davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-12
: SPIDERS.
One Species That Build Balloons and
Make Journeys Through the Air.

toronto WOrlQ.
There is a certain species of spider which
is moved by instinct at certain seasons of
the year to travel, and to travel distances
that no one would suspect him DESTROYS OF
covering. What, then, is their method?
The spider selects the right kind of Il day,
one on which there is almost a calm in the
cir, rather one when there is just the
slightest breeze.
He crawls up a tree, or a flagstaff. or a
bullrush, or anything that will give him a
free position. He then begins TO emit the
free end of a web from his flament bag,
and this is SO light and fresh that it floats
away in the air and is carried along by the
E. He may emit one hundred or two hum
dred yards, and every now and then he
tries whether there is enough out and float
ing to buoy him if he lets go his grip on
the tree or other elevation. By a nice sys-
tenn of calculation he ascertains just what
will buoy him, and then. letting go his hold,
the filament is borne off by the wind, and
he himself at the end OF il, and in this way
he can travel miles and miles.
If he finds himself coming near the water
he pays out more of his cable. and in that
way he obtains more floating flament 10
bear him up. If, on the contrary, he finds
himself going too high he draws In his
cable and deScends by lessening the amount
of floating flament.
If you anchor a pole in a body of water.
leaving the pole above the surface, and put
a spider upon it, he viii exhibit marvellous
intelligence by his plans TO escape. At first
ne whl SPIN SPIN a WEB 1h SeVe Fs i inches long ana
10 float off in the wind, in the hope that IL
will strike some object.
OF course this plan proves a failure, but
the spider is not discouraged. He waits
until the wind changes. and then sends
another silken strand floating off in an
other direction. Another failure is followed
by several other similar attempts, until
all the points Of the compass have been
tried.
But neither the resources nor reasoning
power of the spider have been tried. He
climbs 10 the top OF the pole and energetic
ally goes TO work to construct a silken ball
loon. He has not hot air with which TO in
fate it. but he has the power of making II.
b%uoyant.
When he gets his balloon finished he does
not go off on the mere supposition that it
will carry him as men often do, but he fas-
tens it to a guy rope, the other end OF which
he attaches to the island pole upon which
he is q prisoner. He then gets into his
aerial vehicle while il is made fast and
tests ii to see whether its dimensions are
capable of bearing him away.
He often finds that he has made 1t too
small, in which case he hauls 1t down, takes
il all apart and constructs 1t on q larger
and bette. plan. A spider has been seen
to make t1ree different balloons before he
became satisfied with his experiment
Then he will snap guy rope and, suspended
from a flament, win sail away TO land as
gracefully and as supremely independent
of his surroundings as could be imagined.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-12

teeth contributed by famous race horses
and wild beasts.
This room was full of such kline of things,
and 1t led into another, and yet another.
In all three rooms there was hardly room
to stow away another relic. Here and there
dependent from the walls were swords and
assegais, pistols. ~yatagans and muskets,
each weapon with some sa~nguinary history
connected with ii. In the corners were
ancient railroad relics. rescued from appall-
ing wrecks. A piece OF the bridge which
had given way and caused the AShtabula
disaster had been made into a table, and in
one of the planks was set a brass plate with
the date of the accident, and the number of
victims.
1t was upstairs, however, that perhaps
the most interesting. yet repuilslye, part OF
the collection was to be found. Here, in a
long, grey row of repulsive, grewsome as
pect, were the g~rinning skulls of a score Of
famous murderers. TIL acquisition of the
death heads cost a fortune. In adjacent
closets, neatly labeled, were the clothes
worn by the malefactors when they paid
skull, neatly hung against the wall, was a
piece of the rope which hung the owner,
and in some places where this was wanting
an inscription had been made, such as
Couldn't get this rope at any price, Even
down to the kitchen the house was pro-
foundry interesting. There was the sauce
pan which cooked the last meal when
Guiteau ate, a knife and fork used by John
Wilkes Booth while hiding from his pur-
suers, a cup and saucer out of which Fisk
drank the night before he was shot by
Stokes. and other relics.
Questioned as to his uncle's method of
procedure in the gathering of his strange
collection, which includes, among other
things, e very valuabie one of coins, and a
collection Of postage stamps which is said
not to have it's equal in this country. Mr..
Speckley said that the old man, up TO the
very day of his death, watched the papers
with ceaseless care. He paid particular at
tention to the murders and railroad acct
dents. When a wreck occurred anywhere
he would post off and bring back some me-
mento of it, once returning with a car
wheel which had broken in two and been
the direct cause of the disaster. Notwith-
standing the oddly assorted collection of
relics, however, which the old man sue
ceeded in gathering in his long life, there
is to be found in it some things. of I'M
doubted value, and which ought to find a
resting place in the new Columbia Museum,
if ii is ever organized and equipped. Among
the books are three black-letter Caxtons,
said to be undoubtedly genuine.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-12
A COLLECTION OF CURIOS.
Queer Lot Of Relics Gathered by a
Lonely Chicago Crank.

Chicago Evening Journal.
There will shortly be offered for sale
down on South Halsted street one of the
oldest collections of curiosities ever brought
together within the narrow confines of a
private residence. A month or so ago Hiram
Speckley, a confirmed relic hunter. died at
the advanced age Of eighty-three years.
His two nephews, James and Seth Speck-
ley, who reside in Scranton. Pa, and who,
by the terms of the old mans will, became
his sole heirs, arrived in Chicago on the
4th of the present month. Besides inherit
ing a considerable sum of money, they have
become the lawful possessors of g. collec-
ton of relics which is likely to be,ome a
veritable white elephant on their hands.
Hiram Speckley was born in Dorset,
England. He came of a long line of En-
glish yeomen. 1t is nearly sixty years since
he came to this country. The first twenty
six years of his life in America was spent
in the mountains of East Tennessee. where
he followed the wild life of a hunter, and,
incidentally, it is said. amassed a consider
able fortune in the distillation OF whisky
without the formality of concerning with
Uncle Sam. He was a very shrewd old
fellow, and was never caught by the rev.
enue officers. When the war broke out he
came North, and settled for a time i'm the
northern range of the Catskill mountains.
Finally he gravitated TO Chicago and took
up with what proved to be the passion OF
Ills lllc, ICllC-lOlllliAS, anu lie succeeded In
gathering a collection of odd curios such as
probably could not be duplicated
IN the world.
The old relic hunters former house on
South Halsted street is a long, low-lying
building of two stories, setting we'll back
from the street. When Seth Speckley vol
unteered to act as a. guide to a reporter
and show him through the premises, he led
him first from what appeared to be an or
binary hall into a large room, the shutters
of which had been carefully fastened 10
exclude the light. Mr.. Speckley groped his
way up to two. huge, dark-looking objects
which hung against one OF the walls. struck
a match, swung back a door ard the next
moment a flood of red light lit up the apart
ment.
Those are the red and green lights of the
Oregon which were not got from the bottom
OF the Atlantic off Fire island some years
ago." said Mr.. Speckley. Il don't know
what they cost exactly, but he went down
To- New York determined TO pick up some
thing that had belonged to the vessel. He
got the side lights"
Further along was a row OF oddlv-as-
sorted bottles on a shelf labeled Niagara
Chorse shoe)," Niagara American)," Rec
Sea" Pool of Siloam." "Fount Of Tears"
"Hellespont," Harper's Ferry etc. They
contained specimens of water bottled at
those places. On another shelf lay a row
OF white objects labeled Jumbo "Boli-
'Pocohontas," '~smuggler." Great East
ern.s Hermit" etc. 1t was a collection Of
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-12
THE FABLES TURNED.
A WOuId-Be VivisectOr Operated Upon
by His Savage Allies.
Lewiston Journal.

One of the most curious expeditions
ever planned by man was that once under
taken by DIR. j. O.. Bunting, OF Portland.
During all his life he had been a close stu
dent of the philosophy of digestion and
for the purpose of HIS investigations he
had that remarkable Canadian, Alexis st.
Martin, in his care for twenty years. In
order TO cinch matters and provide facts
for some of the doubling Thomases. DR..
Bunting cast about for some one else upon
whom ne might continue 10 experiment.
He could think Of but one plan, and that
was to go into Africa, buy two slaves and
operate upon their stomachs. BY opening
the body near the fifth rib and perforating
the stomach a coalition could be pro-
duced similar to STAT existing in the her
son of st. Martin. Therefore, the Doctor
purchased his supplies and sailed across TO
Tunis in the north OF Africa There he
hired a native chief with forty of his fol-
lowers, paying them a liberal retaining fee.
and promising alluring largess when the
trip SHOULD De ended. they Set form. Inc
Doctor carrier f1.000 in his inside pocket.
and the chief probably lay awake four
nights thinking about the matter. At any
rate. on the fifth night he sneaked into the
Doctors tent and delivered a little address
over the muZzles of two pistols. When he
had concluded the Doctor passed over his
ducats and the chief passed over the Dor
der along with his renegade band. They
!aelned themselves to such supplies as
suited their artless and unenlightened tastes.
IN Doctor Name back without a retinue.
and with a Neal OF experience that VIII
never appear il a medical work.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-12

do in vain. and what we in all likelihood
never could have done.
And now 1t came our turn to show our
gratitude to them for their great service.
And how nobly we did it! AS the conquer
ing bulls stood in a group receiving the con-
CALCULATIONS of the herd, each man of us
picked out one of the finest of the lot, the
magnificent leader among them, and bored
it through at sixty PAGES with a Winches-
ter bullet. Then, as the u~nsuspecting herd,
panic-stricken at the new terror that had
laid six of it's leaders low, turned and
swept madly toward the sheltering woods.
six more bullets followed the flying elk and
four more of the herd fell dead. 1t was not
until the last one Of the fleeing elk disap-
peared that it occurred to any of us what
an utterly despicable, treacherous, cold
bloOded act we had committed. 1t would
have been a wanton and inexcusable act
III we had shot the elk before any wolf had
appeared on the scene. To STAY them after
they had slain the wolves was but little
better than murder. The least we could do
was to bury The slaughtered animals, which
we did, in one immense grave on the bank
of the stream. But we returned home from
our wolf-hunt feeling that we were worse
than wolves ourselves, and / feel SO vet"
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-12
A MIDNIGHT
Fermcnted Catsup Caused an Explos-
ion that Alarmed "A Household.

Baltimore Sun.
The head of a home in northeast Balti-
more was awakened by his wife with the
that burglars were in the
but some ominous noises from the region
OF the kitchen finally convinced him that
something was wrong. He got up, and,
not having q weapon, seized a bronze orna-
ment and boldly started on a tour OF in
spection. Entering the dining room he man
aged TO overturn several chairs as a prelim-
mary warning to the invaders, as he did not
care to surprise them.
The ominous sounds continued, however.
and cold chills began chasing each other
; in rapid transit style W ana down ms
spinal column. Urged on by encouraging
stage whispers from his wife he moved
toward the kitchen, clutching his weapon
until the outlines were imprinted on MS
hand. Then he pushed open the door. As
it swung back a pistol-like report echoed
through the house, causing the invesuga.
tor TO beat a hasty retreat, firmly convinced
that he was shot.
Under the gaslight he soon found that he
was unhurt, and again advanced on the
kitchen. This time he entered and lit a
match, but just then the kitchen door shut
creasing the terror which had taken pos
session OF him. After another retreat the
kitchen was again entered, and this time
the gas was lighted. Then surprise took
the place OF fear. The kitchen looked as
If a small-sized cyclone had struck IL
floor and everything was in confusion. But
no burglar could be seen.
Searching further the. cause was soon dis
covered. The wife had put up a quantity
OF catsup in bottles and placed them on a
shelf. During the night the catsup began
TO ferment. Several bottles exploded.
throwing surrounding objects to the floor
and creating havoc generally
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-12
Misplaced Courtesy.

Milwaukee Sentinel.
Does the man who comes late 70 the
theater deserve 10 have people get up and
make way for him TO reach his inside seat?
Is not courtesy toward the late-comer an
announcement or his discourtesy toward
the public?
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-12
How LittIA Did You Expect.

Philadelphia Record Oem)
The Democratic vote in Ohio is unex-
pectedly large.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-05-04
NOVELTIES IN JEWELRY.

A BRASS camel bearing it's lamp bun
den between its humps is novelty, and
n bronze elephant supporting also a
light-giving howdah is another.
ONE of the most curious rings seen
lately is of aluminium with a very dark
ruby set in it. The ring looks almost
black, and it is only at night that the
stone is at its best, and impresses one
with its great beauty
THE busy woman finds useful orna-
ment for her chatelaine in pencil that
exactly initiates match, and which
may suggest to the looker-on either that
she is matchless. or her match has been
found.
TIE jewel pins that were so popular
at one time have lost their prestige,
the simpler toetoise shell. jet or amber
being in their place. Indeed. the loop
of plain she'll, which can be SO expen-
sive and which, when initiated, is so
cheap, has rather more vogue given it
than ar1y other
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-05-04
7-777I.s-.7z5ss5z % IsIssaaaa1
IeisIasaa6GS9 tSSAG SSlSs IA a q EEAAA1AGH
METROPOLITAN.

1886 DIR. Zlremba brought the matter to the
attention OF the American Historical society,
then in ~eS ,;oa 4. Washington. A committee
was appointed To confer with President Cleve-
land on the subject with the hope that he would
call the attention of congress to the subject
Following this action Philadelphia sent a COM
mittee to Washington for the purpose OF get
ting an appropriation for such celebration TO
be held in that CITY.
Thus the original idea of 4 Colu uloian centen
NAL in this country took root And as the
Anglo-Saxon and Gallo races reaped the prin-
cipal benefits OF the Latin navigator's discover
les, so have the same races absorbed and taken
possession of the idea of the Mexican doctor.
While DR.. Zaremba was urging his pet plan
upon the public Chicago preparing to seize
the prize AS early 1885 a joint committee
was appoin ted from the Chicago Union League
and IroQuo:s cluts TO take action on the matter
and report But Chicago not without
rivals Early in 1896 board of pro-
motion was organized in New Ep-
gland to secure congressional. action
IN this direction with eX-Gov. Ciaflin. of Mas
sachusetts as president of the board This
was followed July 81 the same year by a reso
luton introduced by Senator Hoar, OF Massa.
chusetts, for the appointment of a Joint con-
gressional committee of fourteen to consider
the ACCESSIBILITY of holding such a fair. 1t was
Senator Hoar'S idea to have the exposition held
in Washington. New York shortly afterwards
entered the list; then St Louis, and that
memorable struggle began which resulted il
the location of the worlds Columbian exposi-
ton at Chicago.
CHICAGO Ers THE FAIR
February "A. 1892 congress voted to have the
exposition in Chicago. March g. the same
year, capital for the new organization was sub
scribed- a meeting OF subscribers TO the capt.
tai stock was held in Battery D April 4, 1897.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-05-04
TORNADO in TEXAS.
Terrible Havoc in Cisco, Tex.-Many Kille
and Injured.

Terrible Havoc In Cisco, Tex.-Many Killed
and Injured.
DALLAS, Tex, May IA special from
Cisco says: The most terrible tornado
that ever visited Texas devastated Cisco
and Eastland county Saturday night at
$40, laying waste everything in its
path, which was about three-fourths of
a mile wide. The storm destroyed all
but fifty houses in Cisco. Not a church
or school house is standing. But one
business house is intact, that of c. 81.
Fee.
The following is the list of killed:
Mrs. Jones and baby; Dave Cameron, a
brakeman; Capt. Whitesides, merchant;
five children of w. A. Hickman, mer-
chant; one child of M. B. Owens; -
Bledsoe, brakeman; Mrs J. T. Thomas;
Mrs Horton; William Simms, laborer;
Mrs. Knight.
The wind storm lasted not more than
a few minutes. 1t was followed by a
heavy rain.
The business portion of the town is
totally destroyed. Out of forty-five
houses forty were blown to fragments
and four of the others SO damaged as to
be useless.
It is thought that the number of in
jured will reach $50, of whom a dozen
or more are thought to be fatally hurt.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-05-04

and full board of directors was elected, which
in turn, April 80, elected Lyman j. Gage, presi-
dent; Thomas b. Bryan and Potter
Palmer, vice presidents; Anthony F. Seei
berger, treasurer; Benjamin Butterworth.
secretary, and William K. Alderman. auditor
April IL, 1890, the first meeting Of the new d.
rectory was held. April 2, President Harrison
signed the measure locating the exposition in
Chicago, and the act was approved the same
day by congress creating the Worlds Column
bian exposition, to consist Of two commission
ers appofn ted by the president from each state
and territory. of eight commissioners-atlarge
and two from the District OF Columbia, each
with alternates."
A special session of the Illinois legislature.
June IL, 1890, authorized the city OF Chicago to
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-05-04
KNOWLEDGE

Brings comfort and improvement and
tends to personal enjoyment when
rightly used. The many, who live bet
ter than others and enjoy life more, with
less expenditure, by more promptly
adapting the worlds best products to
the needs of physical being, will attest
the value to health of the pure liquid
laxative principles embraced in the
remedy, Syrup of Figs.
Its excellence is due to its presenting
in the form most acceptable and pleas
ant to the taste, the refreshing and truly
beneficial properties of a perfect lax
alive; effectually cleansing the system,
dispelling colds, headaches and feyers
and permanently curing constipation.
It has given satisfaction to millions and
met with the approval of the medical
profession, because it acts on the Kid
neys, Liver and Bowels without weak
ening them and it is perfectly free from
every Objectionable substance.
Syrup of Figs is for sale by all drug
gists in SOC and 81 bottles, but it is man
ufactured by the California Fig Syrup
Co. only, whose name is printed on every
package, also the name, Syrup of Figs,
and being well informed, you viii not
accept any substitute if offered.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-05-04
Why not, indccd?

When the Royal Baking Powder makes
finer and more wholesome food at less cost,
which every housekeeper familiar with it will
affirm, why not discard altogether the old
fashioned methods of soda and sour milk, or
homemade mixture of cream of tartar and
soda, or the cheaper and inferior baking pow
ders, and use it exclusively?
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-05-04
WOMAN'S.

Davis elected director-general, and No
vember 20 the first session of the board of lady
managers was held. with Mrs. Potter Palmer
as president December 81. 1899, the president
issued his proclamation extending an invitation
to the nations of the earth to participate.
April 4, 1891. the first annual meeting of the
stockholders OF the exposition was held and
new board of directors elected April H. 1891,
William T. Baker elected president of the
local board to succeed LYMAN j. Gage, who had
declined reelection and refused his salary of
5000 which to his credit on the books. In
April, 1892. the second annual meeting of the
stockholders of the exposition held and
the present board of directors elected A coun-
Gil of administration was elected August II,
1892 invest ed with all the powers of the two
governing bodies in all matters except appro-
priations of money.
During the organization above referred to the
department of publicity and promotion had
been actively at work in disseminating in all
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-05-04
CltHninCR

The Brooks Locomotive works, OF
DunkirlS. \. Y, have turned out a
twelve-wheeled engine which weighs
240, 600 pounds. The engine will De
sent to the worlds fair, where it Will
be mounted on the pedestal in front OF
the railway terminal
Queen Marie Henrietta, of Belgium,
as horsewoman and a judge OF horse
flesh, is said to have few rivals IN
Europe.
Miss Sadie Means, telephone girl,
has been expelled from church In Co
lumbia, S. c., for talking an hour on
Sunday through telephone
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-05-04


fan exposition should both belong to the Latin
race Yankee glorifcation must recognize the
fact
WHERE THE IDEA CAME FROM
One day in 1877 stranger man of letters,
OF the world, II. ". Zaremba, NJ. D., cit
zen of Mexico, Castilian by descent, in
Philadelphia II the time OF the centen-
NAL exposition. An impression became fixed
in his mind rs he wandered through the build
ings in Paramount p rrll. On September he
gave his idea expression in Philadelphia
newspaper. 1t DR.. Zaremba'S
idea that international exposition
should be held in the fourth century of the dis
covery of America by Columbus Amid the
hustle and stir of the centennial exposition the
suggestion caused nnof1entary gossip and
forgotten But the Spanish doctor did not for
get. November -, 1882, he was in New York,
in the Cooper institute. where he met Gen John
-. Fremont, Peter Cooper, Charles A. Lamont
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-05-04
MACHINERY.

will stand beside the president at midday when
the worlds Columbian exposition is formally
opened to the nations of the earth.
Within these cleaning palaces, these colossal
temples reared by patriotic spirits upon the
curving shores of Americas inland sea, the
wealth of the mines, the choicest treasures of
the mind OF man are already gathered for the
inspection OF the world The exposition which
begins to-day will be the apotheosis of the tri-
umph of the wizard of the seas 1t stands as a
magnificent climax of four cen turtles of civiliza-
ton Its history in years to come will consti-
tute Had. Its lessons will become epic
poems.
1t is a curious coincidence that the discoverer
of America and the ''discoverer'' of the Column