davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The morning times., 1896-02-02
THE PEDDLER.

Antiquity of His Calling Obscured by
a Name.
The antiquity and universally of the ped
dler's calling has been obscu red by name
given him in days when that calling had lost
much of its importance, name whose ety.
mology, though stiil uncertain, unduly
specifies or belittIes it, says MacMilan's
Magazine. Modern philoIogy dismisses
with a smile Johnsons explanation of
contraction from ''petty dealer or the
more picturesque derivation from ''pied
poufdreux," and observes that the word
came probably with Danes or Norsemen
into England, and had its origin in the bed
or panier in which fish were brought TO
market in Norfolk, while the peddir (peo.
dlcr) of Lowiand Scotch is equally of Scan
dinavian origin. Peddar (spelled peod-
,;arel is found in the general sense of a
small hawker in the Ancren Riwle, that is,
before 1897, and pedlcr, or pedlar, is prob
ably formed from peddle, an unrecorded di.
minutive of ped But the point to observe
is that all these derivations, right or wrong,
either unduly narrow his calling or empha.
sizes it's hardship and insignificance. He
is lowered with a name that unfairly de.
preciates him at the outset.
Nor has the historian been more kind to
him: as historian, indeed, it was generally
out .: lis power. Historyhas not been slow
to recognize the Importance of trade in the
development of nations, and to show how
the peaceful operations of commerce are
often tic precursors of military conquest
The morning times., 1896-02-02

making preparations for defense is con-
cerned. The prestige of the revolution
was possibly thought to be a barrier which
even British prowess could not burn away;
and. although Mr.. Madison was opposed 10
war at the beginning he still feared no foe
There were councils OF state at the White
House and the invincibility OF the nation
was talked of on the street corners, not
very many street corners by the way. be-
cause the streets in those days did not in
tersect each other at right angles. but.
for the most part. followed the trail of
the COWS, sheep and goats as they went
out in the morning and came home in the
evening across the commons and barrens OF
this now asphalted vicinity. The sheep
even in those days made their own roads
without shepherd. Alexander r.. had
not then been born.
But there were few coffee-houses up
about the present location OF Willard s
Hotel and on + street near the Globe Hotel,
and it was principally in those places that
I'VE" determined to paralyZe anything that
came within fifty miles of CapitolIiill. War
talk was rampant while the lion was
couchant.
While all this was going on, very much
as 1t is at present, for truly history repeats
itself, the British government was preparing
a vigorous campaign against Washington
itself in order that the first successful blow
would be a humiliation OF the whole nation.
Wellington had some troops to spare after
the campaign in the peninsula, and four
thousand OF them were put on board of a
fleet in command OF Admiral Cockburn.
The soldiers were under command of Gen.
Ross. Admiral Cockburn sailed for the
Chesapeake and arrived there in the early
The morning times., 1896-02-02

locks This was too muclr>for Gen. Ross
and he decamped, forgetting the Patent
Office and the wounded. who had been
left in an emergency hospital on Capitol
Hill. When the army had gone some citi.
zens with the temerity born of curiosity
went up on Capitol Hill and captured all
the wounded British Gen. Ross next tried
Baltimore, but that city was by that time
well defended and his expedition was a
failure.
GOV. WiDder had acted promptly and wei.
The soldiers of Ross went home and look
part IN the battle of Waterloo.
The fact that Washington was captured
by land forces does not impair the suppo-
sition that it could now be burned by an
English fleet. A she'll from Alexandria
could blow the quarters of the Venezuelan
commission into the next block and piece
of the monument might precede shell into
the woods miles and miles beyond the
heights of Georgetown" Another one
put out all the incandescent lights in Eek
ington, and the Imagination can revel in
what the possibilities would be.
Where would Senator Stewards castle
be? OF what avail would ten squads of
the police and Secretary Thurber be to
save the man of destiny and ducks? In
fact. of what avail would anything be, even
il the gallant old captain OF the Charles
Manchester stood on the burning deck and
waved defiance at the storm OF shot and
shell, as Ajax once defied the lightning?
Truly. the moral Of this story is to build
ships. then build ships anu then build more
ships. Build forts along the Potomac and
fill them with guns that can bore holes in
the armor plate OF the battleships Of the
land OF Lord Salisbury and the Chevalier
pa ard
The morning times., 1896-02-02

part of August, As the capture of Wash
inytOn was to be executed by land army
and not by the fleet proper. the admiral
sailed up the Chesapeake TO the Patuxent
as far as Benedict. There the soldiers
were disembarked and they marched by
forced marches TO Bladensburg. There was
then a universal cry for Gen. Jackson. the
heroes of Lundy's Lane or anybody else,
but while they called spirits they did not
come After some amusing skirrnishes.
the Bloody British" as they universally
termed the invading army marched down
the turnpike and entered the city some
where near Fifteenth and H streets north
east There was then a general sauve qui
peut. Our forefathers and foremothers fled
in every direction. and principally in the
other direction. over into the mother Of
States. where the nobility and gallaniry OF
the white brother was an object lesson 10
the remnants of the four great Indian tribes
The British Immediately set fire to allthe
public buildings. The Capitol was burned
the White House was burned and worst of
all the public library was burned. an ir-
reparable loss 10 the nation. For some
unknown reason the vaDdals spared the
Patent Office and were about TO make ashes
even of that on 1.-THE following day" when
a tornado struck the city. II was so violent
! that 1t blew down the houses which the
British bad not burned and scared the
British themselves. After the storm il
was reported at the coffee houses that there
was tremendous army gathering on the
heights of Georgetown" The British
too stock in these veracious chronicles OF
the beginning of the century cafes and dairy
lunches. 1t was also reported that there
was an immense army coming up from the
South loaded with free silver and flint
The morning times., 1896-02-02
On an Ice FlOe.

stare them in the face. On the morning of
the fourth day Il walrus climbed upon
an end of the floe several hundred feet
distant from where the boys had spent the
night.
Seeing the huge, clumsy brute pull
himself on the ice for a sleep, they watched
him with an eagerness made all the more
keen from the fact that it meant life or
death to them. Their sufferings from
thirst had already swollen their tongues
so greatly as TO render speech difficult.
After having surveyed the field 10 his
saiisfa ction this walrus lay down and
was soon soundly sleeping. With stealthy
steps the Indians now approached, and.
the wind being in their favor, they sue
ceeded in killing the animal before he
could awaken and scramble off the ice.
They first gorged themselves with the blood,
1t being the first article of drink they
had had in nearly four days. During all
the time they were on the floe they SUBJ
sisted entirely upon this walrus.
On the fifth day they saw Ian dagain, and
upon approaching closer to it it proved to
be Nunivak Island, 500 miles south of
where they had started from. They drifted
to within a few miles of shore, and were GER
tain of rescue, when they came in the path
of other winds, and their direction was
changed to a westerly one. Slowly the
land passed out of sight, and when next
1t was seen they had drifted aud been blown
entirely across Bering Sea and were nearing
the coast of Siberia. To this shore line
they approached to within about the same
distance as they did at Nuuivak Island, but
again contrary winds were encountered
and they started east again. Their meat
by this time was almost exhausted and they
had for days suffered indescribably from
thirst.
They never knew how many days it took
in crossing Bering Sea the second time,
as before they were rescued they had be-
The morning times., 1896-02-02
In the Sahara i.

Tartarin narrated his latest exploits in
the desert: '"' l was sinking deeper
and deeper into the sand, and owe my
preservation solely to the fact of my be-
ing prematurely and completely bald"
You are jesting."
Not at all. The sun was shining fiercely,
I strong wind was blowing at the time, the
,nl driftcd about my feet and rose grad
ally higher until it reached my chest-in
Eort. there was stin nothing to be seen OF
ne above the sand but slight elevation,
rs round as an egg-that was my skull.
IN ostrich, happening to pass that way,
osely pursued by hunters, came and
qua;ted on my head. 1t was beginning to
aich me when its pursuers came to my
rescue" lie Fanfare.
The morning times., 1896-02-02

started from Waterville aud laid out to
a given point in deep water. The sec
ond section was laid from Canso, on the
American side, also into deep water, after
which the 1.50O intervening miles were
laid and all three spliced together. Under
ordinary conditions seven nautical miles
an hour can be laid.
But the laying of n cable is as nothing
to the difficulty experienced in repairing
IT, especially If the work has TO be done
during rough weather, when the sea runs
mountains high and the gales continually
blow the ship away from the scene of
operations. Sometimes the cable is found
buried in sand several thousand fathoms
from The surface of the water. When it
is only a flaw and the strands themselves
are whole, the task Of repairing it is slight;
but when the cable has actually parted and
both ends have 10 be fond and again
spliced together. it is sometimes a work
of several months.
The morning times., 1896-02-02
ODD MIXTURE OF RACES.
Bait imore's Colony of Germa n-1rish-
men Creates Some Curiosity.
PhilndelDhta Record

Many people have been surprised to learn
that there are in Baltimore German-IrisA-
men-that is, persons descended from Ger
man parents in Ireland. Such Irishmen OF
German origin are however, also to be found
else ewhere. Thus, for instance, Bishop
Thomas Bonacum, OF Omaha, is an Irish
man of German descent. To illustrate the
reason for this, the folio wing facts might
be OF service: In the year 1903 a great
number OF Palatines were induced to emil
crate, partly on account of the distress con-
seQuent to the French war, but more SO on
account Of the glowing accounts from the
first German immigrants to Pennsylvania.
They came in great numbers to Rotterdam,
depending for assistance on England, whence
already in 170S a great number OF Pala
tines had been transported to New York.
They came, however, in too great numbers,
and there were no vessels to convey them
from Rotterdam to London. For
some time they were cared for in the for.
mer city, but when this proved too great
a burden England had them transported
to London, where they were housed and
properly cared for.
But on the 1st OF June the number had
grown to 10000 in consequence OF which
England caused publication to be made
in Holland on June "a, 1903, that no new
immigrants would be thencefOrth received.
Nevertheless, until October, 1903, some
1000 more crossed over. The expense OF
supporting these Germans at Greenwich
camp" near London, was betrayed by large
collections through a committee, to which
the highest persons in the realm belonged.
Queen Anne gave $500 daily. But even for
wealthy England this burden soon become
too great; therefore efforts were made to
send these people to America, and many Of
them went to Schoharie, in New York.
Many of them died, but there stil remained
a large number, so that $500 Palatines
were sent TO Ireland, where they settled
in the county OF Limerick, making splendid
progress as skillful farmers and mechanics,
such as lipen weavers.
The morning times., 1896-02-02

mat the Alexandria herring fleet could
run the gauntlet of Fort Washington and
not lose man or fish in the feat.
Fortress Monroe is about twenty miles
from the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. and is
also depository for some of the old guns
Of the war of the Revolution. of 1912, and
of the late war.
Passing up the Chesapeake the invading
fleet would be obliged to come within ten
or twelve miles of this fine old fortress
but there would be more safety for the fort
If II die not make its presence known than
II II were 10 open fire on the warships of
John Rull. There are no guns in the navy
or III the field i'll this country that would
materially hurt the fleet, except perhaps.
the l3-inch guns. which. as shown, would
be in use elsewhere.
1t has been imagined that il would be
possible to prevent the entrance of the
fleet of any nation ny the use of the tor
pelo. an argument which has been used to
give the country feeling of safety with
regard TO New York and the other coast
cities. This theory las, however. been
long ago exploded, TO use an appropriate
term.
The modern commanders OF all first-class
or second-class naval powers are not una
ware of the supposed omnipotence of the
torpedo. and as is now well known, there
are devices to meet the sunken Gordon OF
torpedoes. and which, like the torpedo
boat-catchefs. make the torpedo a thing to
hoist the enemy with his own petard."
Torpedo search boats and torpedo de-
stroyers of all descriptions are as much the
necessary accompaniment of naval expe-
ditions as the batteries of the warships.
That mode OF defense, in the light OF bet
ter inventions, can be eliminated TO a
The morning times., 1896-02-02

very large degree as an obstacle To the
progress of a fleet.
When one considers all these things. ii is
apt to occur to all hat there is something
radically wrong with our coast defenses, and,
as there is no place like home, Washing
tonians are very likely To think of their
own safety first in war or rumor of
war.
The map of the route from the Atlantic
to Washington is reproduced above so that
an object lesson may be studied OF the
easiest manner in which the capital of the
nation is accessible to any enemy. Land
batteries would be of no avail, and all
the troops OF the country massed on the
banks of the Potomac would be OF as little
avail against an army fighting beb ind
armor plate impenetrable by the biggest
guns OF our navy
The map does not show the fact that the
least depth of water from the capes at the
mouth of the bay to Washington is three
and half fatboms, which will float many
of the finest of the vessels of the Eng
Iish navy. As high as Alexandria there is
thirty feet of water For all practical
purposes the coast is clear and the river
is brS ad and deep all the way to within
gunshot of the capital.
1t is not, therefore, a theory that con-
fronts the people of Washington, but a
dismal condition. All the armies in the
country concentrated about the city, and
in it. would not prevent the bombardmeDt
of Washington by fleet, even if il could
not land its marines. In less than forty
eight hours We would have the Capitol
tumbfiDg about the heads of such of the
members VINO would try conclusions with
the foe. about whose pacific bearing SO
much has lately been written, after the
The morning times., 1896-02-02
How Ocean Cables
Are Made and Laid.
Donahoe's Magazine.

word about the composition of a sub
marine cable may not be out of place.
The cable consists first of a core com
prising the conductor made of a strand
ing of gutta percha or India rubber to pre-
vent leakage of the electric current. Out
side of this layer OF tanned iute yarn
This protects the gutta percha or rubber
from the sheathing of steel wires which
is the next covering, and which varies ac-
cordiDg to the depth of water in which the
cable is to be laid. Outside of this again is
a combination of jute yarn and a btu
minous mixture. This is applied in :,
melted condition from a spout as the cable
is passed underneath. During the time the
cable is being manufactured and laid cleo
perfection.
The finished cable is then kept cooled
in large circular iron tanks under water.
Similar tanks are in the cable ship, and
when at sea the lengths are paid on over
a large pulley at the stern. The speed is
regulated by several retarding wheels
and brake wheel, over and under which
the cable has to pass. The strain TO
which it is subjected at any given n
ment is indicated by dynamometer.
When all the cable has been paid uu,
The end is carefully sealed up and at
Iached to a stout rope. This is Iowcrc,,
10 the bottom OF the sea, and the other
end of the rope is attached to buox
which is 10 mark the end of the cable,
which is usually laid in three sccti,,n..
The last to be laid, for Instance, was
The morning times., 1896-02-02

fashion of the man who whistIed airs from
acomic opera to keep up his courage. Maybe
there will be no war, and maybe there will.
but 1t is beyond a peradventure that
Washington is about the most exposed
port in the country.
Armies massed in Washington would
be of no service except as additional tar
gets to vessels safely riding at anchor
opposite the ancient city or Alexandria
and exploding shell after shell from the
wharf-front, far beyond Chevy Chase. The
only escape from the consequences would
be, after the fashion of the great Russian
victory OF Moscow. when the patriotic
Inhabitants burned their own city to
keep it from falling into the hands of
the man at their doors, with his open
mouthed artillery.
The experience of two wars has taught
the great lesson that Washington is an
objective point of attack. There was a
time not very long ago when the enemy
was not far from the west end of the
Aqueduct Bridge. and there is a tradition,
at least. that it was by an oversight that
that enemy did not walk leisurely into the
city and loot the Treasury. 1t is a huinili-
ating thing TO confess. but there is more
danger today TO Washington via the Chesa-
peake Bay and the Potomac River than
there ever was in all its history.
Nothing could be more interesting at this
time than a brief account of the downfall
OF the capital in August. 1914. Napoleon
had abdicated and had been banished TO
st. Elba and The British were thus enabled
to turn their attention exclusively to Ameri-
ca.
Mr.. Madison was in the White House and
was exhibiting some of that mastery in
activity, which is current history SO far as
The morning times., 1896-02-02
To Asia and Back
Alaska News.

From gentleman who recently arrived
in Juneau from the far north we learn an
almost incredible tale OF suffering and
endurance experienced by Two Indian boys
reIator has been to Siberia 'on the revenue
cutter Bear and had returned to Alaska
with cargo OF reindeer. They We're
deposited at the Teller reindeer station.
whore he also went ashore. Here-a slcdgc
and team of dogs were hired and a journey
overland to Point Barrow was begun.
AT the latter point the ice was found 10
be glare and perfectly solid, so he con-
tlnued his journey across Bering Straits
as far as the Big Diomed Island. This ISL
and is the home of quite large tribe of
Indians, whose subsistence is derived al
most entirely from the sea. During the
winter season they frequently travel many
miles from their home in their sealing ex-
petitions, but never except when the wind
is from the north. Should the wind shift
its direction the ice is quite liable to break
up in huge floes. to he carried here and there
by every current IL strikes until its final
disintcgratioD is complete.
In the time that was spent on Dioned
Islaud two young Indians went cut sealing
and before any seals were seen they had
Travelled over ten miles from their home.
In the meantime the ice, which had been in
a rotten condition for several days, broke
into several huge fields, and when the
Indians came to realization of their
position they were drifting out into Bcripg
Seas braod eXpanse, with the land slowly
fading from view. On the first, second and
third days nothing occurred to vary the
monotony. Their little snack of grub had
disappeared, and starvation seemed to
The morning times., 1896-02-02

come delirious and death would have been
welcome. A friendly breeze finally blew
their ice cake, now greatly reduced in size,
ashore at the mouth of the Kuskoquim,
landing it SO gently on the sand bars that
the huge mass never broke. When the
tide passed out they were taken ashore by
a half-breed trader, who has store in that
vicinity, and were cared for until restored
to health, and then were sent back to their
homes. They floated about on the ice
exactly three weeks. during which time they
Travelled nearly 2 900 miles.
The morning times., 1896-02-02

or at has, Of political dominion. But his.
tory does not go back far enough. When
thu historian speaks of trade he conceives
OF It Ii :: large scale, as an affair of ships
and caravans, and neglects its humble ORR
gin il ttf periodic fair and the itineraDt
peG,lier.
The morning times., 1896-02-02
ROOM FOR THE SLEEVES.
Not Hard to Make 1t In the Street
Cars IL Ladies' Know How.
Chicago Record


Among the street car men the North State
street trolley line is known as the ladies
line" Its feminine patronage includes
many prominent society women. and il is
said that dressnakers are fond Of riding
in its cars because the costumes of the
women passengers represent all that is in
the height of fashion. This,is why soap
bubble sleeves and balloon shoulders are
seen in their greatest development OH the
North State street cars.
The other morning one side of a car was
comfortably filled with men. The other
side was entirely occupied by five women,
who were evenly spaced along the seat.
The width of their sleeves guaged their
arms bent and hands in her lap there was
no lost space. The men. an even dozen of
them, wondered what would occur if more
wide sleeves should happen In.
At Superior street three women entered
the car. The men glanced at the five
seated women. figured out mentally that
there was room for four more, and sat STILL
The three women stalked down the aisle
and surveyed the five women with inquiring
eyes. The five women grasped the stua-
tion, and, as one woman, they swung around
in their places SO that each sat edgewise
on the seat, facing forward.
This opened space for the three standing
women, who sighed their Thanks edged
carefully In, and eight left-arm sleeves
formed a cheyaux de frise behind which
eight women were comfortably and amlca.
bly, fortified, and not q sleeve was crumpleC.
The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-02-25
INVENTORY OF LIVE STOCK, FARM
ING IMPLEMENTS. ETC.

Eight horses, mules, 30 cows, bulls,
z heifers, 50 hogs, % shoats, l threshing
machine and engine, 1 grain binder and
reaper, 1 corn cutter, 1 corn shelter, 2
corn planters, land roller, seed drills,
3 spring harrows, wind mill, side hill
plow, s plows, potato plows, shovel
follows. 4 eultivators, q new) moving
machines, 2 hay Takes, heavy waa lns,
"a carts, / hospital ambulance, sp< l1g
wagons, two-seated carriage, bues Il,
s heavy bob-sleighs, 1 thEes-seated sieI z,
a two-seSted sleigh, / single slefgh,0
truck sleigh.
gACOB DAY, Pres,
WILLIAM DERR,
NfDRI DIETRICH,
Directors Of the Poor.
WILMINGTON HARrALArJ, Steward.
AttesH JOHN r. GR0saAftG, Clerk.
BehNythii couAty AlmshouIp, schuya-
lAiA HeSsa r. o.. PennA.s Jan. 9Th, 1894
The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-02-25

of liabilities. ....,.. IS 251,2I1 21
CHARLES r. ALLEN,
FRANK RENTZ,
JOHN MARTIN,
County Commissioners
Attest: PHIL ]. CONNELL, Clerk.
Pottsville, jan 81, 1896.
EXPENDITURES OF THE DIREC-
HOUSE OF EMPLOYMENT FOR THE
YEAR ENDING JAN. g. 1886:
The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-02-25
PENDITURES.

STATEMENT OF E.