davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19
Lone Hghwayman Who Asked for the
Treasur Box.

der favorable conditions that the growers
instead of becoming discouraged by the
recent setbacks, are now casting about for
some cheap and sure means of protecting
their trees.
Many are the schemes devised and the
experiments being tried this winter, with
the result that the winter visitor finds
many of the old groves robbed of their
picturesque beauty, some of them with
piles of lightwood knots stacked between
the rows of trees, ready to be lighted
whenever the mercury gets dangerously
close to the freezing point. while many
younger groves are almost hidden from
view with sand the trees being banked
up" with perhaps a branch or two stick
ing out here and there, to remind one that
there is vegetable life below.
These, however, are only the more
simple mea4s OF protection, for, as one
drives through the country, he will see
many more elaborate methods in use. In
iron stoves, all filled with wood and ready
for the match. One planter has more
than 500 stoves in his orchards. But
these, while they raise the temperature
enough on a still night. might not be eff
fective if there was a high wind, SO the
more cautious growers are covering their
trees up entirely, either with cloth or
waterproof paper, tackled on wooden
frames and to be warmed within by oil
lamps or heater made especially for this
purpose. These groves, with their long
rows OF white tents. look more like mill
tary camps than anything horticultural.
and n :. on 4 cold night, when the tents are
all lighted up within, and the grove tend
ers walking. around like silent sentrymen.
the resemblance would be still more
striking.
But probably the most effective device.
and certainly the most costly one. is that
adopted by John B. Stetson, the million
aire halter, who owns about GOO acres in
groves in the vicinity of Delano. Fla
He has recently purchased a sawmill and
employed large. crew of carpenters and
is proceeding to build house over each
one of his orange groves. He has already
inclosed 15-acre piece in this way, and
where once there was a beautiful ex-
panse of shapely trees, with glossy leaves
and golden fruit, one is now confronted
with a large, low, fiat shed of the plain
est possible architecture and absolutely
without the least claim to grace or beau
ty. Inside are the trees, deprived of sun
shine, their branches intermingled with
beam and rafters. while at intervals on
the ground are piles of wood in readiness
to furnish heat for this great conserya-
tory. After the danger of frosts has pass
ed the sides and roof of the structure
will be removed and the groves allowed
to enjoy the open air again until the next
season of uncertainty.
WARD GOULD.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19

coin recently discovered in Paris. the
property of well known numtsmatist, M
Bower d'Agen, has attracted much atten-
ton. as it is believed that 1t is of the Mes
sianic period, and worn by Jewish Chris
tians in Jerusalem during the first CEN
turv after Christ On one side of the coin
there is a portrait of the Savior, with the
name of Jesus in Hebrew letters; on the
reverse this motto: 1.-THE Messiah, the
King, will come in peace. He is the in
carnate living light Of men,"
Later research shows that there is al
most an exact duplicate of this coin in
an English collection. This coin has a
curious history. 1t was unearthed in 1872
in County Cork, Ireland, by girl while
digging for potatoes. The piece is OF
bronze On one side is the head of Christ;
on the other, in Hebrew: 1.-THE Messiah
has reigned. He came in peace, and being
made the light of man, he lives"
Numismatists agree that this coin must
be of great antiquity, because there is no
nimbus around the head, the aureole hay
ing come into Christian art after the sew
enth century.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19

the brush and saw Bart leiSurely leav-
ing the scene with his gun under one
arm and a sackful of treasure under the
other The driver got a bead on the
fellow and then fired Bart glanced
hastily around and made two or three
big jumps forward. By the time sec
ond shot was ready the robber was
lacking his course toward clump of
brush. 1t was afterward found that
the first shot had cut the lapels of
Bart'S two coats and taken off vest
button. Bart then ran and got out of
range of the fighting driver. The boy,
however, exclaimed that he could get
his range, and, taking the gun, fired
shot. The pursuers got within sixty
yards of Bart before he was lost in the
brush As the robber ran the driver
saw him drop something, which after
ward proved to be a handkerchief. Nc
Connell picked it up and also the rob-
ber's tools, which, with the broken
treasure boxes, were taken on to Cop
peropolis as fast as the team could pull
the stage.
Mcconnell reported the affair first to
Sheriff Thorn of Calaveras County and
then to j. B. Hume. Orrin Langmaid
and Thacker with Tom Cunningham's
bloodhounds arrived at 2 o'clock Sun
day morning. When Thacker found
the laundry marks on the handkerchief
he remarked to Mcconnell:
c"rhat will land his beat"
On July 20 of that year Dorsey and
Shinn stopped Mcconnell at Funk Hill.
They got an empty box and few dol
lars from a passenger. Mcconnell got
so used to getting robbed, or rather be-
ing stopped that he ceased to make
anything but a mental note of it.
Other drivers and messengers would
lose money and get killed on other
lines, but he bore charmed existence
and never in his twenty-five years ex-
perience was he injured until last week.
Black Bart robbed his first stage in
July, 1875, and John Shine, the present
United States Marshal. was the driver
He robbed his last near the same place
on November 3, 1888, and Mcconnell
was the driver. Shine and Mcconnell
are great friends and spin yarns by the
hour when they get together now.
Shine has had experiences similar to
those of Mcconnell. Four men once
stopped him at Browns Flat, between
Columbia and Sonora. During the at
tempt Of one of the robbers to enter
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19

er. There was certainly no time to lose
IL set myself such an imposing task.
The politics of Albany, the capital
city of the Empire State, is always in
teresting. I learned all I could about
it while 1 was at the academy. The
presidential campaign of 1852, when the
famous old Wing party of Webster and
Clay went to pieces, found me with
rather more than the boys ordinary
interest in national affairs. / began
reading the history of my own country,
which to this day I find the most fasci-
mating as we'll as fruitful of studies.
Fervid Politician at ID.
The excitement of the Fremont cam
paign in '56 appealed to me as strongly
as to most of the electors. A boy of Ii.
with my studies to look after. l attend
ed all the meetings, listened eagerly to
the speaking, took part in the Iarades.
The Republican organization formed to
support Fremont was full of the vital
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19

lege at Schenectady. The war fever
was already in the air. 1 went into the
Presidential campaign of 1860, and
stumped the counties adjacent to the
college, and acquired marked taste
for political speaking, a taste unmarried
by the stage fright of most untried
orators. Yet in the more recent years
l have experienced time and time again
a feeling of apprehension or hesitation
when rising to speak on some theme of
grave import. That this feeling was
not experienced in 1860 it seems to me
must have been due to the deep per-
sonal interest 1 took in the canvass. In
all the neighboring parades and pro-
cessions of that. eventful time, when
the Wide Awakes began to cut a figure
in the public eye, the college campaign
club, of which I was captain. took an
active part.
While 1 was active as aid to General
Rathbone in raising and organizing vol
unteer regiments. the next three or four
years of my life were also devoted to
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19

the treasure box, tax money going TO
San Andreas. When held up, the driver
threw out a strong box which contained
nothing but way bills, and on being re-
leased took the stage through an hour
and a half ahead of time, with moth
ing missing but some letters and way
bills. the latter being easily dupi-
Gated
At Funk Hill, four miles out from
Copperopolis, Mcconnell and Black
Bart had their most interesting adven-
ture At Reynolds Ferry there was
family named Rogalira, with which the
driver had become quite friendly. The
boy was a good shot, and every few
trips had a nice quarter of Ven1Son
saved for Mcconnell. The driver re-
ported to the boy about November 2,
1888 on the up trip that he had seen
three nice deer, and on being Informed
by the youngster that he was out of
ammunition took him q box of car
tridges the next trip. The boy got on
the stage, and about a quarter of
mile from the scene where the adven-
ture took place, got off to hunt awhile,
intending then to return home.
The driver went on. and as the horses
neared a clump of trees their ears
moved uneasily. Mcconnell sized up
the situation and saw some one NOV
ing in the brush. The fellow had
flour sacks on his feet, another dropped
GOWN over HIS Hedd With eye nOleS pro-
vided. and over this an old SLOUGH hat.
The robber came boldly out now, but
stepped sidewise across the road, evil
IDENTIFY being on the lookout for some
one he supposed was behind the stage.
what are you looking for?" asked
Mcconnell.
AZ want to know where that man is
that was on the seat with you few
minutes ago." returned the man in the
flour sacks.
'oh. he was only a boy looking for
his cows. He has gone home" re-
turned the driver.
"Well, then, get down and unhitch
your team" commanded the robber,
still looking suspiciously down the
road.
After some work the team was got
out and Bart went to the brush and
got his tools. He pointed the gun at
Mcconnell and ordered him to hurry
up. The driver, thinking the robber in
tended to blow UP the strong box, got
the team around a turn in the road
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19

ity of youth, fervid with the solemnity
of conviction 1t voiced the growing
anti-slavery sentiment which was
strong in the country. The feeling or
national unrest, the presentiment OF
national disaster, infiamed the imagin-
alton even of. the schoolboy. The party.
which seemed to be founded on right
eousness and justice, which had sprung
from the ruins of the once grand old
Wing party and now appealed to the
conscience of the country, was the DO
litical organization with which l de-
sired above all things to be connected.
It's orators became my instructors. its
principles as announced on the stump
were so many new text books. Politics
was a part of my education.
Beginning Newspaper Work.
So it came about that when l had
finished my academy course was able
to offer to the Albany Transcript. edit
ed by one of my former teachers. edit
oriaIs which the editor liked we'll
enough to warrant his engaging me to
go on writing them. The conditions OF
Journalism were so different then and
now that it is hardly necessary for me
to saw my engagement on the Tran
script did not establish a precedent.
Few outsiders get into the sanctum
nowadays The newspaper business
has broadened out on the lines or otner
successful business organizations ana
the beginner must start at the bottom
as rule.
had a year Of this work, which was
also a year of the study and practice OF
politics. and then l went to Union COL
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19

a sleepy passenger pushed the fellow off
the brake, thinking him a tramp.
The robbers gun went off and the team
started. Shine urged them forward
and got away with the treasure. The
robbers in the brush shot the bow off
Immediately behind him. John was on
the go, however, and hit only the high
places on the run to Columbia. This
was before daybreak. He has had
many other adventures and carries a
Wells Fargo watch.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19

Admiral Schley recently sat in a box in
one of the Philadelphia theaters. and
every movement he made was watched by
the thousands in the place. If he bowed
to an acquaintance, they applauded. If
he smiled, they applauded. In fact, the
whole evening was an incessant ovation.
But Schley's defeat came at the end Of
the second act. He arose and started to
the next box to call on friends, but he had
not taken two steps before deep bass
voice from the upper gallery rolled forth.
Lets all go out and take beer placing
the accent on the "all." The hero col
lapsed, sank into a chair. and shook with
laughter. while the audience shrieked.
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19
0weny~Jzve GEARS Experience
rs Shotgun N2essenge1'
Exchange

Looking across country he saw the boy
with the gun. Black Bart was at work
on the box now and was hammering
away with a great deal of noise. 1t
must have attracted the attention or
the boy as he glanced back ana re-
sponded to the drivers signal to return.
Securing the gun, Mcconnell told the
boy to follow. He crept along through
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19

drink. but he replied: mo. thanks. 1
never drink The man went to the
State prison under the name OF Law
ton.
Mcconnell first met Black Bart dur
ing Christmas week of 1876 at Bllnngs,
one mile from Elkhorn station. He had
only one passenger, a man named
Brandt Greedy, but there was $1,000 In
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19
Charles Emory Smith 0eMs
.zou to Succeed IN OhGs Wo1Za
Never Stopped Till He Had Worked

Smith, reapng the richest re-
and %
Eah
him higher Mr. Smith began me-
boy
edit
In all
and
been our asked
and
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19

Special to The Sunday Call.
" HE, first seven years Of my life
were spent on a farm near Mans
field, Conn. That the farm exer-
cised any particular influence on
me am unaware. unless 1t was
to breed a distinct resolve not to be a
farmer. From the time I began to read
and think of the future I wanted to be
a journalist or lawyer, to achieve the
right to have my name mentioned
among public characters. My parents
removed to Albany, N. Y, in 1S49, and
soon afterward the first indications of
my decided bent came.
1 had not been at the Albany Acad-
envy long before I started my first
newspaper, the Academy Record, one
copy to the edition, all written out by
hand but made up as far as possible
like the printed newspapers of the day.
By this time had decided that journal
ism was my goal; the law was no long
er in question. When 1 tried to find out
what 1 should do to fit myself specially
for the career I had selected, 1 CROPPED
in the dark Journalism was not a pro-
fession; nor had the intimate relations
Of to-day been at that time established
between journalism and craftsmanship.
1 felt sure, however, that Horace Gree
ley was a model for any boy. l knew
he must be a scholar as we'll as
speaker a statesman aa well as writ
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19
ORANGE GROVES
Frozen
IN FLORIDA.
Special to The Sunday Call.

~ ELAND, Fla. Feb. 16.-Sfnce the
frosts of 1895 and 1896 Florida
orange growers have begun to
realize that If they would make
- orange growing an assured sue
cess they must in some way guard
against the uncertain visits of Jack Frost.
To have a crop of fruit worth thousands
of dollars completely at the mercy or the
with the knowledge that a
fall of a few degrees during a cold snap
NAV. in an hour, convert delicious oranges
into solid balls of ice, or even kill his
trees to the ground, making them useless
for several years to come, is situation
which causes the grove owner many
sIeepless pights during the winter months
The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-19

"Oh, spare me, spare me, Mr.. Burglari
Think of your dear mother!
mo use, mum; didn't have one. was
reared in an incubator. '-Colored Gonna
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-24

to have Or. Olcotts collection purchased and
set up all in a row IN the Metropolitan Museum
It is not that kind II collection. II does not In
clude any remarkable works 4 art or even
fragments thereof The pieces are not what
have been excavated on the sites Of great tenn
pies or palaces. The interest II them IS from
their telling tales of everyday home life in days
long past-some If them coming 20 the banks OF
the Hudson from over a gap II 1900 years In
time An exception 10 the everyday character
Of these relics is the funera. urn. or receptacle
for human ashes. made in the shape Of little
hut That piece, Or. Ocott thinks likely, Is
the only specimen in this country OF a funeral
urn OF this shape made by the older Italian
race that formed the matriX from which the
Roman people crystallized out II is about nine
teen inches high apparently a perfect model
as to its exterior, Of the conical shaped huts Ia
which the contemporaries of Romuus and
Remus lived.
The funeral urn has exceptionally lofty asso-
Citations in this collection, because il has the
dignity of death about It. Most Of the othe
things on these shelves are Of humber use For
purposes Of specimen groups, they can be easily
divided into articles OF the Woman's toilet Of
the mans toilet Of the kitchen Of the table, Of
the workshop the farm. With little magma
ton one could begin with the strlgi. which tho
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-24
OLD TINE COMMON THINGS
DIR. OLCOTTS INTERESTING ARCHFo.
LOGICAL. COLLECTION FROM ITALY

Or. Olcott, the enthusiastic young Roma,
archeologist Of Columbia University has q,
extremely interesting archaeological collecto,
Of his own. For want Of a repository With,
easier reach Of his rooms in the present Coleg.
Hall he keeps these treasures in an apartment,
Of the great library Building. Some day they
may find a resting place in some specially at.es
chamber Of larger College Han which as ye,
is not. OF course. this is not a public Collection
either as belonging to the university or as be-
ing open to public inspection. Or. Olco,t show
it to those OF his friends and acquaintance
whom he delights to honor, just as other men
admit a privileged few to see their wonderful
old Cremona or the reputed fragment Of a car.
toon by Raphael that has been an heirloom n
the family since the time Of its las, great az.
ccstor
1t is to be hoped that no jealous promote, #
the public welfare Will yearn upon reading this
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-24
MIR. PICKWICK'S INN SAFE.

London correspondence of TIE Birmingham Post
With regard to the Old Bull Hotel. hartford
we are glad to hear that the report OF its
demolition is quite a mistake. What has hap
pcned Is that a new wing has been added TO
the Old hosiery for the accommodation OF the
yearly increasing number of visitors There
H.. therefore, addition to the frontage but
no alteration Of the old coaching house which
we are assured is to remain without interfer-
ence, and will preserve the aspect it has main
tanned Tor the last five hundred years The
charm Of the old place with its Pickwickian ga
sociations. will thus be combined with the in
creased modern comforts Of the new extension
which We learn includes a banQueting hall big
enough for f1ckwick Club Of Eve hundred
members If occasion demanded
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-24
THE VOLUNTEER.

He leapt to arms unblddeh'
Tnheeded. OVERLOAD;
His face by earth is hidden.
His heart in earth is cold.
Curse on the reckless daring
THAT could not wait the call
The proud fantastic bearing
That would be first TO ran.
q tears Of human passion.
Blur not the image true,
This was not folly's fashion.
This was the man we knew.
-Gonry Newbolt. in The Spect
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-24
~,,,.vopE TpIRJ-NE ILLUSTRATED SUPPLEMENT-

the Sixth-aye elevated railroad, left IL al f'E''"
,t and turning the corner at Jefferson Ma'N''
came into that half hidden quarter once h"o""
-, rho mann. Of Greenwich Village, where the
streets still keep the rambling character u 'ii,
ancestral lanes from which they spruhS' anu
where Minetta Brook is reported to De rlPP''"7
baow the ground as she once went ripping
above in the sunshine.
Two children stopped their play on the SIDE
walk 10 sneak to the little old man, one oil 'he''
bringing her kitten to show him, ana u"S
With an oyerfoved,t ito see you air bounded out
from n shop and trottcd along by his side. We
descended some steps leading to the haS''"'"'
entrance Of one Of the smaller houses ana my
ccmnanion opened the door. AZ We s'epPcu
into the long. narrow hall a woman apie"r'"
from the front room.
is that YOU Daddy, dear she asked.
TIN, old man introduced her as the best VIE
in the world and we went into the room TO-
cctbcr ana sat down for a moment lh'h S"e
left us returning presently with tray Oh
which wcr. some tea things and a d'h'l"uS
loo king cake.
learned that Daddy was particularly iona
of layer cake. and that the one on the tray h''
been sent i'm by a nciGhbor who loved e. SP''
him So his wife said She was a thin woman
with dark expressive eyes. and gave t"' I'M
preston ~ having spent her III" gong "l'"'"'
most Of ia, things she wanted. hut IN $" gen
orous "a spirit that she had failed to realize even
the fact of h.r depriyationS
The room was somewhat lower than the
street. sunless always and never very light not
even at monday. However. one ala not thl'N
g., 1.,.r..si,,, situation Il con-
,. ,,in.. If interest The walls
..,.,.i,. ,,.,...r,l with nortraits charcoal
,. i.,s nj ,.,.il drawings The
..,.,. ,..,. ol.., thor. and a
80 o. roarino tiger.
w., ,,i..r,, nari.d
'''''9 ,, - ,.. 3D.. d,ugbtar
, tt,, tb. bread
., .h. f.r,iy R.roro the other was
t,i,.... chair and q table having inuumerahle
l.. .t.i. and table being Of his own
,.i..,1 a., ~. r,tt.r were several dilapi-
- lite. f la noir If shears
ain ,t., bc,l,.o, asked
.>.,., ,,5 ,bor rcn1 one" ne answered.
,r,,. . ,t,i,,., 1.li,-nt in ls. an old hook. %
Arte, 40. had raftak.n II the tea and the
- a.. 1.t of tn .eracioll,. GOOD
'"E'' '-N'' l"' ''''' "
kihd OF "I!'-' WIS "''"-"' '"' anu 'N''''''
anu ""' ,t.r,
anu '''"" ~
"'i' ''' VIZ" ...,,..
may ''' ~ ,,
~ ,,..,. -,
- rt ,,,,,,. Win,
49,, ...,.,, .. ,t,.. ,,,,,,. r,,.,.,i., an
,.... ,. &c.,, - t..,i,r.
49,. .... ,..i ot.,.
,t .,,.", w.. o....',. ..,I &C
H.. ,.... ,..,. ., =, ,i.,..., go, ,
.,,,,,.,.,.I o,., ro,,. .,....ru..1 - ,i.i. bo
hoi ,.,... ,,,,d. =, 1.I,,,,..st.. nc q ,.,, and q
trim ~. had t,l,..r from, thor. Tn portl.rd an .