davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17
CHASED BY WOLVES,

Before any railroad had been built
along the upper Mississippi all traffic
in the summer was by steamboat,
which carried also the mail. In the
winter everything was carried by
stage. There was a line Of mail stages
between st. Paul and Prairie du Chen
Or the southern terminus may have
been La Crosse at the time Of which I
write. These stages followed the river
how much Of the distance on the ice
can not say, but in my neighborhood,
where the river expanded and became
Lake Pepin, the route was all on the
ice. Leading down to the lake, on
both the Minnesota and Wisconsin
sides, are many %ravines or coulees,
worn by the water courses and wood
ed. Even now there is much wild
land among the bluffs.
1t was in the latter part of January
years g that ! found myself at
Hawks Landing, on the Minnesota
side OF the river just below the foot
or the lake, whittier l had gone with
an uncle. He found that his business
-" N|toih AlAA lOuSt ludu he eX-
pected and he decided to send me back
alone on the stage. 1t should have
left the landing at 1 o'clock, but it
was delayed somewhere down the river
did not arrive till nearly 8. It
was a full afternoons drive to Lake
CITY, but the driver said he had a good
team and promised to get through on
time, Notwithstanding the late start.
he was a rough and dissipated man,
cut he had the reputation Of always
keeping sober till after the days trip
had been completed. But the delay
may have upset him, and I think he
began drinking before we started, al,
though no one hen noticed it. He
certainly had provided himself with a
large bottle Of liquor, as l soon had
occasion to know. l suppose l could
not have been more than - or IL
years old, although a life in a new
country and on a farm had given me
ability to take are OF myself beyond
my years.
When we departed from the War
Eagle House on the levee and swung
up the o under the shadow Of Wa
Dasna Bluff, with the horses at a gal
Top, felt a sort of admiration for the
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17
Always the Same.

Somebody has unearthed a book
written by Barthomolew Anglicus,
about 1860, of which one OF the most
amusing chapters is on the children Of
his day.
They dread no perils more than
beating with a rod Che writes), and
they love an apple more than gold,
and make more sorrow and woe for
the loss of an apple thar for the loss
of a heritage.
They desire all that they see, and
pray and ask with voice and with
hand. They keep no counsel, but they
tell all that they hear and see. Sud-
denly they laugh, and suddenly they
weep. Always they cry and jangle;
that is, unless they be still while they
sleep.
When they be washed, anon they
make themselves unclean again. When
their mother washeth and combeth
them, they kick and sprawl, and put
with feet and hands, and withstand
with all their might.
All OF which makes it appear that
those 1850 youngsters were the same
then as now.
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17
His Bingham Aprons.

Perhaps the most unusual presents
ever received by a man were bestowed
this Christmas upon a Brooklyn man
who cooks. They were two big blue
and-white checked bingham aprons,
long and large, and with ample strings
to encircle the masculine waist. The
man makes at times a descent to the
kitchen when the maids are away and
demonstrates how a good steak should
be bro1led or some other of the nu-
merous things of the preparation OF
which for the table he considers tina.
he has an expert knowledge. Upon
such occasions 1t has been his custom
to borrow the first maids apron con-
venient. This good. housewifely ten
dency to use an apron being known.
there came to the nj from out OF
town the two big aprons. which were
probably the best appreciated Of all
his Christmas gifts and were exhibited
with the greatest pride.-New York
Times.
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17
ACTIVITY IN CHINA.

There Is news of considerable indus
trial activity in China. Not only are
the Germans in Shantung forging
ahead in the matter of railway con-
%struction and the matter of coal, but
the Chinese themselves are beginning
to show marked signs of a determina-
ton to turn the immense mineral
wealth of the country to their own
profit. An edict has been issued ap-
pointing Chang-Yi director Of mines in
the Metropolitan province, with power
to form syndicates to work them. This
shows that. the empress dowager has
grasped the situation, and means to
fight Western nations with their own
weapons. These efforts, laudable as
they may be, are, of course, predoom-
ed to failure. Without European as
sistance nothing can be achieved even
by the quick-witted Chinaman, as was
amply demonstrated by the complete
failure of the viceroy, Chang Chin
lung, to construct railways unassist-
ed a few years ago. 1t does not fola
low, however, hat the Chinese are in
capable of fully acquiring Western
knowledge of mechanics; only they
u drop their pride and go to work
in a different spirit. Meanwhile there
is serious news about the emperor's
health; and we fear that the event,
SO often alluded to in these columns,
is rapidly approaching it's sun
ton.
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17
TIE WHEEL AS 1T NOW APPEARS.

deeds of the Abbey of Mells were de-
manded by the commissioners. The
Abbot of Glastonbury determined that
he would send them to London, and.
as the documents were very valuable
and the road infested with thieves II
was u.~.cult to get them to the me-
tropolis safely.
10 accomplish this end, he devised
q very ingenious plan. He ordered a
savory pie to be made, and inside he
put the documents-the finest filling a
pie ever had-and entrusted this
dainty to a lad named Hornerr to carry
up to London to deliver safely into the
hands for whom it was intended. Rut
the journey was long and the day cold.
and the boy was hungry, and the pie
was tempting, and the chance of de-
lection was small
So the boy broke off a piece of the
pie, and beheld a parchment within.
He pulled 1t forth innocently enough.
wondering how it could have found
its way there tied up in pastry, and
in town. The parcel was de-
livered, but the title-deeds of Mells
Abbey estate were missing. The fact
was that Jack had them in his pocket.
These were the ~juiciest plums in the
pie. Great was the rage Of the COM
missioners and heavy the vengeance
they dealt out to the monks. But
Master Jack Horner kept his secret,
when peaceable times were restored he
claimed the estates and received them.
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17

driver, Notwithstanding his roughness.
We slackened somewhat when we got
beyond the line Of houses along the
single street and soon rounded the
bluff and kept along the edge of a
bank above the frozen river.
We soon came to the lake and turn
ed down Fond du Lac Point, and out
upon the ice, where the road was
marked by little cedars. l found cause
to be alarmed at the state OF the
weather. The wind had %freshened a
great deal and the snow was drifting
rapidly. 1t was not sufficient to shut
out from our sight the row Of ever
greens, and we could see even the
bluhs at either side OF the lake: but
the nne snow was. sitting along over
the crust like streaming hair and rap
idly filling the track. This made our
progress slow, but the condition of the
driver was soon a greater hindrance.
He drove either with the horses on a
run or a slow walk, although they
walked more than they ran.
We were not yet half way when the
sun was only a little above the Min
nesota bluffs, with big orange sun
dogs standing up each side of it. Just
as 1t disappeared below the bluffs the
driver slid out Of the seat into a.
drunken sleep in the bottom Of the
sleigh. l climbed over into the front
seat and took the reins myself.
You seem to know how to drive:
do you think We can get there to-
night?" asked the other passenger.
Il can drive four horses" l answer
ed. very proudly. "We.can get through,
l guess, If it doesn't storm so that we
can't follow the trees"
l had for some time been looking
anxiously for the lights of the town,
although there was no hope of seeing
them yet, when my attention was at
tracted by a dark object on the snow
far to the right toward the Wisconsin
shore.
The man saw it and said:
What's coming over there-some
other teams?"
"They wouldn't be going SO fast" I
answered, picking up the whip from
the bottom of the sleigh. The shadow
was o directly to the right.
Its some sort Of animal" went on
the man. He paused for a moment
and added: "They look like big
dogs"
At that moment there came a cry I
had SO often heard at home, only much
deeper, harsher and louder.
They're wolves" said and l crack
ed the whip at the horses. although
that was hardly necessary, as they
heard the savage howl as we'll as we
did and knew it meant danger.
The second time l looked back I saw
that the pack was much nearer. I
could make out the leaders and see
that there must be twenty or thirty of
the animals. all told. My fellow pas
senger was clinging to the seat and
crying to me to drive faster. although
the horses were fairly running away,
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17
SUPERSTiTlONS ABOUT HOLLY
They Are Numerous and Some Are Ter.
rifying. ~

They Are Numerous and Some Are Ter
rif,ing. ~
Mary are the legends and supersti-
tons connected with the holly. Old
authors write Of the tree as the hull
wer and the holm, while in our old
ballads it is nearly always the holm
tree, 1t is as the holm that spenser
includes it among tie trees that grew
in the forest where Una and her gentle
knight sought covert" Coles. in his
quaint HERBAL" tells US that the
smaller branches Of the holly may be
used in decorating houses and
churches, and that those of a larger
size are very necessary for carriers to
make whips and for riding rods" and.
which may seem a little strange to
the reader who knows no better, zone
Of his friends had a holly tree growing
in his orchard Of that bignesse that,
being cut down, he caused it to be
sawed out in boards. and made him
self Herewith a coffin. and If Mr.
Coles mistakes not, left enough to
make his wife one also" Both the
parties,' he adds, were very corpu-
lent, and therefore the reader may i'm
agine the bignesse of the tree"
In some parts OF Yorkshire, curious
ly enough, to this day it is believed
that if more ivy than holly is used in
the Christmas decorations, the wife
will wear the breeches' for the ensu-
ing year. An old farmer was once seen
pulling down the ivy with which the
kitchen was decorated. "Ill ha' moan
O this he whispered to his squire.
In Yorkshire, too, they have the beau
tlful superstition that Christmas Is the
one feast Of the year in which the
fairies may rejoice: they may hear the
Holy Name without having to flee and
hide, and they have been heard to join
in the carols. Once a little elf-child.
We are told. was forgotten by some
mischance, and was heard weeping and
wailing up and down the house, though
none saw him till Whitsuntide. Speak
ing OF this to an old woman in Dew
onshire, she assured us that the fairies
had left the child "of purpose" If any
one had had wit to sprinkle (christen)
him.. he never would have gone back
to his people, but would become a
Christian child. The holly used for
decorations, both in church and house,
should be taken down on Candlemas
eve, or misfortune will come on par
ish or people. In taking down holly
in son parts OF England it is thought
unlucky to prick the finger II blood
comes, but if a leaf stick to dress or
coat it is a good omen. In old days
a branch Of holly picked on Christmas
eve was as efficacious as the rowan, or
mountain ash, in protecting from
witches and Warlocks or evil spells. A
twig, brought from church, might be
kept, like the Eastern palm, for the
same purpose. Your cattle, too, will
thrive, and your sheep and goats bring
forth twins if you fasten up a bit OF
holly in stall or manger or fold, that
Gods creatures may rejoice with man
on the anniversary of His birth.
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17
paris Letter.

(PariS Letter.
The successful trial OF the gigantic
wheel for the Paris Exposition settles
the question of the practicability Of
the great scheme that the newspapers
OF the city so seriously questioned at
the time of it's proposal. An emuIator
OF the 300-meter tower erected upon
the Champs de Mars, the great wheel
vii be one CT the most striking fea-
lures of the exposition.
1t stands on the Avenue de Suffern,
opposite the celebrated gallery Of ma
chimes of the exposition of 1889. The
1dca of such a construction is due to
MIR. Graydon, an officer Of marines Of
the United States navy. who took out
a patent for it in 1893. The present
project emanates from all English So
ciety. The operation Of mounting
took place the other day under the di-
rection of Mr.. Slitkins. an English en-
gineer. The general work Of construc-
ton, the installation of the material
necessary to revolvc it and the light
ing of it were confided to w. B. Bas-
set.
The first wheel Of this kind was con-
structed for the Chicago exhibition,
but 1t did not attain the dimensions of
the one under consideration. The met
al entering into the structure of the
French wheel is steel, furnished by
the Societe DIES FORCES ct Acicries de
Haumont (Nord). The weight Of the
metal employed is no less than 500
tons.
The wheel is designed to r%evolve
around a horizontal axis situated 22O
feet above the level Of the ground, and
moving in two bearings that rest,
through the intermedium of a heavy
oak beam, upon two frames. At it's
periphery there is a series of cars that
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17

and I had practically no control over
them n way or the other.
Cant you throw out the trunk and
back seat?' l shouted to him.
l heard the mar throwing out the
small sacks and the buffalo robes. The
robes seemed to delay the wolves
longer than anything else. They
stopped and tore them to shreds. We
got a quarter mile start. All OF this
time the drunken driver was sleeping
like a log in the bottom Of the sleigh.
The horses were becoming exhausted
and l could feel that they were going
slower. l now urged them on with
whip and voice, but it seemed to make
no difference. The bowling behind
us began to come palmer; the wolves
had left the robes and were again gain
ing on us. Right ahead l could see a
high ridge in the ice where it had
cracked and showed up. A notch had
been cut in it just wide enough TOR a
sleigh to pass through. | held the
reins steady and tried to slow up a
little, in the hope of steering safely
through the narrow crack. AS we
came upon it l saw a dark streak be-
tween the rough zones at either side;
the crack had opened two Or three feet
during the day and new ice had form
ed. We struck the opening in the
ridge sQuarely; the nigh horse reared
up jumped over the e ice, but
the other stepped on it and broke
through with one forward leg. He
fell, but the other horse dragged him
and the sleigh beyond the crack, where
we stopped all in a heap.
Jumped oven the dashboard and fell
in the snow beside the horse. He was
struggling to rise, but l guessed what
had happened and threw my body
across his neck and felt Of his leg. 1t
was crushed and broken. l got out
my knife, cut the breast strap which
held the neckyoke, and called to the
man to unlock the~traces, which he
managed to DO at last.
The wounded horse was again strug-
Cling to rise and had sprawled himself
out OF the way. l shouted at the other
horse; he started with d bound and
the man and threw ourselves into the
sleigh, half knocking out our brains
as our heads struck together. We
ioOked back and saw the whole hungry
pack fall upon the abandoned horse
and bear him down just as the poor
animal had succeeded in getting upon
his three sound legs.
The horse that was still attached to
the sleigh plunged on bravely for some
distance, with the sleigh tongue al
most plowing in the snow, but he soon
tired out and dragged himself along in
a startled way. But it made no differ
ence, as the wolves V pursued us
again.
We got out and walked beside the
sleigh to keep warm, and, as the crack
was only two miles from town, it was
not long before we reached Il des-
tlnatlon. A party Of men went back
to get a shot at the wolves, but, their
hunger being satisfied on the fallen
horse, they made off before the hunt
ers could reach them. The next morn
ing the passenger took the down stage
back to civilization, vOwing that he
had had enough Of the northwest. The
drunken driver was promptly discharg-
ed by the stage company.-Youth's
Companion.
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17

are carried along in the rotary motion
Of the apparatus.
The diameter of the wheel is exactly
level to which the cars can descend
they will be ten feet above the ground
and the highest point that they will
reach will consequently be 315 feet
above the surface. Between the two
external fellies are suspended a GER
tain number Of cars designed to be
used as saloons, parlors, dining sa-
looms, reading-rooms, concert halls,
etc.
The total weight of the wheel, inclu-
tsive of the empty cars and exclusive
OF the axis and frames, is 1,430,00
pounds. The axis weighs 70, 200 pounds
and the two frames 873, 400. The total
weight Of this architectural monument
is, therefore, 1889, 600 pounds. Each
car is capable of accommodating thir-
ty persols, and the number of cars is
forty. Supposing the average weight
of each passenger to be 154 pounds,
the total load upon the foundation will
be 1,167 tons.
The foundation is of concrete made
OF Portland cement. Two excava-
tions. eighteen feet square and thirty
nine feet deep, were made in the earth
and were filled with a mixture of sand,
pebbles and pure cement without the
addition Of any hydraulic lime. Each
OF the monOliths thus formed has a
weight Of 230 tons. 1t is upon these
beds that rest the two steel frames
that support the wheel. Each of these
frames consists Of four lattice Orders
connected by heavy steel cross braces
and diagonal beams. They were
mounted in detached pieces that were
bolted and riveted together.
The axis, which is Of first quality
Martin steel. manufactured in Eng
land, Is q heavy hollow piece about
nifty inches in length and Of an ex-
ternal diameter Of thirty-six inches.
The shaft revolves in steel bearings
lined with q metal of peculiar compost
tion-a mixture OF lead. tin and vari-
Gus other substances. This alloy is
designed to prevent the friction Of
steel upon steel, the coeficient of
which ID very high. From each side
OF the axis radiate 100 flexible cables
81 steel wire two inches in diameter.
which are attached to the fellies Of the
wheel, and are provided with stretch
8 for ~stiffening them after being put
III place. The rotary motion Of the
wheel s. oEaained through q double
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17
: Good Freezing Compound.

Medicus, Sr.-Well. young man, have
you anything of interest to report?
Medicus. Jr.-I have discovered a freez-
ing compound that beats anything yet
discovered. NJ, Sr.-What is the for
mula? NJ. Jr.-It is composed ofxequal
parts of the expression Of Bullion's face
when I asked for the hand Of his
daughter, and that Of my neares
friend when I requested a small loan.
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17
How He Won Hor.

"Ah." sighed the rich widow; "how
do l know that you do not wish to
marry me simply for my money!"
"Darling!" cried the man, who was
young enough to be her son, "have /
not written poetry for the magazines?
And did you ever hear of a poet who
allowed money matters to enter into
his calculations?"
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17
His Principle.

"Are you in favor Of an open-door
policy?" WELL" said Aguinaldo, Il
suppose the door will have to be
opened. But I want it understood right
now that I propose to be there taking
tickets"
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17
TIE REAL JACK HORNER.

Jack Horner Of the Christmas pie
really existed, though whether he de-
served the title Of good boy is eX-
c%eedingly doubtful. He was, however,
a fortunate rogue. When Henry VIII.
suppressed the monasteries and drove
the monks from their nests the title
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17
He Know.

Yeacher-What is a fossil? Little
Willie (raising his hand)-I know,
please. Teacher-Well? You may tell
us what q fossil is. Little Willie
That's what mamma said you were the
day you sent me home for a better ex-
cuse when I stayed out because We
heard Johnny Trips sister had the
measles.
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17
His Consolatton.

"Who was it said I was a back num-
ber?" said Ii Hung Chang. Indignant
ly. II said So" answered the em-
press dowager, with a stony glare.
Well" he answered more softly.
maybe l am. But l don't know as l
care much what kind of a number I
am so long as l have a dollar mark
In front Of me."-Washington Star.
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17

She-Have you ever climbed an Ain?
He-No; but I went up to my Office in
the twenty-seventh story one day
when the elevators were out Of order,
The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-17

Otnef article he has possessed, think
ing they have peculiar healing viz.
tues.
A careful scrutiny fails to reveal
a single song that possesses any char
acteristic melody or sentiment which
will permanently identify it with the
Spanish-American war. 1t is reported
that the natives in Manila believe that
the song There Will Be a Hot Time
In the Old Time Tonight is our ma
tional air, they have heard it so often.
A native band, when asked II they
had heard our national song, respond
ed with pride that they had, and pro-
ceeded at once to grind out 'The Hot
Town
The German service contemporary
gives some interesting details on the
marching performances Of the troops
engaged in various celebrated cam
paigns, says the Army and Navy Jour-
nal. Thus the highest average Of dis
tances marched by troops during the
campaign Of 1896 is to be credited to
the French, who, on the authority OF
General Lewal, marched daily on the
average a distance slightly exceeding
fifteen and a halt miles. In the war
Of 1866 the highest average was that
attained by the Prussians, marching
thirteen and a half miles, while during
the Franco-German wal the highest
averages were for the Germans (dur-
ing the march on SEDAN, thirteen
miles, and for the French troops, nine
and a half miles. In the case of the
mounted army the record Is held by
Murat's cavalry, which marched 497
miles in t~wenty-four days during the
operations of 1906.