davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal., 1900-03-14

I'D their abode upon some desert island
or upon some one of the islands in the
Pacific that are rarely If ever visited,
and that have absolutely no means or
communication with the civilized world
While it is quite probable that the
fugitive in question would be able TO
escape discovery in such place, he
would not be thoroughly safe even
there, for any country that desired MS
presence before the court would not
hesitate to go and take him bodily from
an island that had no treaty relations
with its government.
At the present time no one of these
islands offers a safer haven than Pit
cairn, in the Pacific, but the question
that would trouble the gentleman who
desired to escape would be as to the
means of reaching that island. 1t is so
far away from the ordinary routes of
travel that the regular ocean steamers
never stop al its one port, and the only
visitors are occasional sailing vessels
that put in for water and to give the
islanders an opportunity to exchange
their products for clothes and other
necessities of life.
It is doubtful however, if any fugi-
tive who had been used to the refine
ments of civilized life would be willing
to take up his abode on the island, even
for the sake of his liberty. To those
who are unacquainted with the condi-
tiOnS that now exist on the island the
very name of Pitcairn is suggestive of
all xmas Oh fO11dnllC aSSO(4dllOllS-
Even the dull old school Biographies
used to pause for moment in their
painful round of rivers, boundaries and
principal EXPORTS to linger pleasantly
over the romance of the mutiny on the
British ship Bounty, in 1889, and the
landing of the leader. Fletcher Chris
tian with eight other Englishmen, six
Polynesian men and twelve Polynesian
women, on lonely Pitcairn Island, where
they founded a colony and agreed to
live without law.
There is no question but that the life
was a wild whirl while it lasted, but
in eleven years every adult on the is
land had either been murdered or had
died of dissipation, with the exception
of old Alexander Smith, who was left
alone with the children, who had
sprung up like weeds
With the help Of few settlers
dropped by stray ships, he began the
Christian era, the Ammo Domini of the
Pitcairn microcosm. and from that date
the virtues and simplicity of the Pit
cairn islanders became one of the pret-
tiest pages in the history of modern
civilization.
That is the romantic side of the story,
the bright side that history tells. There
is another and darker side, however,
that has been left TO the modern chron-
icler to relate For years things re-
mained in an ideal condition in Pit
cairn. Everyone was moral and loved
his neighbor as he loved himself, but
gradually things began to change. Gen
erations of intern1arriage in a few fam
lilies, coupled with the vices bred in
the plenty and idleness of the tropical
island. gradually undid all the good
work that had been done by the earlier
settlers, and to-day, it is stated. the
The Topeka state journal., 1900-03-14
MARQUIS OF
LORNE In TRADE.
He is in the Wall Paper Trust, While
His Vile Makes Statues.

Trusts have received the stamp of
approval of the reigning family in
Great Britain 1t is announced that
Queen Victoria's s son-in-law, the Mar
quis of Lorne, is one of the principal
organizers of the gigantic trust which
has been formed to control the wall pa
per output of the world.
Lord Lorne has long been interested
in the production of wall papers, hav-
ing been for six years the active part
ner of a firm of house decorators and
papernangerS in Chelsea, London.
Many is the suburban residence that
has had the hangings of it's parlor, the
ceilings of its dining room and the
cornices of it's halls designed by the
brother-in-IaW of the Prince of Wales
Lord Lorne and his royal wife are
poor, and it is not to drive away ennui
but to add to his income that he has
gone into business. True, his wife re-
ceives from the Crown an income of
ments in Kensington Palace. But the
expenses incumbent upon her as
daughter of the Queen, such as, for in
stance, the maintenance of gentlemen
and ladies-in- waiting, the charities to
which she is expected to contribute,
etc, more than swallow up this an
nuity: and as the Marquis has mani
tested his~disa pproval of the third mar
riage which the aged Duke of. Argyle
contracted recently he receives little
financial assistance from his father
The Princess is herself not above
working. Not only is she q clever
painter, ready at all times to sell her
pictures but she is skilful with the
chisel, and ready to take an order for
a statue or bust. charging as much as
Sc. 600 and $4,000 for her handiwork.
The Topeka state journal., 1900-03-14

well, ah!-you might say not exactly
well broken"
Well. sir. I have no objection to a
sorrel. In fact, I am not particular
about the color, sir. A broad back,
though, remember; that is the main
point-and the disposition"
Gen. Corbfn again visited the Quar-
termaster General.
'Ludington," he said, 1.-THE Secretary
says he likes a gray, and he likes a
black, and sorrel or bay, or a straw
berry roan-in fact, any color,
just so the horse is gentle and he won't
fall off,
Sure. surel'' said the Quartermaster
General. 81 will find him right away"
But Gen. Ludington was too san
guine, for the horse has not yet been
purchased.
The Topeka state journal., 1900-03-14

times it has been at the cost of human
life, and always at great outlay of
time and money, but now, at the close
of the century, it looks as if the world
was to reap the benefit of all this re-
search.
With the Gustave zede in France and
the Holland and Argonaut in this coun-
try, there seems to be little reason to
believe that the successful submarine
boat has not been found. The great
American inventor, Fulton, failed, just
as Symonds and Bushnell had failed
before him, but to their failures are
due portion of the credit of the pres
ent success of Holland or of Lake.
ROAD TRANSPORTATIO
If there is any department of hu-
man endeavor in which unprecedented
progress has been made during the
past century, it is in that of road trans
portation- In the eighteenth century
the vehicles were still far from what
one might have anticipated, and jour-
neys were made as often on horseback
as by any other way.
To-day the crude vehicles have dis
appeared. In the early part of the
present century they gave place to con-
veyances that were as comfortable as
they We're safe and ornamental, but
now even these are disappearing to
make way for a new vehicle that would
have aStonished our forefathers be-
yond the power of expression. This We
hlcle, of course, is the automobile.
OF course, as is well known, the steam
carriage antedates the locomotive, and
Isaac Newton suggested rude form
of the machine as early as $780, From
that time until the present day invent
orS have been at work trying to dis
cover some suitable conveyance of this
kind.
One of the first automobiles, however,
was made in the early part of the pres
ent century, and it is thus described
by 1.-THE Mechanics Magazine" for jan
uary, 1894: THE carriage is built to
carry fifty passengers. The wheels are
about six inches broad in the tire and
eight feet in diameter. The crank shaft
worked by the cylinders is connected
by endless chains with the axles of the
hind wheels of the carriage, and each
wheel has a separate axle.
1.-The spokes of the wheels are so con-
structed as to operate like springs to
the whole machine-that is, to give and
take according to the inequalities of
the road.
1.-The boiler consists of a series of
double tubes, one within the other,
placed in vertical position around a
circular fireplace, and communicating
with it; the heated air passes through
these tubes, which are everywhere sur
rounded by water. The tubes are in
the form OF siphons, to counteract the
effect of unequal expansion. The
draught is produced by a tanner worked
to consume it's own smoke
Crude as such a machine would be
to-day it was a mechanical marvel
three quarters of a century ago, for it
was not until 1862 or 1868 that even
these steam road vehicles came into
made to improve them, however, and
by 1898 it began to look as if the art
of automobile building would finally be
mastered.
The Topeka state journal., 1900-03-14
.SEARCHLIGHT FOR
FIRE ENGINE.
New York's New Apparatus For En-
abling the Firemen to See
Through Flames.

The new searchlight fire engine,
which was built on the suggestions fur
nished by Fire Chief Croker of New
York, arrived there a short time ago
from Elmira. 1t was received at the
department repair shop in West Third
street by Chief of Construction Ryan,
VINO Immediately started to get the en-
gine ready for service. 1t was given a
test and was found to work success
fully.
fire engine ever constructed, and is ex-
pected to almost revolutionize the pres
ent method of fighting interior fires by
enabling the f1remen to overcome the
great barrier of smoke. The light pen
etrating the smoke Will allow the fire.
stead of, as at present, groping around
in darkness and directing streams of
water ahead.
The machine will be located in the
quarters of Engine Company 20, which
commands the great dry goods district,
where fires are hottest and smoke the
densest. It will be manned by an Off
Ger, engineers and complement of fire.
men, and will respond to alarms for
large fires and when called out by spe-
cial alarms.
Directly connected to the engine is a
narine-type multipolar generator, sup
plying sixty-fiye amperes of current at
a pressure of thirty volts. On each side
OF the drivers seat is placed an eigh-
teen-inch protector, and the seat folds
over SO that the projectors can swing
through a complete circle.
They can also be placed az any YER
teal angle. The projectors are supplied
with special DETECTING glass fronts.
making it possible to cover a large area
with the light at short range: or by
using the plain glass fronts. also sup
piled. the light may be thrown out in
parallel rays to a great distance
The Topeka state journal., 1900-03-14

In spite of all failures and in spite
Of numerous mishaps, many minds have
been engaged, theoretically or practi-
cally, in attempting to solve the prob
lem of artificial flight. Long before the
dawn of the present century men We're
at work upon flying machines that re-
fused to fly, and the same question is
still the most interesting and most i'm
portant of the scientific problems that
the nineteenth century will leave as a
legacy to the twentieth.
During the past hundred years con-
siderable progress has been made to-
ward the final solution of the great puZ-
zle. There has been an advance along
the lines of dirigible balloons, or air
ships but a flying machine that is in
any way suited to the requirements of
travel or transportation is still beyond
the achievement of man.
That such an invention is not only
one of the possible. but probable re-
suits of twentieth century research is
the opinion of most students. Every
thing points to the fact that such an
achievement is soon to be realized. 1t
is not possible that so much time and
money should have been expended for
nothing, but it will undoubtedly be left
to the next century to discover the true
solution of the problem of successful
aerial navigation.
In spite of all this, however, there
is much in the science of aeronautics
that is deserving of the consideration
IN Such series of studies as this. AL
though the great success has not been
achieved, ballOoning, as we know it, is
still distinctly science of the nine
teenth century. Up to the close of the
eighteenth century the progress along
these lines had been scarcely worthy
of notice. whereas the feats that have
been accomplished during the past hun
dred years have been distinctly worthy
of notice.
FAMOUS BALLOONISTS
Among the balloonists who are most
deserving of attention and praise are
Henry Giffard, the Tissandier Brothers,
CASTOR and Albert, and Renard and
Krebs. In 1852 Giffard broke all rec
ords in the history of aeronautics by
constructing a balloon which was pro-
PEELED by a steam engine. This was
the first air ship that could be navi-
gated in a desired direction.
The next great achievement along
these lines was made by Castor Tis-
sander. who exhibited a balloon that
could be run by means of an electric
storage battery, at the Paris Exposi-
tion Of 1881. Later, assisted by his
brother, he built another model over
80 feet long and 80 feet in diameter,
which was fitted with dynamos and a
The Topeka state journal., 1900-03-14
SECRETARY ROOT
RIDES HORSEBACK.
Though He Has Not by Any Means
Found the Animal He Wanted.

When Secretary Root was at Lake
Champlain with the President, he was
called upon to review the Twenty
sixth Volunteer Regiment. stationed at
Plattsburg Barracks. and he greatly
admired the sight of the field officers
dashing about the parade grounds upon
their curveting steeds. He was offered
a mount upon one of these mettlesome
animals, but coyly refused and stuck
to terra hrma.
But the fine picture remained in his
mind, and after his return, while sit
ting in his office. one fine afternoon. he
summoned to him Adjt.-Gen. Corbin.
General" he remarked, Il have been
a busy man for number Of years
back"
Gen. Corbin bowed his head In as
sent.
And. General, for my business have
neglected many pleasures-pleasures
and pastimes, sir-that I once enjoyed"
Yes, Mr.. Secretary"
''One of which, General I am sorry to
state, is the noble and king-like sport
OF equestrianism. All, horseback rid
lng-a firm seat and a steady hand, a
gallop in the bracing air over smooth
road. Could anything be more enjoy
able2"
Nothing. Mr.. Secretary. Nothing"
We'll, General, to come to the point
find that now, in the course of my
duties, I shall need a suitable mount
occasionally, and you know there is
nothing like knowing the horse one has
under one. desire to make use of your
superior judgment in these matters"
Certainly, Mr.. Secretary"
"As said, have neglected the exer-
else, and, of course-ah well I would
like an animal with a mild temper,
sweet dispositioned, you know, and
broad back-the sort that is hard to
fall off Of
Il understand. Mr.. Secretary. I will
ask Gen. Ludington. who has had con-
siderable more experience than either
of US, to aid me in making the selec-
tion.'
And I say, General" called the Sec
retary. this need not be made public.
you know-not just now, at any rate
Yes, Mr.. Secretary"
/. Gen. Corbin hurried up stairs to the
office of the Quartermaster General.
"Ludingtonr' he gasped, short of
breath, ''the Secretary of War wants US
to help him buy a horse-a riding horse
He wants fine, good looking horse,
with a broad back, SO he can't fall off,
and gentle as dog"
ington- Il can get it for him. Surei
What color does he want?"
Wait a minute and I'll ask him.
Gen Corbin retraced his steps and
found the Secretary waiting for him
Mr.. Secretary, Gen. Ludington wants
to know what color horse you want
'Ah, yes, let me see What color? I
had never thought of that. 1 always
rather fancied a gray horse, you know;
perhaps it was from picture I once
saw. Yes. 1 believe it was You re-
call the magnificent gray horse Napo-
leon strides in the canvas, The Eve of
Waterloo?'" "
"A splendid animal. Mr.. Secretary"
"And then there was Alexander's Bu-
cephalus-a magnificent black, if 1 re-
member. Black is a beautiful color for
a horse"
But, Mr.. Secretary. Bucephalus was
The Topeka state journal., 1900-03-14

he should be tried for the latter and not
for the political crime.
In this way does the law of this coun5
try protect the man who has succeeded
in escaping from any political despot-
ism in Europe, but in cases of actual
crime against life or property, the gov
ernments of to-day have no sympathy
for the criminal. One by one his places
of refuge have been taken from him
until now he will be compelled to take
up his abode in a balloon or upon
practically desert island or else run
the chance of being able to conceal his
identity in places where he is not
known. Of course this is being done
every day, and it is possible that the de-
ception might be carried out success
fully, but in no way does this condition
of uncertainty compare to the time
when Europe, Asia and Africa, as well
as North and South America, all Of
fered havens of refuge to the violators
of law.
The Topeka state journal., 1900-03-14

In that year steam carriage made
the trip from Paris to Rouen and re-
turn, a distance of some eighty miles,
in twelve hours and fifty minutes, an
achievement that was everywhere
praised. Two years later, however, at
the French competition, a petroleum
carriage made a run of 1856 miles in
forty-eight hours and fiftythree min
utes, or little more than fifteen miles
an hour.
Not only is the automobile one of the
most remarkable inventions of this
century, but it has been of great ser
vice to the people of the United States
in that it has given a strong impetus
to the movement in favor of good roads.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-01-11
SHIPS CLAIMED BY THE WAVES.

Great Britain's Losses by Shipwreck
the Smallest in the World.
Losses at sea sustained by the mer-
chant service Of the world in the last
year are set forth in a report prepared
by the British government, copies Of
which have been received here. Great
Britain, with over 100000 tons
afioat. has the lowest percentage OF
losses.
the number of steamers and sailing
craft reported missing and now re-
garded as lost by insurance under
writers. No less than twenty -four
steamers sailed out of various ports
last year and have never been heard
from, and seventy-nine sailing vessels
cleared and never reached their destina-
ton, both classes representing total
tonnage Of 72,773. In addition ninety
six ships, representing eighty-five sail
ing craft and eleven steamers, had to
be abandoned at sea.
| AS a result of all the losses the gross
reduction In the mercantile merine of
the world is shown to be 1,141 vessels
of S20,72 tons, excluding vessels OF
less than 100 tons.
Great Britain's rate Of loss is 2.23 per
cent, the next on the list being Germa-
ny, with 2.33 per cent. Germany and
the United States are now making a
"neck-and-neck" race as regards the
total number of vessels owned, the
latter having 2,113,677 tons and the
former 2,113,0S1 tons. Austria Hungary
is third in point of rate Of loss, with
31S per cent. and then come Russia
with 1868 per cent and the United
States, with Ala per cent. The Other
nations are In the following order
italy, 4.34 per cent; France, 4.4S
Holland, 4.62; Spain, Sol; Norway
$50. and Sweden. 5.G6.-New Yorl
| Herald.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-01-11

contractor persuaded them to lay their
distress before Pharaoh, who was
about to visit the works, and he gave
them handsome supply of corn, and
so all went ON well for that month.
But the same state of things occurred
by the middle of the next, and for
some days the men struck work. Va
rious conferences took place, but the
men declined to do a stroke until they
were given another supply of food
They declared the clerks cheated them,
used false weights, and so forth, ia
miliar enough complaints in this coun-
try under the truck system. The con-
tractor not complying with their de-
mands, they marched to the governor
of the city to lay their grievances be-
fore him, and he tried to get them to
return to work by smooth words, but
that was no use, and they insisted on
having food. At last, to get rid of
them, he drew up an order for corn on
the public granary, and the strike was
at an end.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-01-11
Best Governed CITY.

The leading and most commendable
feature of the management Of public
affairs is the principle of the sinking
fund, which is applied to every enter
prise or business in which the munich
pality is interested. Whatever debts It
has are on the sure and safe road to
liquidation by the automatic operation
of the sinking fund device. BY this
means the city of Glasgow will, inside
Of fifty years, furnish free water to its
citizens; give them the best electric
lights free; electric or water power at
cost; allow them to ride on it's electric
road at the nominal fare of cents for
any distance, and furnish to all free use
of magnificent public library.
The city affairs are managed by bust
ness men with the same prudence with
which they would manage their own
affairs; the question Of party politics
enter into no local election, and it seems
to be the object Of the municipality to
administer the city's finances in an
economical way, to improve the public
health in its physical and moral basis,
and to give brightness and the posi-
bility of happiness to civil life. It's sue
cess in all these has been so marked
as to command the admiration of the
civilized world and to gain for itself the
appellation Of the best governed city
on the face of the globe.-American
Magazine of Civics.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-01-11

der who is manIacal with drink and
very abusive-hand and foot with
cords and gagglng him with block of
wood whitfield to fit his mouth. The
gagging part of this punishment came
near choking a number Of soldiers to
death, which accounted in part for its
erasure from the punishment list.
One punishment much affected in the
light artillery was called tying on the
spare wheel" Springing upward and
rearward from the center rail of every
caisson was a fifth axle, and on it was
a spare wheel. A soldier who had been
insubordinate was taken to the spare
wheel and forced to step upon 1t. His
legs were drawn apart until they span
ned three spokes. His arms were
stretched until there were three or four
spokes between his hands. Then feet
and hands were firmly bound to the
felloes of the wheel. If the soldier was
to be punished moderately he was left
bound in an upright position on the
wheel for five or six hours. If the pun
| ishment was to be severe the ponder
Gus wheel was given a quarter turn
after the soldier had been dashed to it,
which changed the position of the man
being punished from an upright to a
horizontal one. Then the prisoner had
to exert all his strength to keep his
weight from pulling heavily, and cut
ting on the cords that bound his upper
arm and leg to the wheel.
Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-01-11
A Wise Answer.

1t takes but an ordinary man to re-
turn an angry answer to an insult. The
extraordinary man Is he who, under
such circumstances, holds himself so
well under control that he controls his
adversary also. e"
Persia once possessed such a man,
and was clear-sighted enough to make
him a judge. He was the chief judge
of Bagdad in the reign Of the Calf
Hadee, and his name was Aboo Yu-
suph. He was very wise man, for he
knew his own deficiencies, and was ac-
tually sometimes in doubt as to wheth-
err he possessed sufficient wisdom to
give just decision In cases peculiarly
shrouded in mystery.
1t Is related Of him that on one occa-
sion, after a patient investigation Of
facts, he decided that he had not suffi-
cient knowledge to pronounce on the
case before him. There was In his
presence a pert courtier, one of those
men who take long to learn that wis
dom and impudence are not closely re-
lated.
pray do you expect that the calf is
to pay you for your Ignorance?" be
asked, hoping to place the Judge at a
disadvantage.
81 do not" was the mild reply. 'The
calf pays me-and pays me well-for
what do know. Were he to attempt
to pay me for what do not know, the
treasures of his empire would not suf
fee" 49,