davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20

my room. l lay quite still, not know.
ing what was best for me to do, when
the whisper was repeated, and felt
something touch my ear. saw moth
ing, though the moonlight was stream.
ing into the room, making it nearly
as light as day. Too terrified now to
lie still, l arose and seized my hus-
bands cane to defend myself as best
l could from burglars, who, I be-
lieved, had entered the house and were
in my room. Presently I discerned a
filmy object like fluttering white cur
tain at the door, which fed before me
as l approached it. l followed, and
saw it pass along the hall and float
down the stairs. 1t stood at last, and
gradually assumed the form and shape
of an old man. 1t seemed to wait
for my approach as it came to the
back door leading out to the porch and
whispered again it's unearthly mes
sage for the third time, mournfully,
but distinct, with anxious emphasis.
But though l heard it so distinctly
could not understand or remember q
word of it. The apparition disap-
peared through the door, and when
opened it and looked out all 1 could
see was the blades of grass bending
as though something were passing
over the plot. l returned to my room
and waited, trembling, until daylight
for my husbands return.
The papers of the following day re-
corded the fact that the attendant
whose disappearance at the same
time as that of old Mr. D. from the
B asylum had excited so much
unfavorable comment had been seen
in the vicinity of the old mans former
home, and the detectives hoped to ap-
prehend him at no distant date.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20

rapid advancement in the department,
and then became general superintend-
end of the Pittsburg, Cincinnati & ST.
Louis, the Little Miami and the Gin
einnati & Muskingum Valley, in 1874.
In 1882 he became general manager of
the New York & New England, and
two years later became assistant to
the president of the New York, Lake
Erie & Western, and a short time
later the general management of the
New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio was
added to his work
He was elected vice president of the
New York, Lake Erie & Western in
1885, and five years later was elected
to the presidency of the East Tennes-
see, Virginia & Georgia. In 1890 he
became president of the Cincinnati,
New Orleans & Texas Pacific, and
served as receiver for the road from
1893 until 1899, during which time he
was also president of the Alabama
Great Southern and receiver for the
Kentucky & Indiana Bridge company
and the Columbus, Sandusky & Hook
ing Valley. He was made president of
the Chicago & Alton in September of
1899, and now resigns to accept his
new position at the head of the Next
can Central.
1t is understood that the Mexican
government has abandoned its plans
to purchase control of the Mexican
Central for the purpose of consolidat-
ing it with the Mexican National.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20

ty seat 20 miles away and ordered a
motor car sent out at once.
Before evening the farmer was TAX
ing his family over the prairie roads.
The beauty of the prairies for auto.
MODELLING is that the roads are good a
great part of the year. Kansas is in
the latitude of Tennessee and Washing
ton and the seasons, except winter,
are long. AS a result the motoring is
fine, and extended trips. can be made
at speed that is a delight to the
drivers.
To be sure there is a 2O-mile state
speed limit, but who cares for that
The driver who keeps within it on a
three-mile stretch of smooth road
with no team in sight is a rarity.
The kind of car that appeals to the
farmer is a useful one. He wants to
get regular service and it is no pleas
ant thing for him to have his car out
of condition.
There is a farmer near here who
makes his runabout a truck wagon
and business cart. He takes in it a
few sacks of wheat and hurries to the
mill and brings home groceries for the
men in the fields.
His wife runs it as well as he does
and she carries to market her garden
stuff and her butter and eggs. 1t is
q curious sight to see her peddling
farm products around the city in the
little runabout. Then in the evening
the family comes to town with the
same machine, and the concert is en-
joyed as regularly by this party as
by the people on the block next the
park.
Rural mail carriers are eager to get
runabouts. 1t is an easy thing to
make the run of 20 miles in three
hours. AS was pointed out, the long
period of good roads makes it feas-
ible to use the machine so much of
the year that there is real economy
in It.
Anything like general use Of
motor cars by farmers can never be
known until the machinery is made
simpler, though some of the present
models give even the farmer little
trouble. 1t is less likely to have good
care on the farm than in the garage,
but it is also likely to be let alone
when running smoothly, and that is
said by experienced motorists to be
important.
One central Kansas banker makes a
"a mile trip every other day to his
branch banks in towns outside of the
county seat. AS he also has a farm
or two the possession of a runabout
makes 1t easy for him to look after
them all.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20
FARMERS own AUTOS
KANSAS GRAIN GOES TO MILL
NOW IN GAS WAGON.
Young Man Takes His Best Girl Motor.
Ing Instead of Buggy Riding and
Wife Does Her Shopping
in Runabout.

Salina, Kan.-Practically as many
motor cars are owned by farmers in
Kansas as are possessed by the towns
people. The farmer has learned to
appreciate the advantage of the auto.
mobile for his journeys to and from
town.
Then there are other considerations.
A farmers son from the south part of
the county went to county seat gar
age the other Saturday evening.
What have you that will make a
nice rig to take fellows girl riding
in?" he asked the agent.
well, there's a runabout that is
pretty swift"
"Will it climb hills? You see she
lives on the other side of Tom Creek
hill and l have to cross it."
Sure. Get I'M" and the two went
out to the edge of town, where a
demonstration was made to show the
PAGES of the machine.
Guess it will do" was the verdict
as they came back to the garage, and
the young man took from his pocket
a check book and made out a check
for the price. MADE that off my al.
falfa field" he remarked as he
climbed back into the seat and called
a professional driver to accompany
him until he could manage the levers
and wheel.
Well learn it tonight" he an.
nounced; because I'm going to take
her riding tomorrow"
AS he did not return it is presumed
that he did take her riding.
1t was central Kansas farmer who
arose one morning and declared that
he would like to have an auto. His
wife remarked that during the week
they would go to town and see what
was to be had.
mo, want it now while the roads
are good" he rejoined, and going to
the rural telephone called up the coun
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20

would be all they'd need" said the
Postmaster dryly.
'Pm glad We think so, Joe," said
the Captain. II don't knows they's
anything more vallyable in life to a
man than the good opinion O. his
neighbors. But comm back to that
crow, Jim, he was great comfort to
us that winter. Late in August he used
to fly up to the village O. nights, an
set on the hitchin' post in front O Mo-
Simmons drug store an listen to the
phonygraph Nose KEEP to attract GUS
stood in the middle O. Mos front door,
an was chuck full O. good songs, an
opery music of all sorts, an now an
then it would holler out good line O.
niger minstrel talk, an Jim he'd set
outside there on the hitchin' post with
his head cooked to one side takin' it
all in jest as IL he knew what twas
all about. Every time it Id finish up
somethin' he p'tic'larly liked he'd flap
his wings like he was applaudin'.
That's where he got The Boy Stood
on the Burnin' Deck"
aye mean to say he got SOS he
could give what the phonygraph did?"
asked 81 Wotherspoon.
II mean jest that" said the Captain.
"Everythin' down to the least little
squeak O. them rubber records, except
the Suzy's band music. He could get
the tune O. those, too, but when it
come down to the trombone an the
clarinet, an the big base drum, he
sort O. didn't have the necessary
plumbin' t bring them out as full an
strong as they was in the 'riginal But
all the little things like "Tammany,'
an The Little Knot O. Blue an The
Gal I Left Behind Me- he could sing
like a canary, words and music. An
I tell we gentlemen when the winter
came an we was showed up so We
had to leave the house by the sky
light on the roof an dig our way up
to the level, it was mighty pleasant
to sit in front of roarin' fire them
cold nights an listen to that there
crow renderin' the poplar songs o. the
day, an givin' us an occasional min
strel show that, IL We shut your eyes,
We couldn't hardly tell from the real
thing"
Il shouldn't think that you would
ever have parted with so talented
bird as that" I ventured to put in.
mo We wouldn't" sighed the Cap.
tain. Bat it become necessary. Jim
got the usual bad habits of crows. an
finally things got 50 that ! was in
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20

scrapin' speeches on the railroads
hisself?' says I, fixin' my eye on the
boy. L do know where he's got EN-
says Horiss. What / do say, an
says it straight, l amt teached him
one gol-derned word O. tn hull shoot
in match Well, sir, l had to- b'lieve
him. Horiss is like me in good
many ways, an p'ticlarly in his love
O. truth. He'd scorn a lie, jest as /
do, so l knowed when he said that
that I'd done wrong in talkin' to him
the way 1 did. But We can bet /
watched that crow pretty careful for
two or three weeks tryin' to find out
the sources O. his unusual supply of
interestin' literatoor. First l thought
maybe he'd been sittin' on the Ingle-
wood piazzy listenin' to tn city folks
talkin', but one day I found out jest
how 1t was. / come acrost him set
tin on tn curb stone jest outside O.
this here post Office, peckin' away at
a Boston newspaper somebody d
throwed into the street. He'd tear off
little at time right out O. the mid
die o the editorial page, an swaller
it, an, l CORY, he never quit it till
he'd eat up tn hull page, not even ex-
ceptin' the patent medicine advertise
ments."
Must O. had a strong stummick,"
said 81.
"All crows has" said the Captain.
"They can digest acst anything that
amt made O. glass or steel. Well, sir,
l got thinkin' about the possible con-
nection O. the two things, an after
he'd eat the editorial page I went out
an got the date O. that newspaper
from the pages he left behind him, an
bought another copy of it, an sure
enough two days later Jim comes
along an begins to spout jest exactly
what was printed on the page he'd
swallered.
The Captain paused for a moment
to light his pipe.
II can prove it, too" he went on.
'If 1 was to have that story printed
an circylated among the children in
the public schools, an the United
States senate should want to investi-
gate the truth O. that story, 1 can
show 'em the curb stone where I
ketched Jim eatin' the newspaper.
81 guess your gen'ral reputation
around here as man O. veerassity
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20

danger o. the sheriff. It was In Jim's
second summer that things began to
go wrong. A lot O joolry, an spoons,
an silver-backed hair brushes an
other Things disappeared up to the
Inglenook. One lady lost couple O.
gold bangles; another said she'd been
robbed OF coral necklace and dia.
mond ring; an there was the dickens
to pay. Every bellboy and chamber
maid in the house was under suspi-
cion, but they couldn't fasten none O.
tn robberies on nobody. Detectives
was sent for an half dozen O 'em
come from Boston disguised as board
ers, settin' traps for sneak thieves an
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20

bany and Muncie most of his life until
about six years ago, when he went to
Texas, where he conducted a sana-
forum, and later to Bartlesville.
At long intervals, from boyhood, he
was subject to cataleptic attacks. 1t
was while in one of these, when 16
years old, that he was pronounced
dead, and was prepared for burial.
An old friend of the family, passing
around the bier, cut lock from the
boys head, wishing to preserve it, and
in doing so pricked his neck sharply
with the point of the scissors. This
caused him to start and to awaken
from his sleep. Friends who were in
the room fed, horror stricken.
Wroughton never recovered from the
shock of that incident, and eventu-
ally became a believer in strange
religion which taught that there is
no death.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20
KEEPS LONG VIGIL BY
DEAD HUSBANDS SIDE
WOMAN THOUGHT FOR FOUR
DAYS THAT HE WAS MERE
LY SLEEPING.

Muncie, Ind.-For four days, az
cording to a letter received here from
former Muncie newspaper man, the
wife of DR.. John w. Wroughton, I'M
til recently of Muncie, watched beside
the body of her husband, in the firm
belief that he would come back to
life, and only consented to allow the
had begun. All this was due to the
fact that when boy 16 years old DR..
Wroughton came near being buried
alive. The horror of this experience
had cast blight on his life. In his
clothing he always carried notice
telling of his early experience and re.
questing anybody who might find him
apparently dead not to bury him until
he was proved so. Daily, so his wife
said, he conversed with her about his
escape from being buried alive, and
warned her not to allow his body to
be put in the ground until she was
certain he was dead.
even when you think I'm dead, I
shall be alive" he told her, she said.
Thus it was that when he went to
sleep, several days ago, and did not
awaken, Mrs. Wroughton began a long
vigil by his bedside, and insisted to
all who came that he was merely
sleeping, and would soon arouse him
self from a catalpetic state. But when
after four days, he failed to revive,
she consented to allow an undertaken
to take charge.
DR.. Wroughton was born in Della
ware county, near Albany, 81 years
ago, and practiced medicine in AL
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20

posed his brother William in the Bos.
ton-Pittsburg game in the old brother
hood, which gained prominence when
Palmer O'Neil, owner of the Pittsburg
club, took the entire attendance of 81
persons to dinner and street car
ride.
Several months ago Gumbert figured
in the papers as the result Of an exc
cution in Allegheny county Jail. Not
wanting to pull the trap, he rugged up
a continuance by which the convict
himself pulled the trigger which
dropped him to his death.
Gumbert joined the Chicago Nation
ais in the spring of 1888, when Bald
win, Tener and Van Haltren were the
teams star pitchers. The following
year he was one of Chicago's regular
pitching staff, along with Hutchinson,
Dwyer and Tener. Those were the
days Of "stonewall infield" Arson, ptef.
fer, Burns and Williamson. The team
was broken.up by the Brotherhood war
in 1890, but Gumbert returned to Chi
cago in 1891 and remained until he
was released in 1892.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20

it, but failed to find anything in the
condition of the premises to account
for it. Everything was in good order.
AS 1 stood in the yard a head was
thrust above the fence which sep
arated the yard from the next one
woman looked curiously at me.
HAS this house been vacant long,"
l asked.
TITS vacant off and on pretty much
all the time," she replied. Its
haunted"
1 am not at all superstitious, so
laughed at this information. 1t caused
me to make up my mind to take the
house at once, as have always prided
myself upon my strength of mind and
wanted to put it to the test. l thought
it fortunate that the reputation the
house had gained for being the abode
of a ghost enabled me to secure such
fine place for a very low rent. 1
then encouraged my informant to tell
me what the reasons were that made
people think the house was haunted
She said the owner, wealthy old
man, had been placed in an asylum
for the insane at the instance of his
nephew and heir to the estate, though,
she declared, ''he was no more crazy
than the rest of his kin, who were
all queer, but who remained at lib
erty." He did not stay long in the
asylum, she said, but he escaped with
the aid of the man who had charge
of him.
'The old man." continued the wom-
an, was never seen again-alive. The
man who had been with him when
he left the asylum was seen leaving
the nephew's house one day long after
this event, and people said he and
the nephew could tell more about the
disappearance than was generally
known, and efforts were made to find
him. The nephew offered a reward
for his capture, but it was thought
the nephew had him in hiding and was
only waiting for chance to send him
to foreign parts and pay him to keep
away, that no proof might be found
against the heir to the estate that
could damage his prospects. Queer
things happen in this house, and if
you take it you won't stay long"
Entirely unmoved by this tale,
which I put down to ignorant Gre
dulity, I took up my abode in the
house and grew daily more pleased
with my comfortable accommodations
I felt so superior to vulgar supersti-
ton that 1 assured my neighbor, with
some haughtiness, that hadn't had
time to even think of her story, and
that l was so busy by day that a
ghost couldn't wake me at night if
he should visit me. Summer came
and the families of the neighborhood
went out of town as did my own,
leaving no one at home on the whole
block except my husband and N.Y.
self.
One night I received a telegram that
he was detained in Philadelphia on
business and would not return until
the following day. I sat on the back
porch that night until late hour. For
some reason which l could not ex-
plain 1 did not like to enter the silent
house or go to bed. I tried to be-
lieve it was because was enjoying
the sight of the firefiies on the grass
plot.
When it was nearly midnight l went
to bed, but l tried in vain to get to
sleep. When at last 1 had succeeded
was wakened by some one whisper
ing in my ear. ! grew wide awake at
once, and was startled 10 think that
there was some one so near me in
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20
FROM RoDMAN TO PRESIDENT.
Career of S. M. FELTON,, New Head Of
Mexican Central.

New York-Samuel Morse FELTON,,
who was elected president at the meet
Ing here the other day of the board Of
directors of the Mexican Central, be-
gan his railroad career as rodman in
the engineering department Of the old
Chester Creek road 80 years ago. In
his new position he succeeds Eben
Richards, who is also general counsel
Of the Mexican Central.
Mr.. FELTON, has rendered his resig.
nation to the directors of the Chicago
C Alton, Of which he has been the
head for the last eight years.
Mr.. FELTON, is "a years old After
his debut into railroad life, as a rod
man in the engineering department Of
the old Chester Creek road, he made
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20

farm 1t seemed to me that Horiss
must be wastin' hull lot O. vally'ble
time teachin' that there crow long
winded speeches like that. So I says
to him, If you'd spend half the time
turnin' the woodpile into kindlin' an
diggin' the weeds out O. the truck gar
den that We do turnin' that there
crow into a leadin' populist stump
speaker ye'd begin to earn the pickles
an doughnuts We consume between
meals Horiss is lad O. considerable
spunk, an when I said that he got
as mad as a hornet. L amt teached
him. says he, an you amt got no
business to say hev.' d. ye mean to
tell me that. that there bird has
picked up all them poems an sky.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20
Being the
"reminiscences
of a
Nature Fakir
By
John Kendrick Bangs
Copyright. by Joseph B. Bowlss.)

You was talkin' about that tame
crow O. your son Horisses the other
day, Captain" said 81 Wotherspoon as
the Nature Fakirs association Of Cape
Porpoise gathered about the post Of
fee stove. Whatever became of
him?"
I'VE had to lose him, ST." replied
the Captain, with mournful shake of
his head. ''Horiss took him thirty
miles off into the woods one dark
night an left him there on limb re-
citin' The Boy Stood on the Burnin'
Deck an tell ye it was lonesome
house he left behind him"
He really could talk, could he?"
asked the Postmaster.
''Talk?" calculated the Captain.
well, I guess. If you was a settin'
in the room next to where he was
you'd a. thought a church sociable
was goin' on in there"
What d he talk about?" queried
81.
HE was a compendium O. general
information" said the Captain. What
ever he'd hear anybody say one day,
he'd repeat the next day-which
sometimes got kind of embarrassin',
seem how We say things now an
then We don't like to be reminded of
later. We had six boarders an ten
mealers that year, an after dinner was
over an the mealers had gone back
home the boarders would naterly
make remarks about 'em. One mealer
p'tic'larly was one O. them old maids
on the shady side o. fifty that liked to
dress jest a leetle too young for her
self. She was a Miss Scagway from
Elmiry, New York, an she used to
rig herself out an behave like one o.
'em gigglers from the high school, an
lege boys was next door to scand' lous.
One night after she'd gone home one
Of the boarders made the remark that
that there Miss Scagway d be arrest
ed for kidnappin' before the summer
was over, an unfortunately Jim heard
the observation, an it seemed to
please him. Next mornin' at breakfast
as mother was cuttin' the punkin pie,
with Miss Scagway settin' there look
in nineteen an half, an maxim
eyes at young college kid from
Boston, Jim hops in through the win
der, an perches hisself on top O. the
bookcase We KEEP our chiny in, an be-
gins to yell 'Skagway, Skagway, Skag-
way Even that didn't bother US any,
because her name was Skagway, an
it's name that anybody can mention
in the presence of ladies without apollo
gizin'. But when he'd done that an
attracted everybody's attention to his
self, he leaned forward an squawked
out 'Kidnapper, kidnapper, kidnapper,'
three times, just like that"
"Gee!" cried 81.
Mother dropped the punkin pie on
the floor, made grab for Jim, an
Miss Scagway rose up an sweep from
the room like as though she was the
empress O. Roosia, an she never come
back" continued the Captain after
that l put fly screens in all the win
ders to keep Jim out O. tn house dur
in the summer season. Later on he
begun to recite poetry, an things
that sounded like the editorials in
the Kennybunk Banner. Then final
ly when 1 thought Of all the chores
they was to be done about the
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20
HAUNTED HOUSE
OF GREENWICH
WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE
IN GHOSTS SEES STRANGE
APPARITIoN.
SPECTER OF FORMER OWNER
Latter, Said to Be Insane, Placed In
Asylum by NepheW-Made His
Escape But Then Suddenly
Disappeared.

New York.-After house hunting a
week without finding a house that
pleased me 1 found one at last that
1 wanted. 1t was in one of the streets
of Greenwich village, and, though old
fashioned, it was comfortable and COM
modious and had a grass plot in the
back yard. The rent was remarkably
low, which caused me to examine the
house carefully to find a reason for
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20
$4,000, 900 In HOSPITALS.

Hospital authorities have to face
facts as they are, and the result has
been that during the last 10 or Is
years the managers of nearly every
great metropolitan hospital have had
to face the question of rebuilding and
to provide enormous funds, which col
lectively will be found to amount to
probably five millions Of money, to
defray the cost Of this work alone
London Hospital. -
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-12-20

keepin' their eyes peeled tryin' to find
out who it was that was workin' the
second-story game at the hotel. But
it wasn't any use. The burglaries con.
tinued jest the same, and, CORY,
even the detectives was robbed.
Somebody walked off with one O. their
1t begun to be a pretty serious mat
ter for the Inglenook, because people
not only said that they wouldn't stay
if the robberies KEEP on, but one O.
the detectives was a reporter on a
newspaper, an he used to send a COM
plete story about what he called the