davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-28

north, when he came down the next
morning, "what is the result OF your
Watching? Have you discovered tho
thief?"
II think l have, sir" was my reply.
"And is its it-Hart'ey" In
qnired the solicitor, anxiOusly.
"No, sir, it ia not Hartley" l said.
'Thank God for that!" calculated
the lawyer, fervently, as if the state.
ment OF the fact relieved him. "But
theI," Re asked, with some surprise,
.'who Is the culprit?
"Before tell you that" l replied,
"kindly SEQ how much you have been
robbed of during the night.
He went to his desk, counted over
the coins and said:
-Four pounds
"That makes in alp" l queried.
"Fifty-nine"
"Come with me Mr.. Bridgnorth," I
said. II should not be surprised it !
can put you in possession OF your
money!"
With a puzzled air the lawyer fol-
lowed me mp the stairs to the cupboard
have mentioned, the door of which
opened. A painel expression came
over the man's face rs he watched me.
"How strange!" he murmured, half
to himself, half to me. 81 have been
dreaming every night of the recess in
connection with these pilferings, and
the things inside it all seem familiar
to me, though l have never once seen
them before"
"Stoop down, sir, and feel in that
corner, I said.
He did AZ l bale, and drew out SOW
ereign after sovereign.
"Count them," said, when he had
got all that he could find.
"Fifty.nine!" he exclaimed. going
over the pieces one by one. ''The ex'
act amount OF my losses!"
"Just so," said; ''and now, if you
will come back to the office, I will tell
you who is the thief, before Hartley
comes down."
We returned to his room, and there
I informed h IN, to his intense aston
ishment, of Whist had witnessed. "Il
you will pardon the liberty, sir"
said, at the conclusion of the nara
tion, ~ should advise You to see {
doctor. You are evidently suffering
from some mental affection, which, j
neglected. may develop into disease,
the effect of which you cannot fore
see."
The lawyer acted on my suggestion
and called in q specialist, who ordered
him prolonged rest. A trying ant
complicated case in which he had beer
recently engaged had aprarentl.
proved too much for him, and brough
on this peculiar form OF brain trouble
When last I heard OF him he had re
turned seemingly quite restored; ant
Hartley. his confidential clerk, mar
ried to charming wife, was about t.
be taken into partnership with him.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-28
A Woman's Thrilling Ride.

Mrs. Gary Nicewonger, OF Stockton,
Cal., had an experience in runaway
recently which she will probably rever
forget. She was riding in her buggy
and was driving a spirited animal. At
the intersection of Ell Dorado and
North streets the horse shied at piece
OF paper on the street and turned the
corner so suddenly that the buggy
was overturned. The horse then dart.
ed westward on North street, while
Mrs. Nicewonger was cooped up in the
buggy top.
1t looked as though she would surely
be dragged to death, but a fortunate
circumstance occurred which probably
saved her life. The horse attempted
to turn into Commerce street, and in
10 doing threw the buggy up for few
minutes. The lady showed good pres
ence of mind, for as soon as she saw
her chance to escape from the predic-
ament she jumped from the vehicle
and was not hurt, although greatly
frightened. The horse was caught
after running down Commerce street
about q block. The buggy was q
wreck and the animal was considera-
bly, scratched.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-28
CARES SLAVE.
II was the budding May-time,

II was the budding May-time,
The white boughs overhead;
ooh, give to me some play-time,
Good Master Care" I said.
] saw his head begin to shake
"Not now; just wait and SEE
I'll glveto you aholiday
When paintings done," said he.
It was the growing summers.
How cool the woodlands shace3
Again an eager conner,
"Oh, give to-dayg I prayed.
Old Master Care his forehead kni'
"The grass Is ripe to NOV;
Work on till haying-ttme is past,
And then Ill let you CO."
1t was the glad September;
The maple leaves were red;
"Oh, Master Carei Remember,
You promised me-" said.
"And you will flnd," he answered me,
.I'll keep my promise true,
Aud you may sport when harvest's done
With nothing else to do"
Now winter winds are blowlng.-
(How weak feel and oldD
And, by the hearth bright glowing,
shiver with the cold.
And Care sits down beside me,
And counts up, one by one,
The task that have done amiss,
Or have left undonc;
While I, low muttering to myself,
Wish had laughed and sung,
Anl had my share OF honest joy
When was strong and young.
Marion Doulas, in harper's Bazaar.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-28
SCIEN NTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL.

ElectrIcIty runs Derry toe-.'f
shoe mill.
Compresaed air 10 to ba introdnnad
as motive power on the San Fran
cisco street oars.
The worlds population is said to
average 100 women to every 100 men,
while eight. ninths OF the sudden
deaths are Of males.
The tuberculin test was applied to
139 COWS the other day at dairies sup.
plying the northern part Of New York
City. It was found that twenty.
OF the animals had tuberculosis.
Lightning is zigzsg because. as it
condenses the air In the immediate ad-
vance of it's path it flies from side to
side in order to pass where there is
the least resistance to its progress.
The longest com mercial distance at
which tho long.distsnce telephone is
now operated is from Boston to st.
Louis, Q distance 1400 miles. This
line is more than twice as long rs any
European telephone line.
Spectroscope analysis has been ap.
piled in England to the determination
of the constituent elements in alloys
and their quantities. Tosts can thus
be applied to objects made of precious
metals, without the injury which would
result from chemical analysis.
The distinction among animals oi
recurring least sleep belongs to the
elephant. In spite Of its capacity for
hard work the elephant seldom, il ever,
sleeps more than four or, occasionally.
five hours. For two hours before mid
night, and again for two hours after
one O'Clock, these mis.born mountains
sleep.
A new illuminating gas made from
petroleum has been produced in Ger
many, it is asserted, can be supplied
of quality equal to the best existing
photometric standard at cost ot
tive nty.five cents thousand feet. The
generative plant is simple; one able to
keep ND hundred lights can be bull
for $3.50.
A member OF the Zurich Medical
Society recently exhibited self
registering clinical thermometer or
which there were no degree marks
The instrument could be left with thu
patients family to take the tempera
ture in the absence Of the physician
and the latter could then read it b.
means of an attachable scale of glas
or metal.
II the people on the star Sirius have
telescopes powerful enough to distin
guish objects on this planet, and ar
looking at it now, they are witnessing
the destruction OF Jerusalem, whiol
took place over 1900 years ago. o
course the reason OF this is that tn
light which the world reflects, travel
, ing, as it does, at the rate 1s6, 90
miles q second. would take eightee
. centuries to reach the nearest fixc
star. Such is the immensity of space
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-28
Tins and Downs.

A curious example of the vicissitudes
of fortune is that OF the late Mr.. Patti.
con, who recently died in Rockhamp-
ton, in Queensland. He was butcher.
who struck gold, became very rich,
went into politics, was made Postmss'
tel. General. lost his money and re-
turned to his butcher shop again, dy.
ing . poor man. .--Philadelphia Ledger,
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-28
A Swedish woman has found an in

A Swedish woman has found an in
fallible cure for obesity, she declares.
The uncomfortable and ungracefully
fat man or woman has only to begin
and turn somersaults, turn them early
and often and turn them late and keep
at 1t. In time it becomes a delightful
and exhilarating exercise, 1t Is claim
ed. The fat person gets the somer-
sault habit, as 1t were, and the waist
girth is reduced to slender and aesthet-
ic proportions. We publish the cure
without asking a cent for 1t.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-28
Boarding Houses for Plants.

''Boarding houses for plants" is q
continental idea which is declared to
be very successful. When house.
holder goes away in the autumn he
takes all his valuable plants and de-
posits them, at small charge, in the
care of p florist. He leaves home
secure in the knowledge that they viii!
receive proper attention during his
absence, and will be fresh and thriv-
ing to welcome him back again.
Pittsburg Dispatch.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-28
A Timely Rescue.


Herman Hutter and Charles Whit
man, of Mlssoula, armed with rifles
and accompanied by deerhound, one
day went up the Rattlesnake River in
quest Of game. They climbed the
mountains to the left OF the stream
and separated, taking opposite sides
of the ridge in hopes of bagging deer.
Whitman came down the Rattlesnake
side, and soon after separating from
his companion he slipped and fell,
sliding some 200 feet down the noun.
tain side. He vainly tried to stop
himself by digging into the snow with
his hands and clutching at brush and
saplings till, Just as he was about to
fall over the cliff into the Rattlesnake.
some forty feet below, he elasped u
.t.e.s sa,,line with one hand and was
left dangling in the air over the preci.
pice. By strong effort he got his
arm around the sapling, and, grasping
his wrist with the disengaged hand,
he awaited his inevitable fall. The
dog, seeing his master slip, followed
him to the edge OF the cliff and whined
piteously. Suddenly he dashed of
over the hill and disappeared. When
nearly exhausted Whitman heard his
companion, Hutter, above him, com.
ing to his assistance. He gathered
renewed courage and held on desper.
ately till Hutter came and rescued
him. Hutter says that the dog came
up to him and seized hold of his cloth.
ing, whining. He turned upon him
and the dog ran of. Repeating the
strange maneuvre, Hutter suspected
that something was wrong and tol.
lowed the dog to Whitman's rescue. -
Helena Mon Independent.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-28

Professor Liversidge, Of the Sydney
(Australia) University, has made
chemical experiments which; he says
show that there Are over 100, 900, OOt
tons of gold dissolved in the ocesr
water OF the world, il the rate OF on'
grain per ton. which he fourd on th'
Australian coast.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-28
zo

Strathearn tells how he wandered on
to the desert in search OF gold and ex.
plains how he got lost and gave up
hope. He says:
Finding that l was lost was about
to give up. Coming to q large bush l
dug u big hole in the sand with my
hands and put my head and shoulders
we'll in the shade. intended remain
ing there until the cool OF the day,
but when the sun got higher was
fairly roasted out. 1t was terrific.
Ny mouth and throat we're all dried
up. I went on, still thinking the next
turn would disclose st. Elmo. Finally
l sank down and, having one piece c t
paper, intended to write the names
OF friends, but I was so exhausted |
could not make the exertion. went
to sleep and had visions of walters
rushing about with trays of cooling
drinks and food. Occasionally l would
be aroused by the sound of voices and
wheels, but would only find that it was
dream.
For two days 1 went through this
torment. Finally I gave up all hope.
For hours 1 lay in agony, dreaming Of
water. l imagined that / could see
running streams all about me, and 1
tried to reach them. Every time l
found that was mistaken.
At last saw teamea and two men,
but l said to myself that it was only
a dream. The men were afraid of me
because / was so wild. Finally one
man came near me and placed cup OF
water on the ground where l could
reach it. l crawIed to it and drank it
down. did not have meal for three
days and had not touched water for
twenty. four hours. My rescuers
opened q can Of tomatoes and l was
fed. ! was Just like q wild man and
my unknown friends kept safe dis.
tance from me until they saw that I
was quieting down. Then they came
up and gave me assistance. I was
taken into Mojsve more dead than
alive, and there was cared for until
I recovered. The men to whom l owe
nv life are Thomas j. Hughes and
William Silva, of Bakersfield. 1t is a
terrible experience to be lost in the
desert without food or water, with
the sun torturlng you at every step.
There is no escape from the heat and
the awful thirst that comes over a
person drives him mad.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-28
Lost on the Desert.

William Strathearn, q well-known
resident OF Oakland, CAL. left his
homo recently in order to search for
gold on the Mojave desert. He has
had q bitter experience and has given
up the idea of securing riches in such
. dangerous place. StrAthearn was
lost on the desert and was nearly dead
when he was discovered by two travel.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-28
Almost Fatal.

"How did old HOpley receive your
proposition for his daughters hand?"
"Well, I'm no doctor, but he had
something and had it bad. What ever
kept him from flying into a shower Of
lnfinitesimal pieces, or how | ever got
over that back fence alive, will always
be among the deepest mysteries Of my
experience"
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-28

The paradox of the Mays, accord
Ing to the present knowledge OF them,
Is that they will penetrate almost ev-
cry part Of the living but the liver. :.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-28
THE MIDNIGHT WATCH.

I was during the
time of my con-
nection with the
Blan k b borough
police force that
the incident re-
lated in the fol-
lowing lines CO.
Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-11-28

Schools for teaching boys and girls
to swim are to be established in vari.
ous portions Of the United States.
Competent instructors will be en-.
ployed, and the pupils will be divided
into classes, just - in the public
schools. The first experiment 10 to
take place i0 New York. 1t will be in
charge of Frederick C. Wilson and
John W. Miller. Mr.. Wilson is New
York's best known amateur life saver.
having saved thirty-two lives within a
few years. The proposed school,
while public in every sense OF the
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-07-28
euNPowDER IN EARLY DAYS
Was Possibly Used In Warfare Before the
Beginning of History,


People outside of military life who
have no connection with the making OF
gunpowder know it only as q coarse,
black powder like black sand, which
will flash off with loud report if shut
up in q case of any kind, and set on fire.
1t is very queer mixture, made up of
three simple and well-known sub
stances, no one of which will explode,
although two will burn, says Lieut..
John NJ. Ellicott in ST. Nicholas. Nobody
knows when or how it was discovered,
for as far back into the dark ages as
records or tradition will carry us, we
find that gunpowder, though not used
for guns, was known. 1t was, no doubt,
looked upon with awe and fear by the
ancients on account Of its flame, its
noise, and It's rending force; but their
limited mechanical skill could suggest
very little use for 1t.
Possibly it was used in warfare long
before the beginning of history; but the
first man in historical times to form an
idea of the terrible destruction which
this awful, bursting, fiery substance
might produce was an English monk
named Roger Bacon. Monks, in his
day, We're the chemists, scholars and
writer's of the world; and this Roger
Bacon Travelled and studied much, and
made continual experiments in his
laboratory to prove for himself and to
develop what he learned from others,
He probably saw gunpowder among
the Moors in Spain, and tried for him
self Its explosive effect. Then he wrote
of its composition in the year 1907, and
IN his writing suggested that 1t could
be used in engines of war to deal death
and destruction to armies Of men.
Soon after Roger Bacon's time his
suggestions were taken up and guns
were constructed first by binding Iron
bars together with hoops to form q
tube, then by casting tube out Of
brass, with one end closed. Stones OF
suitable size were selected as shot, and
the powder had to be Carried around
in chests or barrels and shoveled into
the muzzles of the guns, the stones be-
ing rolled in after it. In spite of these
drawbacks very large guns were built,
for there was one used by Mahomet II.
against the Greeks at the siege Of Con-
stantinople in 1853 which threw stone
weighing 600 pounds distance Of one
mile.
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-07-28
the foot of the flagstaff.
Jason was among them.

Jason was among them. y
"Why,where's the flag, friend Jason p"
suddenly asked one.
The tory looked up, and seemed to
fall back as he discovered that the pole
was no longer adorned with the flag he
had raised.
"Gone! gone!" he exclaimed, stagger-
ing back. ut was there at shutdown. I
saw it floating in the last rays of tho
sun. but-gene! gone! The flag /
raisedl"
obed dropped to the ground, and
moved noisesslessly toward the end of
Jason's garden. g
There We're confusion and loud voices
behind him, but these only quickened
his gait.
1T has been stolen by the rebelsl"
cried the owner Of Sargent house. "I
am disgraced man if they are perm1u-
ted to escape with it. The men of the
Mohawk valley have captured the kings
flag, and they will carry it in triumph
to the rebel army If we do not overtake
them. They may be in hiding with it
somewhere, and we must surround the
premises"
At this moment little figure scaled
the fence and darted off like deer.
Obed, clutching the captured prize,
ran through the shadows, as he never
ran before, and, knowing the country,
ne made his way across Jason's farm,
nor stopped till he came back to the
little house. on the rise,
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-07-28
Farm Lands for Sale.

One farm consisting of 200 acres.
This is situated on the north bank of
the Upper Iowa, u miles from Ches-
ter. Buildings are all modern and
commodious, consisting of an elegant
frame dwelling house erected last
season at a cost of $2250: one barn AZ
x30 feet, with s0ft. posts and base
ment; one barn 56y32 feet; and all
other farm convenien,ses including a
wonderful artesian we'll which sends
forth cool, clear water with force and
volume sufficient for min power
any other purpose to which it may be
applied.
i have also several other lands for
sale including one forty acre farm in
Chester township; one quarter section
of improved land in 5nratoga two
farms in jamestown, one in Oak Dale
and several city lots in Cresco.
For information call ut my law Of
flee or address JOHN NJ. CANNON,
sGff Cresco, Iowa.
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-07-28
his ar1ns.'

rebel in North America had laid down
his arms"
1--WE shall see about that, Master Sar-'
gent" said Obed in a whisper. That's
a prophecy which may not hold good
till morning. The worst little rebel in,
the Mohawk valley may bring your
boast to naught."
AS the merriment of the party inside
grew more boisterous, the boy glided
to the pole and looked up.
Nimble of foot and good climber, he
looked at the house with the curtains
well down and the long veranda de-
serted and still.
In another moment Obed Mason was
climbing toward the British ensign, and
hand over hand he pushed his way up
ward, now and then casting u look to
the ground, as if he expected to see the
front door of the old-fashioned house
fly open and disclose the boastful guar
dian of the flag.
But fortune seemed to favor the boy
rebel OF the Mohawk. for at last, wrap
ping his legs about the pole above the
roof of the house he found that he could
reach the flag.
AS yet the only sound that came to
him was the noises made by the revel-
ers; and this pleased him, for he felt
that as long us they kept up in Jason's
parlor he was safe.
Obed took out his knife, sharpened
that afternoon for the occasion, and be-
gan to cut the flag loose.
He lalew that one of Jason's young
friends had nailed it to the pole, and he
soon discovered that it had been put
there to stay till, as Jason had boosted,
l''every rebel in North America had laid
down his arms"
Minutes seemd hours to the imperiled
boy, as lie worked at the stubborn prize,
land once he stopped, for the front door
Iopened and some one came out.
Mother, patriot though she is,
wouldn't quite approve of my work" he
thought to himself. "She has wished
that the flag might vanish, but she
would never think Of sending me upon a
mission of this kind. There's surprise
in store for her If can only get this
flag, and will have it if the tories be-
low keep up their revel little longer"
AT length the last bit of bunting
yielded to Obed's knife and hands, and
he drew the flag over his shoulder.
Presently he began to descend, and
drew q breath of keen relief when he
stood on the ground with the prize in
his possession.
He glanced once more at the house.
The loud talk and laughter still contin-
ued, and just as he stepped toward the
garden, through which he had crept to
the spot, he heard some one say:
Gentlemen, why not go out and sa-
Lutte the kings flag? We are all loyal 10
King George. and friend Jason has de-
fed the whole Mohawk valley by keep
ing atloat in the face of our enemies the
banner of England"
salute! salute!" chorused Jason's
guests.
And the next instant there was q
rush for the door, and it opened to lie. a
flood of light upon the porch.
Standing in the shadow of the garden
fence, with the captured flag wrapped
around his nimble body, was the young
rebel OF the Mohawk, breathless and ex-
cited.
He saw the tory's friends swarm from
the house and arrange themselves about
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-07-28

Once more he slipped back to the at
tic over the sloping roof and hid the flag
under the cot, after which he threw him
self upon the bed and fell asleep.
Perhaps the fearless little patriot of
the Mohawk dreamed of capturing
more flags that night, but in the early
morning he heard the voice of his
mother at the ladder.
Come, obed, wake up and look at
Jason Sargent's flagstaff" she called to
him. "The British flag isn't there any
longer. Can 1t be that the old troy has
turned rebel himself?'
Not quite that good, mother. Didn't
I tell you that some night neighbor
Sargent would lose his fag?"
What was the patriot mothers sur
prise when she saw, descending the lid
der, her boy with the British flag over
his shoulders.
"You, Obed?' she said "They will
ransaclS the district, but what they re-
cover the flag"
We'll see about that. It's our secret,
mother, and We'll keep it, won't WEI"
Jason Sargent and his friends did
"ransacl1 the district" but they were
not shrewd enough to find the captured
flag, for they did not suspect Obed
Mason of the heoric deed, and not until
after the war did the tory learn that
the boy had lowered the obnoxious flag,
and then he was powerless to punish.
For many years the trophy remained
in the Mason family, and obed grew to
manhood known as "the little rebel of
the Mohawk" u title of which he was
proud.-Golden DAYS.
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-07-28
I Will Always Keep it in my House,
Stanton, Ia.

Salt Lake City, July 22.-The Butte
Inter Mountain, al evening republi-
can paper owned by Senator Lee
Mantle, has come out in an editorial
supporting Bryan and Sewell, and
declaring it cannot support the ma
tional republican ticket because of
Its opposition to silver.