davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-23
Many pconlc in China.

Not many years ago the population
of t'h'ua was estimated ut about 5lu,-
900, 900 souls. This was reduced ten
years ago 10 400, 100000. More recent
aud thorough investigation, the result
of which has just been published by
the famous German statisticians, Supan
and Wagner, places the number at
$50, 100000 AS these figures have
been arrived at after an immense
amount of labor and care ii is hardly
likely they will be changed in any
great degree 10y future estimates.
As viii be observed the last reduces
the figures l50,O0O,O 900, or nearly two
and a half times the population Of the
United States Truly a tremendous
difference, but has the reader ever
stopped to consider the immensely of
the figures remainingP Idly sounding
them on the tongue gives one no real
idea Of what is comprised ia number
reaching nine figures, especially whom
that number represents human beings.
Three hundred and fifty millions is
within 1870, 600 of the populStion Of
entire Europe II China organized its
army on a basis comparative with
those of European governments and
went to war it would require CONF
bination embracing every country on
the European continent to resist the
intruder The wonderful army Of
Xerxes would be as nothing in COM
parison with the Monaghan horde.
Another way is TO take the total
population and compare it with any
thing else Of magnitude that can be
reduced to simple figures. For I'M
stance, If you stood otgly Chinese in
diyidual on his feet and side by side,
allowing eighteen inches foi each one,
you would have a continuous line Of
80, 1872 miles long, or very nearly four
times around the earth. Stand them
on TOP Of each other, feet on head, and
allowing an average stature Of feet q
inches TO each individual, you would
have o string Of Cinnamon that would
reach TO the moon, around it and half
way back to the earth on the other
side If each person in China con-
sumcs an average Of five pounds Of
food daily it would require 3l9,376,000
tons to feed the people year
There is only one small thing about
the Chinese nation aud that is its ma
tional debt. That amounts TO only
$38, 100000 It strikes me as being
greatly to the credit # people who
could free themselves entirely from
obligation by the assessment Of IL
cents per capita In our own coun-
try. with all its greatness, about $24. 80
wuulu De requIreu lioni every man,
woman and child to square our ac-
count completely. Pttts5urg Dispatch.
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-23

as TO their purport. Many fragments
of pottery of excellent glaze and work
manshlp were also tuGad. The pat-
terms We're mostly geometric, but exc
cuted with absolute CORRECTIVE IS. There
were also numerous Implements Of
war, including gilt spear-head, and
in one corner were fragments of Per-
sian and Celadou china doubtless ex-
changed for gold by traders of some
remote period
The most interesting discoveries
were those in soEYeItion with the
working OF gold. A gold smelling
furnace of a hard cement was among
the discoveries Near il were many
cement cruciblcs, in which are suil
fixed in the glaze many speeks Of gold
about the size of a pins head. Hard
by IN a chasm between two powders
lay all the rejected quartz castings
from which the gold-bearing quartz
had been extracted prior to crushing.
proving beyond doubt that these
ruins though themselves far removed
from any gold reef, were the capital of
gold-producing people who had
chosen this Hill fortress with its gran
ite powders on account Of its peculiar
strategic advantages. Many tools for
extracting gold from the furnaces,
burnishcrs, crushers, etc, were found.
There are many other ruins in the
immediate neighborhood of Zimbabwe
presenting the same features. In fact,
the whole country from the Lundi
river to the Zambesi is studded with
them. They have the same architect
ural features, and were certainly erect
eG by the same race. Fifteen cases of
Mr.. Beuts collection are now on their
way to England Mr. Bent has not
yet had time fully to develop his the
cries with regard TO the origin Of these
discoveries, though he has proven be-
yond doubt that at very early day
this region was inhabited by people
who did not originate in Africa, who
were advanced in civilization, who
were undoubtedly great explorers, and,
having in the course of their long trav-
els found gold in this country, sent
colonies to occupy the land. 1t is the
remains of the immense structures
they reared and Of the objects they
made that in these days have been
discovered where now only a simple,
savage people reside W \, san.
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-23
Gen. Cuckoo.

Many hard-worked individuals In
other lands than Russia will appreciate
the longing for liberty which attends
the coming Of spring. In America 1t
is, perhaps, when we hear the blue
bird caIliag, instead Of the cuckoo,
that we long to "run away" but what
ever the musical summons, il is not to
be denied. Hundreds Of convicts at
the mines in Kara, says George Ken
nan In siberia and the Exile System, !"
escape in the summer and live wan
dering life ia the forest The signal
for this annual movement Is given by
the cuckoo, whose notes announce the
beginning Of the warm season.
The cry Of the bird is taken as EVIL
dence that an escaped convict can once
more live in the forest, and to run
away il. in convict slang, TO go to
Ger. Kukushka for orders kukushka
being the Russian name for the cuckoo.
with many convicts the love Of wan
dering through the trackless forests
and over the great plains Of eastern
Siberia becomes q positive mania.
They do not expect 70 escape alto
gether. they know that for months they
will live Al hunted fugitiyes, suoslst
on berries and roots sleep On the
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-23
THE RUNS IN MAsHoNALAND.
Mr.. Bent Summarizes the Archaeological
Results of His nabors.

Mr. Theodore Bent, who spent sew
eral months last year examining the
ancient ruins in Mashonaland, has
epitomized the archaeological results
Of his labors. He has not yet returned
to England, as he has stopped at Lis
bon on his way home in order, If pos
sible, to find in the archives facts con-
corning the early Portuguese occupancy
of the country which may throw some
light upon these still ancient works.
He was engaged at Zimbabwe during
the months OF June, July, and part OF
August, keeping force of native la
borers excayating among the ruins.
The large circular building which has
been pictured in the Sun he found to
be a perfect specimen of an ancient
Phallic temple. Parallels TO this tenn
pie are to be found in the round tenn
pies at Malta and the temples at Sam
othrace and elsewhere. The Phnnician
coin of Byblos is a curiously exact rep
resentatiou Of the temple at Zimbab-
we Mr.. Bent does not mean to imply
that Zimbabwe is Of Phgnician origin,
but its origin is kindred and is TO be
found in the mystic religions Of the
east which spread westward.
Some distance from the temple are
the remains OF the fortress, where many
more discoveries were made. On a
summit, approached with difficulty, an
elaborate system Of fortifications had
been erected, regardless Of labor and
strategic value. A wall 13 feet thick
and 30 feet high runs along the edge
Of sheer precipice, itself 30 feet high.
This wall IS surmountei by monoliths
alternating with small round towers,
and is again protected by an inner
wall 1t is hard to account for this
redundancy Of defense. The most nu-
merous discoveries were in what was
once the temple Of The fortress. The
outer walls Of this temple had been
decorated with carved birds on the top
Of soapstone pedestals, all archaic in
design. One bore on its pedestal and
wings a well-known Phallic symbol
and one had its beak intact, showing
it TO be meant for vnl'ure Or raven.
Iron bells were found Of curious form,
doubtless used for temple service. IN
the middle Of the building stood an
altar made u small granite blocks
About forty more objects were found
iii and around the temple, most Of
them 50 realistic a. To leave no doubt
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-23
HAD 10 RE RRANE.
His Horse Ran Away During Cavalry
Charge ut Brandy station.

What relate are facts which act
aally hetell me- says q writer in the
Richmond Dispatch The greatest
cavalry battle ever fought ON the
American continent took place at
Brandy Station the 9th of June, 1868.
At early dawn the federal advance
guard crossed the Rappahannoek and
charged our outposts with such vigor
that they entered our camp at their
heels. Most of my regiment (SiNth
virginia. had turned their horses out
the evening before, and not more than
fifty of MS were prepared 10 mount
Our reveille was the crack of the pistol
and carhine of the foe. The fifty men
We're quickly mounted, formed, and
ordered TO charge Not moment
was 60 be lost, as some Of the euemy's
advance were in our artillery camp.
was the unfortunate posseSsor of
an untamed Bucephaus that no rider
on earth could control | had expert
enced this on three former occasions.
But what could do, charge or not
CHARGE that was the question. AL
though | knew fun well that my wild
charger would lead the wan Of course
must charge. In front was a heavily
wooded forest Of pine shrub and black
jack. through which ran a narrow
country road No time was to be lost;
therefore there was little ceremony.
The usual commands trot. march,
gallop, charge were omitted, and the
gallant Shumate, who mustered the
fifty, simply yelled "Chargcw and
away we flew down the winding road
through the dark forest, all yelling
like Indians.
Ny horse bowed his neck, and plac-
ing his mouth against his breast l
was helpless and away he fairly lew.
What could doP Pull off the road !
could not; stop J could not, Away he
went looked around, but there was
no one in sight. We had left the
others far behind. knew that in few
seconds one solitary cayalrymau, would
be rushing into the midst of TIE foe.
One moment more, and ! saw drawn
up across my path q double line of
federal cavalry. Ii may be- thought
they viii see my predicameut and let
me through; II may be that they will
not fire, but how could they know that
my horse was running away.
They must have thought the devil
was coming for up went at least 100
earbiues, crash, cloud Of smoke,
and with one terrible plunge and groan
my stced fell in the woods, pierced by
seyorf balls How escaped God
only knows, IN few minutes heard
our boys coming down the road. A
volley from the federal line, but on
ward they went, and ! mounting a
horse belonging to lieutenant Of COM
pany II, who was killed here joined in.
We broke this regiment the eighth
New York Lieut.. Owen Alling killing
its brave commander, Col Davis. Then
came the Eighth Illinois. and quicker
than some OF us came we went
That night, after the battle was
over for it lasted all day the boys
overwhelmed me with compliments
Never saw such DASH such oouragel
Charles O'Malleyl Murat! and so on.
But what was tho laughter and merri-
ment when inuoceuty observed;
"Confound it boys, my horse ran away
! with me-
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-23
"MnnY Mnrser Girls.n

Prof Chapman, professor Of rhetoric
Mt Bowdoin college, was the bright,
particular star Of tho alumni dinner
the other night, says the Boston Hsrd'd
He doomed the little institution "away
down in Maine in a way that delight
ed the boys "Bowdoin may have
failiugs,' he said "but I've known
many worse alma mater than she,
In this respect ! feel like the little
daughter Of friend Of mine IN Port
land. She had just mastered the art
Of expressing herself in intelligent
sentences One day she had done
something FOR which her mamma had
to reproye her. The lady gave her
daughter sound lecture, and then
told her to 20 upstairs, alone to her
room. aud to ask God 10 forgive her
error. In few minutes she was sur
prised TO see the baby come down
stairs again, appear in the sitting
room, aud stand back with great
deal Of seriousness. Well, did you 20
up and do what told your asked the
fond mother. Yes, replied the guilty
one. and God said, Great Scott Elsie
Murray, I've known great many
worser girls than YOU"
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-23
HORRIBLE SCREAM OF THE SHELL.
Uow Man Feels when He Hears IT for
the First Time.

The talk turned upon personal cour-
age in conversation | had the other
day with an aide-de-camp of Gen. Al
eNander Hays, says writer in the
Pittsburg Dispatch. The veteran, who
had the name of being the most dar-
ing aide on Hays's staff, said: "You
ask me how / felt when / first smelt
powder, so to speak well. after the
lapse Of all these years I'm almost
ashamed to tell YOU. was panic
stricken, scared out my senses, my
courage oozed out of me in an instant
and a small boy could have captured
me without trouble This awful ex-
perience came after had been about
year in the army The regiment of
infantry in which | was was preparing
to go into camp. We were a few miles
outside OF Yorktown, which was in the
possession of the Confederates, butuone
of Us, not even our officers, realized
the proximity of the enemy. There
We're some cattle with the army, and
somehow or other some of my COM
rades and | were part of the crowd
that drove the beeves to the place
where they were to be slaughtered.
We formed a circle, a sort of bull ring,
and fell TO skylarking and firing with
our pistols at the cattle as they ran
hither and thither. 1t was all laughter
and shouting. Suddenly, without the
slightest warning, a sound that we
had never heard before arose above
the clamor. 1t was a sort of whirring
howl lasting few seconds only, but
long enough TO strike terror into our
hearts The men who had been rs
gay and noisy rs schoolboys minute
before were dumb. | don't remember
how they behaved,
My own affairs kept me busy. felt
as ii my boots were nailed to the
ground. They wouldn't move, neither
would my legs-in fact had lost con-
troll Of my body. | was perfectly limp,
and my knees sagged out. That was
ut the first strange sound, as Of some
deadly bird flying overhead | hard
ly realized, mind you, that the enemy
was shelling us. All ! knew for sure
was that somehow my life, vi ch /
had enjoyed so much a minute before,
was in danger. | wanted to run. but
my legs wouldn't obey me. Two shells
passed over me before | could shake
off the paralysis. Then | ran as |
never ran before or since, with a pre-
fessional sprinter's speed, to the she'-
ter Of the woods from which our regl-
ment had only just emerged. A second
terror seized me as | reached the first
scattering trees. | had selected one, a
big fellow, as my refuge, and when |
reached it three other men who were
crouched behind it pushed me violent
~ away, saying there wasn't room for
more. Shells were still in the air, and
with terror | pursued my flight.
When at last | fell exhausted upon the
ground beyond the range of the enc
my's artillery l almost lost conscious
ness for a while.
Nobody was killed by those shells,
but the 'Rebs' must have laughed to
see us run, and laughed louder yet
when our cattle ran into their lines rs
they did. felt more or less uncom-
Portable always in going into battle
afterward, but never again lost my
nerve as | did at my tire-baptism be-
fore Yorktown"
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-23
10 viotis.

,ssrr the hymn Of the conquered-who fell in
'sN7 tbe battle of life,
-,.-hyr1n of the wounded9 the beaten, who
1hs u3sie,I overwhelmed in the strife,
+Se iJbilant song OF the victors, for whom
nv tbf resounding acclaim
films was lifted in chorus, whose brows
VI N"a .,,ra the Chaplet of fame
-. IKE bymn Of the low and the humble, this
bu' ,ragrv the broken ia heart,
-, str1ye and who failed-actlng brayely a
WV silent and desperate part;
whose youth bore no flower on its branches,
WINS Lose hopes burned in ashes away,
,,,, whose hands slipped the prize they had
fIU'' yras ped at who stood at the dying OF day
,,,f,b fbe wreck Of their life all around them
VIZ uopftied, unheaded, alone
,,rt+b death swoOpiug down on their failure,
VIZ sil but their faith overthrOwn;
,r1ile tbe voice of the world shouts its chorus
its ppu for hose who have won
While the trumpet Is sounding triumphant,
and high to the breeze and the sun
clad banners are waving-hands clapping-
and hurrying feet
4"' sand on the field of defeat
J., .1s shadow-with those who have ia len,
J" and wounded, and there
rboutg requiem low, place my hand on their
O''' pain-knotted brows, breathe prayer;
tI,l5 INA hand that is helpless and whisper
nv THEY only the victory wiz.
who have fought the good fight and have van
0uished the demon that .empts us WITH
in;
Who have held 10 their talth unseuuced by the
prze that the world holds on high,
Who have dared for high cause 10 suffer, re-
SYST tght-if need be, to die
sreak History Who are life's victors? I'm
y roll thy long annals, ] say
Are they those whom the world ,'alls the vic
tors, who won the success OF a day2
The martyrs or Nero! The Spartans who fell
at TheTmOpyle's tryst,
Or the Persians and &erxes? His judges or
Socratesi PLATE or Christ?
w. w. Story.
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-23
A Natural sphinx.

In Surrey county, N c., there is a
mountain whose outline displays a
startling likeness to the Sphinx Of
Egypt. 1t is in the northwestern part
OF the state, just east Of the Blue
Ridge range. and lies prone upon the
Piedmont Plains. At a distance Of ten
miles the figure is the exact counter
part Of that Of a gigantic lion, It's body
at right angles to the precipitous
ridge and with head reared aloft as II
in the act of rising. The head and
neck are Of solid rock, several hundred
feet in height, the shoulders and
breast which support them being finely
rounded off By nature and seeming
half buried in the grass Of the sur
rounding meadows. When looking at
the figure, although removed twenty
five miles distant from it, the thought
hauuts one that it must be a thing Of
life aud intelligence.
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-23
Bringing Him Down.

A pleasant little story comes by way
OF the White House, There was "a
young man ia Washington during
January who was born and raised in
Indiana and who was well known there
as boy by Mrs, Harrison For two
or three years past he has lived In New
York and has become an utterly utter
swell, with all the alterations and
other evidences Of lofty civilization in
cidental 10 the class.
lie attended ono Of the receptions at
the White House, and when he went
forward 10 shake hands with Mrs. Har-
rison he held his hand away up high
and across his chest, as Is the custom
Of some Mrs. Harrison noticed il in
stautly, and with q quizzical little
smile a. she put out her hand ~ the
proper Lowell, she remarked
20, now. Tom, come down from
there You know you never learned
that out on the Wabash.
Tom came down DetroH Free
Press.
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-23

Those who criticise newspaper style
or newspaper English should drop into
an office sometime about or aftoI mid
night, or, If II be an evening paper,
few minutes before going TO press
The editor wishes 10 "gct start" on a
reporters work. Almost before he has
a page written il is taken from him,
read, and seat to the compositors
Many Il time have had the editor,
on a boy for him, wait AZ my elbow in
a most tantali1ing and annoying way
till the page was finished, snatch It.
and hurry away, leaving nothing rs \
guide for the composition Of the rest OF
the article but the number at the top
Of the now page. There is no oppor-
tunity to correct little slips, no chance
10 improve on grammatical cuustruc-
ton, no guard save memory againstre-
duplication BY tho time the last page
Is written the first Is in type and tho
foreman Of the pressroom is inpatient
IN waiting for the last lines ia order TO
lock up the forms The reporter can
not emulate Millions example aud write
six lines Il day, He can not rewrite or
intcrlinc his copy, lie has 80 scribblo
ii under pressure. 'rhc FIRST dash has 70
20. And IL is a wonder that there arc
SO few mistakes in the daily press, and
that the literary style is MS good rs it
u.s. The modern newspaper Is IN every
way one ot the mayola OF the ago.
Jy}yYJ prtYy.r
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-23
Princes on the Downward Grade.

Italian princes are decidedly on the
downward grade. OF Prince Borgh-
ese's bankruptcy have already
spoken. He is at the present moment
III an Austrian lunatic asylum. Prince
Odescalchi has likewise experienced
such heavy losses in real-estate specu-
lations that in order to make both
ends meet he has actually been forced
to fit up the ground floor Of his superb
palace at Rome as a wineroom, where
Hungarian wines are sold, both whole
sale and retail. By beautiful Hungarian
Girls arraved in their national dress.
Another Prince Odescalchi, the broth
err Of the one above referred to, has
started a kind Of Coney Island at Lad
ispoh. which bids fair to prove great
financial success. Prince Sciarra Of
the great Colonna family has attempt
ed to exc out a subsistence By means
al a somewhat scurri3o1s newspaper
which has recently come to grief and
landed him in the bankruptcy court
These are only q few Of the many
members Of the old patrician families
Of Rome who have fallen from their
high estate. ~ n Recor4er.
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-23
Charlemagne's Rose Bush.

The oldest rose bush in the world
is at IIildershelm. in Hanover 1t was
planted more than 1909 years ago by
Charlemagne, in commemoration of
visit made to him by the ambassador
of the Caliph Haroun al Raschid. Aft
er it had become dourishing vine a
cathedral was built over it. 1t is
known, however, that coilin-shaped
vault was built around its sacred roots
in the year SIS. the vault and bush
surviving a fire which destroyed the
cathedral in l146. The bush is now
twenty-six feet high and covers thirty
two feet Of the wall. The stem, after
1000 years growth, is only two inches
in diameter.
Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-04-23
The Blind Chaplain.

Just five minutes before noon every
day there is to be q session OF the
House Of Representatives. a page leads
from the Speakers lobby into the hall
of the House and seats at the clerks
desk large, bury man with immense
iron-gray whiskers that a granger
might envy. It is the blind chaplain,
Milburn, who is serving bis fifth con-
secutiye term, and who was chaplain
Of Congress forty years ago. As the
hands Of the clock denote the hour of
noon the Speaker appears, and a single
ran Of his gayel calls the House to
order The buzz Of conversation
ceases on the floor and in the galleries,
and Mr.. Milburu offers prayer. Per-
haps it Il not becoming TO say that he
prays In princely fashion, but he prays
as d sensible prince would wish his
Archbishop Of Canterbury TO pray.
The prayer II short the average being
about three minutes clothed 10
elegant phraseology, and uttered In
voice as exquisitely modulated, as
clear and distinct, A. deep and 5onor-
Gus, as that 81 successful tragedian.
When tits finished the parson IS led
To the Speaker, with Shom he shakes
hands. and then BE- ii conducted into
the lobby again. Courier Jolu@aat.