davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-27
PREMATURE BURIAL.
Venerable Undertaken Says That Fe
Persons Are Buried Alive.

A Venerable Undertaken Says That Few
Persons Are Buried Alive.
In this country, at any rate, very few
persons have ever been buried alive. [
am over eighty years of age and until
quite lately have worked for under
takers since I was little chap OF
twelve, at which tender age I COM
menced rustling for myself as New
York coffin-maker's errand boy.
Throughout those sixty-fve years of
active work among embalmers and fu-
neral men 1 never knew of a case
where there was any suspicion. Once
about thirty years ago l was sent to
measure body for a coffin. |
saw at glance that life was
not extinct, although a few hours
EARLIER in the day a death certifi-
cate had been issued. The man raj
lied, but never left his bed, and day
Or two afterward 1 was sent for, this
time to ''see if he was dead"
[ said ne was, they believed
me, and the arrangements pro-
ceeded. In the profession tests are
not made; in fact, don't think half of
us know of any by practical experience
There is something in the appearance of
a corpse quite different to any condi-
ton of living body, and there is q
strange Odor in a sick room after death
that was never perceptible before, and
this odor is apparent long before decom-
position sets in. To man with any ex-
perience there is also difference in the
feel of the flesh which absolutely pre-
vents any possibility of error These
tests, if you call them tests, take place
before ice or embalming fluid is used If
spark of vitality happened to remain
when either of these were applied or in
jected, death would be instantaneous,
so that burial alive is very remote con-
tingency. In countries where neither
ice nor embalming is used this safe
guard is lost, but then bodies are usual
ly so decomposed before the interment
takes place that the apprehensions of
the most cautious and loving friends are
naturally allayed.-St. Louis Globe
Democrat.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-27
GRADES IN AUTHORITY.
An Interesting Study Made by an Enter
nriSinr Ranortar

al interesting study Made by an Enter.
prising Reporter.
Authority on board of steamboat is
an interesting study. 1t runs on a slid
Ing scale, but. unlike the gamut, it only
slides one way. This is bad for lower
&C. on the steamboats,, but he has to
stand it. A good illustration of how
the thing works was given yesterday
afternoon just above Madison street
bridge.
The captain of steamer was trying
to make a landing at the dock, but the
operation was attended with some diff
Guilty. A line from the bow had been
run out and made fast to post, but the
yesse.'s stern was swinging off into
the stream. The skipper. with scowl
ON his brow. stood on the bridge alb ift
the wheel-house and stared at the first
mate, who was hustling around on the
hurricane roof amidships Down below
on the quarterback the second mate
was helping the third mate and a deck
nand to take the turns out of stern
line. which was snarled up on deck in
stead of being made fast on the dock
M. Olsen,' said the captain, in a
gentlemanly tone of voice, to the first
mate, why in thunder don't you get
that line out, you long. lean, lank,
knock-kneed, tar-tainted wreck of re-
turning reasonP Don't you see we're
swinging OFF,"
AYE, aye. SIR" M. Olsen replied,
respectfully touching his cap to the
skipper.
Then Mr. Olsen leaned far over the
rail, and raising his voice he called the
| second mates attention to a matter of
great Importance.
Mr. Peterson" he yelled. "what's
eating you, you tow-headed. block-eyed
lubber! Do you want to choke the
streame Get a move on you, and be
quick about it."
AYE, aye, SIR" was Mr.. Peterson's
response to this delicate attention re-
ceived from his superior. He then
gave the third mate some instructions.
Swanson, he gently but firmly re-
marked, Ill crack your blooming skull
if you don hump yourself, you gaunt-
eyed, bowlegged, stock-fish feeder!
Bear hand there. bively there, and
get that line out. "
Aye, aye, SIR" said Swanson in
humble voice.
Then Swanson gave the deck-hand,
who gets twelve dollars per month. a
| clout on the S de of the head which
knocked him down. Then he jumped
on him with both feet and shouted:
why in thunder don't you pay out
that stern line, you low-lived, white
livered, mule-eared, hog-backed, slab
SIDED, bench-legged. feeble-minded
mollingrubber! What are we paying
you for?" And he finished on the poor
man with a kick in the ribs.
The dec6-hand ran the line out and
made the boat fast. Then he went
down in the hold where he Amounted
his person and dubbed himself with a
hand-spike. Chicago Times.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-27

Western Judge GU are charged, sir,
with being the leader of party which
hunted down and lynched a horse-thief.
The days have gone by when citizens of
this great Commonwealth can thus take
the law into their own hands, hence
your arrest. What have you to say?
Prominent Citizen-I amt guilty..
ledge. I'll tell you how it was. We
caught the Teller, and tied his hands
and feet. Nothin' wrong about that,
was there, jedge?
''No; that was no doubt necessary"
''Wall, jedge, there was a storm COM
in UP and we couldn't spare him an UNI
brella very well so we stood him under
tree. That was all right wasn't it?n
Certainly"
"Wall, the clouds kept gatherin' an
the wind was purity high, and we didn't
want him blown away, so we tied rope
around his neck and fastened the other
end to the limb above-not tight. ledge,
jest sc as to hold him-and we left him
standin' solid on his feet. Nothing
wrong about that, was there?'
Nothing at all"
''Then l kin be excused, can't p"
but the man was found suspended
from that tree, and stone dead the next
| morning."
None of us had any thing to do with
| that, jedge. You see we left him stand
IN there in good health and spirits, fer
we gave him all he could drink when we
!! said good-bye;' but you see, during the
night the rain come up an 'spose the
nope got purity wet and shrnnk couple
y feet That's how the sad accident
happened, jedge. IN. Y. Weekly.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-27
SANDY HOOK LlGHT-SHlP.
The Welcome Beacon Which Greets the
Incoming Voyager.

Incoming NOyager.
The ticker at the Barge Office records:
"One-twenty-La Bretagne, OF the
Sandy Hook Light ship" At the same
time, the message is repeated IN the
Office of the steamers agents, ana
SCARCELY five minutes elapse when on
the blackboards outside their offices IS
this legend: 1.-The steamer La Bre-
tango, from Havre, passed the Light
ship at 1:20; will be up to her COCK
about $780,
Passers-by scan the board; the Gus
toms authorities get ready to send their
cutter down the bay to meet the
steamer. Persons having friends on
board and who have made arrange
ments with the telegraph company, re-
ceive copy of the dispatch and get
ready to meet their friends.
| All this is done, and yet but few OF
those who are notified know any thing
about the Sandy Hook light-ship. But
the passengers on the steamer 90, ana so
does every one who has crossed the
ocean.
1t was my good fortune to spend a
short time on the Sandy Hook light-shlp
some time ago.
She was built expressly for the service
she is doing, and is strong and stanch-
calculated to weather any sea. she is
81 feet long and "a feet wide.
The cabin is large and roomy. On
either side of it are two lockers, which
run its entire length, and in these the
crew keep their clothes and other per-
sonal property. Above the lockers are
six berths. The interior of the cabin is
fitted up neatly, and pictures decorate
the walls. Il
The crew, which consists of six men,
including the cook, occupy the galley,
and close by is the lamp room, where the
lamps and the oil which is used in them
are kept. Here the lamps are trimmed
and cleaned, preparatory to being run up
as beacons. The lamps have red globes,
and these are fixed in a row between
several oil tanks, while alongside them
are wicks, cotton and other material.
Usually the lights consist of sixteen
rejecting lamps. Eight of these are
hoisted each evening at sunset, and form
circles ABOUT UQ0 TWO UdSUS. IucN GufOW
crimson rays which can be seen for miles.
This is the welcome signal that land is
near at hand. A lookout is always sta
toned on board, and with the aid Of pow
erful glass sights the incoming steamers
when they are miles away. The steam
er displays her signals, which are read
by him, and he in turn signals the tele-
graph operator, and thus the word
flashes to the city telling just when any
particular steamer VIII arrive, while she
is yet we'll out or the sea.
The life led by the men who make
the ship their home is indeed lonely
one. Each crew spends three months on
the ship.
During rough weather-as, for in
stance, during the recent hurricane
the crew hasn't particularly pleasant
berth. The ship dances about on the
waves and rolls and losses madly in her
endeavor to get loose, but the chains
that hold her fast to the two heavy
anchors are equal to any emergency
N. Y. S tar
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-27
A REMARKABLE WOMAN.
For FOrty-TwO Years She Successful,
Acted the Part of Man.

For Forty-TwO Years She Successfully
Acted the Part of Man.
The Dundee Weekly News gives the
following interesting account of the ro-
mantle life of woman arrested by the
Jersey Channel Islands) police: son
the arrival of a passenger steamer from
ST. Briene the commander informed the
police that woman attired as a man
was on board. She had, it appeared,
taken passage for st. Briene, but the
captain, having noticed certain pecul-
iarities about the passenger, on reach
ing that port summoned medical man,
and he declared that the pseudo man
was really woman. He further certi-
fed that she was suffering from slight
conclusion of the brain, and the French
authorities, in view of her mysterious
conduct refused to allow her to land.
On the steamer entering the harbor of
St. Heller the woman took cab and
proceeded to clearinghouse where
she had previously lodged for some
time under the name of Louis Her
mann. She had every appear
ance of manhood, and from her
easy department it is evil
dent that male attire was
no novelty to her. She wore fur waist
coat, a long overcoat, hat, and a
turned-dow collar. She smokes long
pipe or cigar with an air of one accus-
toned to the habit. Left an orphan at
the age of thirteen, she then resolved to
adopt male attire. She has now reached
the age Of fifty-fve, so that forty-two
wears she has been travelling the world,
and has been known as man. Her
calling has been that of courier, and
in that capacity she has travelled wide
ly. She has a knowledge of several
continental languages, and is otherwise
well informed The name by which she
was generally known was Louis Her
mann Tobosh, but in some cases she
dropped the last name, and simply
called herself Louis Hermann. During
the last year she had balance OF up
ward of $50 pounds to her credit in a
banking firm, but it is not known
whether this has been drawn upon.
when arrested by the Jersey police at
tba clearinghouse she had only 81
shillings in her possession, and she :
l. Indebted to the host to the extent
af e3 10 shillings A number of papers ,
found at her lodgings have been taken
nossession of by the ponce
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-27
PITH AND POINT.

1t takes money to be fashionable
The poor man who gets into the swim is
liable to get out of his depth.
The man who gives the shortest
measure in this world will want the
longest harp in The next.-The Golden
Perhaps.
Good qualities. like great abilities.
are incomprehenslbl BILE and inconceivable
to such as are deprived of them.-N. Y.
Ledger.
If to do were rs easy as to know
what were good to do, chapels had been
churches, End poor mems cotte res
Princes palaces.
"A mans ideal girl is one who does
not know she is pretty, and then lie
spoils his ideal by telling her she is
AtchisSn Globe.
"A man may be very great and very
good, and then not attract the attention
that a horse-thief does.-Milwaukee
Journal.
With some man all che dollars are
copper cents when spent for themselves
and gold eagles Nher spent for their
families.-Farm journal.
All our plans aont. get worked out
the way we expacJ they will in this
world, and it is mig hty lucky for us too,
that good many OF them don't -Som-
ervill Journal.
Mental alertness is valuable quail
ty; but there is certain commonplace
sturdiness that is not at all brilliant.
but which is Indispensable to prolonged
self-maintenance.
"A monument has value only as that
for which it stands had value. Unless
our lives are lived worthily, the more
completely those lives are forgotten, the
better it will be for our memory.-S. S.
Times.
The reading man is the successful
man, as rule. He knows just how iAst
the world is progressing and he knows
the methods of progress. A man can
not keep up with the procession unless
ne knows what road the procession is
going.
Each man is required to do some
thing in behalf of the moral interests of
mis- community. He will do this, of
course, if he be good man, by the force
Of his example, but it should be part of
ais effort in life, positive and deter
mined.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-27
QUAKER LONGEVITY.
1t Is Due to Quiet Habits and Disciplined
Modes of Life.

1t Is Due to Quiet Habits and Disciplined
Modes of Life.
1t is quite true that many "Eriends"
live long. 1t is equally true that certain
circumstances in their history initiate
against long life. Among these latter
intermarriage is, perhaps, the most i'm
portant of all. The followers of George
Fox have never been very numerous,
but until late years they have been ex-
tremely exclusive. The inevitable re-
suit of that has been extensive inter
marriage throughout the whole
community. The consequences of the
frequency of intermarriages have been,
and are still, very evident. Quakers, as
class, are not muscularly robust; many
Of them are decidedly an@mic, and not
few are mentally feeble. Yet, in spite
of these practical and serious drawbacks,
the Friends, as class, do more than
their proportion of the worlds serious
business and they manage to attain to
a high average of longevity. Now this
is exactly the kind of fact that true
medical science likes to get hold of, and
to interrogate and learn from. What is
Quakers, with so many undoubted dis
advantages, attain to such a high aver
age of success in ali that constitutes
worthy life, and also succeed in enjoy
ing their success to an exceptionally old
age?
The reason, we are convinced, is to be
found in their quiet habits and disci-
plined life. An ordinary doctor, or even
layman, would probably have felt much
more interest in the subject at this point
if we had been able to affirm that the
Quakers owed their success and long life
to certain drugs, as, for example, to ar
senic, PHOSPHORUS, strychnia and the
like; or to certain methods of feeding,
as vegetarianism, or meat eating, or
fruit eating, or wine drinking, or teeto-
talism, or smoking, and so on. But we
submit that that shows want of real
mental capacity. For what, after all, is
the true Importance of the subject? Does
it not consist in the undoubted charac-
ter of the results? The results are
really the things to be considered. AS
matter of fact the Quakers are sue
cessful in life. AS matter of fact thev
do live long. Then, surely, true science
will not curl the lip of scorn because
these results are obtained by what nav
be called natural and simple processes
instead of by elaborate preparations and
out-of-the-way methods.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-27
JEWELRY NOVELTIES.
Unique Articles for Personal AdOrnmena
and Parlor Decoration.

Unique Articles for Personal AdOrnment
and Parlor Decoration.
Included in the variety of hairpin
headings is a diamond and ruby edel-
weiss.
| A novel idea in decorative table
! ware is acut-glass bon-bon dish shaped
as pear.
An attractive little trifle worth MOTTO
ing is matchbox formed wholly OF
heavy silver wire interviewer.
Chased gold crescents, adorned with
enameled forget-me-nOts, are another
species of that favorite brooch design.
Individual peppers are now on the
market, fashioned as miniature cream
pitchers. with closed and perforated
tops.
The range for fancy quarter-clasps
is again assuming extraordinary pro-
portions. Neurological heads in re-
lief are the latest craze.
White enamel daisies, with gold
hearts strung on slender gold wire, a
diamond star occupying the center, is
a bracelet OF recent origin.
A brooch has been introduced that
represents horizontal bar of gold
with opal ends, on which is seated an
acrobat in suit of varicolored enamel.
Across a white enameled imitation
pad in a gold mount rests tiny gold
pencil, forming together an appropri-
ate scarf-pin for penny-a-liners.
Though so many silver toothpick
stands have of late been introduced
the newest creation in this direction,
miniature anvil, followed out, is the
quaintest.
Hairpin tops, or rather the larger
portion of them, are detachable, thus
enabling their possessors to utilize
them either for brooches or pendants.
Figuring among the newest creations
in queen china pendants is fac-simile
in gold harp. The entire frame is
set closely with torquoises and pearls
alternating.
A huge silver urn. etched with
scenes of bacchanalian revelry and
and supported by four elephant heads,
is a presentation loving cup displayed
for the public's edifcation.
An uptown retailer has exposed in
his window silver flask inlaid with
red gold and green leaves. The work
is so perfect as to create an impression
that it is produced by closely woven
gold wires.
A new device that is likely to make
a name is long silver vessel wherein
are half a dozen spools of cotton. Each
one is threaded through with a blue
silk ribbon, fashioned at each end into
a small bow. On these ribbons the
spools revOlve.
Something very unique in photo
frames consists of polished mahogany
posts holding between them a mother
of pearl gate with gold latch.
''Please shut the gate" in raised gold
letters above the doorway, gives addi-
tional effect to the design. Jewellers
Review.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-27
The TkAnkleSs Renoar.

An interesting anecdOte is related by
the "4ugend FreundG Of King Alphonsc
x, surnamed The Wise" who succeed,Il
to the throne of Leon and Castillo in
1859 On learning that his pages neg
lected TO ask the divine blessing before
partaking Of their daily meals, he was
deeply grieved and sought diligently to
point out to them the evil of this omis-
sion. At length he succeeded in finding
plan. He invited the pages Of his court
to dine with him. A bountiful repast
was spread, and when they were all as
sembled around the table the king gave
a signal that all was in readiness for
them to begin They all enjoyed the
rich feast, but not one remembered to
ask Gods blessing on his food
just then, unexpectedly to the thought
less guests, entered a poor, ragged beg
gar, who unceremoniously seated him
self at the royal table, and ate and drank
undisturbed, to his hearts content. Sur
prise and establishment were depicted on
every countenance.
The pages looked first at the king
then gaZed upon the audacious intruder.
expecting momentarily that his ma iestv
would give orders to have him removed
from the table. Alphonso, however, kept
silence; while the beggar, unabashed by
the presence of royalty, ate all he de-
sired. When his hunger and thirst were
appeased he rose and without a word of
thanks departed from the palace.
"What despicable, mean fellowr
cried the boys. Calmly the good king
rose, and, with much earnestness, said
Boys, holder and more audacious than
this beggar have you all been. Every
day you sit down to table supplied by
the bounty of your heavenly father, vet
you ask not his blessing, and leave it
without expressing to him your gratitude.
Yes, each and all of you should be
heartily ashamed Of your conduct, which
was far worse than was the poor beg
gar's. THE Little Christian.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-27
Staniey's Peculiar Views.

The great explorer Stanley has some
peculiar views on the subject of woman
ly characteristics which will doubtless
be quite as interesting to the average
reader as the report of his latest explora-
tons. According to letter written by
him just before his last departure, and
published in The Womans Cycle, he
seems to prefer encountering a jungle
tiger or q Kaffir warrior dressed in a
string of beads to meeting a soft voiced.
tender faced woman, for, as he expresses
1t, women appear to me SO soft, so
very unlike lat least what | have seem
the rude type of mankind, that one soon
feels when talking to them that he must
soften his speech and drawl or affect 8
singular articulation lest oflense be
taken where none was intended Hence
men are seldom sincere to women.
81 am absolutely uncomfortable when
speaking to woman unless she is such
a rare one that she will let me hear some
common sense. The fact is, | can't
talk to women. In their presence | am
just as much of a hypocrite as any other
man, and it gals me that must act and
be affected and parody myself for no
other reason but because | think, with
other men, that to speak or act other
wise would not he appreciated 1t is
such false position that do not care
to put myself into it."
Stanley is quite a traveller, but theirs
is an undiscovered country he has never
explored, whose labyrinth he has neve1
threaded, whose mystical. intricate river
courses he has never traced, whose
mountains of inspiration and valleys of
despair he has never measured, and
which might prove as difficult of in
vasion as wonderful in revelation as
the interior of the Dark Continent, and
that is the heart of a woman for he says
further: For the life of me cannot SIT
still ng'ment when anything approach.
ing to love comes on the tapis." One
woman friend only has this peculiar man
OF fame to whom he can speak. for "af-
ter the first few minutes of strangeness
have gone she soon lets you know that
chaff won't do" and he concludes his
singular letter by sending to this friend
message: please say a hearty friend
wishes her daily enjoyment OF her life"
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-27
VERY ANCIENT JEWELS.
Rich Discovery of Gold Ornaments In ar
Old Italian Tomb.

Old Italian Tomb.
From the province of Grosseto, Italy,
comes news of a rich discovery of gold
ornaments at Vetulonia, in one of the
circle-tombs peculiar to the metropolis
of that place $50 called because sur
rounded by rude stone circle, in con-
tradistinction to the still earlier we'll
tombs found at the burial-places of the
other cities of the Etruscan confedera-
tioD, and dating from the seventh
century, B. c.
Between two layers of corkwood, be-
ing all that remained of coffin, were
found four bracelets of gold band, ex-
quisitely worked in filigree; three
brooches Of gold; an amber necklace,
consisting of nude figures of womer
and of Egyptian dog-headed animals
crouching; two chain necklaces il
bronze, several amber brooches; others
OF bronze and iron; a very original ear
ring in bronze; and many fragments O.
bronze vessels, and batch of twenty.
seven Gouble-faced cylinders in earthen
ware. with vases of fine red clay.
Among tine stones with which the
trench was filled were found two bronze
bits for horses, ornamented with a
human figure of very primitive design
four bronze rings for traces. and two
bells belonging to the trappings-all
things appertaining to the 6iga, and
not com monry found in a tomb where
female ornaments abound. Within one
OF the bracelets some human teeth were
found, though there were no remains
OF the burnt bones of corpse in the
tomb, jewelers. Weekly.