davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27
those spikes on like folks climb to,o.
graph nolas with Wv

those spikes on like folks climb ta,o.
graph poles with. WV
Ill tell you,' said he, not in the
slightest abashed by the baleful glare
ll my eyes. 4 had to go to that ploce
1or cigars, because-well, because 7
A,ow the man and can stand him Off
You didn't have to take me With
clothes. ot"iniy
Yes I did, says he. 4 knew that
J.. L bought cigars, you'd pay fare when
we got on the car, and that's what I
wanted. I'm fiat broko.'
.l Just looked ut this low-down
william, and tried to overmaster nv ris-
ing rage. But he saw that it wasn't
gong to be a success, and that I was
gathering myself for a spring at his
throat, so he edged away to tile other
END OF the car, placing several corpu.
lent gentlemen between himself and
me- L let him go, though 1 ought to
have chopped his measly head off. He
dragged me three blocks in adrenching
ram IN order to confidence me into pay
ing his car-fare, and there 1 was, wet to
me SKIN, with a ride to T~hirty-tifth
street before me. I've been looking for
ina man ever since, but I guess he's
moved to some other town."-CAicago
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27
Mixed on the Planets.

The man who owned the big tele-
scope at the corner of Broadway and
Chambers street was called away and
engaged a fakir to attend to the bust
ness for him until his return. The
fakir's knowledge of astronomy was not
profound, but he did the best he could.
Step right up, ladies and gents" he
exclaimed, with a flourish, "and take a
look at the heavenly bodies. Here we
have Venus and Adonis, Mercury,
Satan and his seven rings, Jupiter,
Pluvius and all the rest of 'em. Over
here on the right" and he indicated a
spot in the heavens, 1--WE see the Dog
star, travelin' with great velocity"
"Mebbe the Dog-star has a tin can
tied to his TAIL" yelled a small boy on
the opposite corner.
The interruption was treated by the
fakir with the contempt it deserved, and
he continued:
"Over here we can show you the
beautiful planet Uranus. as the boys
said when the farmer chased them out
Of the orchard. I am surprised, gents,
that you do not come up and take a
look at Venus. It may be the last
chance you'll get, as this beautiful and
accomplished star is now receding from
the earth at the rate of q million miles
a minute. Such shrinkin' modesty is
not often met with. We also have
Romeo and Juliet. I am not certain,
but I think they appear tonight in the
balcony scene. Surely. gents, here is
an attraction worth the paltry five cents
we ask you for it. Over here we have
Raceland, Badge. Exile, Inspector b.,
and some o Of the talent. If you
want to see Neptune in a new bathin'
suit, O is yer chance"
The crowd did not seem to be deeply
interested in the starry armament, and
many did not hesitate to jeer and scott.
This hurt the fakir's tender feelings and
he wound up his remarks by saying
very tartly:
"Confound your pictures! I could get
every nickel in the bloomin' crowd if 1
did tell you that this telescope would
draw the man in the moon close enough
so you could borrow a dollar from him."
and he placed his eye to the instrument
and swept the sky for his own amuse-
Y. World. .
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27
A Romance in Black and White.

The old saving that there is no &C.
counting for tastes was fully exemplifed
yesterday when Probate Judge Mona
han, Of Kansas City, Kan, issued to
John Peter Breck license to wed Josie
Brown. Breck appeared to be an in
telligent Dane, and his bride was an ex-
ceptionally dark-skinned negress. Both
we're from Kansas City, Mo. Brock
was 20 years old, and the m gave
her age as Is years. Both averred that
they had not been married before.
In explanation of this action. the
young Dane related to the Judge the
story of how his dark-skinned lady had
nursed him during a serious illness,
and watched we him with a tender
solicitude. She was kind to him and
he loved her, Breck explained. The
Probate Judge did not marry the couple,
and they left in quest of a Justice OF the
Peace or a minister. A few days ago
Judge Monahan issued a marriage
license to a white woman and a negro
man, both Of this tit .-kansas cay
Times.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27
Properties of Charcoal.

Although charcoal is very combusti.
Die, 1t Is IN some respects a very I'm.
changeable substance, resisting the &C.
ton of a great variety Of other sub.
stances upon it. Hence posts are Otter
charred before being put into the
ground. Grain has been found in the
excavation Mt Herculaneum which was
charred at the destruction of that city
1,S0O years ago, and yet the shape is
perfectly preserved, so that you can
distinguish between the different kinds
of grain. While charcoal is itself so
Interchangeable, it preserves other sub
stances from change. Hence, meat
and vegetables are packed in charcoal
for long voyages, and the water is kept
in casks which are charred on the in
side. Tainted meat can be made sweet
by being covered with it. Foul and
stagnant water can be deprived of it's
bad taste by being filtered through it.
Charcoal is a great decolorizer. Ale
and Porter filtered through it are de-
prived Of their color, and sugar refiners
decolorize their brown syrups by
means of charcoal, and thus make
white sugar. Animal charcoal, or bone
black, is the best for such purposes,
although only one-tenth of it is really
charcoal, the other nine-tenths being
the mineral portion of the bone.
Cha:coal will absorb, Of some gases,
from eighty to ninety times its own
bulk. AS every point of its surface is a
point Of attraction it is supposed to ac-
count for the enormous accumulation of
gases in the spaces of charcoal. But
this accounts for it only in part. There
must De some peculiar power in char
coal' to change, in some way, the con-
dition of a gas which it absorbs ninety
times its own bulk.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27
A Fiend in Human Form.

ut was raining like SIM" said Horace
McVicker to q group Of half o dozen
people, "and 1 was just about ready to
start home to dinner, when q man who
lives in my part of town and rides on
the same cars occasionally, came along
and grabbed me as 1 stood under the
awning in front of the theater.
"'Goin' home?' says he.
EYES, says I.
"'Come on an get q cigar first says
he.
Don't want a cigar says I.
(HeIe everybody looked at each other
and smiled s~ceptically.)
Yes, you do says he; come on
and he dragged me after him.
81 haven't an umbrella said I, still
protesting.
"'Nuther have T. said he, come on
well, I thought he was only going a
couple of doors east, so 1 started on a
trot with him. He grabbed hold of my
arm, and when we got to the cigar store
I tried to dodge in, but he dragged ne
on down the street.
Where are you going?' said I, try
ing to break away from him.
"tJust around the corner said he,
and pushed along.
II saw L WAS in for it, so I submitted
and galloped along with him. When
we reached State street, he charged
straight across it, and, having reached
the other side. he headed east toward
Wabash avenue. [ made another effort
to escape, but he hustled me on, and we
reached Wabash venue. There we
turned south and my captor lightened
his grip on my arm. l was nearly out
of breath and my clothes were soaked
but still We staggered along. We
reached Monroe street and crossed it,
and 1 began to think that this fiend was
bent on running me all the way to
T%hirty-ffth street, when he lodged into
a place where they sell cigars and
things, and hauled me in after him.
Il was five minutes in getting my
breath, during which time the man had
bought some cigars and forced one on
me. I was too mad to say anything. I
was afraid if I got started I'd do MUIR
der; so I sat on the neck Of my wrath,
as it were, and made a break for a car
as it passed. The man who wanted a
smoke so bad followed, and stuck close
to me. After I had laid u fares I
felt I could trust myself, SO I turned to
him and said:
What in the name of a"prop'" idol,
did you do that for?'
"'Do what?' says he.
"'Chase me half a mile in the rain,'
I, savagely. I felt as though I'd
ike to run up and down his form with
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27

PLATE-GLASs mirrors are now largely
made at Allegheny, Pa. Great improve
lments have been made in this line of
industry in the past few years. Form
erly it took three weeks from the time
work was begun on u mirror before it
could be finished. Now. says a manu-
l%acturer, We get the glass in the morn
Ing, and make it into mirrors, perfectly
nnlshed and ready for sale before even
ing. Formerly the backs of mirrors
We're coated with mercury; now sheets
OF pure silver are used instead. The
old mirror reflected sixty o sixty-fve
Per cent. Of the light that fell upon it;
Inc modern mirror reflects nearly
ninety-ive per cent. The mercury
'ooklng-glass was very liable to rub
on heat and cold also affected it, the
quicksilver would crack or melt and
the beauty of the glass would be
spoiled. None of these dangers threaten
the silvered mirror.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27
Save Your Small Change.

"Let me tell you a story" said Mr..
Depew, replying to q inquiry for birth
day wisdom. Some years ago I took a
great fancy to a young man. He got a
good salary, but he never could save a
cent. He was not %viciously extravaganza,
but needless and not at all careful.
Finally he married, and I thought per-
haps the responsibility of a wife and
subsequent tender responsibilities might
induce him to pay more attention to the
limitations of his purse. But he did
not, and the funny part of it was that
his wife seemed to be just as Indifferent
a tinancier as he was. They we're fast
drifting on the rocks of bankruptcy.
AT last he came to me and told me
his predicament. I related how, when
I was a young boy, it was the rage in
Peekskill to have a IT'S But box. This
was a box in which were deposited all
of the quarters and other pieces which
would have gone on the plea of the
husband or wife. why, John, or why
Mary, It's but q quarter Well, will
you believe it, that young man and that
young woman rugged up a IT'S But
box, and in a year he brought me ST.
600 and asked me to buy some invest
ment bond for him.
Every young married couple in the
country should have a IT'S But box,
and if you will but tell them so, with
my compliments, they will be very
happy chicks at the end of the year."
Turn rn,ol. oe N,,l,,, -
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27
Not to BE Outdonc.

Hospitality is the browning virtue OF
the Turk. He would scorn to be
thought behindhand in this respect
when compared with any other race OF
men. Nj. Barley tells a story in his
Bulgaria Before the War" which proves
that the Turk will not allow himself
to be outdone even by any of his coun-
trymen.
"A friend of mine was one day shoot
ing in the vineyards at Rustchuk, when
he was stopped by an old Turk and told
that trespassers were not allowed, and
that he must clear off at once.
NV friend turned to comply, but be-
fore leaving said in Turkish, "What
manner Of man are you? I have shot
in these VINEYARDS for years without a
word being said to me, and to-day I
have passed over many miles and
spoken to many owners of vineyards,
and you are the only one who has
raised the slightest objection. The
vineyard is yours, and you have the
right to object to my being here, so I
shall leave your ground, but I never re-
ceived such treatment from an Osmanli
before"
The Turk, who, up to this time, had
been squatting on the ground, jumped
up, and, with a marvellous display of
energy, began protesting.
"My good fellow" he cried, "you
shall not say so! Others have shown
you hospitality. and I will not be be-
hind them. Go where you like, eat
what you like. carry away all you like,
and all the vineyard is yours to do as
you like with"
The Englishman thanked him, aud it
ended in the two squatting down and
a feast Of grapes together.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27

Pixies PEAK is celebrated for its
electrical storms. According to the
meteorological observations reported
from there, the storms only occur when
the air is moist; the most favorable con-
dltion is during the time a light, soft
is falling. When the hands are
held up sparks emanate from the tips of
the fingers. At such times, with con
siderable wind, the thermometer CUPS
look like a circle of fire. Each flake of
snow, as it alights on amule's or burro's
back, gives a spark Ikea tirebug. The
station was once struck by lightning.
Ihe electricity came down the anemom-
eter rod, following along the wire
running to the battery. Every place the
wire crossed q nail the head of the nail
was fused, and the Wire melted at the
same point.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27

LITERARY curiosities are not fetching
high prices just now in the London
market. But John Burns has been
offered ego for the old straw hat he
wore during the great dock strike. Mr..
Burns is the genial orator who reviled
Americans for their messages of
sympathy during the strike, and hurled
anthem the memorable sarcasm, 3D.
your pity. Give us your bob" Nowif
Mr.. Burns will only give us the refusal
of that hat at his own figure, what q
splendid chance we shall have to re-
tlieve ourselves!
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27

An Illinois man who was bitten by a
mad dog chained himself hand and foot
so that he would iniure no one when the
frenzy seized him. His friends ridi-
culed the precautions, but the man re-
NAMED firm, and finally died in horrible
contortions, and suffering great agony.
Some physicians hold the theory that
hydrophobia is produced by a power
fully affected imagination The case of
this Illinois man might be referred to
imagination, possibly. He said he was
going to have the hydrophobia, pre-
pared himself forit, and wentsystemati-
cally to work and had it.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27

THE greatest known depth of the
ocean is midway between the Island of
Tristan d Acuuha and the mouth of the
lilo de la Plata. The bottom was there
reached at q depth of 4O,o236 feet, or
eight and three-fourths miles, exceed
ing by more than II, 200 feet the height
OF Mount Everest, the Hottest mountain
IN the world. lii North Atlantic Ocean,
south of Newfoundland. soundings have
been made to a depth of 1850 fathoms,
or 27,4SO feet, while depths equaliing
$4,000 feet, or six and one-half. miles,
L reported south of the Bermuda
Islands The average depth of the
Pacific Ocean between Japan and Cali
fornia is a little over 1000 fathoms; be-
tween Chill asd the Sandwich Islands,
2,4O0 fathoms, and Chill and New Zea-
land, l,500 fathoms. The average
depth of all the oceans is from 1000 to
$500 fathoms.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27

THE natives of San Reno and Mem
tone, where so many consumptives from
other places have spent their winters un-
der medical advice, are beginning to
suffer from the disease themselves, and
twenty of the leading medical author
tiles of the district have taken steps
looking to their better protection from
infection from tuberculous microbes,
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27

County was formed, Industry
was made a part Of it, and since then
.hat part of Industry has'been annexed
10 farmington. Thus it happens that
Enarles Graham, Of Pennington,
L rankin County, Me-, who is II years
o4a this month"; has always lived where
ne was born, and yet has lived in
massachusetts, in Industry aud New
Vineyard and in Kennebcc counties.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27

A SENSATION has been created in
England by the discovery that an active
slave trade is now being carried on in
Madras, India, under the eyes OF the
Government. Is appears hat in that
British province a traffic in girls has
been carried on as outrageous as in Con
stantinople and with just about the
same amount of secrecy. 1t is said that
high English officials are implicated in
the nefarious trade.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27

WHEN the average man OR woman
comes to be fitted with the first pair of
glasses, some curious discoveries are
made, Seven out of ten have stronger
sight in one eye than the other. In two
cases out of five, N eye is out of line.
Nearly one-half the people are color
blind to some extent, and only one pair
of eyes out Of every fifteen are all right
in every respect.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27
Just What lie Wanted

"Would you care to face a burglar
alone in a house, Miss Waxey?"
He asked this because she had led
the conversation up to a sort of house
hold atmosphere, and he didn't know
what else to say.
"Not if I had a man to protect me-"
she answered, bearing down hard On
his left shoulder.
why, Miss Waxey, wLat-wby-
wouldn't I suit as well:"
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27

STEWART WILLIAM. who died in 1889
IN India, had married a daughter of q
Begun, and had adopted her religion.
He was afterward reconverted to
Christianity His widow and son have
a claim on the Gardner peerage in Eng
land, and the London World thinks
there will be an interesting suit some
day to settle the succession to the title,
although it is not worth a shilling.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27

A FRANKLIN COUNTY, Maine, farmer
nas been o sort of stationary traveller.
he was BON in 1919 in New Vineland,
winch was then in Kennebec County,
~ Massachusetts. The next year
.'alne became a State, and afterward
mat part of New Vineyard was set off
"'o Industry, Somerset County. When
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27

Mrs. MARY DoNoGHuE, who had been
suffering from a broken neck, has been
discharged as cured from the Pennsyl-
yania Hospital at Philadelphia. The
bony covering of the spinal cord had
fractured and dislocated. but the cord
itself escaped injury.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27
THE trusted bookkeeper of an Alban

THE trusted bookkeeper of an Albany
bank, the son of a respected and
wealthy citizen, becomes a fr%equenter
OF bucket shops and a gambler on the
races. A bookkeeper's salary. would
not pay the bills and the depositor's
money would, and did. That is the
whole story of a defalcation of from
$4,000 to 500, 600. The moral OF the
story, however, is so plain that he who
runs may read. Bank officials should
be paid living salaries and then a close
watch should be kept upon their doings
outside of business hours. A gambler
Is always a dangerous man when placed
within easy reach of other peoples
money.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27
TOPICS OF TIE TINES,
A Choice Selection of Inter.
esting Items.

GOLDFISH follow the ice of al. iceberg
down until they reach the water under
II which place affords them an excel
lont feeding ground.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27

A REMARK always made by the other
fellow: II don't see what that girl saw
in that fellow to marry him.'--dtch1son
Chloe.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27

DEEP thinkers and scientific men
have always been noted for their absent
mindedness. When absorbed in thought
they forget aught else, and often COM
NIT very amusing plumbers. Not long
since there died in Vienna, Austria, a
noted professor, who left behind him q
record for forgetfulness of this kind
that has rarely been equaled and never
excelled. One of his pupils, from mere
curiosity, made out a list Of his strange
sayings, and we present a few choice
samples. During a lecture on general
history he made the following state
ments, which doubtless astonished his
hearers: Julius Caesar, disguised as a
slave, swan naked across the Tiber."
Alexander the Great was born in the
absence of his parents" The Swiss are
a mountainous nation, but in Scotland
the climate does not begin till
October" "Hogs were invented in
Asia Minor" "Thus arose a general
wal on page o." Covered with count
less wounds Cesar fell dead near the
statue of Pompey; with one hand he
drew his toga owe his face, while with
the other he called for help"
The effect of a superstition, which
dates back to ancient Rome is curiously
noted in the cessation Of weddings in
May. Why should the fact that tine
Romans devoted the later part of May
to a festival in honor of their dead de.
ter the bride of the nineteenth cen
fury from having her wedding in
May? 1T is foolish to crowd the
churches in the sultry days of June
with weddings. There are few brides,
however. who have courage or faith
enough to wear opals on their wedding
day or name that day in May. 1t was
formerly considered unlucky if rain fell
OIL ones wedding day, but the frequent
showers of April and June, the we'd
ding months Of spring, have well-nigh
dispelled this superstition, and it is
considered enough if the shines but
for the hour. At a wedding several
seasons ago considerable sensation was
caused by a clap Of thunder at the read
ing of the bans, which seemed to shake
the church to its foundations, as if his
Internal majesty himself wished to for
bid the marriage. The superstition of
May is found in every nation of Latin
derivation. "The bridal of May is the
bridal of DEATH" says the French pro-
verb.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-27

The records of Noah's voyag were
kept in the archives. --ROcket.
, 1890-03-27

every claimant, and that he does
not think II should be disturbed De-
cause of any extraordinary cases
that ne L. very anxious to do every
thing he can to hasten the settle
mcnt of every pension claim pend
inc I'm the bureau and feels sure that
members ot congress ana inc great
body of claimants are not deslrous Oh
imposing work upon the ollce
which will actually interierg WIN
the business of settlement lie asks
that those who are aware OF any eN-
ilonce wanting in pension claims
shall try to produce 1t and send IL
forward and says that In any event
claims will soon hc reached cither
for settlement or for the llnal c,iil
for the evidence TO complete lhe
case. a.,
The democratic press and poilti-
clans throughout the country nave
been prOclaimins that the work oI
the pension burcauis not now going
forward with greater mpidlty thah
under their administration, nut IL
will lac seen that General Rnum ma"
made wonderful strides In his work. !
lnNl llt VIII tNNNt'l NllN " ~ - Nf'' ~ -
and the promises ol the most ear ilVtt
advocates Of pension claims. THIS
announcement Will not only he an
agreeable surprise to tire thousands
who have pension claims pending,
but TO every man In congress wh"
has been doing 80 niuch
work to expedite the wishes
of his constituents, Under the new
order Of things at the pension Office
IL Is useless for pension claimants To
write to their friends In congrcss IT.
spocting influence to secure any
Kind Of action upon Their claims
pending before the burcau. 10 WI
b. seen that the entire pension busl'
ness Is to bo settled within 70 few
months, and that the commiss Ion
has established u Let of rules which
will operate the greatest justice to
everyone, and no amounts OF politl-
cal Influence will induce him to
wavcr from them.