davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24
DIE In THE FLAMES.
MANY LIVES LOST IN AN APPEAL.
LING CHICAGO FIRE.
Avenues of Escape Cut Off and Victims
Leap from Windows or Are Buried in
the Ruins of Six-Story Structure on
Wabash Avenue
Terrible Scene. Witnessed.

What was probably the most appalling
Chicago fire since the cold storage holo
caust at the Worlds Fair, broke out in
the Conover piano building, 215 to 221
| Wabash avenue, at II o'clock Wednesday
forenoon. The death list may reach hf-
teen and the number of mangled and
wounded is twice that. Within half an
hour after the sheet of fire shot out from
the top floor of the six-story building, the
entire structure was wrapped in flames,
and the crash of the huge walls as they
tumbled down was heard for blocks
| around.
| The Conoyer Piano Company occupied
three floors of the building, including the
ground floor. The remaining tenants of
] the building were the National Music
Company, the Presbyterian Board of Pub
lication and Sweet, Wallach & Co., pho
tographic supplies. The fire started on
the floor occupied by the Photographic
supply company. The floor was stored
with chemicals and the dry, tinder-like
materials employed in manufacturing pho
tographic supplies. 1t was among this
inf1ammable stuff that the fire started.
The flames quickly spread to the floor be-
meath, where the National Music Com
pany had tons of song sheets packed away
upon counters and shelves.
Elevators became unserviceable, stair
ways filled with sitting smoke and all
exits save by the windows were cut off.
There were nearly 400 persons in the
building, and to the windows they rushed
On every one of the upper floors. They
crawled out On the cornices and down the
fire escapes like flies. They poured out Of
the exits over one another. Men and
women leaped from the windows. Some
were caught in the arms of bystanders
and in blankets, escaping with their lives.
Others fell to death.
The street was packed with people. The
flames reached store of varnish and
chemicals on the third floor There was
an explosion, and the front wall was
blown out. Plate glass windows across
the street were shattered. Scores were
burned, and many more were struck by
the flying debris.
The throng in the street became seized
with panic. The people started to rush
along the thoroughfare. Men and women
fell. They were trampled upon. In a
solid mass the crowd pushed on. Huge
burning brands dropped on their heads.
Teams from the cross streets plunged into
the struggling mass. Neither horses nor
people stopped. Some Of the horses rear
ed and struck out, wounding men and
women. Ambulances were called out from
all stations in the city to care for the dead
and wounded. The financial loss will ex-
ceed 81 100000.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24
Rest in Chance

The next best thing to taking a sum
mer or winter trip is to change the as
pect Of ones home twice year. Such
change does not imply domestic up.
heaval involving great work. family
discomfort and general wretchedness
for week or more. 1t simply means
what any woman can accomplish with
ease, taste and tactfulness. supplement-
ed by ordinary general cleaning day.
effort on the part Of the housemaid or
maid-of-all-work
NO woman who has not tried it can
conceive Of the rest and pleasure re-
sulting from such changes. Monotony
is deadly to bodily and mental health;
possibly to spiritual well-being also. A
change of environments, even if to 9TH
ers less attractive, is beneficial simply
because 1T is change-Woman S
Home Companion.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24
Notes of Current Events

/
| A full State ticket will be nominated
by the Republicans of Kansas at Hutch.
inson June 8.
Electricity as substitute for hauciDe
is being considered by the Massachusetts
Legislature.
1t is finally settled that the battlesbir
Kentucky will be christened with water
instead of wine.
Heavy consignments of Tennessee mar
bic are being shipped to the City of Mex
leo from Knoxville.
Nearly 10000 acres have been rec,a;,,
ed in Ireland during the past year from
bog and marsh lands.
Judge John Newton. the last treasure,
of the Southern Confedaracy, is crit;caJi1
i'll at his home, near Staunton. va
Sixteen-year-old Sadie Storer is - =,
at Huntsville, Ark, together wi+L an I
sweetheart and her mother. cboroed LII
the murder OF her father, A. VI. Storer =
prosperous farmer at that place.
California orange growers have suocoo5
ed in developing an orange tree tba+ III
withstand temperature of - dao,ranli
and yet yield a sweet and well-A,yors,5
fruit 'ofeo
SIX thousand painters and Decorate.
Of New York will demand 81 and g. S rs
per Gay for eight hours work on AnriI III 4
If their demands are not granted a 80.
viii follow. strlke
4 terrific hail storm occurred moo
catelio, Idaho, doing immense l1a,. u
stock. The storm was acconnar;ag 10
thunder and lightning and the hail eu sta DS
were as large as hens eggs. '''nes
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

entire collection for all departments fell
short of 10000 volumes In 1890 the
number of volumes was less than 1OO.-
600. In 1897 there We're about 100000
volumes, with many thousands of pam
phlets. The annual increase is $4,000
to 10000 volumes.
The library is strong in almost all
the branches of learning taught in the
university. 1t is especially rich in archi-
lecture and art; in botany it is second
only to the library at Harvard Uni
versity; it is rich in the political and
economic sciences. Special collections
which may be mentioned are the Avery
library of architecture and are of $4,000
volumes, the Goethe collection of over
1000 volumes and the Kant collection
of about 700 volumes.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24
PROCTOR TALKS PLAINLY.
Vermont Senator Tells the Senate of
His Trip to Cuba.

His Trip to Cuba.
Senator Proctor Thursday afternoon
made the strongest argument in favor of
| intervention in behalf of Cuba that has
ever been made in the Senate. Never
were the members of the Senate so deeply
impressed. Mr.. Proctor made no attempt
for oratorical effect. He had carefully
prepared his address, and he delivered it
tc the Senate as an official report of what
he had observed in Cuba. He gave no
opinion as to what action should be taken
by this Government. He said the settle
ment may well be left to an American
President and the American people, But
while he did not make a recommendation
in so many words, he left the impressions
with all who heard him that he favored a.
declaration by this Government of the in
dependence of Cuba. He declared that
he was opposed to annexation, and, while
many Cubans advocated the establish
ment of a prvtectorate by the United
States, he could not make up his mind
that this would be the best way out of
the difficulty. He told his associates that
he believed the Cubans capable of gov
erning themselves. and re-enforced this
statement by the assertion that the Cuban
population would never be satisfied with
any government under Spanish rule.
There was really nothing new in what
he said. The same facts have been pre-
sented time and again by newspaper cor
respondents, and have been denounced as
falsehoods. The point of their presenta-
ton Thursday was that they were detail
ed by United States Senator as the re-
suit of his personal observations-of q
Senator, too, who went to Cuba strongly
prepossessed with the idea that the condi-
uon of the concentrates had been greatly
exaggerated, and who came back and de-
clared that the scenes he had witnessed
were absolutely indescribable
He said nothing about the Maine except
TO state that he had not formed nor ex-
pressed any opinion on the subject of her
destruction, and preferred to wait for the
report OF the court Of inquiry. Autonomy,
ne asserted, was an utter failure. 1t came
TOO late. There were practically no au-
Economists. The rebels possessed the east
or the island, and even in the west the
spanish army held just what it sat upon
and no more.
From many view points the statement
was remarkable. 1t had evidently been
most carefully prepared. Every element
OF sensationalism had been studiously
eliminated from it and, except so far as
the facts recited were sensational. it bore
not the slightest evidence of an effort to
arouse the public mind, already keenly
allve to the condition of affairs on the
island
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24
TeIegraphic Breyitfee.

California s petroleum trade is booming
Thirty-two new wells have been sunl
since March l.
Reports from various points in New
England show that the cotton mill strik,
will soon end
The convention of cattle raisers at For
Worth, Tex. raised subscription fer {,
monument to the dead of the battleshi.
Maine.
At Holly Springs, Miss. little May
Briggs, the 4-year-old daughter of Jane.
Briggs, swallowed button and choked tt
death in a few minutes.
Rain has fallen abundantly all owe
Kansas, and stock water, which wa.
scarce. is now plentiful, and pastures and
wheat are much benefited.
A contract was let by the Board of Pub
lie Affairs for lighting the city of For
Smith, Ark, witl; electricity. The con
tract carries with e an electric street cal
franchise, to be put in operation in twelve
months.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

good Samaritan. He devoted himself
body and soul to the wounded and dy-
ing OF the Maine. Father Chadwick is
one of two sons of a widowed mother.
to whom he is much devoted. He has a
sister, a nun, Sister Geraldine, in Pc
tersboro hospital, Canada. His father,
who died just as Father Chadwick re-
ceived his commission as chaplain.
served with distinction both in the
army and navy during the civil war.
He was Il builder in New York. Chap
lain Chadwick said: Il have often
heard our the Maine's) officers say
that they had never sailed with crew
Of better men. and 1 firmly believe the
statement. They were loyal and brave
men,
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

The railroads of the United States
expend in year sum more than $780,
100000 in excess of the total expendi-
lures of the United States Government,
and this computation does not include
nearly $250,000,0o0 paid in the form of
interest upon railroad bonds or guar
S1O0,000,000 paid in the form of divi-
dends to stockholders. The railroads.
indeed, are the great disbursing agen-
cies of the country, handling never less
than billion dollars in year and dis
bursting it all, or practically all. for
railroads as a rule do not keep large
bank accounts. and do practically a
cash business, turning money rapidly.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24
{S2IzS5;;;:,{f g; 81 {;e> Side;
The News q

| In case of war Spain will make Soma
discoveries in America never dreamed o1
by Christopher Columbus.
The monitor Terror has four big puns
out the Puritan has ten. The Puritan
appears to be holy terror.
The Indiana Attorney General nrosa-
cutting the Versailles lynchers is named
Netcham-but he hasn't done it.
1t now remains for Ignatius DonneIlv
who has married his stenographer to dis.
cover who is going to do the debating
The Ohio Legislature is wrestling with
an anti-tights bill. And yet some neonIe
say the fight against rum is weakening.
The court which has decided that meat
inspection by the Government is uncon-
stltutional has had a tough subject tn
consider.
Speaking Of the dogs of war. there IS M
consolation for the Spaniards in the fact
that all of Uncle Sans big guns have
muZZles.
In case of war if the Spanish battlesbip
FiZcaya should get into trouble the sub
marine boat Holland might be found at
the bottom of it.
Somehow it doesn't seem very consist
ent for Secretary Day to keep anything
dark longer than twelve hours at a time
The Governor of Idaho seeks election to
Congress on no-necktie platform. Evil
IDENTITY it's meek or nothing" with him.
Apparently the greatest menace to the
peace of the Old World just now il
Japan's impatience to try that Few navy
on something.
stove trust with capital of SIC. GOO.
600 has been formed. This looks az
though the managers proposed to make
1t WARM for the opposition.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

1t is neither the ease which wealth
gives-for riches as often bring carking
cares with them-nor yet asceticism.
nor get athletics, which enables men
10 reach advanced years. While the
we Eiay not confidently assume to point
it out. we think 1t Will be found that
the possession of clear conscience
goes as far as anything TO prolong
mans l:fe. The worries of He. which
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

The trading-stamp usually buries in
its patrons both the sense Of humor
and that of proportions. A woman re-
Gently stopped street car after pay
ing her fare, and took return car
home to get q forgotten trading-card
before making some trifiing purchases.
The price Of the extra fares exactly
balanced the value Of the gift on five
dollars worth of goods. The law
against trading stamps may be un-
constitutional, but it is moral protest
against the habit of trying to get some
thing for nothing. Moreover, consid-
ering the real value of the gifts" the
something is usually less than nothing.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

The candidature Of Prince George OF
Greece for the goyernorship of Crete
| is a striking illustration of the persona
| relations of the reigning houses in
Europe. He wrote letter to his couS
| in, the Emperor of Russia, asking him
to support his claims. The Emperor
at once adopted him as the Russian
candidate. They are not only cousins
each being a grandson of King Chris
tian IN. of Denmark, but are also in
innate friends of nearly the same age,
They were companions in q journey
around the world, and Prince George,
by his GOODNESS and courage, had saved
his cousins life from an aSSaSSin'S at
tack in Japan. a personal appeal for
support could not be disregarded. The
governorship of Crete has remained an
unsettled question since the war be.
tween Turkey and Greece The Euro
pean powers, while pledged to protect
the island, and to reform it's govern.
llent, had been unable to agree upon
candidate for governor. One name after
another had been proposed, only to b.
rejected. The willy Sultan objected OF
general principles to every candidate.
When Nicholas H. ordered his minis
ters TO propose Prince Georges name:
the significance Of the nomination as
the personal choice OF the sovereign
was perceived throughout Europe
France. as Russias closest ally, at once
supported the candidature. Lord Sails.
bury seconded it gladly, especially as
the Prince was the nephew of the Prin.
cess Of Wales. Italy acquiesced. The
attitude of the Kaiser is not yet fully
known. Greece had plunged into war
in order to iberate and annex Crete.
and had been disastrously defeated.
The appointment of son of the King
of Greece as governor Of Crete would
be considerable victory for the pros
trate little kingdom. The Sultan re-
fused to consent to it, and appealed
to the German Emperor. Russia at
once applied pressure by demanding
the payment of arrears of interest on
the unpaid war indemnity contracted
by Turkey in the campaigns of 1878. |
Whenever the Sultan is obstinate, ne |
IS forcibly reminded that Turkey owes
Russia 4 great deal of money This |
which will at once do |
much to retrieve the fortunes of |
Greece, and will offer a practical solu-
ton of troublesome question of Euro
Dean diplomacy, is the outcome of the
intimate relations of the two cousins. !
who were together in the far East In
he same way the German Emperor,
n entering upon diplomatic and ma
al campaign in China, commissioned |
lis brother to visit Queen Victoria at
Osborne. Prince Henry is favorite
lmong the Queens grandsons, and in /
of his visit more friendly
elations between England and Ger
many have been established. What
yer may be the rival policies of Rus
ia and England in China, the family
elationS of the two courts tend to pro-
note compromise and peace. Nicholas
L. has married granddaughter Of the
queen. and is strongly influenced by
lis mother. who is a sister of the Prin-
esS of Wales.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

The Attorney General of Massachu-
settS has suggested that trials for GER
tain criminal offences be held in Sc
cret, thus shutting out prurient idlers
and making it difficult for cheap news
papers to gather the filth on which they
fatten. In such an event, the criminal
would miss his notoriety, the loafer his
scandal and the newspaper its '.sensa-
tion"-but to decent people the aggre-
gate Of all these losses would be great
gain
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

The American navy has glorious
past, traditions rich in valor and geni-
us. w ehave the same yalor, equal
genius. but while we are boasting of
our better tools Of warfare we seem
yet to be inadequately possessed of the
gift Of using them. We shall learn. but
it seems that the SchooimaSter is
charging a merciless price.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

We are apt to laugh at Russia for sc
long persisting in the use of the an.
tiquated calendar which was pre-.
scribed by Julius Caesar, and which
is now twelve days behind the calen-
dar in use by other civilized nations.
but Russia is now going not only to fall
In line with the rest Of the world in
her mode of reckoning time, but to take
another important step in advance-a
step from which America, progressive
in most other things, shrinks with all
the timidity Of child urged to take his
first dip in the ocean. Russia has de-
cided to adopt the metric system Of
weights and measures, thus leaving the
United States and Great Britain the
last of civilized nations to retain the
old-fashioned arbitrary method of
weight and mensuration. 1t has taken
Russia 316 years to adopt the Grego-
rian calendar; let us hope it will not be
quite so long before the United States
adopts the metric system.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24
CoLUMBIA'S GREAT LIBRARY.
College Will Contain Collection of
About ], 100000 Volumes.


Columbia University Library is sit
uated in the architectural center of the
university site at Morningside Heights
in New York City. Seventeen other
| buildings are planned to surround ii
and to serve for various purposes. 1t is
a noble structure, consisting substan-
tally of four buildings, each 10 feet
in length and 45 feet in depth, placed
about a hollow square, which is rooted
over and surmounted by dome. The
central space under the dome serves as
a reading-room, and is, from floor to
ceiling, JOG feet in height.
The material is granite for the first
or basement story and Indiana lime
stone for the remainder of the struc-
ture. The building is thoroughly fire
proof. 1t contains at present, besides
the library and connected reading
rooms, the administrative offices of
the university and the lecture-rooms
and offices of the faculties of law, polit-
ical science and philosophy. When
fully utilized for library purposes the
building will contain about 100000
volumes, with reading and study space
for many hundred readers.
The library dates back to the founda-
ton of the college in 1854, but the IL
brary of Kings College was substan-
TALLY dissipated and destroyed when
the college buildings were occupied
during the war of the revolution. The
present library has grown since the
reorganization of the institution in
lege. In 1888, when a new library
building was erected and occupied, the
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24
Then He Sighed Again.

Softleigh (sighing)-Ah! Would I
were your muff, that might hold both
your fairy-like hands.
Miss Gyett-Oh, wouldn't that be just
too lovely for anything. And I've al
ways wanted a monkey muff so much.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

A pink-tinted note from "Alys'' brings
the information that she has composed
about twenty poems on spring and kim
dred subjects" and asks: ''Shall l con-
suit an editor about this. and if so. how
shall ] 60 about it?'' 1t will not be
just consult physician.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

Some doctor has discovered that
women who wear low shoes are in
grave danger of having their feet made
fiat and unshapely by the lack of sup
port for their ankles. That explains,
Of course, why women Of times and
countries in which only sandals We're
worn or the feet were left unshod fur
nished so many beautiful models for
painters and sculptors.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

1t is now claimed that all the cheap
comic valentines in this country are
made in a small town in the interior of
New York. In order to save the place
from total and instantaneous destruc-
tion. however, its name is not given.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24
Which Did He MeanS

eve have plenty of churches" said
the alderman during an interview.
What we want is more public halls"
The compositor, however, set it up
public hauls," and the proofreader,
who had once posed as politician, let
It 90 at that
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

why" asks the New York Evening
Sun, will a woman wear feather boa
around her neck and rundown heels to
her Shoes?' Because there is no better
place to wear either feather boa or
rundown heels.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

A London scientist says he has care
fully studied $50 species of microbes,
auu nnus tnstt only rorty or that num-
ber have vicious tendencies. ION the
whole he says. 1.-The microbe helps to
make life pleasurable." The carbolated
rosewater will have to go.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

A Lockport On. V paper says: 'Nliss
Minnie Powers of this city is eight feet
tall, lacking one inch" That young
woman evidently stands very high in
the estimation of all who know her.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

wear out nervous force. lose their grip
upon one who is at peace with his con-
science, and as general thing those
who live the longest have possession OF
this vital resource.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

The San Francisco Examiner prints
over Willamette Falls in a boat under
the caption Swept to Perdition." Why
take so gloomy q view of it?
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24
Killed in Railway accidents.

The proportion of killed to the num-
ber of railway travellers is in France
one in nineteen million, England one
in twenty eight million, and in the
United States one in two million fcur
hundred thousand.
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24
HE IS a FIGHTER,
tomm odore McNair, Who 10 to Take
Command of United tates Navy


Commodore Frederick V. McNair has
succeeded to the command of the North
Atlantic squadron. The position makes
him the actual commander of the United
States navy. He takes the place of Rear
Admiral Matthews, who goes on the re-
tired list.
The coming admiral is no tyro in the
matter OF naval experience. He is no
The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-03-24

theorist. Rather say he is Il theorist Q nd
fighter combined. He entered the Naval
Academy in 1888 and was sent TO China
When the war broke out he was ordered
nome and served under Farragut. As
early as 1851 he was promoted a lieuten-
ant for personal bravery He ran the
gauntlet at Vicksburg ard was consricu
Gus IN the assault on Fort Fisher For
tour years the young sailor never kney
When the next moment was to be his last