davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-03-05
Taking Advantage OF Leap.Year.

A Detroiter who was out in the coun-
try the other day to look after some
poultry got stuck in a mud-hole, al
though having a light buggy and a
strong horse. He got out, took rail
off the fence, and was trying to pry the
vehicle out, when along came strap
ping young woman about twenty-six
years of age. She halted, surveyed the
situation, and said:
"You stand by the horse while ]
heave on the rail, and don't be afraid
of getting mud on your hands and
boots"
Their united efforts released the We.
hicle, and the Detroiter returned thanks
and asked her TO get in and ride. She
hesitated, looked up and down the road,
and finally said:
stranger, I'm blunt spoken. Who
are youP"
He gave his name and residence, and
she continued:
"rm over twenty-five, worth five
hundred in cash, know all about house
work, and this is Leap-Year."
"Yes, know, but for Heavens sake
don't ask me to marry your he replied
rs he saw the drift.
"See here" she continued. looking
him square in the eye, "pm a straight
girl, wear No. z shoe, and like the
looks Of you"
Eyes, but don't-don't talk that way
| to mer
Stranger, it's Leap-Year, and Tn
going to popl win you have me o.
noPF
"I-pm already marriedF' he fal
tered.
"Honest InjunP"
Eyes"
"Well, that settles me, and won
ride. I'll take a cut across the fielI
over to old Spooner's. He's got fou
sons and fool nephew, and I'll begil
on the old man and pop the crowd clea
down to the idiot, for I've slummixet
around this world just along as Pm go
ing to! Goodbye, sir-no harm donel
Detroit Free Press.
Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-03-05
General Grants Present TO the En-.
perOr OF Japan.

On Saturday afternoon there arrived
in this city three valuable and magnifi-
cent stations en- route to the Japanese
Empire. These horses are In charge of
William b. Griffith and Edward Casey
of Washington, who are going through
to Japan with them TO see them safely
delivered. The animals we're taken to
Ed. Culver's stable ON Eleventh street
for two days rest, and there a Bee
reporter this morning obtained q view
of the beautiful steeds.
Barb" of Ethan Allen blood, is
four years old, and was presented by
General Grant to the Emperor OF
Japan, bv whom the General was so
Hospitality entertained while visiting
that country. This horse is a fine bay,
with two white hind feet. with white
star In forehead, long name and tail, is
fifteen hands high, has beautifully
formed limbs, possesses good action,
and Is very promising as to speed. This
horse has been owned by General Grant
since he was q colt
"Kingsleyn is sixteen hands high,
seven years old, is rich mahogany bay
with no marks, and has long name and
tail. He isa running horse, having q
record Of l;44.
BLACK Hawk, Junior" is iet
black horse, with white hind feet, one
white front foot and white star on fore
head; long name; tail drags on the
ground; he Is i52 hands high, Is sym
metrically proportioned, has elegan
limbs; has trotted a mile in 2,22 anC
1928, and has prospects of getting be
low 2;20. He Is one Of the most beau
tiful horses that man ever laid eye
These horses came from the farm o
General Beals, near Washington. wher,
the Arabian horses presented 70 Gen
eral Grant are kept. II viii be remem
bered that General Grant was the CUES
of General Beals while visiting Wash
ington. Kingsley" and 4" Blacl
Hawk" were purchased for the Japa
nese Government by It's agent, Mr.
Horace Capron, assisted by Mr.. Ed
France, at a cost Of about foNr thou
sand dollars each. "Barb,n the pres
ent of General Grant to the JapanesI
Emperor, is valued at about the sam,
figure.
The horses leave for San Francisc,
ON this evenings freight train, The,
will be rested at Ogden two or threl
days, and then resume their Journey
omaha Bee.
Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-03-05

light of the deaf girls and boys, as the
sweet, solemn strains struck upon the
precious audiphones held close TO their
teeth. They waved their hands to and
fro, their faces glowing; the young
girl, as before, looking upward, raising
her arm with pointing finger at the
high notes, and lowering il gently at
the low tones. Big tears stood in the
eyes Of many Of the singers, and 1 for
one shall never forget the scene.
Mr.. Rhodes has sent an audiphone,
as a gift, to the Princess of Wales, who
is very deaf. These fans can be deco
rated and painted so as to be very
beautiful, and a lady using one would
never be supposed to be deaf, If she
playfully placed her fan against her
teeth when she was conversing.
- Aunt Fanny" in 50. Nicholas.
Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-03-05

"I am well-to-do man now, sir, D."
continued my acquaintance, suddenly
speaking in the first person, land when
we get to Chicago. II you win come to
my establishment, will show you my
father, the minister's old shiny coat,
which preserve because it was the be-
ginning of my fortune, anu made a man
of me.n
"Then," 1 exclaimed, taking him by
the hand, cit is yourself you have been
talking about all this time! You are
"Sam," concluded my new friend,
nodding and smiling.-G. P. Ldthrop,
in Youths Companion.
Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-03-05

The English Presbyterians are
greatly concerned over the heavy losses
they are subject TO evory year. A re-
cent writer estimates the loss at two
thousand a year. He adds; 1T is an
alarming confession for a church to
make, which numbers only some fifty
thousand members, that there is an an
nual leakage of twenty-fifth part of
the whole body. The above statement
concerns only the communiOn-rol of
the church. What proportion of our
adherents, who form the bulk of our
congregations, are similarly lost to us
year by year we have no accurate means
of knowing"
Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-03-05

were found by NJ. Petite at Gourdan.
These, however, were probably only
temporarily used as spoons, the only
genuine spoons which have been dis
covered being those described above,
and which served as models for Neo-
lithio man who afterward appeared on
the ene.--Scientifo Amercdn.
Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-03-05


Then a lady present sang an echo song,
very sweetly, with the accompaniment
of the piano. What a sight it was, as,
with audiphones at their teeth, the
class listened to this mysterious sweet
ness, these harmonious soundsl The
pale young girl stood motionless, rapt,
absorbed, with parted lips and wide,
uplifted eyes. A flood of light flowed
over her face; her capacity to under
stand what such sound meant seemed
greater than that of the others; one
almost would have thought that she was
having glimpse Of heaven. As the
sweet voice of the singer rose higher,
the young girls hand and arm were
raised to the utmost, the forefnger
pointing upward; but with the soft
echo Of the song, the hand floated
down with a gentle wavering motion,
and moved softly to and fro, in
perfect accord with the time. AS
the swelling tones were raised again,
up went her hand, but her eyes never
changed their uplifted, almost
spiritual look, and her breath came
quick and trembling. Oh, car
any one measure the happiness
that filled that ohild's soul, and SC
transformed that small, pale faeeI
That view of the first inetfable Joy Of
hearing is something never to be for
gottenl The other children were az
feeted in different ways-some waved
their hands, some looked eagerly de
lighted; the manned boys eyes grew
big and black, and a broad smile
opened his mouth, as if he were laugh
ing, but he made no audible sound.
After the song, Mr., Rhodes requested
the company to sing, NEARER, My
God, to Thee" We rose from oul
chairs, and the beautiful hymn wa
sung, with the full accompaniment o
the organ. l cannot describe the de
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-09-22
Words OF Wisdom.

Envy is destroyed by true friendship,
and coquetry by true love.
Someremnants of good can be found
in the most depraved characters.
Where power is absent, we may find
the robes of genius, but we miss the
throne.
When love begins to sicken and decay,
it useth an enforced ceremony.
Justice consists in doing no injury to
man; decency in giving them no Of
Tense.
Tue pungency of pleasure is as tran
sient as the foam lat mantles round its
trimming cup.
Against general fears remember how
very precarious life is, take what care
you will; how short it is, last as long as
it ever does.
What would be the state of the high
ways OF life if we did lot drive our
neutrality-suspicious. through them, with
valve open, sometimes.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-09-22
Better than Expected.

A crowd composed mostly of farmers
got to talking politics in u hotel barn on
Grand River stree5a day or two ago,
and the dispute grew so hot that two Of
the party came to blows. The affair
had lust ended when an old man drove
up In a wagon, and he was Mt once in.
formed that his son George had been in
a fight.
"Has be? Has hep And did he have
a fair showP"
Yes"
cit was square work, was itP"
1T was, and your boy got licked"
"Noa"
"Yes, be did. In three minutes he
was cleaned right out and used up"
; did be make an Apology"
He did"
"And said he was in the wrongp"
"Yes."
"And did he leave the barn on a runP''
"No; he walked over to the drug
store"
walked, eh! Bully for George! 1t
did make me feel a little bad to hear be
was bounced, but the most l feared was
that he had started on the run for home
and left me to load two barrels of salt
Detroit Ree Press.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-09-22
WelI.Paid Doctors.

Doctors with an established practice,
that pays well, do not of course, want to
be called out at night. These men make
it q rule to refuse to 60 out if they are
called. Some of them have a sort o
staff OF younger men, to whom they
turn over night calls and others to which
they cannot attend. But not on the
gratis principle. They have an under
standing with the younger men that
they shall get part of the fee, though
they do none of the work. If the fee is
three dollars, they take a third; if it is
five dollars, they expect two of the five,
and 50 on up the scale. But these are
small matters. We have a number of
doctors in New York who never 60 out
f@r less than ten dollars, and some who
demand of twenty to fifty dollars. I have
heard Of cases where the fee for q single
visit was 500, and where operations are
performed it is sometimes as high as
$500, though these instances are rare.
There are doctors in New York whose
income runs from $25, 900 to S40,0O0
every year, and they do not work very
hard either. Their hard work is all
done before the income grows large.
oooot1y ~ ohO " ooSUOl hOouU GCA JSoko
to build up a paying practice. He may
make a living from the start, but he can't
lay up any money till be has spent a de-
cade in making a place for himself in
the profession. When the place is once
made, all ahead is smooth and easy. On
the other hand we have scores of pretty
good doctors here in Gotham, who never
get ahead at all. They are just as poor
and just as far behind at fifty or sixty as
they were at thirty. But you will find
the same kind of men at every calling.
They fill a certain place well enough,
but q never rise to o higher one, and
though all their duties, such as they
happen to be, are faithfully performed,
they slip out of the world at least with
out being missed. All the professional
ranks are well supplied with such men,
and a good many are to be found even
in the church.-New York Letter 10 the
Detroit Free Press.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-09-22
Bromley's Proposed Championship

Samuel Bromley, of Mystic, Conn.,,
better known as Fat SAM" announces
his ability to live for ten days with his
mouth and nose Theoretically sealed.
Those acquainted with Sam see no rea.
son why he should not be able to accom-
plish what is coupled with his name,
for he is able to breathe for atime with
out the use of mouth or nostriIs, COM
m%unication between his lungs and the
outside world being kept up through
his ears. When smoking Q cigar be often
exhales the smoke through the same ex.
traordinary channel, to the profound
astonishment Of those who arc unaware
of this freak Of nature. Many persons
who have seen the jet of cigar smoke
creeping out of his ears are willing TO
testify to the truth of Fat Sans" as
sertion. Though not particularly fond
of notoriety, Sam thinks he can estab-
lish his ability to live practically her
medically sealed " for ten days.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-09-22

Professor Forbes, of Illinois, gives it
as his opinion that at least two.thirds Of
the food OF birds consist OF insects, aver.
aging at the lowest reas enable estimate
twenty insects per day for each individ.
ual of this two-thirds, giving a total fol-
the year (Which is surprisingly low Of
1900 per acre, or $50. 900, 0OO, 600 for the
State. This number placed one to each
square inch of surface would cover an
area of 40, 600 acres. In connection with
these figures the following estimates by
Mr.. H. D. Minot, one Of the Boston
naturalists, are interesting. He states
that in Massachusetts alone there are
annually destroyed not less th.n 0,0OO
partridges. 10000 woodcock, Is, 1000 quail
and 5000 snipe, or 100, 900 game birds
while in the same State 100000 wild
birds Counting their eggs) are placed
hors du combat. Mr.. Minot places the
number Of birds annually destroyed In
the United States at 1000, 600, 900 roughly
estimated. According to the american
Naturalist a young hooking. bird, raised
from the nest, has been known to eat
$40 red-legged grasshoppers in a day,
equivalent to at least 460 average in.
sects.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-09-22
Tho German Countess.

But the German countess, according
to my observation, is a plain, domestic
creature, who trots briskly about during
the forenoon hours, attired in a simple
short dress, with big apron and snowy
cap, a heavy key-basket iingling in her
hand. She arranges to the minutest de-
tail the meals of the family, the servants
of the house, and the laborers in the
court, all of whom receive a separate
bill of fare. Every article required in
the preparation of these meals, even to
the salt, is carefully weighed out. Each
servant has so much sugar, tea, and
coffee per week, which he can consume
at pleasure. That this alone is a labor
ious task every housekeeper will admit
At dinner the countess appears freshly,
but still simply, dressed. After dinner
she is seen with knitting in hand, or a
great basket Of mending by her side,
working with as much assiduity. as any
American housewife, hardly allowing
herself as much time for reading or
recreation. Each napkin. towel, ETC.. is
held up against the light, and rigidly
inspected; each thin place, even in the
coarsest crash towel for kitchen use, is
carefully darned. I was much amused,
at one place where I visited, to see the
daughter OF the house, fresh from board
ing.schooi, going through this pr. less
with a great basket of linen, under the
supervision Of her mother. I remarked
rather in the way of self ccngratulation,
that in America we made ourselves less
trouble.
"Wbat!" exclaimed the lady. "You
do not mend your linenP" .
mot the kitchen towels, at al
events" I ventured to answer.
"Oh, Frau S-m exclaimed the
young girl, with melodramatic fervor.
"Take me to America with you! A
land where one need not darn the kitchen
towels must be heavenlyr"-Atlanttt
] Monthly.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-09-22
Ashes Of the Napoleons.

The statutes and ashes of the Napo-
Icons have suffered strange vicissitudes.
Twice has the statute of first Napoleon,
which stands in the Place Vendome,
been dragged to the ground, first by
royalists, then by radicals, only to be
re-erected. while his ashes were re-
stored to France on the demand OF
another dynasty, to be respected even
during the commune. Louis, the ex-
king Of Holland, removed his fathers
remains from Greahole to St. Leu, to
which his own ashes were in time re.
moved from Italy. The eldest son OF
Louis. regarded by Napoleon as his heir,
and who died when but six years old,
was at first laid in St. Denis, but the
Bourbons when they returned to France
had the body translated, and the little
Napoleon" now rests in the same vaul
as his father and grandfather. Jerome
alone reposes under the dome of the
Invalidess with his great brother; the
ashes of the other Bonapartes lie scat
tered here and there, and are to bt
ound at Rome, Florence, Vienna and
ChiseJlhurst. and somewhere in Calab.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-09-22
An Old Sicilian Town.

1t is a very old place, with narrow
streets going up and down by means o.
wide, stone paved stairs, which prevent
any carriages. The walls of the houses
which are never more than two stories
high, seemed crumbling to dust, and re.
mind us more of Pompeii as it looks
now than any other old town; the inte-
riors were mere dark holes, crowded by
a rural population. There is but one
object of antiquity, a church, Of which
the walls and most of the columns once
belonged to a temple of Vesta. There is
an old tradition about this temple and
the progenitors of the people ofthis town
which is worth relating:
During the many centuries of decay
of the Roman empire, the strict relig-
ious laws and customs were so far re-
Taxed that whenever any one of the
vestal virgins was discovered faithless
to her vows, instead of being buried
alive, according to the old law, she was
relegated to this temple of Vesta on
Mount Eryx, where, at length, she and
others like her intermarried with the
priests and people of the place, who
were of Trojan origin. From their
union descended the present population.
This, Of course, is a mere tradition, yet
it Unsupported by a very curious physion
logical fact. The natives of this noun
tain town have more of the old Roman
type Of face and person than any of the
other two millions of people that in
habit Sicily. The women are famous
for their beauty, their fair compilations,
long necks, large black eyes and superb
busts. There are also many blends with
blue eyes among them-a type never
seen in the true Sicilian race.
We had heard this story, and were
anxious to observe the female part of
the population; but as we walked, or
rather climbed, up and down the steps
of the streets, we saw none but men and
very old women sitting in front of their
dismal house doors.
There were shops where they sold
oil, contained in just such huge clay
as one sees at Pompeii; public cooks
frying their meats at the threshold of
their front door; lamps both of clay and
bronze, of Pompeian shape; bread on
the bakers counters of the precise pat
tern as that found carbonlzed at Pom
peii; and many other thing reminded ms
of that old Roman town.-Atlantic
Monthly.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-09-22
A M0ng0l Encampment,

A correspondent in China says: At a
first glimpse q Mongol encampment ap-
pears 10 be a collection of gigantic ant
hills with smoke issuing from the tops.
As we get nearer, the forms of human
beings, of a multitude of camels, dogs,
sheep and ponies are visible. The Mon
gols have an instructive knowledge Of
where water is 10 be found. A pure.
limpid mountain brook was running at
the base of the hill where the tents were
pitched. A beautiful stretch of pasture
land upon which the animals were graz
ing lay at our feet. Our approach to
the tent Of the chief was heralded by the
deep growls and barking of the dogs,
who soon brought out the occupants to
ascertain who the intruders were. Our
guide informed the man that we were
travelling to Suchowfoo on service, and
asked if we could rest ourselves. Hos.
pitality being one of the few virtues a
Mongol possesses, we were speedily
welcomed. The TINT into which we
passed was composed of frame of light
rellis work, covered with thick felt.
made from goats hair, circular in form,
with a conical shaped roof. A hole in
the roof let out the smoke from the argol
fire, which burns all day in the center of
the tent. At night this aperture is closed.
The door is about five feet high, and
cannot be entered without STOPPING. In
diameter the rent is fifteen feet. A piece
of felt hanging serves to close the n
trance at night No seats were visible,
so, squatting on the ground, Jul guide,
who spoke TangutaD, asked US if we
wished something to eat. Catching a
glimpse of the dirty vessels lying around
us, we deemed it advisable to use our
own tin plates and cups. Their usual
method of cleansing their wooden cups,
which they carry upon their persons, is
to scrape them with their finger nails,
while the plates are cleansed with the
tongue as q dog ticks a platter. A large
iron pan was over the fire, together with
a teakettle, which is boiling all day, AMI
from which we drank to our host. Into
the LARGE pan one of the women poured
some sour milk, and taking q handful o
barley meat stirred it with her finger
until the mass became the consistency
of paste. We, on our part, produced
some cold mutton, which, with the por-
ridge, proved acceptable.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-09-22
Marriage Customs of tho Hindoes.

Ram Chandra Bosses address at the
Emory grove camp meeting, nea Balti-
more, caused intense amusement. He
gave an account of the marriage relation
among the Hindoos, and maintained
that a woman might become a widow
before she was born. "Sometinies,"
said he, "boys of three and girls Of two
years of age. and very often boys CT five
and girls of three, are married., and
sometimes even before they r born
that is, of course, conditionally; and I
have known girls that were ushered
into the world US widows. A widow is
is not allowed to marry, either, but a
widower may, and is often compelled to
do so. Hindoo women cannot read
they cannot sing, they cannot talk
politics. They have nothing to do; no
specific object in life, Miserable orea-
lures! In the monotony of their lives a
quarrel is about the only healthy thing.
You are laughing, but you must remem-
Der that quarrels must exist, or nations
and politicians would die of hamilton.
We have women who with you ore
called termagants. They quarrel sorne-
times for q week, and 1 have KIN own
them to continue for twenty-one days."