davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-09-24
A HOG ON OUR FIRST COIN.

The earliest coins for American use
are said to have been made of brass,
on the Bermuda islands, about 1912.
Captain John Smith appointed Daniel
Tucker as governor of Bermuda, and
i'll his history states that this gov
ernor enforced labor, and that the
colonists had "besides meat drink
and clothes a certain kinde of brasse
money, with hog2e on one side, in
memory of the abundance Of hogges
was found at their first landing"
Previous to this time Sir Thomas
Gates and a party of $50 had been
wrecked on the islands, and for nine
months they subsisted chiefly on the
flesh of wild hogs. The gratitude of
these people knew no bounds and
they stamped the image Of their
benefactor in brass and used it as
money-the most endearing form it
could possibly assume. From first
to last the hog has been faithful
friend to the American people, and
whatever astheticism might have
urged to the contrary, it was but
simple justice to allow the hog the
honor of taking the lead in furnish
ing the device for American coins
New York Commercial Advertiser
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-09-24
HANDLING A GUN.

Having been asked by friends fire.
quently for advice for their bows in
handling guns, l send you digest of
same, says a correspondent of the
Forest and Stream. Perhaps, as
the shooting season will now be on
soon, you might think them worth
publication:
1. Empty or loaded, never point
a gun toward yourself or any other
person.
2. When a-feld, carry your gun
at the half-cock If in cover, let
your hand shield the hammers from
whipping twigs.
8. When riding from one shooting
ground to another, or whenever you
have your gun in any conveyance,
remove the cartridges. if breech-
loader, it being so easy to replace
them If a muzzle loader, remove
the caps, brush off the nipples, and
place wad on the nipple, letting
down the hammers on wadS-Simply
removing caps sometimes leaves a
little illuminate on the nipple, and a
blow of the hammer when down dis
charges it.
4. Never draw gun toward you
by the barrels.
5. More care is necessary in the
use of a gun in boat than else
where; the limited space, confirmed
action and uncertain motion making
it dangerous at the best. If possible,
no more than two persons should
occupy a boat. Hammerless guns
are a constant danger to persons
boating.
6. Always clean your gun thor
oughly as soon as you return from a
days sport, no matter how tired
you feel; the consequence of it always
being ready for service is ample re-
turn for a few minutes irksome
labor
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-09-24
WHEN DOES OLD AGE BEGIN?

Some men are old at forty. while
others may be almost said to be
young at eighty. A man is just as
old as his tissues, particularly those
of his heart and brain, and there are
octogenarians who, for mental and
even physical volatility, might be
their own grandsOns. The secret of
such perpetual youth lies mostly in
regular exercise, whether in telling
trees or in the humber form of the
daily constitutional" Even when
life hasa last fallen into the sere and
yellow leaf, exercise of kind and
amount suited to the "shrunk
shanks," stiff joints, brittle bones,
and other evidences of senility, will
keep the furnace of the vital locomo-
tive aglow long after other less care
fully stocked have paled their ineffec-
tual fires. But this can only be done
Ito continue the metaphOr) by slack
ening speed and reducing pressure.
If old men will jump hedges as in
their salad days, they will not i'm
probably do so to a musical accom-
paniment of swapping thigh bones.
If they run to catch trains their
hearts are extremely likely to mark
their sense of such an outrage by
stopping work. DR.. Hammond, of
Washington, has collected seventy
cases which have occurred in that
city. during the last ten years of men
dying suddenly from running after
street cars.
If man has ridden all his life he
may continue to do so as long as he
can sit on a horse, otherwise this eX-
ercise is too violent for the aged.
The constitutional is unquestion-
ably the sheet anchor of old age as
far as exercise is concerned. | need
say nothing more about it than that
each walk should be taken with a
definite purpose, if it is only to set
ones watch by particular clock.
To have an object of some kind
makes all the difference between
wholesome exercise and the listless
dragging about of the dead weight
Of ones own body, which makes
walking one of the most fatiguing as
well as the dreariest of all forms OF
motion. To sum up the whole sub
ject, the golden rule for exercise
through all the seven chapters OF
mans strange, uneventful history, is
to use it that the stream of life shall
flow swift and clear, never stagnat-
ing like muddy pond, and, on the
other hand, never dashing itself to
pieces in mere foam and fury DIR.
MOrell NJ ackenzie.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-09-24
THE SWISS CELEBRA TON AND
WILLIAM TELL.

Switzerland has been lately cele-
brating in the canton of Schwytz the
sixth centenary of its independence
as nation, and on the 18th of
August the city of Berne celebrated
the seven-hundredth anniversary Of
the foundation of the town. This is
an antiquity which reaches beyond
the legendary epoch; for Berne was
founded in 1191, and the famous
hunter of Uri is said to have flourish
ed in 1907, and to have been mem
Der of the League of the Three Can
tons-Uri, Schwytz, and Unterwalden
which finally drove the Austrians
from the Alps.
But the Tell legend, like so many
of the old and new historic
tales, is now generally abandoned.
1t was observed that the old Swiss
chroniclers did not mention the
story, and it's first full statement
did not occur until the middle of the
sixteenth century. This covered it
with certain suspicion, which has
gradually developed with the
demonstration that the Tell tale"
is one of the legends common to the
Aryan people, and is found in its
chief elements in the Persian, Ice
landic, Danish. and English poetry,
tradition, saga, and ballad.
1t is none the less an inspiring and
symbolic tale of heroism, and the
same tendency of history to legend is
curiously illustrated in this country
by the story of the mysterious
white-haired warrior who suddenly
appeared in Hadley during an Indian
attack upon the village in King
Philips war, and led the village to
victory. Mr.. George Sheldon, of
Deerfeld, Massachusetts,, in a paper
published few years since, traced
the story to a foot-note in Hutchin-
sons history referring to legend in
Governor Leverett's family. But,
examining dates, he discredits the
story. Yet the figure of the regicide
cannot be dislodged from the popu-
lar imagination, nor Hadley Invested
of the charm of the tradition Will
liam Tell and the regicide are as i'm
mortal as the heroes of Homer
! 1Harper's Weekly.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-09-24
CANADA's GROWING DEBT.

The rapid, the startling growth Of
the debt of Canada, which has in
creased from $7S, 2O9,7 42 in 1870,
to $23S, 100000 in 1890, with a
population almost at a standstill
and a stagnant trade, has struck
calm, impartial observers with the
idea that there has been something
wrong in the government of peace
full young state of enormous extent
and great natural resources. Of
course, large portion of this debt
was incurred for the construction of
railways, improvements of canals,
and similar political and commercial
works but the results or returns do
not compensate for the vastness of
the new debt, with its oppressive
load of interest. They freely COM
ment upon the fact that while the
United States have reduced their
debt from $50 to $3.50 per head in
twenty years Canada has run up
hers from $21 to S47.- From THE
French Canadian Peasantry," by
Prosper Bender, in New England
Magazine for September.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-09-24
THE MAN WITH THE IRON MA SIX.

The mystery of the man in the
iron mask is said to be solved at
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-09-24
HOW A MAN WAS STONED TO
DEATH.

The stoning to death of the Talrnud
was as follows: The criminal was
conducted to an elevated place, divest-
ed of his attire if a man, and then
hurled to the ground below. The
height of the eminence from which he
was thrown was always more than
fifteen feet, the higher, within GER
tain limits, the better The violence
of the conclusion caused death by
dislocating the spinal cord. The
elevation was not to be so high as
to greatly distigure the body. This
was tender point With the Jews
man was created in Gods image,
and it was not permitted to desecrate
the temple shaped by heavens own
hand.
The first of the witnesses who had
testified against the condemned man
acted as eXecutioner, in accordance
with Deuteronomy xvii, Z. If the
convict fell face downward, he was
turned on his back. If he was not
quite dead, a stone, so heavy as to
require two persons to carry it, was
taken to the top of the eminence
whence he had been thrown; the
second of the witnesses then hurled
the stone so as to fall upon the cul-
prit below. This process, however,
was seldom necessary, the semistupe-
fed condition of the condemned and
the height from which he was cast
insuring in the generality of cases,
instant death.
1t may be we'll to mention in this
connection that previous to carrying
into effect a sentence of death a
death draft, as it was called, was
administered to the unfortunate
victim. This beverage was composed
of myrrh and frankincense (lebana)
in cup of vinegar or light wine. 1t
produced a kind Of stupefaction, a
semiconscious condition of mind and
body, rendering the convict indif-
ferent to his fate and scarcely sensi-
to pain. AS soon as the culprit had
partaken of the Supplying draft the
execution took place. American
Notes and Queries.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-09-24
AUCTION SALE
OF REAL ESTATE.

The subscriber will sell at public auction
unless previously sold, on Tuesday, Sept. 20,
1891, at L O'Clock p. M, the Farm belonging
to the estate of the late Benjamin Kidder.
situated in Peacham. Vt, on the road from
Peacham Corner to Cabot. 1t contains 147
acres of land. The buildings are in average
repair, one barn 4ON44 and a horse barn and
a good house. The til1age land can nealy all
be cultivated by machinery. The premises
supplied with never failing spring OF
water, the best in town.
The property is worth the attention OF
the granite business and dairying There In A
good dam the premises with ample power
to run small machinery. The brook is fed by
clear cold springs. Also at the same time a
lot of Furniture and other articles. For
terms and other particulars apply to Tru-
man Martin, South Peacham, or to the sub
Scriber at East H lard wick, VT.
J. A. kIDDER, Executor.
September IA, 1891.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-09-24

A young resident of Los Gatos,
Cal, ran away from home, and ex-
planned, when found, that he was
tired of eating hay and grain. p"
His father is a leading vegetarian.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-09-24

Robert Bonner has been such a
lover of speedy trotters that he has
spent, it is said, more than $500, 1000
in gratifying his tastes in that direc-
ton.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-07-30
SPECIAL VILLAGE MEETING.

AS will be seen by an advertise
ment elsewhere a special village
meeting has been called for next
Tuesday evening 'to see if the vii
lage will vote to eXpend the neces-
sary money to widen Railroad street,
in accordance with the plans now
being considered by the village trus-
tees" and "to ascertain the sense of
the village on this step. The meet
ing is called at 73O.
This paper gave last week a full
account of the work that is being
done on Railroad street and stated
that the only one who claimed any
damages was DIR. T. R. Stiles. BY
the widening of the street DIR. Stiles
loses strip of valuable land SO feet
long and Z or 8 feet wide. and it is
only fair that he should receive
damages. DR.. Stiles agreed to leave
the matter of value to three disin-
terested men who were not citizens
of ST. Johnsbury. DIR. Stiles selected
Henry Wilson of Barnet, the trustees
named Col H. E. Folsom of Lvn-
donville, and these two chose Isaac
NJ. Smith of McIndoes The land
was appraised at $3.50, which was
very fair price for the land. The
trustees have gone ahead in the
matter and the street will be all
widened before the special meeting.
The meeting was called by the re-
quest of Dr. g. B. Bullard, who pro-
tests as tax payer against the village
paying any bills for widening the
street. The action of the trustees
has already been sustained by
majority of the grand list, as indi-
Gated by the petition to widen, and
we believe the trustees will be sus-
tained at the meeting next Tuesday
evening by large majority. In
widening the street the trustees have
made one of the permanent improve
ments in our village that every citi-
zen ought to heartily endorse. The
same Improvements will have to
come elsewhere in the near future.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-07-30
A HORSE ATTACKED BY RATS.

William Daniels was aroused from
sleep a few nights ago by great
commotion in his barn, and on 60
ing out was startled to find five or
six large rats attacking one of his
horses. They had evidently crawled
upon the animal while it was lying
down, and when discovered they had
torn the skin from a spot as large as
a mans hand on the horse shoulder.
1t was bleeding freely and the vicious
rodents were clinging to the raw
edges of the wound and sucking the
blood, while the horse jumped and
houndered around in his endeavor to
shake them off. Those rats are saw
age ones and need looking after.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-07-30

class, and his graduating theme was
Demand for more restrictive inn
migration laws"
Henry Cutler, who died at Law
renee, Mass. on May 4, was II
years old and native of Burlington,
Mass. For so years he was a
worthy member of the Methodist
church aud died in the full assurance
of faith. His wife, Parmelia Morrill,
of Danville, survives him.
o. Clayton left yesterday for
Maquam to take Walter Aliens
place as purser on the steamer
Maquam, but will probably return
to the academy in the fall. E. Clay
ton has entered the office of Wilder,
Noyes & Co. and does not expect to
return to the Academy in the fall.
In a letter from Lewis Graham to
a friend in this place Mr.. Graham
writes very pleasantly of his home
in Portsmouth, N. H. Mr.. Graham
lives in new house and is quite con-
tented there. His son Warren lives
with him and still keeps up his col
lections of war relics and other
curiosities.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-07-30
CLEARING OUT A RIVER.

AS a result of certain privileges
granted them by the last legislature,
the Fall Mountain Paper Company
Of Bellows Falls have begun the w ork
of clearing out White river and put
ting it in condition to float their
logs, of which they expect to cut
a large number the coming season
from wild lands along the White
river valley. A gang of men are at
present at work in Rochester, blast
ing out rocks in the West Rochester
branch and building a dam across
that stream for a reservoir from
which to secure water necessary to
float the logs when the stream is
low. The gang are in camp just
above West Rochester, and will move
along down stream as the work pro-
crosses. The undertaking is a large
one and will entail considerable ex-
DenSe
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-07-30
THE KIMBALL-C Mp FAIL URE.

The failure of the Kimball-Champ
company of Council Bluffs, Ia,
which was announced last Thursday,
was a great surprise in financial
circles, as this company had always
been regarded as one of the strong
est investment companies in the
West. The company had $25O,OOO
in a new hotel III Council Bluffs,
which was one of the causes of their
failure. Many of their loans are
held by Vermont savings banks and
several thousand dollars worth of
stock are held in this vicinity. New
Hampshire and Boston banks are
much more heavily interested than
auv in Vermont. The loans of the
company are regarded perfectly safe
and perhaps the stockholders will
not lose anything after all.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-07-30
FOR STEALING WATCH.

One Bruce Mcintyre is in jail here
for prolonged stay, because he
helped himself to a watch that did
not belong to him. Mcintyre came
along some time ago from parts un-
known and was given employment
at the electric light station. On Satur-
day night he was told that there was
no further need of his services and
advised to look up another job. He
remained at the station all night
Saturday and was about there some
of the time on Sunday also. On the
latter day Horace Randall was at
work at the electric light station,
and hung up his vest, leaving his
watch in its usual place in that gar
ment. Mcintyre improved the oppor-
tunity and fastened on to the watch,
leaving for distant parts without
saying where a letter could reach
him. Sheriff Sulloway began search
for him, by telephone and otherwise,
and finally received word from Barnet
that Mcintyre had been seen there,
but had gone on to McIndoes by
hand-car in company with section
men. Deputy Sheriff Colby, at Nc
Indoes, was notified, and on Monday
the thief lodged in Jail. He waived
examination and was bound over to
county court, and will remain in
custody till the December term. 1t
was quick capture, neatly brought
about.
Some fifteen years ago, on certain
Sunday, Horace Randall was at
work on a similar job, and had two
fingers badly hurt; and as this watch
episode also occurred on Sunday, he
is inclined to think that Sunday
labor is not the proper caper.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-07-30
A SUMNER SCHOOL.

The Orleans county summer school
and teachers institute will be held at
Barton Landing, from Aug. 5 to
Aug. IS. The course of study will in
clude the subjects of arithmetic, civil
government, drawing, grammar, his
tory, reading, writing, elementary
psychology, school management,
kindergarten work, primary work
and calisthenics. Board for the ses-
sion can be obtained for So, and the
tuition is very low. An examina tion
will be held at the close. The fare
for the round trip from St. Johnsbury
will be 81 40.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-07-30
COUNTY COURT.

Geo. c. Brooks, who was arraigned
on the charge of stealing horse from
Fred. G. Stanton of North Danville
in August of last year, pleaded guilty
and was sentenced to the Refom
school for four years
In the case of Swerdferger VS.. Hop
kins, involving a dooryard line, the
jury gave the plaintiff a verdict of
one cent damages and costs.
These divorce cases were heard and
disposed of: Hattie Woodward vs.
George Woodward, bill for adultery;
Hattie F. Varney VS.. Chas. L.
Varney, Edna S. Davis VS.. Geo. n.
Davis, Lizzie NJ. Lavely VS.. Geo. B.
Lavely, bills for desertion. Minnie
E. Clark VS.. Louis w. Clark and
Ellen Flinton VS.. George Flinton,
bills for intolerable severity.
Two liquor cases-against Orson
Mack and B. 6. Howe-were dispos-
ed of, the former on a plea of guilty
of two first offences, and the second
with a fine of $500 and costs for six
first offences.
A recess was then taken till vester-
day, when the divorce case of Olive
E. Harris VS.. L. B. Harris was taken
up.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-07-30
GRAND ARMY TRAINS.

1t is expected that 80 car loads of
veterans will pass through here Sat
urday and Sunday afternoons on
their way to the national encamp-
ment at Detroit. Nearly all the
Maine and New Hampshire veterans
will go by this road, and many of
those from Massachusetts, will avail
themselves of this opportunity to
see the White mountains and Niagara
Falls. 1t will take five trains to
carry them and the cars will be Pull
man and Wagner palace coaches.
1t will tax the capacity of the Lake
road to the utmost on that day, but
such things must beexpected on such
a popular through line.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-07-30
DEATH OF Ell MEACHAM.

Eli Meacham died at his home on
Mt. Pleasant street early Monday
morning from the effects of a stroke
of paralysis over three weeks ago.
Mr.. Meacham was born in England
in 1914, but when seven years of
age he came to Canada and when 1S
to St. Johnsbury, where he had since
resided. He was employed at the
scale shops for about FIVE years after
coming here, but i'll health compelled
him to leave it and seek work in the
open air. For over 20 years he had
driven job team. His funeral SER
vices were held at his late residence
Wednesday afternoon. He leaves a
wife and four children.
St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-07-30
"BUTTERCUPs AND DAISIES"

Prof. ]. M. Tyler, professor of
biology at Amherst college, talked
very interestingly to the Natural
History society at Athenaum hall
on Tuesday evening, with Butter
cups and Daisies" as his theme.
Prof. Tyler was introduced by Ar
thur F. Stone, and referred briefly at
the outset to a malady known as
mental dyspepsia, which he said
was the outcome of careless habit
of reading-the indiscriminate TAX
ing in of whatever reading matter
was within reach. without giving
thought to anything. Aided by il
lustrations on the blackboard, the
speaker set forth the wonderfully deli
cate yet never failing mechanism of
the buttercup, the daisy and the
violet, and gave his hearers an enter
tanning and instructive insight into
the mysteries of the realm of natural
history. He explained the processes
the carrying of the pollen from one
flower to another, both by the wind
and by insects, and held a close at
tention while he touched upon the
fine points of his theme The judi
cious use which the flower makes of
its color and its odor was clearly
60
the insects engaged i'll this business
of fertilization can distinguish be-
tween colors and odors, and have
their own special tastes in these direc-
tions.
Prof. Tyler said that people some
times complained of the narrowness
oftheir environment; but our environ
1nent is just as wide as we ourselves
make it. We should, he said, pay
more attention to the wonderful
things that may be found in our i'm
mediate vicinitv-in our own door
yards. We should observe more,
and seek to make discoveries;
when we observe we should not be
ashamed to wonder, even as chill
dren do; when we discover we
should ask questions of ourselves,
and think. The lecturer closed by
saying that if we will take up any
one of these subjects and follow
them closely, it will lead us into
hitherto unknown fields and make
us wiser and better men and women
Despite the short notice, the at
tendance was good, and the interest
shown in the subject under consider
alton speaks we'll for all concerned.
Prof Tyler generously gave his SER
vices on this occasion.