davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-30
Railroad Building For 1882.

If the rapidity with which the actual
building of railroads is the marvel of the
time, the greater rapidity with which
roads are mapped out, combined, esti-
mated and surveyed is much more SO,
According to the plans thus far placed
on record, nearly 10000 miles OF road
are to be built in the course of the next
fifteen months. North of the Potomac
and Ohio rivers, and lying between the
Atlantic coast and the Upper Mississippi,
there are 1871 miles; south OF the Poto-
mac and Ohio Rivers there are 1852
miles. Between the Mississippi River
and the Rocky Mountains, and north OF
the latitude of St. Louis, the number OF
miles is 4,063. Between the Mississippi
River and the Rocky Mountains, and
south of the latitude of st. Louis, there
are 4,14O miles. West of the Rocky
Mountains the number of miles is $40.
The grand total is thus Is, 1886 miles. In
addition to the above there are projects
for building railroads in Canada, in
Mexico, and in Central America. Here
is a field of railroad activity that to the
nnaccustomed viewseems almost bound
less. But, taking into account what is
already in progress, and what the money
has actually been subscribed for, we
have but small part of what is to be
done by the end of the coming year.
The Economist - ~ - -, ~ y
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-30
+. and ESD. OOO had been offered for it in

It. and ESQ, 900 had been offered for it in
vain by syndicate of London jewelers..
It weighs 15Os carats, is still uncut, but
is SO eleven that the table md oneof
the steps are already formed, and it
will lose less than most diamonds in the
cutting, being expected to produce net
weight of about 100 carats when 1T as
sumes the form of brilliant. Its great
purity of color and compactness OF shape
make it beautiful object, even IN Its
present rough state.
Mr.. Streeter shows near it models OF
other famous diamonds, the Koh-i-Noor
(1O6 1-16 carats), with which Mr.. Rhodes
has been enabled, by the Queens per-
mission, to compare it at Windsor, the
Star of the South (the great Brazilian
stone), the Dresden Drop, etc.. together
with the unique jewel the Mackel dia-
mond, in which smaller stone has been
embedded by some freak of nature. 1t
was interesting to compare with these
gems the more valuable jewel from South
Africa, and the comparison was enjoyed
on Saturday by numerous company,
among whom were many members OF
the Corps Diplomatique, Mr.. Childer,
Lord E. Churchill and others. The dia-
mond was shown to the Queen and to
Princess Beatrice and the Duke OF Al
bany at Osborne, in January of this year,
and Her Majesty presented Mr.. Rhodes
on that occasion with a watch, which he
showed on Saturday with as much pride
as his big diamond.-London Times.
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-30

Bows, don't you think such letter
would make the grandfathers neart
yery glad? I happen to know that ne
was very proud of it, and showed 1t 70
others. and that is how it came into my
hands. There are several points abont
This letter that / like, and wish to call
your attention to them. .
/. This Young man is not prlg, posi-
ur;no for effect before his elders, but
an honest, straightforward young !el-
low, who loves life and hopes 10 ENJOY
it as he goes along. But he knows enat
life is a serious thing, and while he has
had few. troubles as yet he expects 10
meet them by and by; and SO
2. He is not ashamed to look to ms
Heavenly Father for help in the battle
of life, nor unwilling to strike iusty
blows himself. ls.t r.i '-,.a.
3. He has learned the value OF in
vested money. The one hundred dol
lars laid by for him in babyhood have
almost quadrupled while he has been
growing to manhood. The hundred
dollars might have been given him on
some birthday, spent to crafty this or
that passing whim, and nothing lett 10
show for it. Now he sees how money
earns money, and the accumulated sum
comes to him at time when he needs
money to complete his education or to
enter upon business.
4. He proposes to 50 order his life as
to show himself worthy of the conf
dence bestowed upon him, and to bring
honor upon the family name:
These are good foundations to-day
for the life that now, is and for that
which is to come: honor to parents land
grandparents); willingness to work; q
wise use of money, and faith in God.
How many of the boys who read this
are making as good Standardization
| Union.
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-30

The uncertain effect of anesthetics on
patients is one Of the perils of dentistry.
The operator does not know what to ex-
pect when he puts stranger to sleep.
The Bangor (Me.) Wing gives this in
cident: -
A dentist had arather ugly experience
with one of his patients recently. The
subject was strong and healthy young
fellow of about twenty-five or SO, and
the doctor proceeded to administer to
him nitro oxide gas for the purpose Of
extracting tooth. Scarcely had the
young man got well filed, and the tooth
been duly pulled. when jumping up like
q flash, he aimed tremendous blow at
the Doctors head. Ducking under,
however, the doctor escaped the blow,
and giving the fellow a vigorous push,
sent him back again into the chair. But
his blood was up, and jumping up quick
ly, he struck the wall at the, side of the
chair two fearful blows with his doubled
fists, which fairly shook the building.
By this time he was out of itand Gained
down immediately. 2 All Of this took but
q second or two, and occufredins small
room partitioned of from the main Of
fee, so that the doctor had no means of
escape. The plEn impress ef two sets
of knucldes can still be seen in that
wall.
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-30
"A Sensation in the Woods,

Mr.. George Howard tells the following
snake story: He says he was hunting in
the swamp for squirrels, and that, as he
was walking along, his attention was
called to tree where two or three
squirrels were making a terrible noise.
Thinking he would get q shot he crept
to the tree, and, ON the limb, he noticed
a large snake, and just as he came near
the tree the snake fell to the grouad.
tightly wrapped around a squirrel, which
it soon swallowed. He says the other
SQUIRRELS were so terror-stricken that they
came running down the tree and jump
inc on trees, at the same time making &
noise that was an entreaty for help. He
killed the snake, which was about eight
feet long, and the other twosquirrels. and
proceeded on his hunt.-Macon (Ga.
Telegraph.
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-30

Tommy Teale was just six years old.
It was his birthday, but instead OF hav'
inc a good time, to celebrate such
grand event, he had to take care OF
the baby. His mother went out to do
some errands and left him alone with
his little sister. Tommy felt very bad
about it. Little Nellie cried a good
deal. Tommy did not know what to dc
with her. He loved her very much, but
did not like to take care OF her when
she was cross. s.4.qlq gta-.
As he stood at the window, Ned
Brown came out to play on the side
walk.
"Come out, Tommyr' he shouted.
81 can't Tommy shouted back;
GIVE got to tend the baby
"Shut the door tight and she can't
get out" Ned said. -
Tommy thought it over. He knew
more about babies than Ned Brown did.
Nellie might burn herself on the stove,
or pull the cover off the table, or break
the lamp. An idea came into TOmmy's
head. He ran to the closet for the tacks
and hammer. He droye four tacki
through her dress and fastened hel
down to the floor. When this was done,
he ran out of doors as fast as his legs
would carry him. el1i II
In about an hour Tommy's mother
came home. He had not shut the door
tight because he was in a hurry. Right
on the top step she found the baby.
But her little fat neck and arms were
bare. She had no dress on. Her moth
er carried her into the sitting-room.
There was the dress nailed to the floor.
The baby had torn it all of trying to
get away, and it had to 60, into the rag
bag. 49,,
Tommy came in few minutes after.
He was very much surprised to hear
what his mother told him.
Il never did see such baby!' he
said. II thought you only wanted me
to keep her out of mischief, and
guessed the nails would do it sure!'-
Our Little Ones. - V3.ss
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-30
Memory in Chess Playing.

Wonderful as are the feats of chess
PLAYERS, who can work out a game or
series of games without seeing the
board, there is nothing really remarka-
BILE in them. When once mastered, the
trick is not only fairly easy of perform
ance, but the fact that the process is
purely mental rather facilitates than inn
pedes the action of the mind. To the
sblind-folded'', chess player there is
present mental picture of the board
with the pieces in position. He can
change the position of the men as easily
as he can think, and after he has once
mastered the difficulty of fixing the men
tai fixture, it is distinctly before him.
Some players, who do not in their COM
mon process of memory use picture phan-
toms, work out the moves as algebraical
propositions are occasionally worked, by
phantoms Of sound; but, as rule, chess
players are mentalpicture-readers, and
can at pleasure call up any one OF sever
al pictures of boards as they last cou-
ceived them. The most difficult feat.
and one which very few mental chess
PLAYERS can accomplish; is to play two
or three games simultaneously, the moves
made by their opponents being told them
in close sequence and their own moves
being directed after all the reports of the
proceedings of their opponents have been
received. Thus, if there be several players
against the one mental player, he must
be told and remember what each of his
adversaries has done before he begins to
give the instructions for his several
counter-moves. In this exploit the most
perfect development of the mental fac
ulty of distinct picturing and the dis
placement and recall of mental pictures
at will is exhibited. The prodigiOus diff
ticulty of the feat can only be realized
in the attempt to perform it. Even the
expert blindfolded chess player can rare
" succeed in accomplishing the perform
ance we have attempted to describe
| London Lancet.
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-30
Twenty Miles Of Whales.

The steamship Newport, of the Wards
Line. which is now having her bottom
scraped and painted on the dry-dock at
the foot of Market Street, had an I'M
usual experience during her recent out
ward trip to Havana. She sailed from
this port on Thursday, October q, and
before daylight next morning she was
off the Capes of Delaware. At about
EIGHT o. clock, when she was steaming at
the rate of fifteen miles per hour, she
ran into an immense school of whales
twenty miles long and a quarter OF a
mile wide. The animals were OF all
sizes, and disported themselves in the
water as if enjoying it. Suddenly the
shin shook from stem to stern as she
struck a monster about sixty feet long
which was attempting to cross the path
of the Newport. The whale was cut In
halves which passed astern on either
side, while the water was dyed red with
his blood. The steamer came to a stand.
still and her stem was examined. Ii
was found to have escaped injury, but
the steering-gear was slightly damaged.
This was soon repaired, and the New
port proceeded, but the passengers were
not so delighted with the whales as they
had been before the shock. The sigh
of the monsters head as it shot upward
from the water had been anything bu
pleasant to them. Ten minutes after tn
vessel started up there was another ant
heavier shock, which almost threw the
passengers from their feet. Anothe
whale had been cut in two. The body
of this animal passed under the vesse
and struck the propeller with great vio
lence. The engineer rushed on deck
imagining that the ship had struck
submerged wreck. Captain Sundber'
ordered the course of the steamer change
and she soon ran out of the troublesom
whales. The oldest sea-going men o.
the Newport, and some of them ha
been on whaling vessels, could not re
member such an experience.-N !
Times
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-30
Good Start.

What are the boys of to-day thinking
about as. they near the confines of their.
teens and look forward to the day when;
they shall be free to act for themselvese
How does life present itself to them as
they stand on the threshold Of twenty
one? Is it vision of fun, frolic and q
good time; on dream of position and
wealth; or a more solid hope of learning
and culture?j l do not know; but lying
before me is letter dated December
81, 1878, written by one Of the boys of
a boy no longer-which
l hope some other boys will read:
"DrAR GRANDFArHER: To-day am twenty
one. 1 now assume the responsibilities Of .
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-30
The Largest Diamond Found this Century.

On Saturday night, Nov. IL, one of the
great diamonds Of the world-the largest,
according to Mr.. Edwin Streeter, which
fhas been found this century-was ex-
Inhibited at 10 New Bond Stteet. 1t was
discovered in the claim of Mr.. Porter
Rhodes, in the Kimberly Mine, South
Africa, and by its remarkable whiteness
completely disposes of the charge against
Africa of being the nurse OF tawny ana
monds. The surface diamonds had, in
Il. deed, a yellow hue, but now that the
I, miners have gone below the trap, they
And in Jagersfontein and other famous
regions Of the Griqua diamond fields the
clearest blue-white stones. The Porter
Rhodes diamond was brought to light on
February -, 1880, and before it left the
/, diamond fields f50O (Which was placed
to the credit of the local hospital) had
.a,een paid by spectators admitted to see
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-30
Titled Americans.

Lucy Hooper writes from Paris to the
Philadelphia Telegraph: And, by-the-by,
l think we shall soon have to set up an
American peerage if titled Americans
continue to increase in number. do not
refer to the ladies of our land who have
become Princesses, Duchesses, or Count
esses by the simple process OF marriage,
but to those more fortunate individuals
who bear upon their erst republican
brows the round and top of continental
nobility. There is quite goodly group
of these transatlantic mobiles in Paris at
the present time. First in order OF senior
ity of rank come the Baron and Baroness
D'Oyley, originally DIR. and Mrs. John
Evans. The Baron is one of the most
flourishing and popular dentists OF the
American COLONY, and came originally,
I believe, from Philadelphia, deriving his
title through his mother, who was Miss
Doyle, her surname, as any one can see'
being corruption of the name OF Doyley.
There is branch of the Doyley fam
ily still flourishing in England, the
head of which is the Admiral OF that
name, but whether they are on intimate
terms or not with their Franco-American
cousins 1 do not know. They ought to
be, for the Baron by reason of his title is
of course the chief of the house. am
told that the Baron was recently created
Marquis by the Pope, but that ne hesl-
tates to assume his higher title while IN
the active practice Of his profession
Then we have the Baron and Baroness
de Hoffman, the Baron formerly having
been a banker in New York. l think his
title descended to him from his father
but have never had any precise lnfor
nation on the subject. The Marquis
and Warehouses Murphy, who usually
reside in London, but who are at presen
stopping at the Hotel Bristol, are from
California, the gentleman's title having
been conferred upon him by the Pope
So I really think that the above instance
form quite sufficient nucleus for tn
commencement of an American peerage
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-30
Stupid Teaching.

There is a vast amount OF humbug IN
the system of common school education,
and it is not strange that many parents
are adopting the plan of having their
children instructed by teachers at home,
where they can carefully watch. the
child's training and see that what time
is devoted to instruction is turned to
account. A disguised father writes to
Philadelphia journal saying that the
other day he heard his little girl Sob
bine over rule which she was trying to
commit to memory, in the following
words to-wit:
..Rule for short division, rule dash
Ole write the divisor at the left of the
digidend, semicolon, begin at the left
hand, comma, and write the quotient
beneath, period. Paragraph. 2. 1t
there is q remainder after any division,
ecmma, regard it as prefixed to the next
fi.rire. comma, and divide as before,
period. If any partial dividend is less
than the divisor, comma, prefix it to the
next figure, comma, and write cipher
i'm the quotient, Period. Paragraph
proof period dash, multiply the quotient
by the divisor, comma, and add the re-
niainder, comma, if any, comma, to the
product, period"
After reading these painfully idiotic
paragraphs the amazed parent made in
auiry and found that the pupils-chil-
dren under ten-were required to study
rules in this way in order that thev
might be able to write them out and
''point'' them, not correctly, but accord
| ino tn the book.
II also found" he adds, "that if a
comma was left out, though the sense
remained unchanged, the pupil suffered
as much in loss Of marks as though she
had committed vital blunder. Thanks
to home instruction, my little girl un-
derstands the rules of arithmetic, >but
she cannot learn them by rote in this
parrot fashion, and suffers accordingly
Can we have nothing done in this mat,
ter to relieve our children from utterly
useless memorizing, that leaves them a,
the end of few years with weakened
minds and no taste for study? l got g
letter the other day from man who
had graduated from. university. HI
could neither write nor spell correctly
(spelling goes .gose') and yet at school
few years ago, he could glibly recit'
all the rules of grammar, and was b.
no means an Indifferent pupil"
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-30
Texas, PANIED Caves.

Mr.J. VansWie informs the reporter
that his grading forces on the Mexican
extension of:the Sunset Railway are now
30 Painted Cave. on Devils River, or.
about two miles beyond. The work
east of that point IS very rough, but MIR.
Van Vie has comparatively easy Work
for about half a mile west. There are
three caves at this locality, all of which
are painted, the figures of buffaloes,
bears, indiana with bows and arrows in
warlike attitudes, Indians mounted and
on the chase, squaws, etc. The caves
have been tatooed entirely within, and
many of these figures are still in a good
state of preservation. This work was
done by the red men in years long gone
by, as the oldest white citizens remem-
Der these paintings, and say they look
very much now as they appeared thirty
and forty years ago, indicating the great
AGE of the paintings. Mr.. Van Vie has
occupied one of these caves for kitchen
and dining room purposes. 1t is about
forty feet long and ten feet wide. 1t is
approached by climbing hill, when the
cave is entered from the side of the hill.
Its mouth is covered by clusters of vines
pendant from the branches and boughs
of q clump of blackberry trees. In the
top of this cave is hole, extending to
the surface, through which Mr.. Van Vie
has run two stovepipes. Another cave
still, its shape being round, and OF capac-
ity to hold seventy or eighty people. is
used for storage purposes. The third
cave opens in a solid rock bluff, being
about six feet in diameter at the
mouth, and extends backwards dis
lance of about $50 feet. This cave is to
be used as a magazine, in which the
powder for blasting purposes will be
stored. Just below the caves the cliffs
of the rock extend from twelve to fit
teen feet, leaving vacant space OF
about forty feet underneath them. Mr..
Van Vie will locate his blacksmith shop
under these cliffs to repair and sharpen
tools and shoe horses and mules. This
region, until within the past two or three
wears, was the widest in the State, and
the red man was its inhabitant. SO Il
had been for all time past, so far as known
And this is another remarkable instance
of how we Americans are progressing
even pushing our greatest agencies o.
progress through the very Gibraltar o.
the savage.-SGn antonio Express.
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-30
Not Easily Killed.

J. B. Hayes, the trackwalker who was
tossed like feather by the engine of train
fifteen on the Geneva, Ithaca & Sayre Road
a few days ago, is not dead yet, notwith-
standing the speed of the train was forty
five miles an hour. To the establishment
of his friends he visited Ithaca Friday
lust as if he never was in railroad
wreck. Hays has been in thirteen smash
ups in his time, and upon one occasion
was picked up by a cow-catcher and car
ried eight miles without receiving serious
hurt. He says he is called the india
rubber man, as he might well be, for ne
uses his limbs as if they were made Of
whalebone.-Iusaca IN ~ Journal.
The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-12-30
1o1 Hou',g 8zSdifis.
TONS NEW YEARS CALLS.

II
Hia name was Tom, snd hewas from
A neiRhborhood where folk were good
And mostly did just = they should. 8
Now he wss small, though feeling tan
Which. it ID tru0, seems nothing -neU :.
'MOng lads of six, and older, too.
I'm most q man. he vowed. I" And car.
Not I. saw, be trusted, pray,
TO make some calls on New Years DeyF
But one who knows did him oppose
In this rash act, and said the tacI
Was simply that his wardrobe lacked.
Tom answered not, but gan to plot
In various ways, how he could raise
Suf6cient funds within two days
To fill this need, which he, indeed,
Had oft before conned DER and 0er.
And also often did deplore. /. = - - -
But stocks were low, IS you may KNOW;
Tons would not sell, and knives, az well,
Were at discount, I've heard tell.
. I'll borrow. then" he vowed again,
Nor did refrain to take q cane
Belonging to his brother, Lane.
Tsrew;se some eioyes-ah! perfect loves
ar lemon shades, which he essayed 81
70 get inside of without aid. 4f
The fingers were, Is you NLeI,
Exceeding long; and, though twas wron0s
He twisted each into prong.
And. thus equipped. he lightly skipped
Through cellar.doOr, and fences Ger,
To 'scape the walls Of wrath that pour
Upon lad, not always bad, b
Who sometimes may, to disobey,
Be tempted, thus, to run away.
Once in the street, his heart did beat;
But not with fear, as might appear,
Yet CltN to him was never clear.
Howe'er. at last, this feeling passed,
He turned his face unto q place ,-s
Imposing in its ''brOwn-stone" grace.
A footman grim confronted him,
Who did INQUIRE, with eyes Of fire,
What that young person might desire.
4" Why, don't you know? It's New Years; q
I've called, and 1 would like some pie, 50,
And ice-cream, and such things. Oh, my!
With quick amaze. young Tom did gaze
About; for 10! slam bang! did go
That door with most mighty dow.
Thus left alone unceremon-
iOrls, although, 1t seemed, no woe
He felt; no tears Of grief did now;
But. truth to tell, his wrath did swell,
Though soon twas spent; because he went
Next door and rang rs If he meant
To wake the dead, of which, instead,
The living he did quickly see,
When ushered in right royalty.
ave come to CALI said he, on all
Tm hungry, too; and SO, If you
Don't mind, I'll eat now and be through.
The hostess, fair, then led him where,
Mid glass and plate. there did await
A feast which much did him elate.
Yet, Earthly Joy, how much alloy
Is mixed with thee. How little we
Can reckon on the things that be!
Lo! opposite to him did sit
His brother, Lane, who'd searched In VAN
For lemon kids and missing cane.
What happened, on! hardly know,
For Gossip sQuints and RumOr hints;
So this is all Eve gathered since:
That he, named Tom, who hailed from
A neiRhbOrhOod where folks were good
And mostly did Just as they should,
Oh! sad to say, did end that day
In clothes-press, where, / confess,
His relatives he did not bless.
-7-'rF IN =. Independent