davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
Strong Henry Toch Killed.

A rival of the strongest man on
EARTH" named Henri Toch, who was
celebrated as an athlete at French and
Belgian fairs, has lately met with IA
tai accident. He was firing cannon,
which he carried on his shoulders, when
the gun exploded and killed Toch on the
spot. The departed mountebank was a
great favorite at the Paris Gingerbread
fair, which he generally attended in his
capacity as a champion wrestler. He
invariably threw his opponents, who in.
Guided a powerful fellow called the ''Man
with the Iron Mask" and an equally
herculean person named Bazin, both Of
whom had to bite the dust before the
formidable biceps of Toch, who, owing
to his prowess and muscle, was entitled
the Rampant of the North. "-London
Standard
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05

A pair of horses attached to heavy
truck belonging to Smedley Brothers, and
driven by Louis Woods, became fright
ened near the head of Long Wharf, in
New Haven, Conn.,, and ran away. In
his efforts to control the animals Woods
broke the bit in the mouth of the of
horse and they sped down the wharf at
a breakneck pace. Just before reaching
the end Woods jumped, seeing that the
horses would go over into the harbor.
This they did a moment later, horses
and truck disappearing in water ten feet
deep. For moment the team was out
of sight. Then one horse appeared on
the surface and struck out for the East
Haven shore, mile aud a half across
the harbor. Some men followed in q
rowboat.
About a quarter of a mile from the
wharf the horse struck mud and floun-
dered. He was helped up by the men in
the rowboat and again started for the
shore. A short distance further on no
again struck a mud bank and rolled over
on his back, but once more he was as
sisted to his feet, and working his way
through the mud reached deep water.
He swan as straight as an arrow, and
did not need further assistance until
within short distance of the shore,
when he struck reef of fine stone and
disappeared under the water. The
spectators on shore held their breath in
expectancy that he had gone down for
good, but the next instant he came to
the surface, and clearing the reef found
q firm foothold and walked ashore
through water about three feet deep.
He was in an exhausted condition after
his mile and half swim, and did not
manifest any disposition to run further.
The other horse was drowned With the
assistance Of derrick the truck was
raised to the wharf.-Cor New York
Sim
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
The Negliga Shirt.

Now is the time to formulate plan Of
campaign in regard to wearing the
neglige shirt by business men during
business hours in the city. During the
winter there are large number of men
who bravely declare that they will wear
the aforesaid shirt next season in spite
Of all possible sneers and criticisms. But
when summer comes it is found that they
invariably weaken; and they stick to the
old regular edition of s'boiled" shirt Dur
ing the last winter the movement in IA
vor Of the neglige shirt is said to have
grown in strength and it is believed that
the coming summer will witness its tri-
umph. But this is little doubtful.
What is needed is for the neglige shirt
diciples to get together. Organization
always leads to victory in politics. Why
should it not lead to victory in this holy
crusade? Let the negige shirt party take
the hint.-Ney York Tribune,
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
Robbery of Bombs at SebastopO1.

Quite sensation has been caused in
military and official circles at Sebastopol
by the discovery of systematic robbery
of bombs from the artillery magazines
in that city. From the extent of the dis
coveries now made by the police it would
appear that the abstraction of bombs and
shells has been going on for number of
years. The prosperity which during the
last few years appeared to follow the
operations of certain mechanical engi
neer who ten years ago was a working
journeyman, and the display which this
individual has recently made, primarily
led to the extraordinary discovery. He
erected a large factory, acquired hand
some private residence, and latterly drove
about the city in well appointed car
riage.
This sudden and unaccountable pros
perity attracted the notice of the police,
who made raid on the factory, when
large hidden stores of bombs were dis
covered bearing the government mark.
The arrest of the engineer led to the
further discovery that an organized band
of artillerists and others were implicated
in the robberies. The police are of opin-
ion that the burning of one of the artil-
lery magazines in Sebastopol last year
was the work Of the band now under ar
rest, who presumably fired the magazine
to prevent the discovery of an unusually
large theft of bombs. To the same
hands is attributed the mysterious MUIR
der about the same time of an artillery
driver. The mystery which chiefly ex-
ercises the authorities for the moment
is how the bombs were disposed of to
such an extent as to enrich so largely
the organizer of the robberies and his
confederates. London News.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
AN UNLUCKY WATCH.
It Has Been Lost Many Times But Al.
ways Returned Back to Its Owncr.

1t Has Been Lost Many Times But AL.
ways Returned Back to Its Owncr.
Less than dozen years ago hand
some watch travelled from Switzerland
to a Providence (R ~ jewelers., where
in a show window it attracted atten-
ton as a proper gift to bestow upon a
friend. 1t was purchased, put in a
pretty case with chatelaine attached,
and the whole was lost before the pur-
chaser arrived home. Three days later
it was advertised as found, and was
again restored to the possession of its
purchaser. 1t was bestowed upon
the friend. Before many days, after
the lady had returned from drive,
the watch was discovered to have drop
ped from its chatelaine. Three weeks
later it was carried into a jewelers.
store for sale, was recognized and re-
covered.
Sitting on the rocks at Narragansett
Pier one summer day, and wondering if
it were yet late afternoon, the owner Of
the watch glanced down to see the
time and discovered that the watch
was again missing. 1t had been securely
fastened, but the chatelaine had broken
and let 60 the time-keeper. Going
back to the hotel the lady as accosted
by an elderly man with a question:
"Have you lost any thing, miss?" Eyes,
watch" Here it is" and uninjured
the watch was returned to tue owner.
The chatelaine being stoutly repaired
the watch was worn to Philadelphia.
OF course it was lost there, but it was
found by the cham bermaid in the hotel
and mailed to the owner in Rhode
Island by the proprietor Of the house.
Expostulation, proffered advice, which
is said to possess an unpleasant odor,
and chidings failed to induce the owner
to stop wearing the watch.
Recently it hung, with numerous 9TH
or trinkets, suspended from the chaAe-
laine worn from the girls side. She
stood on wharf looking down into the
water. 'How deep is lit down there?"
was asked. "About fifteen feet"
"When the tide is out?" Eyes" Plunge
went something into the green water
below. what was that, fsh?" asked
bystander. But the girl knew better,
and she innocently covered the chate-
laine.with one hand and said: II think
1t was fish; thought saw him flop"
On her way home she said to her COM
panion: "Say, you know that fish that
topped so? I'm! Well, it was my
shatelaine watch. 1t dropped in there
kerspang and went to the bottom" And
when the man got all through seoldirg
the girl said: It'll come back; it's got
tot suppose fish will swallow it and
I shall buy that same fish of the
peddler Oh, it's got to come backp'-
Jewellers Weekly.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
SCHOOL AND CHuRcH

"A Woolsey professorship of Bibli.
cal literature has been established at
Yale.
Princeton was the outgrowth of the
Log College of Rev. William Tenant
st. Bartholomew Protestant Enis-
copal Church of New York city has q
Chinese club of over 200 members.
The Presbytery of Oregon has finally
decided that all candidates for a license
to preach must abandon the use of to.
bacco in all forms.
The president of PRESBYTERIAN
college for freedman in South Carolina
informs the church, through the annual
catalogue, that among the pupils ara
121 Presbyterians and 1873 Christians.
The Petor's pence for 1889 Welded
to the Pope thirty thousand dollars less
than in 1888. The legacies bequeathed
to the Pope during the year amount to
seven hundred thousand dollars.
"A permanent scholarship of 81. 600 ia
being raised wholly among the colored
people of Alabama for the Tuskegee
Normal and Industrial Institute. A
good proportion has already been paid
in cash.
On the west coast of Africa there
are now 200 churches. 33, 900 converts.
100, 600 adherentss 2,750 schools and 80. :
600 pupils. Religious books have been
translated into IS dialects of the section
The destruction by fire of the Uni
versitY of Toronto removes perhaps the
finest educational institution in Canada.
Its libraries and museums were yery
fully equipped, and its buildings the
best of the kind in the Dominion.
The cornerstone of a new college
for women was laid recently at Mont
clair, few miles out of Denver, Col.
The building will cost about 5000, 600.
and the cottage plan, instead of dormi-
tories, will be adopted for boarding ar
engagements. 1t is a Baptist institu-
ton, and is designed to be for the West
what Vassar is to the East.
DIR. Amelia B. Edwards is reported
to have said respecting her impressions
of America: ''That which most SUR
prises and impresses me is the number,
size and Importance of woman's col
leges, the enormous forward movement
for education for every body, and the
universally and activity of women's
clubs"
The library of Cornell University
possesses an Oriental manuscript writ
ten on palm leaves, consisting of 1876
strips or leaves, each seven by one and
quarter inches, fastened together by a
cord passing through hole in the center
of each leaf. The writing is done on
each side of the leaves by etching the
characters with a sharp instrument on
the palm leaves, which have been after
ward rubbed over with a black pigment
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
Dresses for Trademarks.

Gold is such favorite trimming this
season that it is used on gowns for bride.
maids, in open patterned gilt pas
sementerie edging the v neck, and the
pointed waist of the bodice, banding the
ruffed sleeves. and bordering the full
skirt. This trimming is on silk muslin
gowns, and on others of net,with dotted
stripes, made over satin skirts that are
bound at the foot with gold GALLON. A
pretty dress for child bridemaid is of
white China silk, with Greek key pat
tern, braiding in gold around the low
necked bodice and above the hem of the
skirt. A wide sash is made of the silk,
and the waist is worn over lace guimpe
with putrsd sleeves. A grouo of BRIDE
maids a. recent wedding wore small
wreaths of blue ferget-me-nots in the
hair, and carried large bouquets of the
same flowers. The ushers at the same
wedding wore ensmelsd pins of forget
me-nots in large scarfs Of white repped
silk.-Harper's Bazaar.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
Too Much for sherman.

There are any number Of men in this town
who think it great privilege to sit at the
same board with Gen. Sherman, and they
maintain, too that next to the gifted Depew,
he is one Of the most entertaining after dinner
speakers in the country. A president Of one
of the Chicago railroads related in the Wind
sor hotel the other night little anecdote
anent the general and certain military din
ner giver in Omaha, Neb., at the beginning
Of the war. The menu was wretched, as
were the Omaha hotels in those days On
this occasion the butter was particularly bad
and rancid to degree. The generals at
tention was arrested, and he sent for the
manager, to whom he quietly remarked:
sYou will have to remove this butter, my
friend, as it outranks me."-New York
World
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
THE ORIGIN OF COAL.
An Idea of How an individual Bed of I'll
EUe1 IS PrOHupod

An Idea of How an individual Bed of the
Fuel Is Produced.
Coal may be regarded as essentially
composed of moro or less crushed and
compressed remains of the leaves,
branches, stems and seeds of different
kinds of frs, calamites, ancient club
MOSES of the type of Lepidodendron and
Sigallar@ and ferns. The great ma
jority of these plants are ''fowerless,
and they indicate a dense land vegeta-
ton, growing in low, marshy situations,
and in a compare tively warm climate.
Putting the indications afforded by the
plants of the coal together with those
afforded by the nature of the under
clay" and the roof" of each coal
seam, we can form good idea
of the manner in which an indi-
vidual bed of coal was produced.
Each coal-bed, in fact, represents
an old land-surface. probably vast and
nearly level marshy plain, apparently
placed little above high-water mark,
such as we may see at the present day
covering hundreds of square miles at
the mouths of great rivers like the Mis-
oiooA PPA oilu odASOo. L AO v,
Immediately beneath the coal-bed, with
its innumerable roots, is the veritable
old soil in which grew the tangled jun
giles of ferns. CaIanates, Lepadodendra and
SigalLari9, which clothed these ancient
plains from the margin of the ocean to
the far-distant uplands. The actual
local" itself represents the slow and
gradual accumulation, through enor-
mously long periods, of the leaves,
branches, trunks, and seeds of this lux
uriant vegetation, now hardened and
compressed into mere fraction of its
original bulk by the pressure of the
rocks above it. Countless generations
of plants must have lived and died
before the dark and rich vegetable
mold could have accumulated to thick
ness sufficient to account for the pro-
duction of even one foot of coal; but at
last we must suppose that the old land
surface commenced slowly to sink be-
meath the sea. and the once verdant
plains were gradually covered by the
salt water of the ocean. Many of the
monarchs of the forest must have fallen
where they stood, but others withstood
the waves till their bases were buried
by many feet of clay and sand tranquil
~ deposited around them. The so-called
roof Of the coal thus represents the
first accumulation of sediment thrown
down upon the nascent coal-bed, and we
can readily understand how it should be
SO rich in the stems and fronds of ferns
and other plants, and how it should
often be traversed by the upright trunks
Of trees.-Science for All.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
EVOLUTION OF THE JOKE.
a Great, Grotesque. Unique and Purely
; American Snap.

a Great, Grotesque, Unique and Purely
American Snap.
"Let me illustrate for your benefit
the evolution of the chestnut, or The
Rise and Fall of the Comic Skit,'" re-
marked Hon. Erastus Gurley, lighting a
post-prandial cigar at the Merchants
The many satellites Of the eminent
statesman immediately scrambled for
chairs in his vicinity.
How often we hear tie question
who fakes up the comic gags we see in
the newspapers" continued the politi-
co-philosopher. "Well, L can assure you
that one comic-originally comic-idea
is made to cover a good deal of ground
nowadays. 1t is hashed and rebashed
by hundreds of cheap humorists all over
the country. The same idea reappears
in dozen DISCUSSES, and it plays many
parts on the journalistic stage. Take
an example: The Yon1ers Statesman
says:
1.-The man who is willing to take
things as they come finds usually that
they mover come.
This skit, you perceive, contains a
conceit which attracts attention. Bones,
hired humorist of the Wigville Wall,
sees it and, presto, the succeeding issue
of the Wall contains the following:
'Nibsey-Cheerup, ole chappie; take
things as they come.
"'Nobsey-Yes, but things don't
come
disappearing this time you see as a
colloquy.
''Tambo hired humorist of the Yell
ingville Yelp, sees the last version; has
not seen the original, and he tries his
prentice hand on transposition of the
scale. The Yelp soon after contains the
following:
"'Some men decide it is best to take
things as they come, and die just before
the thing comes
"Slight variations, you see; almost
imperceptible.
''Paintpot, comic artist of Smokers
Weekly, sees Tambo's effort and sits
down and draws a comic sketch, which
appears soon, showing big sign blown
from its mOOrings, and about to strike a
man in the back of the head, the man
meanwhile explaining to friend:
I'm the coolest man you ever saw
in your life; l always take things as
they come
"Young Pegasus, humorist of the
'Tickleville Te-Ho, is of poetical cast
he sees the coin-c plcoure, and his muse
yearns with a big yearn to tackle it.
He does so. The next issue of the Te-He
is frightened with this jeu d'esprit:
"The man who takes things easy;
Who takes things as they come,
Will find when old and wheezy,
That things avoid his home.
A man must up and rustic;
Must make things spin and hum:
And then in lifes fierce issue
He'll catch things as they come
''This settles it. The chestnut is now
full-grown and ready for ten years.
service in the press. It's a great. a
grotesque, purely American snap. and
one which, so far, has evaded the notice
of Max O'Rell.-St Paul Pioneer Press.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
Good for fha InfaIlaof

Young Woman-I think journalism 10
Q grand calling, Mr.. Verbose. Are Won
the editor of the paper?
Young Man-N--no. not exactly. I'm
. writer on space.
Young Woman with fine enthusiasm
On Space! 1 can imagine that it must
be very ennobling to the mind, Mr.. Yer
bose, to know all about astronomy
Puck.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
According to Orders.

Proprietor-How did you enjoy your
dinner?
Customer-Well, the tripe had been
injured.
Proprietor with dignity)-you must
be mistaken, sir!
Customer tell you it had been bat
tered Boston Herald.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
shon Keeping I'm Paris.

French Girl-Papa, a man who looks Like
IN American is observing those gloves In the
window. What shall ask for thems
Ehopkeeper-Twenty dollars.
Man (entering)-How mucha
Girl-Twenty dollars.
Man-Sac-r-r-rl
Ehopkeeper-Forty cents, Ms'seer.-Oma-
ha World
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
A Wise Couraa.

81 fell over the rail-" said the sailor.
'sand the shark came along and grabbed
me by the leg"
"And what did you do?"
II let him have the leg. never dis
mute with a shark."-N. Y. Sun.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
How He Proved 1t.

ssDo you love me as much as ever,
6ear?" asked Mrs. Gazzam, anxiously.
81 should think did" replied Gaz-
Fam. "Didn't eat two whole biscuits,
ct breakfast, that you made yourselS2"
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05

The train which recently carried the
emperor of Japan to Nagoya made, it is
said, the best record ever reported over
a japanese road. It traversed the dis
lance of 226 miles between Tokyo and
Nagoya in nine and a half hours, includ-
ing stoppages.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05

The Limbless league is the latest po-
utical organization. It fourishes in
Schuylkil county, Pa, and according to
it's founder, Arthur Jones, has 2,700
members who have lost either an arm or
. leg.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05

William D. Howells recently re-
marked to friend that he considered
foreign travel detrimental to the career
Of an American novelist
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
Remarkable.

There is remarkable case of heredity in
San Francisco. The daughter of a policeman
there frequently sleeps twelve days at q
stretch. Minneapolis Tribune.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05
A Bad Scrape.

Barber Ito customer)-Have you heard OF
the bad scrape young Brown has got intoP
Customer-Why, no; when did you shave
him lastT'-The Epoch.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-05

Sudden Change Of Terms.
''Snukes an embezzler? What was
the extent Of his operations?"
'tOnly about twenty dollar"
SIS that all? Tho miserable thief
Chicago Tribune
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-03-20
TO BEN HARRISON.

I've bin pesterd thinlin about It. Friend Ben
And wanted ter wright you, agen and agen;
For its plagy perplexin- You see how il Il.
The boys At the shop think thares suthin amiss
Ana they asst arkArd Qwestions bout what you
are doin,
WIFE they are continually frettin and stewin
For wurk at the place is alarninly slack
And but hat q the hands On last Mondy went
Laid on on account OF stagnashun." In
cource,
He was sorry to do H." marched with the
boss
Eighteen-eighty eight, and clarly remember
The letterin on ft-twas: "Workin-men say
They want steady wurk and abundance Of pay,
And hoidin to this resolution. intend
TO vote foa heparty that stands as thare trend"
We did 1.-THE party went in, but I CESS
That the promises got kinder lost in the press
For the Offices; sartinly nothins bin done
For the boys at our shop. They had lots of fun
With the banners and tortchlights in ''whooptn
Now some on 'em qwestions as wether 1t psys
To continner to do tt-and all OF the stack on
Have . wage sort o feelin yurs psrtys went back
on en-
Nov. Ben, voted for you and am ereevin
That my shop-mates suspect you were only de-
ceevin,
And wish when you've time twixt appointin ia
places
The heelers and wurkers, youde zee to eus
cases.
For sum Of the boys arc inklined to DO scrvmp-
shus,
And praps, at the mildest, . little rambunk
shuS;
And the use Of sware TURNS Is increasin q little
With the men who sit outside the shop-dore and
whittle.
As for me, 1t is only the facts Tn relatin-
Just facts, vile sit on q stone cogitatin.
u. d. Miller, in PUCK.