davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-07-23
The Old Warriordid not Finch.

The death of Lord Napier of Mag
dala recalls a story told in India of
the old soldiers nerve. The Sikh
warriors were remarkably dexterous
swordsmen. and Lord Napier had
heard that one of their tricks was to
sever an apple on mans ouustretch-
ed hand with sabre stroke, divid-
ing the fruit into two equally pro-
portioned pieces so clearly that each
section dropped singly to the ground
without scratching the skin of the
palm on which they had rested.
Lord Napier did not quite believe
this. He thought the soldier making
the offer to perform the feat relied
upon the person to whom it was
made declining to hold the apple,
and that he would be prepared to
make some excuse if his proposition
was accepted. Accordingly, when a
dusky trooper invited him opresent
the apple on his hand and witness
the experiment, he promptly agreed.
The Sikh, confident of his own PROV
ess, did not falter. but looking close
ly at the Generals right palm as it
was extended he observed slight
irregularity of the surface, and sug-
gested that the left hand be used.
Lord Napier afterward said that
for the first time in his life he was
conscious of the sensation of fear, as
he realized that the soldier was in
dead earnest; but, firm as the rock
OF Gibraltar, the left hand with the
apple upon it was presented. The
sword flashed down and the fruit,
parted in two equal segnents, fell to
the earth, and the General felt some
thing strike his palm as lightly as
though a hair had been broken
across it. The keen edge of theIblade
had touched the skin without cut
ting it. The slightest tremor might
have resulted seriously to England's
great chief.-New York Tribune.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-07-23

wearin' a handsome, shawl th4n
mine!' said she. ~
'I'll hev the law of 'em!'' cried MIC
.odemus.
But he did not. His case, as Coun-
selor Jenkins informed him, hadn't a
leg to stand on
'"The one he bought was a begun
shawl safe enough" said Capt. Eze-
kiel, "but it wasn't the begum's
shawl. never said it was, did I?"-
Helen Forrest Graves in Philadel-
phia Saturday night.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-07-23
Matrimonial Confab.
rom the Chicago Tribune.

From the ChlcaGO tribune.
"That was a very foolish young
woman in New York. observed Mr..
Billius, laying his morning paper
down for moment, and renewing
the attack on his beefsteak, 'that
married the wrong man the other
day, and blurted out her confession
to that effect at the altar. The
young man she didn't marry has had
a lucky escape"
Eyes, she was foolish to make a fuss
atsuch time" assented Mrs. Billius,
who was staring abstractedly at the
wall. "Most women find out soon
enough that they have married the
wrong man. but they have sense
enough to keep still about it. Have
some more coffee, John?'' she inquir-
ed sweetly.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-07-23
A Ringer on Him.

:, Talking of life preservers,' said
the truthful mariner, as he knocked
Jthe ashes out OF his pipe, 'syol re-
member the old steamer Roustabout
that used to run from Buffalo to Chi
cago? was mate on her the year
before she was lost. We were about
sixty miles out of Chicago when Mike
flanagan, who was doing something
on the mast fell, struck his head on
the roof of the cabin, and bounced
clean out into the lake. Well, the
captain he see him fall, and he stopped
and backed that old Roustabout
quickr'n you could say 'Scat!' Mike
went down like a plummet, for hewa
Knocked insensible, and know'd
there was no use to heave life pre-
server for him, so I just hurried up
the boys in getting the boat down,
although I didn't expect it 'ud do
much good. We had Jim King on
board. Passenger from Chicago.
You remember Jim King, don't
you?"
Cant say that I do" remarked
bystandcr.
"Well. Jim was the champion QUOT
thrower in those days. He's dead
now, poor fellow, but Jim was a boss
on throwing quoits. Itell you quoits
were a great game in them days.
Every village had Il QUOT club and
the boys on the farms used to throw
boss shoes. 1t was something like
baseball in these times, although I
never could see as much fun in base
ball as / could in a good game of
quoits.''
ooh, come Off" cried the impatient
listener. "What did jim do, or did
he do anything? Did the man
drown?"
Now, don't be fly. Who's tellin'
this yarn?"
"Well, you don't seem to be-"
eco on! Go on!'' said the crowd.
" well, you know, in quoits a
ringer was when you put the QUOT
around the stake. Itcounted double.
Well, Jim he picks up the round life
preserver-it's like great big QUOT,
you know-and as the cap'n came
running att, Jim sings out: 'Cap'n,
III bet you IS I'll make a ringer on
that man if he comes up within the
length OF this line
"Bet you 500 you can't said the
cap'n.
"Take you,' said jim, and just at
tibet mint up hobs Mikes head about
sixty feet astern. Jim threw it. and
III be burned if that life preserver
didn't 60 plump over on Mikes head
clear down a boot and there it stuck.
We got down boat and when we
got to Mike he hadn't come to vet,
and didn't for some time alter. He'd
been a goner if it hadn't bin fur that
ringer, although it took the skin Of
fen his nose.''
"Did the captain pay the $20?"
"Pay it? You just bet he did. And
Jim he handed it over to Mike, and
Mike blew it all in when we got to
Detroit. New York Dispatch.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-07-23
Raided the Jail for Whisky.

The sheriff of Pearson county, S.
c., never had a more thrilling and
doubtless unique experience than
that OF Friday night last A large
party of completely masked men rode
up to the Jail in the little town OF
Roxboro, knocked at the sheriffs
door, and when he opened it rushed
in and compelled him to surrender
the keys. He expected, of course,
they were after prisoners to lynch
them, but was astonished when they
went to a cell in which the deputy
revenue collector had placed a guam
tity ofillicit whisky for safe keeping.
After they had recaptured the whisky
they grayely shook hands with the
sheriff, loaded the stuff on a wagon,
and, forming in regular marching
order, left town as quietly as they
had entered it. ss.7.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-07-23
Wonders Beneath the Surface.

Workmen engaged in sinking an
artesian we'll in Sandy Valley, near
Mira, N. NJ, struck an open seam,
from which a cold stream OF air
rushedwith force enough to removed
twelve pound rock laid over the open
ing. The air was charged with mill
ions of small yellow bugs, each hav-
ing but two legs, no wings and
small red circle on his back. They
lived but a few seconds after striking
the warm outside air. Local scien-
fists are pulling over the question
How did they get so far down into
the earth?-St. Louis Republic.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-07-23
1t Can Be Done.

They were talking in the office of a
hotel in country town in Ohio how
harp farmer Carter, who lived three
miles out of town, was, and how
every other farmer in the county but
him had been bitten by some swind-
Ter or other. BY and by a man who
owned a side-show and Travelled with
a circus in the summer season spoke
up and said:
Gentlemen, is that farmer in town
to-day"
eyes; he's over at the drug store
now"
"Well, I'll bet 500 to $40 that I
can make a sucker of him in the
broadcast sense. I'll make him bite
at something no other farmer would
look att
Two men took the bet and started
out to bring the farmer over to the
hotel. The side-show man went up
to his room and brought down halfa
dozen sea beans, and he had them
spread out on the table when the
farmer entered. When they were in
troduced, he said:
"Mr. Carter, represent the Bifusti-
Gus Vaporizing Fiber Company of
which you must have read
Eyes. I believe have"
"We propose to make cloth of
fiber, something better than silk.
The fiber is obtained from this vege-
table, the name of which is the
pseudonym. 1t grows luxuriantly in
this climate, and one of these pods
will produce six bushels. l will con-
tract to take / 900 bushels from you
at $40 per bushel. You can easily
raise that much on ten acres. We do
this to advertise our cloth and get a
start"
But how am l to get the seed?"
asked the farmer.
CPL sell you thesepods at - each.
Ten Of them will grow sixty bushels,
and that will be 5000. Perhaps you'd
better be satisfied with that the first
year.
"You'll contract, will your
Certainly, and you must also
agree not to sell your crop to any
one else.
"I'll do it. I've got 500 here, and
that will pay for the ten pods, which
l persume ought to be planted next
month";"
The side-show man had hooked his
sucker and won his bet, but when
Carter found out that he had been
made a fool of he went after u gun,
and the owner of the Bifusticus idea
had TO hide in the woods for two
whole days.-New York Sun.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-07-23
CupFRlC.Hv xEsD

Goes right to the spot
-one of DR.. Pierce's Pleasant Pei
let's. They do the right kind of
work when they get there, too. No
violence, no unpleasantness-but
mild and gentle cleansing and regu-
lating of the whole system. Sick
Headache, Bilious Headache, Dizzi-
ness, Constipation, Indigestion, Bill
ious Attacks, and all arrangements
of the liver, stomach and bowels, are
promptly relieved and permanently
cured. They're the best Liver Pill
ever made. Purely vegetable, per-
fectly harmless, easiest to take, and
always fresh and reliable. Gently
aperient, or strongly cathartic, &C
cording to size Of dose-one tiny
"Pellet {" for dose. They're the
smallest in size, but the most salts
factory In result.
They're the cheapest pill you can
buy, because they're guaranteed to
give satisfaction, or your money is
returned.
You only pay for the good you
get. Can you ask more?
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-07-23
THE CAPTAINS SHAWL.

OR ten years the
old Midget farm
house had stood
empty, the snow
OF winter piling
them selves up
a 6 a i n S t the
thres h old in
j a n u airy, t h e
tiny moss pinks
peeping through
the drifts ofdead
leaves when the
bland May SUM-
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-07-23

Mrs. Wickwire-Of course I have
my faults and failings, but you should
be the last man to find them out.
Mr.. Wickwire Well, I suppose I am;
but it is too late for the knowledge
to be of any use to me.
Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-07-23

%@z/I leaves when the
- - bland May SUM-
shine came; and when, one day, Capt.
Ezekiel Midget was seen sitting on a
wooden milking stool, smoking his
pipe, in front of the open door, the
neighborhood all opened their eyes.
"Jest come back from the east, y
said Deacon Robbins.
'Been alvin with pashas and ef-
fendis," said John jerks, who had
once heard a lecture on the east.
MAXIM his fortune, I calculate"
observed Billy Thaxter.
"Don't look much like it," said
shrewd Mr.. Munday. "He's got on
the verysame identickle coat he wore
when he went away; I'd know them
horn buttons if was to see 'em in
Jerusalem. And he hain't refurnish-
ed to signify; and there sutt'nly amt
been no attempt to mend the broken
fences, nor patch up the stun walls
on the place."
Capt. Midget had commanded the
Nancy Belle, a fishing schooner which
cruised from Maine to Florida, and
during one of his voyages hehad fall
en- in with the captain of a Turkish
vessel, and allowed himself to be
tempted into the far regions of the
golden east.
After that all record ceased. except
that now and then rumor floated
back ofthe captains having been seen
by stray travellers, seated cross-leg-
ged on a cushion, smoking prodi-
gious chibouque, in the companion
ship OF turbaned dignitaries and
salaaming slaves!
But of all this the captain would
bear no testimony.
81 did stay east q SPELL" was all
that he would say, 'but I can't say
liked it,
The captains favorite niece Lucy
Ostrom, came down from Bidding
ham to live with him, and settle his
house.
81 don't want things no different
from what they be-" said the thank
less mariner.
ooh, but you can't live so, uncle!"
said Mrs. Ostrom. "And Nathan
would just as lief come down and live
here, as to work in the shoe factory
at Biddingham.''
A sharp attack of genuine Connec-
ticut rheumatism accumulated Mrs.
Ostrom's advice, and Capt. Ezekiel
made no further objection to the
plan.
"Lucy's a good creetur'," said he.
81 guess I'll let her have her own
way"
"Uncle, is it true?" Mrs. Ostrom
asked, one day.
SIS what true?" retorted the old
man, slowly, rubbing his swelled fin
gers with pine scented linilnent.
about your having a genuine
cashmere shawl that once belonged
to great begun in Wahwallah, in
lndia?"
eyes, it's true" said Capt. Ezekiel.
ooh, uncle, where is it?''
II left it in the bonded warehouse
In New York; answered the old man.
"Was it very pretty, uncle?"
wal, it wasn't bad to look at"
Mrs. Ostrom's bright blue eyes
sparkled.
"How l should like to see it'll"
Guess likely you would" was the
dry rejoinder.
"Uncle!''
"Wal?"
.,a "What are you going to do with
Capt. Ezekiel screwed up his face.
wal, was calculatin' to hev it
sold at auction at Buckingham. Fri
DAY week, " he answered, slowly. cit
orter' d fetch a deal o. money, that
shawl. It's all sorts o'colors, and
That fine ye can dror it through q
weddin' ring, if SO be we're mind
Dear mel" said Mrs. Ostrom.
The fame of the begum's shawl
spread all through the place. Every
woman in Bidding Center had some
question to ask, or some statement
70 make in regard to it. Not a soul
ent secretly determined to put Q bid
Ior the treasure.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-05-29

IN clear C.esigu az the Republican
leaders in the BsgislatUre says the PhiIa-
delph.a Tic.,s on the subject of ballot re
form Was revealed yesterday (Monday)
when the scnate postponed consideration
of the amended Baker billuntl TO night
on the pretext of awaiting the acrioo az
the House on the Constitutional Con
yention bin The House passed this
measure finally at the evening session,
and the senste will now probably refuse
10 pass even the deformed Baker bill for
fear that conference committee might
get into some semblance to real reform
bill and compel the Republican Senators
10 face final roll-call on il.
The passage of a Constitutional Con-
yention bill and the refusal to enact the
Baker bill into law postpones ballot re-
form indefinitely. Assuming that the
people will vote for a convention, and
that the convention will strike out the
numbered ballot clause, future Legis-
lature must pass bill similar TO the
Baker bill TO carry ballot roform into ef-
feet. This means no ballot reform at all
for period of two years at least, and as
much longer as the existing Senatorial
obstructionists can delay it.
Senator GobIn's long speech yesterday,
in which he insulted the intelligence of
the people maintaining that in asking
for the passage of the Baker bill they
were asking for what they do not want,
will deceive no body but Senator Goblin
and his colleagues, who vainly imagine
they can repudiate the pledge of the Re
publican party and not he called to ac-
count for it. The people who are de-
manding genuine ballot reform and de-
manding il now do know what they
want, as Senator Goblin and his pledge
breaking colleagues will probably find TO
their cost.
The people want ballot reform this
year, not some other year, and the Sen
ators responsible for It's defeat will prob
ably be told by the voters when seeking
reelection to wait till some other year,
as some Senators who will fulfill party
pledges are wanted first.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-05-29
Philadelphia Councils Elect.

PHILADELPHIA, May 27.-At the spe-
cial meetings of both branches of city
councils this afternoon the registration
of City Treasurer Bardsley, who is under
bonds to answer the charge of embez-
zling city and state funds, was accepted
to take effect May 3Oth. Immediately
afterward the two branches of councils
met in joint convention and elected
Richard f. Oellers city treasurer. To
mark their disapproval of the acceptance
OF Bardsley s resignation and the conyen-
ton to elect his successor, not Demo
cratic member of either chamber attend
ed the convention.
After adjournment of the convention
both branches of council reorganized in
its own chamber and an ordinance ap-
proving the sureties of Oellers was pre-
sented and referred to the finance com
mittee. The committee acted fayorably
upon the ordinance and so reported to
council. The ordinance was then laid
over to be printed and will be passed
when council meets tomorrow. The
Democratic members of councils met
while the joint convention was in pro-
gress and endorsed for treasurer W. Red
wood Wright, the Governors appoint
tee.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-05-29
John Young Brown.

Ii was during the closing hours of the
Forty-third Congress when Ben Butler
was forging chains for the South, that
Mr. Brown delivered the famous philip
pic against Butler. He concluded as
follows:
''In Scotland, years ago, there WAS a
man whose trade was murder, and he
earned his living by selling the bodies of
his victims for gold. This mans name
was linked TO his crimes, and to-day,
throughout the world, it is known as
Burking. If / were to characterize all
all that Was pusilianlmous in war. in
human in peace, forbidding in morals
and infamous in politics should call it
Butlerizing."
Brown was censured by the Speaker
and wore it in 4 badge of honor He
is the only man who ever pierced the
rhinoscerynian hide of Ben Butler. He
is now the Democratic candidate for
Governor of Kentucky.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-05-29
A Bright Outlook Tor Farmers.

The report of the statistician of the
Department Of Agriculture, now in press,
shows an increase since April of last
year of more than 100 per. cent in the
price OF corn and oats, 80 per cent to 80
per cent. 10 Chicago for choice, and "a
per cent. for Texas, and advanced values
for ali cereals and meats. A hopeful
and cheerful feeling is noticed, says the
official report, in official correspondence
from all parts of the country. The eli
mination of the surplus of corn and
oats, through the under production of
last year, ensures good prices for these
crops, and the shortage of the wheat of
the world for two years. with the low
foreign prospect for the growing crop,
promises the largest foreign demand for
ten years at remunerative prices. For
tunately Present appearances indicate
our ability to meet such demands with
ease. The opinion is expressed that
farm lands AT present are promising in
yeStments.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-05-29
Poisoned Her Father In Revenge.

ATHENS, Ga, May 25.-James Jarrett,
of Jackson county, has a handsome
daughter of 10, named Fannie. Among
her admirers is a young farmer named
Robert McRae, who had been particular
ly attentive to her, but who was obnox-
ious to her father. Fannie was fond of
Bob, and was determined to see him
whenever the opportunity offered, re-
gardless of the fathers opposition. On
Saturday Mr.. Jarrett told his daughter
that if she ever met McRae again he
would whip her severely. This an
gered the girl, and that very afternoon
she stole away, met her lover in a neigh
boring meadow and took long walk
with him. On her return her father
kept his promise and whipped her
Yesterday the family had soup for din
ner, and Jarrett was taken Ill after par
taking of it. He is in dying condition,
and Fannie has confessed that she put
rat poison in the soup.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-05-29

RUTLAND, VT, May 24.-Mrs. Mary
Norton, wife of Allison Norton of Addi-
son, near Vergennes, died "Wednesday,
May 13, after four weeks illness, of the
grip. Her remains were removed two
days afterwald to a private cemetery
three miles east of Middelbury, but be-
fore burial the coffin was reopened and,
as the face of the dead woman showed
signs of life, it was decided to deter the
burial. Opinions varied as to whether
it was dead or only trance. The body
was taken to the residence of brother
Not until Wednesday last was there any
sign OF decomposition, and these were
slight, although the body had been kept
in warm room. She had been for
many years subject to fits and some time
ago lay unconscious for three days at
one time. Before the body was buried
on Wednesday 1t is reported that a can
non was fired over it to see if in showed
any sigus of life.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-05-29
The Drought.

The following hgars relative 20 Lbe
prevailing drought III Western Pe,nnsyi-
vania during the past three days. 1e
taken from the records Of daily rainfall
Observance from the Pittsburg-S!gnG
Office for the past twenty-one years, by
Sergent o. D. Stewart, the officer in
charge OF the Pittsburgsignal Office
They show that the thirty days begin
ming April 10th and ending May 18th,
both dates inclusive, have been the
driest during tWenty-one years. sum
ming up the rainfall for this period, the
following is found: The average rain
fail in Pittsburg for the past twenty-one
years. for the thirty days ending May
10Th, has been 3.o4 inches; this year the
total rainfall has only been O. 43 inches.
The nearest approach TO this was in
1871, when 0.7o inches fell. Other
years, when the rain was deficient dur
ing this period. were in 1872, with q. 80
inches; 1879, with l-23 inches, and
1885, with ] 80 inches.
The heaviest rainfall during this per-
iod occued in 1887, when 7.SS inches
fell; 1874, 5.99 inches, and in 1889,
500 inches. Rainfall of more than
four and less than five inches during this
period occurred IN 1878, 1877, 1882, 1888,
and 1890.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-05-29
Ten Persons Killed.

BRMISeHAM, Ala, May 22.-At the
Pratt mines to-day an explosion of gas
in the shaft where the convicts are work
ing killed ten negro convicts and one
free miner, named Tom Moore. 1t is
believed that the men in some way had
knocked off plank from door which
stood across an old chamber, and on
which was written the word "Gas. !"
The gas rushed out and caught fire
from the lamps. The officers of the
company went to the rescue and worked
to save the men, but were themselves
suffocated and narrowly escaped, being
dragged out unconscious. The bodies
of the dead have all been recovered.
The mines are not considered in danger
from gas, and this is the first accident of
the sort in long time. Two live con-
yicts worked faithfully with the rescuing
party.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-05-29

SIR JAMES KITsoS, president of the
Iron and Steel Institute, England, refer
ring 10 his recent visit to the United
States, said, in an address recently, that
the resources of the United States were
boundless, and that, whether protection
or free trade carried the day, the United
States were bound TO become great manu-
facturers Of iron and steel. Sir James Kit
son added that though the iron furnaces
of the United States were producing
larger quantities of iron than are pro-
duced in the iron furnaces of England,
there were compensations in the latter
country in economy and in quality of
material. Coal in the United States, Sir
James Kitson added, was abundant and
accessible, and he warned both producers
and workingmen in England to pause in
their demands, in view of the ilimitable
resources of the United States.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-05-29

JUDGE L. c. HoUK, representing the
Second Tennessee district in Congress,
on Sunday went to drug store to get a
prescription filled. The druggist, after
compounding the same, set it down in a
glass near another containing strong
solution of arsenic, which Judge Houk
took by mistake.
Anddotes were Immediately admins
tered, which relieved him to such an ex-
tent that he left the drug store and went
home, thinking that all danger was over.
He slept we'll that night, but in the
morning died suddenly. He suffered
from heart disease, and the excitement
following the incident affected that organ
and was the cause of death.