davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10

A TERRIs1C EXPLOSION SHOOK THE MINE.
letter which he wrote to James E.
Meade, who resided at San Antonio at
that time. but has been engaged in
business in Alpine for several years.
The letter said:
a horrible and most astonishing
thing happened to me when l attempt
ed to explore the mine. My mozO
(servenD, Pedro, let ne down to the
bottom of the shaft a distance OF
about 100 feet, by means of a rope.
"The candle gave very poor light, but
I could see that a great deal of net ore
still remained in the workings. 1 had
started to explore one of the drifts
when noise like the bursting of a
thousand cannons sounded in my ears
and was followed by a most terrific
rush of air, which came from the drift
that was about to enter.
Il was lifted off my feet and thrown
against the rock walls of the shaft
with such force that l was badly
bruised and almost Knocked senseless.
The rush of air gradually subsidized,
and as it did so there came echoing
out of the murky drift one of the most
piercing and plaindve cries L have
ever heard.
''There was no response from above.
1 yelled and yelled, but Pedro did not
come to the rope. 1 then realized that
he had heard the mysterious demon
stration and had fed in his supersti
tious terror.
ct was lucky that the rope was fas-
tened to a mesquite trunk on the sur
face. as L was able to draw myself out
of the shaft hand over. hand. bracing
my feet against the walls. Just as /
reached the surface the underground
phenomena were repeated.
my Mexican was found at the home
OF sheep herder five miles away"
Mr.. Boyd went to San Antonio to or
ganiZe an expedition to undertake the
work of exploring the mine. Before he
had got his men together he died.
AIr. Meade then took charge of the
expedition. They spent three months
at the mine. but only one attempt was
made to explore the underground work
ings, and that experience was so terri
flying that the men threatened to leave
if forced to make another effort.
They sunk a shaft near the old one to
depth of fifty feet, but the noises be-
came so pronounced that the workmen
refused to go on with it, and the whole
project was abandoned.
Captain Louis Seton was at the head
of the latest expedition to the haunted
mine. he is one of the most prominent
stockmen in Texas and has a reputa-
ton for great courage. In n spirit of
adventure he left his ranch in Sutton
county a few days ago for the mine,
taking with him a half dozen of his
cowboys.
They let the rope ladder down into
the old shaft, and Captain Seton and
two of his cowboys went down to the
bottom. All was quiet. and they had
just started to enter the drift when
the phenomena suddenly broke forth
in all their fury.
The three men were hurled with
great force several feet and thrown
repeatedly against the Jagged rocks of
the shaft 1t was only with the great
est effort that they could climb to the
surface. Their bodies were covered
with bruises, and their clothing was
torn.
* am not superstitious. CAPTAIN
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10
Held Prisoner By
"A Tree S s;.. $; :'; S::s II.

is difficult for the human mind to
imagine a more. soul racking
"a experience than that of an Aus
tralian. bushman who for several
days was imprisoned in the heart
of the great Australian forest, his
hand caught fast in the cleft of a giant
tree which he had felled and started to
split.
The bushman, now an old man, told
the story a short time ago in Mel
bourne, where he is now a respected
citizen and successful business man.
One day he attacked a huge box
tree which the squatter desired to
have split into planks for building pur-
poses. Having felled the tree, said
the bushman, 1 began the more diff
cult work of splitting the giant trunk,
from which L had stripped the bark.
With my ak 1 made a cash in the butt,
in which a steel wedge was inserted.
After driving home, a second wedge
was put in and driven home with the
head of the ak. Thus using the
wedges alternately I made the gap in
the fallen tree larger until, to the ac-
compartment of rending wood, the ter
rible thing happened, the mere recol-
lection of which even to this day calls
forth an involuntary shudder of hor
TOR.
1 had driven one of the big wedges
into the hard white wood, and, throw
ing my ak upon one side, for 1 was
tired with the eXertiOn and intended
taking short rest, 1 put my left hand
into the aperture to remove its prede-
cessor. But before 1 could withdraw
it the firm wedge .sprang from its posi-
ton, and, the aperture creaking and
narrowing as the wedge slipped up
ward, the great white mouth of the |
gaping trunk closed about my hand |
and held it as in wise
Vainly 1 attempted to extricate it |
from the powerful grip of the great |
log. Then, feeling in my pockets, l |
found another wedge and, placing it |
close to my imprisoned hand. turned to |
grasp the AK with which to drive it |
into the aperture. This, 1 could see,
would sufficiently widen the gap to en-
able me to withdraw my hand. which |
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10

through. Hurrying to the barn, hel
threw a bride upon his horse, and,
springing upon the bareba cked animal,
he began a ride which has passed into
history.
1t is stated that he covered the three,
miles between the dam and the house
OF y. @. Spellman, the agent, who then
and now resides in Williamsburg, in.
fifteen minutes.
Mr.. Spellman by nature and training
was conservative He had seen the
dam the night before and could not be-
lieve it was possible that Cheney's sto-
ry, which he hurriedly told him, was
true. Convinced, however, that there
was danger, he sent Cheney to Belch
er's stable, stOno s throw away, for a
fresh horse to ride down through the
valley and give the alarm.
Another simple toiler in the valley,
Collins Graves, on his morning ride de-
livering milk saw Cheney and Belcher,
heard the story the former was telling
and, as the histories record it. said, IF
the dam is breaking, the folks below
must know it," and started out as rap
idly as his horse could carry him from
Haydenville. He gave the alarm to the
best of his ability, and, whatever cap
tious critics have said, there is no ques-
ton that he saved the lives of hun
dreds. At Skinnerville he was but a
short time ahead of the food, although
he was not aware of the fact. At Hay
denville, another Of the hamlets down
the valley. there was even less time,
for the dam had given way, and the
angry waters were turbulently rushing
down the narrow valley.
The power of the flood was tremen-
dOus. Two millstOnes near the store of
Edison Ross and weighing a ton were
picked up and carried TO the button
factory. half a mile.
A writer of the time of the food thus
pictured it and the destruction which it
caused: IAN instant Sufficed for the de-
struction of everything touched by the
mountainous flood. which rolled on in
its appalling force for Il briefer time
than many dream. speedily became ex-
hausted, and in an hour the river had
nearly subsidized to its wonted bed The
citizens walked the roads and began to
search for the dead.
THE river flats and all the banks
were crammed with the debris - great
OIlNSS VI llIlDST, lTetS lulerlllIlSleu III
the strangest, most shocking way with
women's clothing, less often with
mems; with mattresses, quilts and
sheets; with betting and machinery
from the mills, with fragments of bills
and letters, with soap and potatoes and
stove wood, with rocks and stone steps,
with fragments of chairs and tables
and now and then n piece of a piano or
cabinet organ. with little children's
hats and tiny shoes. with household
utensils and all the fragments of man
ufacture and domestic life.
And then. most horrible and soul
narrowing, the bruised. disfgured and
sometimes MANNED bodies of human
beings which an hour before had been
in the full flush of life. these were the
ever recurring pictures"
Without question, time has not
changed the verdict-Graves was the
principal hero of the day The next
place belongs to Myron Day. a farmer,
who did noble work. Mr.. Graves horse,
a fine little bla TX mare, was ruined by
the terrible race with the food and had
to be shot. Both Graves and Day still
live In the valley.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10

caught my ear, and knew that was
saved A comfortable stretcher of bark
was hastily improvised, and 1 was con-
veyed to the homestead. Just before
leaving the scene of my CHASTITY expe-
rience 1 noticed the big opossum still
fettered TO the dead branch. and, beck
oning to the trapper, 1 begged him by
signals, for could not speak, to let the
poor beast go. Comprehending me, he
did so, and the sight of that terrified
creature scampering off into the dense
undergrowth- did me more good than
can tell
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10
Strange Haunt Of
The Refusio Mine

Still another futile attempt has just
been made to explore the shaft and
underground workings of the so called
haunted Refugio mine in the Cluspa
mountains, sixty miles southwest of
Alpine, Tex.
The mine was worked by the Span
iards more than a century ago. 1t was
abandoned and forgotten until about
twenty years ago, when an American
mining engineer, Henry Boyd, while
looking up the title to a Mexican min
ing property came across n mention of
it in the archives of the state of Goa
hula at Saltillo, Mexico.
Mr.. Boyd. accompanied by a Mexican
guide, left Saltillo to explore the mine.
After patient search they found it
in deep canyon.
What occurred when Mr.. Boyd at
temDted to EXPLORE the mine is fold I'm
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10
Daring Show

Daring shown In Naval EvOIutiOns.
a boats crew from the United States
cruiser Don Juan de Austria made the
first successful attack ON the mine
fields near Subig bay, says a dispatch
from Manila. The boat capsized as it
was approaching the mines, and part
of the crew, with Ensign Babcock lead
ing, swan mile, though the water
was infested with sharks, towing coun
ter mine buoys, which were successful
ly-placed. The searchlights of the war
ships did not discover the operation.
Ensign Babcock and his men were COLI
graduated on their courage.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10
II Rcc2 Gg1nb
Death + !9s'ssR'' Mt St < Rive, Flood
tx In Massachusetts

I was nearly Twenty-Five years
ago. May. 10, 1874, that the Mill
river valley, in the town of VIII
- Harrisburg and the city of North
ampton, in Hampshire county,
western sachusetts, saw one of the
most destructive foods that have ever
been recorded certainly in that state
and taking rank with the great disas-
tiers of the country.
By it f1fty-eight persons lost their
lives in the main village of Williams
burg, thirty-eight in Skinnerville and
Haydenville, both villages in Williams
burg town, and fifty-two in the village
of Leeds, which is one of the wards Of
then a town, but now a
city.
The loss of property was very large.
Along this valley were mills and fac
tories. shops, offices. banks and happy
homes. The flood swept a number of
the factories down the valley, it
brought financial ruin to scores, it
swept the homes out of existence, and
in a number of instances whole fami-
lies were carried quickly to death.
AS a general thing Mill river is a
little stream, noisy and turbulent, par
ticularly in the spring. rising quickly
after heavy showers and rain in the
hills and occasionally causing trouble
not unlike that Of lively boy in the
household who must have a vent for his
exuberance, but in the long run is SO
useful and Obedient that he more than
compensates for the annoyance which
1,n
After the New England custom, for
years and years the waters of the little
river have been employed to turn the
wheels of industry, and so for about
six miles little villages have grown up,
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10
The Increasing Popularity of Coral.

Coral bead necklaces, guard chains
and collarettes. which have been sold
in great quantities during the past sea-
son, promise to be in even greater de-
mand than ever before, says the Jewel
ers' Circular Weekly. From all indi-
cations the sales of coral articles by
jewellers will eclipse the business
which has so far been done in this
material for many years Coral is ex-
ceedingly becoming to all compilations
and this, it is believed, accounts in al
large measure for its great popularity
once the fashion of wearing this sub
stance is revived.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10
Photorraphy and the schools.

Something that is revolutionary in
the educational circles of Europe is the
recent introduction of photography in
French schools as part of the curric-
ulum, says the Photo Era; The minis
ter of public instruction has authorized
a novelty in the French lycees for the
term which is just beginning. The
Lycee CondOrcet, the largest and most
important of the Paris schools, begins
the experiment of Il photography class,
and if this proves successful there will
be classes in photography once and
afterward twice a week in every school
under state control in France. Photog-
raphy has assumed such Importance
lately that NJ. Chaumie, the minister
of public instruction, considers that no
French boys education is complete
without it.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10
ANTICS OF A DEER.
Went to Church and Then Returned
to His Farm.

A full grown buck deer with large
antlers followed Nelson ID. Ford, Hall
Meadow farmer, and his family to
church in Winchester Center, near
Winsted, Conn, a distance of five miles,
New Years day, says the New York
World. During its several hours stay
in Winchester the animal visited sew
eral houses and ate apples from the
hands of children, some of whom put
their arms around its neck.
The deer returned to the Ford farm
the next morning and Immediately
sought its place among n herd of cat
tie. Whenever Ford drives his yoke of
oxen into the woods to get load of
timber the deer always follows.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10
A COSTLY PRIMER.
SchooIteacher Gets $4,000 For One
He Paid IL Cents For.

SchoO1teaChGr Gets SS.OOO FOr One
He Paid IL Cents For.
An original copy of the New England
Primer which is said to be in better
condition than the copies owned by Mr..
Cornelius Vanderbilt and Mr.. ]. Pier
pont Morgan was sold recently by Mr..
Morris =. High of Johnstown, Pa, to
Messrs Dodd, Mead & Co. for $500.
says a Philadelphia dispatch to the
New York Herald.
Mr.. High. who is a teacher in the
high school at Johnstown, is native
of Obey, Berks county, Pa, and he pur-
chased the primer for u cents at pub
lie auction in a farmhouse near his
home in 1893.
Mr.. High received an offer from Mr..
]. Pierpont Morgan for the primer, but
Messrs.. Dodd, Mead & Co. made q
higher bid and got the prize.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10
Automatic Pistol.

The steamship Glenogle recently
brought the news to Vancouver. Il. c.,
that Lieutenant Hino of the JAPANESE
infantry has invented an automatici
pistol which will fire eighty cartridges
a minute, says the st. Louis Globe
Democrat. The range is more than al
thousand meters. The invention has
been taken over by the japanese Cow
eminent.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10

ences, 'but if the interior of that mine
is not an inferno occupied by hellish
spirits 1 won't believe that see with
my own eyes hereafter"
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10
what Did He Mean.

Patient after giving the doctor So
and receiving prescription)-But sup
pose, doctor, this doesn't cure me?
Doctor-In that case come back, and
I'll relieve you again. = Detroit Free
-Ssoes
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10

she isn't worth looking at, she'd bet
ter take Rocky Mountain Tea. Brings
back the bloom of youth. 35c. L. III.
Thomas pharmacy.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10

All the news all the time-The
Argus.
Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10

I was nearly Twenty-Five years
ago. May, 16, 1874, that the Mill
Il river valley, in the town of VIII
80 Harrisburg and the city of North
Bennington banner and reformer. (Bennington, Vt.) 1903-19??, 1903-03-26
SMART SHIRTS
FOR MEN

FOR MEN
Lion Brand Negligee Shirts,
all new spring and summer
style, 90
The Monarch Shirt, white
and colored, at LOO
The Hiawatha, our own
brand, in fancy negiigee, spe-
cial in value at LOO
Negligee Shirts in a large
variety OF patterns, soc
Bennington banner and reformer. (Bennington, Vt.) 1903-19??, 1903-03-26
HOME OF YOUR OWN FOR $500.
IL f-2c TO 81 1-2c A YARD

win give you your choice in the following de
Scribed cottages for $500;
MOI Browning Place.
Has parioT, dining ROOM kitchen and two bed
rooms, with water and sewer connections.
No. Browning Place.
Has parlOr, dining room, kitchen and three
bedrooms, with water and sewer connections.
will take $500 down and leave the balance as
long as the purchaser desires. Rented now at
$500 eanh per month. Could not be duplicated
for st2On each.
Win give spot cash for stocks Of stores and
merchandise of every description. Business
confidential.
WIN sell or lease building lot on Division
street price $500 size 44Xi2O; located tire lots
north OF Thomas Lyons house.
Also the John Percy farm and buildings,
PRICE $4,000
VIII sell the John Healey farm. called the best
farm in Bennington county Don't send your
MOI ey west when you can buy this property for
about half what Il is worth.
win sell or trade house and five building lots
on Silver street House and three building lots
on Washington avenue. A building lot on River
street. a building lot on Mccall street Will sell,
lease or trade ~ building lots on upper Main
street.
lei. 2l 2 JOHN NASH.
Bennington banner and reformer. (Bennington, Vt.) 1903-19??, 1903-03-26
? tsS9ss.s sSsssss a.sgssa - !,
NORTH BENNINGTON
.Ss8sssslslss q % s9ss3lsJs3sl


Mrs Solomon L. Mattison is i'll with
la grippe.
School has closed for a weeks va.
cation.
Mrs H. 1. Spafford is in Troy for a
few days.
A sociable was held in the Baptist
church Tuesday evening.
Miss Dorothy Houghton is spending
the week with relatives in Troy.
A. L. Martin is repairing the prop
erty recently purchased by him.
Miss Josephine E. Reynolds of Troy
spent Sunday with friends in town.
Mrs Marjory L. Dexter has returned
from visiting friends in Shoreham.
Miss Florence Niles of Hoosick
Falls was with friends here Saturday.
Miss Caroline f. Cushman is visit
ing friends at lrvington-on-the Hud-
son.
Peter Kelly is stopping with his
brother, Michael j. Kelly of this vii
lage.
Noel Schulley has returned from
North Adams and accepted position
here.
Arthur Phillips Of Troy passed Sun
Bennington banner and reformer. (Bennington, Vt.) 1903-19??, 1903-03-26
WEEDS

Consumption is a human
weed furnishing best in weak
lungs. Like other weeds it's
easily destroyed while young f;
when old, sometimes i'm
possible.
Strengthen the lungs as you
would weak land and the
weeds will disappear.
The best lung fertilizer is
SCOTS Emulsion. Salt pork
is good too, but it is very hard
to digest.
The time to treat consump-
ton is when you begin trying
to hide it from yourself.
Others see it, you won't.
Don't wait until you can't
deceive yourself any longer.
Begin with the first thought
to take SCOTS Emulsion. If
it isn't really consumption so
much the better; you will soon
forget it and be better for the
treatment. If it is consump-
ton you can't expect to be
cured at once, but if you will
begin in time and will be
rigidly regular in your treat
ment you will win.
SCOTS Emulsion, fresh air,
rest all you can, eat all you
can, that's the treatment and
that's the best treatment.
Bennington banner and reformer. (Bennington, Vt.) 1903-19??, 1903-03-26

day with his parents, Chas d. Phillips
and wife.
! A new National automatic weighing
machine has recently been placed in
the depot.
Miss Isabelle Grace of Hoosick Falls
has been the guest of her aunt Miss
Ella Grace.
VIM J. Hurley has bought the Hur-
ley farm and is repairing the build
ings to rent.
r. B. 'rozer is in New York city,
where he will visit his daughter, Miss
Lima NJ. Tozer.
Miss Blanche Lyons of Bennington
spent Sunday with her sister, Mrs
Ralph E. Potter.
Miss Mary Marsh of Manchester
Depot has been the guest of Henry
Spencer and wife.
Miss Elina Barber of Greenwich. n.
y, has been the guest of Mrs Frank
Ripley for few days.
Roscoe r. Cole has bought the
Shepard house on Hawks-ave and will
move his family there this week.
Mrs Eli d. Randold and daughter
of SALISBURY have been the guests of
Norman l.. Bottum and wife for few
days
Cards are out announcing the COM
ing wedding Of Miss Georgia Lord of
New York and John n. Cushman Of
this village.
Frank II. Mattison of SALISBURY
has moved into the house formerly oc-
cupied by L. NJ. Leonard and family,
on Houghton-st.
Warrants have been posted for the
coming school meeting. stating that
IL will be held in Village hall Tuesday
evening, March 81.
The annual meeting and election of
officers Of the j. G. Mccullough En-
CINE Co will be held in the company's
rooms Saturday evening, March p.
The glass shop Of the Il. S. Wal
bridge Manufacturing Co, recently
damaged by fire, has been repaired
and restored to its former condition.
L. NJ. Loomis has moved into the
house owned by him on Hawks-ave
and formerly occupied by Chas Ben
son. The latter has moved to Green
wich-st
Edmund L. DuCharme and wife of
Saratoga, n. Y, accompanied by
Bennington banner and reformer. (Bennington, Vt.) 1903-19??, 1903-03-26

/ WITS Ndfi IL. StOctmOn of New York
city spent Sunday with A. l.. Martin
and wife.
1 Miss Katherine Gray, formerly OF
this place, who has been seriously iii
I Tor some time at her home in East Ar
, llngton, is convalescing quite rapidly.
as her many friends will be pleased to
know.
James Machin Of New York CITY
spent Sunday with A. J. Nash and
wife. Mr. Machin has purchased for
his employer fine pair of horses from
the Hewson Brothers of the Burden
Farm. The horses are pair of finely
matched bays and Mr. Machin's en-
plpyer, millionaire though he is. can
be justly proud OF them
w. r. Madison and wife have re-
turned from Boston.
Mrs Robert Stewart has returned
from New York city.
Foster Surdam is with his sister Wis
lung at the Plaza hotel New York.
Neil NJ. Mccarthy, son Of Timothy
fever. " = f''0''
Mrs B. A. Maxwell Of Troy, for
merly OF this place, is the guest of
Ralph A. Jones and wife.
H. }. Spafford has purchased for
the Rutland railroad company the
land owned by Amy and Foster Sur
dam adjoining the railroad yard north
OF the station here. This land was
purchased for the purpose of enlarp-
ing the railroad yard at this place
which is now entirely too small for the
increased volume of freight traffic
handled here. 1t is intended TO at
least double the present capacity of
the yard. General Manager Geo f.
james and Supt S. S. Cotton were In
town by special train Monday to look
over the property and arrange for the
construction OF the new tracks After
May LIST it is understood that All
freight business between the Rutland
and the Boston and Maine railroad
will be interchanged here instead of
Hooslck Junction as at present.
GRADED SCHOOL NOTES.
Examinations we're held in the diff
ferent grades last week
Two base ball teams have been or
gained from members OF sophomore
and freshman classes.
1t is expected that at the beginning
OF the spring term the new piano will
be in place in the high school.
Most of the teachers of the various
departments are spending their vaca-
ton at their respective homes.
Each member OF the senior class is
preparing a series of essays, the best |
ot which will be used for commence
nent.
Some few changes have been made
N the course Of studies in the differ
INT classes OF the high school. These
are to take effect at the opening Of the
spring term.
Bennington banner and reformer. (Bennington, Vt.) 1903-19??, 1903-03-26
Spring Medicine

There is no other season when good
medicine is SO much needed as in the
Spring.
The blood is impure, weak and
impoverished condition indicated
by pimples and other eruptions on the
face and body, by deficient vitality,
loss of appetite, lack Of strength, and
want of animation.