. AT each girls
room they raped. and hearing no re-
ply took q glance within-a glance
sufficiently comprehensive to reveal a
pair of corsets folded upon the bed.
laid on a chair. or even flung disdain-
fully upon the floor. "At the first
three or four | saw" said the govern
ess, who came to us afterward with
flaming cheeks. Il felt ashamed; at the
next six or eight | was horr fled, but at
the last half dozen | could scarcely
keep from laughing" Here the guilty
crowd laughed. too. and one OF us in
formed our p%receptress that according
to a German scientist, no less than 90
diseases were directly traceable to the
wearing Of corsets. bell htStIewane,
ia Toronto Globe.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24

The execution Of a criminal is not a
vengeance upon HIM, but a warning to
others Imprisonment for life would
serve as well if the only demand of
society We're the removal of the felon.
But experience has shown that a life
sentence to state prison is not sufficient
~ dreaded by law breakers. remem-
Der that the day Jacob Sharp was
ARA gned two youths, one nineteen and
one twenty, were sentenced for life.
wo minutes later they were laughing
and chatting together as unconcerned
as though the sentence were for a
month. New trials. a pardon, COM
mutation, possibly an escape-these are
all within the range OF hope in case Of
a life sentence, but with the gallows it
is different, and that menace is found
necessary, however revolving it may be.
Many evils attend the present system,
however. The moral effect of the death
sentence is often destroyed by the ex-
C tement i'm the town in which il is to
take place, and by the exaltation of the
criminal, who is for DAYS the central
figure in the community. Maudlin
sympathy has an upheaval in his honor;
flowers, fruits and dainties are pressed
upon him; hysterical women throng TO
see him, and from being a felon he is
made a hero, a martyr and an example
Of Christian fortitude and forbearance.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24

Chaplain Milburn of the house of
representatives continues TO deliver
remark ably pertinent prayers. The day
after Congressman Randall's defeat in
regard to the Craftsmanship of the demo-
cratic state c. mmittee Of Pennsylvania,
the bind chaplain asked that divine
comfort and aid be granted all who
were suffering disappointment and dc
feat. Mr.. Randall sat with bowed head
during the delivery of the prayer.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24

A unique ele ton recently occurred
in a small community in Germany The
vote was taken to decide who was the
''best man in the community. Only
n man, a ,hoemaker, voted, and as
he voted for himself, he was declared
to be unanimously elected to the position
OF best man in the municipality.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24

General Ben Butler walks the streets
of %ashington in a big fur-lined over
coat and leaning on the arm of his
colored valet. lie shows signs of hav-
ing nearly reached the border of the
shadowy land. where the lawyer
occupation will be gone, but he still
keeps his place in the ranks.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24

Hartford, Conn, society is stirred to
its depths over the discovery that whist
parties, so popular there. are in defiance
of the law against gambling, and each
lady and gentleman who has taken part
In the game is liable to a fine Of 500.