davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
An Anecdote of Justice Matthews.

Said G. M. Cody, an old friend of the
late Stanley Matthew'S "He detested
physical exercise, and might be seen
any day on the shady side of a piazza so
absorbed in his reading that those who
did not understand him often spoke Of
him as cold, naughty and unsocial; but
to those fortunate enough to be intimate
with him in his moments of relaxation
he was genial, full of humor, and very
pleasant companion"
"He did not like mountain rambles,
then2"
''No, but on one occasion a bevy of
our young ladies, noticing his aversion
to exercise, challenged him one warm
day to take walk with them. He was
too gallant to refuse. They led him a
three mile ramble on mountain roads,
across lots, through meadow, pasture,
bramb'e, brake, and fell. When they
came to rail fence they made him
climb over first and keep his eyes straight
ahead till they gave him permission to
look around. He entered heartily into
the fun of the thing and sometimes
feigned anxiety to look behind him be-
fore they were ready. They were good
walkers, and when they brought up at
the inn, he was mopping off the perspi-
ration, his face as read as peony; and
when the ladies ON the piazza, appre-
ciating the joke, greeted him with cheers
and laughter, he cried out: Walk,
ladies, walk Why don't you walk
This feat of pedestrianism was his boast
'Or the rest of the summer, but they
never caught him i'll another. "-NeoO
York Tribune.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
A Baby and Locomotive.

Little Jennie Hadfeld, a two-year- r-old
daughter of Thomas Hadfield, was re-
Gently confined to bed at her home in
Riverside avenue, near Paterson, n. j.,
with a pretty bad cut on her head, but
otherwise uninjured, and not in the
least disturbed by the recollection of
her encounter with a train about q
hundred yards below the Riverside sta
ton on the Erie Railroad The baby
had wandered to the track while Mrs.
Hadfeld, who has ten other children,
was busy. She was sitting playing with
pebbles on the ties when the engineer
saw her, whistled "down brakes" and
tried to stop his locomotive. The child
stared wide eyed at the monster as it
swept down upon her, but did not move.
The cOwcatcher lifted her from the track,
carried her q short distance, and threw
her on an embankment. When picked
up she was screaming Justify for her
mamma, but stick of candy, given to
her by one of the passengers, quieted
her cries.-Neoo York Sun.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
A Ship Load of Musicians.

The Musical Union, of New York City,
is endeavoring to prevent the landing
there of strolling bands from Europe,
Almost every incoming German steamer
has on board score or more of musi,
clans, who have been in the habit Of
coming to America in the spring and
returning in tho fall with the money
earned during the summer. 1t is urged
that such immigrants come within the
provisions of the foreign contract-labol
act, bnt heretofore they have escaped
detention by swearing that they came rs
individuals, and not as bands under
leaders.
When the steamer Westernland ar
rived the other morning from Antwerp,
Superintendent Simpson, of the landing
bureau at Castle Garden, discovered that
there were no less than four hundred
musicians on board, nearly all of them
having spent the summer i'll America,
for years past. Many of the leaders
were recognized. Representatives of the
Musical Union learned of the influx aud
at once urged that strict investigation
be made.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25

ing his position to endeavor to get ease.
L aided him in all my power, and was
gratified in believing he felt it, for he
would look upon me with eyes speaking
gratitude, but was unable to utter a
word without great distress.
About 10 o'clock he made several at
tempts to srelk to me before he could
effect it. At length he said: 81 am just
going. Have me decently buried, and
do not letmy body be put into the vault
in less than two days after am dead. :"
L bowed assent. He looked at me
again and said: DO you understand
me " | replied, eyes, sir. "Tis
well, said he.
About ten minutes before he expired
his breathing Eecame much easier; he
lay quietly; he withdrew his hand from
mine and felt his own pulse. l spoke to
DIR. Craik, who sat by the fire; he came
to the bedside The Generals hand
fell from his wrist; I took it in mine and
placed it on his breast, DR.. Craik
placed his hands over his eyes, and he
expired without a struggle or sigh.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
Our Animal Industry.

From the report of the Statistician OF
the Agricultural Department for 1888 il
appears that the increased attention to
horse breeding noticeable i'll past years
still continues, stimulated no doubt to
some extent by the low value of cattle.
There is also an improvement in quality
as well as an increase in numbers, and
the large English and French breeds
are popular and in demand for draught
horses. In the Territories horses are
found to be thrifty and profitable stock
for the range, and the establishment Of
horse ranches has increased their num-
bers. The total increase appears to
be nearly half million, of which the
heaviest ratios are in the Territories and
in Texas, Kansas and Nebraska. There
has been slight increase in mules, and
the numbers of cattle of all kinds exceed
the estimate of last year by more than q
million.
There appears to be slight further
reduction in the number of sheep,
but there are evidences of reassur-
ance in the future of sheep husband
ry, and already in some sections a slight
increase is perceptiblc. In the number
of swine there is a marked increase, am,
pie for meat supply and to aid in the
consumption of the large corn crop OF
the past year.
On the whole the values of farm ami
mails, as reported by correspondents;
are but little changed from the returns
of January, 1888, but for. the period be-
ginning with 1880 the changes in the
relative values of the different classes
have been very marked Since that
year the increase in the value of horses
per head has been 81 per cent, and in
mules nearly 30 per cent. Oxen and
other cattle show an increase of 6 pei
cent. Sheep alone show - decline in
value during the ten-year period, begin,
ming in 1880 with 1921 per head, and
averaging now 81. 13, decline of nearly
4 per cent. In 1880 the ayenge value
of swine per head was returned ut $4.2S,
against 1919 at the present time, with
both higher and lower valuations during
the period. .-Nelo York World.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
Hunting Rattlesnakes for Their Oil.

They hunt the rattlesnake every sum-
NOR about Adams, Mass, for his oil,
which is believed to be q cure for dis
eases, and as such is worth 50 an ounce
But the Yankee hunters native inge-
nuity has hit upon an ingenious method
of capturing the festive Tattler, which
may not be very brave, but is certainly
very effective. Choosing a red-hot sum-
mer day in the dry season, the rattle
snake hunters saunter forth into the re-
giOn where the reptiles are known to
abound. One man carries II tish-pole,
another sharp scythe. The fish-pole has
stout wire attached to it, and there is
an ordinary pickerel hook on the end of
the wire. Moving cautiously through
the grass so as not to disturb the sleep
ing snake, who is most always found
basking i'll the warm sun near u loose
ledge or rock, one of the men prods his
snakeship more or less gently with the
fish-pole, being careful also to hold the
hook invitingly near to the rattlers
head.
Like any other sleeper suddenly in
terrupted, the snake wakes up angry,
makes dart at the nearest irritating
object, which is the fish-hook, and very
accommodatingly allows the sharp tines
to penetrate his jaws. He may rattle
and hiss and wriggle and writhe and
shoot out ounces of his deadly venom,
but the poison meets but the vacant air.
The man with the fish-pole holds the
entrapped lattlsnake at safe distance,
while his comrade moves up and, with
one well aimed blow of his trusty scythe,
sewers the snakes head from his body.
The body then is deposited in bag,
and the hunters go in search of other
game.
The most famous hunter of rattle
snakes after this provincial method is
Isaac Spur, who lives in the southern
part of the county, near Mount Everett,
a region long noted for its snakes.
Spur always goes out Just before storm,
for rat that time, he says, experience proves
the rattler comes out of his hole. He
has caught thousands of these snakes in
his time, and has acquired such knowl-
edge of their habits that he can trap one
every time. Years ago he found them
much more plentiful and much larger.
He caught one once which was eleven
feet long and thirty y-five years old. When
Spur dressed the snake for his oil he
found young woodchuck in the stom-
ach. Spurs reputation as n snake
catcher extends far and wide, and when
the geological folks want n snake for
exhibition they always drop Spur n line,
and they are rarely disappointed.
Three rattlers caught by him were taken
to the Central Park Zoo add are there
now.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
a Famous Colored Detective.

James w. Reed, Pinkerton's colored
detective, is dead. 1t is Il fact not gen
orally known, even in Chicago, that one
of the shrcwdest and keenest operatives
i'm the employ of -Pinkerton s National
Detective agency
years was a colored man. Yet Reed en-
joyed that distinction.
He was In some respects a remarkable
man. Born in Alabama of slave par
ents, he escaped the hardships of life
of bondage by the emancipation of the
slaves before he was old enough to fully
appreciate the condition of his race. He
was early deprived of his parents and
lived for q number of years with
Kentucky family before he finally cut
loose from his mOorings and drifted
northward.
The circumstances of his first meeting
with Allan Pinkerton are not distinctly
remembered by his friends, but it oc-
CURED mt the time of the big strike in
the Braidwood mines early in the seven
ties. Great difficulty was experienced
in securing men to fill the places of the
strikers. Reed appeared on the scene
and suggested that a sufficient number
of colored men might be obtained from
the South The result was that Reed
himself was sent down South to recruit
the colored men, and he fulfilled his
mission perfectly, at the same time con-
Quoting the affair with such discretion
that the strikers were kept utterly in the
dark as to what was going on until the
work was completed and the new men in
their places.
Mr.. Pinkerton took a fancy to Reed
and employed him. He did valuable
work in securing information during the
Braidwood strike, and i'll many opera
tions afterwards proved himself to be
possessed of remarkable detective abili-
ty. He often surprised his superiors
with shrewd suggestions in the forming
of plans to trap criminal, and in many
cases his suggestions were adopted and
successfully carried out. 1t has
been said of him that he was never at a
loss for means to obtain the information
he was sent after, and many stories are
told of his cunning devices to gain ad
mission to places where, under ordinary
circumstances, he would have been ia
bOoed on account of his color.
The branch of detective work in which
he particularly excelled was that of
'shadow." 1t was the boast of the elder
Mr.. Plnkerton that Reed had no equal
in this OF any other country in the art of
"shadowing." A man who suspects
that he is being followed and watched
can generally contrive to pick out the
person who is dogging his footsteps, but
it was never SO when Reed was on the
trail, and he was never known to be
discovered or to lose sight of his man.
Reeds death was caused by Bright's
disease. He was under forty years of
age.-ChicdgO Times.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25

very war-like, "where's the author OF
this scandal?'
! Then he turned suddenly pale, as
Harry Hill stepped forward. Hill al
most his pretty Nellies affianced hus-
band.
'Sir," said the young man, with Wis
ible emotion, 81 solemnly declare new
er meant to betray you"
The judge looked thunderstruck, and
this was taken as overwhelming proof
of his guilt.
81 was so sorry about it, " faltered the
young man, "that took Bonar into my
confidence. thought we were entirely
alone; | never dreamed our converse
ton would be overheard"
Its n lie, )" repeated the judge. cit
was someone else you saw. What made
you think it was me %
'tNo one could mistake your fur coat,
cried several voices.
"Pshaw," said the judge, shortly,
''You must bring better evidence, or I'll
sue every one of you for libel. !"
80 one could mistake the Misses
Laurance, said the judges friend, in
low tone.
"What the deuce do you mean,"
shouted bne image.
''Why, they were supporting you on
each side ~ cried some one, with brutal
candor. 81 think that's conclusive"
To picture the judges expression of
mingled iucredulity and fury We're well
worthy of master painter but
ere he could reply, 10 there
again stood Nelly in the doorway,
grasping by the arm man who had the
impudence to be wearing his own pet
overcoat, whilst Lefty stood on the other
side.
"Here is the real culprit," cried Mel
ly's clear voice.
The girls advanced into the room,
pushing their companion gently back
ward. Again the judges temper got the
better of him. This, doubtless, was the
imposter for whose Offense he had been
so lately arTaignel. His wrath fairly
blazed. Striding forward, he caught
hold of the collar of his own coat, ex-
claiming, as he shook it furiously
''Turn round, you rascal and let me
see your brazen face"
Will the on-lookers ever foroget the
picture?
Off fell the hat, as on a previous occa-
sion, and the Judge stood glaring upon
the bust of Milton, which he held up in
one astonished hand, while round the
shoulders still hung the silverfox coat.
His savage onslaught had severed the
head, and the luckless body, oozing
straw, lay prone upon the floor.
Nelly's explanations were drowned in
a roar of laughter that shook the build
ing, and that young scape-grace, Bonar,
who had followed the girls, stood grin
ming with delight.
''Just arrived in the nick Of time, ell,
cousins?" he was saying. 81 brought
my man along to skate with and create
4 laugh in your town; but, great Scott,
didn't count on such a triumph ~
Need we say the judge won his |
election ?-Frank Leslies.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
Urged Evangelist Moody to Reform

Chicagoans tell with glee that one
Sunday morning Mr.. Moody, the revi-
vahst, entered a drug g-store, distributing
tracts. At the back of the store sat an
elderly and distinguished citizen read
ing morning newspaper. Mr.. Moody
approached this gentleman and threw
one of the temperance tracts upon the
paper before him. The old gentleman
glanced at the tract, and then, looking
mp benignantly at Moody, asked: "Are
you reformed drunkard?" "No, sir,
[ am not !" cried Moody, drawing back
Indignantly. "Then why don't you re
form!" quietly asked the old gentleman.
---Ne,' York Tri6une.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
Advertising Rates.
WHAT IS LIFE?

To eat, to drink. to strive for fame,
To lay up heaps of gold;
To pamper self, to toy with shame
From youth till We are old;
To tread the humdrum life of trade,
With disappointments rife;
Now filed with Lope, and now dismayetl
OH tell me, is this life?
AM no; tits but the grosser part
A fraction of the whole;
The life which satisfies the heart
Is centred in the soul.
There lie the sanctities that chase
Away dark errors mist;
That fill us with an inward grace,
And fit us to exist
DeeP in the soul love rears his throne;
There truth and faith abide;
And where they rule, i'll is unknown,
And life is glorifed.
The outer world, though fair to see,
Is full of hate and strife;
And, oh how wretched must he be
Who has no inner lifel
Francis S. Smith
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
Napoleon Trapped into a Promotion

One of Napoleon's veterans, who sur
vived his master many years, was wont
to recount, with great glee, how he had
once picked up the emperor's cooked
hat at review, when the latter, not no.
ticing that he was a private, said, care
lessly: "Thank you, captain" ''In what
regiment, sirel" instantly asked the
ready-witted soldier. Napoleon, per-
ceiving his mistake, answered, with
smile: "In my Guard, for j see you
know how to be prompt" The newly
made officer received his commission
next morning.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25

ACCORDING to the New York Sun,
"There are signs that the Paris EXposi-
ton will have a tendency to modify
French rancor toward Germany. There
is assurance that, during the months in
which it is held it will be visited by a
multitude of Germans, who will doubt
less be full of amiability, and who,
under the circumstances, must receive
polite treatment in the French capital.
We notice also that the newspapers of
Paris are less bitter in their language
about Germany than they have been at
any other time since the war between
the two countries,
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25

The Scribner family ct marlborough,
Me-, is remarkable in that its four gen
erations are unbroken by death. David
Scribner and his wife, both about ninety
years old, have been married for sixty
five years, and have three children,
the oldest being over sixty. Their
children have children and grandchild
ren, and no death has yet occurred in
the line of descendants from Mr.. and
Mrs Scribner to their great grand
children.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25

Judge Laurance was due at the town
hall at ten o'clock one morning. A
select committee had been awaiting him
there for some time; but still he came
not. Upon the faces of the committee
men were varied expressions of embar-
rassment, chagrin, Indignation, and
even amusement. The judge had been
nominated as the temperance candidate
by the Prohibition party in the coming
election. A grateful county had at last
recognized his sterling worth, and Par
lament, it was confidently affirmed,
would shortly fling wide her portals to
welcome an able statesman. There was
solid vote for Laurence right through
his county. Why, then, this absence of
warmth, these alien glances, as the
judge at last strobe in? Sure not for
that trifing delay of five minutes, for
which he so amply apologized.
"Hang it gentlemen !" cried the
judge, who was easily put out, "what's
the matter with you all p
'It's very painful duty we have to
perform, " began a thin old man, with a
sad countenance.
"Well, be qnick about it, then," said
the Judge, very sensibly.
There was a dead silence.
''It's lynching case, perhaps?" said
the Judge, with sarcasm.
"Look here, Laurance, said another,
suddenly, great personal friend of the
Judges, eve want you to retire. After
all that's happened we can't send you
up as temperance representative.
To this speech, hurriedly uttered,
came a strong chorus of support-''No,
indeed, we can't nOo, you know"
In cases of real emergency the judge
often Kept his temper. He now looked
round upon the group with undisguised
anlaZement
''You must be good enough to explain
yourselves, gentlemen, - he said.
Another dead silence. At last mem
Der blurted out:
Judge, we don't want to hurt your
feelings, but we can't have man who's
given to drink to represent u.s."
81 don't know what you mean to in
sinuate, said the judge, coldly, ''but /
think every one present knows haven't
tasted drop of liquor for the last twenty
years; though from principle only, not
having been given to drinking
priviously.
''Come now, judge, draw it mild, "
pleaded the sad-faced man.
''Sir!" thundered Laurance.
Judge, Judge ~ repeated the last
speaker, sorrowfully, ''you've a-forfeited
our confidence and respect already,
you're a-forfeiting it agen.
81 demand an instant explanation,
said Laurence, hastily, looking round
the circle.
''Well, them" said another member,
stepping forward, 'you shall have it,
plain and unvarnished. You were taken
to your lodgings in Montreal, during
the late Carnival, in disgraceful state
of intoxication.
"It's liel" shouted the Judge, and
looking up suddenly, saw his niece
standing at the open door of the com
mittee-room.
He waved her back and she vanished
Immediately.
"Now them" cried the judge, looking
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
HIS SPEECH PREPARED.

Westerner Gn Philadelphia gun store)
Sure this is the best gun We have?
Dealer-That is the finest revolver
made, sir; the very latest patent.
"Self-cocker?"
eyes, sir."
"Forty-t five calaber, is itl'
eyes, sir"
"Think the barrels long enough2"
"Plenty."
"Shoot to kill, eh2"
Undoubtedly. Do you expect to go
bear hunting? or is an Indian war like
ly-?"
'Oh, no. I amt no frontiersman, I
amt. I live in Prai,Aa2. City; but we
expect to have a little fin s!yment soon
about site fer new i.-s9ttice. Phil
adeIphiG Record.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
CHOPS IN TROUBLE.

Jings-Chops is all broke up. The
sheriff has just seized his meat market.
Jangs-Is that SO? saw him this
morning, and [ thought he looked as if
he'd lost flesh. .-LO,ctH Citizen.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
SUSPICIOUS PAT,

Mr.. Hardup-What would you do.
Pat, if gave you ten dollar bill?
Pat-I'd look at it pretty sharp to see
if it was q counterfeit.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
VERY SEASONABIE.

'FWhat do you call this act?" said the
bass singer to the acrobat.
ooh, that's merely backward spring.
answered the acrobat.
"Ah!" said the bass singer; ''if
should try it there'd be an early fall, eh i
Let's go and have summer"
"a what?"
ga summer; more than one swallow,
you know"
And then, as the Iishman said, they
winter away together.~-Iuek.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
THE THIEF-TAKERS
THRILLING INCIDENTS IN THE
LIFE OF A DETECTIVE.

Different Methods of French, Eng
lish, and American Detectives
shadowing Bank Clerks Some
Recent Cases.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
AN INFANTILE TERROR.

Little Emily, five years old, is great
favorite in spite of her incorrigiblc free
dom of expression. The other day she
had been on visit with her mother at
friends, and had remained at dinner.
At the table she had amused the family,
with the possible exception OF its elderly
and serious head, by occasional remarks
AS the meal was drawing to an end the
hostess remarked:
emily, wouldn't you like to stay
here all the time, and be our little
girl?"
Emily looked up, pointed her finger
at the head of the family, and exclaimed,
contemptuously:
''What And have him for father z"
Boston Transcript.
CLEANED AND PRESSED.
Oh! lovely now the days grow,
And the flowers in Woodland ways blow,
And the sun grows warmer ,iaily, and we seek
no more the stove.
And the air makes every pulse stir,
And discarded is the ulster,
And the coat we wore last fall comes mighty
handy now, by Jove!
-Boston Courier.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
JESTS AND YARNS BY FUNNY
MEN OF THE PRESS.
The Directors Are Interested
Falsehood Defined - How He
Knew.
THE DIRECTORS ARE INTERESTED.

THE DIRECTORS ARE INTERESTED.
Passenger-How many times day do
you stop 70. refreshments ON this road
Conductor-Six times.
"Why, that's good many, isn't it p
perhaps so; but, you see, a number
of the directors of the road are interested
in a company that manufactures pat
ent medicine for dyspepsia. .'-Yonkers
Statesman
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-04-25
A THOuGR'H.

Lives of poets oft remind ms.
We can make our lives sublime,
If we only leave behind us
Not one vcstige of q rhyme.
-B0zdr.