davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-13
MS GRAVE WAS N 4 raet.
German Baron surIsd In ehs Hollow Of an
Oak.

Oak.
One Of the most curious mausoIcums In
the world was discovered the other day
in IN orchard at the village Of Noebdenitz
In sxe-Altenburg. A gigantic old oak
tree, which u storm had robbed OF It's
crown, was up for public auction. Among
the bidders happened to I've Baron Won
Thummel, scion Of family OF ancient
lineage that has given the world 1T liter,.-
ture one charming poet and the father
land many distinguished statesmen. g>
The Baron, who lives ON y nelghb0ring
estate, had ridden to the auction place
quite accidentally. AS no one seemed
eager to help out the anctioneer, he started
the bidding at small figure. This
aroused the peasants suspicion they
thought there might be some value in this
old tree and tried for time to Guido
their feudal lord In recklessness. The
battle ragged for an hour, until finally the
tree was knocked down to the Baron for
200 marks.
an old servant Of his purchase, describing
the tree and its situation. MAYBE" said
the man, ''Your Lordship has bought
one of your ancestors at the same time"
The old servant said he remembered
attending the funeral of Baron Thum-
mel seventy or eighty years ago, and that
the body had been buried in thousand
year-old oak, then standing on plot Of
ground belonging to the parsonage. In
vestigation proved that the orchard had
once been the property of the village
church, and that at one side of the old
oak was an iron shutter, rusty and time
worn, that the people of the town had
always supposed to have been placed
there by some joker or mischievous boys.
This iron shutter proved to be the gate
to the mausoleum Of Baron Hans Wilhelm
Won Thummel, at one time Minister of
State of Saxe-Altenburg, who died in 1924
and wished to be buried lin the 1000
year-old tree he loved so WE'LL"
The oak, which measures about ten
feet in diameter, has, for over century,
been hollow, SO 1t was learned, beginning
at point about five feet above its base.
In this hollow Baron Hans caused to be
built q sepulchre of solid masonry large
enough to accommodate his coffin. The
coffin was placed there, as the church
records show, on March 3, 1924 and the
opening was closed by an iron gate.
In the course of time wall of wood
grew over the opening, which had been
enlarged to admit the coffin and work
men, and for many years it has been CON-
pletely shut, thus removing the last YES
,tige of the odd use to which the old tree
had been put.
The present Baron caused the reopen
ing of the mausoleum by removing the
wood and placed new wrought iron gate
in front of it, also improving the sur
roundings. The tree has still some life
in it and its rich verdure is only now
turning a violet tint. The coffin in which
Baron Hans reposes has on one side
grown to the tree, the dead and the live
wood joining in eternal embrace.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-13
Farming in SOUTH Africa.

Farming in South Africa has its
drawbacks. A correspondent of the
Agricultural Journal of Cape Town re-
lates some of them: The locusts came
ate in autumn May and devastated the
pastures to such an extent that the
writer's 200 half-starved ewes raised
only 260 lambs. Then foot and mouth
disease broke out among his cattle, and
fifteen out Of sixty-five succumbed, be-
ing unable in their reduced condition to
recover from the facilitating effects Of
the disease. At the time Of writing
farmers were trying to harvest their
oat hay. but heavy rains interfered;
the grubs had taken three-fourths OF
the mealies (maize or corn crop. and
n new generation Of locusts had hatch
ed out. requiring ceaseless efforts to
check their advance before their wings
grew.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-13
Cranky Guests.

II cannot sleep In that room," said
a guest mt hotel In this city last eve
ming, as he walked to the desk In the
office and threw the key upon It,
"What Is the matter with it," asked
the clerk.
'There is nothing the matter with 1t.
except that the bed Is In the wrong
place." the guest replied. For more
than twenty years have slept In a
bed with the head toward the north,
and It has become such habit with
me that IL would be actually impossible
for me to sleep with the head in any
other direction"
ut will be impossible for me to give
you a room containing a bed with the
head In that direction" said the clerk
"The hotel is well filed tonight, and
nave only two vacant rooms, but will
haze the bed turned for you" Calling
porter, the clerk instructed him to
turn the bed In the gentleman's room,
so that the head would he to the north
The guest followed the porter upstairs
and as nothing further was heard from
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-13
Remarkable Big Gun Records.

Some remarkable records in big gun
firing were made by the gun crews of
the British flagship Royal Arthur off
the Pacific Coast Il week or so ago. At
the battle of the Yalu River, in the Chi
nese-Japanese war. an average of one
shot i'm fifteen found its mark. and
even at this date the havoc among the
war-ships was terrible. In the Royal
Arthur's practice eight shells, with a
bursting charge, were fired from the
twenty-two-ton gun. ut 800 yards. at
a target in the water ten feet high and
twelve feet square. and every shot
burst within radius Of fifty feet of
the target. The destructiveness Of
such firing i'm the case Of II war-ship
some 200 feet long may be imagined
OF course such rksmanship might
not be possible in the excitement of an
actual fight. On another practice trip
recently one gunner, with 6inch
quick-firing gun. put eleven out of
twelve shots through Il canvas target
ten feet square at 800 yards.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-13
Making a Spool of Thread.

A wcll-knOwn manufacturers says that
the making of spool Of thread Is a
complicated process. Only the very
hest sea island cotton can be used.
The cotton is taken in the raw state
and torn all to pieces by a machine
called a breaker 1t then goes through
several other machines by which it is
combed and freed from impurities.
a machine called a slipper takes it
up and twists 1t out into soft white
yarn. This is carefully combed again,
and is taken into another department,
where several small strands of this
yarn are twisted into one fine one.
Three of these are twisted together. and
you then have six-cord thread, which,
after 1t is bleached, is ready for the
market. Another interesting thing Is
the numbering of thread. Every woman
knows the size Of thread that she re-
quires for doing q certain kind OF
work, but very few Of them know
how 1t came to be so numbered. When
cotton thread was first made $40 yards
Of It weighed one pound. This was
called No. I. and II a pound contained
just twice this number Of yards II was
called No. ,, and so on.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-13
Electricity and Vegetation.

Some curios experiments have lately
been performed with view to discOv-
ering the effect of electric light on veg
tinuous electric light promotes the for
nation of chlorophyll, which is the
green essence Of plants, occupying
much the relative position with regard
to vegetable life that blood does to an
imal life. The structure of the leaves
also changes, the veins becoming
straighter and less numerous.
Under continuous electric light the
distribution of the chlorophyll is more
extended than under the influence of
ordinary sunlight. The bark is less
developed, and the tissue of the stem
assumes Il totally different appearance.
When the electric light is discontinued
AS. for example, when turned on
twelve hours out of the twenty-fOur-
the effect OH vegetation is intermediate
between that of normal sunlight and
that of continuous electric light Al
pine plants cultivated under IA con-
tinuOus electric light like very much
like arctic plants, which are exposed
to almost continuous sunlight in the
summer.
The cause of these changes is not
known. 1t has only been determined
that the changes do occur The opinion
is now generally entertained among
scientific men that electricity is highly
beneficial to vegetable life, and that the
employment Of electricity will be
most important factor in the agricul-
ture Of the future.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-13

Sweet love Is dead;
Where shall we bury himi
II green bed,
With no stone ut his head 2
And no tears nor prayers to worry
him.
DO you think he will SLEEP
Dreamless and quiety
Yes, II we keep
Silence nor weep
Ger the grave where the ground
worms riot.
BY his tomb let us part,
But, hush! he is waking!
He hath winged a dart
And the mock-coldn heart
With the woe Of want Is aching.
Feign we no more,
Sweet love lies breathless.
All we forswOre
BE as before,
Death may die, but love Is deathless.
Alfred Austin.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-13
him Il is presumed that he retired and

him II Ii presumed that he retired and
slept peacefully.
There Is no accounting for tustes,"
said the clerk turning to the reporter.
'slnd the funny experiences we have In
the hotel business would I'LL volume.
Before the night Is over we may have
calls for beds with their heads turned
to every point OF the compass, and, of
course, We are obliged 20 accommodate
every one.
II remember an instance like this
So, ernl years ago. A man slightly in
cbriated came into the hotel one night
and, producing a pocket compass, said
that he wished II room where the head
of the bed should be placed to the
northeast. We sent two boys with
him, and they turned the bed as re-
quested. The joke was that the compass
was furnished with little stop, which
held the Indicator In a certain position.
1t so happened that the gentleman's
bed. which had been carefully placed
northeast according to the compass,
was In reality with the head to the
south. The man discovered his mis-
take next morning and was cured OF
the fad."-Philadelphia Bulletin.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-13

allied Foreigners. Among these arr
28,083 Germans. while In Berlin there
are only 307 French. London has only
5000 foreigners; st. Petersburg,
1900: Vienna. 5000 and Berlin, 1900
In Paris the number OF foreigners In
creased between 1888 and 1891 from
1000 to 1871 900. In point OF numbers
there are more Belgians (450OO) In
Paris than people Of any other foreign
nationality; then come the Germansv
1858; Swiss, $4,000; Itanans, 2l,OOO;
English. 1900; Luxembergers, 1900,
and Russians, 1000
The annual loss to Pennsylvania by
forest fires Is estimated by the State
Forestry Commission to be ut least
81 900, 600 This In the direct loss. The
indirect or consequential damages are
much greater, In the loss of prospect
I've timber by the burning Of young
trees, in the injury to the surviving tim
Der. and In the burning out OF the or
ganic matter In the soil. In 1895 about
225, 900 acres OF woodland In Pennsyl-
vania were burned over by fires due
to the carelessness OF hunters or others,
to engine sparks, or to the malicious
ness of people who desire to annoy
those who have purchased lands at
treasurers' sales for taxes or to redress
some punishment for or hindrance to
trespass on private property. There is
u suspicion that some of the fires wero
started by timber thieves to burn the
evidence Of their depredationg. The
Commissioner enters his emphatic pro-
test to the conclusion prevailing in
many portions Of the state that forest
fires are a necessary evil, to De toll
Grated simply because of the absence
of remedy. "Analyze the causes as
we may" he says, they all reduce
themselves to three-ignOrance, care
lessness, or crime. 1t is folly to assert
that over these we have no control
Hans ZOpke. a German civil engineer
commissioned by his government to
look into the methods adopted In this
country for the propulsion of cars by
electricity, said to Washington cor
respondent: II think America IL far
ahead Of any. other country in the
list Vi tiNtiiSits. IOu eNSh "'
vantage of every invention and applf-
lnce that the minds OF electricians
have conceived, and in this are the
leaders of the world. / have made
many reports to my government re-
garding the electric roads of the United
States, and now, as my leave is nearly
up. / am furnishing the final recon-
mendatiOns and observations. l have
been much interested in the expert
ments with electric locomotives. and
the one used in Baltimore is one of the
marvels Of the age. 1t is n great credit
to the General Electric Company. and.
believe. is but the fOrerunner of great
or things I'm the same line. have APP
piled for an extension of my leave, in
order that l may remain in the United
States to see the Developments of the
next six months. l believe that the
spring of 1896 will witness some OF
the greatest experiments with cleo
tricity the world has known. The prin-
cipal trial will be i'm the use OF electric
motors on steam roads, and 1 feel sure
that the results will be surprising. My
government is much interested i'm the
future of electricity, and is anxious to
take advantage Of all modern methods
and appliances"
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-13
An Ostrich Races a Bicycle.

The Cape Times, says that peculiar
experience befell a local cyclist. Donald
Menzies, recently. He was riding along
the main road from Cape Town to Somer-
set West Strand, when an ostrich, at
tracted apparently by what was in its
eyes u novel vehicle, commenced to waltz
around the bicycle. After few pre-
liminary antics the bird took it into its
head to pace Mr. Menzies, and so long as
1t abstained from using its wings, the
cyclist and the ostrich managed iead
heat. However. after covering about
half mile In this way the ostrich utilized
It's stumpy wings as sails. and spurted
away at record-breaking pace, leaving the
cyc!ist far behind. After that the bird
troubled Mr.. Menzic, no more.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-13

Amos ]. Naming, Of Mount Carmel,
Penn, startles the people Of his ac-
qaintance and the physicians for miles
around by sleeping for month or six
weeks at a time. Sleep is apt to over
take him at any time. When awake
he usually finds employment in one of
the coal mines around Mount Carmel.
He is thirty-one years old, and ordina-
rily enjoys fairly good health. When
in a sleeping state food il administered
to him. Manning's trouble Is be,ieved
by some physicians to be due to n
pressure Of water on the brain.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-13
Tho largest Wine Cellar.

The most expensive and extensive
wine cellar in the world Is owned by
the R0umnnian Government. A rail
road tunnel situated between Galatz
and Barbosh could not be used for rail-
road purposes because Of its inferior
construction. 1t Is almost 1900 feet
long. and Its cost was nearly 1000. 600
francs
Since it could not be used for the rail-
road, the tunnel was leased to wine
dealer, who has turned II into nm i'm
mense and excellent wine cellar. for
which he now pays an annual rental OF
5000 francs. He has placed 1000 large
barrels OF wine within the tunnel
Philadelphia Record.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-13

Big buttons and enormous plaids
make little woman look smaller.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-13

San Fernando II man waiting beside 1t
stepped forward mt the approach OF
Juan Tasca and said:
You are Sheriff Tasca?'
Tasca nodded.
''Then you are wanted ut once to take
the deposition of a dying man."
THAT is not my business" began
Tasca.
mo matter" urged the latter: "hc
says you are the only friend Raschal
Quito had. and"
II will come cried Tasca, growing
white at the sudden thought Of Ras-
chal within reach. living-dying!
lie hurried the man on his way till
he paused ut the door of a ranchman's
house on the outskirts of the town.
Fritz Van Meister. Il man of unsocial
habits. but not lacking friends.
"Here?' cried Tasca, rs he followed
his guide into the house.
"Yes, here" answered the man, usher
ing him into Van Meister's bedroom,
and pointing to his dying form upon
the bed.
The shock of seeing the unexpected
rendered Tasca dumb.
II am dying" mOaned Van Meister;
II must confess. The priest has shrived
me-but you are Raschars only friend
Il murdered the uncle. He does not
know it,
What" yelled Tasca, with a tiger
like spring towar dthe bed.
The dying man shrank.
Eyes, l murdered him, but ! never
meant to. He owed me money; i tried
long time to get it-in vain. That
night he was alone. l threatened him.
All, but he was bad and cruel. struck
him in my anger. did not mean to
kill him. but he fell dead at my feet.
Then the devil got into me. You know
how I crushed him. No one was there
Il took all the money ! fOund-nOt
much, for he had hidden his wealth
well. When I got out into the fresh
air the devil left me. l grew weak
to think what had. done. / leaned
against the wall to keep from falling.
l heard the sound of Raschafs voice
humming a love song-I hear 1t now
that and old Quito's voice when he
fell. I ran down the stairs and hid
In the shadow as Raschal passed me
and went up. I heard him cry out; I
heard him afterward say: No one will
believe 1 did not do 1t. They will hang
me without shrift. Oh, my little Mo-
nita, and must leave your
II heard no more. These words
steadied my brain. I went home, no
longer fearing the brand of the MUIR
derer, safe to live on with my family.
Now" he ended. spent with the exer-
ton of the recital, II am ready to die"
Tasca looked at the men who had
followed him into the room.
"You heard ALP" he asked.
"All," they replied.
Then help me to find Raschal," he
said, and left the house without one
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-13

II was In the gray light of New Years
morning that Marco. the woOdcutter,
looked up as he passed Miser Quitos
house and saw the print Of bloody
hand on the wall beside the door.
Marco grew pale through his sw0rthy
skin. Bloody deeds were not uncommon
sights about San Antonio. Marco had
TO horror of them. But whoever saw a
seal like that upon the wall Of mans
house? Marco turned with a sudden
weakness In his knees and hurried into
town.
Among the rush of people who has
tened past Marco ON his return to the
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1896-02-15
Report OF Grand Jury.

TO the Hon. 8 IL. Terrell Judge:
The Grand jury ask leave to make
the following report:
We have been in session five days,
have examined one hundred and
twcnty-onc witnesses. We have ex-
aminsd tho jail and find it yory com
Portable and neatly kept and the pris
oners seem 10 be well fed and look
happy and contonted. We have OK
amined the poor house and find it
nicely kept and inmates comfortably
cared for. We haye examined the
books OF county officers and find them
nicely kept, and as far as we can judge
all correct. We have carefully, pa
tiently and "a thoroughly us possible
investigated every cause or case
known 10 us or brought 10 our atten-
ton and found bills where the evil
dcnce before us was sufficient to do so.
We have found eight true bills.
We beg to tender our thanks 10
your Honor for the thorough charge
givon us at the opening Of court,
touching our duties, which has aided
Us greatly. We also thank all the of
ficers Of court for courteous treatment
and prompt discharge of their duties,
and especially our new Sheriff in his
promptness in serving papers and
having witnesses before us, and hav-
ing completed our duties, respectfully
ask TO be discharged.
E. ii. Smith, Foreman, IT. Bell, j.
E. Adams, A. J. White, NJ. l.. Hunter,
S. I. IIammack, J. II. Dugan. J. NJ.
Knight. NJ. j, .Reinach. B. II. Parker,
j. A. Otis, A. L. Mullen, J. c. Spark
man. W. A. S:hoo'er, l.. Oliver, Wal
ter Roger. f. E. Niel. Clerk.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1896-02-15
Memphis Dots.


The Bigbcc has been high and com.
monced to fall but tho heavy rains win
bring II up again. No very great dam
age has been done. except the loss of
few hogs and what damage tho hum
tiers havc done TO tho rabbits The
high waters drIye the rabbits to tho
Islands und the hunters hayo great
sport.
The steamer TaIley has iust passed
loaded with passengers bound for the
Mobile Mardi Gras. Messss. Britton,
X. G, Smith. B. |. Yates and O. S. Cole
man took passage on her.
Mrs. Dollie Archer presented her
husband with ten pound boy. Mrs.
J. c. Minis also has fine boy.
Every available piece of land about
here Is being taken for new crop
There 10 moro building and clearing
of land than at any time for years.
MEMPHIS.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1896-02-15
A TRIBUTE.


Alta meeting of Rebekah Degree
Lodge No. l, Macon, Miss, the follow;
ing resolutions were ADOPTED:
Resolved, whereas, GU the morning
of Jan. 29th the chilly hand of death
removed from our band. Sister Mary
L. Maury, therefore be 1t
Resolved, that while we humbly
submit to the dispensation ..of an All
wise Providence. we deeply dcplore
the loss of this faithful sister. The
golden links of Friendship, Love and
Truth which bounds US hcrc on earth,
will shill hold in mcmory's chain her
many virtues.
Resolved, that TO her husband, chill
dren aud other relatives we tender our
sincere syinpathies. aud invoke tho
blessings OF our Heavenly Father upon
them.
Resolved, that copy of..these reso-
buttons DO spread upon our minutes
and one sent to the bereaved family
and slso published in the town papers.
Sister r. l., FEATHERToN.
II. e. 'TALIAFERo,
" T. l.. KLAUS,
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1896-02-15


The coming year will DO period
honorable ia tho history OF the world
II but a part OF tho plans of the Unilcd
States Government and European mn.
tons Is carried out. In the United
States there will be the liyeliesl pres
idential campaign ever l.eld, and the
Fifty.fourih congress. now in scssioh,
will furnish exceedingly interesting
debates on the tariff aud iInancinl
questions until June. There VIII DC
several exciting State clactions anti
many great political speeches. Every.
one viii watch with infercs: the prog.
ress-of the Venczuelnn COMMISSIONS
inquiry. the result OF The wars III Cuba,
in South Africa, In Turkey, and The
outcome of other complications now
urising in the Old World.
1t is n remarkable coincidence that
at the beginning OF year OF sucl, rich
promise OF stirring news, the great inc-
trDpolitan newspaper. tie ST. Lonis
Republic, should feduco its price TO SIS
a year, or TO less than Two cents DAY.
This low pricc now places the Repub
lie within reach ofscycry one. Those
who wish to Keen posted on politics.
trade, natioual and international At
fairs during 1896 shonld at oncc sub
scribe for It on thoec easy terms, IN nd
dition 10 taking thoir own local paper.
Newspaper readers who may think
they cannot afford 10 take q metropol-
itan daily paper, should al least cub
scribe for tho Twice.n, Week Republic
-104 papers n year for only 81 year.
Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1896-02-15

The old Time honored festival Of
Mardi Gras will be celebrated with
unusual splendor and lnagnificcnce
this year, and tho mystic parades and
gorgeous spcctacles presented to the
public gaze, will be more imposing
than eyJr before. Mobile, Mother OF
Mystics, and New Orleans, Queen of
the Carnival, will DO. in their glory,
and no one should miss the graat OPP.
portunity offered TO witness tho great
pageant in either one Of these cities.
Monday, February II, and Tuesday.
February 18Th, will be the great days.
On account of these celebrations the
ticket agents of the Mobile and Ohio
road win sell tickets at ONE FARE tor
the round trip, eilhe" to Mobile or
New Orleans. At stations st. Louis
TO Cairo inclusive, agents will sell
tickets on February l1th to 18th inclu-
sive. good 10 return passage until
March l4th, 1895. Agents Wycliffe,
KY, TO Lockhart, Miss. will sell tick
OTIS on February H. Is. l6 and '17lh,
limiting tickets for return passage fif-
teen days from date of sale. Agents
Meridian TO Oak Grove inclusive will
sell tickets on February II, Is, i6. II
and 18th, good for return passage IF.
teen days from date OF sale. For par
ficulars call on agents Mobile and
Ohio railroad