davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-21
Many Are Manned.

In all truth the officials of the Louis
vile, New Albany and Chicago Railroad
Company have said that the disaster
which overlook their northbOund pas
senger train north of Charlottesville,
Ind, was the worst in the history of the
road. The Monon has had its share of
misfortunes. There were more fatalities
at Broad Ripple and at other wrecks on
that line, but none exceeded the Craw-
fordsville affair in horror. or in whole
sale manning, as the stories heard and
the Investigations made at the scene of
the accident go to show. Three victims
are in the list Of fatalities SO far. They
are Nine. Erina Van Rokay. the dan
seuse Of the City Club Burlesque Com
pany; Ben Hamburg, tho Cincinnati
travelling man; and c. n. Cheek, lumber
merchant, Of Green Castle. Nellie Han
ley of the show company, Mrs. Rosa
Evans Of Green Castle, and Z. White
sides, three of the thirty-four manned
victims, will die.
In Charlottesville the wreck caused
great excitement. Feeling was strong
against the section men, who We're re-
ported to have left the rail which caused
the wreck insecurely spiked to the track
But there came change of sentiment
when Samuel Burkholder a respected
citizen, reported that in conversation
with one of the section men he had been
told that the rail which caused all the
trouble had been broken for a long time,
and that the section men had applied in
vain to the company for new rail. 1t
was refused, SO the section man said, on
the ground that the whole line was soon
to be supplied with new steel rails.
The accident occurred at place that
is one Of the most dangerous points in
the Monon system. A mile and a half
north of Charlottesville the track crosses
deep raviEe on a trestle some forty
feet high. After crossing the ravine the
roadbed winds around hill, and follows
the bends of the hollow for some dis
tance, the track being for the most part
cut out of the steep side of the ravine.
just north Of the trestle there is a point
especially precipitous, and it was chosen
by the fates for the scene Of the dis
aster.
A hundred yards before reaching the
steepest point the train struck broken
rail. The. engine passed over safely,
but the first ear, mail coach, was de-
rallied. The cars broke loose from each
other, but followed the ties until that
awful declivity was reached. The mail
The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-21

satchel full of greenbacks which he dis
tributed in lots of $40 to SlG0. All
affirmed that there was no defect in the
road or roadbcd.
There are many things about this
wreck I don't understand" said Mr..
kretZinger. The roadbed was in just
as good condition as it possibly could be.
AS a proof of this, might say that the
roadbed was that firm that in the whole
hundred yards of track that was dragged
over by the trucks after the ears left the
track, and before they fell down the hill,
not a single tie was disturbed from its
place, so firmly are they laid and SO per-
feet is the ballasting."
THE wreck, said General Supern-
tendent Collins, was the result of a
broken rail, but how the rail was broken
l do not know. / have not seen the
pieces, to know whether the rail was de-
fective or whether it was the work of
frost. The rails We're of the best OF
steel, and think frost did the work.
do not see that it could possibly have
been avoided by any precautionary
measures. It's just what would have
happened on any road but it occurred
on about the worst spot on the Who'll"
line, and it is a wonder to me that there
were SO few fatalities. In my thirty
The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-21
PLUNGE OF A TRAIN.
A rroxen n Rail Near Charlottesville, Ind.,
Causes q Fatal Wreck.

A rroxe N Rail Near Charlottesville, Ind,
Causes y Fatal Wreck.
A rail broken, whole Monon passen-
ger train down a sixty-foot embank-
ment, and many passengers dead and
dying in the outskirts of the city. This
| was the story told in q telegram from
Charlottesville, Ind. The ill-f0ted train
was the fast mail running between
Louisville and Chicago. It consisted OF
n mail car, an express car, three coach
es, and the chair car. It was in charge
of Engineer Doyles and Conductor Bills.
The train left Charlottesville on time
and pulled out under full head, but when
the accident occurred the rate OF
speed was about twenty-five miles
IN hour. The scene of the wreck
is two miles north Of Crawfords-
vile, at Nicholson's crossing, and
less than one-half mile from the place
of the terrible freight collision of month
ago. The road-bed is cut in a steep hill
side. with twenty-foot embankment on
the right and the valley OF Rock River
en- the left. The train was rounding a
sharp curve, when the outer rail broke
and caused the wreck. The engine
passed in safety. The setting Of tho
brakes on the engine caused by the mail
car breaking away from the tender told
the engineer that something was wrong.
The mail car was dragged one hundred
yards, and then fell twenty feet. In
some unknown manner 1t broke loose
from the baggage car, which passed on
without being even overturned. Tho
next car was filled with baggage and
passengers. The first passenger coach
was filled with passengers and turned
three times before reaching the bottom.
The stove was overturned and tho car
soon destroyed, but the passengers es-
capped. The next coach was torn to
pieces. nothing being left but the bot
tom of the car. 1t was filled with people
and not one escaped injury. The parlor
car toppled over and landed on top OF
the third coach. The wounded were
taken to farm house near by before be.
ing removed to the city.
Five persons were killed outright and
many seriously injured. A burlesque
company was on the ill-fated train; the
leading lady was killed and all the others
injured.
The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-21
export of ostrich feathers amounts to
a

export of ostrich feathers amounts to
$4,000. 900 per annum. Hunting the
birds has ceased entirely. for they
threatened to become extinct in some
. localities. and Il rational breeding is
by far the most remunerative pro-
ceeding. The value Of the feathers
varies with their quality. During
the second year OF his existence a
male bird furnished s25O,0OO worth
of first-quality plumes and about
$4,000 worth OF second grade.
An ostrich farm yields from 30 to 80
per cent. on its original investment.
and in prosperous times as high as
100 per cent. says the st. Louis
Globc-Dcmocrat. The rational breed
ing Of the ostrich is of vast impOr-
tance to Cape Colony. Years ago
birds were exported to Australia with
such a favorable result that the gov
crnmcnt Of the Cape imposed a tax
of $500 Fer bird and s25 for every
unmatched egg for expectation tariff,
in order to protect its own industry.
This killed the export entirely.
In the year 1915 the number of
tame ostriches in the Cape reached
the astounding sum Of $4,000, al
though the breeding of Ostriches was
not commenced until 1863. To-day
that number has more than doubled
itself, for in the meantime the incu-
bators have been largely improved.
During the laying season. which
comes with the end of the rainy period,
the ostrich hen lays one egg every
other day until she has deposited
from fifteen to twenty eggs in the
sand-pile nest, quantity just large
enough to cover the same with hel
body when Matching. BY gradually
taking away one egg after another, as
we do with our hens, the big bird can
be induced to lay on an average thirty
eggs, and in exceptional cases even
sixty eggs have been accumulated.
These surplus eggs are artificially
hatched in large incubators. but the
7CSeE must be turned every day. In
from eight to ten days the first signs
of life are noticeable. Shortly before
the young bird is ready to break the
shell of his prison. which is between
the forty-fifth and fiftieth days, q
squeaking noise is heard within and
a constant pecking against the shell.
which is as hard as a rock. In Il lit
tie while he succeeds in punching q
triangular hole through the shell
which the little inmate tries hard tt
enlarge. in order to become entirel,
liberated. If he is not very strone
he must be helped in his attempt tt
escape. The artificial hatchings are
always preferred to the natural ones
The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-21
years Of railroading never saw worse
wreck"
CHASE OF THE WALRUS.
Hunted for Its OIL, Which Is Inferior to
tho Whales.


the Whales.
The oil of the walrus is the princi-
pal result Of its chase, but this oil is
inferior to that derived from seals.
and less in quantity in proportion to
the creatures bulk, the largest sell
dom yielding over 500 pounds, writes
Ernest 1ngcrsoll, in Frank Leslic's.
1t is useful for the same purpose as
whale oil, and the most of it gees.
presumably, to adulteratc the better
product. No statistics are at hand,
| but the amount taken must still be
very considerable, since all whaling
vessels so prepared to save such wal
ruses as they come across. They have
special boats for the chase Of the sea
horse.
The hide is little valued at present
in America, almost its only use being
as covering for polishing wheels and
as chatting gear on shipboard. An
ciently this was the material cut of
which the English made their ships
cables, and Othere sailed away to the
arctic seas, in the time of King Al
fred, for the purpose of bringing back
this necessary adjunct to the Kings
vessels. In Europe the hide finds a
market in Russia, where it is tanned
into a spongy leather, principally de-
voted to harnessmaking. Formerly
this supply was largely derived by
Russia from Siberia and Alaska. "As
long as the weather remained cold
and dry the wear of this material WAS
/ highly satisfactory, but woe to the
Kibitscha if caught in a rainstorm.
| The walrus harness then stretches
like India rubber. and the horses
fairly leave the vehicle far behind
sticking in the mud, though the
traces are unbroken."
The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-21
THE BOTTLE IMP.

An English Hoax that Was Rcpudiatc,l 8,
Century and II Half Ago.
The bottle-imp hoax was one of the
most gigantic of the many hoaxes and
imposturcs played on the English peo-
pie during the eighteenth century.
says American Notes and Queries.
The Duke Of Montague. in the year
l149, laid wager with another noble
man that if al impostcr. advertising
that he could jump into quart bot
tic should come along. all London So
ciety would flock to see the wonder
In order to decide the bet the follow
ing advertisement was put in all the
papers:
AT the new thcater in the Hay
market on Monday next, the 10Th
inst. is to be seen Il person who per-
forms the several most surprising
tricks following. viz: First, he takes
the spectators. and thereon plays the
music of every instrument now in Use.
Secondly. he presents you with Il
common wine bottle (Which any Of
the spectators may first examinc): he
then places the bottle on a table in
the middle of the stage. and he with
out any equivOcatiOn goes into it in
sight of all the spectators. While in
the bottle he will sing all the popular
songs Of the day. During his stay in
the bottle any person may handle it
and see that it does not exceed 4
common tavern bottle in size"
This advertisement excited the Gu
riOsity of the people. and on the even
ing mentioned prodigious number
of people gathered in and around the
Haymarkct. Royalty went in dis
guisc and heggars in their everyday
clothes. Not more than half the
crowd. the account says. could find
seats in the great building. Finally
the supposed Conjuror appeared on the
stage. The majority Of these conf
IDENTIFY expected to sec him soon in the
odd-shaped bottle sitting on the Ia
bic. Not until he braZcnly told them
that if they would pay double fare he
would go into Il pint bottle instead of
quart did it dawn upon them that
they had been sold. \ general row
ensued, during which masks were re-
moved by force and many aristocratic
features exposed.
The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-21
Have u New Deal.

The proposition Of an international
Coinage Commission" to establish IL
coinage system for the world, is a dodge
of the silver question at issue. No
agreement will or ever can be made SO
long rs England is making twenty cents
on every dollar of silver bullion bought
in America through her East India
provinces, and by it discounting every
dollars worth of wheat and cotton we
export 20 per cent. No sensible finan-
cier would for moment consider the
proposition for the English people.
When Uncle Sam remOnetiZes silver and
opens free mints and forces England to
pay dollar in gold for a dollar in silver,
and every other nation the same, then
there will be an international agreement,
and not until then. We hold all the
trump cards, but seem afraid to play,
perhaps for fear of winning. To win,
the people must change players.
The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-21

It happens that just during the
breeding time the ostriches have the
most beautiful plumaSe, which suf-
fers greatly from the Matching process
and squatting in the sand and dust.
At the time when ostriches became
prized very highly and artificial incu-
bators were proportionately rare the
surplus ostrich eggs were hatched by
Hottentot women in large feather
beds, an occupation which was much
10 the liking Of these danes, so prone
~ a "dOlce far niente" OF such 4 pro-
|longed period.
The raising of the young ostriches
Sreauircs great care and patience and
= large percentage Of them die an
|nually from diseases and other acci.
sdents. The ostrich is full grown
when 5 years Of age. 1t is then that
Ifhe male bird has the most beautiful
nlumage of a black, satiny sheen.
The female birds feathers are light
ray. The most valuable plumes
hang in q delicate fringe all around
TIC body of the bird. When the bird
~ 8 months old its feathers are
66aucked for the first time. At that
lime they are still stiff and narrow,
vith pointed tips, and do not give
The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-21
Who Could Blanc Her,

l saw beautiful little girl being
fitted to gloves in very swell glove
shop one day last week. She had
eyes of turquoise, hair like spun gold,
a complexion as delicate as the leaf
of a rose. and had seen about six sum-
mers, perhaps not quite SO many
winters. She was surveying her
plump little hands, which had Just
been incased in tan-colored gloves.
With comical look of dismay she
said: II don't want 'em; 1 don't lite
'em. 1 tan't wiggle my finders. s"
Her mother, a fashionably dressed
woman, replied: swell, you've got
to wear them. You can't be running
about the streets barehanded. 1t is
not good FORM" And then they
walked away, the maiden still pro-
testing that she could not put her
flinders" in her ~potit." No doubt in
few years little Miss Blue Eyes will
have developed into a fashionable
young woman who lives in gloves.
but it will be an acquired taste.
Everybody wears gloves, but few like
the custom. The latent savage linger.
ing in us calls out for perfect free
dom of hand and wrist.-New York
Recorder.
The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-21
MILES STANDiSH'S GRAVE,
1t Is Said to he Located in a Duxhury
Churchyarti.

1t Is Said to he Located in n Duxlury
Churchyartl.
Nathaniel Morton, secretary of
Plymouth Colony, is authority for the
statement that Standish was buried
in Duxbury. which accords with
Standish's will. in which he asked to
be buried near his daughter and
daughter-in-law "if he died in Dux-
burrOw."
Traditions Of half dozen families
Of the town, handed down from sire
to son, locate the grave in the old
churchyard between Halls and Bay
lcy's Corners, and this graveyard. in
one corner of which stood the first
church in Duxbury. is the only one
mentioned in the early records.
These traditions were to the effect.
Furthermore, that two triangular
stones marked the spot where Stand
ish was buried.
In 1889 stones answering their de-
scription were brought to light, ant,
in April, 1891, duly authorized per-
sons opened the supposed graves of
the Standish family and examined
the remains found therein.
Two Of the skeletons were those Of
young women, two were boys, and one
was that of a man. corresponding
with the generally accepted physique
of Standish. indicating very unusual
strength and evidently that of per-
son well along in years
From all the facts known the
speaker, who was one of those pres
ent at the exhumation, dcduced the
inference that these were the graves
Of Standish, his two daughters. c.
his daughter and daughtcr-in-law-
and two sons named Charles and
John, who died young.
The remains, said Mr.. Hinginn
were carefully placed i'm new caskcts
and reburied in the old graveyard
Boston Globe.
The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-21
BE Not DeceIvesl

The Democratic and Republican par
ties have each two policies-a real policy
and a pretended policy. The pretended
policy is used to catch votes: the real
policy is what they apply when they hap
pen to be in power. The pretended poll
cies of the two parties are made to ap-
pear widely different; the real policies
are not a hairs breadth apart. Fill a
large room with an equal number OF the
national leaders OF the two parties; turn
stranger into the room; mesmerize
these leaders into an honest expression
Of their opinions on the questions Of
land, transportation and finance, and il
they fail to name themselves politically
the stranger can't tell which are Demo-
Gratis and which are Republicans.
Wall street owns the machinee.of both
parties. It dictates their policies and
plans Of campaign. it apportions nicely
the responsibility for chicanery, and
never allows one party to- bear un-
The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-21

company, but was obliged to retire early.
On the following day efforts were made
to dissuade him from joining the shoot
ing party, but he insisted on doing so,
saying that he felt equal to the exercise.
After luncheon, however, he said that he
felt compelled to return home and left
the party, going on foot.
The next morning he was unable to
leave his bed, and continued growing
rapidly worse until the seventh day,
when death came to him.
London and all England is wild
with excitement, and business is
entirely suspended. II is characteristic
of the deep affection felt by the entire
British people for the Princess of Wales
that the most sincere and heartfelt ex-
pressions of sorrow are heard on every
hand and deep feeling Of sympathy
pervades every class of society from the
highest to the lowest and every shade Of
political opinion from the Tory to the
Radical. In the vicinity of Sandring-
ham, where the Dukes death occurred,
the excitement cannot be described.
The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-21
About Men and Women.

THE Earl OF Dudley has Sc, Oo0, O,0 life
insurance.
NEW YORK has 5000 union female no.
tel hands.
ONLY one American in 2G4 IS over G
feet in height.
TIE real giant is the man who can
overcome himself.
AMAN'S declining years begin at SO,
a woman's on 15 to IS.
THEY arc never alone that arc accom-
ranied with noble thoughts.
Ir woman's face is her fortune, q
mans check is frequently his
Bishop BUTLER. of England, believed
in the Immortality Of animals.
THE girl who has the strongest will is
the girl who says the strongc won't
IT is mentioned as a regularity CT the
grass widow that she is seldom green
SOME bell boys in New York hote' s
make, through tips, about $500 month.
CONSCIENCE is that within us which
tells Us when our ncighbors are doing
wrong.
A M0rHER-IN-LAw's sermon seldom
take well with an audience of daughters
in-law.
a WOMAN OF rarkersburg. w. Va,
has her eighth husband. She is 50 and
he is 81.
QUEEN VICTORIA has engaged two ho-
tells at Nice for herself and suite in
March next
ONE r,ason why q mans stockings
cost less than his w;fe's is because they
do not come so high.
BISHOP Brooks is q very rapid talker
and terror to s:cnograp pliers. He speaks
over 400 words minute
!, EARTH has no other joy like unto that
of the woman who has made eighteen
calls and found G everybody out
DIR. NILSSON. the newly elected Bishop
of Georgia, is fond eof wood carving, .at
which he has become. IN expert
The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-21
Practical Advice.

The position of many of the friends OF
REFORM as regards the economic princi-
pies involved in the reform NOV, ment,
puts me very much in mind Of the man
who was overtaken by a very heavy local
shower when some twenty miles distant
from Il certain river which he must ford.
He came upon another traveller seated on
a log by the wayside discussing with IA
cOuntryman, the question Of which was
the better Of the two fOrtls. After
spending much valuable tilffe in the dis
cussion he finally concluded to make n
considerable detour in order to reach an
| easy ford, but what was his chagrin on
arriving at the ford to find that the
stream had been unaffected by what
seemed such violent storm.
Moral No. l: Don't cross the stream
till you get Il, it.
Moral No. 2: General principles first,
details afterwards.
Moral No. 3: In things essential
economic rcformsl unity; in non-essen-
tials details, charity.
1t does seem to me the very essence of
simplicity to see the various opinions of
the friends of reform" constantly urgel
upon the reading public as "a balm for
all our woes, not because there is not
merit enough in them, but because of
their untimeliness. If We meano have
| reform we must first have the instru-
! ments Of freform-governors, Legislators,
| congressman, senators. etc. When we
have secured these it will be time for us
to add our mites in the way of political
! advice and personal or fraternal opinion
as to the proper ways and means to be
pursued in securing the most efficient
| and satisfactory reforms. A theoretical
system may be a good thing for a start
ing point, but practice reverses many of
the conclusions reached from theoret-
zeal standpoint, brushing them away as
cobwebs, very much to the dismay of
those who have reared them with such
infinite pains.-O. NJ. Rice, in the NOn-
Cunformist.
The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-01-21

StatcS. Inc aggregates LOT the OnlteO
States are as follows:
Asss:ss 6: SIS s5seassco sssas': s.ls: .s
Cats :. q. .5si ,ssi sss,sSssS1 2as,si2. .as7
Charles A. Pillsbury, Of Minneapolis,
the head of the Pillsbury-Washburn
Milling Company, said in New York the
other day: The people of the East do
not fully realize what the great wheat
crop Of the country means, and they do
not exactly understand what will be the
effect of the unprecedented yield. Com
plants have been made that the business
activity which was predicted when tho
magnitude of the crop became known,
had not come. Perhaps it has not, but
it is too early for it yet. New York will
get the benefits of the crop Of 1891 in the
| year 1892.
wheat went down peg on the Gov
ernment report that the crop for this
year would be 617 ,OO0, 900 bushels, but I
have advices from high authority in sew
eral European countries which lead me
to think that Europe will want all our
surplus product. If our crop had not
been unusually large We could not meet
| the demand from Europe. Our crop last
year is Ion, ,00O, 900 bushels greater than
1t has ever been in a single year, and it
| is 200, ,O0O, 900 bushels more than it was
year before last. Had it not been for
the shortage in Europe the grain crop
here would have proved calamity to
the farmers.
"Whea at would have been SO cheap that
it would not have paid to market it.
France, according to the best estimates,
is short in her wheat crop this year l00,-
000, 600 bushels. Russia is short on her
crop Of grain, including rye and oats.
300, 600 600 bushels, and other European
countries are short COO, 600 900 bushels.
The surplus Of other countries has been
sold, and there is no supply to be had
except from the United States"