davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-02-15
Cape Eternity.

Mr.. HowEILs, in his serial "A ohailcc
ACQUAINTANCE" gives the following HI
drSrrintiOn of Cape Eternity. We quO'c
from the atlantic for February: Inc
rain ceased as they drew nearer, ana inc
oray clouds that had hung so low upon
fhc hills sullenly lifted from them. ana iel
their growing height be seen. Inc cap
t,;n hade them look at the vast Roman
nrotile that showed itself upon the rock,
and then he pointed out the wonderiui
Gothic arch. the reputed doorway oi an
unexplOred cavern, under when an up
right shaft of stone had stood ior aye
statue-like. till not many winters ago liic
frost heaved it from its base, ana |! piuhS-
ed headlong down through the ice in.'
the unfath0med depths below. The uh-
rarv;n~ Gloom of the pines was lit now by
the pensive .glimmer of brch-trees, ana
this gray tone gave an indescribable sentl-
ment of pathos and of age to the scenery:
suddenly the boat rounded the corner Oh
tho three steps, each five hundred leeC
hioh. i'm which Cape Eternity climbs from
the river. and crept in under the naked
| side of the awful cliff. Ii is sheer rock:
snringino from the black water. and
stretching upward with a weary. effort
like aspect, in long impulses oil stone,
marked by deep seams from space 10 space
till fifteen hundred feet in AR, IT'S Vaso
brow beetles forward, and frowns
with scattering fringe OF pines:
There are stains of weather anu oi
OoZing springs upon the front OF the ciili' :
but it is height alone that seems TO seiZe
thr eve and one rememb.r RS afterwards
these details. which are indeed so few rs
not properly to enter into the effect. Inc
rock fuily jistifies its attrbutive helyh'
to the eve. which follows the upward rush
of the mighty activity, steep after Steep
, till il wins the clOud-capped summit ;
/, when the measureless mass seems u
swing and SWAY overhead, and the nerves
= tremble with the same terror that pesel'
him who looks downward from the verge
of a lofty precipice. 1t is wholly grim
e ard stern no touch OF beauty relieve
u the austere majesty of that presence. A
, the foot of Cape Eternity the water Is Q
a unknown depth, and it spreads, a slac
:, expanse. in the rounding hollow OF shore
), of unimaginable wilderness ana desoi'
~ ton, and issues again i'll its rivers cours
~ around the base of Cape Trinity. inns
:, vet lOftier than the sister cllil, Dut
~ slopes gently backward from the stfeah
=, and from foot to crest it is heavily clothe
II with forest of pines. The woods tn;
i hitherto have shagged the hills WIN
III stunted and meager growth, shown
;o long stretches SCARED by fire, now assun
af a stately size. and assemble themselvt
o compactly upon the side of the mountain
.,s "n setting their serried stems one rank aboN
M M another. till the summit is crowned VIII
!" w the mass of their dark green plume
~, dense and soft and beautiful; so that u
om spirit perturbed by the spectacle OF u
~ other cliff is calmed and asSuaged Dy u
II serene randeur OF this.
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-02-15
The New Coinage Bill.

America-and when we say America
we of course include the "rest of man.
kind, in the term-is Indebted TO Senator
Eugene Casserly for a very kindly and
graceful care for what some cOid-blOOded
people called sentimertality, but which we
all know is something better. The coin
aoe bill, which has just passed the Senate,
proposed to strike off the eagle from silver
coins of a dollar and less. and substitute
figures showing the weight OF the coin IN
grams. The mint officers claim that such
a change would facilitate the inter-fiow OF
coin among nations, especially as the new
silver dollar is to coincide with the five
franc niece in value. Mr.. Casserly OBJ
iected that no other nation found it neces-
sary to adopt such a course, and pleaded
for the retention of the eagle on the small
coin that will sometime, perhaps, again
circulate among the people. and carried
the Senate by two votes. We confesswe
| sympathiZe with the Senatorial bird-fan-
cier. The American eagle is as noble
bit of poultry ms is known to heraldry.
He has done well by us. He has made us
a nation of orators and brigader generals,
and it is too late to go back on him. Be
sides, he rides the coinage well, thanks to
the man who first designed him. lie
makes a 'sright hansum' figure on ceir
, (Or did the last time we saw One) ano
doesn't appear stretched out on it, like
woodchuck-skin on a barndoor, after th'
: manner of the imperial bird of Ger
many. just think of pulling him of hi
y honorable roost and sticking up a stupi
2 digit and tractiGa instead. How could W
. ever fight icl such . standard as tn
ou- \els} No, let the eagle scream
slip her wedding ring o
ID go to Indiana for d
" SlMass.) Republican.
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-02-15
4 Surprise Prevented.

Something less than forty years ago, an
elderly gentleman, high-sheriff Of cOun-
ty in Massachusetts,, a bachelor exceed
inglv careful of his personal appearance,
and who was really one of the handsOm-
est men of his day, was remarkable for
being possessed of pair OfeyebrOws that
were often called, and with. good reason,
s'superb." They were very long, care
fully brushed. glossy, of gray color, soft
as silk, ana, arching over fine rubicund
cheeks anqikeen, searching eyes, were
really noticeable features of rather extra
ordinary facial beauty. Nobody doubted
that they were natural. Everybody adj
mired them. Strangers coming to church.
or attending court, always spoke OF them.
And Sheriff Black, good man withal in
himself, was, better loved by widows and
spinster- x.5f at least was more talked
about bye hdies of matrimonial conditions
for his b. ',dsome eyebrows than fer all
his deeds of charity. But he never mar
ried. and. as was afterwards proven, there,
by saved some one of Ewes daughters
from a grievOus surprise. The sheriff
eyebrows were molecular, taken off anC
carefully laid upon his dressing-table thu
last time he went to bed, and was discOv
cred there by the coroner who was called
in to hold an inquest upon the body
which was found dead in bed the next day
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-02-15
Progress in Japan.

In his determination to reform his DO
m;nion If is clear that the MikadO of Japan |
is very much in earnest, anu the latest
budget of news from the East notes the
prOmulgatiOn of number OF laws almost
revolutionary in the radical changes that
they will effect. The oldest OF these is
that which does away with head-shaving,
STIMULATING, however, that the tOp-knOt
must still be retained. How the Orientals
will take to this is doubtful, and possibly
for the sake of the safety of his own head
it is well that the MikadO's regulation
concerning the heads of his subjects is
made matter of option rather than of
obligation. Turning from the somewhat
unseemly levity of which this regulation
is productive, we find in the reforms in
stituted in the police and judicial system
of the Empire an example that might pos
sibly be followed with advantage in cities
and States over which the MikadO has no
authority. and the fact that he is ''pNsh-
ing these reforms forward rapidly is not
little to his credit. A reform which
NAV be misunderstood is the law forbid
| ding actors and wrestlers to exercise their
profession after January l, 1876; but any
person who understands the Kind OF Ora
matte performances that take place IN ia
nan, and who knows how brutal and bru-
there occur, will not blame the Mikado
for narrowmindedness in his abOlishment
of bOth-will only wonder that he mas
granted the three years Of grace.
The story about the MikadO and the ex'
plosive candles should be taken with sev.
eral grains of salt. That native should
, desire the death of this-frOm native
standpoint-far too enlightened and pro
gressive ruler is by no means unnatural
: but that foreigner should attempt nj
assassination is extremely improbable
\ as his death would be almost certain II
n send Japan back to the state of seml-bar
5 barism from which, through his efforts;
n it has been to a large extent reclaimed
s and the good days for sharp foreigners |
d japan would at once be ended. PrObabl
+ the most thoroughly Western of the innt
;, vations just introduced into this Easter
O Empire is the law providing for the crea
It ton of corporations. Undoubtedly in n
n other way can the country be so rapid
A. developed, but when Japan has been sat
:. died by two or three monopoly railroad
70 it is possible that the MikadO may con
in TO the conclusion that the interests of h
is dominion would have been better serve
n if it had been developed more slowly b'
ic more honestly under his own immedia
ne care.-Fo7ney's Press.
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-02-15
The MOdOc Defeat.

The Modoc war is again teaching us
that when the Indian expects to lie he
will die game. The telegraphic accounts
from the Pacific coast give us the outlines
of battle Tough, between the troops and
the Indians on the shore of Tule Lake, IN
Oregon, which ended certainly in the de-
feat of the civilized combatants. Captain
Jack, the Modoc Chief, appears to have
simply posted his two hundred men be-
hind rocks along line two miles in length
and awaited attack. The position must
have been singularly well chosen, tor. al
though the troops outnumbered the am
buscaded Indians two to one, they were
repulsed with severe loss. Whatever plan
the leaders of the troops had agreed on;
it seems to have been imperfectly carried
out, as we learn that in consequence oi
Captain Bernard, who commanded one
detachment, having prematurely given
battle, General Wheaton had no alter
native but to move to the aid of Captalr
Bernard without the fire Of the Lowitz
ers." The troops fought an inyisible 10!
from eight o,clock In the morning unit
darka Sser e.s-s3ec fire, u Sviden
that
or
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-02-15
MacarOni.M making.

You would never guess how macaronl .
is made if YOU had not seen it. \ IOu imag- /
inc. no doubt. that they make it like pipes, !
roll il on wires. or spin it out like glass. |
If you are in Naples, and you are quite
sure YOU don't care very. very much Tor
macaroni. you had better go and clear UP
the mystery. The moment you nave
passed the POnte della Maddalena you
see on either side Of you trestles IN 'front.'
of the shops. supporting canes when are
covered with GOuble fringe. long ana
yellowish. This is macarOni hanging III
the sun to dry. The flies know 1t very
well and dot it i'm thousands, and the llttle
bows know it very well and crawl under
the fringe. and Just clip the ends and pick
up stray morsels that may drop.
saw it hanging just so while the ashes
from Vesuvius were still blowing about
Portici. Nothing seems to harm it, nei-
ther BOYS, nor dust, nor flies; they add 10
the flavor. Now, how do you think 1t Is
made: Just peep beyond the trestles
there into the shop, WI ny, py JGte'
..What are those three fellows dong.
jumping up and down as if they were ON
a see-saw?' Kneading the macaron
paste. A friend OF mine says he has seen
them kneading it as they are doing now,
but without the beam. And that horrl-
BILE old Spaqnoletto in the bin:" He is
performing the first operation to the
paste-treading it. "And this troop or
/ manacs i'm front. rushing madly back
ward and forward at the end of this pole.
threatening to capSiZe us every minute
WHY. don't YOU see, they are turning the
screw of the press. and below there out
comes the macarOni; while the boy IN the
hole fans it directly as it is presented TO
the world. Then he nipS it OIL when IL
has dropped a certain length and hands II
to a lad who spreads it on the canes, and
tben-the sun, the dust, the flies, and the
bows. If you wish TO know any more
take away this impOrtunate foreman VINO
keeps jogging my elbow while draw
apd insisting on taking me to look at ev
cry detail, while only want to sketch tn
whole scene at distance. lie VIII snow
YOU the yellow corn. He will tell you
, comes from the country near Brindisi. III
will make the wrinkled SpagnotettO pu
water-hot water, mind-on the flour
and tread it under your nose. lie WI
, bring YOU the brass molds at the foot o
, the press. through which the paste
forced, and fit bits of macaroni into TN
I holes. He will not, perhaps, know ina
/ these molds are made in'England. Blythe
by. do YOU observe how the master, play
< ing cards yonder in corner. keeEs l0ot
e ing at us a little suspiciously? He ha
' thinks we are learning the secret OF mac;
r roni-making, to take it to America, al
e set up a. rival mandatory. Never feai
: in America we have not got the Neapoll
:, tan water, and that is no great los
{ Above Castellamare, they say the DE
n macaroni is made, but don't know
e what the excellence depo ends.
n "Macaroni is only flour and water
n That's all. 1t can't be the substance, the
h that delights the NeapOlitans; it must
4 the form. There must be something
d the long. snaky strings which tickles {
D NeapOlitan throat and palate.
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-02-15
Prussiar Occupation in Africa.

A German paper declares that Prussia
has made arrangements with Portugal fOr
the purchase of certain settlements on the
Eastern coast of Africa-indeed, close 10
Zanzibar. For a long time Portugal has
carried on a considerable trade with that
mart OF Africa. and, it is to be feared, has
nor made the sligh' est remOnstrance
apainst the traffic in slaves which, or he
is greatly libeled, is the principal source
of revenue to the Sultan of Zanzibar, 10
whom Sir Bartle Frere has gone to pay
visit of coercion, in the name OF queen
Victoria and in behalf of humanity. That
Prussia should desire to have several
points of occupation in Africa, toward
which the tide of colonization is rapidly
advancing, need not create surprise.
Prussia is not yet, but is in fair way 10
become maritime power, with shlps,
colonies. commerce. Already she posses
ses the river Elbe, which flows into the
German Ocean, and her annexation OF
Hanover. with its considerable lire OF sea-
coast, was a great advantage. She had
previously possessed large seaboard in
the Baltic. For some months in each year
the Baltic is not navigable from accumu-
lation of ice, and all times entrance
through the Sound (the narrow strait be-
tween Denmark and Sweden) is dilatOry
sometimes dangerous. But the proposed
ship canal through Holstein. from tn
North Sea to Kiel Bay, will give Prussi
greater command of the Baltic than is nov
Possessed by Russia. Already, if pub
5 iished and uncontradicted statements ar
e to be credited, Prussia has secured a poin
J of occupation on the northern shore
; Africa, which gives her favorable pt
i sition on the Mediterranean. The Pru
n so-African colony now being formed o
: the territory of Tunis, not far from CAY
n Blanco, is within short distance
e Sicily, and much nearer to Egypt tina
: Algeria. As a capaciOus harbor is part
h this newly-acquired territory, Prussia cs
It easily keep fleet in the Me;literranea
J. whenever policy dictates her so to do.
= Eorreu's Press.
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-02-15
The "Salted" Fields.

4 man named William ID. Brown, OF this !
city. was recently sent by a number OF cap |
italists on a trip to ArnOlds salted dla-
mond field in Colorado. He returned on
Sunday night, bringing with him several
hundred stones of different kinds, but
none of any value, showing that the salt
has been pretty well scraped up. Among
the stones found are small India ruDles.
lot of garnets and few small diamonds;
Some of the latter Mr.. Brown recognized
Immediately as South Africa and Rlo ia
neiro diamonds. He found, after pIac-
teal examination. that the stones corre'-
pond with such gems rs are s0ld Dy tne
u,,art in Rio JaneirO and at the cape oi
Good Hope at from Sl,OOo 10 Sl,Zoo
quart. ,u prou,n
met a party of eight men from Colorauo'
San Francisco, and the eastern states, VINO
were on the same errand as himself. They
had picked up quite quantity OF stones,
but like himself had only done SO after
much surface digging and washing. Iheree
is but little salt left in that lOcaiity, ano
persons about to go on the search woulo
do well to bear that in mind.
Mr.. Brown made some other interest,"
ing discoveries, which, in conversation
with a reporter, he related as follows:
I'm order to obtain a correct idea OF TN
geological formation of the surrOundin;
country | extended my examination
, south, west, and east, over large pOrtlo
of territory, which found to be a second
, arv sandstone formation, with very httl
, volcanic. 1t contains an abundance
, coal and iron, showing strong evidenc
of once being the bed of an immense cul
rent when involved in water. The dire'
tion of the current was from north
south, extending eight or nine hundre
miles i'm the above direction and about fOu
; hundred miles in breadth. | come to tn
n !. conclusion this was evidently the cause {
= depositing the immense parallel reefs {
:. sandstone formation and coal.
!. AT an elevation of 5000 feet above ii
!. sea discovered an immense bed of Oy
!. ter fossil. which was evidently at some r.
!, mote period a large oyster shOal. At
- rough guess there must be at least thOl
- sand tons of oyster fossil in that sectiO
}, of ten acres. / also found a large qual
- titv of petrified bOnes-bOth human an
!. = animal-wth petrified ancient vegetable
70 ls such as turnips, water crosses. sagebusl
:! prickly pears. tOad-stOOlS and lare
~ quantity of various kinds Of shells. Fro
III the formation of the country l do NJ
u, u, think that any gold or silver can exist
III that locality. East of the sO-called III
- mond fields are the great Sierra Mad
o mountains, which abound in slate, graz
y ~ ite, quartz and pOrphyry, carrying gol
., silver and precious stones"
y, " Mr.. Brown says that about two acr
~ y of the ground was salted. Outside OF Tn
=. not even a garnet Is to be 1Ound.-S'
II Francisco Chronicle.
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-02-15
The Central Asia Question.

England's treatment of the Russian en-
voy has at least an ugly look about it, and
we doubt not but that NJ. Schouval-
offs return to st. Petersburg without hav.
ing accomplished his mission has caused
not little shaking of heads and Struggling
of shoulders among the diplomatic wise
acres of the Continent. 1t is possible that
neither of the Powers means to resort to
arms, but the refusal of England to even
listen to Russia's proposition can hardly
he regarded as conveying precisely this
teaeeful intention and as it is well-es-
sshed fact that baffiled diplomat is not
s(ke friend OF the person or person;
4ahed him, it isfair 70 presume
<Aol1valoff willy
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-02-15
MephistOpheles.

The character of Mephistopheles is per-
hans the most wonderful creation in all
fiction. He is not man in the guise OF
demon, like Milton's magnificent Satan,
but a true devil. without any mitigating
feature, one computation, one feeling,
good or bad. From tie time that he ap-
pears in the presence of the Lord, in
scene which we must say is not so shock
ing to our feelings of reverence as 1t seems
TO have been in many cases, until the last
word of the drama. which he snatches at
tn DESTROY if possible the one hope of the
diving girl and her miserable destroyer,
tHc completeness of his heartless, soulless,
devilish nature is never disturbed by any
in4pportune breaking in of humanity.
The mOcking unbelief which chuckles In
the very presence of divinity over its own
rhanpeless, emOtiOnless estimate OF things
human, is more original conception than
that of the naughty, remOrseiui demons
who still remember their high estate, anu
in the very height of their PRIDE are con
scious of having fallen. Mephlst0Pheies
however, who still now and then likes "
see Der Alte, and finds it good OF SO grea
a Lord to be civil to the Devii, Is s9ci, a,
inconceivable mixture OF cold-Dloooeu IN
pudence and mockery as no human lillas ma
lnatlOn ever DclOIc uiO1hAoO ~ - :,
is an infinite subtle power IN the way u; y
which this being, in the very heignt vi II,
unmitigated, unimpressionable inIeliec.!
alism, Is yet bound by the most iantastl 81
: cantrips of diabterie which fasclnates III
: spectator. He who could leer when II
came out of the presence Of GOD, Is ye
held fast by the pentagram on the noor
: If he were some sorcerer's familiar: an
/, has TO be thrice hidden to enter, and TO
e through various other cOntemptlbe 10
t mNlas with a mixture OF absolute rlgm'
: role i'm his supernatural cleverness wmc
herrays a mockery still more profoun
than the mockery of the devil-the sat9
'. nine laugh within laugh of the man WI
n can create and despise the very demo
|. who leads him to perdition. we 40 N
7, know of ANYTHING that can be put besi'
this extraordinary creation OF genlu
% Shakespeare was at once too human 81
l too diyine-too profoundly moral IN !
[. nature-to have been capable OF 1t. l
s. never could have brought himself to sne
r, at the Sneerer, and to hold up to everla
er inc mOckery only, the worst and stran
ne est and most pitiful impersOnation OF e
Oe which ever occurred to genius. Otf
W noet, have elevated the Devil into spit
Y, did embodiment of despair-they M
WI hated him. cOntemned, even in tent
er turn of the great poets nature hs
nd pitied. the hopeless One; but only Zoe
". has made him at once powerful ana III
ne ulous, victorious and paltry-the =
tesaue slave of an angle, as Well as tne
no morseless master OF the perlshlhg soul
%. Biackscood Magazine.
Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-02-15

to blaze, and induce him to settle the
Central Asia question by gage OF battle at
once and forever, and at the same time
has as been put upon him in the person of
his envoy. Alexander of Russia is not
stupid man, and he is not likely to ruSh
into a war with England without duly
counting the cost; his recent aggresSlons
look AS if he had counted the cost ana was
prepared for fight. If this is the case,
he can easily enough twist an excuse for
breaking hs treaties from the treatment
accorded him by England.-Er.