davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21
UnlOaded Guns.

"Unloaded guns are the deadliest
weapons in the world" remarked q
clerk in Royal street curio shop.
"They are always going off and killing
somebody. Yesterday fellow brought
an old horse pistol into the shop. 1t was
one Of the dragon model; loads with
powder and ball, you know, and uses
percussion cap. The thing was as big
as a small cannon and hadn't been
fired, 1 suppose, since the year l. The
owner assured me it wasn't loaded,
and, as there was no cap on the nipple,
I handled it little more carelessly
than otherwise would have done. We
were standing at the back door, and
raised the hammer to see whether the
lock was still in working order.
"When l pulled the trigger, there
was an explosion that shook the house
and scared us both half out of our wits.
while the bullet hit packing case over
there in the corner and knocked it into
smithereens. How the COMPOUNDED ma
chine happened to go off was mystery
until I closely examined the lock. Then
l saw that an old cap had evidently
corroded and attached itself to the ham,
mer, which was slightly cup shaped at
the end, and when 1 cooked the weapon
it simply lifted off the nipple and came
up too. It was only one of the little
tricks of unloaded weapons. They are
mighty good things to let alone. -
New Orleans Times Democrat.
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21

ng days or weeks in preparing for a pro-
per celebration of holidays. OF all of the
days that attracted unusual attention on
the part of the Yankee soldiers, Christ
mas stood at the head. however.
With most of the young fellows Christ
mas 1861, was their first away from
home. Many of them had hard work to
appear happy ms they looked at presents
from dear ones and ate the good things
sent them. But great changes had taken
place before Christmas, 1862. At least
$4,000 of the Army of the Potomac had
fallen out of lne-dead, wounded or pris-
oners. The track of its march was red
red from Yorktown to Richmond and from
Richmond to Malvern Hill; from Cedar
Mountain to Manassas South Mountain
to Antietam, and the reddest spot was
Fredericksburg. What a gloomy Christ
mas it was for the Northerners. They
had, only few days before, been badly
defeated in their attempt to drive Lee and
the Army of Northern Virginia from the
heights of Fredericksburg. The people at
home may have started a Christmas din
ner to the boys, but it did not reach them.
On Christmas 1868, the army was shiv-
ering along the Rappahannock and Rapi-
dan, and as far out as Culpeper Court
House. 1t was too cold, and the men
were too poorly housed to enjoy the day.
Christmas dinners were the order OF the
day in 1864. The army was strung along
behind fortfcatons from Richmond to
below Yellow House, on the Weldon Rail
road, distance of nearly forty miles. The
Sanitary and Christian Commissions had
arranged TO supply the army with n
Christmas dinner. Few men were over
looked. Except that in 1851. II was the
happiest Christmas for>the Yankee army
since the trouble began. There were many
signs that the next Christmas would be
enjoyed at home. aud so 1t was by all who
escaped from the hot times from March 20
to the evening of April 8. after Grant and
Lee had met at Appomattox.
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21

bit, and putting on our best rubber boz
went and called ON our best friends In I
mining cabins and settlements, and
ceiyed our friends from the mining cab
scattered up and down the frozen cree
AT p. M, when the darkness was $
Ting down in the valleys, several hundI
miners met by agreement at Mccarthy
1t was the only building in Dawson II
could comfortably hold large assemble
of people. Mac had prepared a progrl
of events for the day and We had ed
Clipped in an ounce of dust toward
fraying the expenses. The sawdust b
been removed from the floor and SCI
of candles and lamps were arranged abb
the room. Mccarthy himself wore bi
ed shirt in honor of the occasion. on
broad board table along one wall OF
room luncheon had been arranged
the Christmas celebrators. For a y
hour after arriving at Macs we were bq
stamping snow from our rubber boots 4
walrus hide shoes, peeling off extra COW
ings and in general hand shakings 4
more Merry Christmasings.
"'Now, boys, fall right in and ticl
your gizzards over there shouted "
urbanely to the crowd
There was room for only fifty to ear
time. so while one squad was standi
up and eating at the table, the rest VI
sitting about on the benches. W Y
stories of other Christmas days IN ~
camps. talked about what the people %
in the States were doing, wondered w
had transpired since we last heard ~
there five months before) wondered
was dead, how election had gone
what the people would say when We
back with our heaps of gold anu storie
how rich we had struck it.
''At last the last man in the crow
Christmas celebrators had been 10
long table and had filed up on pa
beans, fried pork and bacon, codnsh N
macaroni and coffee. Then Mac reuu
program and the entertainment procecY
4 dozen men made specches--a few
them genuinely hnmorous--appropi'"S
the occasion. America and uoo
the Queen were sung and resuhg.
Norwepians and Swedes sang tneit
tlonal songs, and the sounds OF Tue
Christmas celebration in the hoF
were carried on the wind down ninons
lev crags of the lonely, frozen i"Ayn
must have been below on ucs,ss'
zero when we pulled our fur e"ps . on
strapped our heavy garments " 4,ud
late that arctic night and wen. 'r"s
home through the snow TO our
along the creeks
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21

buildings were like ours, but that was
when | made my own. | wish ! could
have made them this year. but l dared not
suggest it. They are so Eighty nowadays,
these fine servants. Maria would have
taken offense at once. and it would never
have done to be without her just now
with a house full OF visitors.
1t felt like old times tonight and how
happy father looked welcoming them all.
He will ruin those boys before the holi-
days are over 1t was the same with our
own ehildren II he was obliged to dis
appoint Them he was miserable for the
rest OF the day. Such tender heart as
he has. never knew man like him.
He has never lost patience with me in all
these years, and | have been sharp with
him many n time-about such little things.
When l have frctted abou. the children
going away and leaving us. one by one,
| have remembered his faithful love and
been comforted.
-Four children, three grandchildren, all
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21

lieye | shall ever forget Christmas. 1t
was Dawson City's first Dawson was
three months and half old. and had set
tied down TO be a permanent town. All
the miners who had made good locations
had by this time housed themselves in
pine-board shanties. A few had built
shanty frames about tents to secure
greater warmth within. All of us who
made any strikes of gold at all had done
so by October. so we were well along with
our gold digging; but we could do less in
December than in any month in the year.
From the la tier part OF November to early
in January there is only Four hours of
practical daylight in any day. Many
days, when the wind blew hardcst-in
fact. 1t blows a gale there all the winter
long and snow and pellets of ice were
blown along--candles were kept lighted
all day long. In winter, candles and
lamps were always lighted between l and
> in the afternoon. The mercury ranged
from 26 degrees below zero to 80 degrees
below. So we could not make satisfactory
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21
Great watch, Great Cow.

Seven years ago farmer living west
Of Webster City, Ia, hung his vest on
the fence in the barnyard, and as re.
suit of it a wonderful story is told.
A calf ohewed up pocket in the gar.
ment in which was standard gold
watch. Last week the animal, a staid
old milk COW, was butchered for beef,
and the timepiece was found i'll such a
position between the lungs of the COW
that the process of respiration, the clos
ing in and filling the lungs, kept the
stem winder wound up, and the watch
had lost but four minutes in the seven
years. -Chicago Times Herald.
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21

Roadway even In the richest of the dig
gings. All through December about half
the miners used to spend days in loafing
about McCarthys saloon at Dawson. The
other half puttered about their cabins,
dug little now and then, mended their
fur suits and made shoes from walrus
hide.
AT McCarthy's sometimes $50 or more
men would gather around the roaring fire
and strange scene it was. Imagine an
assemblage of men in a rough, barn-like
structure, furnished with board benches,
and illuminated by dozen Pickering can
dies. Some men are dressed in baggy gar
ments of fur, others in several coarse.
heavy oyercoats over heavy wooden
clothes. All have caps of half-cured, shag-
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21

she has forgotten, for it is just one of
the things Emily would notice. She has
all her sheets hemstitched.
The children are beauties. Eric is the
picture of his father at the same age. and
what spirit Cecil takes after his moth
er's family. | love them dearly. but it's
good thing children come while one is
young-I couldn't stand the racket for
long nowadays. Ernest looks thin He
doesn't get on, poor boy. 1t would have
been wiser If we had given him his own
way and let him go abroad, but we did it
for the best. Father says we cannot do
more than act upon the light of the mo-
ment, and that it Is useless grieving over
what is rretrievable but | can't help
grieving. Amy has had hard time. No
one would think. to look at her now. what
a pretty girl she was when they We're
married. She has no nurse girl for baby.
and that Is the same dress she wore Ia
year, with new trimmings to freshen 1t up.
We must give them check with their
Christmas present. but not before the 9TH
ers-they would not like that-just quietly
when we are alone.
Minette and Charlie came last though
they live nearest of all. She planned that,
49, - 60 orriro T., ~ ahaaa..a -,
80 ,i,ha,,t ,nah;n,s ann,. =. Nv. "a;
anoa. and how nro,tr sha orson,
,.;otnro l., ,hnsa ,oroiv s,,rs E.thar go ,.s
no L. ovae,lr u,hat ,ras ON, ~
,,.rta,, ,,.as ,a,.ar 90 Id, "a c,.n
r.. ~ aannos har o,,,he 80 ~ t,,a,,i,,,i o..
~, r,arriaao ho,,so - ,,attia, -,
sar =, ,ha otiors hnt 49, i,no,', -.
s shs I'll, ,,onaa Sha 80, NV ~,
-. go a. ona - L." ~
,unss Coz ,ho s"n VI - nu,h;ns
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21

gy. rancid-smelling fur 90 H..
race appears. Every man ha. only thI
, ,ous grown OF whiskers, sometimes 'aosi
iohg' ana mar that rea ches below az iod
VI Tue caps and lies across the shor,, II \
mere We're but dozen calanaa
aii that region and very few mon -
luea OF dates. Some did NOT aro. an
what month 1t was. One day AZ Ano
at McCarthy's, some one suepos,.I 81
christmas was approaching ana
thought of observing the oecasia,' VI
week before Christmas we all ayraaa
Il eeieDratlon. and. crude thouyb Il I'll
we had day that none of us will "p
forget. 1t was more remarkable FROM, III
fact that there We're in and about tba nj
tie hamlet of Dawson CITY ovar ,n1
men. No one earned less thon sic ~
and the larger part had each risan sa
poverty to possessions worth several thor
sand dollars in period of three month";
| suppose the combined wealth in aetna
gold in the district then was nearly e.
900, and clear prospect of inereas;a
ii 10 twice or thrice that sum in ,noth-
five months. | don't believe thar a oas,
munity richer per capita has existea 4
this world than that was at Dawson OIL
Yet we had a mockery of civilization ON
hardly any of the comforts of life of a III
of paupers.
Every one was informed on Dac d
of the fact that next day would be Chris1
mas. Some 300 of us went down 70 Nh
Carthy's TO celebrate the holiday. DarJ
ness set in ut that period at about AZ ]
M, but we had become accustomed 70 I'll
20-hour nights. When it got along i
about ii 30 p. m. we got our watches oI
and waited. At exactly II the signal wa
given The whistle ut Joe Ladue's saJ
mill screeched for a half hour and ovJ
300 shotguns. rifles and pistols were aid
charged. in volleys. singly. in quarters anil
in tros, for hours. Every one shook handl
Some danced about the room. and hid
burly miners Rugged one another. Will
Merry Christmas was shouted again anI
again. 1t was the first time in the who'd
experience of the Klondke that we fek
in sympathy with the outside world,
"On Christmas morning we brushed
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21
CHRISTMAS SUPERSTlTiONS.
Things That One Must Not Do Under
Penalty of Bad Luck.

In North Germany yon must not spin
during the twelve nights of Christmas,
lest you should walk after your death. nor
after sunset on Saturday, for then mice
will eat your work. Speaking of eating,
If you want to have money and luck all
the year round. you must not fail to eat
herrings on New Years day, nor, if you
wish to be lucky must you rock an empty
cradle or spill salt wantonly or cross
knives or point at the stars.
If you leave a dirty cloth on the table
over night you will make the angels weep;
IL you point upward to the rainbow you
will make the angels feet bleed and if
you talk of cabbages while looking at the
moon you will hurt the feelings of the man
in it, who was cabbage stealer in his
salad days.
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21
'[Qk $ ]!
..>-SsA1aZ~.A <~SOb[O0[3C2So

OF lhem PACK peheath the OH roof. eAeeP.
on my boy. Whefe are You to-night
What are you doihs lou can 20 10
sleep on christmas eve without fehlehl-
Dering the OLD nome, ana your hoiher'
Robbie-the Old mother VINO trleo 10 MAKE
your Chrlstmases happy years ago! ath-
er doesn say anything put tnere Is
look ON MS race Know wen. lie Is get
ting an OLD man, ana ne depended on mop
to help nm. lie was our nrst. None Oh
the others were quite the same. rehiem-
Der the CHRISTMAS AFTER ne was porn US
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21

Indies towards the enjoyment or rare
fruits. rare scenery, and festivities that
always crowd the Christmas season.
Christmas trees. the American Santa
Claus. and stockings. cut comparatively
little figure in the celebrations at Havana
and in the other Cuban cities, still balls,
parties and masqnerades follow one an
other in Overwhelmingly rapid succession,
and il is not to be assumed that the soldier
boys will remain in camp all of the time
that this fun and variety Is going
This mardi-gras class of celebration.
particularly prominent in Porto Kico, Is
however. bound to pail on the true Amer
lean taste. and while ii extends over
week or more. the one especial day Will
be remembered and signalized. IN
the Philippines our soldier boys Ind
European tastes quite in evidence. with a
fair representation OF residents from the
United States. Manila is a progressive
city--cosmopoltan enough to include the
energy and variety that make the holiday
season quite gay round OF entertain
ments and celebrations.
In the tented field proper the soldier has
occasion to feel joyous and hopeful. An
other Christmas tide, and nearly every
regular and volunteer on soil now foreign
will have returned to where the nome
Stars and Stripes wave in peaceful gran
deur. The palm tree will be memory
the Christmas trec-rea and generous
will bear double gift for the soldier and
he hcroi
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21

they do now, while the gentlemen went
abroad visiting friends. The visitor en-
tered, shook hands, took a seat. convers-
ed for few moments, and after partak-
ing of refreshments-of which boned tur-
key and picked oysters were the staple
dishes and sherry and whisky the most
popular drinks-had another handshaking
and terminated the visit. The custom is
of Dutch origin.
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21

At Munich many of the clerks at the
banks and hotels are girls, and as cash
iers and bookkeepers at restaurants and
other houses of business they are well
in evidence. Many women are also en-
ployed at railway stations as booking
Office clerks.
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21

The New Zealand old age pensions
bill provides that persons of good char
acter attaining So and having resided
for 20 years in the colony shall be en-
titled to pension of eSS annually.
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21

HE December days
and nights. accord
ing TO one OF the
miners who came
l,ack. from the Yu-
kon diggings with
plenty of gold. are
the most trying of
The year in the Klon-
dixie region, especial
ly at Christina 5 time.
If | live to the age
of Methusaleh," he
SAYS, Il don't be-
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21
The New Arrangement.

81 suppose you're going to have another
old-fashioned Christmas at your house
this year, Hoply?'
Cant possibly arrange it. Hired girl
goes to matinee in the afternoon, reception
in the evening and a dance later on
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21

\ the armies during
the civil war holidays
were not notably DIFF
ferent from other
days. This may be
n accounted for on the
ground that every
day with armies In
active service, liable
at any moment to be
ordered to engage In
da ngerous undertake
ings, all had near
ly enough to think
n bout without spend
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21
The Raohelor's STOCKING.

Hang up the bachelor sn, s.Sf !
Ye imps that fly by nig h,nv =
And dance around " moeh's
Its lean and empty plight sa 90
For him no gladness bring ye
The single, selfish soul
In 1t no presents ding ye. .,a hole.
They'd ali drop through 'ue wv"
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21
An OId.Time New Year.

The method in vogue in New York City
half century ago was for the ladies OF
the family TO remain at home, much as
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21
IN THE CIVIL WAR.

Holidays Were Not Notably Different
from other Days.
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21


able 10 celebrate
this Christmas just
as they would like,
but most of them
will not ma Ike a
mournful time of it.
They have become
accustomed to sol
der life and indur-
ated to strange eli
mate. This is one
OF the first requi-
sites in the West
Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-21
XMAS IN KLONDIKE.
ONE DAY OF GOOD CHEER DUR
ING A DREARY WINTER.
At so Degrees Below Zero, and While
the Bitter Winds We're Roaring
Dawson City Celebrated in Crude
but Joyous Manner.

r-@ HE December DAYS
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-12-17

United States Naval Constructor
BUM. stationed at Mare Island, lbs
been notified to prepare to leave for
Manila.
While Capt.-Gen. Castellanos was in
his bedroom il Havana, III the 18th,
the roof fell in and wounded him on
both shoulders, the breast and face.
His orderly was also wounded il the
face.
Carl Mcbride and his wife, who had
been married but Il few weeks, were
instantly killed by the express train at
Raccoon station. Pa, on the Pan Ham
die road on the 18th.
The British Colombia government
has made a crown reserve of all town
sites and land outside of the mining
fields in the Lake Atlin district.
The clergy of Ecuador are again
actively c%Onspiring to r~e-establish the
religious duties laws which obtained
under colonial conditions.
The North German Lloyd steamer
Stuttgart has been chartered to re-
P~atriate Spanish troops from Cuba.
Col. VIM. j. Bryan has resigned his
commission in the army.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-12-17
A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.
A Number of Lives Lost and Many
Miners Entombed Near Poteau,
Indian Territory.
CAUSED BY The IGNITION OF COAL DUST.
Little Hope of Rescuing the Entombed
Miners, the Subways Being Literally
Rent Asunder and Hundreds of Tons of
Earth Being In the Wsy-Interior of the
Mine Probably Burning.

Poteau, T. T., Dec. IA few min
utes after nine o'clock Monday night,
in mine No. =, of the Indianola &
pathway Coal Co., situated about three
miles from this place, Il terrific eXplo-
sion took place. Five men are known
to have lost their lives from the i'm
mediate effects, and about % more
are buried in the shaft.
The explosion was caused by the ig-
milton of coal dust after a blast had
been fired. 1t was something terrific,
and was very plainly heard in this
place. The timber work of the hoist
was blown far into the air, and the
shattered remains Immediately caught
fire. Over a hundred men were at
work in the mine at the time of the
explosion, and only about one-half of
these have been accounted for. Those
who escaped were employed in another
part of the mine.
There seems to be little hope of res
cuing the entombed miners, as the eX-
plosiOn literally rent the subways
asunder, and there are hundreds of
tons of earth t. be take away before
they can be reached.
\ hundred men are working Valiant
ly to rescue their comrades. They are
driven away at times because of the
intense heat of the burning structure.
1t is probable that the interior OF the
mine is also burning, although at the
present time this can not be deter
mined.
1t is also impossible to ascertain the
III of those who have been killed
and are buried in the mine. The fire
lights up the country formiles around,
and there are thousande of people ar
irving on the N
This is the second time within three
weeks that an explosion has occurred
in this mine, two men having been
killed in the previous one.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-12-17
LATE NEWS ITEMS.

In the senate. on the 18th. Mr.. Nor
rill made a speech in support Of tie
bill authorizing the purchase of Il site
for a supreme court building. which
was passed unanimously. Several bills
of minor Importance were passed. al
ter which much time was given to de
bate Of the Nicaragua canal bill....ln
the house the District of Columbia APP
preparation bill was passed without a
single amendment. Senate bill to
amend the laws relating to seamea
was also passed, all amendments be-
ing rejected.
The great steel gas tank of the Con.
sOlidated Gas Co. at Avenue y and
Twentieth street. New York city. the
largest of its kind in the world, col
Iapsed. on the 18th. and went down
with Il crash and roar like a great eX-
plosion. The encircliRg wall of brick
and granite. 50 feet high and several
feet thick. gave way, releasing S.00O.00O
gallons of water which spread death,
manning and destruction in all direc-
tons.
An effort was made at Paris to Sc
cure an arrangement with the Span
ISL commissioners looking to the re-
vival of the old commercial treaties
until they could be replaced by others;
but this having failed no negotiations
for new treaties will be undertaken
before ratification of the peace treaty.
Nina I+nlian r,Du- el1-,Io,, ,,,,,
killed and several injured on the New
York Central railroad, near Critten-
den. y. V, on the 18th. They stepped
from in font of an approaching feight
train, and were struck by an express
running at great speed on another
track.
The British steamer hinge How,
Capt. Cross. from Portland, Ore. No.
vember 70, for Yokohama and Hong
Kong, has arrived at the former port
with two boats gone, bulwarks
smashed and cargo damaged.
Chicago packers will spend a large
amount of money in erecting i'm
mense cold storage plants in Santiago,
Havana and Puerto Rico for the re-
ception and storing of fresh meats.
DIR. VIM. L. Burdick, of Hartford,
Conn, has been selected to succeed W.
Il. Brownell, as instructor in the law
school of the Kansas state university.
Judge L. f. Waite, chief justice of
the Oregon supreme court from 1859
to 1862, died in Portland, on the 18th,
aged IS.
Mrs. r. ]. Bright, wife of Col. Bright,
sergeant-at-arms of the senate, died in
Washington city on the 18th.