davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-03-08

Libby prison-that southern dungeon
the very mention of which sent cold
shudders over Union men-where he
was held in confinement for many
weeks. 1t was indeed nm unkind f1te
that brought him behind the dingy bars
Of this dlngy old prison. But, as brave
blue-coated soldiers who found them
selves there, Captain Finn viewed his
misfortune as an incident belonging to
the expected events Of cruel warfare
and made no complaint.
When he was taken to Libby prison
Captain Finn was placed in cell with
Captain. Henry w. Sawyer Of company
K, First regiment of New Jersey cav
airy, who had fallen into the hands of
the Confederates after having been In
q hospital at Culpeper court house for
some time. These two captured cap
tains became fast friends and afte-
suffering the torments and hardships
Of the southern prison side by side for
many weeks became resigned to their
fate and calmly awaited the hour when
they would be liberated either by hu-
man hand or the the hand divine.
So poorly were they fed that day by
day tie two men, as well as many
other unfortunates who were prisoners
along with them, grew weaker and be-
came thinner and thinner until they
thought their very life blood would
soon be slipped from their bodies. In
deed, they thought their summons of
death was Inevitable and that such
would be their only means Of freedom
from the prison. To them 1t seemed
that they would never again hear the
familiar strains of bugle call or lead
the members Of their companies charg-
Ing against the enemy.
It was while in such n plight as this,
while their spirits were exceedingly de-
pressed and while life seemed to offer
precious little for them in the future,
that one day the monotony of their
prison existence was broken by an In
spection call. The rattle of chains an
the grating Of the ponderous iron door
sf the cell which they occupied aroused
them. Looking up they recognized
Captain Turner, a Confederate officer,
as he entered and announced that all
Union officers then imprisoned were ex-
pected to cline up" for inspection.
This was on the morning Of July @,
1868, and the announcement made to
all the officers who were In prison
created no little excitement. At first,
catching at the slightest straw which
gives promise of freedom, Just as the
The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-03-08
AN IKCfDEk r
or THE
CIVIL VA r.

| imprisoned criminal catches Mt every
straw which he thinks might make him
free, the officers thought they were to
be exchanged or discharged. Conse-
quently they "llned up rather cheered
by the prospect
Their bright hopes for freedom, how
ever, were soon dispelled when all the
captains from among the prisoners
were summoned to the lower room of
the prison. There, instead Of hearing
an order read for their release or ex-
change, they were confronted with the
startling news that special order had
been issued by the Confederate war
department that two captains should
be selected by lot to be executed In re-
taliation for the execution of two Con-
federate officers by General Ambrose
Z. Burnside a short time before.
The Union captains, who with death
like stiffness listened to the reading of
the order, were amazed and dumfound-
cd. What could 1t mean? What was
to be lone? What was the reason for
the orier? Would the rebel informer
explain Its full meaning to them?
These and other questions flashed
through their minds and when replies
were asked for Captain Turner, who
had charge of the prison, refused to en-.
tighten them. Instead, he cold-hearted
ly and calmly asked them:
"In what manner is it the desire Of
the captains that the selection be
nader?
1t was several moments before the
company Of prisoners regained their
composure sufficiently to answer. Pres
emily, however, Captain Sawyer sug
gested that rs many beans be placed In
hat as there were captains to draw
them. Since two Of the captains were
thus nv lot to be selected for execu
tion Captain Sawyer suggested that
two of the beans be black ones and
the rest white. The black beans were
to represent death prizes"
The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-03-08
A Horse'. Hand. and Feet.

Now the horse never puts his heel
on the ground, nor even the ball of his
foot. He stands up on the very tips
of his toes, and this Is, in part, the
reason why he can trot so fast. Dob
bins heels are half way up his hind
legs, and what we call his knees are
really his wrists. The part corre-
spending to the upper arm is short,
and is so embedded in the muscles OF
the shoulder that the elbow comes
next the body. But the horse has only
one digit on each limb, and the wrist
bones are comparatively small. The
so-called ankle, then, is the knuckle
where the digit joins the hand or the
foot, and the foot" is only a single
thick finger or toe, with q great nail
for hoof. The lower half Of the
horses fore leg is really a gigantic
hand with only the middle finger and
piece out Of the middle of the palm,
while the corresponding part of his
hind leg is a big, single-toed foot.-St.
Nicholas.
The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-03-08
BEAT LOTTERY
OF DEATH.
~@=O@

During the great Civil War hundreds
of brave soldiers who participated in
that memorable conflict had very mar
row escapes from death, but Of them
all none was more miraculous or thrill
Ing than that Of Captain John NJ.
Finn. Shelbyville, Ind, boy, who
commanded company It Of the Fifty
first Indiana infantry and who through
q most mysterious agency succeeded
In escaping the penalty of death after
he had drawn n "black bean" in the
lottery Of death and his execution 1T
the orders Of the Confederate general
whose captive he was seemed newt
able.
The story Of how Captain Finn was
imprisoned at Libby prison, of how he
was ohe of number Of Union officers
who had to draw in the lottery Of
death, Of how lie with one other drew
a death prize as indicated by black
bean, Of how on the very hour set for
bis execution he was given n ten days
reprleve and Of how at the end of that
period he finally through a mysterious
agency escaped the death penalty-all
these Incidents form a most remarkable
story, which is passing strange and In
Its very truth Is even stranger than
fiction
Among the thousands of hoosler boys
who volunteered In the Union army
was John NJ. Finn, shelbyville youth
who enlisted first in company G, Sew.
enth Indiana infantry, and later on
Oct. ii, 1861, became first lieutenant OF
company L, Flfty-tirst Indiana. He be-
came captain of the same company o.
Nov. /, 1862.
Early in the year 1863, shortly after
ne was promoted to the captalncy Of
his company, Finn was captured along
with a number Of other Union soldiers
at the battle Of Days gap and Crooked
creek, near Gaylorsville, Ala, and con
fined in rebel prison.
Shortly afterward he was removed tc
The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-03-08
TURNED DOWN.
One Way Of Asking Girl to Be Your
Wife and a Possible Result.

One Way Of Asking Girl to Be Your
Wife and Possible Result.
Slowly they walked along in the
twilight-he and sne.
He was no longer in the heyday oil
youth.
Time, however, had laid light hands
upon him. So had his barber, but Of
tener and more artistically, and he
was well groomed.
She was rare and radiant maiden
known to the regular frequenters OF
Spotcash & Co.'S great emporium OF
trade as the girl at the ribbon count
er.
Miss Mildred" he said, with sort
Of premonitory cough, "let us suppose
a case"
"A case of what kind, Mr.. Mat,
ewer?" she asked. Motions or rem
nants?"
Let us not talk shop, Miss Mil.
dred. II case suggests business
will vary the phrase. Let us consider
a hypothesis"
"a what?"
"A hypothesis. A hypothesis Is n
supposition, an assumption, a postu.
late, a working basis, or an idea TAX.
en- for granted for the purpose of lay.
ing foundation, establishing a prop.
osition, or demonstrating a fact. Get
the idea?"
"Oh, yes; anybody can understand
that. Is there more of it?"
There is. Some day, my dear girl,
you expect to marry somebody"
rs that the hypo-hypo"-
'No; that is one of the eternal yeri.
ties. Every pretty girl expects to
marry somebody. Here Is the hypo.
tnesis: Suppose some man slightly
past the blooming period of youth,
but well preserved in full possession
OF health, strength, and all his intel.
lectual faculties"-
"A hypothesis is man, Is it?"
He's a necessary part of this one.
Suppose some such man as am do
scribing, not at all Unlocking, and pos-
sessed of reasonable share OF thia
The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-03-08

worlds goods, phould fall wildly. mad
ly, desperately in love with you Miss
Mildred"---
"Well"
"And offer you his hand and heart
do you think you could learn to
love him?"
"Not II he looked anything like
you Mr.. Matewer."
They walked along a block or two
In silence.
Then Mr.. Matewer spoke again.
"Feels a litale as II 1t were going
to snow doesn't 1t, Miss McGinnis?'
he said.-Chicago Tribune.
MASTER OF HIS CRAFT.
The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-03-08
MUNICIPAL CHIlD.REARING.
An English Town Taking An Ad'
vanced Step In Civic Reform.

vanced Step In Civic Reform.
The town of Huddersfield, England,
which stands in the front rank of the
cities that have adopted the plan Of
public utilities owned and controlled
by the municipal authorities, has re-
Gently taken further step, and pro-
vided for child-rearing under official
direction. Realizing that large part
of the death-rate among the poor was
of infants under one year Of age, ow-
ing to insufficient or unintelligent care
and nourishment, the mayor of the
city offered a bonus of 81 to every
child born il one of the districts that
should attain the age Of twelve
months. This offer, which is to hold
good during the term Of the present
incumbents mayoralty, led the local
health authorities to consider whether
steps could not be taken towards saw.
ing the lives of infants.
Accordingly they decided to offer
a reward Of one shilling to the first
person who should inform the medi-
cal officer Of the birth OF a child
within forty-eight hours Of Its oc-
currence. The mother is then to be
visited by physicians and women
health visitors, who will instruct her
as to the best methods Of feeding,
washing, and clothing the child, while,
In addition, detailed instructions are
to be prepared and printed for gen.
eral distribution.
The health visitors will also ex-
anime the homes of the mothers and
factories and other places where wo-
men are employed, and cases where
deaths OF children under one year
have occurred will be investigated.
Furthermore, years experiment will
be undertaken with day nursery
where children will be cared for, and
sterilized milk will be supplied for
the babies. Huddersfield Is manu-
featuring town, and the authorities
consider that its present strength can
best be preserved through maintain.
ing its native labor. They therefore
believe that II the infant mortality
Is reduced to a minimum, large
majority of the children would grow
to manhood and womanhood. Tho
experiment is Observation-Disclosures
Weekly.
The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-03-08
WHILE MRS. WESTWOOD
WAITED.
observation-disclosures

Tn afraid" she said as they sat
down on a log where they could watch
the clear water as it rippled along
over the shining pebbles, that we
ought not to have come out here
alone. Mrs. Westwood will be wor-
ried when she finds that we are not
in sight
YES" he answered, perhaps we
ought to return. She appears to take
her duties Of chaperon very seri-
ously."
How do you know the path we
just ,acame down is called Lovers
EaheT / thought you had never been
here Ibetore?"
II merely guessed 1t must be Low
ers' Lane There is always a Low
ers' Lane at place of this kind, you
know
rs there? But the real Lovers
Lane maye be somewhere else.'
Perhaps 1t Is. We might call this
1t tilfywe find the real one, though"
You must have had delightful
time gfn Colorado. Was Pixies Peak
very wonderful"
II didn't think much OF it, and
Colorado was disappointment to me.
didn't see 1t under very favorable
circumstances. you know"
why, wasn't 1t the right season."
Not for me. went out there Just
after you had told me that you never
-"
Isn't 1t beautiful the way the sun
beams stea, through the leaves and
play on the water down there"
Yes, it's very fine. Mrs. West
wood will probably be worrying about
us. Shall we go back?"
Il think we'd better. Isn't it ridicu-
ious the way Miss Allen and Mr..
Hewitt have been flirting out here?"
II hadn't noticed It"
Goodness. you can't have any eyes.
Everybody has been talking about it."
Il have eyes for only"
1T looks to me as IL Mrs. West
wood had invited them out here de-
liberately to throw them together"
I've heard that she's an incorrig-
ible matchmaker"
"Oh, she doesn't live for anything
else"
Il wonder II she expects Tom
Thurston and Miss Marsh to arrange
matters between themselves while
they are hcre?"
You may be sure she wouldn't have
invited them II she hadn't thought
II might come to that"
"Shau we go back?" 4-.
yes, they'll be getting the help
out to hunt for rs IL We don't hurry.
1t is true that the forget-me-nots cover
almost everything on the. way up the
sides of the peak?"
II didn't notice. I believe there
were flowers Of some kind there, but
they didn't interest me-"
And suppose you found a
LOvers' lane out there, too? You
say they always have one every
where"
There was one there. no doubt. but
I wasn't looking for it. II you had
been there"
"Hark! l thought I heard some
BODY calling. Don't you think we'd
The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-03-08
Brief Tale Of a Wandering Cowboy Of
the Western Plains.

The cowboys who travel with herds
Of cattle for days across the Western
plains become very tired Of their ra-
tions, says the author of THE Log
Of Cowboy" and gladly welcome
any change or addition to their bill
Of fare. In illustration Of this he
tells the story of wanderer who ar
rived at their camp one night just be-
fore Christmas. He was made wei.
come, and in his conversation men
toned where he had been the Christ
mas before.
II was helping the folks at the
ranch make doughnuts. Well, fel.
| lows, you ought to have seen them;
| just sweet enough, and Drowned to
a turn. tell you, I'm an artist on
doughnuts."
Miller rose, took him by the hand,
and said, That's straight, now is it?'
That's straight. Making dough.
nuts is my long suit"
Mouse" said Miller to one OF tho
boys, "go out and bring in his saddle
from the stable and put 1t under my
bed. Turn his horse into the big pas
ture in the morning. He stays here
ultil spring; and the first spear oil
green grass I see his name goes on
the payroll. You go to work on this
specially of yours right after break
fast in the morning, and show us
what you can do in that line"
The next morning, after breakfast
was over, he got the needed articles
together and went to work. There
were nearly dozen men lying round
all able eaters. BY ten o'clock he be
gan to turn them out as he said he
could. When the regular cook had
to have the stove for dinner, the taste
which we had had made us ravenouf
for more. Dinner over, he went a
them in earnest.
A boy riding toward the railroad
with an important letter dropped in
and as he said he could only stop {
minute, we stood aside until he hat
had a taste. After eating soli(
hour, he filled his pockets and rode
away. One OF our men called aftel
him, Don't tell anybody what We've
got!"
The next morning two men rodt
up from a camp to the north, which
the boy had passed the day before
with the letter. They went straight K
the kitchen. An hour later old Ton
Cave rode in from his camp, twenty
five miles to the east. He refused
to take a stool and sit down, like
civilized folk, but stood up by the tul
and picked out the ones which were
pale brown.
About two o'clock Doc Langfort
and two Of his peelers rode up. Oul
luck was circulating faster than
secret amongst women. Our man
though, stood at his post like the boy
on the burning deck. He certainly
was an artist on doughnuts.
The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-03-08


better 60? What joke It would be
70 get lost in these woods"
I'm afraid that would be pretty
hard to do" he said, getting up. "One
Couldn't go quarter Of a mile in any
direction without getting into the
fields"
But people gometimes get bewild-
cred, 80 that they go around In cir
cles without knowing It," she answer
ed, as she tossed a piece Of bark into
the stream and watched It float lazlly
away. Have you ever been lost?"
mo, but I have loved and"
do you think Mabel Allen and
Mr.. Hewitt are suited to each other?
They're both dark, you kown."
"what difference does 1t make
about the color of their hair or eyes
IL they love each otherw
II don't know, only people say that
girl who has dark hair should marry
a man who is light, and vice versa"
would you say no to a man be-
cause of the color of his hair II you
-
"why do you keep insisting on be.
ing personal? was talking about
other people"
"Other people don't interest me
very much. But supposing other peo-
| pie were to get to considering the
question of dark girls and light men
or dark men and light girls and de-
cided that we were"
1--WE must really be going, or Mrs.
| Westwood will never forgive u.s."
Eyes. The sun will be down in a
| few minutes. There's the whistle OF
the boat coming up the lake."
"This is such delightful spot that
hate to leave It. I think shall
come out every day and sit here and
watch the ripples. Do you suppose
there are any fish in this stream"
I'm afraid not. But there may be
wildcats in these woods"
"Oh, well, suppose can get the
coachman, or the man who attends to
the lawn, or-or somebody to come
and protect me-"
He looked at his watch and then
glanced up the path.
This is the lovliest time OF the
day to be in the woods" she con-
tinued. There's such an eerie reef
ing about them. One can imagine that
there's a dryad behind every tree"
"There's a chipmuDk behind that
one over there. just saw him scoot
around it. Hadn't we better 60
now?"
81 don't believe you care for the
beauties of nature"
There's the chipmunk. Do you see
him?"
But I wasn't talking about chip.
munks."
Hes one of the beauties of nature,
isn't hep
Il mean the trees, and shrubs, and
streams, and rocks. What a gift II
would be If one could put this all into
a picture or poem."
"And sell it for three dollars and
forty cents"
THAT isn't at all funny"
"Mrs. Westwood won't be at all
funny either II we keep her worrying
much longer"
ooh, well, II you can't think OF
anything but Mrs. Westwood, per
haps we ought to hurry back"
Il could forget that there ever was
Mrs. Westwood if"
He stood looking down at her while
she earnestly gazed at the tiny point
Of shoe that peeped from under her
soft, fluffy skirts. The setting sun had
found an opening through the trees
and was trying to add to her beauty
by heightening the color of her
'If what?" she asked.
"If you would tell me you were
sorry you said no that other time"
She lifted her arms toward him and
they forgot that Mrs. Westwood was
| UaifipD-C Kicar ip Chinauo d m
The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-03-08

~ Arthur L. Salmon.

~ Arthur L. Salmon.
Servant Of God. our spirits nurse.
Tutor and craftsman Of the spheres.
VINO drawest glory from the curse
OF SIN and want and primal tears
From toll and sordid strain, through
thee
We win immortal liberty.
Tho CLINT and flashing Of thy sword
Are fragments Of the eternal Light;
Thou art the angel Of the Lord
with whom we wrestle in the night,
It is thy ruthless steel whose shock
Sculptures the man from shapeless
rock.
From stress Of matter worlds are
born,
BY stress Of spirit souls are made,
The clouds that stifile back the morn
Are pierced by thine unerring blade.
Behold how from the midnight strife
There issues forth the light OF Life!
The birth.pang Of the race is thine,
And Joy is sucked at thy breast
1t Is thy ministry divine
That takes the good and gives the
best.
Beneath thine overshadowing
The SONS OF God together sing.
Thine is the, pang Of falling leaf
or fading flower. or wailing wind
OF June niagmficently brief,
And winter following swift behind; ;
ThDs'i 'is' the sob of rains that pass.
Dripping athwart the kirkyard grass.
in nakedness Of puissant limb
We. s8e thy purity and might;
The vestures that would veil and dim
Reveal us stark before thy light,
TIL all the passion Of the soul
Is won to thy supreme control.
Thine we're the mysteries OF birth
When yet the worlds chaotic lay.
We struggle half-emerged from earth
And half imprisoned by the clay;
Only tho swift, resistless hand
Gan free our limbs and bid us stand
o thou Of Love the firstborn child,
And thou Of love the living breath
We know, when thou hast strangely
smiled,
The message is of life, not death.
Thou raisest those whom thou has'
slain
To two-fold being-mystic Pain.
From the Speaker-London
The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1906-03-08
Feline HumOr.

"Does the literary atmosphere ef-
feet you any?" asked the tramp dog
of the newspaper office cat.
"Oh, I drop into poetry once in a
while" answered the cat rs she
climbed into the waste basket and went
to sleep.--Buffalo News.
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1906-12-14

DR.. Carl Muck, who recently came tc
this country to lead the Boston Sym.
phony orchestra, gave this interesting
description Of how his first sail into
the port Of New York impressed him:
81 was awed-yes, awed-by the sky
line Of your city as the steamer slowly
moved up the bay" he said. ut is
gigantic, overwhelming, bewildering
II completely embodies the mental pic
ture I had formed OF it. the reality
filling out magnificently the crevices OF
detail. The colossal structures, stud.
ded with innumerable windows. put
me In mind OF so many human bee
hives. the workers within bent on great
accomplishment. This, then, is the en-
ergy that makes your country what II
is. The sight is an inspiratlon-splen
did, splendid This may sound naive
to you. RecOllect. though. this is my
first visit to your shores. Wait until
/ come again; then probably l shall
assume that fashionable blase indlffer.
ence. Now am interested In every
thing. everything. Musical Age.
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1906-12-14

There are many Christmas supersti
tons long held as articles Of faitl
that are to be recalled-how that oxer
kneel in their stalls at midnight OF
Christmas eve in alteration of the Ma
tivity and for one hour have the power
Of speech. For that one hour. too. the
lost spirits have rest, Judas sleeps
Herod ceases to clank his chains. the
daughter of Herodias may pause in
the dance in which she is condemned
to spin forever and Pilates ghost
ceases its wanderlngs on Mount Pila.
tus. 1t was believed, too, that the
sound Of church bells could be heard
wherever a church had stood, though
no trace remain, and that on that preg
nant night one sleeping in a manger
would see his future in a vision
Country Life In America.
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1906-12-14
DO YOU GET UP
WITH A LAME BACK?
Kidney Trouble Makes You Miserable,

Almost everybody who reads the news
papers is sure to know of the wonderful
Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1906-12-14

AT the famous st. Andrews links,
said Andrew Carnegie 1.-THE Sabbath /,
respected. Indeed, all over Scotland
the Sabbath is respected In a remark.
able way.
Cooling one day in the autumn or
the st. Andrews links. said to my
caddie:
Angus. man. the leaves are falling
The green is turning red and brown
Winter will soon be upon us. And dc
you get much caddylng to do in the
winter, AngusY
angus frowned gloomily.
Ma, ma. said he, blowing his nose
There's nae muckle caddyin' in win
ter. If it's no shaw. its frost: if its
no frost it's shaw; if it's neither frost
nor snow it's rain. an if it's fine its
sure to be the Sawbath.' "-Indianap
oils News.