davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Newtown bee., 1897-02-12

James, Thomas, Nathan, Seth. These belong to the first 10 males, almost form ing group of Apostles, as at the head of the primitive church. Of the women, who so soon joined them, six were uu- married, one a widow, and If wives. About every one has name taken from the Bible. The great truths which they pledged to try and lay at the foundation of their individual lives were essentially those in our Congregational churches to- day-the existence of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Scriptures inspired, and a sure guide to right living, mans sin and misery, yet hope of salvation through the atoning work of Christ and aids of the Holy Spirit, hearty accept ance of this divine plan by faith and the his saints.
 They solemnly promised to strive and deny worldly lusts and live righteouo, godly lives, walking blamelessly with each other in all the rules and rites, which Christ had appointed. How very unlike all other organizations this was, and what mighty power Gods Spirit, working through it, was to exert in this community and through it in multitudes of other hearts, as we shall now see. Not until two years and nine months did they settle their first pastor, Rev Ira Hart. During the 100 years of it's life the church has had. including the presentipsstorate, B ministers. Their names-Rev Messrs Hart, Mead, Atwater, Prudden, Arnold, Cone, Judd, Clark, Breeo, Marshall, Mur. phy, Munson and Avery. The average length of their ministry has been about 7 1-2 years. But the first three rever- ends, Hart, Mead and Atwater, with the about three years before the first, almost completely fill out the first half century. MT Atwater was dismissed October 15, 1S45, leaving less than four months to the middle of the entire 100 years, which we now commemorate. Allow me turn aside here and say few words about the Episcopalians and Methodists. Wecame near having & third meeting house all these years.
 GUNNTowN WAS A SMALL SETTLEMENT
 JUST SOUTH OF US.
 A MT Gum, who gave its name, and who owned there a large tract of 1000 acres was an ardent Episcopalian. An other was Mir Larmon Townsend, who came from New Haven and after keeping store awhile little south of the present Bradley station, came to the smallest house on the west side of our Green and had his store there, as we'll as lived in it, until he could build better house next north. The latter, long occupied by Mir Wheaton, was raised the very day that war was declared in 1872, against Great l Britain. This harmon Townsend used to go with his family to the Episcopal meetings in Gunntown, as they had built a chapel there. They had their choir and, as in the other churches at the time, the leader found the right pitch by blow ing little whistle or pressing tuning fork. Sometimes certain rough fellows were in attendance. perhaps proving the attractiveness of the Episcopal form of worship.
 l The chorister, MT Keel Smith of OK, ford, failed to pi ch the tune at one time rightly, and one rowdy fellow called out, "A little too much water for your rum, Keel-v At another time, as the Scripture
The Newtown bee., 1897-02-12

IN THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF
 MIDDLEBURY, CT HISTORICAL AD-
 DRESS BY REV MIR AVERY, PRESENT
 ED AT THE REGENT ANNIVERSARY.
 Dr K. $. Storrs, in his address at the last annual meeting of the American Board, uttered these forceful words :: ''The fundamental need Is the moral need Trying to build a civilization without this, on the mere selfish instincts of men, Is trying to build house on shifting sands or fragile shale. It is trying to lift building by attaching ropes and pulleys to its roof, while pushing up the caves with poles." I wish now to show how God was seeking, from the very first, to put a good, moral foundation under heath this community. Our Congreg& tlonal church became 100 years of age, the 10th of February, 1896.
 But we have deferred commemorating the event till balmy spring has displaced frigid winter. Notice now the Providen- tial preparation for the birth of this church, in l796, and then of the town in 1907. Is it not interesting, that the church had been at work Il years before town organization was effected? Most of our territory had been in the parish of the First Congregational church of Waterbury, for 100 years, previous to 1796. People here had helped build two of it's meeting houses ere erecting their own. A third was being finished there when this church was organized. Rev John Southmaid, for 40 years, and Rev Mark Leavenwort, for 57 years, were our pastors. If you wish to know what noble ministers they were, read the first volume of the new and interesting His tory of Waterbury. They greatly help ed to mould the characters of these settlers, along their western borders.
 Turn now to THE HELPFUL INFLUENCE FROM WOOD
 BURY,
 on the west. Our people must have known well the story of that first band of settlers, who looked down upon the lovely Pomperaug valley from Good Hfl, and how Dea Minor fell upon hls knees, entreating the Divine blessing upon their great enterprise, and upon Eheir children to the latest generation. Familiar were those first places of wor- ship, "Bethel Rock" and the little church near High Rock, with sentinel and drum call. Many from here visited that great congregation, in their second church, erected only 20 years later. Woodbury set us good example, in providing early for the support of an able, sound ministry and good schools. Her town regulations aimed at the com mon good, and to make each individual citizen bear his share in labor to secure It. As late as 175O, their historian, Coth- ren, gives the nsmes of the half-dozen ministers in parishes carved out of early Woodbury, such as Stoddard, Bellamy, Brinsmade and remarks, that they were ssGalaxy of talent and piety such as could hardly be paralleled in any other single town" Especially was the treat ment of the Indian Pootatucks grand lesson sf kindness, tanning savsges and turning them to fast iriends, Thus our
The Newtown bee., 1897-02-12

of the service to the front steps and ask ed, ,"Who was it that preached this morn ing and said nothing?" Perhaps he meant that he heard nothing. The au- dience had it's seats by direction of the committee of the society, which gave preference to age and the amount of each ones taxable property. Until near the close of MT Mead's pastorate, there were no stoves in the church. With noon in- termission there is fiocking to the Sun day house which was at the last just east of where this building now stands. Their lunches are eaten, foot stoves filled, neighborly greetings exchanged, when all return again, quite refreshed, to an afternson service. That first church was occupied about 45 years, or from 1794 to May l, 1889. Some of it's huge timbers are in the frame of this building which was dedicated April 29, 1s4O. oh oAAS "Ccb SlAO OA bAtS UasGuCuG IS d stone marked June 4, A. D., 1792. This was taken from the old church and
 may indicate the time when that build ing began to be erected. Notice the we'll cut and quite good stone steps in front of this church. They were
 DRAWN FROM MINE HILL, RoxBURY
 it is said, for the first church and dis tance of 12 or II miles, over many hills. How painstaklng were the fathers! We have now seen that. these persevering pc. titioners, after repeated trials, Iwere granted their fullest request and were formed into'' The Society of Middlebury" in 1790; that they put forth great and united exertions and at length finished very fair meeting house in 1794.
 The same year they drew up an excel lent constitution for public library. It
 was to promote useful knowledge in the society of Middlebury. A person be- came proprietor or had a share in the library by paying ten shillings. He also paid one shilling at the beginning of each year and six pence for every book drawn if not returned upon the day appointed. Books could be drawn once in two months or on Preparatory Lecture day as it was fl ially arranged. find on the library book the names of over 13O sub- scribera, nearly 70 of them before the name of Rev Mark Mead, our second minister, who came here in 1909. Had not these fathers as much interest in hav- ing a library as is felt throughout Con- necticnt to-day? One of the early libra. rians was the first pastor, Rev Ira Hart. This library proved great blessing to the town, continuing to retain it's strong hold upon the people until the War of the Rebellion. I find upon one of it's catalogues s1I books. People came from surrounding towns to draw and some- times the bids for a new or attractive book went up to dollar. Is was kept for long time in the vestry Of this
The Newtown bee., 1897-02-12
The Home Circle. Historical Outline of the First
 Fifty Years

IN THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF MIDDLEBURY, CT HISTORICAL AD- DRESS BY REV MIR AVERY, PRESENT ED AT THE REGENT ANNIVERSARY.
The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-08-05

Professor Lincoln of Brown Univer.
siy. whose death occurred a few year.
ago used to tell amusing anecdotes of
Neanoer. the great professor and hls.
torian Of the Christian church Of The
Berlin University. under whom ne
studied Tor some time.
Ncandcr WIS accustomed when lee.
turing 20 stand behind a curious. hlrh
desk. with an open framework and
with holes and pcgs for letting 4, nm
and down. His costume was a very
king coat. coming down 10 the tons %,
his great jack-boots. and with a collar
which reached Amos, a. hlgh a. hls
head a. he bent over his desk and
with arms extended forward. twirled in
his fingers a quill pen. n this quill
dropped, there vas a hiatus In the lee.
ture until some one would pick n nm
and place Il In his hands. and then tho
wonderful now Of learned di.cours.
would proceed.
Il Is said that when Neander went IN
Berlin he happened. IN going from MI.
home 10 the university for tho ars,
time. TO be with a friend. who for an.
sake Of some errand. took a most cir.
cuitous route, Neander pursued mi.
roundabout course Tor years. and only
by accident discovered that there wa.
n shorter way.
on one occasion. being iostled on .
crowded sidewalk, IN order 10 pass nv
the crowd, he stepped on into the gut.
ter with one foot. keeping the othe,
foot on the curbstone. When an,
crowd vas passed. he continued an.
s,nt-minded 10 walk on In this curl.
Gus fashion. and when he reached
home he complained Of being fatleued
from the dlsorded condition OF an,
streets An acquaintance. who had foi.
lowed him. was able 70 explain m,
fatigue.
The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-08-05

simply regarded AZ a band OF robbers.
murderers and cannlbals. That they
are. however. a thoroughly organized
religious sect, who honestly believe
that they can appease the wrath OF
their gods only by demonlacal deeds
OF the most eccentric cruelty. Is a rev.
citation to geographers and the public
on May Z came report from the
American missionaries az Tlmpany.
Sierra Leone. that the white inhablt-
ants OF the district were wrought up
% such a pitch OF vengeance over a
series Of outrages. that eleven natives
were burned alive In one day on the
charge OF wltchcrsft.
As TO the origin aud supcrstltlous
belief OF this sect Fucr ALE Welt
says; some twenty years ago the
village Of Taiama sent rs warriors to
ovcrpowor and destroy the army OF a
nelghhorlnr enemy On the way the
entire Talama force was surprised By
the warriors OF the village lmperl and
annlhilaicd 10 a man. Deprived OF
their defenders the Talamanians sent
messengers TO a famous sorcerer Tor
counsel as 10 the best way in which
they could rovense themselves ON the
Import inhabitants.
The sorcerer promised ais counsel
and assistance on condition tha; they
would an join a sec, which he would
found. and Of which they would APP
point him MS the head aud leader. ~
introduced a fetch. the possession OF
which was supposed to grant the most
ardent desires Of the Individual and
the tribe, Only members Of the secret
sect would be glyeE possession Of this
fetch.
The tetleh consists Of the root OF
kassaya brush and is called Baama.
The roo, Is followed out clean and
fllled with vegetable and sticky matter.
the composition o, which Il known on.
" 70 the soreerer. The latter ordered
that The possessors OF the god BAN.
ma must pour goat fat oves he fetch
IN order TO insure The realization o.
their fondeat vishsa
A soon a. the lmpsFi aasf~.s lad
OF The wondartul Ranna tAsy we're
anxioa % Join The aav6 $1,000 80
eres seet, 70 the al 49,, = gAe.r
The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-08-05

wher travelling In the south Of Ire
land. some years ago. was not 1T
de surprised to hear every one IN
room shout God bless you when
any person sneezed. and the GOD bleAa
you" was repeated for every sneeze l
have since learned that this salutation
has an origin going back TO the sixth
century. when the black plague fell
upon Rome. It's victims showed the
FIRST symptoms by sneczlng When the
African king OF Menomopata aneezes
all these near his person send up a
great shout. all within hearing take Il
up. 20 that the sneeze may be- said 10
90 echolng through the kingdom. One
would think the subjects would soon
get hoarse II their sovereign ohanced
10 have an oli-fashionod New England
hay fever When the King Of senaar
sneeles bis courtlers turn their backs
on him and give loud slap on their
right thigh There Is a great deal u
character In the manner Of gneezlng.
and though even George Washington
could not be dlgnlhod when he felt a
sueeEo coming on. and was Ia doubts
whether d would come 20 a head Or
not. Il must be- confessed that a good
sreeze "a more rlelsura5lc than other.
/ wise.
The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-08-05

grizzly Even this became impossible
a. the bear gained on him. and the
distance between them gradually les.
sened TIL they were running only a
few feet apart
The engineer shouted again ana
again. but he had very little hone OF
any ones hearing him because Of the
great noise made by the machinery;
ana even II they did hear. they could
not get In TO help him. for the door
was locked, and he could not spare
time TO fool with that lock Just then
II was simply maddenlng TO him TO
mink thai there were twenty men in
'he MIL only few feet away, all ready
ana willing TO help him II he could
only let them know OF his plight. and
YET TO have that relentless brute chas.
ing him around like a rat in a trap.
a lew minutes Of this Wild running
exhausted the engineer, and he would
nave stopped and le. the grizzly do his
worst had Il not been for the dread
tul biood-curdiing noise made by the
animals claws as he scuttled over the
slippery floor, The bear lunged and
plunged along like a great awkward
calf. growing probationary the while
out he made astonishing speed for such
an unwieldly-looklng beast. and was
last overhaullng the man IN spite Of
his utmost Efforts.
Once. "a the exhausted engineer
leaped over the belt. he thought that
70 drop on Il and be crushed by the n.y.
"heei would be an easier death than
10 be torn TO pieces by the bear. and
ne almost decided TO end the dread
iul chase the next time he came
around. But when he saw the bel,
running 50 swiftly TO certain death his
heart tailed him. and he waited an
next time Not 80 the bear. Almost
as the mans feet touched the floor AZ.
Ter the leap be heard an awful roar.
and the next instant a badly mashed
bear struck the ceiling and dropped
{ Ike a shot.
That timely event Is easily explain.
ed. As the man and bear ran round
centrifugal force caused them to swing
cut farther AMI farther from their cen.
ter OF motion. the engine: and the
bear, being heavier than the man. new
farther out tlll he came 20 a place on
. the slanting belt where Il was too high
Tor him to Jump. Then he put his
forcpaws on n. intending 10 climb
over. and that was the last OF him.
The belt, running at that high speed.
: jerked him In Ike a feather. and ran
him thrtugh between II and the fly-
wheel When the fiy-wheel got done
With him, Il threw him on at the TOP.
as dead as a herring and not much
thicker than one.
The engineer however. firmly be-.
lievos that the spirit OF his little
daughter Influenced the engine 10 save
bis life BY killing the bear: and who
can ray Il Is only a fancy? The next
week he sent 10 Chicago and had the
silver plate made and put q on "old
Alice" and he declares that she Is
quite proud OF II.
The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-08-05

enemies. the ralamiulanB. for the
leaders knew very well that the nor
cefer had a plan Of terrible revenge
IN store for them. 40 sooner had the
aCct worked h. way successfully
among The lmpeFl when It was found
that thsgBaiima fetch did not always
grant % yearnIags q ita possessors'
Whene 20 thr aorcercr was approach
"a by host complaints he commanded
that human fat Instead Of goat fat
could alone ~ as Precipitation TO their
fetch. In order TO procure the con-
tlnued aid OF the supernatural power
all the members Of The sec we're COM
mandod 10 bring their dearest friend
OF relative o. sacrifice. The sect had
already been divided into three parts
the chiefs or kings. the cxccuiioners
and the lay members. The chiefs and
exccutionCrs were. n course. selected
mostly from the Talamanian.
The name "Humaa Leopards. say
the natives was suggested 10 the sor-
cercer BY q real leopard. who had en-
dowod the wise man With The cunning
dcx,orl;y and strength 10 cxtclie HE
plan O; revenge That he had plenty
OF craitlncss was evidenced from the
fact that the presents ~ the applicants
Tor admission into the sect econ made
him the richest msn among the ma
/ urea.
, Their murderous atrocities agc not
.practlc,d on natives only Unwary
travellers are frequently robbed and
killed. Though their vocation Is first
OF ~ murder, they viii not hesitate
10 f.c-. s1d 20 whclcvc- che ,ppor-
tunlty p.t-;ab lteli The sc has
grown tc such large proportions that
they have become o. terror To the ma
tiyos and settlers. the latter until late
| ly not knowing their uuricu most
| ly we're the cyrerclt OF .l..r re.igIcr'
duties.
| This Is the way thc s5r,..,r com.
polled tn bringing of human aeriace
On an appointed day 'hc ore who De-
sired 20 be or remain rcut.r 0i The
The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-08-05

A gentleman was riding on the out.
eide OF a coach in the west Of England.
when the driver said DO him.
rive Rad a coin Euv 10 me today
200 years Old did you ever see a cola
200 ycau oldF
"Oh. yes. I have one myself 1000
years ola
All said the driver have ye7"
and spoke no more during the rest q
the journey.
when the coach arrived AZ ne desil,
nation the driver turned 10 the Other
with an intensely self-atisacd air. and
said.
u told sou a. We druy along that /
had q coin 200 years old
yes"
and you said 90 me al you had one
Q 600 years old
eyes so ! have"
"Thars rot true'
"What do you mean by thatr"
"Whai DO Z mean Why irs only
1891 noN"-T.t nIia
The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-08-05

Mlss Eme Croker OF Port washing
ton 10 the only woman mail carrier Of
whom Long Island can boast. says the
New York Herald She Is % years old
pluc.y aud pretty. Six days OF the
week she goes sturdlly about from
Great Neck. l.. J.. around Manhasset TO
Pert Washington and return. THIS
does not mean the transportation OF a
few letters. but the daily carriage OF a
very considerable quantity Of mail Of
ali kinda. Miss Crooker's father = an
oyster fisherman and works In the
waters Of Manhlsset bay When the
y-rag mall carrier vas a little girl
a, learned TIE wisdom Of being able
40 care fsr c-e's salf When she was
10 years old she could pun a boat a'
we'll As any boy that ever saw Grca
Neck Her father taught her all HI
know about oyster dredging and nsh
I,v ard thrt was a good deal The
section o. I'm, is''-' a-onnd ahon
Minlallo. aad Csca Ncga sgts Co. maj
by mclls Of q system Of carrying Oh
mall in which the railroads take %
part Great section OF the countr
The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-08-05

Tho written ciyil-soryico oxamins.
lions for policemen In New York havs
been snecred at a. a part Of a visionary
scheme, Tho Ignorance displayed nv
some Of the unsuccessful applicants for
az polntment might have had fra.
course IN an Official position. however
and to the public loss. had no such ,es,
been used. Extracts from what these
applicants for police service wrote
about Abraham Lincoln include some
extraordinary statements Ono wrote.
HE has bin Presented Of New
York City" Another declared that IN
1855 Lincoln was 'nomanlted IN plac,
Of buchanan whoe's term Of office "a.
plred IN that year"
Mr.. Lincoln." according TO another
applicant. had many engagements In
war; and was bound to be victorious
especially At the battle Of Gettysburg
whom he swcp, an before him"
OF Dncoln's tragic death Il uas van.
The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-08-05

u has often been shown that sirs
possess great courage In times Of Asn.
ger. ana the story Of a little Kentucky
s'r'. as siYen by the New York re.
oorler. proves % anew. The her6ine's
nam, nane ls Kate Morgan. and she Is only
thirteen yeau old She and an invalid
SISTER i've with their father In a farm.
mouse ten miles from Augusta
'.a'e one Saturday night the father
accidentally discharged a run and IN.
u'''ed aesh-vound. by which a vein
was severed. and the man was IN dan.
ger OF bleeding 10 death. Nelghbor,
we're no, near and the nearest docto,
was In Augusta
The invalid sister vas ass,stea ,o h.,
,l,ners side. and undertook 10 atny m,
nov OF blood while Kate went for m.
uo,'or The nighi vaa DARK and 4
lalned' heavy. drenehlur rain ana
,ao little girl on horseback was VET 4
."o ,e'h hul she kept the beast Al
sa'.op' and rode into town M ON,
o'clock o'clock She hunted IN a doctor. sSs
snlle ne prepared to 10. she "a.
dressed Tn dry clothing belonr,n. !,
a daughter Of the physician Thsr
away they went back into Tho h,ns 4.
the storm ~ Wv mus u
They we're Inst IN time Tn. 81,
susie. could not have heib 80, -,
her fathers lie. '' saw
The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-08-05

secret sect was TO decoy or bring by
force n necessary his dearest relative
TO certain lonely spot In the woods,
When he arrived there ne himself was
TO run away ard leave the victim to
the mercy % The exccutloners. These
are the "Hsman Leoparls." the bold
est and strongest men OF the secret
csganlEailon They arc dressed from
head 10 foot IN the skin Of a leopard,
their human features being barely Wis
ihle. In each hand they hold a three
prongcd weapon. With hendish ra-
Paclty the human beasts spring on
the form Of their helpless and un-
armed victim and almost tear him
limb from limb. Then they dras the
horribly mutlla'ed and stlll qulvcring
cody 20 the calof FOR further disposl-
ton A. rule Il Is cut into small
pieces and divided among the villagers
who are an oannlbals.
Il is possible that the examples OF
relentless punishment which are belng
tried on the natives may. In course Of
time. tend 10 rot ont the evil Many
have been brought 10 Free Town OF
late and sentenced TO death.
This sect Is totally different from
the lcopard-spltted youths % The I'm
tata tribe OF Southern Africa. These
do not assume the skins OF leopards.
nor Is their vocation altogether muir
derous They are simply separated
from their families Tor wear to harden
chem Tor South African warriorship,
During that time the Abakwetas. a.
they are called. smear white clay over
their bodies. rubbing IL on In spots TO
give themselves the appearance OF
leopsrds Long bands OF straw are
wrapped around their waists and heads,
Weighing hundreds OF pounds. and as
they are sharp edged they infllct ter
rlble fortunes during their ecstatic war
dances. Their efficiency Tor the army
Is measured by the sang frold with
which they endure the fortunes Of the
dances during The year OF probation.