davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17
Origin of Sedan Chair.

Perhaps some expert in the Siamese
language will tell us what is its word
for sedan chair" When the King of
Slams ministers, protesting against
his majesty's favor toward motoring,
suggested recently that the royal Sc
dan chair was always at his disposal
it is improbable that they used a word
reminiscent of the French town.
For it is from the scene of Napoleon
Ills collapse that the sedan chair
takes its name, and perhaps remote
posterity will suppose that it had
some connection with that event. But
Sedan first produced these convey
ances centuries ago, and they were
seen in England in 1881. One used by
James is buckingham provoked great
popular cutlery against the employ
ment of men as beasts of burden. Sir
S. Duncombe is credited with having
introduced them to London in 1884.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17
pYsPEPTIc PHILOSOPHY.

A delicate situation is often really
an indelicate one.
]. is never too late to mend, but it
1t sometimes too late to realize 1t.
Lots of reform is wasted on the
world that might better be used at
home.
1t seems a universal misfortune that
our close friends are not close
mouthed.
That half the world that doesn't
know how the other half lives is hap.
pier for 1t.
The man who has too little conf
dence in himself is apt to have too
much in other people.
The summer girl may have a liquid
glance, but in winter it is apt to be-
come an icy stare.
The original rib roast occurred when
Eve first told Adam just what she
thought Of him.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17
Not Equal.

During our wal with Spain a GER
tain hospital had a corps of nurses
of exceptional beauty, and 1t vas
whispered that these fair nurses
were inclined a little to frivolity, in
clined a little to flirt with the ailing
young soldiers in their charge. Now,
when a soldier felt that he was on
the mend, a Irritation with a pretty
nurse was delightful, but when his
wounds were troublesome then gal
lantry was a thing that he was hard
ly up to. Sometimes a pretty nurse
in this hospital would come to a ia
vorite soldier and find him lying with
closed eyes, as II asleep On his cot,
and this note pinned near his counte-
nance: ITO i'll to be nursed to-day
John Smith"
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17
BeIIlno a Rat.

You have probably read or heard
that the best way to rid a house Of
rats is to catch one and fasten a bell
about its neck. A boy in Delaware
tried the experiment two months ago.
He was badly bitten in making the
bell fast, but he turned the rat loose
and expected the tinkling Of that bell
would have great results. It did have.
In the first place, the rat who wore 1t
was constantly on the move all night,
and the tinkling bell kept the family
awake, and in the next the sounds
brought scores Of new rats to the
house. Instead Of being afraid Of the
bell, they were charmed with the mu-
sic. Had the boy tied a harmonica
to another rats tail, the rodents would
have had a dance every night.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17
Held up.

"Stop!" shouted the man on the
country road, holding UP a warning
hand. Muttering something about
rural cops, the ~automobilist obeyed.
Turn around and come back to
town with me-" said the stranger.
"You were going at least 35 miles an
hour"
You're a constable, I suppose" said
the automobilist, with a covert sheer,
when they had reached the village.
"Me?" replied the passenger. mo,
I'm a farmer and had to come into
town when all the teams was busy.
Nice growing weather? Thanks. Good
by"
Ensuing common. is purposely omit
ted.-Philadelphia Public Ledger.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17
ALL THINGS IN PROPORTION.
lnvalid's Meal Evidently Had Not In.
creased Good Humor.

For many weeks the irritable mer-
chant had been riveted to his bed by
typhoid fever. Now he was conva
lescing. He clamored for something
to eat, declaring that he was starv-
ing.
Tomorrow you may have some
thing to eat" promised the doctor.
The merchant realized that there
would be a restraint to his appetite,
yet he saw, in vision, a modest, steam
ing meal placed at his bedside.
Here is your dinner" said the
nurse next day, as she gave the glow
ering patient a spoonful Of tapioca
pudding, "and the doctor emphasizes
that everything else you do must be
in the same proportion"
Two hours later the nurse heard a
frantic call from the bed chamber.
Nurse" breathed the man heapily,
II want to do some reading, bring me
a postage stamp"
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17
The way Of the Child.

A small boy who had recently
passed his fifth birthday was riding
in a car with his mother, when they
were asked the customary question:
How old is the boy?" After being
told the correct age, which did not
require a fare, the conductor passed
on to the next person.
The boy sat quite still as If peader-
ing over some question, and tnen,
concluding that full information had
not been given, called loudly to tie
conductor, then at the other end of
the car: "And mothers 81"
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17
PROVERBS AND PHRASES.


To be idle is to be vicious.-Dr.
Johnson.
Idleness always envies industry
German.
II you have done no Ill the six days
you may play the seventh.-Spanish.
Who devour widows houses and for
a show make long prayers.-New Tes.
lament.
1t is better to be unborn than un,
taught, for ignorance is the root Of
misfortune.-Plato.
1t requires little exertion upon oul
part to bring misfortune upon our
s~elves.-McNander.
Man raises, but time weighs.-Mod
ern Greek.
A growing moon and a flowing tide
are lucky times to marry in.--Irish.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17

such as white bread, potatoes, rice,
partly cooked cereals and such.
Starchy food is not digested in the
upper stomach but passes on into the
duodenum, or lower stomach and in
testines, where, in a healthy individ-
ual, the transformation of the starch
into a form of sugar is completed and
then the food absorbed by the blood.
But II the powers of digestion are
weakened, a part of the starchy food
will lie In the warmth and moisture Of
the body and decay, generating gases
and irritating the mucous surfaces un-
til under SUCH conditions the whole
lower part q the alimentary canal, in
GLIDING the colon and the appendix,
becomes involved. Disease sets up
and at times takes the form known as
appendicitis.
When the symptoms of the trouble
make their appearance, would 1t not
be good, practical, common sense, to
discontinue the starchy food which is
causing the trouble and take q food
in which the starch has been trans
formed into a form of sugar In the
process of manufacture?
This is identically the same form Of
sugar found in the human body after
starch has been perfectly digested.
Now, human food is made up very
largely Of starch and is required by
the body for energy and warmth,
Naturally, therefore, its use should be
continued, il possible, and for the rea.
sons given above it is made possible
in the manufacture of Grape-Nuts.
Tn annnnaff0n urtth kh;a .1.--
food to bring relief from physical dis
turbances, we have suggested washing
out the intestines to get rid Of the i'm
mediate cause of the disturbance.
Naturally, there are cases where the
disease has lain dormant and the
abuse continued too long, until ap-
parently only the knife will avail. But
1t Is q well-established fact among the
best physicians who are acquainted
with the details above recited, that
preventative measures are far and
away the best.
Are we to be condemned for guggest-
! ing a way to prevent disease by fol-
lowing natural methods and for per-
fecting q food that contains no ''medi-
cine" and produces no medicinal ef-
fects" but which has guided literally
thousands of persons from sickness to
health? We have received during the
years past upwards Of 25, O00 letters
from people who have been either
helped or made entirely well by fol-
lowing our suggestions, and they are
simple.
II coffee disagrees and causes any
OF the ailments common to some cot
fec users quit 1t and take on Postum.
II white bread, potatoes, rice and
olner starch foods make trouble, quit
and use Grape-Nuts food which is
largely predigested and will digest.
nourish and strengthen, when other
forms Of food do not. It's Just plain
old common sense.
There's a Reason for Postum end
Grape-Nuts.
Postum Cereal Co, Ltd.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17
A nreak In the ceremon,.

Little Tom was two years old and
talking before his proud parents took
him to be christened Though limit
ed, his vocabulary included one or
two choice words picked up from his
father. OF course. he looked like a
perfect little cherub on the eventful
day, with his wide blue eyes and shin
ing curls and mother had got him up
in great shape for the ceremony. At
the most impressive point Tom turn
ed to his father and exclaimed in az
gravated tones: why, damn it, he
wet my head"
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17

deep as ever, many of the most SUI
perstitious prisoners were ON the
verge of nervous prostration. Nobody
could ever tell them after that that
the Jail was not haunted. The warden
was almost at his wits end, but he
tried one more scheme. He began to
transfer the prisoners, a few at a
time, from cell to cell, and guards
were instructed to watch each batch
of transferred men very closely. In
this way the noise was finally traced
to a practical joker among the pris-
oners, who produced the diabolical
yell with the aid of a hair comb and
a newspaper. A piece of paper was
folded across the comb and held as a
mouthpiece at the small end of a meg
aphone made by rolling the newspaper
up into a cone Everybody knows
what a fearful noise can be made by
pressing the lips against a paper-cov-
cred comb and blowing hard. With
the megaphone added the noise was
greatly magnifed, and it made a noise
calculated to give anybody cold chills
in the pitchy darkness of a big prison,
With the detection of the culprit the
noises ceased, but the jails reputation
for being haunted spread amazingly,
ever beyond the granite walls of the
prison, and still clings to it.
The Case of Ruminski.
Mike Ruminski was one of the
shrewdest prisoners yer placed in
murderers' row. On the morning he
was sentenced to death for strangling
his wife, pouring kerosene over the
body and setting fire to the house, he
declared that the sheriff would never
get a chance to hang him. The evil
dence produced against Ruminski at
his trial tended to show that he was
a professional stranger and robber.
Several months before he killed his
wife he had strangled his own baby to
death, but this was not known until
the authorities made an investigation
following the death of his wife.
On account of the threat of the con
demned mar that he would cheat the
gallows, an extra close watch was KEEP
on him in his cell, a guard being sta
toned outside the door day and night
to prevent him from taking his own
life.
One night Ruminski went to bed as
usual. The light outside his cell door
shone directly on the cot, and the
guard outside could see him quite
plainly. But Ruminski, while pretend
ing to be asleep, reached down witt
his right hand between the edge of his
iron cot and the wall and united n o.
the thin cord laces fastened across
the framework of his cot and support
ing the mattress. Still working witt
one hand, he twisted the short length
of cord, tied it and slipped it over his
head and around his neck. The handle
of a tin cup, which he managed to ge
possession of, was passed through The
loop, and then Ruminski carefully ant
quietly proceeded to choke himself ttC
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17

death. So cautiously did he kill him
self that the guard outside the door,
although keeping n eye on Ruminski
all the time, imagined that the con
demned man was sound asleep.
When Ruminski had choked himself
until he lost consciousness, his hand
released the handle of the tin cup. 1t
may be supposed that the tin handle
would spin ground a few times and fly
from the loop and that the cord, being
released, would enable Ruminski to
breathe again. But the crafty stranger
had anticipated tina. very thing and
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17

st. Louis rejoices in the sobriquet
of Mound City from the fact that the
original settlers found there many
elevations which it is supposed were
relics of that strange people who
dwelt in the Ohio and Mississippi val
leys and are known to modern times
only as the Mound Builders. No ade-
quate explanation has yet been found
Of their strange mode of leaving
memorials of their existence. The
limestone bluffs on which a part OF
st. Louis stands furnish a solid foun-
dalton for the business buildings.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17
A Youno

Rachel, aged IL, wrote an compo-
sition on wild flowers in which she
praised the arbutus, the liverwort,
the spring beauty, the blood root, and
all of the other blossoms of dell and
dale. But she wrote on both sides
of her sheet of paper, and when she
asked her father, who was an editor,
to publish her article, he called her
attention to that fact.
you've written on both sides Of
your paper" said he.
"Well," was the reply, land don't
you print on both sides Of yours?"
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17
SENTENCE SERMONS.

Hidden sins are hard to heal.
Cursing yesterday does not correct
to-day.
The selfish heart always is short
sighted.
Only a dead faith lies wrapped in
formalities.
No language is more eloquent than
a life Of love.
The beautiful life loses no time
looking for a mirror.
They who nev stop for little Joys
find no large ones.
The church is a shelter for the sin.
ner, but not for his sins.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17

to be responsible for the haunting of
the Allegheny county Jail. For years
the murderers' row there has been
gradually accumulating the reputation
of being haunted.
Did not Mike Ruminiski, the profess
sional stranger, strangle himself to
death in his cell in a most ingenious
manner shortly before the date set for
his execution, and did not he come
back, That was during the time of
Warden John McAleese.
And did not the notorious Biddle
brothers, Jack and Ed, escape from
their cells in murderers' row with the
assistance of Mrs. Kate Soffel, wife of
Warden Peter Soffel, only to be run
down and shot to death near Butler,
Pa, As hours later, and did not they
come back? That was during the time
of Warden Soffel.
And did not Hill and Douglass and
many another poor wretch who went
to death from murderers' row by the
SdllONS lOulS SOllt DdShs
There are many who stoutly main
tain that they did, and that they
haunted their old cells and terrified
their occupants for many nights.
Another mysterious happening that
contributed to the spooky reputation
of murderers' row was not explained
away until it had been going on for
weeks.
At nine o'clock every night it has
been customary to switch the electric
lights from one dynamo to another.
This necessitated the changing of a
belt and occupied from five to ten
seconds. During that time the entire
Jail was in total darkness, except for a
few isolated gas jets in the front Of
flee, at the gate and in the main cor
ridor.
An Unearthly Shrek Was Heard.
One night several years ago just be-
fore the lights had gone out as usual
an unearthly shrek pierced the inky
blackness of the big Jail from some
where in the neighborhood of murder
ers' row. 1t was a long, moaning kind
of Shrek, such as no mortal could
make, and it seemed to sweep and
circle down the main corridor before
dying away. Everybody who heard il
deputy wardens, guards and prison
ers alike-felt the marrow freezing in
his bones. An investigation was made
Immediately the lights had beer
turned on again, but no solution tt
the mystery was found that night. The
prisoners were questioned, and, al
might have been expected, all denied
knowing anything about it. Men IL
cells on the fourth tier thought tn
noise, came from somewhere on tn
ground floor. Those on the grounC
floor thought it came from the roof.
Next night when the lights wer,
switched off at nine o'clock the same
unearthly scream resounded through
the building, and once more the result
ant investigation came to naught
Warden Lewis was puzzled and he de
termined to trace the noise to it
source, so on the third night he sc
cretly stationed guards in empty cell
and along corridors, with instruction
to make careful note of the direction
from whence the yell came If it shout
be repeated. The yell was repeate'
without fail as soon as the jail was Ii
darkness, but the worden's plan failed
for the guards had totally differen
ideas of where the sound cam
from. :
BY the time the uncanny yell ha
been heard for five nights in success
sion, with the mystery of it's source a
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17

had made provision to guard against
his plans being thwarted in that way.
The handle of the tin cup had been
Strengthened out and then hooked at
the end in such a way that tAe mo-
ment Ruminski's hand released it 1t
caught in the collar Of his shirt and
held fast. Ruminski had been dead
several hours when the guard attempt
ed to arouse him next morning.
Then a few hours after the strang-
ler's body had been removed to the
morgue it disappeared most mysteri-
ously and that night prisoners in muir
derers' row declared that they saw
Ruminski's ghost walking along the
corridor and making CHASTITY faces at
the occupants of the cells. Several
months later the murderer's body was
found in a stable on Carson street,
South side, and buried in potter's field.
The ears and fingers had been re.
moved, presumably to be kept as ou-
venirs.
The BiddIe Brothers.
The two Biddle brothers did not die
in murderers' row, but other prisoners
confined there have often declared
that they saw their ghosts on many
nights since the two young despera.
does broke Jail and fled with the war
den's wife, only to be run down and
killed a few hours later. The sensa-
tional case of the Biddle brothers is
too well known and has been drama
tized too much to need recalling to
the memory of readers. 1t was merely
one of many cases which have served
to give the Allegheny county jail a
spooky reputation and to make the old
murderers' row no longer habitable.
The nerves of condemned prisoners
occupying cells there were recently
wrought up to such a pitch by hearing
the noise made by carpenters erecting
the wooden gallows in the Jail yard
that Warden Lewis has ordered a steel
scaffold which can be put together al
most noiselessly with the aid of a few
screws and a wrench.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17

Pittsburg, Pa.-According to the
statement of the prisoners and
guards, murderers' row, in the Al
legheny county Jail in this city is said
TO be haunted, and the fear of the sup
posed ghosts has so worked upon the
nerves of the condemned prisoners
that the cells of the entire row have
been vacated and the prisoners re-
moved to another section of the Jail.
The ghost Of w. A. Culp, who killed
himself in his cell some time ago
while awaiting trial for the murder of
his brother, is held directly RESPONSE
BILE for the orders issued by Warden
Edward Lewis transferring the IA men
occupying cells in murderer's row..
Culp's ghost was haunting them,
they declared. 1t" had come back,
they said, visiting cell after cell along
the tier set apart for m%urderers, re-
hearsing the murder of Culp's brother
and emitting zone of it's CHASTITY de-
tails. This happened night after night
following Cups suicide, and always
between II and l o'clock in the morn
ing.
Screams of terror from the fourth
tier of cells on the south side of the
old part Of the Jail, where murderer's
row was situated, aroused the guards
and all the prisoners, says the N. Y.
World. Lights were turned on and a
search made for the ghostly visitor,
but of course 1T" was never found
An hour or two always elapsed before
the terrified prisoners could be Gained
down and silence reigned once more
throughout the big county Jail,
Prisoners Ghost Visits Cell.
Only Ii prisoner, a condemned
murderer occupying the cell adjoining
the mi in which Culp committed sui.
eide, a man who is to be executed in
October, saw the Culp ghost on the
first night it came back. That was on
the night following the one on which
the suicide was committed. The con.
demned wretch, who had ben convict
ed of a most cowardly crime
screamed for help and when the
guards entered his cell a few moments
later they found him covering in E
corner and shaking like a leaf.
He had seen Culp, he said. Culp Of
Cups ghost had come into his eel
and after awakening him had started
to rehearse the murder of his brother
You have been dreaming, that's
all" said II of the deputy wardens
reassuringly. Don't you know tina
Culp is dead and buried and even if he
were alive it would be impossible for
him to have been in your cell? Be
sides, there are no such things a.
ghosts. You have been having a bat
dream, so just lie down and go tt
sleep and don't be arousing the Who'll,
Jail like this in the middle of thu
night"
But the next night Culp's ghos
came back again. At least, three con
demned criminals confined in cell
along murderer's row declared tina
they saw 1T" distinctly. When exam
ined by the warden they all gave tn
SAM description of the ghost, the d
rection from which it came, and it
antics in front of cells along murder
-ers' row.
This went on for several nights, a
though extra guards were placed alon
the fourth tier. The guards then
ao1,yoc Jna1o,al 1loA 49,. -.ALs--
but this afforded little satisfaction t
the prisoners, who were either to
frightened to sleep or who were di!
turbed by the screams of their mex
door n%eighbors.
Culp's ghost is not the only one sal
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17
That Explained 1t.

Are you the press humorist on this
paper?' asked the visitor in the sane
tum.
II am"
"Well, I merely wanted to ask how
you managed to think of 30 many
jokes every day"
II don't frankly replied tho press
humorist. 4 have 81 intellectual pair
Of hears."-Milwaukee Sentinel
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17
Ths kal,er ,nd M. carneoIe.

During the first meeting Of Emper-
or William and Andrew Carnegie on
the deck Of the Hohenzollern at KEEL.
when there came a pause in the con-
~versation. Mr.. Carnegie, in a candid
spirit of banter. said to the emperor:
You know, your majesty, that |
never cared very much for kings"
But there was one king you cared
a great deal for" said the emperor
quickly. And who was that?" de-
manded Mr.. Carnegie. Robert Bruce"
Your majesty is very right" laughed
Mr. Carnegie. ,
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17
BY il WAY.

do let a brick In your hat become
your h~eadstone.'
Dirt is no more a sign Of industry
than fat Is Of health
What You have been generally nc
ccptuates tbe intensenesz Or what you
are.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17

NO. said the stubborn man, mo.
body can alter my regard for Jiggins.
He's a man you don't meet every
day" 5vs
III admit that replied Markley,
hut I attribute 1t Ito the fact. that i
loaned him $40 several months ago.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-10-17

plump figures" said the woman
who was reading the fashions. ARE
going out OF STYLE"
"Nonsensei" answered her husband
Food is rather expensive. But the
situation isn't as bad as that"