Monday, December 10, 2012
Published in the Sangamon Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Wednesday, January 24, 1849
The Columbus Ohio State Journal relates the following incident: A good steed is a bad fix. One of our neighbors, Mr. J. L. Gill, called on us yesterday morning with an invitation to witness the exercise of certain powers of control over horses and other animals, possessed by a Mr. Fancher, now staying at the American. A fine horse, belonging to Mr. G., whose brilliant fancy had taught him to despise the meager accommodations of his narrow stall in the lower story of the stable, took it into his head that he was well fitted to whisk his tail in the upper house. Taking advantage of an early hour, without the ringing of the bell, or notice to his fellow members, he slipped his halter, made his way up a very steep and narrow pair of steps, turned a sharp corner at the top, and safely deposited himself, in complete organization, on the top of a pile of dry provisions, in the form of a mow of oats in the half story above.
The thing was to get him down again. Horses are proverbially unhandy at getting down stairs, and to throw him down and truss him up by the ordinary means, would be a matter of great difficulty and danger. Requisition was made of the services of Mr. Fancher. The horse seemed suddenly to have a violent and unaccountable fancy to that gentleman. In a few moments they were in close and intimate communication-seemingly as that of two locofocos plotting revolution. By the employment of some agent which we did not understand, and the use of a moderate amount of force, the aspiring genius soon became tractable and was safely laid over on his side preparatory to his decent. He was trussed up, slipped to the outer door of the loft, and by the aid of a few planks soon deposited safely upon terra firma.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Wednesday, February 14, 1849
Mr. C. D. Trusdell, of Oregon City, has built a horse boat, of which the Spectator gives the following account:-
The horse-boat Mr. Hellen, built and owned by C. D. Truesdell, Esq. left this city on the afternoon of the 27th inst; for Portland under charge of M. K. Kellogg, Esq., as master, and returned on the 28th inst., having performed the downward trip in three, and the upward trip, with some loading, in four hours.
The boat is rigged for six horses, is 18 feet wide, 82 feet long and calculated for 80 tons cargo. The boat came over the rapids without any difficulty, although it had been predicted that she would never return to this city.
The industry and enterprise which now project and complete a horse boat will very soon plan and finish a steamboat. The spirit of enterprise and industry, if we are not mistaken, is to be found in many of the citizens of Oregon. Mr. Truesdell is ahead in the boat line thus far; who will be first to plow the clear splashing waters of the Williamette with stream?
Monday, December 10, 2012
Published in the Sangamon Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Wednesday, February 28, 1849
On Tuesday last, we are informed, Mr. Clinton, of New York, accompanied by a lady of Niagara Falls, crossed the suspension bridge in a carriage drawn by a spirited horse from this place. On returning, when nearly in the center, or that part of the bridge torn up during the late dispute, their horse was suffered to trot until they had passed some distance toward the American side of the bridge. The tenders, supposing the horse had become unmanageable started to the rescue, but upon seeing him in subjection returned to their post. This is the second lady, we understand, who has passed over the bridge in a carriage. Mrs. Ellelt being the only one who has heretofore ventured.-Buffalo Commercial.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Wednesday, March 7, 1849
You may make any horse follow you in ten minutes; go to the horse, rub his face, jaw and chin, leading him about, saying to him. “come along,” a constant tone is necessary. By taking him away from other persons and horses, repeat the rubbing, leading and stopping. Sometimes turn him around, all ways and keep his attention by saying “come along.” With some horses, it is important to whisper to them, as it hides the secret and gentles the horse; you may use any word you please, but be constant in your tone of voice. The same will cause all horses to follow.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Published in the Sangamon Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Thursday, July 3, 1845
At New Haven, yesterday morning, from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 white fish, as nearly as could be estimated, were hauled ashore by Mr. Davidson & Russell’s seine, on the west side of the harbor. These fish weigh about three quarters of a pound each, and are used for manure by the farmers of adjacent towns, who pay from 50 to 75 cents a thousand. The haul of yesterday was worth from $500 to $750. The weight of the fish was from 375 to 500 tons, sufficient to freight a large ship. Of course they could not be drawn out of the water en masse, but being hauled in at high tide, and the net made fast to a windlass, the receding tide left them high and dry. Seen at a distance, thus exposed on the shore, they looked like a snow bank, or an extensive deposit of salt.-Journal of Com.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Thursday, March 16, 1848
This singular personage, says a late Nashville paper, has been in this city for several days, and his wonderful skill in the management and taming of horses hundreds can testify.
A few experiments that I saw with my own eyes would satisfy the most incredulous. A few days since, in front of the Union Hall, of Gallatin, a strange and wild horse, the property of Dr. Hall, of Gallatin,was presented to him for a trial of his skill, and in less than ten minutes, he made him gentle as a dog, the horse following him wherever he went. The same horse would not permit an umbrella to be hoisted over him, but in the hands of Offutt, he soon became as familiar to an umbrella as to a bridle, and would stand perfectly still, while the umbrella was not only hoisted, but rattled about his head, and struck on the face with it.
Several other cases, equally as remarkable, I could state, but the above will suffice. The great beauty of the art is its simplicity, and the short time it takes him to communicate it to others.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Saturday, October 12, 1833
Instances of female heroism have been cited of late; but among them all we know of none more daring and praiseworthy than the following, which happened to come under our own observation. A young lady, teacher of a school in this town, on opening her school room a few days since, found to her great surprise an uncommonly large rattlesnake in the entry. His snakish majesty with head erect seemed disposed to dispute the passage of the lady to the schoolroom, while she with the “true blue” courage of our genuine Yankee girls, was determined “to do or die.” Accordingly having properly armed herself she began the contest. The dead body of her adversary soon testified to her superior powers. The snake was found to be five feet nine inches in length, having at the end of the tail eleven rattles.
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Thursday, April 17, 1845
The New Orleans Bee of March 10, says-“We learn by a gentleman who came passenger last evening on the steamer Princess, that the large male elephant of Messrs Hopkins & Co’s Menagerie, on Saturday morning killed the person who had been for some length of time employed to take charge of it. It appears that two elephants and a camel had been sent in advance of the other animals, en route for Clinton, the female elephant and the camel chained together. When about four miles from Baton Rouge, the male elephant refused to cross a small bridge-the keeper on foot procured a horse, for the purpose of driving it over, and in attempting to mount, the horse shied and threw the man in the road. The elephant immediately rushed upon him, caught him in its tusks, and threw him 40 or 50 feet in the air, which was repeated a number of times, the tusks frequently passing through his body. It then carried the body from the road towards the woods, tossing it in the air at intervals, until it fell between two fallen trees, which saved it from further violence. The infuriated animal then returned to the road, where the female elephant and camel had been chained to a tree by another keeper, and rushed upon them, his tusks passing through the camel, knocking down the female, and breaking the chain in two. The enraged animal then made off towards the woods, carrying the camel by its trunk, and throwing it at intervals in the air with its tusks. The other portion of the caravan now coming to the bridge, the elephant turned and made demonstrations of an attack upon it, when firearms were brought for requisition. A number of shots were fired on it, but without any effect.-Word was then sent to the U. S. garrison, and some thirty or forty of the soldiers were sent to dispatch it with their muskets. The neighbors also turned out with their rifles and shot guns, and some fifty or sixty shots were fired into or rather upon him, for the balls were frequently flattened up upon striking, and fell to the ground.
At length it was determined upon to send to the garrison, for a field piece to dispatch him, when one of the keepers procuring a spear, mounted a horse, and succeeded in wounding the elephant until he caused it to scream with pain and finally yield to subjection, when it was driven off with the balance. This is the same animal which killed one of its keepers some two or three years ago, at Algiers, opposite this city, and was only strayed from further mischief after fourteen shots had been fired into it.”
Published in the Sangamon Journal, Springfield,Illinois on Thursday, July 17, 1845
A pleasant child just able to walk, wondered away from home and into a wolf den. The young wolves had just consumed a larger and commoner prey, and knew when they had enough: so they let the child be among them, and saved it for another day. The little creature stayed for the night, when the old one quit the nest again, and the young ones probably sleeping, it crawled gradually away, as unintentional of escape as it had been unconscious of danger, and at length reached the fence of a remote field, where it was picked up by a laborer, and brought to the house of the narrator. But the innocent child had suffered terribly, and bore upon its tender body such marks of the wolf’s den as would so long as it lived, sufficiently attest an otherwise almost incredible fact. The young wolves had forborne to devour their prey; but they had tasted it! The skin of the forehead was licked raw, all the fingers were more or less injured; but two of them were suckled and mumbled completely off.-Frazer’s Magazine.
Published in the Sangamo Journal, Springfield, Illinois on Thursday, June 26, 1845
The Westfield [Mass.] News Letter gives an account of a little girl, about 5 years old, an only child of John Bronson, of Russell, vomiting a living toad. It measured from the mouth to the end of the body two and one-half inches; the body and lower extremities five inches-and the circumference of the body three and one-half inches. It lived about twelve hours after its ejection from the stomach of the little child. The girl for sometime past had been unwell, but is better now.