davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
The CatacOmbs of Paris.

The vast catacogabs by which a large
portion of the city of Paris are under
mined were only known by popular
tradition until the year 1774, when some
alarming accidents aroused the attention
of the Government. The old quarries
we're then surveyed and plans Of them
taken, and the result was the frightful
discovery that the churches, palaces and
most of the southern part of Paris was
undermined, and in great danger of sink
ing into the pit below them. A special
commission was appointed, and on the
very day it met house in one of the
streets sunk ninety-one feet below the
level of its courtyard. The pillars
which had been left by the quarrymen,
in their blind operations, without any
regularity, were in many places too weak
for the enormous weight above, and in
most places had themselves been under
mined, or perhaps originally stood upon
ground which had previously been hol-
lowed. The aqueduct of Arcueil passed
over this treacherous ground; it had al
ready suffered some shocks, and, if the
quarries had continued to be neglected,
an accident must, sooner or later, have
happened to this watercourse, which
would have cut off its supply from the
fountains of Paris, and have filed the
excavations with water. Repairs were
forthwith commenced and promptly
completed, and a portion of the old
quarries was devoted to receive the
bones of the dead. This took place in
April, 1856; the remains of the dead
were removed at night in funeral cars,
covered with a pail, and followed by
priests chanting the service of the dead.
When they reached the catacombs the
bones were shot down well, and the
rafting and echoing which they made
in their fall were as imp essive as any
sound ever heard by human ears. Thus
the limestone quarries that had supplied
the materials for building the superb
monuments, palaces and houses Of Paris
became huge charnel-houses, which they
now remain. Calculations differ as to
the number of bones collected in the
catacombs, but it is certain that they
contain the remains of at least 8, 900, 900
of human beings. = Harpe,'s Young
People.
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
Chinese Beds.

There are two kinds of Chinese beds,
and both are arranged for a complete
shutting in by means Of hanging cur
tains and tapestry. The expensive kind
is like sort of cage, having fiat wood
en- roof, just the size Of the bed proper,
supported at hight Of about eight feet
from the floor on four corner posts and
two intermediate ones. Then there is a
sort of frieze or entablature work rum
ming around horizontally, above and be-
low, so that when you are in bed you
are safely penned in sort of cage, and
cannot possibly tumble out. The cary
ing on these beds is sometimes very
rich, and large sums are paid for them;
but the ordinary and cheaper kind is
made of two frames Of wood shaped
something like the skeleton of an old
fashioned "settle," which are stood up
on the floor facing each other. A mat
tress is placed on the projecting parts of
these frames, and a couple Of slight
sticks across the top; then curtains and
hangings shut all in, and makes it look
as pretty as the taste and money Of the
owner are able. Inside there is a cotton
quilt, laid on the mattress frame. The
occupant of the bed lies on this, having
a little roll Of stuff for the head, and for
covering very thick cotton quilt.
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
For Evening Gatherings.

A list of amusing forfeits, which will
make the company laugh and not offend
the person called upon to pay them, are
herewith given:
1. Put newspaper upon the floor In
such way that two persons can easily
stand upon it and not be able to touch
each other with their hands. By putting
the paper in the doorway, one half in
side and the other half outside of the
room, and closing the door over it, the
two persons can easily stand upon it
and still be beyond each others reach.
2. To 60 out of the room with two
legs and come in with six. Not very
difficult to do if one thinks to bring
along chair on the return.
8. To act the dumb servant. The per-
son who has the forfeit to pay must act
out the answers to the questions put by
the master of the ceremonies, as How
do you make bread?' Chow do you
make soup?" etc. This forfeit viii cause
much merriment if proper questions are
put.
4. Put one hand where the other can
not touch it. One can get out of this
difficulty by putting one hand on the ell
bow of the other arm.
5. Place pencil on the floor SO that
one cannot jump over it. May be done
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
A Child,S Funeral.

A pauper's funeral is sac sight The
rough pine coffin carried to the grave in
springless wagon, followed by no
mourner, tells the story Of one who died
unmourned. But French artist, trav-
cling in Holland, saw sadder sight.
Pausing in grassy cemetery to read
the inscriptions on the tombs, he dscried
two strange forms approaching the gate.
They were those of two men clothed III
black. In profound silence, with ex-
pressionless eyes, they entered Gods
acre.
One was dressed like peasant. The
other wore three-cornered hat. Both
had long hat-bands of black Grape.
Over the shoulder of the man with a
cooked hat was slung broad strap in
which he carried a boz. They were
hired mourners carrying the corpse of a
child to the grave. Neither father nor
mother, not even family friend, fol-
lowed that small coffin. ALI was left to
the hands of hirelings.
The painter turned away, sad, and
thinking, Ibid not one tear fall on that
little corpse ?"
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
What Is Nickel I?

Since the convenient 5-cent coin which
in common talk is called ga nickel " has
come into general circulation, the ques-
ton above is asked either mentally or
orally hundreds of times every day, and
but few get an intelligent answer. In
China and India, white copper, called
pack tong, has long been known and has
been extensively used both there and in
Europe for counterfeiting silver coin.
About the year 100 peculiar ore was
discovered in the copper mines Of Sax
ony which had the appearance Of being
very rich, but in smelling it yielded no
copper, and the miners called it kupfer-
nickel, or false copper: In 1754 Cron-
stadt announced the discovery Of new
metal in kupfer-nickel, to which he gave
the name of nickel. It was in combina-
ton with arsenic from which he could
relieve it only in parts. The alloy Of
nickel and arsenic which he obtained
was white, brittle and very hard, and
had melting point nearly as high as
cast-iron. It was not until 1923 that
pure nickel was obtained by analysis of
German silver, which had for a number
of years been produced at Suhl in
Saxony. Its composition was ascer-
tanned to be- copper 10 parts, zinc 5,
and nickel 4. If more nickel be used
the alloy is as white as silver and sus-
ceptible of very high polish, but be-
comes too brittle and hard to be ham,
mered or rolled, and can be
worked only by casting. Pure
Eickel is white metal which furnishes
readily in the air. Unlike silver, it is
not acted on by the vapor of sulphur,
and even the strong mineral acids at
tract It but slightly. Nickel has the
hardness of iron, and, like it, has strong
magnetic properties, but cannot be
welded, and is soldered with difficulty.
Pure nickel has heretofore been used
chiefly for plating, for which purpose its
hardness and power to resist atmos-
pheric influences admirably adapt it.
Within the last year the French have
succeeded in rolling the metal into
plates, from which spoons and other ta-
BILE furniture may be pressed. Nickel
bronze, which consists of equal parts of
copper and nickel, with little tin, may
be cast into very delicate forms, and is
susceptible Of high polish. Mines Of
nickel are worked in Chatham, Ct, and
Lancaster, Pa, and it is said to be
found at Mine LIE Motto, Mo-, and at
several points in Colorado and New
Mexico, where but little attention is
paid to it. tits extensively mined in Sax
ony and in Sweden, but the late dis
covery of new ore "a silicate Of nickeD
in New Caledonia will probably suspend
the use of the arsenical ores, and yet
bring nickel into common use. Switzer.
land, in the year 1852, made coin Of
German silver, which is identical in
composition with our nickel coin. The
United States made nickel cents in 1856,
and eight years later coined the 5-cent
pieces. Belgium adopted nickel coin
age in 1860 and Germany in 1873. En-
gland has lately coined pennies for ia
maica, but at home she and France ad-
here to. the clumsy copper small
change.
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
Curious Uses and Works of Ants.

The ant belongs to family of insects
such as wasps, bees, hornets, but is the
superior of them all, as are the elephant,
the horse, and the dog, in other lines of
animal life. Ants are constructed with
the "back" bone in front, and the heart
and other internal organs on the oppo-
site side are put together upside down,
as we might think. Their mouth is for
biting and swallowing food only, not for
breathing. Their bite is 80 determined
and lasting that they are used In some
countries for combining the edges of
wounds and cuts. Ants heads are pre-
sented to the cut surface, which they
grasp with their nippers, when their
bodies are cut off, leaving whole row
of them to hold the flesh. They are
cheaper than sticking plaster in some
countries.
They sometimes excavate tunnels IN
der rivers of considerable depth and
width, and use the tunnels for trans
porting supplies. They dig wells twen-
ty feet deep and q foot In diameter for
drinking water. The harvesting ants
plant seeds on farms, which they cult
vate with great skill and neatness, keep
ing every weed down and harvesting the
grain, curing and storing it safely in
weather-proof cavities in the soil. They
also organize into divisions with COM
manders, each individual doing q certain
kind Of work. Some ants are smart
enough for engineers, while others only
know enough to do as they are told.
They can count and make correct esti-
mates of the magnitude Of an undertake
ing, as proved by observers.
Eight chrysalides (often called the
eggs of ants) were placed in a path
where arts travel. A single individual
found them and undertook to remove
them to their home. Several were car
ried by the single ant patiently enough,
but when twenty chrysalides were placed
in the heap, another ant was found en-
gagged in the work. The pile was in
creased at intervals till eighty ants en-
gagged in the undertaking, showing that
workers were detailed according to the
demands of the case.
Ants battles sometimes last many
days, in one case seven weeks, the vic
tors finally taking the stores and remov-
ing them to their own houses. Their
wars are quite as justiiable as those Of
men, when the object pillage-is the
same. They have the power, too, Of
knowing members Of their own commu-
mites even after six months absence.
Strangers are always driven off or killed.
They are very helpful to each other, and
show sympathy in case of accident or
sickness. Some families Of ants build
arched roads covered by an arch of clay
or mortar for protection against enemies,
and show great skill in the work, which
is under the supervision of trained en-
gineers, who order a rebuilding if the
work is not perfect. Some xmas of ants
keep COWS, build cow-yards, and milk
their COWS regularly, and don't throw
milking stools at them, either, to make
them "give down" but pat and stroke
their backs very tenderly. OF course
these COWS are the plant aphides so IA
miliar to all farmers and gardeners
Prot. e. S. Morse.
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
A Business Proposition.

In Galveston there is no coin of a
lower denomination than nickel in
circulation. This is, of course, a great
inconvenience. For instance, yester-
day two men quarreled on the avenue.
The bigger man of the two said to the
smaller man:
''For three cents I'll give you the
confoundedest licking you ever got in
your life.
The little man looked wicked. He
had his coat off in less than minute.
Then he took out nickel and rendered
it to the other party, who said:
81 said I'd lick you for three cents,
and I'll do it. That's five cents.
Gimme three cents, and I'll fix you SO
the Coroner will have to hire hack to
get enough of you together to hold an
inquest
sYou can keep the change, +" said the
little fellow edging up.
ssI'm like the country. [ dom want
any change. Istick to my proposition
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
How to BE Nobody.

1t is easy to be nobody, and we will
tell you how to do it. Go to the drink
ing saloon to spend your leisure time.
You need not drink much now-just
little beer or some other drink. In the
meantime, play dominoes, or something
else to kill time, SO that you will be sure
not to read any useful books. If you
read anything, let it be the cheap novels
of the day; thus go on keeping your
stomach full, and your head empty, and
yourself playing time-killing games, and
In a few years you will be nobody, I'M
less you should turn out a drunk ard, or
a professional gambler, either OF which
is worse than nobody. There are any
number of young men hanging around
bar-parlors, just ready to graduate and
be nobodies.
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
"My God! I hope he's alive /!

"My God! I hope he's alive 1
wronged him when we lived in England,
twenty years ago."
They saw the old man had drawn the
blankets over his face. The two stood a
moment, awed by the thought that he
might be dead. Goskin lifted the blan.
ket and pulled it down astonished. There
was no one there.
"Gone p cried Driscoll, wildly.
"Gone p echoed Goskin, pulling out
his cash-drawer. "Ten thousand dol
lars in the sack, and the Lord knows
how much loose change in the drawer p
The next day the boys got out, fol-
lowed a horses tracks through the snow,
and lost them in the trail leading toward
Phoebe.
There was a man missing from the
camp. It was the three-card monte
man, who used to deny point-blank that
he could play the scale. One day they
found a wig of white hair, and called to
mind when the stranger had pushed
those locks back when he looked toward
the ceiling for inspiration on the night
of Dec. "a, 1861.
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
Princess LOuiSe's Tart.

The Princess Louise is lady of much
good taste, with large fund of common
sense. The supervision of her house
hold affairs is upon the model character
istic of all wen-appointed English
households. A gentleman who has q
weakness for apricot tart dined with her
short time before she left for En-
gland. To his delight apricot tart was
included in the menu, and he expressed
his fondness for it.
CT am so glad you like it. replied his
hostess because I made it myself.
Let me give you the recipe" and with
interest she detailed its ingredients.
Remember, when you get home, to
tell Mrs. j that apricot tart should
always have an upper crust. THE
HO7JT
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
by putting it close to the wall of the

by putting it close to the wall of the
room.
6. Put question that no one can an
swer with emo" This is not hard if
one thinks to ask, "What does Yes
spell ?"
7. Push chair through finger ring.
This forfeit is made by putting the ring
on the finger and pushing the chair
any other object will do as well-witb
the finger.
= 8. Put yourself through keyhole.
This was great puzzle to us for while,
but when piece of paper was taken
with the word yourself" written upon
it, and pushed through the hole, it was
all clear.
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30

The greatest natural curiosity in the
country is an architect who does bust
ness in Detroit. A man said to him
some time ago: "Draw me the plans for
residence am willing to pay $500
if they suit" The plans were drawn
and they suited, yet the architect said
that 5000 was enough. He estimated
the cost at SO, 900, and it amounted to
only S10,550. He estimated the time In
building at twelve weeks, and the house
was finished in nine.
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
How Sam Houston Was Admitted to the
Bar.

Bowyer Miller, a man of admirable
character and education, when he had
concluded his legal studies decided to
establish himself in Tennessee. It was
soon after the war of 1812-14, says cor
respondent of the New Orleans PicaYasne,
and, in visiting the Circuit Judges to
obtain their certificate of professional
qualification, he fell in with Sam Hous-
ton, fresh from the campaigns of Ala
bama and elsewhere in the Gulf States,
In which he had accompanied Gen. jack
son, and who had determined to adopt
the profession of law. The young men
were at once confidential, and Houston
frankly avowed his own educational de-
fciencies and limited opportunity of
qualifying himself, occupied as he had
been for the few years preceding in the
excitements of the war.
"Miller," said he, 81 shall tell the
Judges that they needn't expect much
learning from me. We shall be exam
med at the same time. If a question of
difficulty is asked, don't be hashful; an
swer it. Leave those that are more
easy to me. I am not at all Jealous"
Miller, who was we'll qualified, was
amused, and promised to do anything in
his power to aid him.
Arriving at the residence of the first
Judge, this agreement was kept up.
Houston invariably introduced the ex-
animation by narrative of something
connected with the war, and with iocu-
lar admission of his own difficulties in
pursuing his legal theories. A question
having been asked upon the abstruse
common-law doctrine of executory de-
crees and contingent remainders, Mr..
Miller modestly repeated the exposition
of his authorities, and the Judge ampi-
fed the reply with remarks upon the
channel of judicial decisions.
We are not to suppose that the exam
nations were very technical or strict.
At succeeding examination, however,
Houston, in reply to question upon
the same subject, took up the reply and
repeated the information that he had ac-
CURED, and, when they called on the last
Judge, Houston observed that the two
preceding examinations must have been
satisfactory, and Judge White gave his
signature and made the young man stay
all night.
Within two years from that time,
Houston had been elected either as State
or District Attorney, while Miller, dis
couraged at the prospect of professional
success, returned to Virginia.
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30

BY HENRY MoRFoRD.

"Yes, I once committed murder,
Outside of the realms of law,
That spose the body of people
Would not heed the worth of straw;
But think should sleep the sounder,
Sometimes when the night winds wall,
II never remembered the murder
Or never told over the tale.
"No matter the road I was running,
In one of the Middle States.
So many years since that wonder
Why the sorrow never abates.
was young, and nasty, and savage,
AS youth is apt to be;
And my hand-my hand, you will fancy
Was trihe too ready and free.
81 was in my caboose Just at evening,
Say tween Holden and Fiddler's Run,
Making time to reach Wayman's siding
For the up-train, at five twenty-one-
had had hot box at Cheeseman's,
And that put me four minutes behind;
So felt ike-the word is ugly,
But the truth-hke going it blind
"Round the curve, and running-say forty
Or it may have been ffty-who knows,
And there ON the track, before me,
black fiend at full scream, arose;
A dog that sat down in the middle
Between the two lines of rail,
And howled, like fiend incarnate,
With mixture of bark, yell and vail.
"Did stop? Not much just opened
The throtHe-yalve, by mite,
And over that dog she went flying,
And over something else-white!
/ stopped her then with shudder,
And ran back in a mangled heap
Lay the dog, and what had been lately
baby-girl lying asleep.
"Have 1 never got over it? No, sir!
And never shall till diei
Why didn't heed the warning,
If twas only black dogs cry?
may have done many more murders,
And 'tis likely have on the whole;
But there's none, when the night winds howling
That lay such weight on my soul!
"And what is the worst of my sorrow?
Don't make the one grand mistake!
1 shouldn't grieye twice, I've fancy,
For the poor dead babys sake!
But the dog that was doing his duty
So nobly-I greve for him;
And never tell over the story
But find my old eyes grow DIM
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
Simme three cents, and j will destroy

Gimme three cents, and i VIII ueStIUy
YOU"
s'Here is fifteen cents. Suppose you
lick me five times, and then it will come
ont even."
''After I've licked you once there
won't be enough left for dog to lick:
I'm not going to rob your widow and
orphans of twelve cents. Gimme three
cents and the trouble can begin right
now. It's not my fault that there are
no copper cents in circulation.-Gal.
resfOR Nelcs
Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-30
WhiSuers.

Whistling, says London paper, is
intensely and peculiarly English, and it
has fourished very much of late years,
which fact looks little awkward for
the intellectual character as well as per-
sonal manners Of the nation. Let any
elderly person of good observation and
memory try to think what would have
been the effect upon room full of peo-
pie, in his salad days, had a steady, con-
tinuous whistle been set up by any one
in company. There were no railway
carriages for people to whistle in; but
fancy if any passenger in stage-coach
had ventured to whistle We all know
that habit spreads very quickly, and
the habits of individuals become the
habits of classes. and in time the habits
of nations. There is just the connec-
ton between an individual and his
country, through the classes with which
he is most familiar, that there is be-
tween the sentiment of egotism and the
sentiment of patriotism, through the
middle sentiment of parochiality. This
particular habit of whistling, therefore,
may have spread from potboy to a
people, passing through many steps of
class contagion by the way.
Few Frenchmen whistle, and Italians
never. The French, indeed, have a
prover5 on the subject, which is not
complimentary to their lively neighbors,
ourselves. When Germans whistle, and
it is not often they do, it is with melody
prepense. They cultivate odd gifts of
amusement, those convivial Teutons,
and whistling is sometimes practiced
among them as an accomplishment. But
it is precisely because German whis-
ties with skill that he keeps his endow-
ment for service when called upon, and
seldom whistles in public, OR without
being asked. The Englishman who can
not whistle does. Do we not all know
the stolid fat man of a few words, but of
one unceasing sound, who is so entirely
the creature of habit that he takes up
the same position at regular periods,
and if he cannot get his accustomed
chair pines neryously in another? But,
in his place or out of it, he whistles soft
ly and oleaginously, as if he would never
grow thin. His whistle is not the shriIl
piping of the plebeian youth, who suffers
uOU ouO O4OWoy I'LL w OAu1AOOA hOI bi1O
sharp winter wind to thrill him into
silence. It is fat, round, soft, hard
breathing whistle, as of an elderly gram
pus overcome by heat. Then there is
the restless man who whistles, and who,
so far from gravitating to one loved spot,
never sits five minutes in any. His
whistle is the most irritating of all, for
he seems to be perpetually suffering
from bad tune in the head, which he
is vainly trying to whistle away. The
restless whistler is great at the devils
tattoo. He beats that Internal rappel
with his fnger-nails on the table, on the
crown of his hat, on anything responsive
to the diabolical drumming. A knife or
poker will serve him in keeping up
steady tap-tap-tap for as bad quarter
of an hour as ever was chimed on a
cracked bell. If chance should move
him to put his hand in his pocket it is
dead certainty that he will whistle.
For he is the bird Of ill-note; the
prophet of disturbance in the moral at
mosphere the Mother Carey's chick of
the yeXed hfe-sea.