davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25
A Talk With a skeleton.
/ New York Conmer-ial I


The champion" Living skeleton inst
now is a man of forty years, named
Isaac w. Sprague, who WAS born i'm Mas
saehusetts, and nee the age of twelve
has possessed remarkable Inside "
He weighs forty.fve pounds in his tights
and spangled jacket, and thinks he will
never kick the beam with a moro gener-
Gus allowance Of avoirdupois. He oats
three good meals day, but gets no
moro nourishment out Of them than
Colonel Sellers gets out of tYrnips and
perhaps not quite so much
What becomes of all the nitrogen. car
bon, and other things that a fousing and
continuous appetite tempts HIM 10 stow
away within himself, Sprsgue doesn't
pretend 20 know. He thinks it queer
IL IS queer. The doctors are as much
puzzled over il as he ia. They all give
IL up Given the fact that a man with
rest for succulent food as great as that
Of Dugald Dalgetty cannot persuade the
forces within him 10 chymily a particle
Of 1t, and given also the fact that he is
hale and hearty but can make no mus
Gle, and is at best but bag of bones
how are these phenomena 10 be ex
planned Ii is as odd and inexplcable
Commercial whose carotid artery spouted
blood after he had been buried in the
ground four days.
a talk with Sprague brought out some
curious points.
Feel my clavicle," he said
1t was felt.
" Do YOU feel it move in and out2'
Yes; does the movement give you
painG"
" None whatever. suppose it is be-
cause there are no muscles left there.
The bone plays in and out of the socket
without distressing me at all. Now feel
my bicepsp
There wasn't any biceps-only the in
tangible shadow OF one Accordingly.
IT was useless To seek for one. Mani
testify, Sprague was not Goliah. He
was hardly up 10 David's mark. He
couldn't have slung n stone worth a
cent.
" Now look at my hand. You see
have some power in it--not much; but
| can feed myself, and can write very
we'll"
The hand was supple enough TO clutch
a fee, and to pouch il promptly. Evil
IDENTIFY, that hand had not lost its cum
ming.
Mr.. Sprague, what sort of people
are your relativesp
All fully developed. MY brothers
are very large men; my parents above
the common size. Can you imagine why
| am left in this state or why my chill
dren are large peope2 You see their
photographs on the table there before
you. | look rather slim alongside of
them, don't /? and am free to SAY
don't understand the freaks OF Ma
turc."
And 70 this hale, hearty bag of bones
talked on, apparently unconscious that
he was even greater curiosity than the
dead-and-gone Calvin Euson, whose at
tcnuated body was dissected not long
ago IN one OF our hospitals by inquisi-
tive doctors, who were not able 10 ex.
plain why be was and always continued
10 be Living Skeleton.
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25
WOOD PRESTON COUNTY, VIVA. SATURDAY. JANUARY 25 1879

Kept ber awake while he was wandering
aoout, fell asleep, cuddling her kitten.
with her weary little head between
faithful CONswain's head and forepaws
CoNswaiu must have felt cramped. but
he never stirred except To lick his
little protcCe's face, until sunshine fall
lug ON Il awoke her-the first sunshine
that had fallen in the lighthouse for
three weeks. Jessie had rot used 10
waking with all her clothes on, but she
could not understand the sunshine. She
crawled % one of the deep, thick-s
windows, and saw it spanglug the still
turbulent, but nevertheless, subsidinu
sea. The wind had gone down, the skv
was clearing she could see the white
walls OF the lighthouses little shore
colony again. Then she felt hungry
and, hunting about found some bis
cult, which CoXswAin gravely shared
with her, but the kitten mewed for
milk.
She fancied she heard Steve stageer.
ing up toward her, and crept beneath
the table, behind Coxswain. When
Steve did not make his appearance. She
ventured to look out OF the window
again. 4 little fore and aft schooner.
rigged craft was flying over the waters
as straight for the Lighthouse as it's pilot
dared TO steer.
Nearer and nearer il drew, and then.
with fierce flap of canvas put about,
while strongly-manned boat came
bounding like a cork over the billows.
toward the lighthouse rock
Steve had seen il Ps well as Jessie. 4
recollection of discipline fitted through
his distraught mind Slipping on his
uniform jacket, he hurried down to the
edge of the rock 20 help the crew TO
make fast and land Those who meant
to land, having landed, poor Steve.
grew violent. They had to tie his arms
behind him, fetter him also with the
line flung up from the boat, and 80 fast
en6d they lowered him AT last into il.
Poor Alexis corpse palled with "A
blanket, was carried down 10 the boat.
Next, cuddling her kitten, in big boat
mans arm, came little Jessie. scarcely
knowing whether 20 laugh or scream.
COxswain gravely took his usual seat in
the stern sheets, but once safe on shore,
could never again be persuaded To cross
the sea.
Poor Steve recovered, and being a
bachelor, made daughter Of little
Jessie whose life, thank Heaven, was
not in the least darkened by an expert
ence which would have driven many an
adult mad, without aid from physical
fever.
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25
The Afghanlstans.


NANonal hcrCsitorN for JRnuarV.'
In their government and customs thev
resemble other Mohammcdan nations.
but though proud Of their devotion to
Islam, they do not hesitate to break all
ITS laws when their inclinations prompt
them, notably in their large consump.
ton of int Nicating liquors In char.
acter, the Afghan is bigoted and
revengeiul. His trcachery is provcrhial
IN the East, and hardly less notorious
Is his readiness 60 Join iu plunder or
mdrder.
lhelr marriage customs are similar To
those OF most Mohammedan countries
wives are purchased and regarded as
property; man marries the widow of
his deceased brother, and IL is n mortal
attront Tor any Othor man To take her 20
wife. Polygamy is permitted, but not
largely praoticed. the poor contenting
themselves with one wife, and the mid.
die class with two, and perhaps ms many
concubines. The wives Of the rich live
IN indolence, but those of the poor labor
both in the household and in the field
Education is conducted much AS in
the conterminous countries, the children
oil the poor are taught by n moollah
(schoolmastcr) TO read the Koran and
say their prayers; the rich employ pri.
vate tutors, while students Intended for
tue learned professions 20 To colleges.
Literature is at very low ebb. The
iooshtoo language is an original stock.
embracing good deal Of Persian, with
Lend and Sanskrit words, and the char
actsr used in writing il is the Niskoe
form of the Persian alphabet. Very few
works OF repute exist in the language.
The Afghans are all Mohammedans of
the Soonee persuasion, but they are very
tolerant of other faiths. Christians sus-
tain neither persecution nor reproach
they being called people of the 6ook, as
deriving their tenets from written
source, which the natives Themselves
respect. The Afghans are very social
in their habits, they delight in dinner
parties and are fond of listening to love
songs sung to an accompaniment of gui-
lars, tddles, and hautboys; and 10 the
marve ous fairy tales of the professional
story-tellers. They smoke a great deal
and take much snuff They are also
fond OF engaging in the chase, and all
kinds OF sports, and they habitually
tram cocks, quails, rams, dogs, and even
camels TO engage in mutual combat
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25
Common Mortality.
lCinoinnati Ga1eitel

over fifteen thousand persons died in
Philadelphia during the year 1873. Had
these been killed in single battle, or
idllen victims TO one or even score Of
disasters, the news would have shocked
the nation Yet they were none the les,
surely removed by death within a
twelve-month, and the contemplation of
the result should not be less impressive
than If they we're called away in
battaliOns, and not one by one. OF the
fifteen thousand and more, only six hun.
dred and ei'hty-six reached eighty
years-abOut one in twenty-five. OF the
ociOgenarians, the women largely out
numbered the men, standing four hun
dred and twenty-five a. two hundred
and sixty-one. The proportion of the
population reaching ninety was start.
lingly smaller The aggrcpat. was one
hundred and eleven, forty two men and
sixty-nine women and the larger part
dledsnot Tar from ninety five. Only ten.
nine women and one man. crnpleted a
century .as eldest being O woman.
whose age was stated 8t one hundred
anu seven We find these hures In the
fhiladelphIa Letgco, which reproduces
them from IT. obituary columns. There
may have been few deaths oil old per
sons that did not get into the paper.
tho ugh It's records are very complete.
an any deficiency in this respect may
be balanced by an eXaggeratfon Of the
age Of some Of the alleged centenarians.
taking the figures a. complete, or max
ing allowances, il we choose, We can not
avoid the conclusion that the chances
that any young or middle aged person
will reach over eighty are quite poor.
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25
81. Anthony and MInnehoho.

Biologists of high character, SAYS
General q. X. Warren, i'm the AD,eyicdn
journal 0f Science and Arfs, have esti-
mated the age Of the gorge Mt Niagara
Falls on the present rate of recession,
and, though the result is uncertain. IL
indicates the origin To be in recent geo
logical times, although antedating the
historical era. In similar way the
time required by the Mississippi TO cut
the gorge from Fort Smelling to the
Falls of st. Anthony, has been caIcu-
lated by Professor a. II. Winchell. on
data that makes IL vary from six thou
sand TO twelve thousand years, by as-
suming that the forces IN producing
TINS result have remained uniform dur
ing this period. Since the Falls OF ST.
Anthony were Mt the junction Of Min
nehaha creek, they have receded six and
a quarter miles. The Mnnehaha Falls.
since that time, have receded three
hiths OF mile. Bpth streams have cut
into the same formation, starting with
the same height Of fail These relative
rates have been as about one to ten.
The proportion Of the volumes of lhe
two streams, judging by their present
drainage areas, is about ~ seventy-twO
square miles IL TO twenty-One thousand
six hundred square miles, or about as
one To three hundred That il TO say,
the recession of the Minnehaha Fails
has been thirty times faster than il
would have been il proportioned TO the
volume. This may be accounted for by
the greater atmospheric influence of the
smaller falls, which, examination shows,
keeDg ahead of tho eN,ct nf tho water
forming a cave under the fail by the
dropping down Of material which the
water then washes away. At the greater
falls the volumes Of water almost con
stantly protects the rocks from the ac-
ton OF the atmosphere Hence we
must give a very considerable influence
10 the operations of the atmosphere in
aiding the erosions OF small streams,
and in demOlishing cliffs whore the
water can JemOve tho debris.
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25
A Feat or Memory.

One Of the most remarkable feat- of
memory came before the publ m a sin
gular manner in January, 1877. At
sydney, Australia, a prisoner ret up ~
ms defense on trial an alibi, claiming 10
have been at the time that the com
plainant was robbed 40 home In his own
hut listening 20 the recital Of Horace
WalpOle's novel " The Old Baron -
which n man named Lane had. with
other novels, committed ~ memory. the
matter Of time being disposed Of by the
declaration chat Lanes recitation took
two hours and half The Attorney.
General declared that this WAS incredi-
BILE, whereupOn Lane cleared hi- throat.
began, In the time Of King Henry
when the good Duke Humphrey re-
turned from the wars in the HOLY Land
where he had been soiourning for a
number Of years, there lived"-and had
recited several pages when the Attorney
General told him ~ stOp-he was quite
satisfied But the counsel for the de-
fense was not, and insisted that as the
veracity OF bis witness had been uues-
toned the witness should be allowed IN
set himself right also 90 prove the le-
cation as tO time by rcciting the whole
novel DO YOU expect me 90 take 10
All down ~ evidenceg stammered the
Chief-Justice, in great aismay: and
finally q compromise was arrived at.
and Lane gave a chapter from the mid.
die Of the story. and its conclusion.
Inc prisoner was acquitted
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25
The Merchant Marine of the World.

The New York Bulletin saws that
taken as a whole, the position OF the
combined merchant marine OF the world
at the close of 1878, compared with the
year previous, is the reverse of satisfac
tory, though in view of the Encouraging
condition OF commerce and trade every
where there IS nothing in this TO occasion
surprise. This TX particularly the case
with sailing vessels, the total tonnage Of
mat class having declined 58l OBS tons,
while on the oCher hand steamers show
gain in tonnage sf 87,476. The total
number of sailing vessels ahoat in 1878
was 40 525; in 1s77, 5l9l2 Their
tonnage was l4,2lS,072 and 1879. I3O,
respectively ~ above. Vessels under
the British flag are far in the majority.
numbering 1894 of 6,596 OlS tons
in 1873, against 17,765 vessels in 1877
OF 1926 $50 tons. The United States
comes next, but with suggestive gap.
We are credited with 6 $50 vessels of
2075, 1872 tons capacity during the pres
ent ye r. a. ainst q, 307 in 1877 Of 2 l46.-
78l tons. Our Norwegian and Italian
friends follow The former show a gain
of twenty-five vessels over last year, the
present t'tal being 4,l57. The Italians.
French, Swedish, Greek, Spanish, Aus-
TRAN, Danish. Portuguese and others are
all on the decline the loss OF their trade
being owing chiefly 70 British steamers.
That sailing vessels will be i'm demand
in certain lines of commerce 40 long as
the present conditions prevail in regard
In steamers will have 10 be conceded
For long voyages and cheap freights.
whose quick delivery is not Of special
impor ance, their services will be in
dispensable for while yet; but their
usefulness we may expect to see dimin-
ish year by year i'm face Of increasing
cOmpe titlon for freiphts far and pear
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25
The Pets that Play and After sIay.

That was n heartrending occurrence
the other day at Parkville, l.. f., in
which bright little boy was crushed to
death in two minutes time by pet
bear supposed TO be tame and harm
less" The child was q faVorite i'm the
neighbOrhood and in his own family,
and his mothers frenzy, as she insisted
on pouring brandy into his mouth TO re-
store him, when al around her knew
that be was qu 10 dead. was terrible ~
behold. He had not been teasing or
YeXinQ the bear. He and companion
were running around the animals when
Ben caught him and drew him into
his deadly hug. The bears had never
exhibited any bad temper They had
Do always been dOcile and well behaved. f"
apparently as gentle az n sucking dove
They had been mixing freely with hun
dreds Of persons NJ the hotel, for two
wears, coming into the bar and drinking
lager beer with people, pulling out the
cOrks of the bottles themselves, and get
ting full and jolly Their owner fre-
quently took them out 10 drive in p
wagon, and they capered around among
grown people and children with as much
freedom az " they had been pair Of
dear gazelles wish gladdening blue eyes.
Danger would ~ soon have been looked
for from village night-watchman a.
from one Of them
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25
TaE WIND Am rHE Moo,
'sY oEoRoE NAoDoNArp.

S''d ~ 'Find to the Noon, win blor you ou,.
Nou stare
In the air
Like ghost ia a chair:
Always looking What sin about
hate 70 DO watched viii blow you out"
The Who'd blew hard. and on, vent the Moo,
So. deep
On a heap
pown lay the Wind, aus sIuuberrd soon
hutterins low, I've done for that Moon
He turned In his bed; she va, there sy,tn,
On htSh
In the sky,
with b>,r ono rho,t c,,.
The Moon shoue VIM. and slivs sr.t Mis-,
said the Wind, IL will blow ou out again"
Tss Wind blew hard. ana tho Noon grew din.
With my si.dse
Ard NV Wedge
have knocked OF her edge
~ only blow right 6er,e ard g-im
'he oit'tV'e e viii soon be DINNER Than dim"
He bSw and he blew, and she thinned 10 thread
zone puff
MOTe's enough
10 blow her 10 snuTT
One good puh more where the Ia { was breA
ana gim iner, gmmer glum viii 10 tue thread 30
So e.'ew great blast, suI tho thread vss gone;
In the air
Nov here
Was moonheam bare:
AT on aud harmless the shy STARS shone
sure end certain tho Moon was gonel
The Wind he took 10 his revels once more
On down,
In town,
Like merry mad clown
10 ieaped and hailOed with whistle and roar
' What's thatT The gilmmering thread once
morei
he few In a rage-hc danced ana blew;
But In vain
Was the pain
OF his bursiiug brulu:
Tor still the broader the noon-sc r u vreU
The broader he sgelled his big checks aud blew
Slowly she grew ill che oiled the night.
And shOue
On her throne
IL the skv alone.
a matc0less wonderful, Il very light
hadiant and lovely, tue queen Of the night
sud the Who'd " What a marvel Of mower ,o, L.
with my breath.
Good faith
blew her 20 death
ttrst blew her away -ight out OF the skv-
Lhen hleN her in: What strength am It''
Bot the Noon she knew nothing about the affair:
For high
10 she sky,
Wtth her one white eve
Mouosless, miles above the air
one hsd never beard the great Wind blnre
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25
The French Sham DueI.

SwOrdsman," writing 10 the Lon
don Iimcs concerning French duel
calls them the veriest shams i'm the
world, J." and in justification Of this char
acterizatiOn, explains how the belliger-
ent and irate Gaul makes his combats
harmless. Swordsman' says that in
three lessons, OF an hour each. the
French fencing master can teach his
pupil to encounter the most expert
swordsman with very little risk. The
teacher DO appears, iucuicato8 the ne
cessity Of never allowing any part Of
the person 10 come within reach Of the
rapier point, except the arm. This f.
done by stepping back one pace az soon
as tine swords are delivered by the rec
onds, and keeping that distance through.
out. If a advances, r. steps back one
pace after having thrust NJ his adversa-
ry's arm If he misses he steps back
another pace 90 escape n return thrust
Then p tries his luck At the same game.
At the first scratch the seconds inter.
iere. This explains how annually over
one hundred duel- are fought with
swords without any proving fatal With
the pistol not half q dozen ducls have
been fought within the last twenty
years and then the seconds ADOPT other
means, which have the same effect
According 10 some Of the French hu-
morous publications, the recent duel
between Gambetta and FourtOn. in
which pistols we're used, was conducted
IN log, and the contestants were az far
apart that they could not see each other
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25
CI1II Marriages On Rnrlnnd

it is noted in the PaH Nall Gaaetts
AZ one Of the curious facts in marriage
statistics that there has been in Great
Britain Of late years gradual decrease
i'm the proportion Of marriages solemn
ized according to the rites OF the estab
lished churck, while no the same time
the proportion of civil marriages is
steadily increasing Word comes from
Rome that a bill will soon be brought
in 20 make the civil marriage Obligatory
before the religious ceremony is gone
through, instead OF leaving IT, ~ now.
to the option OF the persons con-
ccrned. The old superstition against
tuesdays and Friday az unlucky days
for marriages is reigiously adhered 10
in Rome. In the past three years there
were In ali the city only seventeen ON "a
Tuesday and nine on n Friday. The
iavorite month in the year for marrying
b. October and next to that the carnival
time. May is not considered q lucky
month
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25

sHE wept, the poor laundress, ON re-
turning five shirts, where her patron
had intrustcd her with six, and con
fessed that che had burned a big whole
in the sixth while ironing. &" Never
mind says, kindly her customer
" Christmas comes but once a year and
thatli be All right How much do I
owe your Six shirts at twelve and
n half cents each seventy-fve cents 4"
But / say, you burned one Of 'em up 4"
" Well suppose / did hadn't
washed 1T before ] burned it2 Go along
wid ye trying 20 chate poor dissalute
widow
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25

BE sure you are right before you 90
ahead. On Christmas day q Newport
woman, ma answer to 70 ring went To- the
door and found basket on the doorstep
with suspicious-lOOking object in IL.
kemarkug That She didn't keep a
founding hospital, she sent 10 direct 10
the police station. and next day the
grateful guardians returned her the
basket and q cordial vote of thanks, for
the excellent tweuty-pOund turkey she
20 generously sent them and vet she
was not happy
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25
NUMBER 20.
UEFORE TsGE RAIN.
ny n. II. sroppARp.

We knew IL would rain, for all the morn
ri ~ ON slender ropes OF mht
Was lowering its gOli,n buckets uown
Into tho NRpOry am,thyst
OF marshes and swamps and dismal fcnsI
SV0opiny the dew that y In th~ nOsCrs-
Dipping the joS els oui "i the "a
Iosp inklc them over the lpnl IN showers.
We lneW n would = tn, Tor tho poplars shoued
The wbitos 81 their l,av,s the umbar graln
ShIunk In the ind and up u. htn NJ npw
L. tangled In tu umuiOus tk,inS ui ram
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25

a GESTLEMAS Of Paducab, Ky.. who
last October borrowed an overcoat of a
minister, is asked in the columns of the
Paducah Nelcs TO return the borrowed
garment, as the preacher is "thiuly clad
aud bis other coatisfull Of holes d"
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25

IN Siberia you can buy beef for two
cents p pound goose for twelve cents,
a chicken for four cents, % horse for five
dollars aud three hundred and sixty-one
pounds Of corn for six cents, and you can
shoot hears ont of vour psrlor window
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25

Now" said citizen Of Rawlins.
Wyoming Territory, at q recent dance,
you see that heiier i'm q red dress
that's my wife, an ef you dance with
her more'n two times, pard, III shutc
the hull top nv yer head off Whatll
We drinkW
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25

MARY had q litue lamb It wac
roasted, and che wanted more
West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-01-25

Az exchange asks how 90 stor the
.ramps Saw their legs of