davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28
Iuabella's would-be Assassin.

"Among the histories of unsuccessful
attempts at political assassination,
says the Paris Journal, els one dating
from the early part of the reign OF
Queen Isabella II. In those days lived
at Madrid a man of family named Angel
de la Vaga, but as he was dying with
hunger sullen anger filed his heart, and
at last he fixed his hate on the Queen
and resolved to kill her. One evening,
as she was passing the Puerta del Sol,
he fred at her and missed he was i'm.
mediately seized and taken to prison.
When his trial commenced he disdained
to defend himself, and was sentenced
to death. The fatal day arrived, and
he was about to be taken to the place OF
punishment, when the Queen ordered
him to be brought before her. Don
Angel she said, I pardon you, but
you must leave Spain at once and for
ever. My treasurer will furnish you
with the means The man retired,
filed with an emotion easy to compre
hend, and, during ten years, nothing
more was heard of him. At length the
day of exile came for Queen Isabella,
who took refuge in Paris. The first
visit she received was from Don Angel,
who, having become rich through spec
ulations at the Paris Bourse, came to
lay at the disposal of her majesty all he
possessed. The queen refused the offer
of the old regicide, and the latter, deep
ly hurt, left for America, where he still
resides
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28
The South Sea island.


rev more absorbing pages viii be
found in the annals of travel and dis
covery than those which relate to the
distant archipelagoes of the South
Pacific. Brilliant in coloring and re-
plete with DRAMATIC incident. they offer
exciting Visions OF wild adventure to
the ardent boy and fascinating studies
to the grown man. From the first
chapter to the last they are packed with
stories Of the exploits of brave explor-
ers, the conquests of heroes of youth
full idolatry, the patient labors of scien-
fists, Bnd the vicissitudes of an advanc-
ing civilization. The outrages of the
infamous "labor trade recently
brought to light gives them still
greater interest from a humanitarian
point of view, and it 7xopld not be easy
to write about them without being en-
tertaining. Comprised in several dis
tinct groups scattered across the wide
southern ocean, the islands are popu-
lated by diverse races, and in formation
and vegetation are also varied. In
some the women are perfect nymphs,
with soft brown compilations, wavy
black tresses, and as delicate forms as
sculptor ever initiated in marble. They
have musical voices, at1iable manners,
and sharp minds while the men are
muscular fellows, of friendly and ceur-
ageous dispositions. In others the men
and women alike are black, drawfed,
ignorant, and ferocious, with beastly
customs and manners. The land of one
is fruitful paradise, and of the other
lava bed. But whether intelligent or
savage, nearly all the islanders have
been blessed with a soil that yields
without tillage, and encourages gener-
osity, Incidence, and sweetness of
temper. Most have submitted to the
emollient influence of the missionary,
and of those who have not it is only fair
to say that they are less inherently
cruel than resentful of the wrongs they
have suffered for century at the hands
of white traders. Both sides are guilty
of atrocities but robbed, kidnapped, |
and enslaved, the savage has too often |
wreaked his vengeance upon the first |
European he has encountered, without |
discriminating between enemy and |
friend. We read of a village inhabited |
only by widows and orphans, the men
having been carried away by slavers,
and on the next page of a massacre of
whites. From this division of crime
obstacles are met with in inficting pun
and it is not an easy matter |
to decide whether the savages have not |
been melted to their acts in the spirit of |
It will be observed that
the consequential problem is not with
out resemblance to our own Indian |
question. n.-H0rper'S Magazine.
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28
Sweet Music.

Samuel Woodwork Cozzens, in
"Three Years in Arizona and Mexico,
speaks of the mission church of San
Xavier del Bac and says : "In the
evening l attended service, and was sur
prised and delighted by the music; it
was novel and charming. When the
priest reached a certain portion of the
service the air seemed suddenly filled
with the warbling of ten Thousand
birds, whose melodious notes rose and
fe and swelled and fingered through
the arched passages of the church !;
now dying away, as in the far distance,
and again approaching near and nearer,
until the very air seemed resonant with
the notes of the sweetest feathered
songsters. Again 1 heard it, but So ex-
quisitely soft and low that its cadences
more resembled the wailings Of an
Eolian harp than music created by
human agency. Once more it swelled
into grand and lofty p@sans of praise,
until it seemed that such exquisite
music must be created by celestial
choir. As soon as we could withdraw
from the service we assembled the gale
ry of the church, and here we found,
lying fat on their faces upon the floor,
a dozen or more youths, before each
one of whom stood a small cup OF water
in which was inserted one end Of split
reeds of different sizes, the other end
of the reed being held in their mouths,
and blowing through it they produced
the sweet sounds which so enchanted
us. 1t seemed impossible that such
delicious music could be produced by
such simple instruments"
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28
The Sea of Space.

The August number of the Popular
Science Monthly has an interesting and
valuable article on the " extent of the
universe" We summarize few of its
main paragraphs Since the beginning
of this century our idea of the universe
has undergone complete metamorpho-
sis, though but few persons appear to
recognize this fact. Less than a cen
tury ago, the savants who admitted the
earth's motion (some rejected it) pic
tured to themselves the system of the
universe as being bounded by the from
tier of Saturn's orbit, at distance from
the central sun equal to 100, 900 times
the diameter of the earth, of about
$50, 900, 900 miles. The stars were fixed,
but little greater than that of Saturn.
Beyond this limit vacant space was
supposed to surround the universe.
The discovery of Uranus, in 1875, did
away at once with this belt, consisting
of Saturn's orbit, and the frontier of
solar domination was pushed out to
distance of 1900, ZOO, 900 miles from
the center of the system, that is to say,
beyond the space which was vaguely
supposed to be occupied by the stars.
The discovery of Neptune, in 1916,
again removed these limits to distance
that would have appalled, our fathers
the orbit described by this planet be-
ing 1852, 900, 900 miles from the sun.
But the attractive force of the sun
extends farther still. Beyond the orbit
of Uranus, beyond the dark route slow
ly traversed by Neptune, the frigid
wastes of space are travelled over by the
comets in their erratic courses. Of
these, some, being controlled by the
sun, do not leap from system, but move
in closed curves, though at distances
far greater than those of Uranus and
Neptune. Thus Halley's comet recedes
to a distance of over 3, 200, 900, 900 miles
from the sun the comet of 1911, &c.
900, OOO,OOO miles; and that of 1850,
rs, 900, 100000 The period of the last
named comet is $500 years.
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28
Emerson on the Egyptians.

The philosopher of Concord, refer
ring to his visit to the East, speaks OF
Egypt:
in that silent and-Cheops, with its
vast antiquity, its mysterious wisdom
in art, in science, in those inventions
which constitute civilization. had
read what the Hebrew prophet said of
the Egyptians, that their strength was
TO sit still. They do not travel, they
have no ships, they do not sail. When
people do not come to us, we must go
to them. And I, therefore, went, when
I was turned somewhat abruptly out of
my house, some years ago, urged by my
friends to try a change of air and eli
mate and I did not rest till saw Alex
andria, and presently the city of Tyre ;
at Tyre the Pyramids, then Thebes,
Luxor, Dardanelles. Egypt is coun-
try that is easily seen. 1t is particular
ly nothing but strip of land, green
belt on either side of the river Nile, but
is more than five hundred miles. The
country has great attractions for the
farmer, as they have three or four crops
instead of one. And if one has no rain,
it needs none, for the gracious river
supplies its wants. The people are
perpetual study for the grace of their
forms and motions. No people walk so
well, none are so upright, SO well devel-
oped, so stroEg. 1t seems as if our ar
lists should go to them for models.
The country is as safe as any city or
town of ours, and the general tone Of
the people is excellent"
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28
Gossip About Autumn Style.

Mrs. Hooper writes from Paris, that,
early IN the season as it is, the fashions
Tor the autumn are already under dis
cusslon, and here are one or two authen-
tic items culled from the floating mass
of chit-chat and reports, and impaired
TO me by an unquestionable authority :
False cOlors," as they are called, that
IS, dead and mixed hues, will still,
regret to say, be worn to the exclusion
of the natural and brilliant hues of
blue, and crimson, and purple. The
fashionable tints, next season, are to be
marine blue, bronze green, mouse gray,
and new and reddish shade of plum
color. jet will still be extensively worn
In passementerie and embroidery, and
an effort is to be made to introduce en-
broldeTlos and trimmings of colored
steel beads, which are manufactured in
various tints of blue, and red, and
yellow. / should think that the effect
would he theatrical, but on materials
of the same hue as the heads themselves
the combination cannot fail to be rich
and effective. The polOnaise is to be
definitely abandoned as a part of in
door costume, or of a silk suit, and is
only to be worn in eavy materials,
such as velvet and cloth. In velvet the
pOloDaises are to be made very long and
looped slightly at one side, the looping
70 be caught up with buckle and bow
of ribbon. Bonnets are to be worn
RATHER larger, and trimmed with a pro-
fussion of flowers n wreath, placed in
side the brim instead of around the
crown, will be the most marked inno-
walton. The question of strings or no
Strings has been left in allowance, and
probably will be settled later in the
season by the fair wearers themselves.
Some effort has been made here to in
troduce boots of buff and gray linen to
he worn with dresses of the same shade.
but the effect is bad, and the articles
uubecoming.
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28
A New Eldorado, a New Florida.

Thus exclaims the Tribune's special
correspondent concerning the region of
the Black hills, in whose heart the Gus
ter expedition were encamped on August
3, near the south fork of the Cheyenne
ri7er. The expedition started, July Is,
from Ft3speot valley, Dakota, moved
up the Little Missouri, and thence; as
the valley was destitute of grass, to the
valley of La Bell Fourche, where grass;
water and wood were abundant. They
frislted stound among the outlying
ranges of hills for q few daJo, finding a
remarkably fine country there ascend
ed en- route a prominent peak in Wyom-
ing called Inyan Kara, 6, 600 feet high,
and at last, striking due east, passed
the Black hills into a valley "whose
equal" says Custer, 81 have never
seen." Their march; that first day, was
amid flowers of rare and varied color
and perfume, numbering 1a5 species,
many of them unclassifed. This was
named "Floral valley" and they fol-
lowed it to the top of the western ridge
of the Black hills. On the 36th ult.
the expedition camped near Harney's
peak, which Gen. Custer and the en-
CINE rs ascended and found to be the
highest peak in the range. This "sa-
cred country" of the Sioux is described
as one of the most beautiful and fertile
sections of the United States, so that
this correspondent is moved to say that
that he knows no spot where nature has
done so much to prepare homes for
husbandmen. But, more exciting and
than these promised agricul-
tural riches, gold is there. The surface
pans out wealthily in particles of gold
like a pin head, and veins Of - bearing
quartx" crop out of the hill-sides. Gen.
Custer has, then, attained the sum of
his expectations in this discovery; but |
has not found that fighting which the
borderers predicted, unless the term
may be applied to the act of one of the |
scouts, in shooting an Indian who had |
vainly tried to wrench his gun from |
him. The band to which this Indian |
belonged had been induced by the |
promise of presents to move their camp |
near the expeditions, but after they got |
their gifts they changed their minds and
vamoosed. Their chief, who is decor
ated with the name "One Stab" was
captured and, after brief sojourn, was
TO be released to go to his kindred and
impress them with the fact that the
N ubito Toov, kindly
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28
A Scalp Dance at Denver.

Recently Piah's band of Utes re-
| turned from scout on the Republican
river and they brought with them three
fresh Sioux scalps. Nothing afforded
these Indians SO much pleasure as the
exhibition of the trophies of war to their
pale-faced friends. Encamping on the
outskirts of Denver they got up a
scalp-dance" in good old Indian style,
and it was Witnessed and enjoyed by
thousands of sight-seekers. Few peo-
pie knew anything about the ceremonies
attendant upon the great fete champeter
of the copper-colored sons of the for
est, and brief outline may be both.
interesting and instructive. On the
open prairie, in the cool of the evening,
just as the sun b d sunk behind the
mountains, half hundred braves emerg
ed from their tents. All of them were
hideously smeared with war paint. With
stately and measured tread they march
ed around the slow-burning camp fires.
Hating in line, a gray-haired warrior
stepped forth and eulogized his braves
for the glory of their recent achieve
ments. Then the squaws of the scalp
ers, with the cory locks of the victim
floating from rude lances, moved to the
head of the line and I circle formed.
Other squaws then approached and
edged their way into the circle. A hid
eous shout or war-whoop broke the mo-
notony, and then a peculiar chant en-
sued. The whole circle moved around
and around, and to the dismal chant
discordant time was beaten upon dried
deerskins stretched across hoops. The
marching around the circle was done in
listl, ss, imping manner to the weird
music such as alone can emanate from
the savage breast. ALI seemed to be in
high gIee, buck and squaw alike, and at
freIuent intervals the CORY scalps which |
slGsmed in air were lowered and beaten |
IN the dust with terrible imprecations. |
Then, again, they went aloft, and the |
startling war-whoop rang loud and long. |
The dance and chant were continued un-
til nearly midnight, and, though appar
emily tiresome, were entered into with a |
zeal and fervor much after the fashion |
of an old-time Methodist amp-meeting, |
each buck and each squaw vying with
the other in screeching, yelling and |
chanting. All the spectators were made |
welcome by Piah, who, after remaining
on the outskirts of the city, for several
days, moved off with his victorious and
happy band to the middle park Cor.
NJ Y World.
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28
New Probabilities.

When you see man going home at 2
o'block in the morning and know his
wife is waiting for him it is likely to be
stormy.
When a man receives.a bill for goods
his wife has bought unknown to him
look out for thunder and lightning.
When man goes home and finds no
supper ready, the fire gone out, and his
wife visiting the saloons with the rest
of the boys" it is likely to be cloudy.
When a man promises to take his wife
to party and changes his mind after
she addressed, you may expect shower.
When a man saves his cigar money to
buy his wife a new bonnet, and the
children new shoes. it indicates a spell
of sunshine.
When a man dies and leaves a nice
young widow with plenty of money, and
you see her walking out with the execu-
tor on Sunday afternoon, a change is
imminent.
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28
A Singular Adventure.

The Evening Star prints communi-
cation making the announcement of the
of the supposed existence of a ace OF
AIbinos on the Rio Grande, near San
ia Fe. The paper vouches for the
standing and good character of the
writer. The communication states that
in the month of July, 1945, the writer
was travelling east from the Pacific, and
seeking a gap or pass though the noun
tains, which would lead to the Rio
Grande, south of Santa Fe, he found a
passage which led into their country.
It was canon of thirty miles in length.
From the outlet of the canon he travel
ed about mile, when he found three
women and two children, their skin as
women left the place in haste, and,
about sundown, three men came riding
rapidly down on the finest horses he
ever saw. They were well mounted
and we'll armed. They Immediately
dismounted and disarmed him.
They were white men, such as are
frequently seen in Santa Fe, and some
times in California. The next morning
early, he was ordered to mount his
mule one of the men rode ahead of
him, and the two others followed be-
hind. After riding about twenty miles
they dismounted, and ordered him to
do the same. They had short confab
together, and he was ordered to mount
his mule. They then gave him all his
arms and traps, with the understanding
that he was to make good time out of
the canon, and continue going in that
direction without looking back. From
that point he travelled thirty miles be-
fore he reached an Indian village. It
was that of a tribe of Cemanches.
When he told the chief, by signs, that
he came out of those mountains, he was
afraid of him. He said that they were
the abode of the evil spirit, and that no
Indian that went into those mountains
ever returned from them. He describes
the country as circular, surrounded by
steep and high mountains, covered with
snow, without break or pass.-Chj-
cdOO Times,
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28
Tie Paris Firemen.

The Paris corps of firemen has taken
long to reach its present perfection.
The first police regulation on the sub
iuct dates, according to the Debats,
from 1871; it required each household
er to put hogshead of water at his
door, under penalty of ten sous. An
other ordinance of 1924 required each
inhabitant to keep water after 9 o'clock
at night in certain places appointed, to
put lantern with a lighted candle in
water. In spite of these precautions,
however, it was found necessary, at the
palace, in 1913, to collect all water from
wells and the Seine into the middle of
the city, and to form huge lake round
the fire by damming it with heaps of
straw. In 1870 an ordinance of M. de la
Reynie, lieutenant of police, required
all master-masons, carpenters and til
ers of the capital to report their place
of abode to the commissiaries of
police of their quarters, under penalty
of a fine of 800 livres and the loss of
their freedom. All buckets and other
vessels for extinguishing fire to be left
with various local authorities. The
real organization of the fire brigade
began in 1922. The Duke of Orleans
had presented the town of Paris with
thirty pumps corps of sixty men
was raised at the expense of the state,
and placed under the command of the
Lieutenant General of the police. In
ITO the number of fremen was in
creased to 146, and in 1879 to 263,
strictly forbidden to reserve any gratu-
ity. The national covention established
the corps of Sapeurs- pompiers, leaving
it, however, subject to the munich
pality and in 1921 a royal ordinance
made it branch of the army, and
placed it under the ministry of war.
Lastly, the decree of 1850 gave it its
present organization. Its force now is
1 ,49s men, costing the municipality
l 800, 900 francs.
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28

nor storms of earth can wash out, nor
deaths cold finger can erase, nor the
slow moving ages of eternity obliterate.
How careful, then, should each mother
be of herself in her treatment of her
child. How playful, and how serious,
and how earnest to write the truths of
God on his nind--those truths which
shall be his guide aud teacher when her
1oics shall be silent in death, and her
lips no longer move in prayer in his be-
half, in commencing her dear child to
her covenant God,
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28
Brains.

A writer in Nature says: eff the
brains of different individuals are COM
pared to running srreams, in which the
waters exhibit different degrees of clear
ness, as brains give evidences of differ
ences in quality, their thoughts may be
compared to the reflection of surround
ing objects, on the surface of the streams,
different in intensity according to the
clearness of the water or the quality of
the brain cells. Upon this analogy it is
evident that the relative intensity of
different reflections is not dependent at
all on the stream itself, but on the illu-
minating rover of the objects reflected !;
in like manner we cannot conceive that
the amount of nerve tissue disintegrated
by the greatest minds at the time that
they are evolving their mightiest
thoughts is in excess of that which is
wasted during the same time by the
most commonplace member of every
community. Thought is as intimately
connected with the reception of external
impressions by the healthy human brain
as reflections from water are with the
illumination Of the surrounding objects;
they are involuntary when cause for
their development is present"
The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-08-28
Restoring Old Rnnks-

A Paris paper states that in the
French capital an industrial art is pros
ecuted, of the existence of which few
persons have any knowledge whatever.
The art consists in the restoration of
old books and manuscripts, and has
been raised by few experts to a mar
velous perfection. The skill of these
artists is, indeed, so great no book is
considered by them to be beyond their
transforming touch. They take out the
most inveterate stains and marks !:
they reinstate the surface where holes
have been gnawed by rats or eaten by
worms they place missing lines and
leaves in such way that no one can
discover the interpolation they re-
make margins, giving them exactly the
color of the originals-in fact, so well
is all this done that frequently the
most discriminating judge cannot tell
the restored copy from the perfect orig
inal work. Ornamental frontispieces,
editors marks, vignettes, coats of arms,
manuscript or printed pages, all are i'm
itated to a degree of accuracy that
tasks even the most practiced eye.
Such restoration, however, is, of course,
expensive. Thus at a sale of books
some time ago, tattered, filthy and re-
pulsive, but in no respect quite a unique
copy of the Breviary of Geneva brought
only 800, on account OF the damaged
condition it was in. The purchaser at
once took it to a book-restorer, who
stated his terms to be 800, and that
the process wonld require year.