davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-10-08
Thursday, October 2, 1890.

The committee to nominate standing
committees subm tied its report by Senator
Allen. On motion of Senator Smith o.
Windsor it was ordered to lie. The report
is as follows.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-10-08

The speaker announced that the clerk
had appointed as his assistants John II.
Merriield of Newfane and Fred A. How
land of Waterbury.
The house adopted in concurrence senate
resolution relating to the printing Of the re-
port of the commissioner of agricultural and
manufacturing interests.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-26
A Thief petector.

"Whcn we started l noticed" said
one OF a party OF jewelers. who h' d
campcd in the wilds of Canada,
that. one OF our number was incum-
bered with Il large box. The second
dry in camp two watches disappear
ed, and each member of the party
began to look upon the others with
silent suspicion. Finally, as the
thefts were repeated, u meeting was
called, and every man pleaded not
guilty. No one up to that time sus-
pected the honest French Canadian
lad We had engaged us q servant.
He was questioned ami also sntere,i
u prompt and emphatic denial. We
I'LL believed his protestntions Of in
nocence except the man with the
box.
Gentleman said he, somebody
in the party took those watches, and
l propose to find out who. have
here n thief detcctor,' pulling
out IN electric battery and winking
ut the crowd. "lf there is O thief
among us this will point him out.
Every man took his turn at the bat.
terry. The boy watched the perform
ance in wonder. He had never seen
such II queer arrangement before,
but as everybody who touched the
coils escaped without harm he step.
ped bravely to the front when it
came to his turn and took hold.
sudden change came over him. The
owner Of the battery had turned on
its full force, and tho victim gave Il
yell ofpain md horror, and fell to
the ground screaming: Save me
save me! took 'em, but I'll never
do it ngainp Jewellers Weekly.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-26
Had To Saw Her Out.

Several hundred people crowded
the street in front of Galt's iewelry
store one morning, attracted
by the sorry plight of n comely
young woman who sat on the
flag-stones right in front of one OF
the big windows. One daintily shod
foot peeped perforce from under her
skirts, and the other was down in
the coal hole under the sidewalk.
1t seems that the iron and glass
grating that lights the vault under
the sidewalk just before the plate
glass window was broken. The hole
did not seem large enough for q
child's foot to slip through.
The young woman, n pretty blonde
in n handsome dark green dress,
stopped to look ut the jewelers.
wares in the window. Suddenly she
gave little shrek, and seemed to
loose half,l foot Of her stature. She
was evidently much distressed at
something, and little wonder. Her
French boot had slipped through
the hole in the grating and her leg
had followed it half way to the knee,
as far us it could go. She tried to
pull it out, but it was wedged tist,
So she sat down on the fiagstones
aud began to cry from fright and
pain and modification.
She was ut once surrounded by u
crowd. The police came and made
the people stand back, and IL kindly
faced old lady did what she could to
comfort the unfortunate girl,
Mr.. Gait sent to a machine shop
for u couple of men and they came
with saws, hammers and crowbars
and set about breaking one of
the bars of the iron grating so rs to
release tho imprisoned foot. 1t took
fully a half hour, and the crowd got
bigger every minute, but finally the
iron bar was sawed through and the
pretty girl was freed from the most
awkward situation OF her life. Then
she took a carriage and went homo.
Washington Post.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-26

and he congratulated himself accor.
dinghy. He secured e|he of the cross
seats, and all to him$elf and az the
weight Of the pie wad formidable he
ventured to put it down on the va
can't seat beside hid, steadying IL
against the back. Then he leaned his
llead against the aide Of the car und
heavcd II sigh of relief as he settled
into u cOmfOrta bls position.
He knew that pie lm had eaten was
already setting the scenery for fright.
full nightmare pantomimes. but the
big pie had weighed heavier in his
mind thnn the little ona had on his
stomach, as yet, and the ease with
which he was managing it soothed
him wonderfully. The monotonous
rattle Of the car wheels came to his
sleepy ears like slumber song. and
before he knew it he was doing, He
came to himself with q start as the
train slowed ut q station, and was
just In time to catch his "bouQuet"
sliding toward the floor. He replac.
ell it more firmly and again 10y back
in his place.
Then it seemed to Billy that On al
together unnecessary number of
people were boarding. the train. And
everybody who came in eyed the
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-26
An American NavE
From the Brookly& Eagle.

fun tuo OTVUAtyu EusW.
The story of the American navy Is
IN inexhaustible fountain OF inspira-
ton. No Sage in the history of the
race is Brighter than that which tells
Of the ets wrought to sustain the
primuc of columbia" as the ':gcm
of thd ocean," England, long the
mistress Of the seas, cannot in the
interval since the uprising of the col
onies, show n Drawer record. Wher-
ever the British drum-beat is heard
are celebrated the glories OF Tratal-
gar and the Nile, and the Baltic and
IL thousand other victories. But
who shall say that any OF these sur
passed the valorous achievements of
our second conflict with the mother
country, when she was taught for
the first time, that britannia did
not necessarily rule the wave? We
have only in justification, to point
to "Old lronsides," to gnllant Law
r : ~ ~, .lle .lSs'' Ie..Ae' ~ cry un
i Lake lrie' 10 Mcpohongh on Lake
vateers which in 1S12-'15swept the
n ~ 'ree OF El,sllsh co'hImer .,
ihssihe .c laier das we rec'll' .he
lesson talsnt 10y oeca,ur on !he
,arM.rS COAST an1 inc aahoh,!'oh
lomseyea 10 .he MeAic'hs a. vera
lruz' ana "mat com'mI sialt iir-
. ...sm !ne parallg :, 10 .ne WORN o. the
.aNy u. 1lie ciNi, "'f; lts 'fiul'Fns
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-26
A Hunting Incident.

On one occasion two sportsmen in
Africa witnessed u strange sight.
They were on horseback and had rid
den q few miles up a Ger tain stream
searching for game of any kind.
They had arrived ut u thick belt of
forest, consisting OF acacia and ever
green trees, when they were startled
by the sound of breaking branches
and the unmistnknble rushing of
some heavy animals through the
thicket.
Both men looked to their rifles and
then drew rein to watch the issue.
A few seconds only had elapsed when
two full-grown giraf1es were seen to
break from the thicket and strike
out at full gallop for the plain Ike.
You'd.
But the two hunters were quite un-
prepared for the extraordinary sight
Tint met their enger gaze as the wild
creatures flew pust. A large leopard
had bounded on the back of one of
them, while still in the forest, and
was now seated firmly on its shout
ders, tearing the poor animals neck
with the savage ierocity its kind.
The other giraffe, mad with terror,
soon left it's companion far behind,
the poor creatures lite-blood flowing
from it's neck and streaming over it's
side. The sportsmen's dogs now join
ed in the chase, following close upon
the heels OF the enfeebled animal, al
ready tottering to it's full. Soon
they overlook it and began barking
Mt it's heels, but the giraffe did not
give in without one struggle.
Lifting one of it's hoofs It dashed it
backward with unerring aim, strik.
ing down the foremost dog and
throwing it several yards to the rear,
where it lay struggling in the agonies
of death. But this effort was the
last. Jerking its long neck violently
outward, the giraffe reeled over on
one side and fell heavily to the earth,
severely crushing the leopard in it's
fall. Both animals were killed by
the two sportsmen.
The leopard, though fierce, is rath-
or Il cowardly animal, and it is not
usual for it to attack game so large
MS the giraffe, especially where ante
lopes abound.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-26
Fail Fables,

One day late In the foil, just before
eleetion, . poor, stiff, spawned Ay
met his old chum, the thousand-leg.
ged worm, on the corner.
CLOVIS everything" sold the
worm.
Good" answered the fly. 81
never knew what q slick smart fellow
] was till lately; everybody shak-
ing hnnds and milking a fuss over
me. Even that grsat heightened
spider that Is running for governor
stopped and shook hands with mo
and asked how the folks were"
"Ah!yes, sold the acknowledged
worm, "you will be a very clever
fellow till utter you vote. Then 1t
will he we'll to keep out ofthe spiders
way."
Mornl-About every two years
there is great interest taken in the
poor working man.
A certain honey bee mistrusted
that some one was hooking his sweet
stuff. He collared o forlorn-looking
grasshopper and accused him with
the theft. The grasshopper stoutly
denied it. "But," said The bee, 81
see the molasses on your chops."
But the grasshopper sud that was
a deformity that oil his family were
marked with, and that lie was often
accused with chewing tobacco, when
he never took q chew in his life.
"Well, circumstances are against
you," answered the honey bee, and
he stung him to death.
Moral-Maybe poor Birchall never
killed the Enplishma
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-26
The Closing Of the Year,

To the young the years speed not
fast enough; to the old they are too
short. The yonng employ the clos
ing Of ono year in ambitious plan.
ming for the next, the aged muse over
the events of the past and contem.
plate the mysteries OF the future. In
the lives of some the year has proved
a memorable one. while in those of
Others it is suggestive ofno special
events. Tho hopes OF one have
reached fruition, the aspiration of
another huve fallen short OF success,
and thus the last day of December
brings alike pleasant and sad men,
cries. Whatever the year of 1850
has brought to us. there is n valua-
BILE lesson to he learned. II any I'm.
dertaking upon which weentered has
proved unsuccessful, we can now, on
looking buck over the ground, see
more clearly the cause OF our failure.
No lesson is 80 forcibly learned as
that born of experience. A past
failure Outlines points to future
success, if we hut profit by
the lesson. No year is wasted which
brings to us clear realization of
our Individual worth and its best
employment. The experiences OF
the old year will make our successes
during the new more assured, for We
will have learned what shoals to
avoid in the sen of life. If our bark
has just ground over rocky reefs
with but slight injury, let us feel
thankful that we were not entirely
wrecked. To he successful, the truth
has been taught that the best sue
cess is that which is born with mod
esty and IL humble exterior. 1t is IL
poor success that brings with it an
outward self-consciousness of our
talents or gifts. The most admired
and beloved men and women are
those who combine prosperity with
modesty. And thus to all the year
can be fruitful of good results, II We
but extract from our individual cx-
pcriences only that which will be the
most profitable for us to remember.
Then we shall he the better prepared
to enter upon the New Year with
wisdom, zeal and energy.-Ladies'
Home journal.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-26
ATransparent Halo.

They stood before the Fra Angcli-
co, in the national gallery, which is
crowded with rank after rank Of
angels and saints, all properly he.
halocd, each in his own degree.
"For my part" one snid, "Ishonld
think n halo would he drendfully in
the way, especially in IL crowd"
ut must have something the same
effect on those in the back rowe, her
companion answered, ms do the big
lnts in the tleater."
lie had only carried her own idea
II little tnrtllcr, aud yet she was just
Il triile shocked by his words. 1t
may have been that her exquisite
feminine sense of devoutncss took
alarm at the mention of tho tllcater
bctorea picturnin which the heavenly
choirs were tllronging with 81 much
sanctity. A faint film OF gravity
came over her face.
"rllcy may he transparent" she
said, hcsitatingly.
She was Il little troubled, but she
could not, by dropping the jcsting
tone Of the talk, run the risk of sup
posing that she disnpproved of any
thing that he suid. She was reward.
ed for her effort to nppcnr us if sllo
were pleased, for what lie said in re-
turn was:
"Of course they are transparent,
my dear, or you would have seen
your own in the mirror Ion" ago"
And then she flushed and smiled.
and the whole lcatitic rows OF
aureoled angels did not represent JOY
more exalted than was hers. Boston
Courier.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-26
One Side Sufficient.

lticn Observer.
Are you going to pay for that
package ut this cnd?" asked on en-
press carrier, rs he watched u Indy
who, having wrapped up nn express
package and addressed it on ore
side, was about to address it on ii Q
other side also. eyes," she replied.
"bo you want to pay twice" ask d
the cxpressman. You are very
liable to be charged twice for an en-
press package if you mark it on
both sides. After n package is paid
for in advance, or ut the point of
shipment, we mark it paid OH the
side of the address. When the bill.
ing clerk gets that package the
chances are just even that he is pro-
sentcd with the side which is not
marked paid, and lie bills collect
Never address both sides of the
package. 1t by any means your
package gets open, the bill accom-
panying it will tell the exprcssnan
where it goes.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-26
Dutch Windmills.

You scarcely can stand anywhere
in Holland without seeing from one
to twenty windmills. Many OF them
are built in the form of two.story
tower, the second story being small
err than the first. with balcony mt
it's base from which it tapers upward
until the cap-like top is reached.
High up, near the roof, the great
axis juts from the wall, and to this
are tastened two prodigious arms,
formed somewhat like ladders, bear
ing great sheets OF canvas, whose
business is to catch the mischief
maker and set him to work. The
mills stand like huge giants, guard
ing the country. Their bodies are
generally of n dark red, and their
heads, or roofs, are made to turn
this way and that, according to the
direction OF the wind. Their round
eye-window is always staring. AL
together, they seem to he keeping
vigilnnt watch in every direction.
Sometimes they stand clustered to-
gether: sometimes alone, like silent
sentinels; sometimes in long rows
like ranks of soldiers.-St. Nicholas.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-26
A Word About Christmas,

There is no holiday in oil the long
calender of the months thatis SO uni
versally and so enthusiastically cele-
brated as Christmas. All men,
everywhere, take heart of grace and
smile, u cheerier smile Us the music
OF the Christmas bells TOLLS upon
their ears. Whoever will look back
to his young days cannot help re.
Numbering what q strange, mystic
time Christmas was. There was
something almost awe-inspi ring
in the music of the Christmas carols
sung at midnight in the open, frosty
air. And these Christmas "waits"
who sung, who were they? Unseen
and unknown, We almost deemed
them beings ofa fairer world sent
down to make Christmas delightful.
II we had known, in those days, that
these men, who broke the silence OF
the starry night to tell US what "thc
herald angels sang, were mortals
given to thesmoking of tobacco and
the drinking of porter, all our ro-
mantle dreams would have ended
there and then. As We grow older
We grow wiser, and therefore little
sadder. We know, of course, that
there is no real Santa Claus-but,
oh! how we wish there were!
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-26
THE PRESENTATION.

any amount Of ridicule, but he
hated to make people envious who
didn't have any nice little girls to
make Christmas pies for them. Then
he suggested having the pie sent to
him by express in a box C. o. D., but
at that the tears came to her eyes
again; and she asked him how he
could think OF intrusting anything
on which she had lavished so much
loving care to the mercies of an ex-
press company. This touched him
deeply. and he fell into praising
the pie again, and said that he
could hardly refrain from eating it
right then and there. Heactually had
thoughts Of it, for, to tell the truth,
Billy is abnormally bashful, and it
made his hair stand on end to think
of carrying that pie over to- New
York and having everybody in the
car laugh at him.
Then she said he needn't break In
to that pie and spoil its personal ap-
pearance because she had u smaller
one in the pantry that he could have
right away. Poor fellow, he must
be hungry; he waslooking quite thin;
they didn't iced him well ut his
boarding house. So she hurried off
to get the small pie, and Billy sat
there wondering whether to lose his
girl by refusing the pie or to lose his
life by enting it. He finally decided
that it would begrossegotism to hold
his life of more importance tnan his
love, and when she appeared with the
smaller pic he was ready for tho
sacrifice. He ate it all and asked If
he couldn't keep right on and eat the
big one; but she smiled-asn woman
always does when q man ilas COM
plimented her cooking, ut the en-
pense OF his digestive machinery
and told him that his health was the
subject OF her eternal solicitude, and
she couldn't on any consideration
allow him to eat more than one
mince pie after nine O'Clock in the
evening.
They occupied the remainder of
the time in wrapping up the large
pie SO that it would not give itself
away and make foolish people laugh.
| Neither OF ttem we're very expert ut
doing up bdndles, and their earlier
efforts were not productive ofgood
results either to their tempers or to
the pie, but ut last Billy hit upon a
great idea. He put IN enormous
piece Of paper right over the pie, and
rolled up the ends underneath 80
chat the whole had the desired effect
OF gigantic bouquet, and in ti,nt
form he bore it away.
When. he got ON board the ]. train
ono a. - Int few people in the car'
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-26
Philip B. Stewards Luck.

One of the few men in the world
who can say that his life was saved
by tobacco is Philip Il. Stewart, of
Vermont. Mr.. Stewart is the son of
Ex-Governor Stewart, OF Vermont, u
graduate of Yale. and was cnptain
of the Yale base ball nine in 1886.
He passed through Chicago on his
way enst, and says that recently
while OF n Union Pacific train near
Salem, Oregon, he felt n desire to
smoke, and left his berth and went
into the smoking compartment of
the Pnrlor car. He had not been
there five minutes before the train
jumped the track on n trestle, fell in
to ravine and carried 600 feet of
trestle with it. A man who was sit
ting in Stewards berth was instantly
killed. Out OF sixteen people in the
cur only Stewart and one other were
able to get out of the wreck without
help. The only injury he received
was that he bit his tongue. The
crash caused him to bite nearly
through his pipe stem. About twen-
ty minutes afterwards he realized
that he had the stem still between
his teeth. They were fairly wedged
into it. He says he would have been
killed il he hadn't been n smoker.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-26
death Of psaeeabl., hard.vorking
Ranflhannar

sandbagger,
At this Billy could hear men ham.
mering up agallows. The cold sweat
stood on his brow. Az the court OIL.
Ger approached to arrest him he grab
bed the remnant Of the pie-which had
been brought to the court ~ an tex.
hibit" in the case-and swinging the
great dish on high, he brought it
down on tho officers head with such
force that tho dish was shattered to
Fragments.
A dizziness came over him. He
staggered and closed hiseyes. There
was n murmur Of voices In his ears.
Suddenly his eyes flew open again
and he saw, not the courtroom, but
the interior OF an Lear on the Brook.
lyn line. A crowd of people were
staring Mt him; and one of them sup.
ported the conductor, who stood
there with his face covered with
mince meat, and the under crust of
the enormous pie around his neck.
Young feller," sud tile conductor,
as he wiped the mince meat out of
his eye, "you'll pay for this.
Here l was trying to do you favor
by waking you Mt the bridge, and
you slammed II thousand pounds of
chopped dog down on top of my
head"
81 tried to explain that I had been
dreaming on th"t COMPOUNDED piece
of pie which l had eaten" said Billy,
when he related this story to me,
''but the conductor wouldn't have
It. Ispent the night in cell, and
paid ten dollars and costs the next
day. wouldn't mind the fine i'll
hadn't broken that plate. The little
girl will surely find out about it
when have to tell herI emit return
the plate. She wouldn' t have known
any other way, for of course Igave
an assumed name ut the station.
where was charged with drunken
ness, disorderly conduct and assault
and battery, but"
Whose name did you give?"
"Why, the first one 1 thought Of"
Billy replied; 'yours, you know"
HOWARD FIELDING.