davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1927-04-17

oats. a shelter in the lee of the wagon
for my mount and snug quarters Tor
myself.
AS 10 the oats and the snugness. ]
was correct, but there was something
else | had not bargained for. The
harder was a lunatic! While looking
after my horse, amid f1urries of wind
driven snow, / had no opportunity or
observing my host carefully, though
he seemed a sociable sort of fellow for
A sheepherder. Later in the evening,
however, when we sat down to talk, II
dawned on me thatI was to be cooped
up for an indefinite period with mad
man of the first water!
Harmless "locoed" sheepherders were
common enough---so common, in fact.
that one seldom gave them second
thought. But this one. l was to learn,
was not of the ordinary type. The
thin face that topped his feet 6
inches Of frame was gentle and hand
some, yet at times the deep-set black
eyes would become transformed by a
piercing, demoniacal glitter that
seemed to speak of stress and struggle
and pain Little lines would spread
over his face from suddenly lowered
brows as his eyes riveted themselves
on my cowpuncher's raiment.
Speaking but seldom, his talk was
confined to sheep, while mine naturally
ran to cows-a subject that came near
proving my undoing.
For some time my queer companion
had been quietly sitting on the edge
Of the bed that spanned the rear end
of his house on wheels. Presently
however, with startling abruptness, he
leaped to the floor, his eyes ablaze with
fear and hate. and burst out:
Curse you' you're a spy--a spy
they've sent aheadr' Then, with
stealthy crouch, he reached inside his
shirt and whipped out a razor-edged
butcher knife
My first impulse, while we confront
ed each other vigilantly, was to leap,
or rather dive. between his legs for my
gun. 1t lay where l had carelessly
tossed it under the bed. But instinct
told me that a fight with such weapons
in these close quarters would end dis
astrously for both combatants. Valor
might be all right in its proper place.
I was not going to allow 1t to get in
the way of discretion just now. So,
reaching behind me, I quietly CROPPED
for the latch. I jerked the narrow door
Evening star., 1927-04-17

but he thinks that Mr.. Hill got we'll.
The battle Of Balls Bluff on the
Potomac, about three miles from Lees
| burg, was on October 81. 1861. The
Rambler remembers that he wrote OF
1t about 10 years ago. and made pic.
lures OF the fighting ground as it was
then. From The Star of November Z,
1861, the Rambler hands you this:
"At least IS dead bodies were taken
from the river yesterday between the
Chain Bridge and Long Bridge. All
were in uniform and all are supposed
to be a portion of the force drowned
near Leesburg. Very few Of the
bodies have the marks OF gunshot
wounds upon them"
The Star of November f. 1861, had
this news note:
Seven bodies of soldiers drowned
in the affair near Leesburg We're re-
covered from the water by persons
in small boats opposite the wharves
Of Georgetown yesterday
There was a food in the Potomac
the first week in November, 1861, and
these relics were brought down by
the water from that part Of the river
between Harrison Island and the steep
Virginia shore, Balls Bluff. There
was CHlS HOte III Inc otdI NOFeni-
ber Z:
"a magnificent horse. valued at
5000. which was to have been pre-
sented to Col Baker former United
States Senator E. d. Baker of Oregon,
killed in command of the Union force
at Balls Bluff on the very day he was
killed has been sold to the Duke de
Chartres of Gen. McClellan's staff"
This note was in The Star Novem.
Der 5, 1867
"A private in the 9Th New Jersey
Regiment was found deed in o. spring
near his camp, Meridian Hill, on Sat.
urday. He had been sick and in low
spirits for some time, and the day
before told his orderly sergeant that
it was his intention to make away
with himself"
A long story of the burning OF the
f street Hospital. or Washington In
firmary. was published in The Star
November t. 1861. The headlines
were: THE Burning of the E Street
Infirmary-Terrible and Thrilling In
cidents-Removal of More Than One
Hundred Patients-A Woman Sup
posed to Have Been Burned" Most
of the patients were soldiers, and the
story tells that twenty or thirty of
the patients were carried to the Coun-
Gil Chamber of the City Hail."
In The Star file the Rambler read
that William II. Barnes, professor or
dancing had dancing academy on
the main floor OF Temperance Hall.
E between Ninth and Tenth. in De-
cen.ber, 1861. Prof. Marini opened
his dancing academy in that hall in
December, 1862. and we came to
know 1t as Marinis Hall. The Star.
Monday. December 1. 1862. said:
prof Marini's dancing academy
will open this afternoon at Temper
ance Hall. Prof. Marini is well and
favorably known In this city. as a
most successful teacher of dancing.
and. therefore, there Is no doubt he
will have large school,"
Evening star., 1927-04-17

living concert singers, will give her
second and positively her last grand
opera concert Thursday evening, No
ve!1ber 81, at the building formerly
known as the Tenth Street Baptist
Church. The following celebrated ar
lists will appear Miss Patti Nine.
Strakosch. Signor Scola. Signor Cen
timeri, Henry Anderson, T. Schreiner.
Admission, 81; gallery, SO cents; re-
served seats, 80 cents extra. Tickets
may be secured at the music store
of Mr. Met2erott and in the evening
at the door"
Chrlstys MinstreIs took over the
Tenth street church building Decem-
ber s. The troupe played in Odd Eel
lows Hall, Navy Yard. the evening
before. Here is the Navy Yard adj
vertsemcnt, printed The Star, De-
cember 4. 1861: "Odd Fellows Hal.
Navy Yard--The original an genu
inc George Christys Minstrels will ap.
pears for one night only and give one
of their peculiar entertainments, con-
sisting OF songs, giees. local hits, etc.
For particulars see programs. Adj
mission, 25 cents; reserved seats, so
cents
The star, Wednesday, December 4.
1861. printed this advertisement:
George Christy's New Opera
House. Tenth street near L street
The above temple OF minstrelsy viii
Evening star., 1927-04-17

day came, / examined the ground
around the cabin and the deserted
mine for tracks. but the drifting snow
had Obliterated all sign of my mid
night visitor. That day, it goes with
| out saying, 1 made it my business to
meet the "Swede" before he had got
far from his camp.
Had all the practical jolters in the
world been present, my story could
not have fallen on less serious ears.
After listening for a moment, he be-
gan easing his horse away from
mine; then, whirling round, he fled in
meek fear--not of the apnarition /
was picturing. but of me- Finally he
galloped back to inquire sarcastically:
Say. did it have horns and a forked
tail? II it did. he's my meat I've
got got 16-foOt loop all ready for
him; so trot out your wild man."
realized then how Morgan must
have felt. 1t was no use arguing.
Have it your own way" 1 growled.
'If you do put a loop on him. be
sure to fetch him to camp. Perhaps
/ might then be able to convince the
rest of you sapheads that there is
such an animal knocking about"
IIldl CNSllLIlE L sat lOI IL jOllS tiIlle
pondering over the almost unbeliev-
able revelation that Jim <, hope
lessly mad, roamed the Bad Lands
like some prowling wild beast. How
could 1t be possible for any human
being to survive the ravages of a
Wyoming Winter without so much
as the most frugal means of sub
sistence.
At last I abandoned my book, Sc
cured the door as best could,
crawled between my blankets and.
with the "Luger" handy, went to
sleep.
I say handy" but I must have
actually fallen asleep with the gun
| in my hand. In the early morning
hours I found myself sitting bolt up
right, ready to press the trigger. The
door had been braced with a stout
stick. which l believed would with
stand a mans weight. Now it stood
open. Had not a voice that instant
spoken my name the form that was
dimly silhouetted against the patch of
gray light outside would have been
riddled with bullets.
1t was the "Swede." p" In his haste
to enter he had courted death by
throwing his weight against the door
and tumbling in headlong. Lighting
Evening star., 1927-04-17
Rambers Canterbury Tale Is About heaer Which Vanished

Rambler to believe that the Canter-
bury was variety theater of the
same tone as the better class of such
theaters at that time and that the
management gave patrons the most
striking novelties or vaudeville acts to
be had. They engaged the best min
strels, variety singers, dancers and ac-
robats. There was a ballet and the
women wore tights, but the Rambler
believes that the Canterbury aimed to
give good shows and made no effort
to draw patrons by stressing Vulgaritv
Under the management of Percival,
Sim and Lee natinees, always on Sat
urday and often on Saturday and
Wednesday each week, were given for
women and children, and these mat
ine2s seem to have been profitable.
In the Winter of 1866 and the
Spring of 1866 the Rambler's theory is
that the Canterbury declined in pros
perity and that the shows were of a
lower order, perhaps Of a low order.
You may have knowledge of this or
you may form an opinion as this mar
rative proceeds.
*
THE first mention OF the Canterbury
the Rambler has found was in
The Star November 6, 1861, and it fol-
lows:
Canterbury Hall date Washington
Assembly Rooms, previously the Adel-
phi Thcaterl will be opened in a few
days 0y Mr.. George Percival with Il
magnificent company of artistes." The
first Canterbury advertisement ap-
peared in The Star Wednesday, No
vember 13, 1861. 1t follows:
The Great Canterbury Music Hall,
late Washington Assembly Rooms,
Louisiana Avenue in the rear of the
National and Browns Hotels, will
open 70 the public of Washington on
this, Wednesday evening, November
.l3, 1861. Fifty Star Artistes, Including
the First Talent OF the Day. lie
Salon des Peuples. The Celebrated I'm
personator Of Negro Character, Mr.
Frank Brewer viii make his First
Appearance at the Canterbury. Dick
Parker at the Canterbury. Harry Fox
at the Canterbury. The great Impro-
visitor and Eccentric Vocalist from
Barnum's Museum (who won such
golden honors at the old Adelphi The.
ater here) MIR. William Harrison, at
the Canterbury MIR. Samuel Parker,
Monsieur Sol, Master Willie, Mr. Louis
kopel Signor Erveste and auxiliaries.
| The Charming Danseuse and Latest
Sensation, Senoretta Marie Olivia,
Mile. Frank La Folle, Miss Susie
Parker, Miss Emma Miles, Miss Mag.
Sie Vernon, Miss Lucille Williams and
! the Corps de Ballet. A Magnificent
! Orchestra and Brass Band at the Can.
| terhury. Admission, parquet 25
cents, parterre Is cents"
In The Star Saturday, November
| %. 1861, ten days after the opening
Of the Canterbury. was this advertise
ment:
| The Conductor of Canterbury Hall
| has the pleasure 10 announce to the
| public of Washington that he will give
: his Second Day Entertainment for
Families, Ladies and Children on Mon,
Evening star., 1927-04-17
RY HARRY E. WEBB.

~ My twice did I encounter
him: only on two occasions
did look upon his face The
~ first time it was handsome
and pleasant, though there
was much behind the mask to mar
its amiability. The second time
Ugh.
had made a wager that my horse
and l could make the Big Horn Basin
in five days. l left the headwaters
of the Grand River in Colorado and
headed toward my destination in
Wyoming, 500 miles to the northwest.
Crossing the Snake River two days
later at Baggs. Wyo., ! skirted the
eastern rim of the Red Desert, forded
the Sweet-water ct the old Seventy
One Ranch on the morning OF the
fourth day, and was deeD into the Bad
Lands that slope down to the Big
Wind River when misfortune overlook
me in the shape of a real man s-slZe
blizzard
l, therefore, shook my mount into
his best stride under the conditions
and hurried into the gray gloom that
was rolling down from the northeast.
1t was unfamiliar ground to me,
for in order TO gain time and distance
! had avoided the regular routes and
was LraFeIlnE as IIe crow lies.
A biting wind had suddenly hurled
itself down among the buttes. and
within half an hour 1 found myself
gasping for breath in the teeth of a
howling, smothering tempest. Less
than a hundred miles separated me
from my goal. but my blaze-faced sor-
rel had already put over a similar
number behind him that day, and
there was q sinister boom and moan
in the storm that told me our race
was run.
AS l drew rein and huddled against
sheltering bank. I scented the odor
of burning sage. "A ranch"' was my
first thought, and amid terrific gusts
of wind that screamed about the peaks
of the mud hills / started to hunt
down the source of the elusive smoke.
Suddenly l found myself out of the
potholes and on level expanse of salt
sage, and presently arrived in the
midst OF huge flock of sheep. clus-
tered on their bed ground. Fate, it
seemed, had thrown not a ranch, but
a sheepherder' wagon, in my path
This was good, for it probably meant
Evening star., 1927-04-17
I'D Adventures of the Bad Lands Terrorized by Beasan
Roams Wilderness Have Strange
1COunters With Creature That RO

a name which. in Difference to the
feelings of his relatives, beg leave to
suppress, merely calling him Jim
""
At last, to my infinite relief, my en-
forced stay with Jim X came 20 an
end. and, saddling my mount, slipped
away and pushed on north.
From time to time odd scraps of news
concerning Jim Y reached me. for
his Intermittent outbursts, though
mild, brought him somewhat into the
limelight. and toward Spring | learned
that during one of his mad spells
fleeing, in fancy, from pursuing cattle
mcn-he had wandered away from his
wagon into the teeth of blizzard and
parishcd.
Eut did he perish? There lies a
mystery, for l am certain--unless |
also was mad--that Jim " and ]
mot again after he was supposed to
have died And if our first meeting
was something to haunt my dreams, it
was dwarfed into complete insignfi.
canoe by the second and last
Several riders, including myself, had
been sCnt to patrol the Big Wind
River and drive back the animals that
drifted off the desert slopes into the
sheltering cottonWoods.
At first, until baled hay and supplies
could be hauled to separate camps, we
patrolled the north and south sides of
the river from one main camp. While
we were there the boys had a good
laugh at the expense of a Wizened
little Texan by the name of Morgan.
1t had been raining and showing all
day, and on returning from his patrol,
f1 ho nIr
south Of the river, Morgans face
showed that something unusual had
happened
Boys" he said. Tim either going
loco or I've seen the strangost animal
thot l ever laid eyes on
This. coming from a man who sell
dom took anything seriously, inter
ested us but mildly. although we gath
cred around to hear the joke He
went on to tell us how. late in the day,
he had come upon a figure dimly out
lined through the snowflakes, and,
thinking it might be some breed" en-
gagged in killing beef, had ridden eau
tiously up to investigate.
Suddenly, however, the strange fig
ure he had taken for man raised its
head and with apelike leaps dived
over a cut-bank. AS Morgan dug his
spurs into his horses flanks and
started in pursuit the figure again
came into view looking something
between a man and an animal. Paus-
ing for an instant, it voiced q squeal.
ing sort of cry and then disappeared
over small butte. At that moment
Morgan's horse slipped on the frozen
slope, unseating its rider and that
ended the chase.
Before starting after his mount,
which had trotted off after the fall and
was now headed for camp, Morgan
had made a hurried examination of
the tracks left by his quarry. They
were simply indescribable. If it was
man, he said, then he was barefooted
But the figure had been carrying
large leg bone of COW, which it had
Evening star., 1927-04-17
COURSE YOUl YOU'RE A SPY
A SPY THEY'VE SENT AHEAD!"

a candle, | could see that he looked
very different from the light hearted
r.der who had ridiculed Morgan
and me.
The man appeared to be scared stiff.
In stammering sentences he told me
how he had suddenly awakened In his
tent to fight for his life in the dark
ness with some hairyfaced monster.
AS he struggled to free himself from
the strangling fingers that sought his
throat he had almost collapsed, owing
to the unearthly sounds that came
from his assailant's lips. Somehow
or other he had been able to wrench
himself free and bolt. What had
become Of the awful creature he did
not know.
l felt it was no time for levity, but
I remembered how the "Sweds" had
treated me. and | could not miss the
opportunity. What about that
sixteen foot loop?" l asked.
II .oop. Hades"' he burst out. 81
was g.ttin' outa there, I'm here t
tell yuh,'
Rv morning another storm was
brewing, and before we reached the
"Swedes" tent which had been
knocked down during the desperate
struggle between himself and his visi-
tor, we We're again baked in taking
up the trail, for blizzard Ca7ne tear
ing in from the nortilw md did
not slacken its pace foc nine days.
For weeks thereafter. however, as
we were hurrying the cattle together,
so that they could he taken to their
respective ranches. we kept a vigilant
watch, both at the old mine and
throughout the "HOneycomhs.' in the
hope of coming across the Gomented
wanderer. in order that W. might
prove to the world we hid raH'i% seen
him in the flesh. But We had no
luck, and therefore kept our own
counsel.
To my knowledge. poor Jim &
was never seen again. That he per-
ished during one Of the bliZzards /
| haven't the slightest doubt, for to sub
sist for long on what the Bad Lands
provide in the bitter winter wca ther.
without even so much as warm cloth
ing to protect one. is an utter i'm
possibility.
BY the time we had got all the
cattle out of the Wind River country
the "Swedes" hair, which had been n
glossy black, was well sprinkled with
gray, and few months later it had
turned quite white-the result. I sup
pose. of his midnight encounter with
the lunatic.
iCOpyright 1927
Evening star., 1927-04-17

A VACANT lot on the south side
~ Of Louisiana avenue between
II Four and a Half and Sixth
4 4 streets was shown the Rambler
as the subject of a story. The
west line Of the lot is 35 PAGES east
of the east curb of Sixth street and
the width Of the lot is 90 pac.5 It
is between Nos. 4S6 and 40 Louisiana
avenue. The level of the lot is below
that Of louisiana avenue, is concreted
SO that automobiles may be parked
there, and seems TO have been the
basement Of a building. A foundation
wall Of blue stone is visible and at
glance, but without such scrutiny as
might be given the matter, the Ram
bier would say that the building which
stood there was burned.
That lot was the site Of Canterbury
Hall, sometimes called Canterbury
Theater and oftener "the Canterbury -
The Canterbury Building had been the
Washington Assembly Rooms. and be.
fore that was the Adelphi Theater
The CAN erbury was opened HVednes-
day evening, November IS, 1861, the
manager being George Percival, man
ager OF a variety theater in Baltimore
In the Summer of 1863 William E.
Sim was manager and lessee Of the
Canterbury, and In the Summer Of
1864 George Lea became lessee and
manager. S. N. and s. A. Lingard
were managers OF the Canterbury in
August, 1865, and Lea resumed man
: agement in September that year. In
June, 1856. the Canterbury was adver-
tised as under new management. but
the manager is not named in the ad.
vertisement.
The last advertisement of the Can
terbury which the Rambler has found
was In The Star, Monday, June is,
1856. After that no mention Of the
Canterbury is 10 be found in The Star.
There is no news that the theater was
burned or that 1t was closed by the
police. nor that it had been closed for
any reason. The Star did not print a
Canterbury advertisement in 1867 OF
1868. From June IS, 1866, till the
opening of the theater season in Ser
tember, 1866, there was no news Of
fire in the building. I can only ma Ike
fhe guess that The Star threw out
she Canterbury's advertisement OF
June 49, 1866; refused to accept others
Rnd that the theater depended on
hand-bill advertisements, ran a down
Sourse for some time and was closed
or burned. / win try 10 learn how the
theater came TO its end. and you may
get the information before the Ram
bier ends this Canterbury tale
The number of people in Washing
eon RAPIDLY grew during the Civil War
end in the Summer and FAN Of 1861
there was a greater demand for the
etrical shows than Washington hat
known before. The Canterbury was
one of the halls opened to meet that
Gemand. The Rambler has no remeln
brance Of the Canterbury, but he ~,
heard older men tell of It as wilt
and wicked place. The advertisement:
from the Fall Of 1861 till the close O.
the Civil War, and when the Canter
bury was under the management o.
Percival, Sim and Lea, incline th'
Evening star., 1927-04-17

almost from its hinges. Then ! stepped
quickly out on the 'doubletrees.
where could open peace parley with
greater safety.
Believing the mans suspicion to
have its origin in the incessant wars
between the cattslDen and the sheep
men, / hastened to assure him that l
was also a sheepherder, returning to
my lob after being off on spree.
I'm headed for Lost Cabin" | told
him. I'm going herding again for
Jim Oakley"
To mention the name of Oakley.
the largest sheepman in the state
was to speak volumes, and this hasty
piece Of lying Immediately soothed
my strange companion.
That's fine, fine" he gurgled as
he replaced the knife. "If you were
a cowman I should have had to
cut your throat"
With that he thrust a shaky hand
which, there being nothing else to
do. l shook warmly.
you must stay all Winter" he
went on. Then. if them blankety
blank cattlemen do find me, we can
kill 'em all"
| thanked him. and assured him
of my own scathing contempt for
the breed. After that he appeared
to trust me. However, / decided then
and there not to accept his generous
offer, and secretly vowed that at he
first peep OF day / would be off.
In the meantime this monomaniac
had to be humored. so far into the
night we sat and talked sheep, sheep,
and more sheep until he would again
get round to his pet ject-killing
cattlemen. Again and again he told
me Of the horrors that were in store
for him should they" catch him.
They'd never tie me on an ant-hiH.
though! he cried. "Nosiree" Then
with sly, cunning wink, he would
look cautiously about, as If fearing
prying eyes, tumble for that horrible
l2-inch blade, and whisper his secret
IF they crowd me close" he
breathed II shall kill as many as
possible Of them, and then kill my
self before they can overpower me-"
Frequent demonstrations with the
knife, coupled with his sanguinary
utterances, kept me in anything but
tranquil state Of mind, but beyond
this the night passed without further
incident.
* X X X
WHEN dawn broke, after a sleep
w less night for me. although the
herder slept like child l prepared
10 depart, but when l surveyed the
gray world outside it took but a mo.
ment to induce me to change my
mind. Everything lay buried under
a foot-deep blanket of snow, while
the storm seemed to have actually in.
creased in fury. My knowledge of
Wyoming weather told me that must
not venture far from the protection of
the wagon, even though it was mini.
ature asylum, If ] wanted to live.
For two days and three nights the
blizzard blew steadily from the north,
and during the whole of that seeming
ly interminable time l was cooped up
with my strange companion. Eventu
ally l learned the name of my host,