davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16
"Old HutchH q Mystery.

cold Hutch" formerly OF Chicago,
and world famous for his wheat
deals, is the mystery OF the produce
exchange. No one knows where he
eats or sleeps, and he is never seen
more tran 200 yards away from the
big exchange building on lower Broad
way. Insomnia, eccentrlclty, says the
New York Dispatch, has transformed
the man whose simple habits were
once proverbial into night haw,,
OF the most pronounced stripe. At al.
most any hour after IL O'Clock at
night the tall, gaunt figure OF "Old
Hutch" may be seen on his lonely
beat. The figure is inclosed i'll long,
threadbare broadcloth coat, and his
head ls covered IN broad trimmed
soft felt hat. His eyes are always on
the ground and his hands are carried
behind his back. His gate Is measur.
ed and slow. He seldom recognizes
any one and never responds to the
good evening" or good morning" OF
the night Waterman in the lower dis
tricu. Occasionally he strays from
the beaten paths and shoots down d
side street aud quietly enters one OF
the many cheap saloons that are
known to workers on the docks as
call nighters." Ii by chance he hap.
pens to look up and see we'll dressed
pedestrian he will bolt for the nearest
and safest hiding place, to emerge only
after the coast is clear. The face OF
this veteran grain gambler is haegard
and drawn. Very often before sun
rise "OId Hutch" is i'll Battery park,
seated on q bench, where he sits for
hours looking out over the bay. At
10 O'Clock every morning he Is back
in the street. No one seems to know
whether he is operating or whether he
has a dollar to his name.
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16
Electricity and Caterpillars'

A paragraph has been circulating
through several dozen daily papers
during thepast six months describing,
in Language which Is amusing rather
than instructive, method recently
suggested by an electrician for prevent
ing caterplllars from crawling up trees
by means OF a simple electrical device.
AS usual with such items that travel
the rounds OF our daily papers. the
facts OF the case have been greatly
distorted, making the suggestion ap.
pear absurd, while as matter OF fact
tits based on quite rational principles.
For the benefit OF those interested we
give here a correct description OF the
original suggestion. A simple method
used many years ago by naturalists,
to impriscn small, crawling animals
for examination, without having to
cover them, was to place them on a.
silver coin, surrounded by q circle of
copper wire, the whole being placed on
piece OF moist paper, TIE two metals
and the moist paper forming agalvanic
cell. When the animal attempts to
SAc"WA 0"oy 1AOu UuC COAu ~ COliloS IN
contact with the copper wire, where.
it short circuits the battery, and re-.
ceives q shock which causes it to re.
treat, thus combining it to the com.
70 apply this same principle to pre-.
vent caterpillarsfrom crawling up trees
it was suggested to run q copper and
zinc wire galvanized iron wire would
probabl yalso answer in place OF the
zinc) around the trunk OF the tree
about half or quarter of an inch
apart. But an essential feature, omit.
ed in all the newspaper paragraphs,
is to place underneath the wires q
piece OF blotting paper or cloth moist.
ened with salt water. In crawling I'D
the trees the caterplllars must cross
doth wires at once, which will probably
give them sufficiently powerful shock
to make chem prefer some other tree.
A paper moistened with salt water
will keep moist except in very dry
weather. When the caterpillars be.
come sufficiently we'll educated in
electrotechnics they w,llcrawl over
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16
Ulysses $. Grant.

Editor Post: AS yesterday was the
birthday (7Oth) OF the late Ulysses 8.
Grant, your numerous readers will
doubtless be interested in knowing his
rruename and just how, the time, place
and circumstances under which he was
named, and how he acquired the in
itial "s." Ii these facts have ever
been correctly published they have es-
capped my notice.
Being closely connected by marriage
and intimate with the family tor
many years prior to the elevation OF
Gen. Grant to thepresldency, his father
when visiting Washington during L $40
and 1871 spent much OF his time at
my house and more than once told
me III detail the incidents above re-
ferred to. He said that at the time
OF the birth, some one or two members
OF his wlfe's family beng present, it
was suggested that the baby be then
named, but he declined, saying: "When
the mother is well enough we will pay
you visit, and on that occasion we
will name him." About one month
after they went out some twenty miles
to Mr.. Simpsons, his tather.inlaw,
and soon after their arrival he was re.
minded of his promise.
He said that long before his MARI.
age, when he read the history and life
OF Ulysses, the great Grecian general,
he determined that ifhee got marri-
ed and should be the father OF q boy
baby he would call him Ulysses. He
had learned that Mr.. Simpson had II
name to propose and that that was
Hiram. Other names were suggested
by different members OF the family,
Theodore being the only one now
remembered. So he said to them:
"Each OF you write your favorlte
name on q slip OF paper and put it in
my hat," and at the same time wrote
one himself. All being ready, he call
ed one OF the children to draw, and it
SO happened that the name Ulysses
was drawn. Then said he, stopped
the drawing, and, being anxious to
crafty his tather.in.law, he announc.
ed the name as "Ulysses Hiram
Grant"
Mr.. Grant said that he had deter
mined to use all the influence he could
bring to bear when mis- son was old
enough to get him to West Point, but
at first was unsuccessful Mr.. Hamer,
his member OF congress preferrine an
other boy, who, however. having
failed to pass the required examina-
ton, then submitted the name OF
Ulysses S. Grant-mistaking the mid.
dIp1nitia) Mr. Grant WAS ,mnedlata
ly notified, and seeing the mistake,
wrote at once to the secretary OF war,
calling his attention to the fact, but
it was djsregarded. In due time the
boy reported Tor examination, and
being successful, the name as before
appeared in the catalogue. He and
Ulysses both tried to have 1t correct.
ed, but failing, 1t was adopted as re.
ported.-W. Lee Whitein Washington
Post.
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16
Polk is Dead.

President Polk, OF the Farmers ALI.
ance, died at Ills at Washington, D.
c., on the 18th inst.
Col.'Polk was relative OF President
Polk. He was a native OF North Caro-.
lima, where he was born about SIS years
ago. His education was received in
the common schools. During the war
he served for q time in the confederate
army and resigned to go to the legisla-
ture, to which body he had been elect
ed. Later he filled for several years
the Office of commissioner of agricul.
ture for North Carolina, and later still
he began the publication of the Pro.
gressive Farmer, which he managed
for long time. At the time of his
death he was serving his third term as
president OF the body to which he has
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16
Hard Beset.

Shortly before the outbreak of the
Revolutionary War, according to Mr.
Stones "Reminiscences OF Saratoga
Yankee bearing the illustrious name
OF Roger Bacon moved to Saratoga,
New York, and contrary to the advice
OF nls new neighbours, built q low cabin
on the flats near Fish Creek. He was
an old bachelor, used to having his
own way. He moved into his new
quarters in the late summer.
Much snow fell during the winter,
and the weather held cold until April.
Then all at once there came a warm
rain. The Creek rose rapidly, but Ba-
con thought himself safe, and went to
bed as usual. Before midnight he was
awakened rndely by the cracking OF
trees and the rushing OF the torrent.
He sprang out OF bed, and found him.
self leg deep in water. There was no
time to lose IN making q toilet. He
ran to the nearest tree, clambered in.
to it, and waited for daylight.
1t was a dismal night, and his un.
reasonable cold bath added nothing
to his comfort. The roar OF the wa.
tiers and the occasional crash OF trees
made it plain that the ice OF the river
had broken up. How soon would it
carry away the tree in which he had
taken refuge?
The dawn brought little encourage.
ment. One of the first things he saw
was his cabin, lifted from it's founia-
tions by the flood and dashed to
pieces.
The wholevalley was waste ofrush.
ing water: but us it turned out, the
food WAS not the only thing he had to
tear, for Just then he heard scream
in the distance. Little by little it
came nearer, till he recognized it as the
voice OF a panther.
IT the animal should scent him, his
fate, rs the historian expresses it,
would be beyong the "help OF lnsur-
ance." Nearer and nearer it came,
and soon he saw the limbs OF a tree
shaking at no great distance
Another scream, this time close at
nandl A shaking OF the branches in
another tree! Now he can see the
panther, crouching in the very next
tree, and ready to spring. His eyes
flash. and rs he growls he shows his
fangs.
TIE panther puts up his back,
shakes his tail, and makes his final
Jump. His aim is straight as an ar
row, but as he strikes the branch Ba.
con shakes it at the right instant. The
monster misses his hold, and tries in
vain to recover it. His hind feet dan.
gle IN the air. Bacon shakes the limb
again with all his might, and the pan,
Their screaming horribly, dropsinto the
torrent.
Bacon remained in his tree till late
in the afternoon, when his reighbors
were able to come tc his eliei.
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16
Only a Chicago Man Could Do 1t,

Chicago Mail: 81 do not object to a
moderate amount of that quality
which is sometimes called 'cheek'," re.
marked q local politician. "But lit
must be exercised in perfectly harm
less channels, OF course recall one
case which furnished me many ahearty
laugh. 1t occurred on the day OF the
inaugu1a alton of President Hayes,
Washington was crowded to suffoca,
ton, and all business not directly
connected with the inaugural ceremon-
les was suspended. A Chicago drum
mer who arrived 100 late to secure q
position where he could catch a glimpse
OF the president was in sackcloth and
ashes, tiguratively speaking, because he
missed what he called the 'opportuni-
ty OF q lltetime-to see a president
made He wanted to know whether
it would still be possible for him to
see the new chief executive. told him
that did not believe that President
Hayes would receive him before the
usual public reception. Butthe DRUM
mer had to catch q train in half an
hour, and remarked: By the great
horned spoon, I'm, going to see the
president, and see him right away too
"Then he sent IN his card. The an.
swer came back promptly that the
president was not receiving. Take
back my card and say that want to
See Mr.. Hayes on matter OF the ut
most Importance insisted the Chica.
goan.
"a moment later the messenger re-
turned with a request that the caller
would briefly state the nature O. his
business,
"'l can't do that, SAID the drum
mer. Tell him that it is matter of
vital Importance to himself
"Within two minutes from the time
this bombarment began the besleger
Hayes.
"'Mr. President he began. Il do
not desire to claim your attention
longer than one minute. came down
here from Chicago to witness the in.
auguratlon. I've seen the show and
have looked the capitol and the White
House over pretty carefully, and l
couldn't go back without saying to
you that you've struck regular snap
mere. Ifyonget along pretty well here
and do your work in an acceptable
manner, SO faras am concerned, you
may count on holding your job.
president Hayes seemed dazed for
a moment. Then he burst into
laugh, 9rasped the callers hand, shook
it heartily and inquired about the
VISITORS name and address.
"The drummer still resides in Chi.
cago, and among the treasures which
he has picked up in his Journeys
throughout the country is "a brief note
which he received toward the close 81
the Hayes administration. 1t is sub.
stantially as follows:
Corrective MANSION.
"WAsHlNGToN, D. c., July Is, 1875.
"John Blank, Esq, Chicago:
"'Dear Sir-I trust you have had
no occasion to- change your politica
position since our last interview
Very respectfully,
GER B. Hayes"
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16
He was inc0rrigible.

An olden maiden lady,w who strongly
objected to followers" had rs a com.
panion a gray parrot with wonderful
faculty for picking up sentences. One
day the old lady bad cause to severely
reprinand one OF her maids for u
breach OF the follower" ordinance.
This so irritated the girl thai as q
windup to the recital OF her wrongs,
IN the bearing of her fellow students
and Polly, who happened to be with
them. she exclaimed passionately, "I
wish the old lady was dead" The
parrot lost no time in showing off it's
newly acquired knowledge when next
taken into the drawlng.room,t to the
alarm OF its elderly mistress, who SUI
perstltlously thoughtit WAS warning
from another world.
She at once consulted the vicar, SAYS
the Feathered World, who kindly vol
unteered to allow his own parrot,
which could almost preach a short
sermon, sing psalms, ETC., to be kept
a short time with the impious one in
order to correct its language. To this
end they were kept together in asmall
room tor a few days, when the lady
paid them visit in company with her
spiritual adviser. To their intense
horror, immediately the door was
opened, the lady parrot saluted them
With the ominous phrase, ~ wish the
old lady was deau!" the wears bird
responding with all the solemnity OF
an old parish CLERK, 'The Lord hear
our prayer"
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16

driven about with mallet usual.
ly made of wood but sometimes of
IRON. The game itself is cross be.
tween our croquet and "shinnev:n
thus it will be seen that when the BAH
gets into "ascrape" it is very difficult
to get out, and the player is in a cor.
rrespondingly bad fix generally. Such
incidents occur 80 frequently that The
books on 'golfing' have laid down
rules RS to what may be done in the
time OF such an emergency, "peutinp
into ascrape" being the golfers great
est drawback. From this has arisen
the term now in such common use
among us, meaning in a bad fix.
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16
Facing A Lou.

A distinguished traveller who has
passed long periods OF his life in Africa,
and who has, one may say, associat.
ed quite intimately with wild animals,
relates an experience which shows how
hardened to danger one becomes by
such companionship. He had gone
out i'll search OF food. The country
was perfectly flat, and although cover
ed with much dense bush, was inter-
spersed with numerous small glades,
covered with parched heritage two or
three !eet in height. A few Tokrooris
accompanied him with spare rifles,
and he was leading the way, OCCASION.
ally breaking through the intervening
bush with as little noise as possible.
Suddenly, as was only half emerg-
ed from a line OF dark green nabbuk,
was surprised by a short roar close
tome, and Immediately saw the should.
ers and the hinder portion OF q lion,
the head being concealed by the bush,
from which had not completely EN-.
erged. / could have touched it by
stretching out my rifle. but personally
was quite unobserved.
There was not moment to lose,
and fired through the centre OF the
shoulder. With roar the lion dis
appeared. There was rushing sound
in the bushes, and almost Immediately
another lion occupied the exact posi-.
ton that had been quilted by the lion.
ess. They must have been lying down
together when startled by our appear
ance, or rather by the noise OF our
approach.
This was splendid chance, out
was unloaded. l stretched my right
arm behind me, expecting to receive a
spare rifle from my faithful Tokroorie,
but they had retreated from the scene,
and I remained within six feet OF q
lions flank with an unloaded rifle and
no companion.
The lions head and neck were quite
concealed by the dense green bush.
and must now reload my rifle. The
first tap that gave the bullet when
rammlng it home scared the lion, and
with a loud roar it sprang forward
and disappeared.
My recreant followers now returned,
and took q double. barrelled rifle and
began strict search for the wounded
animal. Directed by q low moan. We
found her. 1t was lioness, but there
was no trace of her companion, which
bad been go lately within NV reach
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16

alone appeared, and its eyes, like lit
tie black beads, darted upon Willie.
The road turned west. A COW two
rods from the road stood by a little
spotted calf. Thecow, looking straight
at the strangers, lowed softly, while
the calf with quick jumps and sprawl
ing legs darted up to the fence, and ey.
ing Willie, yelled h.la-r.e, b.l-a re,
then kicking up it's little heels in the
sunlight, it went scampering back to
its mamma.
Dusk came. A thick wood bordered
the road for q while.
"Whoo! Whoo! Whoow came
from affair.
"None of your business" shouted
Willie Oday.
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16
To Fluid the Magnetic Pole.

At meeting of the American Geo.
graphical society, held in New York
on May 2, the proposed expedition to
find the Interchangeable pole, which is
about ], 200 miles further south than
the geographical pole, WAS discussed.
Gen. A. w. Greedy and Col. w. H.
Glider told how safely and comfort.
ably the proposed expedition could be
made. 1t is calculated that the mag.
netic pole is somewhere in the neigh
borhood OF King William Land, pos.
sibly on water instead OF land. Eng.
lish and other European explorers
have been in that neighborhood. One
OF them got within few miles of the
exact point several years ago, and the
magnetic needle pointed almost verti.
cally.
Its angle with the horizontal was
80 degrees SO minutes. 1t is believed
that the magnetic pole, which moves
around little, has a regular period
tnat can be determined. It will be
OF advantage to navigators and sur.
veyors to be able to allow tor the
variation at any time. Col. Gil.
der, who accompanied Lieut.. Sch.
watka on his expedition, has offered
to take charge OF the proposed trip
to find the magnetic pole, and make q
general survey of the surroundings. 1t
is believed that there will be no diff.
Guilty in raising Unnecessary $25, 900.
1t is suggested that the United States
coast and geodetlc survey will put the
necessary instruments at the disposal
OF the exposition.
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16

given so much OF his time and atten.
ton. Col. Folks home was at Raleigh,
N. @. He leaves q wife and three chill.
dren.
Col. Polk was OF great value to his
party rs a stump speaker, aud was an
able writer on topics of perticularm
terest to the farmer. The Peoples
party will meet in conveutionin Oma.
ha in about q month, and had Col.
Polk survived he would have been
nominated for president or vice.presi-
dent OF the party, should it have de.
cided to put a ticket in the field.
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16
Only Few of the Genuine San d wich
Island Natives Left.

One of the saddest spectacles in
Hawaii is the rapid decay of the ma
tive race. Disease and death have
made heavy inroads among them
More even than the samoans and
Tahitians they seem to absorb all the
vices OF the white race. They are
pleasure.loving INDECENT, good natur.
ed and honest, butvirtue among them
is practically unknown. 1t is still the
custom to give a guest the compsn.
ionshlp OF the wife or the most attrac.
tive daughter; in fact, the question OF
morality does not bother the native
Hawaiian, and lie frankly admits it..
The Chinese nave introduced the vice
OF opium smoking, and they also bring
III large quantities OF rice brandy,
which the native Hawaiian loves next
to cold square fuse" as they call gin.
The Hawaiian families are steadily
decreasing in size, and every census
secs q shrinkaee in the already small
number OF this doomed race. The
census of1SS4 gave Al 232 Hawaians
and half-casts; that o. 1890 1864,
q loss OF 5,57S in six years. The
Chinese now number l 5.299, the Jap
anese 1924 and the Portuguese g..
100. OF this large number OF Chinese
only about 200 are women. Hence
wetind John Chinaman selecting wives
from the native girls, who are only too
glad to marry Chinese because they
are better treated than by men OF their
own race. They are indulgent kus.
bands, and they love to see their wo.
men finely dressed, but when they re.
turned to China there is no record OF
any Chinaman taking his Hawaiian
wife. The women are left behind, and
seldom is any provision made for the
support OF themselves and their child.
rem. The japanese mix little with the
Hawaiins.
One peculiar thing which is worthy
the attention OF the student of ethnol.
ogy is that the crossing OF the Chinese
and HaWallans makes q better race,
physically and mentally, than either
OF the originals. Some OF the brightest
young men in Hawaii have Chinese
fathers and Kunaka mothers. These
half.castes are remarkably sbrewd liz
business, while they have the agreeable
manners OF the Hawaiiars. The Por.
tuguese are thrifty, but they are poor
race. They are now hocking over to
California and are going into the fruit
and vineyard districts, where their Ia
Dor will certainly be better than that
ot Chinese. for they are eager to buy
comes and settle. Civilized vices and
diseases and the leprosy threaten to
wipe out the native Hawalians in the
next thirty years. They are Gisap.
pearing more rapidly than the Maoris,
OF New Zealand, and for the same rea
son.
The Hawaiians, even IN their decad.
ence, are a merry race, and their
dances are celebrated. The hula hula
Is probably the most perfect OF the
South sea island native dances, in
honor OF the goddess OF love. 1t is q
Flascivious dance, which go greatly e1
cites the natives that it has been pro.
hibited. and is only given now by
stealth; but the people are 80 fond OF
it that professional hula dancers are
in great demand, and no feast is com.
plete without this old dance, that re.
calls in many OF its features the dance
OF ancient Egypt and Greece.
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16
Cyclone Struck tho Train.

The Agram Brod mail train, which
was wrecked by tornado near the
Nowska station in Austria q few days
ago, had fearful experience. The
train started from Nowska at 3 p. m.
the wind blowing with the fury of
hurricane. Complete darkness fellup-
on the train; the engineer and fireman
were 80 terrified that they crouched
down on the floor Of the engine. A
terrific gust of wind lifted the engine,
weighing seventy.two tons, and five
carrlges and threw them over an en-
bankment into cutting, which was
halt full of water. The station at
Nowska was converted into q hospital
Tor the Observation-Disclosures in mum.
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16
Getting Into "Ascrspe.v
The origin of the expression .

The origin of the expression above
quoted is as follows: In Scotland
they play a game called golf, the fav.
orite grounds for such sports being the
downs" or "links." The rabbits
frequent these "links," and the hole
made BY them is called "ascrape."
Coli is played with hard bali of
wood or other substance, which ia
Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-16

these wires obliquely, SO as not to
touch both at once, and will then be
rewarded by having the whole tree for
themselves.