davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30

ed to pay taxes until some heir came
to claim it.
Last week a pale-faced woman,
whose every movement spoke of long
endured and great sorrow, registered
at the now metropolitan Anderson
House, which stands on the same spot
once occupied by Squire Jim's" primi-
tive tavern. She is perhaps 60 years
old, though her silvery hair and care
worn expression gave the impression
of TO. On the register she inscribed
"Mrs. Annie Welland, Northampton
Mass" While cur1ously enough the
old mill sign is plain: "Annie Welland
Mills" Mrs. Welland tells her story
this way:
"Just after the close of the war,
while living in Boston, l met and was
married to Frank Welland, Lieuten-
ant in the Federal army. His home
was at Northampton, where we at
once moved. He had been wounded
during the war, and had just recovered
after long attack of brain fever. He
was heir to a large fortune, portion
of which he insisted upon making over
to me. The rest he converted into gov
ernment bonds and carried in large
cane made for that purpose We had
lived together but few months when
Frank was again afflicted with brain
trouble. One Of his hallucinations was
that he had charge of a large mill
which he must run without help. One
day he disappeared, and though have
spent thousands of dollars and travel.
ed all over the country, could find no
trace Of him. In June of this year !
came to the Tennessee centennial.
While in machinery hall one day l
heard two men who were looking at
the milling machinery exhibits talking
of the old Annie Welland mill. 1 ask
ed them where the mill was located,
and they told me the story Of its build
Ing. | hastened to Dickson, and am
now satisfied that my husband and
Frank King are one and the same.
How he got to Dickson | will, perhaps,
never know. l shall not do anything
With the mill. He must have named 1t
from the memory of his love for me,
and IT shall stand as he left 1t until
time or accident has worked its de-
struction."
Mrs. Welland has gone home, after
ordering a monument placed at the
head of her husbands grave. Mean
while, the old mill stands bleak and
bare, its timbers falling away, its doors
and windows gone, a habltation for
rats and mice, bats and owls, ghost
ly, weird skeleton, rising high in the
midst of progress, itself an echo of the
mysterious man who builded to his
own death, and the lifelong heart sick
ness of loving woman.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Cases OF Fire in Theaters.

Mr.. Sachs details the causes of fires
in 1913 cases which have broken out at
the back of theaters. Forty-four have
been due to defects in the gas installa-
tion, 81 to open lights, 32 to defects in
heating apparatus, 81 to fireworks, IS
to lamps, II to explosions, to defects
In the electric installation and a simi-
lar number to gases. In the case of
769 the time of outbreak Is reported.
Forty-two per cent. occurred In the
night, "a per cent. in the daytime, II
per cent within two hours after a per-
formance and 1875 per cent. during the
progress of an entertainment. OF the
total number of outbreaks chronicled
5S4 have occurred in Europe Q39 in
Great Britain) and 531 In the United
States. New York has the largest pro-
portion-41 fires at 81 different estab-
lishments- London comes second
with 35 at 27 establishments and Paris
third with 81 at % Establishments
London Saturday Review.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30

Thirty-oDe years ago the town of
Dickson, Tenn, was a village Of elev-
en- houses, with population Of thirty
seven whites and fourteen negroes. 1t
was just such hamlet as can yet be
found along the rapidly extending
branch lines of the Louisville and
Nashville Railroad system; rough
board houses, rail fences around small
garden spots, an Sx12 depot and post
office and the inevitable tavern-a log
structure containing two rooms anu
an attic, presided over by Old Squire
Jim Dickson. whose wife furnished ac-
commodations to the few travellers VINO
by chance came that way. squire
Jim," as he is yet called, was the or1g1-
nal settler, the leading man of the set
tlement, and dealt out such justice and
legal opinions as were necessary for
the maintenance Of the peace Of the
village he had founded and which was
named for him.
Three times a week a train would
come out from Nashville, forty miles
east Of Dickson, and go down the
CfOOheu tracks OF Cue NdSuN llIc, NhAt-
tanoOga and st. Louis Railroad to
Johnsonville, on the Tennessee River.
The arrival Of train (by no means
certainty on any particular day. was
signal for Dickson's entire pOpula-
ton to gather at the little depot and
postoffice to await the opening of the
mail. The train usually consisted Of
three freight cars and the still familiar
caboose, with It's rough wooden seats,
cook stove and hunks for the crew. In
this passengers were hauled, and many
were the jars they received.
1t was seldom that a stranger stop
ped in Dickson, and the advent of one
always created excitement. But one
day a man stepped off the Nashville
train and inquired for a tavern. He
appeared to be about 40 years of age,
was neatly dressed and was peculiar
In that he talked only when it was un-
avoidable, brought with him no bag
gage and carried a cane nearly two
inches in diameter and apparently very
heavy. Squire JIM answered the
strangers query and led him to the
tavern, where he gave his name as
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
The Destruction of Sod ON.

An attempt to give a scientific ac-
count of the destruction of SodOm and
Gomorrah has been made by DR.. G.
Diener, of Vienna. A study Of the pc
culiarities of the Dead Sea basin, and
Of the site of the overwhelmed "cities
Of the plain" leads him to conclude
that a violent earthquake must at some
time have occurred there, which af-
fected the entire basin, and was accom-
panied by the inundation Of the shores.
An old volcanic crater on the eastern
side of the sea was, he thinks, stimuli
taneously thrown into eruption through
the disturbance produced by the earth
quake. These occurrences would sup
ply the principal phenomena mention
ed In the scriptural account.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Frank King. paid in advance for stay

Frank King, paid in advance for stay
Of three months, and requested that he
be left to his own devices and not ask
ed to join in any Of the convivial at
fairs for which the Squire's hostelry
was deservedly famous.
Down in what is now a th1ckly pop
ulated residence district there Is
spring that furnishes water for half a
dozen factories and their employees. At
that time it was surrounded by dense
growth of underbrush, and was ia
vorite spot for hunters, game Of all
kinds abounding. To this spring Frank
King would go every morning, rarely
returning for dinner, and frequently
staying there all night. He carried
with him nothing except his cane,
which, indeed, was never out of his
reach. Squire Dickson spent many
hours guessing what might be the busi-
ness of his reticent guest. At last, con-
vinced that it was his duty to investi-
gate, he said one evening:
"Mr. King, we want to know what
brings you to Dickson and why you go
so frequently to McFarland's spring"
"Well SIR" replied King, "Pm 60
ing to build the biggest flour mill this
side Of New York.
He said no more, but began writing
letters to lumber and machinery houses
In the East, the destination Of which
"Suuire Jim" shrewdly guessed at the
postoffice. In few days workmen ap-
reared from Nashville and began the
laying of foundation that covered
half an acre. King directed operations,
knew just what he wanted and how he
wanted 1t done. Car loads OF lumber
and machinery began to arrive, ana
every man and team for miles around
was engaged to help build the man.
moth mill. Even Squire Jim" left his
tavern to the care Of Mrs. Jim and ac-
cepted a situation as boss carpenter
on the new mill. 1t was a big under
taking, and attracted attention from
all the papers Of the State. Men pc
gan flocking to Dickson, and other
smaller industries were commenced
Meanwhile King remained non-com-
initial. He had no friends, no visitors,
nothing of his former life. His work
men were paid weekly, and his supply
of money seemed inexhausdble. NO
one could tell where 1t came from, and
finally it was accepted as a matter OF
course, though one or two detectives
came from the city to take a look at
the man whose past was so well con.
cealed. In December, 1867, the mill
was completed. By this time DICKSON
could boast of population of nearly
300. with a brick church and school'
all the result of Kings mill. No sooner
was the final touch Of the painter s
brush applied to the huge sign thac
covered the entire four-story front OF
the building than King gave up MS
room at the Dickson Inn and moVed
into his big creation. 1t was not known
when the mill would start. Everything
was In readiness with the exceplon
Of engaging help and obtaining pro
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
A Smelter For Los Angeles.

The Bishop Register, Inyo county,
says: GA smelter in Los Angeles would
have a monopoly of the vast ore de-
posits of southeastern Inyo, if there
was some way in which the ore could
be got to the smelter. People who
claim to know say that in the rich fields
in which lie Darwin, Ballarat, Pana-
mint, Modoc, and other localities there
are deposits of low-grade ore sufficiently
large to keep a smelter going for years.
The only way that thousands of tons
of that ore can ever be proftably
worked is through cheap transportation
to extensive reduction works-in short,
a railroad tapping the country. Until
it becomes possible to ship in this way,
probably millions of dollars will lie un-
touched, and only the richer, and usually
smaller, properties can be successfully
worked"
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
An InYisihIe Monkey.

There are many animals, especially
birds and insects, which mimic in their
colors and shapes the natural objects
amid which they dwell, and thus fire.
quently escape the eyes of their enc
mics; but, as DR.. Lydekker says, In
Knowledge, Until quite recently no
case was known where a monkey, for
the sake Of protection, resembled in
form or coloration either some other
animal or inanimate object" Such
monkeys were discovered by DR.. ]. w.
Gregory during his recent journey in
East Africa. Near relatives of the
monkeys seen by him have long been
known to naturalists, and have excited
surprise by the brilliant contrast of
the black fur covering their body and
limbs with the snow-white mantle of
long, silky hair hanging from their
shoulders, and the equally white
plumes on their tails. This contrast,
DIR. Gregory found, serves to render
the animals practically invisible, for
the trees which they inhabit have black
stems, and are draped with pendant
masses of gray-white lichen, amid
which the monkeys can hardly be dis
tinguiShed.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30

duct to grind. Men had asked King
for work and had been told that he had
sufficient help. One venturesome far
mer offered to sell him wheat, and was
told that none was required.
1t was three days before Christmas,
1867, that King moved into his mill.
He barred the doors and until New
Years eve was not seen or heard. At
just 12 o'clock New Years the town
was startled by prolonged whistling
from the mill. Running to the scene
the astonished natives saw great vol
umes of smoke pouring from the chin
neys and heard the rumble of machin-
cry, although not light appeared. The
great mass Of machinery continued to
run until morning. This was repeated
every night for a week, and still no
door was opened.
Then one night all was quiet. The
next day Squire Jim" got together a
crowd Of men and broke down the
door of the mill. In the engine room
they found the lifeless body Of poor
King, twisted around the piston, torn
and MANNED, his hand still grasping
the valve, where he had bravely shut
off steam after being caught. On the
floor lay the familiar cane In his
pocket no letters were found, and in
the mill he had created he had died, a
mystery to the world, perhaps a mys-
terry to himself. At the inquest the
cane was examined. 1t was hollow,
and in it was found $4,000 in United
States government bonds. This was
evidently where his money had been
taken from to erect the mill. The jury
gave a verdict Of accidental death, and
at the head of his grave yet stands a
rough stone, upon which are cut these
words:
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
How a Rich Man Started in Busin ess

81 made most of my money by hard
knocks" declared the old resident who
has no financial troubles even in these
dubious times, "but l once made some
very easy money just when was sore
ly In need Of 1t.
81 had managed to buy little
stretch of lake shore with the idea of
disposing of it as a summer resort. No
one was looking for that kind of an in
vestment and / had 81 dead duck on my
hands. 1 happened down there just at
the breaking up Of winter, when I had
nothing else to do and no money to do
1t with If had. There was a big raft
Of logs tied up at my beach and 1t had
been there since the late fall; at least,
that is the view took Of the situation.
1t was a bold violation of private
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
His Brotherly Love.

An apostle Of brotherly love of Wich-
ita, Kan, went to Topeka to lecture,
and this Is the way he talked: "Why,
If a hare-brained, silly, mimicking,
foolish, sleek, wel-groomed dancing
man should waltz around a ballroom
with his wife, would hunt him up the
next morning and kick him around the
public square, If l could do it. If l
couldn't do 1t would hire the biggest
darky In town to do it for me. 1t would
Ina done"
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
CarbOruudum.

Among the industries supplied with
electric power by Niagara Falls is the
manufacture of carborundum crystals.
These are formed by the reduction in
electric furnaces Of a mixture Of sand,
coke, salt and sawdust. The beautiful
blue crystals are afterward crushed
to powder, which is used as an abra-
sive, like emery or corundum. Carbon
undum is remarkable for its hardness,
In which property it almost, If not
quite, equals the diamond.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Something New In the Stars.

1t would hardly occur to any one,
except an astronomer, to search among
the stars for a new chemical element.
Yet the much-talked-of helium was de-
tected in stars before 1t had been
found on the earth, and in the corona
of the sun there appears gas which
has not been identified with any ter
restrial substance. Lately 1t was dis
covered that a star in the constellation
Puppis, and a few others, exhibit
strange spectral lines, which were at
first supposed to belong to yet another
new element But more recently rea-
son has been found for thinking that
the strange lines are due to hydrogen
in some extraordinary condition, only
attained in those particular stars.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
A Man of the Old School.

"Paw," said little boy, reported by,
the Indianapolis Journal, what is a
gentleman Of the old schoolT
'Er-ah-he is one of those fine,
smooth-shaven old gentlemen who
think it awful that woman should
know how to repair a punctured tire,
but just perfectly lovely for her to
know how to fix sewing machine"
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Lower California.

One of the latest mining enterprises
in which Los Angeles people are inter-
ested is that of company of San Fran
cisco people, who have organized as the
Santa Rosalia Bay Mining company, to
exploit some gold property in Lower
California, twenty miles south of San
Diego The find was made by W. T.
Hall of Los Angeles in the early part
of 1895. Hall is the man who took the
first enigne out of Los Angeles when
the rairlOad strike was in progress. He
went to Lower California for the pur-
pose of pearl fishing and brought back
some rich specimens of ore to San Fran
cisco, whereupon, after investigation,
the company was formed.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Ivy.

The action of ivy on ruins Is said to
afford practical proof Of the drying
character of its rootlets-the mortar Is
SO hard and dry that 1t is difficult to
demolish the old walls. If the branches
are allowed to get into cutters or 9TH
er water conduits, so as to choke the
flow In heavy rains, the walls may be
rendered damp, but not by the mere
clingingtO lhs walls Of the plants them,
selves.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Make Him Prove 1t.

Mudge-What would you do If you
were me? Thomas called me a glib
bering idiot.
Watts-Td make him prove it, every
bit of it. l don't believe any one ever
heard you gibber.-Indianapolis Jour
nal.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Willing to Treat.

'Then, proud beauty, you refuse my
ioveP' said he.
We'll" said the summer girl,
thoughtfully, II don't know but that
might be willing to take an option OH
it."-Indianapolis Journal.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30

Serpents Not Proof Against Venom.
DR.. Calmette, who has made study
of the treatment of snake-bites with
antivenOmous serum, has lately discov-
cred, contrary to his first opinion, that
venomous snakes and other reptiles are
not proof against serpent venom. A
much larger quantity of the poison is,
however, required to kill them than to
kill other animals.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
IT Denenda.

Soxey-I have been told that all close
listed people make money.
Knoxey-Of course they do, II they
get In a knockout before the police In.
terfere.-Pittsburg News.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Growing Usefulness of X-Rays.

Mons. Ollier showed, at a recent
meeting of the Academy of Sciences in
Paris, how, by the use of Roentgen
rays, the progress of bone growth in
the human body, after surgical opera
tions, could be watched and studied in
a manner hitherto impossible. In the
same way the position of diseased por-
tions Of bone can readily be located.
and such portions can be removed
without amputation Of the limb in
cases where such amputation would
otherwise be necessary; but while prov
ing themselves exceedingly useful
when carefully and skillfully employed
the X rays are also capable of mischief.
Messrs. Seguy and Quenisset reported
to the Academy that prolonged ex-
posure to the rays had, in several cases,
caused violent and irregular palpita-
ton of the heart.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Dearest Erienda

Miss Elderly-Mr. Suave always
treats me with much more Difference
than he does any of the girls.
Miss Sprightly-He has told me often
that he has no use for man who fails
to respect age.-Detroit Free Press.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
In the Air.

Old Lady-Warm, isn't it?
Mabel (mopping her face)-Yes.
There's so much humidity In the air.
Old Lady-That's so. There, you've
just missed one It's right next to
your nose.
Mabel Cjabbing at the point indicated)
One what?
Old Lady-Why, one of those that
you said was in the air. l call 'em
coal sOOts.-Cleveland Plain Dealer,
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Sure He WOuld Suif

A merchant being in want Of a clerk
advertised for one who, among other
qualifications, the advertisement said.
must be able to bear confinement
He soon received an answer which
terminated thus:
az am certain 1 should suit, as 1 can
bear confinement, having been in Jail
seven years, from which am but Just
liberated. d."-Spare Moments.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
A Weakness Confessed.

'T do my best not to be envious,"
said the nervous man, "but sometimes
1 can't help it."
why, you never manifest much
covetousness."
mo. l don't covet But whenever
the Fourth of July comes around
can't see a deaf and dumb man with
out being jealous. s."-Washington Star,
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Dis1odged the Enemy.

1--WE have at last succeeded in dis
lodging portion CT our enemy from
their stronghold" exclaimed the al
most breathless Spanish officer.
"How did you manage itY
"My brave men and l went too close
to where they were and they came out
and chased s."-Washington Star.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
An Extensive Song.

Cumso-You say that you bought this
delightful country home for song?
Cawker-Figurativel speaking, yes.
It's price approximated that Of song
by Patti.-Detroit Free Press.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
COatlY Plants.

II suppose" said the amateur botan-
ist, that orchids are the most expens.
i've plants in the world"
Il am not so sure of that" replied
Mr.. Dinwiddie, 81 have seen the as
sertion that $5OO,OOO,OOO is invested In
electric-light plants in this country"
-Pittsburg Chronicle.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Business Faults,

"Have you noticed how StebbIns re-
peats himselfw
Yes; it is an atrocieus habit. Yes
terday he tried to collect a bill of me
which he has collected twice before
Detroit Free Press. J!
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Al Usual.

81 tell you, Dick, there's nothing like
knowing how to manage a wife. My
wife wanted to go to the mountains
and l wanted to go to the seashoreT
How did it come out"
I'VE compromised"
"On WhatY
"On the mountains. ."-Harper's Ba-
Ear
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Her Strong Points.

Mrs Meeker," observed friend Of
the family, sis a very superior woman.
She can converse intelligently, I be-
ieve, ON thousand different topics"
"Yes," sighed Mr.. Meeker. "And she
doeS."-Chicago Tribune.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Strange Indian Vengeance.

In the course Of the investigations re-
ferred to in the preceding paragraph,
DR.. Calmette discovered the nature Of
a mortal poison which some of the ma
tives of India employ to kill the cattle
of their enemies. The poison is applied
to little pointed rods inserted in the end
Of short stick, which can be conceal
ed in the hand. Approaching the cattle,
the poisoner slightly scratches them
with the venom-charged points. The
ends of the little rods break off and re-
main in the wounds, which are barely
visible. DR.. Calmette found that the
poison was extracted from a kind Of
bean, growing on a leguminous plant
known botanically as Abrus precatOri-
US. This poison is called abrin, and is
almost as fatal in it's effects as the
most violent serpent venom.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30

1t is proposed to reopen the famous
Cinnabar quicksilver mines, back of
Santa Barbara. They have been closed
for twenty years.
Report comes from Carryville, Cal. E,
to the effect that H. Y. Osborne, late of
the Express of Los Angeles but now
special correspondent of the Examiner
for the Trinity gold fields, has bought a
mine for $4,000 and bonded another prop
erty for $4,000.
The Armagosa, which is located
seventy-five miles north of Daggett, is
an interesting mine 1t has been work
ed for over half century. In the office
of the company are old implements that
were found in the mine when it was
recently reopened. There are also some
large chunks of ore, showing free gold
in liberal quantities.
jamestown and the surrounding
country is excited on account of the
rich strike in the Tanzy mines, operated
under lease by Colby and Beckwith.
The mine is located on the mother lode,
near Sonora. The workmen struck a
rocket, and in ten hours they had taken
s3l 200 in gold from the pocket, and
there Is said to be mucn more TO IOlIOW.
There is great activity at Acton, in
the northern part of Los Angeles county,
where the Red Rover, the Deepest
mine in the county, has developed into
something like bonanza at depth OF
700 feet. 1t is estimated that there will
soon be over three hundred miners reg
ularly employed in that district, and
steps are being taken to lay out town
site. Acton is only sixty-six miles from
Los Angeles.
Some San Francisco men have decided
on rather a novel way of securing gold
in the Sacramento river at Reddlng.
They will stretch wire cable across
the river, and miners clad in complete
diving suits will obtain support while
they 60 down into the river and work
the bed thereof. They hope to obtain
considerable gold dust from the crevlces
in the bedrock at the bottom OF the
stream.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
A Test.

"You needn't say woman has no me-
chanical genius. 1 can do anything
on earth with only hairpin."
'Well, here, sharpen this lead pencil
with it."-Detroit Free Press.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
His Conclusion.

"What makes you think Miss Darling
would be willing to pose as a model for
the altogetherY'
Il just saw her on the beach, in her
bathing suit, before hundreds Of peo-
e."-Cleveland Leader.
The Winslow mail., 1897-10-30
Mo-.1v Ouestion of Time

New York Girl-It is too bad you
can't have ocean bathing in Chicago!
Chicago Girl-Yes. We haven't any
suburbs on the seacoast, yet.-Puck-