davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20

Tommy is twelve years old. His
sister Mary II sweet sixteen and a half.
The other morning Mary accosted her
mother with: M, see what lot OF
stuff l. found IL Tommys pockets.
And she deposited on the table the fol
lowing articles. 70 wit Eight marbles,
one top, a broken tladed knife. a leath
or strap, a buckle, bunch Of keys, n
fishing line, piece Of lead. a smooth
stone, four pieces Of slate pencil, worn
out POCKET book. al oyster shell, a
wounded jewsharp.a piece Of blue glass,
a rubber ball, lump Of chalk, two dried
fish worms, n sling shot, p.ece OF India
rubber, two corks. a fractured comb,
piece Of licorice root, a song book, two
medals and a juvenile land tortoise.
Tommy looked thouRhtfully NJ the con-
tents of his pockets were deposited be-
fore the eyes Of his mother, and sullenly
remarked that cit was none OF Sis's
business and he just wanted her TO let
his trousers alone.
Next day Tommy captured the out
side pocket OF his sisters dress. and,
carrying the contents to his mother,
sarcastically observed in the presence Of
Mary: MA, Just see what lot of trash
/ found IN Sis's pocket y and he pro-
duced from his hat the following knick
knacks, viz: Three hair pins, a soiled
glove, piece OF chewing gum, three
cards. broken locket, elastic garter,
piece Of ribbon, two slate pencils,
another piece OF chewing gum, photo
graph, a piece of orange skin, love
letter. broken tooth brush, more chew
ing gum, spool Of silk, a thimble, a
piece Of cotton saturated with white
powder, one nickel. two sour balls,
gaiter heel, ivory ornament belonging
to a parasol handle, handkerchief per
fumed with jockey club, gaiter buttoner,
withered geranium leaves, ivory-hanSle
penknife with broken blade, fan, five
visiting cards, belt buckle, box of rouge,
another piece OF chewing gum, fragment
uf looking glass, peach stone, a cigar
holder stolen from "Charley," a piece
OF damasse silk Of the pattern of her
friend Lucys new dress, an artificial
flower, horsehair ring. a long brown
hair entangled in hunk OF tafy, and a
slip of paper containing directions for
handkerchief flirtations.
Tommy placed the last article on the
table and slid from the room with grin
of triumph on his roguish face. His
sister made an Intellectual grab for him,
and as he passed into the street he heard
her voice calling: You nasty little
brat, IL You get at my pocket again I'll
slap your face" Tommy thinks honors
are easy. Norristo,Cn Herald.
The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20
A Very Deliberate Man.

Mr.. Watkins, of Main street, is prob
ably one ~ the most deliberate men
that ever went to sleep in church. He
has Il way about him uf saying aud doing
things that payes the way 10 u concep-
tiOn of eternity, and makes the like the
oi funeral procession seem progress
flight ot lightning express. He Is
always yawuing and rubbing his eyes AS
though he had but just crawled out OF
bed aud hadn't got fairly awake, and
Mrs. Twigley. the next door neighbor,
has been frequently heard 10 remark
that II Il wasn't for Mrs. Watkins, who
gives his clothes thorough brushing
now aud then. the moss would have
taken deep root on hum long ago. Even
IA hoy ON an errand has been known to
oyertake him. This can be authenti-
Gated.
Early last Tuesday morning Mr..
Watkins was seen coming down street
his usual deliberate and unprecipi-
tate manner. pausiug occasionally to
run his eyes, pick up pin, or hearken
30 the gay twitter of the birds.
As he came opposite the residence of
DR. Bleeium he noticed the doctors
wife sitting at the open window, and,
steaiying himself against the fence, he
observed with yAwn that very nearly
threw him over backward, that il wss
" a nice morning
" IL is indeed, replied Mrs. Bleedum.
"The air ~ so bnciug
Y-(awn le-es, IL is So but don't you
think il looks IA little like rain, mum T.
he asked.
"Oh, no don't think il does. The
sky is clear aud the wind is hardly from
the right direction.
Seems as though there might be a
damp mist about, though. / was walked
up this morning by my cOrns, and
they're generally tolenble safe reliance
IN damp weather. A little rain wouldn't
do no harm just now, dye think 2
"No, | don't know As IL would but
still we don't really need II, and | would
prefer 10 have it remain dry fewdays
Mrs Watkins is well, presume
Thank We, mum, she's tolerAble like.
Her shoulder bothers her some vet, and
she's not altogether free Of them pains
in her chist, but she's SO As to be around
as usual. | spose your folks is we'll 2
"Oh. yes, thank YOU, all quite well.
4 doctors folks ought 10 be, you know,
ha ha T.
&" Yes - yes, 10 be sure, 80 they
should, returned Mr., Watkins, opening
his knife 20 whittle a hlt OF stick he hAd
picked up. Speaking Of the doctor,
mum. IL he about this morning 2
&" He was out with patient till late,
and hasn't yet got up. responded the
lady. "You didn't want 10 sec him
professionally? None Of your folks sick,
/ hope ?"
"Y.e-es with two or three Of the
most Rggravating yawnsl, my little girl
has-has-gOt d,.
Some men would have been inpatient.
excited and nervous while making
known the nature OF their errand. but
Mr.. Watkins was no more disturbed in
bis composure than II he had been
merely asking market woman the price
OF butter. .- Cincinnati Breakfast Table.
The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20
The Markets.

MnK.-Milk is looking rather thin
this season. There seems to he a sus-
picion among buyers that the stock is
watered.
BUTTER. Butter is remarkably strong
this season.
ONIONS. Onions are as strong Ms
usual
CHEEsR. Cheese is remarkably lively
for so early in the year. Dealers feel
confident that there are millions in it,
YEAST. Yeast is, not considering the
General depression in business, on n
steady rise.
SrARoH.-Sales is this line are rather
stiff at present
INDIdo.-The outlook into the Indigo
market is decidedly blue.
FEATHERS The shipments in this
branch Of trade are as light as at the
same time last year.
Expressmen are doing n driving busi-
ness this month.
Manufacturers of pens, paper, etc,
report their trade TO be stationery.
Doors AND SHOES. retail boot
and shoe business has been so put under
foot by the buyers that all hope of a rise
is given up. Still we think that if n few
friends Of the trade would tell some OF
the dealers they we're liars, there would
be possibility of a slight rise in the
boot line.
Rubber is rather springy. There is
great hope of the business being so
stretched out as to make buyers have
every confidence in its elasticity.
GAs.-The recent reduction in the
price of gas has made a light business
heavy.
Wool is at fair demand. Should every
thing work right there is every prospect
of sellers making soft thing ofit.-Bos-
ton Home Journal. .......
The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20
Forethought OF Swallows.

Bird stories are in order. Asa farmer
was getting in his hay, he noticed an
unusual commotion among the swallows,
which had built long row of nests under
the caves Of his barn. They appeared
greatly excite, flying rapidly about,
and filling the air with their cries of dis
tress. AS the load passed into the barn,
he saw that young swallow, IN a nest
directly over the door, had caught its
neck in crack between two shingles,
and was unable TO hberate itself. He
stopped his team, and set the young
bird free. restoring it to the nest. Upon
his return 10 the barn with his next load
of hay, noticing that the swallows were
quiet, he examined the crack, and found
they had filed it completely with mud,
so that, no matter how enterprising or
how foolish the young swallow might
be, he could not again endanger hfs life,
or the peace of that community, by any
experiments on that crack. Instinct is
a wonderful sense.
The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20
A Mystery of the Mind.

The Louisville Medical NetCs says:
The following psychological incident,
which was told to me by a gentleman
Of undoubted veracity, may prove OF in-
terest 20 those Of your readers who are
studying the occult phases of nervous
phenomena. The narrator. a man Of
fine nervous organization, was taking
his afternoon siesta; his daughter,
Young lady Of seventeen, sitting by his
side, with her hand in his, and reading.
As. he passed from the wakeful state
into one Of semi-slumber, he saw, or
seemed 10 see. appear at the foot OF his
bed tall man, with a sorrowiul ex-
PRECISION upon his face, who, bending
down tenderly. lifted up coffin and
disappeared. He was 50 disturbed by
the strange and unaccountahle nature
of his vision that, after tossing rest
lessly for a few moments, he opened his
eyes and said, " Daughter. | believe l
cannot sleep to-day, and will get up.
Looking up from her book. in which
she was evidently deeply absorbed, she
said, " Papa, this is a strange book that
| am rending." "What is it?" said be.
"The Life Of Marie Antoinette. she
replied, and then read from the pages
before her recital of the exact incl
dent that had just constituted his dream.
The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20

Twenty workmen were engaged IN
storing grain on the third floor OF the
Sixth Avenue car stables, at Forty-third
street and Sixth avenue, New York. In
a space twenty-three feet by eighty-flve
feet. near the Sixth avenue end OF the
building, had been stored 10, 600 bushels
of oats, weighing nearly $40, 900 pounds,
and the work Of spreading the grain
evenly nearly two-thirds the way 10 the
ceiling was going on, when suddenly
crash warned the men that the building
was giving way. Before they could seek
safety in flight, the beams and girders
supporting the floor were snapped
asnnder by the rush Of grain toward the
centre where the timbers we're sAgglng,
and the whole mass was precipitated 10
the second floor. That also gave way
and the heavy weight crushed down
ward. crashing through the ground hoor
and into the cellar, whence q heap OF
broken timber and grain rose several
feet into the story above.
The crash and the thick cloud OF dust
that arose and found its way into the
street brought hundreds Of people TO the
spot in an instant. The employees OF the
railroad company went vigorously to
work to clear away the debris in order
TO get at their injured comrades. One
by one these struggled out, and were
found 10 be more frightened than
injured. Hugh Dillon and'John Bur
CESS only were slightly hurt, but Hugh
Murtha and John Carlin were misslng1
Murtha was found first, buried several
feet beneath the surface OF the grain,
still clutching the broom with which he
had been spreading the oats. He was
dead. Carlin was taken ont few min
utes later. He gasped once or twice
and expired. On neither wss found any
scratch or bruise, and it was clear that
they had been suffocated.
The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20
He Had En-.

His -whiskers hadn't been trim
med for years, and his pants had care
worn look at the knees, but he was n
wide awake old chap, and when he heard
two or three other passengers on the
car talking about the late frosts, aud as
serting that they had never seen any
thing like sucA weather for the middle
Of May, he began:
"Gentlemen, on the 10th day of May.
1927, snow fell TO the depth Of fourteen
inches in this locality"
They looked at him very much az If
they doubted il. when be rose up. pulled
n paper from his pocket and read:
"State OF Michigan, County Of Wayne
IS; Personally appeared before me
Peter Clark, who being duly sworn, de-
poses and says that on the 10th day of
May, 1927, snow fell in this locality to
the depth OF fourteen inches. John
Doe, Notary Public"
He folded and replaced the document,
and looking around him with pity and
contempt depicted on his face, he re-
marked:
"Td either let the weather alone, or
I'd swear 70 it,.
They let it alone.
The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20

Mons. LayeIle recently madean ascent
in Victor, N. Y, in hot air balloon, to
which is attached trapeze, and on this
bar the aeronaut hangs by his legs, one
arm, or neck, and performs some feats.
The air having been sufficiently heated
he stepped forward, and, grasping the
trapeze par in his hand, gave the signal
10 cut the balloon loose, but guy rope
held fast, and the balloon careened be-
fore the cord snapped, and then, as 1t
shot upward, il swung the aeropaut
towards the brick wall of the hotel. He
struck against the wall, but retained his
grip upon the bar, and was drawn up
the side OF the building, tearing off the
wooden cornice. Then he sailed out
into the clear air.
Slowly and painfully Layelle pulled
himself up until he was able to throw
one leg over the bar, and, with his
shoulder partly resting against one OF
the ropes, he waited for the balloon 10
spend its force and begin to, descend.
At one time Lavelle was seen to sway,
AZ though attacked by a sudden faint
ness. Men, women and children ran
through the fields, following the bal
loon, and at last the balloon descended
within the reach OF score OF outstretch-
ed hands and was secured, and the in
iured man was cared for The left thigh
was badly crushed, and a bone in the
left arm was broken. i -, .s
The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20
4 New Flying Machine.

The new flying machine which was
exhibited at Fairmount Park, Philadel-
phia, recently, looks like a velocipede
on runners with balloon canopy. The
operator sits in small seat and puts his
feet in the stirrups. In front of him is
a crank by which the main propeller at
the bottom OF the machine is controlled.
These paddles breast the air like wings.
Another one serves as a rudder, being
connected with the stirrups by metallic
bars. The balloon is twenty-five feet in
length and twelve feet in diameter.
The inventor says: "The principle on
which / established my ideF was that OF
the flying Of birds. l held that IL birds
could supply the impetus of flying. and
change their course, invention could do
the same for man. This cylinder have
arranged shall carry about IS per cent.
of the total weight The operator, in
moving the wings. is supposed to possess
the muscular weight of dozen eagles. Z"
The trial trips of the flying machine
were not remarkably successful. The
rubber and metal bird rose forty feet and
moved through the air, but the opera
tor did not seem 10 know how to man
age the crank and the stirrups.
The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20
ga Pupll Of LlsKt."

The greatest Of pianists. Li6zt, is very
amiAble and quite eccentric. The fol
lowing story sets forth the genial side OF
his nature. A young pianist was giving
concerts through the provinces Of Ger
many for her support. To enhance her
reputation she deceitfully advertised
herself as a pupil Of Liszt.
In a little town, where she had an
nounced q concert, she was confounded
the day before the concert was 30 take
place. by seeing in the list Of arrivals,
and al the very hotel where the concert
was 30 be given, IN. Liable LikEt.
Here was a dilemma. Her fraud would
be discovered. Tremblingly she sought
the presence Of the great maestro.
Coming into his room with doEncast
eyes, she knelt at the old mans feet,
and with many tes1 teld her story
how she had beea left an orphan and
poor. with only one gift of music with
which TO support herself; the difficulties
she had encountered. until the fraudul-
ent use of his great name had illed her
rooms and her purse.
well. well" said the great man,
gently raising her up, =" let US see, my
child. what we can do. Perhaps u Ia
not SO bad as you thought There is a
piano: let me hear one Of the pieces you
expect 70 play tomorrow evening.
Tremblngly she obeyed, the maestro
making comments and suggestions as
she played, and when she had finished,
he added, "Now, my child, l have given
you lesson; you are a pupil OF LAsEt
Before she could find woris TO express
her gratitude, Liszt asked, "Are your
programmes printed p
No, sir, was the answer, mot
yet.
Then say that you win be assisted
by your master, and that the last piece
ON the programme viii be played by the
Able Liszt"
That concert, il may be readily be-
lieved, was a great success.
The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20
FOSSILS.

Don't be fossils old logs lying by
the waysiie for moss and fungus 10
grow upon for worms u huncycomb
aud spiders 10 weave nets around. BE
man among men, with a purpose and
strength TO accomplish. Don't be afraid
OF resistance - the more the better.
Friction cleans the bark aud rubs down
the knots Don't bc afraid of failure.
Yuu will be certain 10 find IL II ever
lastingly seeking. II il must come. let
the day fnd you and not You the day.
No man can succeed in all his under
takings, aud il would not be well for
him to do so. Things easily acquired
go easily. II is by the struggle it costs
to obtain that We learn 10 rightly esu-
mate the value.
Don't be fossils. They are content 10
rot ont 20 let matters take their course,
and the sooner they are ont OF the way
the better. They simply occupy the
room need by better men by men who
are vigorous, thriving sprouts Of the
great human tree men who will take
and keep a place IN the world Z; who
make business and attend 10 il who
amount to something do some good 10
their race men OF bone. sinew and
nerve men of thought and action, with
the will 10 do and the heart to dare !;
men who would be missed and regretted: /:
not old, mouldy, worthless trunks by the
side OF the stream. tossed up high and
dry by one freshet to remain motionless
until the coming and swelling Of
another.
Don't be fossils. Better die in the
struggle than rust out uselessly. Want
Of success with effort is better than no
striving for the prize. There is more
II honor even in failure than to never
have endeavored. He who perishes
bravely in the combat receives the re-
ward of praise. though he fails to grasp
the crown. There is pleasure in effort,
in excitement, in the trying, though the
end is but a dream. Life is made mp Of
trial and no wise man shrinks from or
seeks to avoid it, Strike for the Truth
and the Right, and if the glory Of the
Victor is denied, you can at least gain
that of the Martyr.
Don't be human fossils - miserable
nothings BE up and doing. Glory
awaits the seeking and wealth the toiling
for, and neither will come without the
earnest seeking. Do something. If
the great slips through your grasp, hold
firmly on to the less BE anything, il
honest, rather than a human nonentity.
The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20

Ones physical frame-his body-his
hands-is only machine It the mind,
controlling and directing that machine
that gives IL power and efficiency. The
successful use of the body depends wholly
upon the mind-upon its ability TO dI-
rect well. II one ties his srm in n sling
il becomes weak and finally powerless.
Keep il in active exercise, and II acquires
vigor and strength, and is disciplined
10 use this strength as desired. just SO
ones mind 10y active exercise in think
ing, planning, studying, observing, ac-
quires vigor, strength, power of concen-
trntion and direction. Plainly then,
the man who exercises his mind in read
ing and thinking, gives il increased
power and efficiency, and greater ability
TO direct the efforts Of his physical frame
his work-to better results, than he
can who merely uses his muscles. II q
man reads n book or paper, even one he
knows 10 be erroneous, it helps him by
the effort TO combat the errors. OF all
men, the farmer, the cultivator, needs
to read more and think more - to
strengthen his reasoning powers, so that
they may help out and make more
effective, more profitable, his hard toll.
There can be no doubt that the farmer
who supplies himself with the reading
the most OF other mems thoughts and
experiences, wall in the end, If not ut
once, be the most successful.
The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20
Whisky Drinking in New York.

A New York correspondent says: The
proprietor of the Metropolitan Hotel
told me that his bar receipts were $40
a day. II we suppose the average re-
ceipis at the bars to be $40 a day, about
S22O, 900 would have been spent every
day for liquor in New York by tipplers
alone. This is equal to $40, 900, 600 a
year. II is computed that ], ,260, 600, 600
drinks are taken in New York, and a
tariff of two cents on spirits and half a
cent on ale will aggregate 80, 100, 600
city revenue. We spend for liquors in
the United States $735, 900, 900 a year,
or nearly four times the cost OF running
the general government and yet the
English exceed us in guzzling by $780,
600, 900.
The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20

Tact literally means touch; it is that
ouality by which one 'tfeels" his way.
II is something more than skill-some-
thing more than iudgment-lt is spon-
taneous common sense. Ii is that power
bv which one knows how 10 do the right
thing in absence of precedents and rules.
IL delights in emergencies and glorles
in exceptional cases. 1t arrives at a
conclusion too quickly for analysis Of
the steps that lead TO il, and you recog-
nize il only when il has accomplished
its object, as bullet which is seen only
when il hits the target, not in its passage
through the air. SYllogisms are useless
and ''similar" cases ignored. Tact Is to
talent what genius is to knowledge, the
one forges and shapes what the other
gathers. Tact creates, talent accumn-
lates. Tact invents, talent discovers.
Talent krows what 10 do, tact knows
how 10 do il. Talent is wealth, tact is
ready money. The one is momentary.
Intentional, the other is long and labori-
ous. Tact presupposes quick perception,
lively sympathy, versatility and ready
adaptability to circumstances. 1t can
be cultivated but is largely native
quality. When cultivated it is apt to
become cunning, craftiness, manipula-
tion. and degenerates into insincerity..
It will never do to lose the innocence OF
the dove in the wisdom of the serpent.
Tact is always truthful, Legitimate and
honest. 1t studies opportunities, and
has a keen sense OF the eternal fitness OF
things Tact adapts itself to the occa-
sion, to the persons with whom u deals.
The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-20
NUMBER 25.


Prof. Cook states in the Science
Monthly certain ideas about the motions
of molecules in the atmosphere, which
seem 40 strange AZ TO suggest the poetry
Of ecienoe rather than its prose. lie
saws. The molecules Of our atmosphere
move on an average nearly four (S.bl
times slower than those Of hydrogen
under tie same conditions; but then
they weigh on an average fourteen and
a half times more than hydrogen moleA
cules. and therefore strike with az great
energy.
"Do mot think that the effect Of these
blows is insignificant because the mole
cular proiectiles are so small they
make up by their number for what they
want IN size.
Consider, for example. cubic yard
Of air, which, II measured nj the freezing
point, weighs considerably over two
pounds.
THAT cubic yard of material contains
over two pounds Of molecules, which
are moving with an average velocity oi
one thousand six hundrsd and i've feet a
second, and this motion Ia equivalent IN
every respect 10 that Of a cannon-bsli OF
equal weight, rushing along is path at
the same tremendous rate.
"Of course this il true OF every cubic
ward of air at the same temperature;
and il the motion Of the molecules Of the
atmosphere around us could by any
means be turned into one and the same
direction, the result would be q hurri-
cane sweeping over the earth with this
velocity, il, AZ the rate Of one
thousand and ninety-four miles an hour,
whose destructive violence not even the
pyramids could withstand.
Living As we do in the midst OF
molecular tornado capable OF such
effects. our safety lies wholly in the cir
cumsiAnce that the storm beats equally
in all directions al the same time, and
the force il thus 40 exactly balanced
that We are wholly unconscious Of the
tumult.
mot even the aspen leaf is stirred,
nor the most delicate membrane broken,
but let us remove the air from one u
the surfaces of such membrane, and
then the power Of the molecular storm
becomes evident, as in the familiar eH
periments with an air pump"