davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21
Why English W omen are Handsome.

Beauty, says an English paper. by which
is meant not merely ideally perfect features,
but fine, strong, comely type of physical
organization, such as carries with it spiritual
and moral graces most attractive to mems,
as we have said a heritage of English wo-
men. 1t is, therefore, transmissible, but in
one way only. By the process known to the
Darwinian as sexual selection" the ''fittest''
survive, and in England the degree of popu-
lar prejudice of taste is that, among women,
the fttest" are the comeliest 1t is true we
do not drown all the girl children when we
find there is no chance of their growing into
fair women, but we practically make it eer-
tain that they die out, for we object to marry
them. An ill-favored woman in England is.
with rare exception, social failure" and
though George Eliot, in Adam Bede," tries
to show that her hopes of matrimony are
not, therefore, blighted, her whole argument
is vitiated by what very often vitiates rea-
soning- compassion for unmerited and irrep-
arabic misfortune. However, the great point
is that English society does not, as it were
conspire to perpetuate race of ugly women,
simply because society has never yet been
able to divest Englishmen Of their prejudice
in favor of marrying conely ones
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21
They Weren't Sandwiches.
Detroit Free Press.


! Among the score Of US who rushed into a
railroad eating house in Mississippi at the
call of twenty minutes for dinner" was
chap who had his mind made up to say
something unpleasant when he came to pay
for his meat. He was growing when he
went in and he jawed all the while he was
eating, and when he slouched up to the desk
to pay his seventy-fve cents he broke out
with:
Them sandwiches are enough to kill o.
dog"
What sandwiches ?"s
why, them on the table"
But we have no sandwiches on the table
sir" protested the landlord
You haven't? Why, 1 should like to
know what you call them roasted brick bats
on that blue platter ?"
You didn't try to eat one of those?"
"Yes, l did"
Then, my friend you had better 20 for
doctor at once. Those are table ornaments
made of terra-cotta, and were placed there
to help fill up space. Land O. rats but you
must have lived in a cane-brake all your
life
The traveller rushed into the car and began
to suck at a brandy flask, and he didn't get
over looking pale for three hours.
And they were sandwiches after all-real
good ham sandwiches made that day. The
landlord had adopted that particular style,
instead of using a club
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21
OrnithOlogical Intelligence.

But perhaps the most remarkable bird
performance was shown near Pail Mall, Lon
don, in 1889. A number of little birds,
writes Strut, to the amount Of twelve or
fourteen, being taken from different cages,
were placed upon table in the presence OF
the spectators, and there they formed them
selves into ranks like company Of soldiers.
Small cones Of paper bearing some resem-
lance to grenadiers' caps were put upon
their heads, and diminutive limitations of
muskets made with wood secured under
their left wings. Thus equipped, they
marched to and fro several times, when a
single bird was brought forward, supposed
to be a deserter, and set between six Of the
musketeers, three in a row, who conducted
him from the top to the bottom of the table,
on the middle OF which small brass cannon
charged with little gunpowder had been
previously placed, and the deserter was
placed in front of the cannon His
guards then divided, three retiring on one
side and three on the other, and he was left
standing by himself Another bird was i'm
mediately produced, and lighted match
being put into one of his claws he hoped
boldly on the other foot to the rear of the
cannon, and applying the match to the
priming, discharged the piece without the
least appearance Of fear OF agitation. The
moment the explosion took place the de-
serter fell down, and lay, apparently motion
less, like dead bird; but at the command
of his tutor he rose again, and, the cages be-
ing brought, the feathered soldiers were
stripped of their ornaments and returned
into the cages in perfect order This per-
tormance is now attempted, but never car
ried out to such perfection, the bird merely
hopping upon aperch, its weight alone firing
the cannon
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21
THE KAISER's QUESTIONS.

The Kaiser would go 10 the orpbanage,
Upon summer day:
A8d TIE children braided their f!axen hair
And tied il with ribbons gay.
They tied i with ribbons pink and blue,
And each wore her dress of white,
And The Kaiser said he thought 10 man
Could see a lovlier sight.
Then lie took his plumed Aat of his head,
And they coErtesied to him low
Ee said God bless You, children dear,
And make you in wisdom grow"
He called TO his side blue-eyed girl
she was fair as a child could be-
And he said: Stand here, thou little one,
And answer me questions three.
This lilly, so fair and white and sweet,
To what kingdom does it belong ~
TO the vegetable kingdom, Sire"
And her voice was like song.
And this little toy of purest gold p
(He showed her a mimic Tyre
And she looked up with smile and said
To tie mineral kingdom, Sire
Now tell me, my clever little maid.
To what kingdom DO belong
She thought of lions, of cows and sheep,
The AHimai, sure is wrong.
She looked at his kingly air and dress
(She was but a child of elevenL
And said with still and solemn air:
i think-to The Kingdom Of He0vea."
Tie Kaiser looked down and then looked III
And his eyes were full of tears.
The wisdom of Heaven dwells," he said,
In the child of tender years"
He felt as if by an angel taught
And his soul to its depths was stirred
SO he left royal largess there,
For the little damsels word.
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21
Getting the Worth of His Money.
New York World. |

New Ork world.
Yesterday evening man, a little tol
heavy, rushed into Sixth avenue telegraph
Office, seized telegraph blank and stub
with ball of dried ink on the end, and by
propping himself against the counter, man.
aged to write the following message:
Katie, l won't be home till morning.
"Whatll that cost " said the man, handing
the message through the port hole to the
manipulation of electricity.
LET me see. Seven words, fifteen cents
Fifteen cents, eh? How much for ten
words ?"
The same price; anything not exceeding
ten words will cost you fifteen cents to any
address in the city," answered the operator,
making a spring to mnzzle the instrument
that was sputtering as if it had the delirium
tremens.
Pm bound to have the worth OF my
money out of this corporation, then," said
the man, bracing himself against the counter
as he traced on blank this clear message
Incomprehensibility man 1iacturers, trans
cendentalism, Constanstinople, concavo- con-
vex, Massachusetts, assassination, Pennsyl-
vania, imperturbability philoprogenitive-
ness" ...-...
1Here, stTlnS tuaI Oh your wire anu senu
her at 2:40 gait" said the man with look
of vengeance in his eye.
The operator counted the words, but vol
unteered the information that there was no
sense in the message, and that the dictionary
must have been ransacked for the longest
words.
Il know there's no sense in it, but Kate1l
understand it all the same; she'll know that
Pm on drunk anyway when l send mes
sage at this hour, whether it's sense or not
I make 'em long on purpose to break the
the back of your burned machine. Shove
'em in and start the crank. Pm in for a
good time. Never mind the expense, here's
your fifteen cents" And the man ran out
and hailed passing cab
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21
A Golden Prescription.

The Russian medical journal, Health, re.
Gently exposed costly trick played by some
st. Petersburg physicians On their wealthy
patients 1t relates to so-called golden
prescription, which is as follows
Rp. Pulv. auri puri, gr. xv.; Aq. distil,
OF. vi. Filtra ct adde syr, aurant, OF. IS.
In plain English-"Take fifteen grains of
pure gold powder, six ounces Of distilled
water, filter and add half an ounce OF orange
syrup. This prescription costs twenty seven
roubles, over $13, but the golden powder, ac-
cording to Health, remains in the drug store
on the paper filter. Therefore the patients
pay their twenty-seven roubles for little
water sweetened with orange syrup. The
doctors giving this prescription are out of
the reach Of the Medical Board they are too
rich, and the drug stores will not betray
them, being interested in the golden pre-
scription
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21

The Strong and Careful Way In Which
the Boundary Line Between the
United States and Canada is
Marked.

Most people imagine that the boundary
line between the United States and Canada
is only an imaginary one, and few are aware
that the line is marked by stone cairns, iron
pillars, earth mounds and timber posts,
at intervals of one mile apart. A stone cairn
is 73xS feet an iron pillar feet high,
inches square at the bottom and four at the
top; timber posts feet high and 8 inches
square There are 382 of these between the
Lake of the Woods and the base of the
Rocky Mountains. That portion Of the
boundary which lies east and west Of the
Red River Valley is marked by cast iron
pillars at even mile intervals. The British
place one every two miles, and the United
States one between each British post. They
are hollow iron castings, th1ee-eighths Of an
inch in thickness, in the form of truncated
pyramid, eight feet high, eight inches square
at the bottom and four inches at the top.
They have at the top solid pyramid cap,
and at the bottom an octagonal fange one
inch in thickness. Upon the opposite faces
are cast in letters two inches high the in
scription, Convention of London" and "Oc-
tober 20. 1878" The inscriptions Degin
about four OF six inches from the base and
read upwards The interiors of the hollow
posts are filed with well-seasoned cedar
posts sawed to fit, and securely spiked
through spike holes cast in the pillars for
the purpose. The average weight Of each
pillar, when completed, is about eighty-fve
pounds. The pillars are all set four feet in
the ground, with their inscription to the north
and south, and the earth is well settled about
them. For the wooden posts, well seasoned
logs are selected, and the portion above
ground painted red to prevent swelling and
shrinking. These posts do not swell, but as
the Indians cut them down for fuel, nothing
but iron will last very long. Where the line
crosses lakes, monuments of stone have been
built, the bases being in some places eighteen
feet under water and the tops projecting
eight feet above the land surface at high
water mark In forests, the line is marked
by telling timber rod wide and clearing
the under brush.
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21
Battered Wrecks in Washington.
[ Correspondence Philadelphia Press. |

Correspondence Philadelphia Press.
The streets of Washington are lined with
old battered wrecks that the waves and
winds of politics have cast ashore from time
to time. A young man with ability and
ambition, but with no money, is lured to
Washington by the tickle light of social and
political prominence. do not care whether
he comes to the house. whether he comes to
the Senate. whether he is the head of a
bureau, an officer of Congress, or even De-
partment. The life is gay and easy, and
most inviting and seductive. Money comes
easy. He forgets to look upon it for what it
is worth, and is gradually drawn into the
thoughtless, selfish life and habits by which
he is surrounded. He does not study, he
does not improve, but year by year he be-
comes less fitted for selfsupport. He loses
his energy if he ever had it; he loses his
ambition. But there comes food, and he
is swept from his moorings. The party has
changed, or his political influence" has
changed, and he finds himself with the same
idle habits, but without a salary. He can
not or will not 60 back to his old home and
begin anew, but he stays here, and year by
year hopes yet to get back into Office. How
he lives in the meantime heaven only knows.
The are honorable exceptions, but they only
StTNc W cSUttUllSu Uut IUlc. COmc VI luS
richest and most prominent citizens began
life in Washington as Department clerks. I
will not mention names. It is a fact, how
ever, well known here, that majority of
those who are forced out of public life in
Washington turn out as "ne'er do weels."
l know graduate of Harvard College,
who was himself the President of college,
Senator in Congress, and subsequently in a
position of almost unequalled power, who
settled" in Washington. Drink and cards
brought him to ruin, and he was, if am
not wrong, once in Jail and frequently in
the station house. He was a superior
scholar an eloquent speaker, and an able
thinker 1t was not unusual for him to ac-
cost his for friends and ask for a quarter to
buy him something to eat. Where he is
now do not know.
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21
How to Kill Rats.
(All the Year Round.I


Marvellously cunning are rats in recog.
nizing devices for their capture. Toasted
cheese and rank fish are the bats common.
ly employed, since the far penetrating odol
lures them to the spot where the trap is set
but in places where they are so plentiful
that the resort may be counted upon, moth
ing is so likely to induce them to enter as a
bit of fruit or lettuce, of which they are
passionately fond Another successful dodge
for catching them in bulk is to strew room
literally with some highly seasoned, thirst
producing food-salt cheese, for instance, OF
hemp-seed-and arrange bucket Of water
in such a way, either by a fitting board Or
creased rim, and when they 60 to drink
they may tumble in and be unable to get
out again. A friend of mine asserts that NO
bait is SO attractive to them as simple paper
(they certainly seem to be very fond of it),
and suggests that they would greedily de-
YOUR blotting paper impregnated with some
fluid poison disguised with their favorite
oil of anise. How this might be do not
know, but I should doubt it, considering
what acute analytical noses these little tox-
biologists have, but it is worth trying. Deer
and such like animals are highly absorbent
of paper l know fellow that possessed a
pet brocket that could do no wrong, until
one day it went into his cabin and ate a
number of $5-notes since which he has
looked upon the cervida as very inferior
group, and genus cariacus as distinctly i'm
moral.
Traps they will rarely enter they are sus-
p.cious of poison, and if they are beguiled
into taking it they get away behind bulk
heads and into other inaccessible places to
die and so breed a pestilence. Anything
with very strong admixture of arsenic will
preserve the bodies from corruption, unless
they get wet, but not one rat in one hun
dred will even snuff at such compound,
and its trial generally results in the poison
ing of every domesticated animal on board,
and ends by finding it's way into the coffee
one morning, or something of that sort Oc-
however, rats will make mis-
take, and it is no uncommon thing to pick
them up dead in the holds of ships which
carry dried hides, in the preparation of
which great deal Of arsenic is used.
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21

The Russian Government has begun to ex-
ecute its scheme for colonizing the lower
parts of the Anoor Province, adjoining the
Chinese frontier, by dispatching from Odessa
80 emigrants, constituting $50 families II
the project, which contemplates the removal
of 100000 persons to the new settlements,
is carried out on the scale on which it has
begun, the expense will be enormous-not
much less than S10, 100000, in the opinion of
the Moscow Gazette The colonists already
dispatched were supplied with -four, oats,
agricultural implements, forty mill-stones,
two thousand wagon wheels, several thou
sand pairs of boots, and other articles of
clothing, nails, screws, axes saws and win
dow-glass, and each family received fifty
dollars with which TO build hut.
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21
A QUESTION.

If death be an eternal sleep,
Why doth the spring return
TO scatter flowers beneath our feet,
And the wastes of winter spurn?
If death be an eternal sleep,
Why doth the buried grain
Send forth new harvests for men 20 reap,
And whithen the spreading plain?
# death be an eternal sleep,
Why the oceans ceaeless flow,
When the planets all their journeys keep
And never weary grow?
If death be an eternal sleep,
Why do we hope for Heaven,
When we approach the mercy seat
And ask to be forgiven?
II death be an eternal sleep,
When will justice come,
To those who toll for others meat,
And receive but scanty crumbs?
If death be an eternal sleep,
Why did the angelsgo
The poor man TO bear to Abraham seat,
While the rich man was in woe?
II death be an eternal sleep,
Why was man e'er born,
And why should he his vigils keep,
If there is no coming morn
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21
No. 81
THE INVENTION OF MATCHES.
An Interesting Talk With the Man Who
Claims to Have Invented Them.
springfield Republican.

| springfield Republican,
Did ever tell you what Charles Sumner
once said to me about the manufacture Of
matches? 2" queried Lucius c. Allin, the vet
eran armory foreman. ut was about fifty
years ago now, when was in doubt whether
it would pay to 60 into the business, and
asked Mr. Sumner what he thought about
it. He turned around quick as flash and
said, Mr. Allin, how many pins do you sup
pose are made in a year,. thought there
must be a good many millions. And how
many times he continued, is pin rssed?'
Perhaps twenty on an average, l replied.
Then at least twenty times as many matches
will be needed as pins he concluded, and
of course it will pay Now, did even Charles
Sumner ever size upon anything neater than
that? l made matches sevetal years and,
not only that, but invented them. 1t was
away back in the '3Os, when / was a boy. 1
was always fooling with the ingredients,
birthstone and the like, till finally / struck
an idea. Then l went to work and made
few matches, rather Grade, of course, and
showed them to a few friends, but they
didn't think it would amount to anything,
and l didn't either at first, so l minded
nothing about it till 1884, / think it was,
when friend persuaded me to apply for
patent. It was quite trip to Washington
in those days, but in few days l got word
that Chicopee man had filed similar ap-
plication short time before mine arrived
l was satisfied that I could get the patent
but didn't think then that it would pay,
so l made an arrangement with the Chico
pee man by which was to offer no Opposi-
ton to his getting the patent, but could have
the privilege of manufacturing matches on
my own hook. He got the patent and I
went into the business. | had quite an es-
tablishment on Walnut street, hiring about
thirty hands, mostly girls, and kept it till
~, the time OF the great panic. The Chico
pee man was drunken peddler, and he
went to Boston on spree and gambled the
patent away to men who have made their
fortunes out of it. sold matches all through
this country, but there was a good deal of
opposition to their manufacture. The papers
said it was a bid for incendiarism, and
many shopkeepers wouldn't sell them. The
railroad had got as far as Worcester then,
but they wouldn't carry matches, and had
to hire men to drive them clear through to
Boston. There were some other matches in
the market that would crack like pistol
when you lit them, and when we put some
in box and set them on fire it sounded like
a small cannonade. But my matches were
like what We have now, and were the first
ever made that l know Of"
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21
An Incident.

The Cleveland Herald gives currency to
the following romantic incident: About
thirty years ago farmer residing in Spring
field, (O.) township, named Maxwell, visited
a deserted c0al-bank in the neighbOrhOod
attracted thither by sheer idle curiosity. He
stood at the slope opening Tor time, and then
started to walk down it, when at the en-
trance to this dark and gloomy place he saw
bucket He picked it up and soon there
came from it the tender and suppressed cries
Of an infant He carried it to the light, and
then after removing the wrapplngs he saw
a sweet little babe looking into his eyes, as
if it wanted to say: Please take pity on
me. ! am poor little outcast without a
home Won't you take me out and love and
take care of me 2" Mr.. Maxwell was young
married man, with large, generous heart,
and having then no children of his own he
took the little waite home with him and he
and Mrs Maxwell took care of it and loved
it as parents love their own children. The
little founding grew to be beautiful and
accomplished young lady and she repaid her
foster parents with an abundance of affection
and tender devotion. Twenty years had
come and gone when one day a young man
called at the house of the Maxwells and de-
clared that the babe found in the coal bank
was his sister, and that he had come from a
pleasant home in Iowa to see her, and if pos
sible persuade her to return with him. Their
mother had died few months ago and on
her deathbed she told how she had hid the
babe in the coal bank, of Mr. Maxwell find
ing it, and all about it, and made dying
request that the family should hunt the
child up and claim her The Maxwells were
well pleased with the young man, he remained
with them several weeks. When he re-
turned to his Western home he took his sister
with him. He also took the promise of one
Of Mr. Maxwel's daughters that she, too,
would share his home and fortune ere long
This promise was kept
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21
The Wrong One.

AT a recent dinner party there were two
sisters present, one widow who had Just
emerged from her weeds, the other not long
married, whose husband has lately gone to
India for short term. A young lawer pre-
sent was deputed to take the young widow
in to dinner. Unfortunately he was under
the impression that his partner was the
married lady whose husband had just ar
rived in India. The conversation between
them commenced by. the lady remarking
how warm it was for the season of the year.
Yes, it is quite warm" replied the lawyer.
Then a happy thought. suggested itself to
him, but he added, with a cheerfully smile !:
But not as hot as the place to which your
husband has gone" The look with which
the lady answered this lively sally will
haunt that unhappy man till his death.
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21
FLOWERS FOR THE BRAVE.

Here bring your purple and gold,
Glory of color and scent,
Scarlet of tulips bold,
Buds blue as the armament.
flushed is the sound Of the fife
And the bugle sounding clear;
The vivid and delicate life .
In the soul of the youthful year.
We bring TO the quiet dead.
With gentle and tempered grief
Ger the mounds so mute we shed
The beauty Of blossom and leaf. Att.
The flashing swords that were drawn.
No rust shall their fame destroy; f.-.t4.
Boughs rosy as riffs OF dawn,
Like the blush on the cheeks Of JOY.
Rich fires of the gardens and meads,
We kindle these hearts above!
What splendor shall match their deeds?
What sweetness can match our love?
Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-06-21
Uses of Paper.

A tall factory chimney has recently been
erected at Breslau, Germany, that is made
almost entirely of paper. Some substance is
added to the paper pulp to make it inccm-
bustible, and it is then run in ring-shaped
moulds and subjected to enormous pressure.
The rings thus made are laid one upon an
other and fastened with iron bolts. A paper
steamboat is also being built at Lansingburg,
New York, for Pittsburg parties