davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1891-12-10
w. y. Florence to n. buried To-day

Tho body OF W. j. Florence, the actor. was
placed in tha receiving vault at Greenwood to
await the return of Mrs Florence. who was
abroad when hc died Last night it was de-
cided that the final interment OF the remains
should take place this afternoon at I o'clock In
the family plot, near tho new entrance to
Greenwood. This is whero Mr. FlOrenco's 4
mother was buried. Mrs Florence has been
staying with Mrs. Barney Williams at 142
West Seventy second street
There will bs no services at the grave this
afternoon. and only Il few relatives aud friends
OF Mr.. Florence are expected to bc present,
The sun., 1891-12-10
The Resis..tio. OF s~Itzerland's Psss,ae.

BERNE. Dec 9.-Dr. Welt. who yesterday re.
signed the Presidency Of the Swiss republic
and Chief Of the Railway Department, In con-
sequence Of the defeat Of the proposition to
plebiscite recently taken on the matter. has
declined to Withdraw his resignatio Strong
efforts have been made to induce him to recon-
slider his action, but he declines to do so and
1t is the belief that his resignation is final.
The sun., 1891-12-10
Eari Rasselrs Family Troubles,

LONDON. Doc 0-T,uth. Mr.. Henry Labou-
chere's paper. says to-day that Earl Russell
has determined not to allow his wife, Countess
Russell. who failed last week in her attempt
to get . judicial separation from him. any
money for her support until she apologlzes to
him for the. charges she made against him
and admits that she herself does not believe
them. -,
The Countess has begun suit against her
husband to recover a part OF the E4.OUO which
she says she paid into their joint account.
The sun., 1891-12-10

LIVERPOOL Dec. 0.-The Jury In the case Of
the boys shearon and Craufosd. aged & and -
years respectlselt. to-day found the young
prisoners guilty. of numbering the boy Dawson
In September last. but added that owing to
their youth. they were not Responsible f9rtheir
son for the purpose Of obtaining his clothing.
The sun., 1891-12-10
tn. Car Say. Th,us. Look Peaceful.

ST. PETERSBURG. Dec. 9.-Yesterday was the
feast day OF st. George. and the occasion was
generally observed throughout the empire.
The imperial family took part in the festiyi-
Gar made short speech. In which he ex-
pressed pleasure In saying that the situation
In Europe had become entirely pacific.
The sun., 1891-12-10

Miss Lilly King. daughter OF Mr.. A. II. King.
was married to Mr.. Gustav Lazarus at Vienna
Hail. East Fifty Eighth street. at $50 o'clock
last night The Rev. DR.. Kohut Of the Fifty
fifth Street Temple performed the ceremony.
Mr. Louis Lazarus was best man, and Miss
many guests present 15O OF whom were enter
tanned at dinner after the ceremony. The
floral decorations wero handsome the princi-
nal piece being large marriage bell OF white
chrysanthemums.
The sun., 1891-12-10
SUDDEN DEATH OF ABRAHAM BACKER.
Tho wsll.kn0Wn Dealer In Commercial
Paper Stricken With Bronchitis.

Tho wsll.kuoswn Dealer In Commercial
Paper Stricken With Bronchitis.
Abraham Backer OF 2S5 Broadway. the
dealer in commercial paper, whose failure for
several million dollars In August last caused
great excitement at the time. died yesterday
noon at his homo at 331 West Fifty-eighth
street. His death was due to acute bronchitis
though the brooding over his misfortunes had
been heavy strain on an enfeebled man GS
years old. The proceedings brought in the
Court Of General Sessions by Judge W. d.
Hardin OF Savannah affected him In such IL
manner that his system gave way to the slight
son. spG Dr. @ Dessaa @ d s fiity.sistS st4sst.
Midland road. and one OF his sons told a SuN
VA Sreusst e sIshid she oid ssntIsmsns 'fss hSsss
could not be obtained; 80 that the diSidsnd viii
o n hs es t%e
BeekeEs stock still stands in his own name,
Mr.; Becker st was born A., i9 b gayHTis IN 1871. He
and aiterWsrds Il @ i iocated e At cosmbus. "a. a.
where he was in business for several years.
continued In. business for ten years. He came
MSrth t after the Wsf and settled IN this city in
in hs so'
became interested in the ArkwriGht Mills. cot
ton goods at Philadelphia, and In cotton manu-
featuring at South Glastonbury. Conn.
For the past ten years he had done largo
business in commercial paper. and handled
the paper OF the best houses in the South and
enormous. amounting to as much as !! .OoO-
coo year. He had great facilities for placing
notes on this market, and anything that Il"
endorsed was considered gilt edged by the
A few years ago he was induced by parties
In tho South to 20 into railroad construction in
Georgia and Alabama To this he always attri-
birmingham Railroad Company and the
Georgia Southern ard Florida Railroad Com
pany. and put in his entire fortune and u
large amount besides. which he raised on his
endorsement and by floating the stocks and
bonds OF the companies. There was n cor.
tinuel drain on him for money until he could
stand It no longer; His investment in thes,
concerns was said to be over 81 .!a,O.OOO. Had
they been successful. he often said lie would
haye made several millions
Mr.. Backer became disheartencd over tho
delay In carrying througI! the trust by which
II was proposed to save his estntr. Ncarly al
the creditors signed II, but a few held out. and
this worried the old, eentlennll who had
helped many, struggling firm through their
difficulties when he was PHOSPHORUS.
Mr.. Backer leaves eight children. FIVE daush-
ters and three sons.
The sun., 1891-12-10
THE TROUBLES IN CHINA.
A Revolutionary Spirit In the Air-It Affects
the Army.

the Army.
LONDON. Dec. 10.-Tho Chronicle this morn
ing publishes letter from it's Shanghai corre-
spondent. in which he says that the basis OF
the present crisis in the Chinese empire is DO
litioal. not religious. He says: "A revolu-
tionary spirit fills the land 1t Is species Of
nihilism. It has seized the army, members OF
the official classes, even the older families
oi Cnina and servants In European houses:
the situation in the hollow Of their hands. No
revolution is possible-certainly. not n sue
cssful one-without them. Their present in
terest is against rebellion. because they live by
corruption. but II they could be convinced that
q revolution would operate In their favor. tho
cooperation Of all OF them might be relied on"
The sun., 1891-12-10

LONDON. Dec. "a despatch was received
to-day at the Chinese Legation saying that the
rebels In Northern China had had another en-
gagement with the imperial troops. and that
the insurgents sustained . most crushing do
forces are following up their Victories. and
that the com plete annihiiAtion OF the rebels is
expected In a few days VI!
The sun., 1891-12-10

when Bsby was sict. We gave her csstoriA
when she was . Child. she cried TO- cas,or!A
when she became NiIs she chung IL caNoria.
when she had Children. she gave them oAstorlA
The sun., 1891-12-10
Notes Of Foreign Happening,

Dr. Schwenninger has strongly advised
PRINCE Bismarck not to attend the session Of
tho Reichstag.
The sun., 1891-12-10

The New York Centrni affords the fastest and most
I1mp,e.s through train service OF any railroad In
The sun., 1891-12-10

ALEXANDRIA. Va. Dec. 9.-E f. Meredith.
Democrat. is elected to Congress to nll the
vacancy caused by the death Of Gen. Lee. nv
1000 minority Alexandria gives Meredith
473 majority
The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1891-06-27
w. w. EDWARDS,
Abbeville,. Louisiana.
Real = state Agent.

Buys and sells land and pays taxes for
nOn-residents.
Now. is the time to buy the fertile lands
of the Attakapas country cheap. The
railroads are coming and it will soon be
too late.
The following bodies Of fine lands are
offered for sale very cheap:.
/. AS9 acres in VetmilioTf parish about
10 miles southwest of Abbeyil1e. All in
body and partly timber and partly sea
marsh prairie. A fine winter range cattle,
very low for cash..
2. 90 arpents near Abbeville.. AI1dnder
a good fence and with good cabin, well.
etc. A choice farm.
5. 500 arpents on Bayou Vern1ilion,
about 12 miles below Abbeyille. Fine
bayou land! part timber and part prairie.
Cheap for cash.
4. I3S arpents of choice prairie land in
MOuton's cove.
5. 40 acres of fine timber land in the
rear of T. 81 Winston's plantation.
The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1891-06-27
Footprints of the Worlds
History

Ben Franklin once made the
statement, Schools teach us the rudi.,
ments Of language, but books teach
/ US how to think; therefore, no man
is truly educated unless he is a rea-
der Of books" Ben was right, but.
he lived in an age when books were
so scarce. comparatively speaking,
/ that bat little of the pernicious in
literature was tolerated. But in
these days il il different. Your boys
thirst for knowledge Of the world
and if you don't give them some
wholesome reading to. slake thar
thirst. they will get hold Of cheap,
sensational stories that will poison
their minds and do them terrible.
injury.
There Ia such vast amount of
this trashy stuff being poured into.
the market at the present time, that
/ it is relief to pick up new book.
that is at once thrilling, romantic.
wholesome, pure and true.
Such a work is Footprints of the
/ Worlds History" the latest and
greatest work of the two celebrated
historians. John Clark Ridpath and
VIM. S. Bryan. These distinguished
gentlemen, having won their laurels
by independent writings, have CO.
Separated Gu this work, and produced
| q gem "of the purest ray serene. "
It il not q dry, embarrassing state.
ment of the plain facts, bot rather
each of the most importan events of
history has been taken up and dee
Escribed by master of language,
who holds the reader entranced %
he werds his way along the path Of
history. following carefully in the
footprints OF progress.
/ We are delighted with this superb
volume. Perfect in thought. superb
in style, and magnificent in execu-
ton. The buildings are sumptuous'
as are also the many Illustrations
and colored plates.
1t is valuable addition to litera-s
ture. 1t is a book for the old as
well as the young; the married
as we'll as the single; the gay as
well as the grave. It is sold only
through agents, and the PubIishers'
advertisement appear 10 another
column.
The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1891-06-27
THE NESTOR OF THE
MAGAZINES.

According to Homer, NESTOR,
the old warrior and the wise coun-
sellor of the Greeks, had ruled over
three generations of men, and was
wise as the immortal gods"
THE NORTH AMERICAN
REVIEW
has been in the van of American
thought for more than three Quar-
ters Of o century, ranking always
with the best and most influential
periodicals in the world. 1t is the
mouth piece of who know most
about the great topics ON which
Americansrequire to beinformed from
mouth to mouth, its contributors.
being the leaders of thought and
action in every 6eld. Those who
would take counsel of the highest
knowledge on the affairs OF the time
and learn what is to be said regard
ing them by the recognized au-
thorities on both sides. must there
fore read The North American
Review, the Nestor of the magazines.
The North American Review is
ahead Of any magazine this country
has ever secn,in the eminence Of its
contributors. Albany Argus.
HAS become, as it were, the
intelligent American citizens hand
book on greas questions Of the
hour. Buffalo Express.
'The North American Review
touches Americans on almost every
point in which they are interested. !"
Boston Herald.
A moulder Of Intelligent opinions
by the imparsial presentnent of botk
sides Of important subjects.-Phila.
delphia Public Ledger.
The list Of contributors Of the
Review forms a roll Of representive
men and women Of the time. ineiud-
ing w. E. Gladrtone, J. G. Blaine,
Cardinal Gihbou, Speaker Reed, Ex-
Speaker Carlisle, W. Mckinley, Jr.
Onida. Nine Adam, General Sher-
man. Admiral Porter, Nine Biavats.
Ky, T. A. Edison. Bishop Ii. G. Pet-
ter, Elizabeth Phelps, Chas. 8.
Parnell. A. j. Balfonr. John Morley,
Col r. G. Ingersoll, Henry George,
Chauncey NJ. Depew, Edward
Belkamy. Professor James Brice,
Sail Hamilton. etc., etc.
SO cents Number. $500 a year
Now IL the time TO Subscribe
The North Amerscan ReUiesc.
East Ia Street. New York,
The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1891-06-27
szlaungglfM.

Under the above caption, In our'
issue Of last week, we stated that
the Teche District of Customs az.
forded most magnificent and profit.
able field for the employment of idle
hands, in defrauding the U. s. Gov
ment Of revenues which should legi-.
ItimatelY accrde to. Uncie Sam, in the
event of the operations being car,
ried on according to law.
We will endeavor to- prove the
truth Of the assertion.
Suppose q Schooner should leave.
ia port either in Cuba or Mexico.
having on board several hundred
thousand cigar or packages Of wrap.
per tobacco, destined :or nee in this
Ecouptry. The vessie sails aud casts
anchor near the east end of Tim
balier Island, close to the mouth Of
the Lafourche. The cargo is put
aboard lugyers, met by agreement,
and carried through Harvey's or
Company cannal, and the cigars
concealed in sacks, of potatoes, mel
ons ETC.. are brought right INTO the
city Of New Orleans with but little'
fear of detection.
Again. the vessel lands near the
mouth of bayou Terrebonae and
sends in the goods by that route; or
else anchor off Southwest Pass
Ve:milion. and the contrabands are
taken to maket by the way Of bayou
VermiIion,. the salt mines or dozen
other routes, which may be used.
each free from detection or suspi.
cion.
Mermehtau river offers another
method OF COMMUNICATION with the
market. The coast ID perfectly
Itclear for the operations Of the fras,
ternity. There is no patrol. no IN
spectors, no detectives. and il the
sAnth were laid bare, these routes
may Be nsed even to day and the
Government cheated ont Of ite JUST
dies. Morgan City Review
The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1891-06-27
Notice.

Notice is hereby given that my
wife Eve Lege, having abandoned
my domicil without any just cause,
T will not be responsible for any
debts contracted by her from and
after this date.
Abbeville, La, May %, 1891.
MICHEL A. HARDY.
The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1891-06-27
FOOTPRINTS OF THE
WORLDS HISTORY
sywm. $. BRYAN and JoHMcLARKRIDPaTH.
The MorId Celebrated Historians.

~ w M .. 0FS4hN ana JVnNOIAnNhi0FhtH n =
The World Celebrated Historians.
The Story Of the Nations as told in
the brilliant deeds and grand achive-
ments of the Worlds Heroes and
Heroines. A rich storehouse Of His
tory, Travel. Adventure, and the world
and wonderful events Of the times
that tried mems souls" Thrilling
stories of the days Of chivalry, START
ling heroic achievements of warriors
and Crusaders. Also vast collection
of the rarest gems of English and
American Historical Literature: The
most wonderful New Book Of to-day,
the great self-educatof; just the book
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Historical Itluminations. Half Tone
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business and big profit. Splendid il
Illustrated circulars and full particulars
sent free. Address.
A. p. FOSTER CO., DALLAS TEXAS.
The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1891-06-27
HEI p BETTER THAN A
WANTEDIG GOLD NINE NO

Capital needed! Teachers, Students,
Ministers. Bright Men and Ladies
wanted ic every Town and County. No
experience needed. credit given if desir.
ed. Be early this time and secure
first choice of exclusive territory on
this brand New Book
DON'T BE AN OSTRICH Write
and get full information and solid
facts about.
The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1891-06-27
For Sale.

CPLENbfD opening for right man. For
y sale the official journal of Lincoln
parish and Of the Farmers Union. In q
very prosperous condition. Good reasons
for wishing to sell. Address, Progressive
Age, Ruston. La. june I3,-tf.
The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1891-06-27
The Currency.

credited with, being the author, Of
our decimal system Of currency. but
Benson J. Losing. one of the most
prominent and trustworthy of Ameri.
can historians, claims that the honor
Of suggesting it belongs partially
Of Goureunr Norris. In 1882, when
the subject was first broached.
Robert Morris and Gouveneur Nor
ris held respectively the Offices of
superintendent of finance and as
sistant 6nancier.
On February 2l,. Of that year the
former was authorized by Congress
to- prepare a plan for establishing
and conducting national mint, and
the latter gentleman was intrusted
with the task. He labored earn
estly in an attempt 70 harmonize
the mixed currency Of the various
States, and found that the fourteen
hundred and fortieth part of a
Spanish dollar was q common
divisor Of these various currencies.
Taking this as a basis he proposed
the following table OF United States
money
Ten units to equal | penny; 10
pennies to equal one bill; ten bills
to equal 81 fabout IS cents at the
present time). and $40 to equal one
crown.
Recognizing the fact the word
Grown" would prove very distaste-
ful to Americans, he explained, in
his report, that the coin would bear
the figure of an Indian, with a bow
in his left hand, thirteen arrows in
his fight, and q crown resting un6er
his right foot. Congress debated
his suggestions for long time, but
never took any definite action upon
them.
Two years later Thomas Jefferson,
who was chairman Of committee
appointed to take charge Of the
formulation of q money standard,
did not agree with Governor Mor-
ris' plan, except in 90 far as the
decimal system was concerned. He
contended that the unit selected by
that gentleman would cause good
deal of confusion and trouble in
computation, and suggested that
four coins should be struck on the
basis Of the Spanish dollar. These
were: A ten dollar gold piece, q
silver dollar, a silver dime, and o
copper piece worth the one.hundreth
part of a dollar, or one cent.
Congress adopted this report, and
passed a resolution on July s OF
that year to the effect that the
money unftsof this country should
ber ST.; that the smallest coin
should be Of copper, of which 200
should pass for 81 (lhe half cent?;
and "that the several pieces shall
increase ina decimal ratio" In. 1856
provision was made for a coinage
on JeAerson's basis but no specific
action was taken until 1890, when
that gentleman-then occupying the
position of secretary ofstate-u urged
the necessary Of a National coinage.
1t was not uatil 1892, however, that
that laws were enacted establish
ing the mint at Philadelphia, which
was not put into full operation
until January, 1895.
During this interval mary silver
and copper coins were tried, and il
is for that reason that quite .
number Of them issued at that time
are now quoted by solicitors and
The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1891-06-27

1t is to be expected that, Knarca-
lists will make bombastic. speech.
Passaic City record., 1891-09-26

The old tar who sympathiaed with
folks on shore for the dangers they mad
to face in getting around would have
still stronger arguments to sing about if
he happened to be on deck now. He
could quote the figures of the National
Board of Steam Navigation, which show
that of the 500, 600, 900 passengers car
ried by vessels on American waters and
from American ports but sixty-fve lives
we're lost, and defy the statistics of in
land travel to approach the results in the
high average of safety. But one life
lost for every 1882, ,307 people garfield
Does not this clearly prove that ocean
transportation has become a science,
ship-building an architectural certainty,
and that comfort, convenience and
promptness have been welded to the
highest form of safety?-Philadelphio
Times.
Passaic City record., 1891-09-26
Another MYTH Smashed.

One after another all our cherished
myths are exploded. The Colossus of
Rhodes is now smashed by two dis
tinguished iconoclasts. M. Bartholdi
goes at the great brazen statue of an
tiquity with his hammer and chisel be-
cause it is alleged to be bigger than the
statue of Liberty which overlooks our
harbor, and which the designer thereof
does not mean shall be overlooked when
gigantic works of that kind in ancient,
modern or mythical history are talked
of. And no New Yorker will be brought
to believe that the ancient Rhodians ever
looked upon the like.
Next comes M. Eiffel, the engineer of
the tall tower in Paris. He confesses
that if the Colossus was what it is
claimed to have been neither he nor any
other modern engineer could have set it
up. Thererore-and the logic is COM
plete-no such Colossus was constructed.
It is absurd to say that those old, igno-
rant heathens, without steam or any Of
our modern engineering appliances,
could have accomplished what our great
modern engineers and architects have
done.
And yet there are evidences here and
there on the face of the earth-the Pyra-
mids, Stonehenge, the obelisks. the
Colosseum, the immense architecture of
Egypt and Greece, the ''Roman remains"
in the way of aqueducts and roads
which are reminders that there were en-.
gineers, architects, designers and sculp-
tors even before the days of NM. Eiffel
aud Bartholdi, and possibly that they
possessed marvellous mechanical means
which now are among the lost arts. -
Neo York Aduertiser.
Passaic City record., 1891-09-26
An Unhealthy City.

Cairo for a long time has been notorious
as one of the most unhealthy cities of her
size in the world, and is likely to remain
30 unless the French can be induced to
abandon their present obstructive policy
in Egypt. The town is practically with
out drainage, and year by year the neces-
sity of remedying the evil becomes more
urgent. Some time ago the Government
took the matter in hand, employed a
number of distinguished sanitary engi-
neers, and prepared scheme for sys-
tenn of sewerage which is generally ad-
mitted to be the best and cheapest that
could be devised. It was proposed to
pay for the improvement by the appro-
priation of half the octroi receipts of the
city, but France will not consent and de-
mands the appointment of an Inter-
national Commission of three experts to
study the question, to invite plans, and to
decide as to which is to be adopted; no
plan to be adopted unless accepted by all
these experts unanimously. The object
of this proposition is clear, snd, unless
it is modified, the drainage plan must be
abandoned, at least for the present
Times Democrat.
Passaic City record., 1891-09-26
The First Iron Bridge.

At the present day, when we are ac-
customed to look upon iron as the chief
constructive material with which civil
engineers and architects all over the
world deal, the first iron bridge that was
ever built is curious sight. This bridge,
the arches of which were made of iron,
was called 'sIronbridge," aud it was
erected in 1878. 1t spans little river
in the county of Salop, on the railroad
line from Shrewsbury to Worcester, in
England. At the present day the struc-
ture is surrounded by thriving little vii
lage, which took its name from the
bridge. Several iron foundries have been
established in the neighborhood. The
structure was timid attempt at what
has since developed into an extensive in
dustry. There are three supports; two
of them are very small and cross mar
row country road, while the third and
largest one spans the bed of the river. It
is about ninety-six feet long and weighs
37S tons. The braces were cast at Coal
brookdale, every bar being composed of
two segments. Stephenson, the great
civil engineer, wrote as follows on the
construction of this first iron bridge:
"When we bear in mind that the mani
pulation of cast iron was at the time of
its erection in its infancy we cannot help
but feel convinced that unblushing au-
dacity alone could conceive of such an
enterprise, and the intelligence with
which the details were outlined and exc
cuted is equal to the boldness of the con-
ception." The bridge is constantly used
and is in an excellent condition, a fact
which disproves all the omninous clamor-
ings of cranks that the pernicious in
fuences of rust will sooner or latter bring
danger to the iron bridges of to-day
Boston transcript.