davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-30

COMMISSIONERS OF FLOUR INSPECTION.
There are three commissioners of -four in
spection, whose duty it is to fix the standard
for grades of -four and decide disputes where
the quality OF -four is called into question.
They report that no necessity for their sery-
ices arose during the year.
sEALEn OF WEIGHTS AND MEAsuREs.
The sealer Of weights and measures reports
the receipts and expenditures of his Office
during the fiscal year to have been 90. COG. 65
and 9636.50, respectively.
HARBoR MASTER.
The harb0r master renews his recommends
ton for better laws pertaining to the use of
the harbor. His views are represented by H.R.
$3.50 Of the last Congress. The enactment this
session Of a law similar to the provisions of
that bill is recommended.
INSPECTORS OF LUMBER.
The inspectors Of lumber report having
measured Is, 189, IA feet Of lumber brought 70
the District for sale.
The Commissioners find that the clerical
force is inadequate for the prompt and efficient
execution Of municipal work The amount of
work required to be done by the different divis-
ions ion ,,l not uniform thfopghout the year and
missioners to detail clerks from one division
to another as emergencies arise therefor. Six
more clerks are needed, Of which three should
have salary Of $500 per annum and three a
salary of $1, 200, each payable monthly, and an
appropriation OF $500 is recommended for
that purpose.
LIQUOR LICENsEs
The law regulating the issue Of licenses for
the sale of Intoxicating drinks in the District
OF Columbia is not satisfactory. Tits submitted
that whatever discretion is given to the Com
mlssiOners to grant or refuse q license should
be explicitly defined and either left absolute
in them under reasonable regulations or 80
circumscribed as to remove all doubt Of its
extent The Commissioners will prepare and
submit q draft OF bill TO the committee ON the
District OF Columbia early in this session Of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-30

SURPLUS REVENUES
The amount of revenues derived from taxes
and other private sources in excess OF expend-
ftures authorized by appropriations and charge
hble to those revenues and available from an
Preparations subsequent to June 80, 1883, was
on that date $3.50, i72sI.
DEBT.
The treasurer of the United States, who is
harged by law with the management Of the
fonded debt Of the District, reports that that
febt on June 80, 1859, was $40. i42, O50
No portion of the bonded Indebtedness of the
district was incurred under the present form
government, which went into effect June 80.
FLOATING DEBT.
The only floating debts Of the District are
ehgasions In the nature Of judgments Of the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-30

THE RATE OF TAX.
The rate OF tax Is now fixed by law at 81. so
per 500 for all taxable personal property, and
for all taxable real property, except that used
for agricultural purposes, which is S1.00 per
500.
COLLECTION OF REVENUE
The collector of taxes reports the collections
and deposit by him in the treasury of the
United States of revenues received at his Office
during the year as follows:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-30

Columbia Institute Tor The deaf and dumb. 10000
The estimate for the Columbia institute for
| the deaf and dumb is in accordance with the
sundry civil appropriation act approved March
2, 1889.
In regard TO all Of these institutions, except
ing the Washington asylum, the Commissioners
have to rely almost entirely upon the reports
made by the officers of such institutions. as
they have not had the time to give them the
personal surveillance nor the means to employ
q qualified subordinate to obtain data neces-
sary 10 arrive at accurate idea of their work.
ings and requirements. So far their observs-
ton has extended they are of opinion that some
of these institutions duplicating each others
work and might be consolidated with advantage
in the matter of economy and efficiency: but
the Commissioners find. as their predecessors
have reported to Congress, that in order 70
deal with this subject intelligently il will
require the knowledge which can only be
acquired through a subordinate municipal
official having intimate and constant access 70
the institutions III an official capacity, and they
recommend that provision be made for the
employment of such an officer.
The total estimate for charitable and re-
formatory purposes Is S35S, 632.
The estimated revenues available TO meet
these estimates, after providing for the items
included in the general estimates submitted 70
the Secretary of the Treasury on the LIST OF
October, 1883, is $40I, 65S.35.
The Commissioners also transmit appiica-
ton of the trustees Of the Girls reform school,
incorporated under an act Of Congress, and be-
side the reports Of institutions required by
Law hereinbefore mentioned to make reports 10
the Commissioners for transmisslon 20 Con-
gress the Commissioners have received reports
and applications from private charitable and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-30

| The schedule Of streets recommended for i'm
provement has beer prepared with great care
| and after thorough consideration Upon the
| recommendation of the engineer department
| the general schedule has been abolished. The
] total amount recommended for appropriation
| is 1854, $50. This amount has been divided
among the Inherent sections of the District
| after due consideration of the taxable yalua-
! tions areas, population dareas of streets not
| finally improved. In selecting streets for inn
| provement those streets have been given the
preference which were in the schedule of last
| year, but which were not improved because
| the appropriation was insufficient The sehed
uie finally adopted is appended to this report
| PERMIT SYSTEM
| Under the appropriation for permit work
some of the most valuable improvements are
executed Alleys are paved. sidewalks are
constructed, repaired and replaced. and minor
sewers are laid to the great advantage both of
residents and the District. The Commissioners
earnestly recommend the appropriation of the
full amount asked for. much larger sum
| could be expended wish great benefit,
| considerable portion of the permit fund
| has been reserved for the construction of i'm
proved sidewalks. These sidewalks are COM
posed of asphalt tiles and blocks, artificial
stone blocks and finally of sheet asphalt,
| formed mainly from old asphalt removed from
the surface OF Pennsylvania avenue and other
places. If the sidewalk last mentioned proves
| satisfactory the District will obtain admirable
footways at low cost.
| EXTENSION OF STREETS AND AvKSuEs
| The attention Of Congress is earnestly invited
to the necessity for immediate legislation to
rectify irregular and ill-considered subdivisions
| in the regions north Of the city OF Washington.
| The act Of August q, 1883, which requires
future subdivisions of property beyond the
| city limits to conform to the general plan of
the city of Washington, has been of great bene-
fit and will conduce to q proper extension of
] the city. The harm already done by the re-
cording of improper subdivisions can only be
! repaired by new legislation. and it is Of the
| highest importance that action should not be
deferred since the necessary notifications are
becoming more and more costly every wear.
! The act above referred to authorizes and
directs the Commissioners to make and publish
general orders to regulate the plating and
subdivision of lands and grounds. Such orders
were published on the 10th, 18th and 18th of De-
cember, 1888, in The EVENING SrAn and wash
ington Post newspapers and viii be found an
pended to this report.
The heavy floods Of the past year have been
very severe in their effects upon the bridges of
the District, several of which were carried
away and many others so injured az to REQUIRE
extensive repairs. Full details are given in
Capt Symons' report The Chain bridge was
the most seriously injured and the necessary
repairs have cost nearly $4,000.
After the food had subsidized q displacement
was discovered Ia one Of the trusses Of the Free
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-07-26

sent to camp with orders to put him in
the guard-house, which was nothing
more than inside the Fort, but under
guard. The Thirteenth Battery was
quartered close to the Fort. In few
minutes after Butler was put under
guard he mounted the walls of the
Fort to make his comrades farewell
speech. He bid us all farewell, saying
he was going to rise and fly away.
Spreading his arms as wings, he ran
down the walls OF the Fort on the out
side into the ditch, then climbed out /;
with MS arms spread he went sailing
through camp, straight to the north,
and must have been mile away before
we got any one after him. 1 saw him
for two miles, and he was still on the
fly, his arms spread. He was finally
captured and brought back to camp all
right, but he still contended he was a
high-f1yer and could rise and fly away.
GORDON, Neb.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-07-26
A Line Too Much.

An individual who made business
of composing obituary notices, epitaphs,
ETC., used to solicit business far and
near. He called at u house in distant
part of the country one day, and finding
a woman dressed in significant and SOM
Der attire, he inquired in low sympathetic
tones, "A recent bereavement, madam ?"
EYES," she sobbed.
"A husband?"
The stricken woman covered her face
with her apron and could only nod as
sent.
Then the obituary man whipped out
his notebook and pencil and prepared
for business.
MADAM" he said, II am the char
tered obituary writer for widely CIR
culated and influential journal also
compose epitaphs for those who are com
posed in death, either in prose. or
poetry. Wouldn't you like few lines
about your husband?"
Lines about my husband" she ex-
claimed wofully. Zone line was 'oo
much for him"
"What line was that?"
"A tow-line. He was lynched i o.
stealing q canal mule. "-1eT@s 0''s'
isags.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-07-26

guns, etc, and to move through piece
of woods in front to new line Of works
that had been prepared for us. We
did so. We knew that this new line
was very near to the rebels, though
there was piece of thick woods be-
tween us and them. We had
not been there half an hour when
some one said that some one
else heard that somebody had
heard the Colonel say that we should
go back to our old line. Then some
body started back in hurry, then some
one followed in greater hurry. You
have seen sheep go over fence. One
jumps, then another jumps, and then
they all follow as fast as they can go,
and do not suppose sheep of them
can tell just why they all follow SO
fast. Well, our regiment acted just
like a flock of sheep. They rushed
pell nell back to the old line, and no.
body seemed to know just why. II
was vaguely supposed the Colonel had
ordered us back, but nobody knew for
certain. The joke Of it was, we had
started back in such rush that half
the men had left their knapsacks, and
the they hardly knew how they were
to get them again.
Just then the Colonel came among us
and in entire violation of the army reg
ulations concerning the use Of profane
language, told us to get back to our
places in hurry. Rather sheepishly
we stole back through the woods as we
listened to Colonel Proudtit's very hasty
,.o,,o VIC nv, tho CIT 1,ioct
When we got back to the new line,
imagine our surprise at seeing the
knapsacks Of our company neatly
piled up, and the redoubtable Craker
Sitting on top of the pile, his elbows on
his knees and his chin resting on his
hands, quietly gazing toward the enc
my's line. When we asked what in the
world he had been doing there alone,
he got down from the pile Of knapsacks,
saying. "Wall, when saw you all run
ming off so, thought I'd just pile up
the things and take care of them" 1
must confess that his cool remark made
us feel rather cheap.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-07-26

panied by detachments Of the Third
WISCONSIN Cavalry and Fourteenth
Kansas Cavalry, as escort, arrived at
baxter Springs, on their way to Fort
Scott. When they approached near to
Baxter Springs they saw body of
mounted men formed in line on the
prairie, which they took for Union
troops stationed at that place, and
who had formed to receive General
Blount on his arrival. The sight of
this line caused no alarm, and the COM
mand moved on in the usual manner of
march. General Blount, Major Curtis,
and one OF two others of the staff were
riding in an ambulance, and the cav
alry! We're riding along carelessly, with
their carbines strapped to their saddles,
unsuspicions of danger; but as the
head OF column came within 200 or 300
yards OF the strange troops the whole
scene was suddenly changed, for it was
no other than Quantrell with couple
OF hundred Of his guerrillas waiting for
Blount's coming. The guerrillas fol-
lowed their usual tactics, and charged
|FWith wild yell, and like the rush of
the cyclone Quantrell, at the head of
his terrible fighters, dashed on the sur
prised Union troops. So unexpected and
sudden was the attack that there was
but little chance for defense, and the
scene that ensued was heartrending
and terrible. The ranks of the sur
prised cavalry We're broken, and the
men sought safety in fight. Gen.
Blount mounted swift horse and es,
capped, but several OF his staff officers
We're killed. The headquarters band
composed of German musicians, were
shot dead in their band-wagon, il
which they We're riding, and the prairie
was left strewn with the dead bodies
of the cavalrymen who were slain il
their flight.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-07-26

two armies were on the friendliest
terms; and many pound of coffee or
sugar was exchanged for tobacco.
And how eagerly would the tattered
Confederate receive and read the
month-old newspaper his generous en-
envy would proffer him.
of feeling the soldiers of each army
expressed for those on the opposite
side was mentioned, I heard J. VIM.
Jones, Lees chaplain, relate the fol-
lowing: "We were encamped on the
banks of the Potomac" said the Doc
tor; each army lay facing the other.
Upon one bank the serried ranks of
the blue, upon the other the close-set
ranks Of the gray. The sun rose in
the morning, and his beams seemed to
fall impartially upon either army, and
his parting rays fingered as fondly
upon one as the other. Sometimes a
Yank or Johnny 'reb' would hurl an
insulting message across the river, but
not often, and the interchange Of goods
was kept up necessarily. One could
with hostile army.
"One evening the Federal band
came down to the waters edge, just
as the sun was setting behind the
purple hill, and commenced play
ing the national war song of the
Army of the Potomac-'The Star
Spangled Banner When the band
ceased playing, the Federal boys flung
their caps high in air and shouted.
Then, in compliment to their brave
foes, the band played Dixie and the
boys in gray shouted and hurrahed.
Then the leader of the band ranged
the members Of it upon the
margin of the river and soon
came waited over the river that
wondrous song, hymn we might
call it, Home, Sweet Home played
so softly, SO tenderly, that one felt it
was almost prayer. Men whose
faces moment before had glowed with
martial fire and courage, now grew
soft and tender, while memory pictured
a far-away home and distant loved
ones. And when it was finished q
shout arose from both armies which
made the hills ring again. It was
shout neither from the North nor from
the South, but from both. "A touch
of feeling makes all mankind akin
"a union of lakes, a union of lands,
| A union of States none can sever
A union of hearts, a union of hands,
And the flag Of our Union forever,
| WHLIAMSvILLE. Va.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-07-26
rich lead

you may imagine, the air was eager
and nipping. The routed Confederates
put out down the snow-covered pixies,
making for Corinth and thence to Mo
bile. two hundred and forty miles dis
tant. We were clothed with nothing
but shirts and breaches, comparatively
few owning old hats, and only here and
there a fortunate man with pair of
shoes. The half-starved and half-frozen
men wrapped their feet in old sacks
and any sort Of rags they could get
until the tracks they made were
great round holes in the snow, like
the tracks of elephants. General
Lowery bless him = tried to
do something for us. He had some
shoemakers, and at night would make
the soldiers report at his headquarters,
where the shoe-shop would be located.
Green hides-not an hour off the cows
backs-were used for shoemaking. A
soldier would plant his foot on the
hairy side of the hide and the shoe
maker would cut out round piece OF
skin, slit it in various directions, and
with coarse Irvine gather up the ends,
and literally sew the foot up in the
raw hide with the skin side inward.
The shoes were good for about twenty
four hours use, and then they would
draw our feet, and we would cast them
aside and 20 back to the bagging.
When got to Mobile with lot of the
fellows, we took quarters IN ware
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-07-26

possessor OF wife and five small chill
dren three girls and two boys
marched forth to battle for the Union.
At Chattanooga he was wounded and
taken prisoner, being listed as killed.
After eight months in Southern hospi-
tails and prisons he made his escape,
rejoined his company before Atlanta,
and marched with Sherman to the sea.
He wrote his wife an account of his
capture, escape. and the subsequent
campaign, but it was one of 'the let
tiers that never came" His wife, be-
lieving him dead, and having large
family to support, married again, nov
ing to another part Of Chicago. At
the close Of the war Cummings re-
turned to the Garden City. His wife
| and children We're gone. no one knew
whittier. Heartbroken, he began his
weary search for them, travelling all
over the country. When his money
was exhausted he earned more and
started again on his search. He drifted
to Leadyille, made considerable money
and spent it all as before, and returned
to the West. A short time ago he re-
turned to the mining camp, and as he
sat around the campfire his attention
was attracted by scrap OF paper blow
ing along the ground The greatest
solace to men who delve in lonely places
is news Of the outside world, and Cum
mings eagerly grasped the scrap of
paper and began to read it. 1t proved
to be frag ment of the Detroit Free
Press, and he found in it an account of
a reception given by the Odd Fellows
of Detroit. He saw among the names
of those WHO We're conducting the prep
arations fof the reception that of John
Fl. Cummings. This was the name Of his
eldest son and he lost not moment in
hasteningto Detroit. lie found John H
Cummings was the inside steward of the
Russell House The stranger peered
eagerly into the young mans face mo-
mentarily, and then stretching out both
hands, exclaimed, John, my son, don't
you know your father?" When the
mists cleared away, father and son,
who had not seen each other for TWEEN
ty-seven years, were clasped in each
others arms. That night Alfred Cum
mings slept under the roof of his sons
house Now comes the denouement.
A few years ago the second husband OF
Mrs. Cummings died, and she has since
lived in Toledo with her son. Charles
p. Cummings. All three daughters
are married. Cummings and his son
fastened to Toledo, where remark
able family reunion was held, the father
and husband, so long separated from
his own, once more taking them to his
heart again. Alfred Cummings is now
So years Of age, but still robust. He
will return to the West and resume his
mining operations, having struck a
| rich lead
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-07-26

A FRENCIIMAN murdered woman he
met on the highway, first taking from
her her little savings, amounting to 60
cents. The peculiarly of the case lies
in the evidence that convicted the muir
derer. On the bank of the pond near
where the corpse was discovered, there
was found a large piece of bread, the
end Of a loaf with singular bulge at
one side. One of the neighbors testi-
fed that on the morning of the day the
crime was committed, Lianty had come
to her house to beg for something to
eat. She gave him glass Of wine and
lunch Of bread he drank the wine and
put the bread in the breast Of his
blouse, saying that he would eat it
later. The loaf that she cut it from
was home-baked. One of the bricks in
the floor Of her oven was missing, so
that in each batch Of loaves there was
one with protuberance marking the
sight of the missing brick. It was this
protuberance that enabled her to iden-
tify the bread found near the body with
the piece she had given Lianty. He
was forthwith found guilty and con-
| demned to death,
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-07-26

house. Theodore Hamilton was play
ing in "The Wife, at the Mobile Thea
ter, and | scutfied around and got a
ticket. went to the theater bare
headed and barefooted, and in my
shirt sleeves. 1 sat in the pit-they
cleared place for me about twenty
feet all around. l thought it was the
best show L ever saw. After the per-
tormance an old man carried me home
with him and gave me a long-tailed
coat, hat, and pair of shoes. When
L got back to the warehouse, the boys
tore the tails off the coat, but she was
double breasted fellow, and I stuck
to her: I looked like jaybird with
his tail pulled out.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-07-26

iAE9 are using electricity in India to
prevent p snakes going into dwellings.
before all the doors and around the
houses Two wires are laid, isolated from
one another and connected with an in
oucelon apparatus. When the snake
a'sempts to enter the house Or go under
u he completes the circuit as he crawls
over the two wires, and if the shock he
ge5s does not kill him it is likely to
1rlghten him so that he goes away from
there as soon as he can.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-07-26

1T Is remarked that the poppy at last
is finding it has mission aside from
oeautlfylng the fields of England and
being nuisance to the English farm
ers. 1t is found that the poppy forms a
network OF roots that cannot be exter-
minated without great difficulty, and is,
therefore admirable for keeping en-
oankments in place. French engineers
are now sowing newly-constructed rail
way entertainments with peoples, with a
view to prevent their destruction by
heavy rains. By and by the French
men will be execrating the indefatigable
English poppy as much as we do the
internal English sparrow or the pes
tiferous Canada thistle.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-07-26
Tough on ROsser.

It is related that on one occasion,
near the close of the war, the Federal
officer in command of the forces that
had been chasing General Rosser for
some time, without being able to come
up with him, sent formal notice to
the Mayor of a town near the Alabama
and Tennessee lines as follows: "Ycu
are hereby notified to Immediately re-
move the women and children and
Rosser's cavalry, as I am preparing to
shell the town"