davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
CORNSTALK MILITIA.
How a Maryland Patriot Guarded His
Property from Raiding RedcOats.

Property from Raiding RedcOats.
During the exciting times of the
American Revolution the Eastern
PATRIOTS and thoroughly believed in
and upheld the cause of American lib
erty, was yet hotbed for Tories, who
as firmly defended what they believed
to be the rights of the King. The re-
gion known as the Seaside, which eX-
tends along the western shore of Syne
puxent Bay, was particularly well sup
piled with the adherents of George Ill.
A great-grandfathe of George w.
Purnell, now a prominent member of the
bar of this circuit, was a staunch de-
fender of American independence and
commissioned officer in the militia, but
owing to the depredations so frequently
being committed along the seaside and
about his own home, known as the Fair
field farm, it became necessary for him
to remain there to protect his property.
The Tories about the country acted as
pilots for the British soldiers, who fire.
Quently came in boats through the inlet
at Chincoteague and up the Synepuxent
bay, the prosperous farms along the
shore offering an excellent field for their
raids. For the most part these farms
were entirely unprotected, and the local
Tories would guide the soldiers to those
houses where they would probably get
the most booty.
1t is told of Mr. Purnell that early
one morning, while looking over his farm
and standing on hill which command
ed a view of the bay, he saw several
boat loads of redcoats making their way
toward his own shore. He went to his
house and summoned q dozen negro men
about him and armed them with long
cornstalks. Mounting an old gray horse,
he marched his battalion down behind
the hill, always keeping out of sight of
the approaching British. AS soon as he
reached the foot of the hill on the inland
side he called halt and gave orders to
his men. He stationed himself just at
the brow of the hill, SO that the head of
his noble charger could just be seen by
the men on the bay. Then came the or
der for his battalion to march in review.
In an unbroken line around and around
the hill they marched with their corn
stalk muskets glistening in the sun.
His twelve men made fine showing,
and the effect on the raiders was mag
ical The distance magnifed the num-
Der. They saw the army and precipitate
ly retreated. The fame of the valorous
old gentleman has been handed down to
the present Observation-Disclosures Sun.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
A WONDERFUL STONE.
With it a Michigan Lad Could ForetelI the
Future.

Future.
In the year 1868 there lived in the
township of Frenchtown, Monroe coun-
ty, Mich, a man named Labeau, whose
a sensation at the time. Joe, as he was
named, became in some manner pos
sessed of a stone of peculiar appearance,
by looking at which he claimed to be
able to reveal the hidden and tell the
future as well as the past. Joe was a
green, uneducated lad, but his fame as a
fortune teller spread far and wide, and
the crowds which surged around his
home both night and day would cause a
modern divine" healer to turn green
with envy.
The story goes that the stone was once
the property of an American scout, who
with it foretold the coming of Gen. Proc
tor and his Indian allies to perpetrate
one of the worst massacres in American
history, but failing to arouse Gen. Win
chester to his danger, became disguised
and buried the stone. where it was ac-
cidently dug up by young Labeau. Be
this as it may, young Labeau made him
self famous, and fabulous sums were
offered by several Ohio men for the
service of the young man and his stone.
The father and other relatives of the
boy were superstitious, and with the
assistance of priest succeeded in driv-
ing him out of the fortune-telling BUSH
ness. He went on visit, and when he
returned the stone was gone and to no
one would he reveal what mad become of
it, but the. general impression was that
the priest had it.
Labeau has brother living six miles
west of Carleton, and recently he re-
aceived a letter from Joe telling him ex-
actly where the stone could be found,
together with the information that if it
was still there he would return and take
up the occupation of his boyhood days.
The search was made according to di-
rections, and the identical stone found
in the place described. There are many
reliable people residing in that vicinity
who can personally testify. to the wonder
ago, and his visit will attract consider
able attention. The brother now has
the stone, and expects the owner soon.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04

fusion in flower beds, send out an III
toxicating air, and the graceful move
ments of the children, as they twist the
poles with ribbons over the head OF the
encrowned queen makes a glad hour not
to be forgotten.
New dances are written every year
for May parties, and the bugler who
walks with the King gets up approprl-
ate music-for he must be born mu-
sician to hold his post-and there IS
many tune to be heard among the
parties. Many of the weather. Of the
children get up whole May parties of
their own, providing the collation. and
bringing all the party-SubjectS, King,
Queen and ALTO the grounds. In a
gaily-trimmed cart come the musicians,
who are often the best of professionals,
disguised and trimmed with flowers to
look like a boy orchestra.
In regions where fruit is generous i'll
May the May party becomes a festival
of fruit as well as flowers. The wagons
are laden with it, and the Queen sits
upon mound of oranges, with apples
and pears and bread fruits forming a
great throne. The May party is not a
circumscribed thing drawn round and
round with conventional letters. 1t is a
spring ceremony capable of wide yarla-
ton and Interpretation.
In the fairy tales it was during the
first nights of May that the gnomes and
fairy queens came out to dance under
the trees. Their dance, moonlight one,
terminated at sunrise. Keeping up this
tradition, there are many lawn dances
given in May upon private grounds by
young people, who have been waiting
three months to get out of doors into
the warm air again. These dances are
like the gay May parties with the grown
up element curiously merged into youth
full features. The browning of a queen,
der the trees is the same.
The May party is one of the most Or
namental of all features of town life.
Decoration day has touch of the cere-
monious about it and a touch of that
which is sad. But the May party is as
lively as Paris carnival, with the per-
petual youth of the true American
brought out prominently.
Harry Germaine
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
WESTERN MINING NOTES.

durango, Col, reports that the Kate
mine has resumed operations and is a.
marvel, it being impossible to take a pan
of dirt from anywhere on the claim that
will not show free gold
Prof Blake, mineralogist of the Uni
versity of Arizona, has discovered in the
Santa Ritas an immense deposit of gyp-
sum, or sulphate of lime, suitable for
the manufacture of plaster of paris. The
amount is practically unlimited.
Twelve and half tons of silver
bullion, valued approximately at $685.
600, will shortly be shipped from the
Eureka Hill. This, it is said will be the
largest and most valuable single car
shipment ever made from a mine in Utah
and, it is believed, in the world.
"A deal on the fuller's earth deposit,
near Buffalo Gap, Dakota, has at last
been closed. 1t is understood that the
deal is made in the interest of the Big
Four packers Of South Omaha and Chi
cago, they being the largest CONSUME
ers of the product. In view of the fact
that this can be delivered at their works
for at least one-fourth what the inn
ported has cost them, this being the
first found Oh this continent that does
the work, the deal is quite an important
one.
For six months two prospectors have
been working in the Bare hills country,
eighteen or twenty miles southwest of
the city of Cripple Greek, and have done
the assessment work on number Of
claims and had few assays made on
each, but the results were not at all en-
couraging before the last two, which
were made by an assayer of this city.
They showed values in gold of $S62.20
and 2674.4O per ton. The ore was Sc
cured at depth of ID feet.
An immense placer machine which
cost $4,000 is being operated success
fully on Green river by the South Park
Mining company, according to the Salt
Lake Tribune. The machine is run by
electricity and performs every detail of
placer mining automatically, from shovel
ing up the gravel to saving the gold on
the plates. As now operated, about 127
yards of gravel are being handled daily,
though the machines capacity is three
times that amount. No cleanup has yet
been made, but the plates are reported
covered with gold
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
A Trick with q Key.

A Mr.. Foster is reported to be an
"amoosin' cuss' who makes fun for him
self and mystifies other people. He was
in a Cincinnati electric car the other
day and everything was quiet. Mr..
Foster drew from his pocket bunch of
keys, and selecting one, a small steel
one, he slipped it off the ring and laid
it on the floor of the car directly over
the motor. When the current of cleo
tricity struck the key it raised up until
it stood perpendicularly; then, as the
current became stronger and lighter by
turns, the key began to perform very
strange gyrations, bobbing up and down
and jumping around. Every eye in the
car had been upon Mr.. Foster while he
was preparing for his experiment, and
the surprise that was elected upon the
countenances of that carload Of people
when the gyrations commenced was
laughable in the extreme, and Mr.. Foster
enjoyed it more than anyone else.-Elec-
frica1 Review
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
A Large Population.

A Russian doctor has been spending
some time on his hands and knees III the
hospitals of his country trying to count
the number Of icro-organisms on the
floors and corridors. In the rooms which
were exceptionally well cared for and
swept daily. the doctor found on the
floor from 100000 to 34,OO0OOO mi
crobes per square yard of surface. In
the neglected corridors, however, and
those which We're cleaned at longer in
tervals, the scientist discovered that
there lurked 290,000,000 in every square
yard. A gramme of dust taken from
these rooms contained at least 66,O0O,-
600 microbes.
The, majority of these creatures. if we
may call them by that name, are harm
less, but the doctor warns us by saying
that in this hospital dust many microbes
of tuberculosis and pneumonia were en-
countered, and that there was every rea-
son to believe that such and other con-
tagious diseases may be transmitted
through the medium of impalpable dust
which floats in the atmosphere
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
Sentimental Valuation.

Sentiment or affection in connection
with articles of property has no value, 4"
says Maine man who complains of
what he deems a defect in our laws.
Except in breach of promise suits and
actions to recover for family portraits
and heirlooms, our law sits down in a
most prosiac and matter-of-fact manner
on sentimental values. 1t is true that
the rule of damages uses the rather loose
term, articles of affection in describing
what may be valued at more than mar
ket price, but the court practically limits
this to family portraits or heirlooms
priced for their association with the
dead. A mans family horse or his pet
dog, for instance, to lose which causes
real distress to the owner and his famil-
ly, may be taken by any wrong-doer.
who in damages will suffer only the price
the animal would bring in open market -
Lewiston (Me.) Journal.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
,nty road. SO rods wide by 81 rods long,

county road SO rods wide by 61a rods long
assessed Thos. Hollam.
Ali that part Of the Sc sw section y
township 40 north Of range 10 east, de-
scribed as follows: Commencing 60 feet
north of the sw corner Of the Sc NV section
u; thence north sc feet; thence east 1872
feet; thence south Sc feet; thence west
132 feet to place of beginning, recorded
on page 203. vol e. transcripts Villas county
records
A piece of land in NV NV section 30. town
ship 40 north of range 10 east south of
county road. 233 feet long by Is feet WIDE
described on page 1872, vol. 2, Villas county
records.
All that piece and parcel of land lying
and being in the ne NV section 80, town
ship 40 north of range 10 east, south of the
county road as described in deed recorded
in vol l. page 149, Villas county records, ex-
cept that part of said described land deed
to NJ Morrison.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
Hindoo Billiards.

to define billiards as a game in which
two men, armed with long sticks, poke
at bail, while one player says ooh.
DAMN" and the other 'Hard lines.
Golf, according to the Windsor Maya
zine, seems to have similarly impressed
the native South African mind. A Kaf1i1
warrior was observed attentively watch
ing the efforts of certain unskillful play
those deep bunkers which greatly abound
on African courses. The following day
he was seen to be belaboring great
boulder with a huge pole shouting Sod
dam" the while ''This white mans
game,' said the dusky child of nature:
"welly good game, white mans game. -
st. James Gazette.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
Nitric Acid from, Air.

Messrs. Siemens &. Halske, the Ger
man firm of electrical engineers, have
patented in that country a process for
producing nitric acid from air. 1t is
MUM gas and subjected to a clark dis
charge" obtained under certain definite
conditions from an induction coil, ammo
MUM nitrate is formed in large quanti-
ties. from which nitric acid is readily
obtained. A mixture which has shown
good results contains 100 parts by vol
ume of air with one or two parts of am
monium gas. An excess of ammonium
gas does not interfere with the reaction
and can be recovered
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
Petroleum Slabs for Fuel.

A process for converting petroleum in
to a hard mass. and thus render it suit
able for employment as fuel on board
large ocean-going craft, has been
brought forward by M. D'Humy. a
French naval engineer. The published
statement relating to this invention
show. among other things, that the pre-
pared material is affected neither by heat
nor cold. and is absolutely smokeless
and odorless. The cakes, when set on
fire. burn only on the surface and give
an intense heat: they require very little
draught, and make not more than from
2 to 3 per cent. of ashes; they can be
made in any size or shape, and can be
stored anywhere without danger, as
they cannot evaporate or cause an ex-
plosion. Further representations show
that a man-of-war having 1000 tons of
this solicited oil on board could sail
around the world or remain at sea for
successive months. One ton of this ma
terial is estimated the same as thirty
tons of coal. and the amount of cost is
calculated in French scientific journal
at not more than $40 per ton; and it is
considered. therefore. by the promoters
of this process that in the manufacture
of steel 500 pounds of the solicited pc
troleum, costing but So, would melt a
ton of metal
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
TREE GROWING IN A BOAT.
Strange Sight ON the Bay shore Not Fan
from Benicia.

Strange Sight the Bay Shore Not Far
from Benicia.
On the shore Of Suisun bay, between
the CarQuineZ Straits and Benicia, q
most unusual sight can be seen. 1t is
grotesQue in the extreme, but there is
nothing mysterious nor apparently inn
possible about it. 1t is that OF a tree
growing in the hatch of the wreck of a
sloop.
What the name of the sloop was or the
length of time it has been lying in its
present position are things past finding
out. When the vessel was in good shape
she was a craft of about forty feet in
length and eight feet beam. Judging
from her lines and manner of cOnstruc-
ton she was vessel with good sailing
qualities.
When abandoned she was hauled onto
the mud at high tide and has since sunk
so deep as to become immovable. The
place where the hull is stuck is what
would be called good ''tule land,' as
there is fine growth of that reed in the
vicinity. The bottom of the boat has
rotted away and they have formed quite
a growth inside the hull, large numbers
of them poking through the matches. A
peculiar thing will be noticed in the
growth and that is that they grow
straight up as stiff as a bayonet instead
of having the graceful sweep so common
under ordinary conditions.
How the tree came to grow in the boat
is a mystery, but most likely the seed
blew into the old hull from some of the
trees on the surrounding hillsides. Close
examination would De /; difficult and dis
agreeable matter, but seen from shore it
appears to be a specimen of live oak 1t
has attained a height of about ten feet
above the deck of the wreck and appears
to have healthy growth.
Such thing would not be possible
little farther down, as the water is too
salt, but on the shores Of Suisun bay the
conditions are just right. The air is
warm most of the year and fertility has
undoubtedly been given to the soil by
the decaying wood in the bottom of The
cIOnr
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04

All of lot A. section %, township 40 north
of range 10 east, not plated, being IN lines
south of Illinois street and west Of Q. u
Perry's first addition to the village of Eagle
River
Commencing at the Sc corner of lot 2,
block 3, of G. L. Perry's first addition to
the village of Eagle River, thence south to
IA line between lots and ,, government
survey; thence west on said Is line 100 feet:
thence north $50 feet to the sw corner OIL
lot 2 block 3. of &. l.. Perry'S tlrSt addl-
ton to The village of Eagle River; thence
east 131 feet to place of beginning.
Commencing at the quarter section. post
between sections % and %, township 40
north of range 10 east, running thence south
on section line between sections rs and -
40 rods: thence east at right angle 70
rods; thence north at a right angle 10 rods;
thence west at a right angle 20 rods to
place of beginning being part of the sw
quarter of section %, township 40 north of
range 10 east.
Carey'S Addition to Village of Eagle River,
Lot 8, Block 2.
A piece of land in the NV NV section Is,
township 40 north of range 40 east, de-
scribed on page 1, VOL l, of Villas county
records.
A piece of land in the NV Il of section
%. township 40 north OF range 40 east east
described on mage 639 VOL. r. transcrlpts
of Villas county records -
A piece of land in the sw NV section 2S
township 40 north of range 10 east, de-
scribed on page $40, Vol. u, OF transcripts
Villas county records
A piece of land in the sw NV section %,
township 40 north of range 10 east, de-
scribed on page 527, vol. G, transcripts
Villas county records
piece of land in the Sw NV section Is
township 40 north of range 10 east, de-
scribed on page 2, vol. ], Of Villas county
records.
A piece of land. in lot 4, section 50, town,
ship 43 north of range 10 east, described
on page 81, vol ., of Villas county records
except a piece of said land Al by 60 feet
deed to the school board directors of the
town Of Eagle River.
A piece of land in lot 6. section %, town
shin 40 north of range 10 east, described
on page 81, vol. :. of Villas county records
ton 3D. township 40 north of range 10 east,
on south side of county road, recorded on
page SO, vol. e, transcripts Villas county
records.
The west half of piece of land in lot
1. section 80. township 40 north of range
10 east, on south side of county road. re-
corded on page 440 vol. E, transcripts
Villas county records.
piece of land in lot 1. section 80, town
ship 40 north of range 10 east, south of
county road, 10 rods long by 615 rods wide,
assessed to Chris. Price.
a niece Of land in lot 1, section 30, town
ship 40 north of range 10 east, south OF
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04

Victor Cavendish is about to sell at
auction the famous Holker Hall herd of
shorthorns, probably the finest in the
world, which belonged to the late Duke
of Devonshire. There have been only
six sales at Holker during forty years
but they brought il 100000.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
Not for Sale.

An American millionaire, accustomed
to purchase anything he wanted, tried to
obtain from an Oxford gardener the Sc
cret of the beautiful lawns which make
the pride of England Tell me. my
good man, how you manage it." he said,
condescendingly, putting his hand signifi-
cantly into his pocket. 1T is VERY
simple, SIR replied the gardener; you
cuts it as close as ever you can cut, and
you rolls it and cuts it for six hundred
years.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
Bed warmed by Electricity

An ingenious use of electricity is to
warm bedclothes This is done by heat
ing system of wires inside a double
quilt. The current can be regulated at
viii, and the temperature maintained at
the required degree.
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
Village of Eagle River, township 40
north of range 10 east cont'd.
Plat ne NV section 80.

All that part of lot ], block 2, mentioned
within the following boundaries: Commenc-
ing at the northwest corner of lot j; run
ming thence easterly on the north line of
said lot i "a feet; thence south degrees
east, "a feet and s inches; thence west var
SO degrees 20 minutes, south 1913 feet to the
east line of Railroad street, being the west
line of said lot; thence northerly along said
line Of said lot % $40 feet to the place OF
beginning.
The undivided u of the following descrip-
ton: Commencing at the sw corner of lot 2,
block 2; running thence east on line be-
tween lots and g. 62 feet 1912 inches;
thence north var 81 degrees west, 80 feet;
thence west var. 60 degrees SOUTH SO feet
and inches to Railroad street; thence
south on said street 10 feet and inches to
place of beginning
The undivided u of the following descrip-
tion Commencing at the NV corner of lot
3, block 2, running thence east on the line
between 2 and 3 IA feet; thence south var.
street; thence north on said street 4 feet 9
inches to place of beginning, being part Of
lot 8
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04
Edison in oblivion.

Edison's complete mental absorption,
when engaged at his inventions, has oft
en- been referred to. He is practically
dead to the world" at such times. OF
this fact Mrs. Edison herself once had
a strong proof. The inventors wife left
home for an absence of two weeks, and
said good-by to her husband in his lab
oratory. Two weeks Edison plodded on,
turning night into day and day into
night, sleepless, tireless, lost. in the mys-
terry of natures wonders.
Two weeks later Mrs. Edison re-
turned, and, not finding him in the house,
sought him in the laboratory. The in
ventor expressed neither surprise nor in
terest in her arrival. He did not know,
in fact, that she had been absent. He
did not come forward to greet her in a
husbandly way, but calmly motioned her
to a seat and went on experimenting,
afterward that he had not been out Of
the laboratory for. two. weeks, and that
those two weeks had been for him one
long night, of almost unbroken TOLL
New York Morning Journal
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04

Teacher-"What boy in the class can
give me the past tense of migrate"
Well, Johnny, | see you have your hand
ciOusn'
Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-04

DIR. Lueger has resigned the burgo-
mastership of Vienna. He was elected
by the Socialists.