davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-05-13
Large Mouths Ave FnshlOnnhIe.

The fashion papers, which are author
ity on the styles, claim that ladies With
large mouths are all the fashion now,
and that those whose mouths are small
and rOsebud-like are all out of STYLE.
1t is singular the freaks that are taken
by fashion. Years ago a red-headed
girl, with mouth like a slice cut cut of
"A muskmelon, would have been laughed
Mt, and now such a girl is worth going
miles To see. 1t is easier to color the
hair red, and be In the fashion, than ii
is to enlarge the mouth, though a mouth
that has any give to it can be helped by
the constant application of a glove
stretcher during the day, and by hold
ing the cover to tin blacking-bOX in
the mouth while sleeping. What In the
world the leaders of fashion wanted to
declare large mouths the style for, the
heavens only can tell. Take n pretty
face, and mortice out about third of
the front OF it for mouth, and it seems
to us as though it is a great waste of the
raw material. There is no use that a
large mouth can be put to that a small
mouth would not do better, unless it Is
used for a pigeon-hole to file away old
sets of false teeth. They can't, certain
ly, be any better for kissing. You all
ItltlAttI lAlt AltNGAAlAk AAAtiAA nAAO az
tended the church fair at Kalamazoo,
where one of tho sisters would give a
kiss for 10 cents. He went up and paid
his 10 cents, and was about to kiss her
when he noticed that her mouth was one
of these large, open-face, cylinder
escapement, to-be-continued mouths.
1t commenced at the chin and
went about four chains and three
links in nOrthwesterly direction,
then around by her ear, across un-
der the nose and back by the other
ear to the place of beginning, and con-
tanning about twelve acres, more or less.
The travelling man said he was only a
poor orphan, and had a family to sup
port, and if he never came ont alive 1t
would be great hardship to those de
pendent ON him for support, and he
asked her as a special favor that she
take her hand and take a reef in one side
of the mouth so it would be smaller.
She consented, and puckered in a hand
full of what would have been cheek, had
it not been mouth. He looked at her
again and found that the mouth had be-
come very one-sided affair, and he said
he had just one more favor to ask. He
was not a man that was counted hard to
suit, when he was at home In Chicago,
but he would always feel as though he
had got his moneys worth, and go away
with pleasanter recollections of Kalama
ZOO, if she would kindly take her other
hand and draw the other side of her
mouth together, and he would be con-
tent to take his 10 cents worth out of
what was left unemployed. This was
too much, and she gave him terrible
look, and returned him his 10 cents.
saying: :" Do you think, sir, because you
are Chicago drummer, that for 10 cents
you can take kiss right out of the best
part of it? Col Get thee to nun
nery," and he went and bought lemon
ade with the moneY.-Peck's Sum-
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-05-13
The Romance of a Tramp.

During the Centennial year, among
the thousands who went through the
Centennial buildings one day in July
was tramp named George As
he was passing down the steps, after an
inspection of the building, he stumbled
and fell, breaking his arm. A Capitol
policeman picked him up, and after pre-
pairing a cot sent for surgeon, who set
the arm. This over, the tramp asked
the privilege of setting around in the
Capitol Park until he got strong enough
to go about again, saying he had no
money, and knew that habitual loungers
were liable to arrest on charge of va
grancy. The desired privilege was
granted; and, in addition, an arrange
ment was made by which he was given
comfortable sleeping place in the build
ing. The officer also managed to bring
1ufsod from his boarding-house to
supply him. In about two weeks the
tramp gave notice that he would start
West. He was exceedingly thankful
for the kindness shown him by the Of
ficer, and. said If he ever got half a
chance, he would endeavor to repay it.
The tramp met Centennial tourist
from Salt Lake City who happened to
know his father After talking, the
tourist offered to take him West If he
wanted to go. The offer was accepted,
and the Capitol policeman, Arthur
Thomas, went to the depot with them
and bade them goodbye.
Now let four years pass and the rest
of the story comes in. Arthur Thomas,
who was a Capitol policeman in 1876, is
now, and has been for more than year,
Secretary of Utah Territory, having
been appointed on the Recommendation
of number of leading men, Republicans
and Democrats. Some weeks since a
man named George -- entered MIR.
Thomas office in Salt Lake to ascertain
something about the boundaries and
survey of certain sections of mineral
lands. They recognized each other and
had long talk. The tramp had pros
pered. Besides having g wife, he can
draw aud have honored his check for
800, 900. Everything he has touched
since he has been in the Territory has
turned into money one way or another.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-05-13
Preeocitr a Sign of InreriorItr.

M. d. Delaunay, in communication
TO the French ,SOciete de BiOLOgie, has
advanced the opinion that precocity is
sign of biological inferiority. In sup
port of his position, he adduces the fact
that the lower species develope more
rapidly, and are at the same time more
precocious than those higher in the scale
Man is the longest of all in arriving at
maturity; and the inferior races of men
are more precocious than the superior,
as is seen in the children of the Esqui-
maux, negroes, Cochin Chinese, Arabs,
Japanese, etc, who are, up to a certain
age, more vigorous and more intellectual
than small Europeans Precociousness
becomes less and less, in proportion to
the advance made by any race in civili-
zation-a fact which is illustrated by the
lowering of the standard for recruits,
which has been made necessary in
France twice during the present century
by the decreasing rapidity of growth of
the youth of the country. Women are
more precocious than men, and in all
domestic animals the female is formed
sooner than the male. From eight to
twelve years of age a girl gains one
pound year ON boy, and in mixed
schools girls obtain the first places up to
the age of twelve The inferior tissues
and organs develope before the higher
ones, and the brain is the slowest of all
the organs to develop. M. Delaunay
concludes his paper by stating that the
precocity of organs and organisms is in
an inverse ratio to the extent of their
evolution. n.-ISdflitdrid7a.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-05-13
Reckless Extravaganza.

At recent dancing party, one of the
events of the season, one of our lovely
Young debutantes was noticed standing
beside a costly upright piano, chatting
with her escort. Supper was in pro-
gress, and at the lady's elbow, ON the
top of the piano, was a plate of terrapin.
Presently, another gentleman appeared,
carving an ice; in the service he had
somewhat soiled his dainty hands; and
in her anxiety to repair the damage, the
fair subject of his devotions bade him
hold his hands over the terrapin plate,
while she deluged them with the con-
tents of champagne glass that stood
bv. Naturally, the liquid carried with
it the greasy contents of the small dish,
and down went the whole mixture into
the delicate machinery of the piano.
Did my lady care? Not whit; she was
only a debutante, but she was true
convert, and she laughed merrily, and
Showed her pretty teeth, as if heartily
amused at the devastation. She seemed
even to resent the interference of an
elder lady, who, disgusted at the destruc-
ton, and, perhaps, moved to pity by the
injury being done to the piano, almost
"a thing of life, came to the rescue. and
stopped the sticky stream that was pour
ing relentlessly over the keys and fragile
wires. Progress.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-05-13
The Liars.

The other day stranger walked into
a Woodward avenue establishment en-
ploying about ninety people and in
quired:
"Have you any liars in your employ?'
eyes. sir: we have at least sixty"
was the prompt reply.
If You were to go up and down the
country asking each man you met if he
knew of the whereabouts of a liar you
would discover that sixty per cent. of
the population of this country could be
included under that head. You meet
liars on every corner, you pass them on
every block; you sit beside them on every
street car, and lying has become such a
custom that liars are as well thought of
as truth-tellers.
The newspapers come in contact with
the liar every hour in the day. Let a
man fall from the roof of a shed on High
street and break his arm, and the news
travels about as follows:
One block away -"Broke both arms. :"
Two blocks away-"Both arms and a
leg"
pieces and was dead when they picked
him up"
-Four blocks away-"Committed sui
eide.
Five blocks away-"Shot his wife and
then blew his head off. ;"
At the City Hall-''Set fire to his
house, Drained the baby, stabbed his
wife and then blew himself up"
Every inducement is held out for
reporters to exaggerate. Indeed, plain
facts are of no interest to hundreds of
readers. Detroit Free Press.
TT is said on the best authority that
toad frequented the steps before the hall
door of a gentleman's house in Devon
shire for upwards of thirty-six years.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-05-13
VOL. XyI.--NO. 33.
The Fine Talker.

The me talker IN city runs but
brief career. He is as short-Iived as the
race-horses%oE the man who swings by
one leg Oh trapeze or hoists cannon
balls, or IN any other way wins applause
by forcible spufts of display. In a wear
or two the Jokes begin to look thin and
the capital stories give signs of having
been turned and patched much too often.
The talker then usually throws them
into a lecture or two. and is ant TO earn.
not State diffhers, bnt daily bread and
beef with them while he delights provin-
cial lyceul IS. Outside of the large
cities your, fine talker is seldom n wit.
The bucolie mind distrusts the funny
man. The rs pie of small towns elect
as, the 0KacI~ the ready but weighty
speaker. tssc Iran of general research
Ipt0,encys .ssets--< and magazines, who
= - give you an opinion off-hand on
beet sugar, or Russian politics, or pre-
destination, or the chances as to the
Presidency in 1884, with fiuency and au-
thonty. He keeps his wits on tap, SO to
speak, ready for all comers. To be sure,
even IN the slow eddies and currents of
thought in provincial life, the opinions of
this leader OF intelligence and converse
ton sometimes appear stale and second
they have elected their ruler wisely. But
they generally wonder in silence, and he
talks on his way triumphantly.
The female of this species is marked
by the same characteristics She is
usually more effusive, however. She
takes her audience more into her conf
dence- A gushing sympathy and per-
sOnal interest are her capital, instead of
the good stores and the quick humor of
which most women are destitute. Hav-
ing claimed you as her friend, she pro-
ceeds TO show YOU what an acquisition
you have made. She Is ready to exhaust
and settle forever all questions upper
most in the community; whether 1t be
the Indian problem, embroidered tides,
or universal salvation.
The salient point to be noted in the
men or women who are pOpularly known
as fine takers in this country, that their
material is. as a rule, stale and,second-
. hand They have o verbal expertness
in handling thoughts; they give them
out as literally as the plowman throws
down the chopped fodder to his herd.
But the thoughts are chopped fine and
dried; they bear the same relation to the
simple utterances of a genuine thinker
that the dry cut stubble does to the green,
live, growing corn in the field. The
men and women noted as conversers in
English society of the last century were
those gifted with dramatic powers or
dashing wit They were the rdcOnteurS
or wits whose stories and repartees have
come down to u.s. But now we Ameri-
cans want facts and opinions from the
men whose talk would satisfy us, and we
are not particular as to whether the facts
are the fruit of real knowledge, or the
chance scrapings of review-reading. We
have not yet grown up to the old French
idea of a great cdltScJSr-the man or
woman who says little and listens much,
who never makes a display; but allf of
whose knowledge, magnetism, and tact
are used.to bring ont his companls1 and
place Jim lts- is best -=Heze 1;or& Zri-
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-05-13
THE Op0ssUM M THE HEN HOUSE.

80 George. the circus is comingi.vs
handbills are all up, aud such picI
horses and lions and tigers. and
thingl'
Ned jumped about for Joy, until George
said:
But how are you going, Ned? We
have no money, and papa said he could
not give us any more this month, II he
gave us a gun.
THE new gun-so he did, said Ned,
sadly. But the circus takes so little;
they would let us in at half price
Il viii tell you," exclaimed George;
"Iet us sell our white Leghorns to NAM
ma. She wants them, L know, and the
money we get for them viii take us both
/ to the circus.
This was settled, and at dinner mamma
was told of the plan
" Put them up in the hen-house to-
night, she said, ''and tomorrow l will
/ look at them and we will fix the price
The boys went TO bed early that night,
/ but had hardly settled themselves to
/ sleep when Melissa, the little servant
/ girl, rushed in with a light in her
/ hand.
80. git up, boys, git upl Sompen's in
/ de hen-house KILN all de fowls
They jumped up and huddled on their
clothes as fast as they could, then ran
after Melissa, who held the light while
they armed themselves with sticks.
There WIS a great stir, sure enough,
in the hen-house-fow were cackhng
and screaming with fright, and a curious
swapping sound came from one corner
When the light fell here they saw a
rough, hairy little animal, with small
bright eyes like pig, and along smooth
tail But. worst of all one of the beauti-
ful white Leghorns lay before 1t, all
mangled and bleeding The horrid crea-
ture was tearing its soft body, and would
hardly stop eating when the children
attacked him.
At last Melissa caught up n stick, and
killed the little beast with quick blow
She held ituP in triumph by its long tail.
1t looked very much like a little pig,
aud had five fingers, like toes on each
foot.
d" 'Tis 'possum, said Melissa. "and
very good 10 eat. Is right glad 1 killed
it. cos now tbs mine.
You are welcome to 1t. " said Ned.
half crying "What shall we do now
our pretty Leghorn rooster is dead? We
cant go To the circus. 4" =--s--
Next morning they told their tale at
the breakfast table.
Never mind, said their father: &" /
think You may go, after all, as l owe
You something for killing the 'possum.
He would have destroyed the rest of the
fowls"
Yes; but. papa, Meliss killed it; we
only struck at it. ~
" Well, | think l must treat the whole
party, as all did their best. We will set
a trap to-day for the next opossum that
may come to see us.
The boys and Melissa went to the cir
Gus, and enjoyed all they saw, and Mel
issa had fine opossum stew into the
bargain.
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-05-13
Floral Offerings.

1 chanced, not a thousand wears ago.
to be in a theater where an artiste was
planting her shapely foot on solid
round of the ladder of success. She was
poor. For years she had struggled for a
''chance" That's what We all seek.
! Give me, says Wharton Baker. Eso. "a
chance at the Interior Department. and
| I'll show 'em. Give me, says the tyro. a
newspaper chance, and I'll make the
world my slave. Well, this girl. after
| pawning everything but herself found a
great, grim wolf standing right IN front
of her attic door. The VOLTS 1ame was
Hunger, and made himself unconfortably
at home with her. Accident-and acct
dent is the moving potentially nine
times out of ten-secured her "a chance"
in venture. She took the chGlce with
petty weekly salary and wentt0 work.
Her head was hot, her chest vas sore,
her arms aud legs were thin fu z,ant OF
food. She strained every neI~e IN tic
bme, aud m"de TIC Veff1'1rTT = ~ -.
The manager took in money fast. The
girl became all the rage. More salary =?
Not cent more. Why not? Because
she had contracted for petty price and
managers never break contracts - do
they?
But she got applause and flowers?
Flowers?
Yes, and the night of which l speak
(it was Just week ago IN this city,, with
her red eyes intiamed with tears because
she hadn't an extra cent in her wallet,
with her heels sore with the rubbing OF
shoes she could not replace, she went
smirking and smiling to the foothGhts to
take with trembling hand from the
e
floral tributes, one of which cost SlOO
and the other S25l
What mOckeryl
Twenty-Five dollars in money would
have been a God-send.
Twenty-Five dollars in cash would have
bought her the underclothes and the
shoes she literally needed.
Twenty-Five dollars would have enabled
her to get beef, iron and wine, which the
physician had ordered, but which she
hadn't the spare dollar for.
OF course, you won't think advise the
sending of money instead of flowers.
That would be an insult quick to be re
sented. L am narrating facts, not ten
dering advice. A few dollars spent IN
cut flowers, or even for choice bouquet,
can do all the most extreme admlrer
should seek TO do in public. It's the
thoughtfulness, not the extravaganza,
that produces an impression. If cared
to cause a real lasting happiness-happi-
ness that would start tear or so of
gratitude-Td find out quietly and ex
actly the party's status, and in some
proper and delicate mode send her what
she most needed There are times when
a ton of coal, two suits of flannel under
clothes, a bird cage, pair of shoes, a
small box of tea or three or four tickets |
for a Turkish bath would do much more |
toward warming the inner cookie of a |
young woman's heart than a hundred /
dollars worth of flowers. Send flowers. |
too. Send, however, flowers that can be |
gratefully received and easily carried up |
the stage. - -HOl00TdS Philadelphia |
Times Z,-fyey
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-05-13
She Saw Him a Few Better,

The public has long conceded that
the power of the hotel clerk is superior
10 that of President. A new rival has
sprung ND in the railroad ticket agent.
al want ticket to B" said a
well-k known lady of an Iowa town, just
before train.
Twenty-four cents" responded the
agent. working his sausage machine.
She laid down silver quarter. Being
well acquainted and a practical joker,
the agent drew from his pocket a glitter
ing pants button, passed it over with the
ticket and scooped up the quarter.
els this legal tender ?" asked the lady
quietly.
"Oh, yes, he answered with mock
gravity, they are the malnstay of the
republic.
ing the agents face coruscating with
smiles.
A few DAYS after he told it to a brigade
ofrunners buying tickets for B, and,
while he was enjoying the encore, the
lady appeared with
siTicket for B, please"
"Twenty-four cents, with sly wink
at the runners. He laid down the ticket.
She scooped it and laid down twenty
four dazzling pants buttons, exactly like
the first.
lyon said they were legal tender.
They go a long way IN supporting the
family" she chirped sweetly, as she
bowed from the presence of more than
Presidential prerogative.
Then he set 'em up to the brigade
of enlightened runners. - Cleveland
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-05-13
Exnression in TYnes.

Types have an expression of their
own and can be made to speak plainly
enough without putting them into
formal words if they are only set up In
the right shape. The following will
make this very plain to every reader,
nothing but the ordinary symbols in
common being employed to tell the
story of the three worthless. 1t will be
seen that it is wholly unnecessary to say
that the old girl in the middle is in
condition of perplexity, doubt and gen.
eral anxiety, which is perfectly natural.
considering how hard it must be to make
herself acceptable at one and the same
time to the very glum man on her right
and the exceedingly jolly fellow on her
Loft
The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-05-13

Abolt seven miles west of the "boro
limits" of FoXburg. on the Blue jay
Peuinslla, Is q place called Balltown,
andanong other developments going on
in tlai vicinity Is a well that produces
bIask oil This oil Is so black that even
the elimmer of the brightest light can
Dothe seen through bottle containing
a sanple of 1t. 1t bears q perfect re-
semBance, in fact, TO the substance
knom as coal-tar, and emits a powerful
odor precisely like that of spirits of tar.
Whs it is good for, or what particular
quabes and elements 1t possesses. have
not -et been determined upon, though
we aay depend upon IL that il would
not sist as a mineral production unless
thertwere some Use to which il could be
apphd. What that use may be, how
everis a question for future settlement.
In its present state this oil (if we may
call ioiD, Will not burn without emit
ting dense, black smoke, almost as
blacas the liquid itself, which deposits
a thie SCOT, that presents the idea of its
beinga very useful production for the
manufacture of lamp-black or other
subst@ce of that description 1t has
also ben suggested that 1t may turn out
10 bevery valuable As a basis of ex-
tractia for analine dyes, though this is a
sublec that no one can speak upon with
authorTy till chemical analysis of the
substance has taken place, and this, we
understand, Will be commenced imme-
diatelv The strike Is certainly an ex-
traordiDary one, and as far as we can
ls=>+.s V.athiag like L sever before been
knowl in the history OF the oil trade.
No otae well IN or near the vicinity has
anything approaching to it. The oil
seems to be found in the slate at a depth
of 270 ket. and what is the more singu-
lar is, that, although the drill passes
through the same kind of slate and at
the sane depth in adjacent wells, no
such weld as we have been describing
has cone from any other except the one
in question. We shall refer at greater
length 10 this subject in a subsequent
issue- IifghSUiUe pa HCrd{d