davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-11-13
Insurgents Surrendering,

Belgrade, 12.-Insurgent bands are
surrendering to the army every where,
and giving up their arms.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04
The True Standard of Valne.

Values are relative. One person puts
q high estimate on what another deems
worthless. A savage coyets a showy
feather or a gaudy trinket. Civilized
ladies sometimes have s similar fancy,
but. again, an antiquarian would prize
an old book above bale OF feathers
and barrel OF trinkets. Who shall say
what is the real test of value in material
possessions? A little child was recently
startled by what she heard said at the
family table about robbery in tho
neighborhood. AS she learned the pos
sibility of her own home being entered
by robbers she trembled for her choice
possessions. Mamma" she whisper
ed. do robbers take dollsp" Her dolls
were her treasure. Ii they were in
danger, life had new =s;;-7 for her. ''No,
my DEAR" said her mamma. Robbers
don't want dolls. Why should they
take themp' Il didn't know but they
would want them for their little girls
was the answer, showing the child be-
lief that robbers were human, and that
their children had child longings and
child fancies. With the assurance that
her dolls were safe, the little girl had
less dread of robbers. What was the
loss of family silver or of clothing and
jewels, of books or pictures, if the dolls
were to be left unharmed? After all, was
that child's estimate of values wrong or
unreal, or is the trouble with the rest of
us?-Su,1ddy School Times.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04
An Irish Summer.

Wandering steps have brought me hither,
from my Ireland on the shamrocks,
To this larger home of freedom, where her sun
shines on the land;
But my thoughts will wander ever back to
where the Fergus looks on
Smiling valleys lit with glory, flowers and waves
and emerald strand,
Shapes of beauty robed in virgin and immacu-
late demeanOr.
Hill and vineyard. grove delicious, pour their
incense on my soul;
Yet, Still, there are visions whose spotless SER
aph SplendOr
Puts to shame those bright rich treasures
Irish hill, and vale and knoll!
'Tis summer in old Ireland, blushng tender
like maiden,
When love first opens her heart in the morning
of her years,
And tree and flower and streamlet, with her
smiles and glory laden,
Greet her raptured eye and fancy, through the
springtide's falling tears!
Now my heart is full of holy calm, and sweet
emotions
Thrilling my bosom ever like the cadence of a
song,
Once heard within the pillars of churcb's
mute devotiOns,
Full of love and peace and glory, Us it swayed
the praying throng.
Blue Mount Calm, in her vestments, looking
up with hands extended,
Meath the star,enameled footstool. of the God
she eer adores;
And the fir-clad hills of Burren robed in hues
SO sweetly blended,
their shores!
Oh! God be praised forever, for having given
TO our island
Hill and vale{so richly woven and stream so full
of song,
To soothe our troubled bosoms when far from
holy Ireland,
We pine in exile's durance and are oppressed
by tyrant wrong!
But we've hope in Gods ordainings for the
righteous and the holy,
And the summer tide in Erin shadows forth our
faith and love;
For, nor vineyard nor SIERRA nor Campagna
scenic glory,
Can rival in their beauty Irish vale, and hill
and grove.
Oh beauteous, holy Ireland land of song and
bardc glory,
What vistas of rare beauty in the summer ope
in thee;
When the forest afsles are throbbfng and the
raths of olden story,
With the hymn of Gods creation and the TIE
Deum of the sea!
o my Ireland of thy shamrocks, kneeling fair
vestal virgin
AT the shrine Of loving nature, with the sum-
mer on thy brow,
What land in Gods creation-thou crownless,
friendles5 nation
Can bear the palm of beauty from thee as thou
lookest now!
No! thy loveliness is rarest, darling Of my
hopes and passion.
Wearing ever in our sorrow the smiles of God
abOvel
For, as the summer beameth ON thee now, a
shackled nation,
A crown is weaving for thee In land of right
and love!
-TBoston TranscriDt
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04

a very pretty story comes FROM Now
York about four homeless working girls
who determined to abandon the horrid
clearinghouse, pool their earnings. and
make themselves rs real home as can
be found beyond a parents roof. They
rented third-story fat and began Ope-
rations. They were poor, and were
obliged to start with only one room car
petcG. q stove, some chairs, a clock, a
table, a few cups and dishes, knives and
forks, and two mattresses, but no bed
steads Little by little the furniture
was increased; now by chair, next by
bodstead, again by = buTeau, and so
on until from being oo!nPiete, extras
were added. One Of the girls got $50 a
week as milliner; another $12 as a
clerk in Broadway candy store; an
other got $40 or S12 somewhere else,
and the fourth was n dressmaker, and
because she worked at home was made
housekeeper and called steward of the
club. Until the house was furnished
all pooled their earnings, but since then
each has paid every Saturday share
(graded in accordance with their in
Gomez of the weeks expenses, including
stated sum as salary to the steward
ess. The girls dress tastefully and live
better than their neighbors. They live
along without quarreling, and run their
picturesque establishment according to
rules framed and hung in the parlor.-,
One of these rules is that no member of
the club shall receive the visit of a gen
tleman except in the presence of at
least one other member, and that all the
members who are in the house shall be
Dresent in such cases.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04
a Canadian Oourtship.

A real romance occurred lately in a
hotel in Montreal. In the hotel the road
agent of = respectable company board
ed while in the city. In the same hotel
an American young lady WAS domiciled.
The lady was pleasant and accomplish
ed. The young gentleman at first view
ed the lady admiringly at distance,
but too timid to approach. Day by day
his interest grew stronger. He had new
er spoken to her nor she to him, and, so
far as he was concerned, this was what
he most earnestly desired she might do.
In this dilemma he applied to friend
for advice. ''Do you eat at the same
the reply. ''Then 1 would advise you
the next time you dine to ask the lady
to pass the SALT ''All right" sighed
the. love-sick hero. The following day
he intended to put his friends advice
into operation, but was most delightful
ly baked by the lady asking him ''to
please pass the salt" From that mo-
ment the ice was broken, till at last the
lady asked for the gentleman's card,
in order that she might know whom
she was conversing with. The gentle
man at once handed the lady his busi-
ness card. Matters then went on
smoothly, all the while the couple en-
ioying each others company at con-
certs, operas. etc. At length this state
of matters was brought to a crisis. The
lady was about to return to the States.
The lover was perpleXed and again ap-
piled to his friend for advice, who at
once advised him to pop the question
and thus settle anxiety. She was will
ing to become one with him. The ques-
ton then came, when the happy day
would be. She replied ''to-morrow."
To this the gentleman at first demurred,
as he had certain business matters to
fix. She told him to leave them alone
and write to his employers resigning his
position and leave the rest to her. He
complied; they were married and went
to the States, where the Canadian gen.
tleman learned that he had married p
Young widow worth S250.000. In his
happiness he did not forget the friend
who advised him. He sent that gen
tleman a check for $1,000 with letter
of thanks for his kind advice in epa-
bling him to become a rich and happy
man, through the possession of hand
some and loving woman. The gentle
man who rendered the advice felt dubi-
Gus as to the reality of the check, and
did not present it at the bank for some
days. At last he put the matter to the
test, and was informed the money had
been lying in the bank at his order for
a number of days. And SO the romance
ended to the satisfaction of all persons
interested,
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04
The Great Staann Hammer

II have been told" said Mr.. Dubious,
watching the great steam hammer in
the rolling mill, ''that good hammer
man can break the crystal Of watch
with that thirty-ton hammer ''Yes.
SIR" said the Zimmerman, sit can be
DONE" 81 should like to see it," said
Mr.. Dubious, eagerly, feeling in his
watch pocket. II can do it. sir,'' re-
piled the man. ''And will you?" re-
piled Mr.. Dubious, drawing out his
watch. Come, l am anxious to see it
tried" He laid his watch on the great
anvil plate. The hammer rose up to its
full height and the. next instant all its
ponderous weight with a crushing force
that shook the ground for an acre round
came down on that watch. There,
Sir" said the Zimmerman quietly, ''if
you don't believe that crystal is broken,
just stoop down and you can see it
sticking to the hammer" Mr.. Dubious
swallowed whole procession of Jumps
and gasps before he could speak. '.But
forgot to say" he exclaimed, ''that it
was to break the crystal without injur-
ing the watch.' ''Oh, yes" said the
Zimmerman, ''yes, l know; have heard
that rubbish myself, but its all CANNON.
don't believe it can be done. But you
can break the crystal every time."-
Burdette.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04
A New Red Riding Hood.

The subject of this sketch was clev-
er little girl, who derived her odd name
from wearing on her head the sleeve of
one of her fathers old red flannel shirts.
She was an independent little piece and
when asked why her mother didn't buy
her new bonnet, said she would ''just
sleeve wear what she had on.h When
one one of the neighbor's children
sneeringly said, ''Your pa gets drunk"
Little Red Red Riding Hood responded,
Your pa would. too, but he can't af-
ford it;'' and when the next-door boy
ill-naturedly said, ''Your mother takes
in washing" Little Red Riding Hood
answered, '.She don't take in much when
your mother gets the first whack at the
line"
1t will be seen from these incidents in
her life that, though little read, she was
well posted, and the confidence with
which her mother dispatched her to car
ry Goldfish balls down into Stoors town.
ship to her sick grandmother is easily
understood.
Holding the lead dime, which her
motherh had given her for car fare, tight
ly in her hand, Little Red Riding Hood
started for u street-car, and, having
few minutes to wait, improved the OPP
portunity by setting up howl that at
tracted the attention of a benevolent old
gentleman to whom she explained her
cause for grief. She was going, she
said, to her poor, sick grandmother and
had just been put Off car because her
dime was counterfeit. The gentleman
gave her quarter and put her on the
next car. The conductor in due time
called upon Little Red Riding Hood for
q fare, when she produced her lead
dime. ''This is counterfeit" said the
conductor, vyhereat Riding Hood fell to
sobbing as if her heart would break;
tha conductor passed her, al old lady
CIV her dime, and boy shared some
- .,a7bread with her. Arrived near
he. grandmother house Litt.e Red
Riding Hood sat down and ate the cod
fish balls; then she bought some milk
from drunken milkman, upon whom
she passed the counterfeit dime. receiv-
ing from him Is cents in change, after
which she proceeded to her grandmoth-
er's and stayed with her for three
weeks.
In contrasting this story with the or
iginal Little Red Riding Hood the reader
should bear in mind the disadvantage
our heroine labored under in having to
be her own wolf role which she sus-
tanned with signal ability. There does
not appear to be anything more to add,
except that the town is full of our kind
of Little Red Riding Hoods.-Ctncinfaati
SATURDAY Night.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04
SoohelefFs Test Of the SantrY.

AS disciplinarian he was firm and
strict. No point was too minute to be
overlooked. Scobelef's videttes were
never caught mapping. His knowledge
Of the detail of military duty was uni
versa!--egen to sounding all the bugle
calls. An illustration OF the discipline
talking with him Of military breech-
leaders and discussing the merits of Va
rious systems. Taking "Berdan'
with which the troops were latterly
armed, from soldier. he undid tbs
breech and lock and explained the
mechanism with the precision of Il
gun-smith. Returning the rifle to the
soldier. he turned, walking up to y sem
try few PAGES distant, he said: Let
nue. see your rifle extending his hand
as he spoke. The man saluted, and re-
piled: Il cannot. your eXceilency."
But | want to see if it is Clean" per
sisted the general. Il cannot, your ex-
ceileqcy," again said the sentry, as firm
as a rock Scobeleff smiled, pulled his
ears, and walked on. / asked an ex-
PLANTATION, whereupon he said that a
rule of war with him was that no SEN
try on duty was on any account to give
up possession of his arms-not even to
the czar himself But, said l. ''sup-
pose the sentry had given up his rife
when you were seemingly SO serious in
asking it. What then?" ''He would
have been shot," quietly replied tho
general, ''for disobedience to orders in
times of war; "-F0rtnightly RevicW.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04
WHOLE No. 749.
A Police Court at Cairo,

The prefect and his deputy were ar
rayed in black coats and trousers, white
waistcoats, and patent boots. But they
sat, as their predecessors sat a thousand
years ago, erosslegged on the divan.
Litigants came up without formality,
kissed their knees or their hands, ac-
cording, to rank or favor, bent. with
hands folded in their sleeves, to declare
the grievance volubly, answered brief,
harsh question. and took the verdict
helplessly. Cases lasted on an average
two minutes each, as near as l coulG
time it. And all the while men came
and went in the little room, talking
mostly in high, quarrelsome tones. Cof.
fee passed about. If anyone present
was struck with an observation he offer
ed it casually, and his worship listened.
After delivering judgment, always pre-
ceded by grunt OF general dissatisfac-
tion, he clapped his hand and soldier
rnsked in NJ full gallop, holding Up his
sw ord. Forthwith the parties retired.
to discuss matters warmly outside III
full nearing of the court. A matrjraoni-
al difficulty referred to the authorizes
lasted but four minutes by the watch.
A thin, peaking man looked the hus-
band, while the wife, SO far as one
could judge by eyes and nose, was very
pretty. The gentleman told his tale,
the purport of which 1 could not gather.
The lady turned red to the tip of her lit
tie nose and her eyes flashed. She took
up her parable vehemently and sternly.
The prefeot asked further explanations
of the husband, who turned very pale.
He found nothing effective to reply; his
worship pronounced in single phrase,
the galloping soldier appeared, and off
went the pair. l asked of an official
who spoke English if the man was 60
ing to prison. No" said he, ''he go
home" 1t must be admitted there is
something to be urged for system
which can deal with domestic troubles
in this superior way.-London Stand
ard.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04
Left to His Conscience.

During the past summer q number of
Baptists in a certain village in New
York State entered upon the work of
erecting church edifice. One day
when old farmer Gilby was in town he
was informed of the project and asked
to come down with handsome sub
scription. ''How much do you expect
me to sign?" he asked, as he looked ov-
er the subscription papers. 1--WE will
leave it entirely to your conscience"
was the reply. The old gentleman wiped
off his hands, put on his spectacles, and
having borrowed a pencil, put his name
down for so cents. Fifty cents, eh?''
observed the man who had presented
the paper. swell, brother Gilby, l
must say that you have mighty small
conscience" "It may look that way at
first sight," calmly replied the old
man." s.but when 1 can have one of the
best pews in the Methodist church for
nothing, it seems as if so cents was all |
could pay to run the risk of being saved
by any other denomination
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04
a Roruish Rird.

The blue jay is the boldest and most
mischievous of wild birds. Near Knox
vile, Tenn, recently, one was seen to
fly number of times to a high picket
fence to attract pair of kittens playing
on the lawn The kittens finally mount
ed the fence and began a cautious APP
proach from picket to picket. The jay
let the first get to within eighteen inch
es, then hoped over between the two;
The second kitten approached; the bird
hoped over it. 1t turned, and the jay
hoped back and between. The first
kitten approached, and the jay hoppcd
back over it, and so kept it up till one
kitten got disgusted and left, and the
other followed soon after. Once or
twice after the Jay tried to inveigle the
kittens to another frolie, but failed.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04
Weight of Men and Women,
As Determined by Over 10000 People at the Las
Cincinnati Exposition

~N7 uy OVeF 1U,OuO Feopie Al me LdGA
Cincinnati Exposition
The comparative weight of men and
women, and the average weight of gen.
eral humanity has always been an in
teresting subject. So the little circular
issued by Mr.. w. A. Collord, Chairman
of the last Cincinnati Exposition, can
not fail to attract attention He saws:
at will be remembered that permission
was given the Department of Scientific
Educational Appliance to employ q
clerk to record the weights of men and
women being weighed during the exhi-
bition. The sheets containing the record
have now been added up, and the COM
mlttee reports as follows:
The object sought was a determina-
ton Of the average weight of men and
women, fact often required by civil
and mechanical engineers. Haswell
states that the average weight Of 10000
men and women, weighed ct Boston in
1854, was-men, 141I pounds; women,
1243. We have always thought these
weights too low for western people. The
number weighed at the Tenth Cincin-
natl Industrial Exposition was 22,155.
and the total weight 3,072, 500 pounds.
Men weighed, 7.467; weight, 1,15O. 1O8
pounds. Women weighed, 1885,
weight, 1922, 1873 pounds. Average
weight of men, 154.02 pounds; average
weight of women, 13087 pounds.
For men this is 1852 pounds higher
than the Boston average and for women
6.37 pounds higher.
We also determined with reasonable
certainty the average weight of people
from the country, Independently of the
general average. This was rendered
possible by the excursions that wore
coming here at various times from this
and the adjoining states, parts OF which
were weighed.
For Ohio-Average weight of 141 men
was 1873 pounds; average weight OF
179 women was 1882 pounds.
For Southern Indiana and Illinois
Average weight of 123 men was 1882
pound; average weight of 1873 women
was 1885 pounds.
For Kentucky-Average weight of ia
men was 15S.43 pounds; average weight
OF 1888 women was 1876 pounds
The mean Of these averages is so
much above the general average as to
a.: ct attention. For men it is 4.09
C"9ds higher, and for women 265
pt ',lds The very. high. and approx
mate, average of those from Southern
Indiana and IlIipois and from Ken
tue ky recalls the Kentucky origin of the
former.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04
How Danenhower and His Men We're Bu-

The reports of Engineer Melville and
Lieut.. Danenhower, made to the Navy
Department, give details of their jour
ney after the separation of the boats,
most of which have already been pub
lished. Melville. in giving the details of
the burial of DeLong and his party, says
the bodies were placed in a box made
of inch planks, the box being % feet
long, feet wide, and 2 feet deep. In
the center was planted cross made of
spar 13 inches in diameter, with the
names of all the men cut on it in letters
8 inches long, The bex was placed on a
rock 400 feet high, the cross projecting
a distance of IS feet above
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04
A Good Word for Cremation.

There are only three ways in which
dead bodies can be disposed of-either
in earth, sea, or fire. There are obvi-
Gus objections, on the score of good
taste, to sending our dead to be torn to
bits by fishes. 1t is also certain that
our cemeteries and grave-yards, with
slowly-decomposing masses of animal
matter, leads to the surrounding soil
being poisoned by the products of pu-
trefaction-a result that can not be con-
sidered healthy by any stretch of imag-
instion. But if we burn dead body to
ashes we do, or need do, injury to no.
body. There is nothing unwholesome
in the ashes, which may be preserved
with reverent care as sacred relics, and
people who prefer to burn their dead
rather than let them ''lie in cold OBJ
struction and rot'' have both sense and
science on their side. Indeed, we have
never heard of anything Ike good az
current against cremation, save one
1t is that started ty :. Belgium sta as-
man, who holds that, if we burn q 3ad
bod;s,;, we lessen the chances OF detect
ing csses of poisoning. But surely it
would be possible to devise means
whereby, while the body was consumed,
the stomach of each corpse might be
preserved for certain time after death,
lest it might be wanted for analysis
We do not share the terror of those
bishops who, like DR.. Wordsworth, think
that cremation may tamper with the
popular belief in the resurrection of
the body; nor can we affect to sympa-
thize with the late home secretary, who,
when cremation was once brulted in
his presence, is said to have asked with
horror: .'But, then, what shall we do
for burial certifcates?" The world can
and has gone on after the sacrifice OF
far more important forms than the bu-
rial certificate, which, to Sir Richard
Cross. seems an essential element in the
constitution of society; and it ought not
to be more difficult to believe in the
resurrection of a body which a shark
has eaten and digested than to one re-
duced to ashes in funeral pyre.
don World.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04
The Light Affection Department.

Charles Dickens had a very good
story about the early days of a renown-
ed mourning establishment. He went
there one day about some mourning,
and was ushered into room where sat
a shopman with an attendant in woe
stricken habiliments, who groaned out,
"a father, mother, perhaps wife?"
30, no." said Dickens, ''only q distant
relativer' 80, sir" said the funereal
one, ''you have made mistake; this is
the chamber of agonizing woe. John,
toll the'bell and show the gentleman in
to the light affliction department"
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-04

Woman's rights are obtaining recog-
milton in Norway. The Parliament has
just passed a law, which the King has
signed, giving women the privilege of
attending the universities and applying
for degrees in all arts and sciences; but
the right to hold office in the service of
the state, and of participating in the
competitive examinations for such po-
sitions. is not yet accorded to them,