davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-27

men. debated the matter with him and
urged him TO help himself If possible, but
he showed me how few men he had-Only
enough TO patrol peaceful streets. Finally,
after talking the matter over with our
consul, l went on board, got twenty-five
marines in boat and brought them to the
wharf. Then. keeping them still in the boat,
l again talked with the gentleman, and
finally he said that he would be satisfied If
l would promise to send them in case he
made a signal during the night. promised
and spent the rest of the day walking about
the streets and at our consuls. Things. still
looked squaly when | went off at dusk. but
dinner was eaten in quiet. and group of
us were smoking our cigars on deck after
ward all seemed so still We hoped for the
best. The men were swinging ins their ham,
mocks dreaming / fancy. of home or plum
duff, and We were about to follow their ex
ample when the signal for help came sound
ing over the waters.
I'm fifteen minutes twenty-five marines.
armed and equipped. were in the boats. and
the officer in command had his written in
structions TO keep we'll within cover, begin
nothing, but if attacked, 10 defend the
American consulate and the wounded. They
pulled away in the darkness; then a Gatling
gun and ball and cartridges for a company
of blue-jackets was prepared, and we spent
the rest of the Christmas night with open
ears, watching and waiting.
In the morning news came that a crowd
had filled the plaza during the night and
alarmed the town. They held sway until
our men We're seen landing on the wharf.
Then silence reigned, and as the little body
who looked so like business marched along
nothlng was heard but their tramp ana the
/, - ne essary orders to direct their course.
They disappeared within the building, and
tlS ~Io"a eradually dispersed, meeting at
a house outside the town and staying there
until the next day, when a steamer came
from Montevideo caring Uruguayan troops.
My men came back with the thanks OF the
onclals, martial law was proclaimed, and
the wounded men were sent to MOntevdeo
for treatment. Thus were lives saved. peace
kept and u sister republic helped
time of trouble by one of Uncle Sam $
war ships being at hand. No one could have
foreseen the difficulty. and the Uruguayans.
like ourselves. kept a small regular force
which cannot always be everywhere to save
life, to keep the peace and TO be strong
arm to aid the civil law which has always
trained military force, and this is why /
gave my aid that Christmas day long ago.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-27
HOW A REBELLION WAS NIPPED.
What Twenty-Five American Marines
Did One Christmas Day.
Washington Special to ST. Louis Republic

Washington Special to st. Louis Republic.
Said Commender F. w. Dickins, u. S. NJ:
Pacing up and down the quarter deck of
the man-of-war which | had the honor and
pleasure to command in 1888, beneath wide
spread awnings, the holiday air aboard the
ship alone gave evidence of its being Christ
mas day. Jack, In his mastering clothes,
no. drills, no work; almost quiet as the
scene which met my eyes as | gaZed about
upon the broad stretches of the Rio de la
Plata, showing more gold than silver be-
meath the hot rays of the summer sun; the
low-lying, green and fertile banks of the
Uruguay country. their monotony only
broken here and there by clumps of trees
or low, white house. until one came, to
stood out boldly into the waters. Very old
and picturesque is that quaint little town
of Colonia del Sacramento, and built with
such narrow streets that one wonders If the
original European settlers were afraid to
transgress the bounds of the Indian camp
which formerly occupied the site. Hoping
to celebrate the day in some way, before
noon l went ashore, seeing and hearing
nothing to disturb the serenity of the day
until had walked up the short stone pier
and came to the entrance of the little stone
paved plaza
There l found blood everywhere upon
the pavement, and especially near a small
corner shop, where it had splashed upon the
walls as well. The ironwork gates of the
police barracks were closed and barred
with two fully armed men as sentnels
showing within. Usually these gates stood
Hospitality open, with only few men off
duty to be seen lounging near them. rest
street. and | was soon Informed that men
had been killed and were in the barracks.
Going to the house of our consul, | learned
that the two sons of the Jefe politicio, or
Governor of the province. had. in the abb
senCe OF their father. taken the law into
their own hands, or rather: made law as
there was none to cover the injury done
their family by the man who had left his
refuge in Argentina and ventured home
They bad attacked and killed him on the
plaza, for which no one blamed them. but
thew had also killed his brother-in-law
who happened to be with him. and as the
latter was a good man, father of a large
family and popular. the populace wished to
get the two young men and deal out speedy
punishment. When the original fray was
over four men lay in the plaza, and the
police had gathered them in. as well as
numerous weapons. The attacking parties
were only wounded the other two We're
dead.
THE first official who represented the gov
eminent was in great fear that he could not
protect the sons Of his chief and all whom /
saw feared an outbreak and revolution. as
crowds were about, and they We're painting
red crosses on the doors of the houses OF
the young mems friends. The first official
sent for me and wanted me TO protect lives
and property. He asked for Iwentv-five
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-27

The holiday adjournment of Congress has
become established custom, but it is one
that would be more honored in the breach
than In the observance. 1t is a costly him
drance to business, and under ordinary cir
cumstances would hardly be thought of. A
legislative body which meets but once
year ought not to take a tv. weeks va
cation every year within two weeks after it
convenes. The effect is % delay public
business MONTH for little or nothing is ac-
complished during the two weeks preceding
the holiday adjournment. This is an argu-
ment in favor of changing the time for the
meeting of Congress, making ii either
earlier or later. Earlier would be better
than later for other reasons than this. At
present the time between the election and
the assembling of Congress is too long. The
Constitution says: THE Congress shall as
semble at least once in every year and such
meeting shall be on the first Monday in De-
cember unless they shall by law appoint a
different day" Congress has the power to
change the time of it's meeting and appoint
any date it may choose. So with regard to
the beginning of the terms of members.
Under the present law the terms of mem
bers elected i'm November of one year do
not begin till March of the following year,
and, unless there is an extra session, they
do not assemble until the first Monday in
the following December. They draw salary
nine months before they meet, and do not
meet till thirteen months after their cleo
ton. These anomalies should be corrected.
and 1T could be done in a way that would
largely obviate the mischievous results of
the holiday recess. There is no reason why
the terms of members should not begin
thirty days after their election, and If the
holiday adjournment cannot be avoided in
any other way let the time of meeting be
changed from the first Monday in December
to date early in January. This would en-
able members to spend the holidays at
home and remove the pretext for a two
weeks adjournment within two weeks after
meeting. thus practically multiplying an en-
tire month of the session. At all events,
some way should be found to do away with
the holiday adjournment and it's mis-
chievous interference with public business.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-27

speak Now. as this is Christmas time,
any good Samaritan who wishes to help
the cause can do so by subscribing for the
paper for himself or friends Or, if any one
wishes to donate larger amounts 10 put
this paper and its editor squarely "on
their feet" the favors will be duly appre-
ciated.--Mouut Vernon News.
Statements have been mailed to subscrib-
ers to the Dispatch who owe 81 and more
except where there is special arrange
ment with us to pay in wood or in other
ways. Sending statements is a business
transaction and should offend no reasonable
person. Those who are in arrears but one
year. up to Jan. /. 1898, we believe will pay
of mailing statements During the past
year we have dropped from our list num-
Der who owed from six to eight years. In aSe
were outside of De Kalb county. We have
still dozen or more living in the county
who Will receive but one more issue, il not
paid by Jan. Auburn Dispatch.
There is one person in this world that
the country editor seldom meets-in fact,
does not always have personal acquaint-
ance with-that throws a great deal of hap
piness into his Christmas time. 1t is the
foreign subscriber, persons who once lived
here and take the ole home paper in order
to keep in touch with sacred scenes and
haunts. Besides %he Enclosure they always
give some warm expression of admiration
for the home paper. and which we appre-
ciate when we have them say we please
them. Last Monday there came a letter
with an Enclosure of So from A +. Ball. way
down in Texas. for a lOng-in-advance pay
ment. Like many others who oft remit us,
we do not know him. yet he always inclOses
bit of life's sunshine besides.-Thorntow
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-27
STATISTICS OF RAILWAYS.

Anything like fNll statistics of railways, no
must relate to the transactions of year
or more previous to the date of publication.
The advance copy, incomplete, of the sta
tistics of railroads in the United States, pre-
sion, just received covers the year which
ended June 80, 1896 This fact deprives the
figures of much interest they would have if
they were those of the last fiscal year.
The fiscal year which ended June 80 1898.
into which came the flood tide of the pros
perity of the years 1891 and 1892, was that in
which the railroads were doing the most
business and employing the most men. The
aggregate number of men employed that
year was S73,602. or 515 men to each one hum
dred miles of track. The year which fol-
lowed. ending June 80, 1894. was that which
followed the revenue-tariff collapse, when
the number of employees fell to 779,6OS, or 444
to each one hundred miles of road. This
means that about one-ninth of the men EN-
ployed during the fiscal year 1928 were out
of employment during the fiscal year which
idleness for every one hundred miles of track
Is but one of the factors which filed the
country with distress during the fiscal year
lsss-s4. From June 80. 1894. railroad employ
ment picked up little, the number OF EN-
ployes June 30 1896. being S26620, or 454 10
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-27

There has been good deal said about the
will of the late DR.. Evans, the celebrated
American dentist, of Paris, who died re-
Gently and his alleged requests to dental
institutions in this country. The first au-
thentic information on the subject that has
fallen under the notice OF the Journal is
furnished by the Philadelphia Times, and,
as that city was named in the will, the in
formation is probably correct. 1t seems
that Dr. Evans left the bulk of his estate,
estimated by his executors at about $780,
600, to what he describes in his will as the
Thomas W. Evans Museum and Institute
of Philadelphia" There is no such institu-
ton in existence and the testator gave no
directions concerning it's establishment in
his will. 1t is supposed he intended to pro-
vide for it's establishment during his recent
visit to that city but he did not do SO. His
legal heirs will attack the will, and in view
Of the vagueness of this large bequest, they
will doubtless be able to break it. The will
was written in duplicate in French and
English, by DR.. Evans himself. If he had
consulted lawyer he would have learned
that bequest to an institution which did
not exist would not stand.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-27
THE ATTORNEY GENERALS.
One Office for Which the West Has Not
Met with Favor.
New York Sun.


There is no lack, dearth. shortage or in
suff1ciency of lawyers, some litigants say,
in the broad and expansive regions of the
wild and woolly West, but for some reason
or other Presidents of the United States
have, rule. found it either ineXpedent
or unwise to go to the West for their at
tOrney generals.
The Office of attorney general is now
more than a hundred years old. and the
first incumbent of it was, like George
washington, the President who appointed
him. a resident of the State of Virginia.
This attorney general was Edmund Ran
dolph, and when he went out of Office
Pennsylvania succeeded him, and then an
other Virginian. Charles Lee. and then the
first attorney general from Massachusetts,
Theophilus Parsons the distinguished law
book writer and jurist who was the legal
adviser of President Adams also a Massa-
chusetts man. Jefferson had four attorney
generals, from Massachusetts, Maryland,
Kentucky and Delaware. He did not have
one from his own State. Delaware and
Pennsylvania furnished Madison with at
torney generals. Monroe went to Virginia,
as Washington had done, for his legal add
wiser; Adams went to Virginia, Jackson to
Georgia, Maryland and New York; Van
Buren, to New York, Tennessee and Penn
sylvania, and Harrison to Kentucky, and
Tyler to Kentucky, South Carolina and
Maryland. Polk chose an attorney general
from Virginia, but later in his adminiStra-
ton went to New England for legal adj
viser-first to Maine and then to Connecti-
cut. President Taylor got his legal adviser
from Maryland, President Fillmore from
Kentucky, President Pierce-he was a New
Hampshire man-from Massachusetts, and
Buchanan had two attorney generals from
Pennsylvania and Ohio-Jeremiah S. Black
and Edwin NJ. Stanton. President Lincoln
had for three years a Missouri attorney
general and for the balance of his term
an attorney general from Kentucky Presi-
dent Johnson had attorney generals from
Kentucky and New York, while President
Grant went first to Massachusetts, next to
Georgia, next to Oregon, next, to New
York and finally to Ohio. Mr.. Hayes went
to Massachusetts, President Garfield to
Pennsylvania. President Arthur to Pennsyl-
vania, President Cleveland to Arkansas.
Thus, during nearly one hundred years
of national life, the great group of States,
including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin,
Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and Kan
sas was without representation sby an attor-
ney general in the Cabinets of any of the
American Presidents. President Harrison
the first to break what might be called
the record, if not the rule, for he appointed
his law partner, Mr.. Miller, the attorney
general to serve for four years-the only
Indiana man to hold that office since the
foundation of the government President
Cleveland, in his second term, went to Mas
sachusetts for his attorney general, and
President Mckinley has gone to California,
with the right of succession, so to speak,
TO New Jersey.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-27
FERRY BOATS IN THE WAR.
A Veteran Soldiers RecOIIectiOns of
One He Saw I'm 81.
New York Sun

1T is curious" said a veteran soldier,
how some incident of circumstance may
impart to q long-familiar object to which
we have never given any special thought
a significance that makes it always there
after an object of particular interest. The
East-river ferry boats impress me in that
way now whenever / see one. And this was
brought about simply by seeing one of them
scenes and put to strange uses.
This was in the fall of 81 in Hampton
Roads. The regiment that l served In was
aboard a transport there, waiting with 9th
under convoy of a fleet of war vessels.
There was a great number of vessels there
of all kinds. steamers, and sailing vessels,
and war ships. And they made an impress
SiVe show; but certainly the most striking
of any one of them, on it's first appear
ance, was an East-river ferry boat, the
Commodore Perry. l can see her at this
minute, she looked then. moving across
the waters of the Roads, she looked so ut
terly strange and curious there, and amid
such surroundings. But she went here and
there with the most perfect confidence, con-
stantly employed in transporting stores
and troops, and making herself quite as
much at home here as she ever had been
among the currents and eddies of the mar
row Fast river.
'Other ferry bots were taken down there.
A soldier friend of mine tells me that later,
in the peninSular campaign, there was a
New York ferry boat in those waters that
was used as a gunboat, carrying two Parrot
guns, one at each end, mounted in the
gangways, where the teams drive in and
out. My own impression is that one or two
waters further South. But, however That
may be- | shall never forget the first time
/ saw the Commodore Perry at Fortress
Monroe And to this dav J never go along
South street without feeling of the keen
est personal interest for every ferry boat
| see on the river"
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-27

The spectacle of the Populists in Congress
getting together for a caucus is ridiculous
They cannot resolve beyond ''me, too.
New Castle Courier
Mr. Bryan has gone to Mexico to study
the silver problem--an admission that he
did not know what he was talking about
last year.-kendallVille Standard.
If the revenues keep on increasing under
the Dingley law the time is not far distant
when it's enemies will be put to silence by
q surplus in the treasury instead of def
cit.-Pendleton Republican.
We don't want any more money, but we
want better prices and IA better market.
The Dingley protective tariff law is MAX
ing it possible for better prices and better
markets, and most people are realizing it.
Upton Advocate.
Congress should remember that it is
equally as important to keep the appropria-
lions down to actual necessity as it is to
provide for revenues. y If the appropriations
are made on basis OF economy the reve-
rues will take care of themselveS.-Mdd
town News.
Secretary Gage has been attacked by the
free-silverites for saying that one of his
objects is to commit the country more
thoroughly to the gold standard. Any cur
rency plan that does not embrace this SUI
premely important object will not fill the
bill.-Terre Haute Express.
The positions of some Republicans in
congress ana out on CIVIL service does not
at all consist with the national platform
of the party adopted last year. 1t would be
more becoming to advocate a change of
laws by them on that subject. A disregard
of platform upon which the party won is
far more dangerous than the wrath of dis
appointed oftice-Se ekerS.-Lagrange Stand
ard
Should the greenbacks be retired? Leav-
ing aside all sentiment it is wise that they
should. When an endless chain" becomes
a curse it should be broken. If any other
method than the retirement of the green
back can be devised, then 1t will be time
to allow sentin. ent. to prevail. But so long
it is a perpetual menace to financial
safety all sentimentality should be laid
aside.-Decatur Journal.
The Indianapolis School Board has de-
clined to invest 81 400 in "sterilizing ovens
to bake pens and pencils used by pupils
What is the good of baking slate pencils for
a lot of children who play and scuffle with
each other in the games familiar to every
schooground? IF there is anything in the
baking theory. why not carry it out to
it's logical end. and bake the pupils who
handle the pencils ?-Rushville Republican.
For three years the expenditures of the
government have been greater than the re-
ceipts. 1t is not wise to increase the APP
preparations in anticipation of a surplus.
Better keep the expenditures within the
receipts and pay as you go. A farmer or
business man who has been running behind
for three years would not build new
house while he still had comfortable res
idence So with these public buildings and
Improvements Of rivers and harbors. They
can wait till the finances of the country
are in better OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Ledger.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-27

During three years or more the British
press in England and the United States
has been criticising Congress because it
refused to vote money to pay a claim for
damages to Canadian sealers adjusted by
the British minister and Secretary Gresh
am The British press in this country was
particularly severe upon Congress, accus-
ing it of being wanting in appreciation of
what constituted public decency for not
voting a sum of money which treaty
bound us to pay. Time has passed; the
dispute has been submitted to arbitration,
as was provided by the award Of the Paris
commission, to which both governments
submitted the matter in dispute. Now the
claims have been adjudicated as was pro-
vided, and will be paid. The London Times
apologies for the loose insinuations of bad
faith on the part of the United States gov
eminent which have been thoughtlessly and
unjustifiably made in England" Now let
the British press in the United States fol-
low the example of it's English contem-
poraries and apologize.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-27

each one hundred miles of road. When the
report of the fiscal year which ended June
80 1897, shall be printed it is probable that
the number of men employed will be equal
to that Of the year which ended in June, 1893.
Those who have no more information re-
garding the different kinds of employment
afforded by railroads than what is obtained
by casual observation may be surprised to
know that more carpenters are employed
than enginemen, and that other shopmen
than mechanics and carpenters number 10000
more than enginemen and fremen together
The number of conductors, enginemerf, fire.
men and 'other trainmen| was 16926O during
1896, of whom 6S732 were of the last-named
class. Telegraph operators and dispatchers
number 2O970, or within about 5000 of the
number of conductors, 26,042. The station
agents of the United States, if massed in one
body, would constitute an army of 26,S29 men.
The statistics showing the values and
earnings of railroad property are not such
as to lead persons having small amounts of
money to invest to put it into railway stocks
or bonds. The official value of railroad
stocks at the close of the last fiscal year
was s., 226. 1927 269, and of bonds and interest
bearing debt $5,340 33S 502-total, $40 $685. $685. III
OF the stock S.. So, 500, 1874, or 7017 per cent.
paid no dividends during the fiscal year.
The amount of nondividend stock has been
cent. of the entire stock paid dividends; the
last fiscal year only 1888 per cent. of the
whole, or 81 ,559 O24,675 of the stock, earned
dividend. In Group 3, which embraces the
roads in Indiana, Ohio and eastern Michigan,
two-thirds of the stock paid no dividend. OF
the stocks railroad companies themselves
own about one-fifth, and of the bonds less
than one-tenth. which shows that the prop
erty is mainly in the hands of individuals.
That much of the stock represents no ex-
penditure of money is evident when it is
known that in the group of States composed
of California, Oregon, Washington Montana,
Nevada and Utah the stock per mile is
$45, 296 and the bonded debt is $S2, 1O4 a mile
in addition.
During the fiscal year 1866 the number
of passengers carried by all the roads was
511, 772,737, which is nearly 100000 less
than the high-tide year which ended June
81, 1888. Ine freight, however, or the last
year 765, S91, 1856 tons. exceeds that of 1893 by
2O,6O0,O0O tons, and that of the terrible year
1894 by III, 100000 tons. The revenue for each
passenger per mile the last year was 2O19
cents, and for each ton of freight per mile
was little over four-fifths of a cent
tS06-1 600 of a cent? per mile. These are the
lowest receipts per passenger per mle ex-
cept for the year 1894, and the lowest for
freight on record