davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20
THE TRADE OF RISKING LIFE
Performers at Coney Island Value Salary Higher Than
Existence

which the passengers whirl with great
rapidity. Each passenger is strapped
in the car, so that there is no posi-
bility of danger so long as the car re-
mains on the track.
But there was apparently not
enough danger in this to suit the mod
ern spectator, Miss Nella Cornelius
was hired to make the act more thrill
ing. Two or three times day Miss
Cornelius literally takes her life in
her hand to please the gaping crowd.
She loops the loop standing with her
hands in the air and her hair fly
ing.
AT the apex of the turn she stands
in the car, with no hold whatever for
feet, hand or body, with her head
straight downward. The slightest
waver from the point of equilibrium
would mean instant death. Behind
her there is ever the ghost on the
white horse.
Attacked by the Leopard.
Scarcely had she performed her
act than there is roar from the
crowd of spectators in Bostocks
+, There is much running and scamper.
MS 1ho No1iCyo VI 1ulully
"a leopard has sprung upon Nine
Morelli."
rs she much hurt?"
mo, but you ought to have seen
him hurl her across the cage"
Spectator number one goes away
cursing his luck for not being pres.
| ent. Meantime, from the modern Wv.
arium, arises the deep-toned thunder
of an animal chorus, which is ever
Turing to the present day, sight
seer.
"king' Hill.
| Again at Luna park on a swaying
wire, $50 feet from the surface OF
the earth, stands a man in farmers
clothes and very heavy boot. He
poises on one foot and attempts to
draw off his right boot. Almost every
man who has worn boots knows how
difficult this feat is, even when stand
ing on a solid floor.
The wire sways fearfully. The height
is greater than the Brooklyn bridge
But Will Hill, king of the high
wire" gradually steadies himself an6
pulls off his boot. Garment by gar
ment he takes off his outer clothes an6
i Ou tIllt WIG SdIUGu IL
red tights. One little slip and he
! would be dead Mr.. Hill.
At Hagenbeck's animal amphithea
ter while this is going on, one Of
those strange pairs of persons who
like to get married in queer places
stands forth to be wed in the lions
den.
Here. too, the crowds surge about
the point Of danger. The doors swing
4 open. The palefaced minister enters
resignedly just as did the old time
Christians into the Roman arena
with the wild beasts of the des
| ert.
AT one side stands man with
a whip. The beasts glare not at him
hut at the palefaced minister. who
stands like Daniel, trying to be un
afraid.
Wedding Among Lions.
Then the young couple enter, whittier
| if possible than the minister. They
gulp and tremble and look frightened
The big lions with their great topaz
eyes look them through and through
| Some of the beasts growl and shift
uneasily. Their padded feet make nc
sound on the floor of the arena. They
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20
MANY LIVES LOST
SCORES OF ADvENTURIsTs WHO
SEEK TO CLIMB THE ALPS
MEET DEATH.
Three Hundred Accidents Already This
Year, Resulting in $50 Deaths-The
Cause is Said to Be the Unfavorable
Weather-AII Districts Affected.

London, Aug. 19.-The death roll in
the Alps this season has been enor-
nous. Already more than 300 acct
dents have been recorded, resulting in
the loss of $50 lives. No district has
escaped. From the Jura mountains,
the Dauphin and Maritime Alps, the
great Swiss ranges and the Austrian
peaks, the story is the same Almost
daily there is tale of perilous adven.
ture, accident and death.
Weather Unfavorable.
The general cause of disaster has
been the exceptionally unfavorable
weather, combined with unprecedent-
ed false economy. Case after case has
been due to climbing without guides
in disregard of the weather and snow
conditions, while several deaths have
been due to the foolish and increasing
practice of climbing attired in fash.
ionable costumes, such as lace petit
of such a fatal fall was that of Miss
Gilman, who was climbing Mount Pr
latus attired in smart spring toilette
This was also the case of Nine. Petia
doff, whose fatal fall on Mount Sepo
sior was directly due to wearing
smart clothes and thin pair of shoes
FitzaeraId's Adventure.
One Of the most marvellous escapes
was that of Hon. Gerald Fitzgerald
on Monterosa. He was passing along
dangerous edge, roped between two
guides. Fitzgerald and the younger
guide fell, but the rope held, and the
other guide succeeded in clinging to q
rock. Fitzgerald and one of the guides
remained for seven hours suspended
in midair over a precipice Of 10,5OC
feet. The second guide stood motion
less those seven hours, with his legs
propped against a boulder, supporting
them at the end of the rope till heir
| arrived.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20

are afraid of only one thing-the man
| WIN the whip. Were it not for him
tney would spoil a wedding and adorn
lion feast.
Outside. the spectators are crushed
and pinned in tense drifts.
Wilt thou take this woman" the
minister begins-"wilt thou take this
woman to be thy lawfully"
sounds deep-toned voice behind him.
utter1ng silent prayer, the minis
ter begins again. The pallid couple
before him do not seem to understand
the questions they are answering.
They are too much afraid.
But they are eventually married
somehow, and no doubt, the knot will
be as effective if not as dignified as If
human beings and not wild beasts
stood about them
From the queer wild-beast wedding
you may take few steps and see a
woman hanging from a wire by her
hair and Spinning along between two
dense lines of spectators for distance
of 700 feet.
Is 1t Original Barbarism?
II her browning glory should break
or her scalp give way there would be
a wet lady and a sad lady, if not a
drowned lady, for her act is directly
above the lagoon"
You finally depart from the island
with the conviction that we are rapid
ly getting back to our original bar
barism dispositions. We may not love
blood, but we like to shave pretty close
to it.
For the cestus, we have the boxing
gloves. For the cistiarii we have the
wielders of the broadswords. For the
catapult from which victims were
hurled, we have the "loop-the-loop. y
For the sacrifice of Christians in the
arena, we have the marriage of inno-
cents in the den of wild beasts. Where
will it end?
A slip of the foot, or hand, the fail
ure of nerve or muscle, momentary
trembling of an eyelid and a life would
pay the forfeit.
| The great crowds come and go,
laughing and jostling, just as they did
in the days of the gladiators, and
with all the carelessness that marked
the old Roman crowds.
They come to be thrilled. They eat
peanuts while the performers, the
gladiators of the present day, are cheek
and jowl with death.
Cost Is Small.
!, Only 10 cents to see man or WON
an in danger of being killed. Surely
one could not ask for a more reason.
able price than this. Are we becom.
ing degenerate in our pleasures?
Here are the barbaric trappings OF
the old times, supplemented by all
the beautiful things which science has
since devised for the use and enter.
tainment of mankind. Instead of the
fiambeaux of the ancient circus, we
have the myriads of glittering electric
lights. Instead of the Adriatic and
the Tiber, we have the old-fashioned
) grump Atlantic and Coney Island
creek.
But whether under Roman fam
beaux or modern lights, human nature
has ever been the same. Under the
thin veneer of civilization which GOV.
ers the nature of the Coney Island
girls, you will find a replica of the
savage characteristics which induced
the Roman maiden to turn down her
: dainty thumb and raise her voice in
appeal for the death of some wounded
gladiator York World.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20
Performers at Coney

In the midst of the bloody contests
at Rome an Asiatic monk named Tele,
machus rushed into the arena and at
tempted to separate the gladiators. He
paid for his rashness with his life be-
ing stoned to death by the furious
spectators with whose pleasure he
dared to interfere. But the fury OF
| the people had its effect in a sense OF
shame. which was felt for centuries.
NO modern Telemachus is likely to
interfere with the sports at Coney Is.
land. Go down to the glittering city
by the ocean almost any day in the
| week and you will see:
slide for life" wherein a man
| hanging to slender bit of leather by
his teeth rushes down a slack wire
for 1000 feet and It's feet above the
surface of the earth.
A woman hanging by her hair to a
wire, Swimming above the surface OF
a lake for 700 feet.
A man standing on one foot on a
wire $50 feet above the earth pulling
off his clothes.
A girl in den of snarling Polar
| bears.
A man whipping twenty-five lions in
to subsection.
A girl standing upright in a "loop
! the-loop'' toboggan which turns com
pletely upside down while travelling al
the rate of fifty miles an hour.
A woman in a den of leopards which
in the past have almost bitten her tt
death.
Other Attractions Too.
If these attractions are not sufficient
to thrill you you may be possibly enter
tanned by the sight of an elephan
shooting the chutes" or a man insert
ing his head in lions mouth or wed
dings in lions den.
| Thus it will be seen that modern
! outdoor entertainments are becoming
decidedly Roman in their character
Where this tendency will stop it is diff
ficult to say.
Cameron, who does "the slide fo
life" at Luna park is one of those wht
believe in the dangerous and life-risk
ing element in the solution of modern
entertainments.
If you happen to be in the vicinit.
of Luna park at $50 p m, you will
see standing on the high scaffold nea
the top, of the great central tower ;
small speck of a man making ready t.
swing away on taunt wire stretching
1,600 feet to the westward and LII
feet from the earth.
Wrapped in the American Flag.
He is girded about with courage ant
the American flag. He tests the wiz,
with both hands. rubs it with his poe
ket handkerchief and gazes calmly a
the wide white pools of faces com
prising the modern Roman populace
| beneath him.
A sound floats up like the soft SHIN
mer of sea of silk. There is a hum
ming of ten thousand voices as Cam
eroni darts out from the tower like
bird. AS he starts he loosens tn,
American flag which whips royalty be
hind him. He fires revolvers rapid,
with both hands, and goes sailing ava,
| into the darkness
On the opposite side of, Surf ayenu,
in the loop-the-loop continuance. Their,
is another Roman act. which is thrill
ing to both spectators and performer.
Miss Cornelius.
"The 1oop-the-loop' tramway, afte,
falling abruptly at an angle of As de
grees, like the usual toboggan. rise!
vertically and forms loop, arount
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20
Widows Are Concerned.

For several years the big cattle COM
panies OF the west have had paid
agents at work throughout Illinois,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri,
Nebraska and other states in the mid
die west drumming up soldiers wild
ows and shipping them by the car load
out to the government land offices to
file upon government lands. Thou
sands of widows have consented to
make these filings in consideration of
small sums of money, their railroad
fares, their hotel bills and other ex-
penses, including the land office fees.
Curiously enough in most cases the
widows, Willingly or unwittingly, have
perjured themselves in making these
filings. Every one of them when TAX
en- to the land Office made an affidavit
that she was making the location for
her own use and benefit and for the
purpose OF her own actual settlement
and cultivation and not, either directly
or indirectly, for the use or benefit Of
any other person or persons whosoev-
er, when, as matter of fact, in al
lunst every instance some cattle COD
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20
Homeseeker,s Excursions.

One way rate with two dollars adj
ditional for round trip tickets on sale
the first and third Tuesdays of every
month, with limit for return twenty -one
days from date of sale. See ticket
agents of Iowa Central for information
as to rates, etc. or address A. B. Cults
G. P. & T. A.. Minneapolis, MINI.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20
OPENS WITH RUSH
THE AUGUST TERM OF THE DIS
TRlCT COURT WELL
UNDER WAY.
kirkvile Cemetery Case Before the
Court-Default DEGREES Signed in
Many Divorce cases-Grand Jury
Drawn-First Assignment.

The August term of the district
court is now well under way and judg-
! ing from the number of cases already
disposed of the docket will be cleaned
up during the term. The case of ]. w.
Bottorf, ct al, VS.. the West View Gem
etery association, of Kirkville, has
court since the opening Monday at
ternoon, although default Judgment
was rendered in several cases. The
first assignment of chancery cases was
made Monday and all the contempt
cases against the Ottumwa saloon
keepers were assigned for trial yester-
day. They did not come up however,
as the cemetery case had not been
completed.
The Cemetery Case.
The suit against the cemetery asso.
citation is brought by number of the
prominent citizens of Kirkville, to re,
strain the defendants from building a
road across the graves in the old blu.
rial ground in the new plat. The de-
| PENDANTS state that only five graves
were in the way of the proposed road
and that these were removed by mu.
tual consent A. G. Steck is the plain
tiffs' attorney and McNett & Tisdale
and Gilmore & Moon are representing
the defendant association.
Cases Go BY Default.
Default DEGREES were signed in the
divorce cases of Almira Cross VS. l. G.
Cross: Mary A. Bagnall VS. George
Bagnall; w. E. Doud VS. Mary j. Doud;
Della Serls VS. Charles Serls, and Mary
C. Hoskins VS. VIM Hoskins.
In the law docket default judgment
was rendered in the case of Hubbard,
Spencer & Bartlett VS. A. w. Martin,
in the sum of $13S19 and interest
chancery Assignment.
| The following is the first assign
ment of the chancery cases for the
| term:
Friday, August Fl.
Ella Collins VS. Jas. Collins ct al.
Nancy Davis VS. Joseph Sheafe.
Monday, August "a.
D. E. Chisman VS. R. P Dana.
w. D. Tisdale VS. j. D. Textbook.
]. F. Dings VS. Iowa Telephone Co.
Tuesday, August rs.
Wapello County VS. Ward Lamson Ell
al.
Sarah o. McCune VS. I. D. Mowery
ct al.
Wednesday, August 26.
Wiley J. Rutherford VS. Jesse Ruth.
erford.
Edna Mae Jones VS. Thomas ]. Nor
gan.
Grand Jury Drawn.
The grand jury for the term was
drawn this morning at 10 o'clock. The
jurors drawn are as follows: d. o.
Drake, foreman; ]. H. Arney, S. D.
Baker, Elias Garfield, Gid Dotts, H. H
Garrison, H. G. Humbert, S. M. Will.
liams.
Divorce Case Filed.
Mrs. Annie M. Rupe, through her
attorney, Seneca Cornell, has fiji,
ed a petition for divorce
from her husband, A. w. Rupe
The petition accuses the defendant OF
cruel and inhuman treatment, stating
that he has repeatedly beaten and
bruised her. She asks for the custody
of six minor children, that an attach
ment be issued against the property
of the defendant to secure $500 TEN
porary alimony and that she be given
| permanent alimony in the sum of So,
| 500.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20

pany had paid her railroad fare from
her home to the land Office, had paid
all the expense involved in making
the filing, and had obtained from her
a five-year lease of the land with pow
er of attorney to sell it on final proof
being made. THERE'S little doubt that
some Of the widows did not know the
nature of the affidavit they made or
the nature of the papers the agents
of the cattle companies required them
to sign, but the fact remains that they
were assisting to perpetrate fraud
upon the government and laying them
selves liable to punishment.
Government to Assume Lands.
1t will be recalled by newspaper
readers that the federal grand jury
sitting in Omaha last winter subpoena.
ted witnesses and took a great deal of
testimony touching these alleged fraud
ulent land entries by soldiers widows.
1t was generally expected that a large
number of indictments would be re.
turned by the jury, but after being in
session for several weeks. it adjourned
without bringing in single indict.
ment. Surprise at its failure to re.
turn any indictments was the greater
from the fact that Colonel John S. Mos,
by, special agent Of the general land
Office, who had been sent out west to
gather evidence for the government
had given number of breezy and sen
sational interviews in which he had an
nounced that he had unearthed a
scandalous condition of affairs in Ne
braska and made charges against the
integrity of certain well-known officials
in the land department. Col. Mosby
was before the grand jury and test
fed himself, but Immediately after the
| jury adjourned he was sent away from
Nebraska and assigned to duty else
where. Since the grand jury investiga
ton of last winter the government has
made a further investigation of the en-
tries, and, while it is regarded as un
likely that the department of justice
will be asked to take any further &C
ton in the premises. it is PRACTICAL.
certain that the department of the in
terror will cancel all of the thousands
of entries made by the soldiers widows
at the expense of the cattle compan
les. OF course the cattle barons will
make a desperate effort to proven
such action, but it is perfectly clea
that they secured control of the land
through fraudulent means, and ever
they are now sensible that the chance,
are all against them.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20

lively connected with the state juris-
dictions, being only called upon to
discuss matters designed for the gen
eral good of the association, with the
He stated that since
his election over $500 in old debts had
been paid off and that the society in
Iowa and other states is fourishing.
Rev. Smith is confident that the in
Yestigation will clear the charges
made again the association.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20
AS A LAXATIVE

Hostetter's Stomach Bitters is without
an equal. 1t will not gripe nor shock
the system, and make you feel sick all
over like most cathartics do, but has a
firm and gentle effect upon the consti-
pated bowels, stimulating and assist
ing them in the proper performance of
their functions. Then an occasional
dose is all that is needed to keep the
bowels regular and the stomach strong.
A trial will convince you of it's value.
HOSTETTERS
STOMACH BlTTERS.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20
TURKS REFUSED.
Three BattIeships Lose 21O Men Dead
and Wounded.

Sofia, Aug. 1S.-A fierce battle is
reported to have occurred in the neigh
borhood of Monastir. Three Turkish
battalions attacked 1000 insurgents.
After the fight had ragged six hours
the Turks were repulsed with loss of
21o men killed or wounded. The in
surgent loss is not given.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20
STRUCK BY TRAIN.
L. C. Tiedmann, of Burlington, Injured
at Mt. Pleasant.

Mt. Pleasant, Aug. Isl. G. Tied
mann, travelling salesman of Burling-
ton, was struck by Burlington passen-
ger train No. 10, the fast Burlington
train, here yesterday afternoon and
probably fatally injured.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20

The Iowa Telephone company will
make improvements in it's plant at Du-
buque and put in conduits.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20

Chfttenden & Eastman are erecting
a modern business block at Burling-
ton.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20
The Greatest Offer Ever Made

FREE TREATMENT UNTIL CURED
TO ALL INVALlDS LIVING MORE
THAN 5 MILES FROM oTTUMWA
WHO CALL AT OUR OFFICE BE-
FORE AUGUST 80.
The object of this grand offer is to
prove to the sick and ailing. citizens of
Ottumwa and vicinity that we have the
grandest, simplest and most successful
method of restoring vitality and cur
ing diseases that is known to the SCI
entific world
We want the true merits of sue
cessful treatment known TO everybody
and we don't know of any better way
of introducing it than by offering our
services FREE OF CHARGE to all
who call before August 80. Should
your case be incurable we will frankly
tell you so, and advise you against
spending your money for useless treat
ment.
Many of you who have been taking
months will be absolutely cured by
few of our treatments. Very chronic
cases will require somewhat longer
time, but it makes no difference, you
will be treated free of charge if your
CASE requires II. ISluSulDSI tACl0 IN
no fee to be paid when cured.
The methods pursued in the treats
ment of most chronic diseases is origi-
nal with them and has resulted in the
cure of hundreds of cases that were
formerly considered incurable.
The doctors treat all forms of dis
ease and deformities and guarantee a
cure in every case they undertake.
Rheumatism, Deep Seated Inf1am-
nation of Joints, Lungs or Pelviss
Male and Female Weakness, Catarrh,
and Catarrhal Deafness, also Varico-
cele, Rupture, Golfer, Cancer, Blood
and Skin Diseases and Diseases Of the
Rectum are positively cured by their
new treatment
If you cannot call send full de.
scription of your case to
nrc Mx,orI,, {. krn,,1
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20
Railroad Time Tables
TRAINS LEAVING UNION DEPOT.
w. S. Parker, Ticket Agent.
BURLINGTON ROUTE, C., 3. & a.
No. Going East. Depart.

BURLINGTON ROUTE, c, B. & a.
No. Going East. Depart.
12a-Chicago, Dubuque & Quincy. 2:1o a. m.
l6b-Burlington & st. LOUISE. 7:35 q. m.
1Ob-Peoria, Dubuque & Quincy III 80 a. m.
6a-Chicago Limited go. 1:25 p. m.
4a-chicago, st. Louis & Quincy 7:1o p. m.
Sa-Fast mall $500. ........... 1897 p. m.
2a-Chicago, Peoria & Rockford II As p. m.
Ft Madison accommodation, daily except
Sunday, depart T:10 a. M: arrive 500 p. m.
Going West.
5a-Omaha, Council Bluffs
Nebraska .......... .12:55 q. m.
15a-Fast mail $50. ........-... 2:49 q. m.
0lb-Local Freight $3.50. ........ $50 q. m.
3a-omaha, Kansas City, Denver
Hot Springs, Deaiwood, Og-
den, Portland & California. 7:45 a. m.
7a-Fast mail ...........-...... 1862 a. m.
9b-Peoria to Creston ......... 1850 p. m.
13a-Limited -. ............... 3:2S p. m.
11b-Chicago to Ottumwa, arrive 1000 p. m.
a, daily; b, except Sunday. Nos. Z, 8 and
Is do not carry passengers
CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIC
No. Going East. Depart.
FOG, Keokuk, Kansas City, Call
fornia and Southwest ....... .10.45 a. m.
202 Keokuk $3.50. ............ 8:27 p. IN.
oO4 Eldon, Davenport Chicago 1926 D. III.
Going West.
2O3 Dgs Moines, Ruthven, west
and northwest. .......... 7:OO a. m.
POI Des Moines and Omaha -. .12:10 D. m.
2O5 Des Moines and Omaha 49,. 7:05 p. m.
| Unless otherwise specified, all trains ara
| daily except Sunday.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20
Drs. MyerIy & KreuI

Rooms 49, 20 and 81 Holman, Bldg,
Ottumwa, Iowa.
Hours a. m. to p. m. and to 8
p. m.
Must bring this ad.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-20
CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND G. PACIFIC
No. Going East. Depart,
TRAINS LEAVING JEFFERSON
STREET UNION DEPOT.
A. j. Packard, Agent.
CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE & ST. PAUL
Arrive Danart

Arrive. Depart.
Chicago, Dubuque &
milwaukee 4. -. .d1215 a. m. b2:35 a. m.
Chicago, Cedar Rap
Kansas City &
Southwest ;. -. b2:3o a. m. d12:25 a. m.
Kansas City and
local ). ......... b6:55 p. m. b10:20 a. m.
No. 90, freight, east, leaves...... 7:20a. m.
No. "a, freight, east, leaves -. 1908 a. m.
No. 81, freight, west. leaves -. TOO a. m.
No. 61, freight, west leaves -. 2:20 D. IN.
a. daily; b, except Sunday; d, except Mon
freight trains arrive at and depart from
Ottumwa Junction.