davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-02
Celebrating His Own Death.Feast.

One Johann Kruger, a well-known
poacher and Woodstealer, of Neuendorf,
near Potsdam, met his death last week
under circumstances of a very unusual
and surprising character. 1t appears
that the royal keepers and gendarmerie
were on the lookout for him by reason
of some sylvan dereliction he had re-
Gently committed, and that he had there
fore taken to the woods in the so-called
Kiefernhaide. Being hard up for food
and liquor, he contrived to steal large
dog and o. quart bottle OF corn brandy,
which stores he conveyed to his hiding
place and there proceeded to make pre-
paration for an al l.fresco feast and carouse
which would have been more approprl-
ate to an Indian scout than to a Prus-
sian poacher. After he had built up and
lighted a huge wood fire, he slaughtered
the dog, skinned it, and roasted one OF
its legs, upon which he made = copious
meal, washing down the " friend OF
man" " with deep draughts of fiery spirit.
Having finished this strange repast-
the relics Of which, clean picked canine
leg-bones and an empty bottle, were
subsequently found near the ashes ofthe
extinguished tire-he must have stum-
bled, all but senseless from intoxica-
ton, over the pile of burning wood, and
fallen into the flames; for his charred
remains were discovered by the royal
foresters next morning, literally burnt
to cinders, with the sole exception of the
head, by which he was recognized. In
surfeiting himself with roast dog and
raw brandy Kruger had unconsciously
celebrated his own death-feast.-London
Teleqraph.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-02
Slang Phrases.

Most slang phrases Lave a history.
The expression He is in the dumps" is
very common, and is supposed to be de-
rived from "Dumpos, king of Egypt,
who built a pyramid and died Of melan-
choly;" so that the thieves and gypsies
are not all to blame for having given us
a few expressive words. We next come
upon word full of pathetic meaning for
many of us; it is the ghost that haunts
and pursues us more or less throughcdt
the year-it is the word dun" 1t is =
word of consequence, for it is at once IL
verb and noun, and is derived from the
Saxon word "dunan," to din or clamor
1t owes its immortality-so tradition
says-to having been the surname of one
Joe Dun, a famous bailiff of Lincoln, in
the reign of H,nry VII, who was so
active and dexterous in collecting bad
debts that when any one became SLOW
to pay" the neighbors used to say,
"Dun him"-that is, 'send Dun after
him." DRAW it mild" "owcs its origin
to violin playing. The word coach.
applied to tutor, is of university ori-
gin, and can boast of logical etymo!-
ogy. tits pun upon the term getting
on fast" To get On fast you must take
a coach; you cannot get on fast in learn
ing without a private tutor-ergo, a
private tutor is a coach. Another
familiar word in university slang IS ~
regular brick THAT is. jolly good TEL
low; and how the simile is logically, de-
Quoted is amusing enough. A brick is
dpep.red, so deep-read man is brick.
To read like brick is to read til! you
are deep--ead. A deep.read mar is; in
university phrase. "a good man." u
good man is "jolly fellow" with nom
reading men--ergo, a jolly fel'"v is
"brick."
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-02

would become a great people indeed
Moslems are forbidden to wear gold OF
silk, or pray in embroidered appare:,
and they always remove them before
going to their devotions. AS he hears
the call of the muezzin he falls to the
ground, touching it with seven parts OF
bis body-feet, hands, knees. and his
forehead-then rises and turns toward
Mecca, stretches his arms toward
heaven, his white flowing bournous
and long beard giving him patriarchal
air.
There is no freedom of thought
among Mohammedans, their constant
expression being: "Bi'ism Al)ah"-in
the name of God. No one can under,
stand a religion until he has belonged
to it, nor criticise it until he has
emancipated himself from it's chains. A
strange apparition this Arabic people,
the meteor of the desert, handing over
to US chemistry and algebra, alkaE: and
arithmetic, astronomy and the clock.
the keys of the material universe, and
herself following on the steps OF
Socrates and the Emperor of China.
Their giving US the simple Arabic
figures alone, in place of the clumsy
Roman numerals, entitle them to the
benedictions of therace. "They saved
others, themselves they could not save" "
Their alphabet consists of twenty. nine
letters, each having four different tolms,
making substantially ll6 different
sounds or combinations. There are
three vowels, but they are never used in
writing. They write from the right to
the left or from the top to the bottom,
and with either the LETT or the right
hand. The Arabs, in their pride, desig-
nate all who do not speak their Language
as adjel-a. culf-an OK not broken to
the yoke; and laugh at the idea OF
there being anything superior to it,
claiming that it is the speech of angels
and the vehicle of the Almighty.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-02

Another Mouth to Feed.

You wonder, Jack, that take no heed
Of these jests and banters gay,
Because there's another mouth to feed
In my humble home to-day;
But bless you, man, you would wonder less
If a married man were you,
With little ones round your knees to press
When the hard days work is through.
My wages are slender at best, own,
And the outlook's poor enough,
And the brood in my nest has swiftly grown
But Pm fashioned of cheerful stuff;
And with each new iace in the infants crib,
There has nothing but good luck come,
For the smiles that broider baby's bib
Are the gintings Of life's great sum.
And there's many shopmate yonder, Jack
Who has been with his jeering free,
Whose homes the darker, know, for lack
OF the blessings that come to me;
And many another single, too,
Who his earnings broadcast fiings,
Whom a family such as mine could WOO
To better and nobler things.
For good wite's more that maiustay, man,
She is capstan, bar and buoy,
And babes are the charts whereon We scan
The A C's of joy;
And he who child's heart reads Alright,
Be he whomsoever he may,
VIII steer by rock-built beaoon-Gght,
When the night.and.the storm hold sway
So let them banter and sneer, old fried,
1 am ready my cause to plead
With the Alternative Powers that send
Still another mouth to feed
Another lie to be shaped and trained
For duty to man on earth,
And take my chance, If tor aught arraigned
At the bar Of manhood's worth.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-02
Sun.Spots and What They Indicate.

The sun-spot cycle is in full action.
The huge blazing surface Of atasos!al the sun is
They throng the solar domain, some
times appearing singly, then in groups
and then in rows. A large spot sur
rounded by smaller ones seems to be the
favorite form of manifestation. Some
of them are large enough to be seen
with spy-glass, and some so
small as to require telescope of high
power to bring them into view. We
can form little idea of their immense
size. The whole territory of the United
States is smaller in dimensions than
many of the sun-spots now visible, and
some of them are larger than our whole
globe. No astronomer has ever dis
covered the mysterious law that controls
their appearance, or the part they
really play in the affairs of the solar
system. 1t is well established, how
ever, that they occur in maximum
force in about eleven years, that they
are connected with the meteorological
condition of the earth, that when they
begin to appear in great numbers. as at
present, seasons of excessive heat follow
in their train, and that they are usually
attended with grand displays of north
ern lights. Professor Piazzi Smyth an
nounces the temperance of the aurora
in Scottish skies after an absence of
several years. and predicts a season Of
excessive heat. The cyclones and tor.
nadoes in the West seem to give proof
of unusual elemental disturbance. Un-
der theae circumstances there ia moth
ing to do but to watch and wait. Ages
of observation may enable the astrono-
mer of the future to unravel the mys-
terry that surrounds the solar spot-cycle,
but there is little probability that the
problem will be solved for many gen.
erations to come. Intelligent observ:.
ers c;.n take notes as well as trained
astronomers. There are three pheno-
mena to be especially anticipated, the
occurrence of severe storms, the ap-
p1oach of great heat wave, and fam
ing of auroral banners in the northern
! akipa
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-02
Exposing a Fraud.

A man named Hansen, who has ac-
quired considerable notoriety at Vienna
and Pesth, recently undertook to mes
merize any one against his will. The
challenge was accepted by a young man
named Fisher, and the professor, despite
his artistic passes, failed to produce any
effect on him. Fisher began to banter
the professor, and told him that he was
only "vile imposter," for the use of
which expression he was summoned be-
fore the district magistrateand fined 100
fiorins. The professor, however, did
not look upon this as q sufficient repair
alton for his injured honor, and COM
menced fresh suit in order to prove
that he was really capable of doing
what he professed to do: He called as
witness a young man who had always
appeared an excellent medium upon the
platform, land who at the bidding Of the
professor was in the habit of falling into
a trance and of holding communication
with spirits from the other world; but
when lie came to be cross-examined by
the counsel tor the defense he confessed
that he had only been shamming tenn.
porary death, and, to the great amuse-
ment of the court, proceeded demon
strate how the trick was done. Professor
! Hansen lost his suit.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-02
Official Records. B

The following circular has been issued
by Secretary Sherman: To secure per
nancy of record, hereafter no kind OF
ink, or any substitute therefor, or any
kind of pencil, will be used by officers
or employees of this department, except
such rs are furnished or authorized
by the department. Blue ink must
n6ts be used in permanent re.
cords or letters intended for preserva-
tion. The article known under the
various names of I" hektograph, copy
gram," Electromagnetic "ccpying-pad, y
or other names, will in no case be used
for letters or other documents Of a per-
manent nature. Officers OF this depart,
ment will in no case accept for official
purposes, bonds, papers, or other docu-
ments on which money is to be paid, or
other important action to be taken, il
prepared with inks or pencils likely to
fade. All officers receiving their sup
plies of ink and mucilage from the trea-
sury department., must order their sup
ply during the warm weather, so as to
DIV oiaits freezing while in transit.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-02
Expensive Singing.

Patti has queer notions of pecuniary
honesty rs well rs OF matrimonial fidel-
ity, if what is told below of her trans
actions with Baron Hirsch. the new
financial swell of Paris, is true. After
she had sung for the Princess de Sagan
for her $4,000, of course Hirsch had to
engage her. Patti put up her price to
$4,000, on the ground that Sagan was
one person and Hirsch another. Hav-
ing no other claim to distinction than
his money, Hirsch said: "All right, "
and proceeded to buid new theater
for the occasion. One can fancy his
amazement and surprise on the morning
of his grand feast, when he was waited
on by Patti's manager, Mirelli, who
told him that he, Mirelli, had a contract
for the exclusive uso of PATHS voice,
and that he proposed to be paid for
these outside concerts. 1t was merely
a question of how much. and he let the
bourse baron off with $4,000, SO that the
appearance Of Patti ut the Hirsch re-
cepLion cost the host just $4,000.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-02
A Tribute to His Wife.

General Garfield, in a recent CONVEX
sation with George Alfred Townsend,
paid fine tribute to his wife, who in
early life was a pupil of his at school.
II taught her Latin" he said. "and she
was as good q pupil as 1 had. She is
now teaching the same Latin to my two
big boys, to get them ready Tor the
academy at Concord, Mass" While
speaking of the matrimonial infelicities
of public men he said: Il have been
wonderfully blessed in the discretion OF
nv wife. She is one of the coolest and
best balanced women ever saw. She
is unstampedeable. There has not been
one solitary instance of MY public career
when I have suffered in the smallest de-
gree for any remark she ever made.
With the competition that has been
against me many times, such discretion
has been real blessing"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-02
News and Notes for Women.

A Western woman says her baby will:
enjoy three hundred and sixty-fve hol-
ler days this year.
The Queen ofItaly is still excessively
nervous, and nearly taints when any
stranger approaches the king.
A Russian countess parades the streets
of Nice escorted by three large blood
hounds of quarrelsome disposition.
The great English beauty now is Lady
GLADYS Herbert, the Countess Of Ions
dale. Her loveliness is of the dark Jew.
ish type. She is called "The Gypsy" !"
Miss Alice Blaine, the eldest daughter
ofthe senator, is described as not pretty,
but tall in figure, and having face in
tense and fascinating. II is colorless
face, a long oval in shape, with mag
nificent black hair and eyes, and glow
ing, scarlet lips.
A sheet metal dummy figure has been
invented and patented by an enterprls-
ing Frenchman in New York, by the
use of which dressmakers can fit and
drape dresses for any lady who has
model of her form, without even once
trying them on the person of the wearer.
Ladies can also fit and make their own
dresses by having sheet metal dummy
modelled for their own use.
Mademoiselle Nevada, who is becom-
ing so famous abroad rs singer, is Miss
Wixom, the daughter of a California
hotel keeper. She early showed great
taste and capacity for music. While
yet mere child her parents moved to
Nevada, where her mother died. The
father sent her to Mills seminary,
Nevada City. Her age is twenty-three,
and she has been studying vocal music
for some time abroad.
According to an advertisement in the
London Daily Telegraph, ladies moving
in fashionable society may without i'll
terfering with their social position
realize from $500 to $500 year by
introducing the high class wines of an
established house. A commencing
salary of $3.50 per annuIn and a liberal
commission are promised.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-02

perhaps there has been . change of
base" suggested Henry Maclane.
You were going to look at it by gas,
light" said Mrs. Maclane. "How did
it impress you?"
every pleasantly" was the smiling
reply. =, r,, Mr., uoo,o.o
bending searching gaze on her brother.
in-law," tell us all about it. Of course
you went to look at more than the house
by gaslight. Do you know why this
house is withdrawn from the market?"
"The lady has concluded to occupy
it," replied Henry Maclane..
"Does not the house belong to Mr..
EllisP" was the next query.
NO" he replied. 1T belonged to
the Monroe estate, and fell to the sisters
share"
"Hal," said Mrs. Maclane, gravely,
"our neighbor yesterday suggested
Miss Anderson as desirable alliance
"Tell our neighbor I am like the
house-withdrawn from the market, !"
was the smiling answer:
Just tell me this, Hal" said Mrs.
Maclane, in a coaxing way; did the
fair-haired woman you met when ycu
went house-hunting ever wear the
faxen curl and the pale blue ribbon?
You see am putting two and two to-
gether."
"Your figures are units of the same
denomination, and you can add them,'"
was the frank answer. 1.-The stray lock
belongs to that fair head"
"And it all came about from my
sending you to look after a house"
mused Mrs. Maclane.
Eyes. The results we unconsciously
attain often exceed in greatness the
intent we consciously pursue" was the
philosophic reply. Seeking for q
house for you, in no enviable frame of
mind, l have found a wife for myself,
and my frame of mind is"-he paused
and turned to his brother. "Joshua,
perhaps you can get at it if you 60 back
to the day when you fell in love with
Bess, and add fifteen years of separation
and loneliness to it, and then suddenly
find out you have belonged to each other
all through the future. 1t makes very
neat sum of happiness, Joshua" he
said, with radiant smile.-HaTper'S s
R0znT
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-02
Gold and Gray.

Morning mists from the sun are rolled,
And all the face OF the earth is gold,
Flowrs unfold to the glowing ray,
And wak'ning bird-song are glad and gay.
Hours creep on, and the day wears round;
The shadows lengthen along the ground;
Dull vapors DRIFT DER the face Of day,
And mornings gold is the evenings gray.
Life is beauty when life is young,
With its laughing lips and its silver tongue,
Young roses blooming on young checks iai
And clustered locks of youths golden hair.
Years stride on with their footsteps feet,
Bringing bitter for ev'ry sweet;
Twilight tails DER lite's short day,
And the locks OF gold are the locks Of gray.
Time is robber both swift and sure,
Stealing alike from the rich and poor,
Gathering into his gran'r1es old
Both ages silver and youths gay gold;
Bribe or force cannot stay his way,
Swift alike through the gold and gray,
TIL the last dark hour OF day is told,
And earth's gray changes to heavens gold.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-02
Feeding the Dead:

A Chinaman was buried at Pnlla-
delphia in 1875, and four times a year
his surviving countrymen there visit
his grave to "feed the dead" A recent
visit of this kind is thus described: The
first preliminary was the removal OF
all "Melican" clothing. As they had
come enwrapped in the flowing blue
drilling gown and trousers and the
cloth-soled shoes worn by all good
Cinnamon, the only article necessary to
dispense with was the hat. They then
uncoiled their long pigtails and carried
their well-flled provision hamper to
the grave. Ceremony number one con-
sisted Of sort of invocation. In per-
feet time and drill the mourners lifted
their arms from their sides to hori-
zontal position, then above their heads,
when they clapped their hands and Ut
tered a high-keyed grunt. This was
done several times. The chief priest
then produced package Of sheets OF
tissue paper, about three inches square,
each of which bore inscriptions in
Chinese characters. These each were
supposed to represent a sin committed
against one of the many deities of the
Buddhist tfaith. They were burned. one
by one, each of the celebrants taking
turns in lighting them. When the last
had been burned another inroad was
made upon the hamper and chicken
entire, except as to its feathers, was
brought out; also four cups and sau-
GERS and as many plates, all Of which
were laid on q paper tablecloth placed
on the grass.
A knife similar in shape to those used
by shoemakers speedily dissected the
fowl, and a fragment was placed on each
plate. The cups were filled out OF Q
large wicker bottle which contained
something like tea. Oranges were also
produced, and the three living China
men went solemnly through the form
of eating, the ghost presumably keeping
them company. Tie living banqueters
speedily emptied their GUYS and disposed
of the oranges. Seemingly awakened to
the fact that their invisible guest was
not getting through with his share as
rapidly, they poured the tea from his
cup and what remained in the bottle on
the foot OF the grave. A bottle OF sakl,,
the Chinese whisky, was also poured
out, none of the living feasters partak-
ing of the liquor. Half dozen singu-
lar-looking little tapers, mounted on
bamboo sticks, were then stuck in the
swelling turf Of the grave and lighted;
These had two properties, smoke and
smell. A west wind drove both into
the faces of the spectators in such
volume that they beat hasty retreat,
,,5 tbooo rho mitooaeof tho Last rite
were fortunate enough to have found
places outside the line of the breeze. In
the midst of the smoke and stencil the
faithful Celestials went through their
last posturing. similar to that of the
invocation. This done, they packed up
the remains of their banquet and dishes,
and, leaving the tapers still burning on
the crave. Quilted the cemetery.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-02
Some Interesting Facts.

Tolls were first paid by vessels passing
the Stade, on the river Elbe, ll09. In
England toll-bars originated in 1857, a
penny being asked for every wagon that
passed through a certain manor, and the
first regular toll was collected few
years later for mending the road in
London between st. Giles and Temple
Bar.
A Nihilist is one who believes in
Nihilism, which, according to Webster,
holds the doctrine that nothing can be
known; that it is skepticism carried to
the denial of all knowledge and all
reality. It is probably applied to the
Russian communistic agitators because
they advocate the principle of doing
away with all government, and the in;
ference is that, if this were carried
out, Russia as a nation would cease to
exist.
The Apollo Belvidere is perhaps the
greatest existing work of ancient art.
It is q statue representing the god OF
Apollo at the moment Of his victory
over Python. 1t was found in 1903
among the ruins of ancient Antlum, IN
Italy, and derives its name from Its
position in the Belvidere Of the Vatican
Gin Rome). whereit was placed by Pope
julius H., who had bought it before ~ his
accession to the papal throne. Inc
statue is of heroic size, and shows the
very perfection of manly beauty. The
sculptor is unknown.
Archery was first introduced by tn.
Saxons in the time of Voltigeur. IL was
dropped Immediately after the conquest,
but was revived by the crusaders, The
Normans used the cross-bow until at er
the time of Edward H., when the long
bow supplanted it and became the fac
vorite national weapon. Bows and
arrows, as weapons of war, were in
use with stone cannon-balls as late as
l74O. All the statutes for the encour-
agement of archery were framed after
the invention of gunpowder and tre-
arms, the object being to prevent
this ancient weapon becoming obso'
lete. Yew-trees were encouraged in
church-yards for the making of bows in
1910
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-06-02

Every man who has become Presi-
dent OF the United States has pnen
elected during leap-year. This is
something for the girls to wonder
over.
Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1880-05-18
Spirit Of 5effcrson.
chsrlcstown, Jefferson county, West Va.
TUESDAY MORNING, NAY is. 1850.
BOOK NOTICES,

AMONG the many valuable original papers
contained in the May number of the old diner.
iea" FdrH'ris one on What We May Learn From
Certain Weeds1' by +. P. Huntington, Adirnct
xersity OF Virginia. whicn is not only of prac-
tlcai value. but an important eontribntion 70
sclence'. as of the various aualvscs given one
only has heretofore been made. Several articles
on ChemlcaI Manures. The senior editor. in a
1nur-score years. which find linn IN GOOD eondis
ton IN health and spirits. The Farmer is pub
~ lisaed by S.m'i Slnds & Son. Baltimore, at
sl.5o year, or at 81 to cluss of Eve 80
Tine v1RGlN1As-The May number of iris
truly valuable mining, industrial and scientific
Jnurnal is before us. rcp,ete with interesting
articles THIS pnbIcat ion is destined to do
inncn 1or the material advaucem"nt of Virginia
ahd west flrglnla, and the people of the two
states sh"nid give 1t a liberal support. Pnb
ilshett by Jed Hotchkiss. staunton, Va, at So