davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-09-28

For West Virginia. showers and cooler;
northCrly winds.
For Western Pennsylvania and Ohio
showera. followed by clearing weather:
cooler: light TO fresh northorly winds.
Local Temperature.
Tho temperature Saturday MS observed
by c. Schnepf, druggist. corner Four
teenth and Market streets, was MS fol-
lnWH.
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07
Searching for u Bride.

German papers tell an interesting
story regarding the young king OF Ser
Was recent vain trip in search of a
bride, His majesty had taken Il into
his head that he would like to marry
Princess Maria, daughter of the king Of
Greece. The Scyyian minister in
Athens proposed the marriage 10 the
Greek rulers, and received an cvasivo
answer. The minister was encouraged,
however, and telcgraphed The king TO
proceed to Athens, The young Grand
Duke Alexander Michacloyltch, how,
ever, had long been in love with the
Princess Maria, and when he learned
of the projects OF the Scryian monarch
he pressed his suit so hard that when
the young king arrived in Athens the
engagement with the Russian had al
ready been announced, The unhappy
diplcmat will suffer for his blunder,
and las already been recalled from his
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07

open Thy Lattice, Love" and was
published in Baltimore. A few months
afterward odd Folks at Home" his
greatest success. made its appearance.
II was not much of a success at first,
until one Thomas McNally. foreseeing
its popularity. paid Foster $500 To- first
produce it on the minstrel stage. T.
then spread like wildfrc through tho
south, and was soon on the lips OF
every slave, to whom ii especially ap-
pealed.
A complete record of Fosters songs
has never been kept. but 1t Is es-
timated that $50 of his writings became
popular. The majority Of these were
campaign songs, written at the out
break of the war. The more familiar
compositions included odd Dog Tray
"Old Kentucky Home" 20, Lemuol,"
open Thy Lattice. Love" way
Down south Way Down Upon the
Suwanee Ribber," 80, Susanna, Don;
You Cry For Me-" Hard Times Come
Again No More" "Massa's in Cold.
Cold. Ground etc. With the exception
OF perhaps ten over the above list. the
remainder have sunk into oblivion,
like their author.
Writing songs was TO Foster as EASY
as swinging the AK to the back woods
man. Given a timsy theme, he would
produce a composition in an incred;.
bly, short time. His songs possessed
decided originality and much musical
merit, They were written in most
cases at random, and just as the mood
came upon him. He would dash off an
air, then wedge in the words TO fit,
often spending more time in finding a
single needed word, than on the en-
tire piece.
Morrison Foster, a brother of the
composer, now a Pittsburg business
man, tells Of a day when his brother
entered his Office.
He came TO me one day in %pcrplcX-
ity. Said he 4 want the name of a
river in the United States containin.
two sylla5lcs.' | suggested Peedree.
Ia2oo. and several other outlandish
names. but none of them would do.
Finally. ! got down an old map Of the
United States. and as my fingers wan
dered over the state Of Florida. they
stopped on the line which marks tho
course of the Suwancc. That will do
said stephen. as he left my Office. |
thought nothing more of the matter
until several weeks later. when / dis
covered that my brother had writtcn
a song about the name and given /,
to the world, Old Folks at Home"
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07

N so of slumber under the sod. Patti,
Nilsson, and other great singers of the
day have achieved signal triumph in
their rendition of Fosters compost
lions. 'Suwanee Rubber" has been
translated into twelve different Ian
Suages, and 1t ~plaintive tune is known
nearly all over Europe. 1t was re-
emily played at Johannesburg. South
Africa, At a concert given there. This
shows the popularity of some OF his
songs.
Foster was "A Pittsburger, born and
bred, having first seen the light Of day
IN July 1, 1926, in the old Foster man
sion at Law~renceville, now a suburb OF
Pittsburg, once owned by his illustri-
GUS grandfather, william Barclay
Foster. The latter was one of the
founders Of Pittsburg, the son of a SOL
Her in the revolution, an officer in the
Cfhe birth place of Foster 10 tho left.)
Mexican war, and prominent in the
License of New Orleans under Gen.
Andrew Jackson, He gave his estates
Tor the defense Of the Crescent Civ
and the Northwest against the British.
ana was never fully repaid the deb,
by the United States.
Foster vas sont to school at To-
wanda, Pa. mt the age of thirteen. and
soon afterward to Athens, Ohio. Al
both places he gained the reputation
OF being one of the Quictest and most
modest boys in the school. His friends
IN Pittsburg today remember him
a gentle as IA woman He finished
his education at Jefferson College,
t~annonsburS, Pa, which college James
Il, Blaine attended. Young Foster dis
played an aptitude for mercantile life,
and went to Cincinnati. where he Sc
cured a position as a clerk. This ben,
was short lived, however, for soon afte,
the success of his first song. he re-
turned to Pittsburg, and lived there
until 1860, devoting the principal por-
ton Of his time 10 the composition o.
SONGS. In 1860 he went 10 New York
End There resided until his Death. Jan.
nary Is, 1854.
Foster displayed his musical ta!en,
early in life. When scarcely able e
walk he eyincod Il fondness for al.
kinds of music, and as he grew Older
was quick ut catching airs. His first
musical composition was written Will.
AT Towanda, and was entitled "Tiogs
Waltz" 1t was published before III.
youthful composer had reached hi.
fourteenth birthday, and as compensa.
tion lie received the magnificent pres.
eva OF twnty-five copies OF the piece 10.
distribution among his friends. Hi'
while clerking, in 1912. II was entitled
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07

In the summer of 1859, Foster went
TO Beardstown, Ky, in search of rect
and retirement, and there remained
several months as the guest of Judge
John Rowan. lie vas so pleased with
this place. which he termed his re-
treat" that he wrote u song about the
homestead, and named it My Old Ken
lucky Home" The Fosters were orig.
inally southern people, and this may
have had something to do with the
composers love for southern topics and
subjects.
Foster died in New York. compare.
lively wealthy. Like nearly every
member of his family, his death oc-
CURED away from home. His remains
were brought to Pittsburg at his own
request, and buried in the family LOT,
which was located in the then fashion
able portion Of Allegheny cemetery.
Although his grave today is obscure
and sadly neglected, the Grand Army
veterans at least keep his memory
green. His songs beguiled many q
weary hour on the march and in camp
and in grateful remembrance, his grave
is visited on each Memorial day, and a
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07

Bring out the girl he shouted, "or
I'll kill you all and burn the house"
Then one of the stoutly barricaded
windows Of the Dow mansion spoke in
a flash of fire and mustang rolled over
in the dust with the Brazilian tangled
in the wreck Of hoofs and trappings.
When Miss Sallic saw her suitor's down.
fall she quickly grasped the revolver
marked with his name and tried a shot
at him. Don Juan still lives. but the
mustang will never limp again. Mat
ters now began to take on a serious
look. Irritated at the shot which had
~momentarily disabled De la Corda. the
sheep herders began a rapid fire on the
mouse. One of the Dow servants fell.
mortally wounded. behind the window
he was guarding. Several OF the
%neighbors lost their heads and forgot
TO return the fire of the enemy. But
Mr.. Dow forgot nothing. His gun spoke
rapidly and with terrible effect. One
man on the Don's side was killed out
right from a bullet from the enr1ged
fathers rifle. and several others fell in
the field badly hur;.
II Brazilian. aided by n dozen of
the more desperate spirits of his COM
mand, now made a dash for the front
dOOr OF the house and began battering
AT the heavy wood work with the butts
OF their rifles. The fire of the defend
ers could not reach them there. and
every moment the door quaked to its
iall under the rain of the heavy blows
shOWered upon IT. There was no time
TO be lost, and Dow quickly mustered
MS forces on the stair landing which
commanded the main entrance to the
house. and did not leave the rear p1i-'
trance entirely unprotected. When The
door went down the maraudeIF found
themselves facing the belching volcano
OF fire and shot. No wonder they fall
tered for a moment. but when Don Juan
dubbed his muSket. rushed up the
stairs with dare devil courage, other of
his party rushed on after him. Again
Mr.. Dow showed his courage. He met
the Brazilijn more than half way,
knocked the musket out of his hand.
and Selling him by the throat hurled
him back upon his followers, just "a
MISS Sallie, who was peoping around a
corner OF the stairway at the tide of
battle shot a sheep herder in the shout
der with one of her revolvers. 1t Is
conceded by Dow rhat his daughter
Sallie, saved the day. She and her re-
volvers took part just in the very nick
Of time. and shook the courage of the
followers Of Don Juan. The latter
withdrew his forces and no more was
heard OF him that night. Mr.. Dow de-
clares that he will shoot the Brazilian
on sight, and everybody hopes he'll see
him very soon. Sallie Dow is still car
rying around with her hat cunning lit
tie revolver. marked with the Don's
name, and she doesn't pretend that it
isn't loaded.
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07
THE E MOA.
II Stood Twelve and sixteen Feet
High.

II Stood Twelve and sixteen Feet
High.
The great moa, now extinct, was the
largest bird that ever existed. This
particular bird stands from II to lG
feet high, and the ostrich Is a pigmy
beside it. As late as 1882 Professor
owen expressed the opinion that the
bird could be found in some of the
remote districts of New Zealand. In
1868 a party of miners crossed the Eith-
ertO impossible mountain range which
runs the whole length of Middle Is
land. Their they discovered traces Of
an enormous bird, and while sitting
around the camp u evening they saw
the creature on "A knoll a short distance
away. The bird seemd fascinated by
the glare of the campfire. and remained
motionless for Il considerable time. but
finally stalked away. 1t had a long,
Hat head. which it carried inclined for
ward, and not erect like birds of the
ostrich kind. They judged that its
height was nine feet. The footprints
showed three claws about twelve inches
apart, with a pad and n spur about the
same distance in the rear. Walker
Mantcll found a gigantic egg in the
volcano sand in New Zealand, the
diameter of which was as great as his
hat. Bones of the moa have been
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07

that quarter by shouting as he swan.
He was badly rampcd when helped
from the water. and was not himself
again for two or three days.
There is no record Of all the lives
he has saved, but he has pulled at least
60 persons from jeopardy.
In 1881 he came near losing his own
life In an attempt To save Il party OF
four whose boat had been upset by the
swash of a ferry steamer. The acct
dent to the boat had happened Just
off the Navy Yard. Peter was about
fifty yards away in another boat,
Jumping in he swan the distance,
righted the capsiaed dOry, and helped
the four into 1t. lie was SO badly cX-
haustcd that the four whom he helped
were in turn Obliged TO give him assist
ance. on Oak Island, Revere Beach, in
1884, he rescued a Walden woman
named Lena Campbell, and worked on
her for about an hour before she
showed signs of life. There were no
physicians at hand, and the only help
he got was from some OF the pleasure
seekers. whom he directed In the work
of reviving the woman. He saved two
boys at Nantasket the san summer,
and late in November Of that year went
into the water near Rutherford avenue,
Charlestown, for 5-ycar-old Willie
Stevens. The Boy had sunk and Me
Nally had to dive for him. He saved
seven lives in 1855.
lie once engaged in a novel match
with an English swimmer who one day
at Crescent Beach announced that the
Americans were no good AT the game
Some of McNally's friends who had
heard the boast said they had a man
they would match against him for $5l
or as much more as he would like e
strip for, a Boston saloonkeeper
who was known some time back fUl
his liking for everything English
furnished the money Tor the man from
the other side and n match was made
for 500. The conditions were that III,
men should swim straight out to sea
no boats to follow, and the frs, TO turf
back to be the loser, There was a tire,
mendous crowd at the beach, aud those
who knew McNally's makeup placed
their money on him. McNally set III,
pace. and a lively one II was, The mcr
We're very close together, and nothinS
vas said until about three miles out
when the Englishman, who was falling
behind, said;
"Oi, say, Pete"
"Well. what is ito"
"Where tn bloody ell yer soin'?"
"Liyerpool.'
"""'o mo mt YER can keel
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07
A MARVELLOUS CLOCK.
Tiny Human skeletons sound the Pas
sing Hours.

sIng Hours.
The most marvellous clock ever built
Is the property of an Indian prince in
II Of the inland Districts of the en-
pire. The dial OF this clock was out
lined in gold upon a carved slab of
some peculiar marble. and beneath II
was suspended, between two uprights,
a silver gong. Then IA broad. Hat sur
face OF marble spread out before that,
Uttered from end TO end with a min
iaturc bones and skulls, and here and
there tiny hammers, with little round
balls for heads. The bones seemed en-
tircly disconnected. and looked only
like so much rubbish remnants OF the
tiny dead.
The clock stood in the dining hall
where the cercmonious meal was being
served, and as ! o'clock drew near the
prince called the visitors attention to
n rustling among the dry bones. with
a faint clatter they began to rise AMI
come together, a skull set in itself upon
the shoulder structure. and from the
mass of dry bones one tiny skeleton
rose complete. with a hammer clutched
in his bony fingers. He stood beside
the shining gong until the minutc hand
pointed precisely TO the hour.
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07
a MARVELLOUS q

Then, with a quick swing he drove
the hammer against the shining sur
face, and a silver note, fine as threat,
burst forth and echoed away in soft
cadence among the distant pillars of
the place. Before its whispers ceased
in the stiffness the little skeleton had
like tho ghost of John James Christie
pher Benjamin Binns, gone down
again" and the scattered bones lay
motionless once more upon the marble
plain.
At . o'clock the same ceremony was
gone through with, save that this time
two figures rose from out the heap of
bones, and each struck one sturdy
stroke.
OF its history. of its wellnigh mag
zeal workings, its proud owner would
say nothing.
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07

first life when he was only I years olu
His career as a professional swimmer
several years age was a brilliant one,
especially in long distance trials. lie
holds about all the honurs That the
Massachusetts Humane Society can be-
stow.
His most sensational rescue won MIN
n second service bar, which Is attached
TO the silver medal won In 1881. Mr..
Mentally was on his way to the North
Shore beach on the afternoon of June
30. 1890. He was standing on the plat
form OF one of the cars and saw the iall
of a boy who was knocked overheard
from Wood Island bridge by the train.
The trains speed was about 80 miles
an hour. Mr.. McNally jumped and
struck the water a considerable dis
lance from where the boy, whose name
was Robert kOgcrsOn. fell, but he
reached him in time TO prevent Il
drowning. Rogcrson was 50 badly in
jured by the train that he died shortly
after being taken from the water.
McNally's hardest bout with drown
ing persons was in December, 1881,
when he jumped from the Warren
bridge to save Hattie Richmoat, an in
sane woman, who attempted suicide.
He struck a log in the leap and
smashed in his nose. The blow
stunned him for a moment, but the
woman's clothing buoyod her up, and
when his mind became clear he sighted
her floating out toward the harbor. 1t
was night. The woman was of power
full frame, and she fought like a wild
cat when he laid. hold of her. She bit
his right thumb TO the bone. and he
was Obliged TO use his fist to subdue
her. He swan with her 10 the Navy
Yard wall and brought assistance to
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07

coming into. Hand in hand with this
being made in this city, the home Of
heir composer. II start a national fund
Tor the erection Of a monument TO this
genius. Forty years ago the name OF
Stephen Collins Foster was familiar
to all. As the composer of many cam
paign songs, songs that have since be
come famous, he was as we'll known.
and perhaps better, than many people
Of that day whose names have since
passed into history. What man or wo-
man or child today but what can carry
the tune of odd Folks at Home" per-
haps better recognized as "Way Down
Upon the Suwanoe Ribber." or has
heard the plaintiye notes of "Old Black
joe or was thrilled with the tender
ness and pathOs of My Old Kentucky
Home or laughter at the humor i'm
20, Susanna, Don't You Cry for Me-"
And yet today, all that remains of the
man who gave TO the world these songs
lies in a neglected grave in a little
corner of the Allegheny Cemetery,
Pittsburg, Pa grave so neglected
and forgotten that the sexton had
great ditiulty in locating it.
Foster. in his line, was Us great a
genius as Beethoven, Mozart. or any Of
the well-known composers. He was rs
truly musical, although his talent was
directed into a different channel, and.
like some great musicians, he will some
day be appreciated, after fifty years
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07
BURkE-CAvENDISH MURDERS,
Death OF Mrs. Curley Evokes Memories
of Dark Days In Ireland.

OF DARK Days In Ireland.
"Reminiscences and painful memories
of dark pages in lreland's history were
brought to light and aired upon the
death of a oma in Chicago recently.
That woman was Mrs. Mary Jane Cur
ley, wife of Daniel Curley, who was
hanged or May II, 1888, accused of
being one of the Irish National Inyinci-
bles guilty Of the murder of Edwin
Burke and Lord Cavendish. Mrs. Cur
!ey's relatives were people OF gentle
birth and breeding and owned much
property in Dublin. All this was seized
at once by the English crown. and soon
after the execution of Daniel Curley,
the widow. with her father, mother.
brother. two sisters, and two sons. left
the LAM towards whose government
they felt such a bitter hatred and came
to America. The father, mother, and
one sister made a humble home for
themselves in New York, while the rest
or he party went on west to Chicago.
BY taking in boarders Mrs. Curley sup
ported herself and two boys, and for six
years lived so quietly, not ever those
who came to know her best dreamed
of the tragic history of her life. Few
of the family possessions were allowed
to leave lreland's shores. but under a
false bottom in Mrs. Curley's trunk
were concealed a life-sizc portrait of
her husband, the revolver he had car
ried the night of the murder, and the
most interesting relic of all-the big
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07

some lG-years-old daughter OF Mer-
chant Dow Tyique, some 40 miles east
Of Albuquerque. has had a wide eX-
pericnce of suitors of all compilations
and every shade of ferocity. She Is
pretty enough to drive a Metropolitan
exquisite to the commission of eXtrav-
agances, and il will be easily compre-
hended that her charm for the lonely
ranchman or the wild s~heepherder is
next to irresistible. Miss Dow. how
ever, never found any difficulty in get
ting rid of her lovers until she met
Don Juan Miguel de la Corda. a fierce
and even naughty Brazilian. who claims
a lineage as long as the everlasting
hills. Don Juan is dark, not ~ill-lookinC
and full of determination. He met
Miss Dow II glorious afternoon when
she was riding a favorite horse. and
from that hour he could think of moth
ing but her superb figure, her bronze
brown eyes" her lustrous hair. The
Don's counting was swift and to the
point. There was no difficulty about
securing IN Introduction, and before
he had known her for a quarter of an
hour the impetuous Brazilian asked
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07

Sallie to become his wife. She laughed
at him, and he began to curse. Then
Miss Sallie became alarmed. and, al
tcring her tone, begged for time. She
said she must consult her father.
Tonight" said the Brazilian, Il
will call for my answer"
Sallie rode wildly for her fathers
house, and in a few words told her
story. She was sure, she said, the man
VAS mad. and as for marrying him, she
declared she would as soon think of
mating with the Old Boy himself.
Father Dow received Don Juan cour-
teously when the latter called that
evening, and listened Ia him with a
fine show of patience. The Brazilian
wasted no words.
"Senor," he said, your daughter
pleases me, and | will take her for my
wife. | return to my ranch in the
morning. ! will now go and get a
priest and We will be married imme-
diatcly."
Sallic's father vas naturally some
what nonplussed by such winged
words. he told the Don that he did
not know him well enough to consider
him in that light and advised that the
discussion end right there. Don Juan
few into a terrible passion and de-
clared that he would take the girl with
out her fathers consent. But Sallie's
father gripped the Don by the collar
and threw him out of the front door
with so much energy and good will that
it was some moments before the teeth
of the noble Brazilian ceased to rattle.
He went away, however, vowing tina,
he would have Sallie If he had to burr
the house about the stern parents ear
20 get her.
Now. instead of keeping his bite.
anger locked in his breast De la Corda
| went about the country publishing hi
intention of taking the girl by force,
Mr.. Dow, however, was not to bt
caught mapping and promptly fortified
his roof tree and armed his servants
with Winchesters and his daughter
with a couple of revolvers.
Keep one of those for the crazy
Brazilian, my dear said he to Sallie,
and the girl marked Dow's name on
lhe gun and put it away in a safe place.
Meanwhile love and mortified vanity
were waging a fearful warfare in the
Brazilian's breast. He found little diff
nculty in enlisting a band of reckless
sheep herders under his banner and ad-
ranCed upon Mr.. Dow's house under
,over Of the night. The sheep herders
we're promised all the booty they could
capture. They surrounded the house
and called upon Dow to produce the
girl. threatening him with death and
his house with the brand II he refused
to reply. But Merchant Dow had Sc
cured the cooperation of a few OF his
nearest neighbors, and these, with a
half dozen servants who were devoted
ly attached to him and his daughter,
constituted the party of defense. Dow's
orders We're TO await the word OF COM
mand and then burn powder without
stint.
De Ia Corda rode into battle on q
mustang. Although he still treasured a
RECOLLECTION of his desired father-in-
avs strong right arm, he never for an
Instant doubted that he would scare
The Dow household into submission.
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07

Inc biggest man in all Rhode Island,
Mr.. Eben ]. Hemenway. a colored bar.
Der was buried at Providence last Sun
day About 500 people, both white and
black assembled to pay their last re-
spects to the %well-known character.
Hemenway weighed about 800 pounds
before death. His coffin was an i'm
mense affair, and the window frames
ana a portion OF the house had to r.
moved, Fourteen bearers were
CURED to lift the remains through ii
window into the hearse. The expr
siye grave required two men two do
to eXcavate, -
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07

UNCLE SAM ABOUT TO REWARD
a BOSTON REPORTER.
Peter :. McSiIiy Has Rescued sitiy
Persons aud !. Yet only 81 icar'
Oi%d-ThrIiiing Events In Ills Remark
able Career.

Erl;R s. AicNally,
a newspaper re-
porter OF Boston,
has just received
assurances fro III
Washington that a
national medal for
life saving viii be
given him by the
Government. Mr..
McNally is 81 years
old. and saved his
The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-07

Peter loafed on the return, and the
English swimmer had only this excuse
"Oi was up against a bloomin' por'
poisc; ed stay in the water a week"