davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20
Possum Hunting in Georgia

In barber shop one dav last week.
while several gentlemcAS+sre waiting to
be shaved, the conversation turned on
good things to eat. After DISCUSSING va
rious dishes, Joe Roney, who is consid-
cred connoisseur, and who had taken
an active part in the discussion, said:
well, boys, you can all talk about nice
things TO eat, but the best thing in the
world l ever tasted was possum, hedoed
with brown gravy and sweet potatoes,
with sugar on them" Mr. Wait Furlow
invited us soon after 10 go out to his
plantation and assist in a genuine, old
fashioned possum hunt. with an hour
or two for the squirrels thrown in The
first nights experience was a tame one:
we got into dry piece OF woods and
struck but one possum track; but we
got that possum. "
cI6ek "sFs rs slAaflaed AaifSlad J JSsgWRn sWRn ts sra rpaaa
to the woods we went, stopping long
enough to get several handf,ls of good
lighters, and then into the forest. Scarce
ly fifteen minutes had elapsed before a
bark was heard, succeeded few mo-
ments later by another, and then an
other. A trail had been struck The
voices of the dogs grew more frequent,
until at length long continuous bay
from the leader announced that the
possum was treed. A few moments
walk brought us to him. but the scene
around the tree battles description.
With bark after bark the dogs circled
around, trying in vain to climb up the
sapling. A few blows from the axe
brought the tree down, and the next
moment the possum was in the jaws of
the dogs, forty feet away. He had
started 10 run as soon rs the tree fell,
but tie dogs run too quickly. As soon
as they had taste of him they were
satisfied. 1t is remarkable, but pos
sum dog viii never eat possum or the
bones of one.
The same scene was repeated twice
more, varied by long tramps through
swamps, cotton and corn fields The
small hours of the morning had arrived
when we went to bed, but we consokd
ourselves with the thought of the feast
we would have the next day.
On big dish in the centre of the
table, brown and fat, the possum
looked good, but it was better than it
looked. 1t was a meal fit for kings,
but which anybody could have for the
trouble Of the hunt. 1t was the first
possum we ever ate.
doe Eoncy was right. There is
nothing that will beat possum.
cas- Rtc ,rdcr.
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20
How a Poet got Even with an Editor.

John Lang, the editor OF the New
York Gazette, having once alluded to
Mcdonald Clarke, the poet. as ''thas
fellow with ri .ag brains. the insulted
poet rushed inSo the sanctum OF the
Commercial. then conducted BY Col.
Stone, blazing with fury.
'.Do you see, Colonel" said he,
''what Johnny Lang says Of mep He
Gals me fellow with zigzag brains
"Well, and so you are" said the
Colonel. Il think it is a very happy
description of YOU"
'.Oh! that's all very well for you to
say" retorted Mcdonald. 'I'll take a
joke from you, but Johnny Lang shall
not destroy my well-earncd reputation.
Zigzag brains. forsooth! Ziszag brains
think OF it, Colonel! | must have n
chance to reply to him in your paper. :"
chow much space do you waut?" in
quired the Colonel.
II think I could use him up in q
column and half, said Mcdonald.
"A column and half" said the
Colonel. "Stuti! You shall not have
no such space. I'll give you just four
lines. and if that will answer, fire away;
but not line more.
The poet, thus driven into narrow
corner, sat down and instantly wrote
off the following neat epigram:
II can tell johnny Lang in the way OF q
laugh,
In reply 10 his rude and unmannerly scrawl
That in nv humble s"nse it Is e,,er by half
To have Lr.sins that are zigzag than nc
brains ct all.
"Therc, Colonel" said he, ''let John.
ny Lang put that in his pipe and smoke
IL,
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20
The Origin of Earrings.

According 10 the Moslem creed tho
reason why every Mohammedan lady
considers it her duty to wear earrings
is attributable to the following curious
legend: Sarah, tradition, tells us, was
so Jealous OF the preference shown by
Abraham for Hagar that she took a
so.emn vow that she wo,l,d give herself
no rest until she had mutilatcd the fair
face of her hated rival and bondmaid.
Abraham, who had knowledge of his
wife's intention, did his utmost TO paci-
fly his embit,c.ed spouse, but long in
vain. AT length, however, she rclent-
ed, and decided TO forego her plan OF
revenge. But how was she to fulfill
the terms of the VOW she h2d entered
into? After mature reflection she saw
her way out of the difficulty. Instead
of distiguring the Lovely features of her
boudmaid, she concnted herself with
boring hole in each of the rosy lobes
of her ears, The legend does not III
form us whether Abraham afterward
felt it incumbent upon him 10 mitigate
the smart of these little wounds by the
gift of costly pair of earrings. or
whether Hagar procured the trinkets
for herself. The fact remains, how
ever, that the Turkish women, all of
whom wear earrings from their seventh
year, derive the use OF these jewels
from Hagar. who is held in veneration
as the mother Of Ishmael, the founder
of their racc.-Dcutselte Roman BIB
H0thkeE.
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20
Where Gardening Pays.

The farmer can readily raise LARGE
share of the garden vegetables in de-
mand in places of moderate size. Let
the farmer who would undertake to
raise crops more profitable than the
stable farm products, begin with those
most easily produced, and gradually
work his way to those which arc most
profitable. In a town where there are
factories employing numbers of foreign
workmen, cabbages are ALWAYS in de-
mand, and the earlier they are. the
better price they will bring. Most
farmers grow late cahbagc; to raise
early kinds, he must either SOW the seed
IN the fail and keep the plants through
the winter in cold frame, or SOW in early
spring in a hot-bed and forward the
plants to be ready to set out when the
| ground is in condition. Either method
ing, but there IS nothing aboist bolt
it that can not be readily learned.
Onions are always in demand; if the
bulbs are punched and sod while two
thirds grown, the crop is a very pro-
itable one. Sweet corn is as readily
raised as field corn, and when the ears
are OF, the stalks are in excellent con-
dition to cure for fodder; these will
pay the cost of cultivation, leaving
what is received for the ears clear
profit. Green peas and string beans
are easily raised, and if pickers are at
hand, will pay rs well. MS will new
potatoes, beets, etc. The crops here
suggested, with the exception of early
cabbages, are as easily raised as or
dinary farm crops. 1t will be well for
those near a local market to make d
trial of these at first, and gradually in
crease the list. Farm gardening offers
ready relief to those who find that
farming docs not pay aud those
who need to grow more profitable crops
should look into its possibilities. The
works OF Henderson Harris, Brill, and
Quinn, each give valuable all to the
cultivator. Success viii. in part, de-
pend upon locality, supply of manure,
quality of seed, and the character of
the market; but the probabilities are
greatly in favor of A profitable return
from well conducted farm garden
american .4grtcttttuiis,.
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20
How n Buxom Willow Got Married

A widow. young, good-looking. and
lively, had many admirers, but she
was so impartial that wh n, just about
wear from her husbands death, she
gave public invitations 10 her wedding,
nobody could tell whether the favorite
one was certain widowe., n bachelor,
or one Of two young men, and. to keep
the secret. she declare sac would be
married in 4 barn OF hers in the dark.
The minister. too. en- cral into the spir-
it OF the affair. and TO m,sr ty the peo-
pie still more, the bride entered the
barn alone at one door and the groom
at another. There were at least 200
present. The ceremony proceeded i'll
darkness, and at its close the crowd
broke for the bride, and carried her
home in triumph in a chair But here
began the trouble, the widower, the
bachelor, and the two young men each
sworc that he had held the widow S
plump hand and was married to her;
the crowd could not decide, the minis
ter didn't know, and the widow was
puzzled, for all claimed to be engaged
to her, and though the widowcr was
her choice he might have been jolted
aside; indeed he acknowledged that
somebody tried to choke him in the
dark The four men fought, but that
didn't settle it. The guests ducked
two of them in the brook, but still no
light. Finally the widower compromis-
ed with the others by giving them fl0O
eacn. and reigned IS her lord. The
affair has never been explained. One
of the Young men is married. but still
declares that he was married to Widow
Dodsworth in the big barn. fhc otner
also protests that he is her lawful hus-
band. The bachelor is dead, but main
tanned to the end, II married her
I ougllt To have her"
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20
Putting Things Away.

A recent writer thus compares the
WAYS of men and women: Man puts
thin rs out Of the way whenever the ne
e"soiiy OF so dong presents itself to
him. For example. he finds that his
manv pairs OF boots make themselves
painfully obN lous; there are more dis
cardei collars on the mantle than pro-
pgicty would dictate, and the MIXTURE
OF ciga:-aShcs, clotbes-bruShcs and
cloves on his table has reached a state
nj confusion which disp!cascs him. He
resolves to put things in order and put
out of TIE way whatever is plainly
adapted TO the process. Accordingly
he crowds the supc.fluous boots under
The sofa, thrusts smaller articles of per-
Sonal apparel into the bureau drawers,
empIies the CIGAR ashes and bits of pa
per beh nj his desk. aud thus quietly
sets l. 5 room ia order. Now the re-
salt Of this process is eminently salts
factory Not Only has he put things
out Of the way. but he is in position to
I'm ii aoa II as soon rs &c wants them.
The sofa s:arls faithfully on guard
over the bouts. aud he can at any time
poke them out with Il cane. The dis
cardcd collars. the gloves, the pipes.
end the various small articles thrown
into the bureau drawers, remain there,
and the ashes aud waste paper could
be exhumcd from behind the desk We're
any p, ss.blc demand for them TO
arisa. Tine man who puts things out
of the WY ca@ always lay h s hand on
them. They never pass out of his pos
session. or, what is virtually the same
thing, out of his m mory. Of course,
this masculine process of putting
things away eXcitrs the dcrision OF wo-
man. sac claims that it is the worst
io"m and last expression of disorder.
To put things away. as practiced by
woman, is equivalent TO concealing
them more or less completely. The
desire to put things away amounts in
most women to passion. Curiously
enough. it is always i!.e things of other
people her husband or her children
that she puts away. Her own things
she wisely keeps where they are handy;
and she rescnts the suggestion that, no
matter where they may be, they can be
regarded as objects out of place. All
other things, on the other hand, are, in
her opinion, always out Of place, pro-
vided they are visible. Her chief OBJ
jcct in life is to put T. EN- away where
no one can see them, and her greatest
happiness is attained when she has put
them away SO securely that she cannot
herself remember where they are.
Books and papers of kind which a
man is apt to need at any moment are
always put away with eager enthusi-
asm. Winter clothing is put away in
the spring with such success that the
owner is convinced that it has been
stolen. In short, there is nothing that
a woman will not gladly and effectually
put away ii it belongs exclusively to u
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20
The BOY Who Made o Dollar by q
Whipping.

!
viii Taylor, the son of the presen
American consul at Marseilles, was .
good deal Ike other BOYS while a
school in his old home at Hudson, Wis
One day he called his father into the
library. and said:
PA, don't like to tell you, but the
teacher and have had trouble"
What. the matter now?"
ell, cut one OF the desks with
my knife, and he teacher says I've got
TO pay 81 or lake lickin'."
well, why don't you take the licking
and say nothing more about it? / can
stand considerable physical pain SO
long as it visits our family in that form.
VI course it is not pleasant to be tloy-
ged, but you have broken a rule of the
school. and guess YOU II hsfs ~ stand
his wrath RENE ! Der you in mercy, and
avoid disablin. .ou SO that you can't
get your coat ca any more"
But, pa, feel mighty bad about it
already, and ii you would pay my fine
d never do it again. l know a good
deal more about it now and l will
never do it again. A dollar amt much
to you, pa, but it's heap 10 boy that
hain't got cent. Ii could make a
dollar rs easy as you can. pa. ID never
let my little boy get tloggcd just to save
dollar. Ii had n little f.ller that
got licked beknz | didn't put up fer
him, I'd hate the sight of money always.
I'D feel as ef every dollar had in my
pocket had been taken out of my little
kids back"
''Well,now, I'll tell You what I'll do.
I'll give you dollar to save you from
punishment this time, b,.t if anything
of tbs kind ever occur again, / will
hold you while the teacher licks YOU,
and then I'll get the teacher TO hold
you while l lick you. That's the way
l feel about that. Ii you want to 90
around whiting up o." educational
institutions you can do SO; but you will
have to purchase them afterwards
yourself. don't propose to buy any
more damaged school furniture. You
probably grasp my meaning, do you
not? send You TO school to acquire
an education and not to acquire liabili-
ties so that you can maze an assess
ment on me. | feel great interest in
you, Willie, but | do not feel as though
it should be an assessable interest. l
want to 60 on, of course. and improve
the property, but when pay my dues
on it | want to know that it goes tow
ards development work. don t want
my assessments TO 90 TO the purchase
OF a school desk carved with American
hieroglyphics. l hope you will bear
this in mind, my son, AMI beware. II
will be greatly to your interest to be-
ware. If were in your place l would
put in large portion of my time in the
beware business"
The boy took the dollar aud went
though;fully away to school. and no
more was ever said about the matter
until a.. Taylor learned casually sew
eral months later that the Spartan youth
had re, e.ved the walloping and filed
q cwas- tl,a al Af1s,.l
boy was afterwards heard 10 say that
he favored a much heavier fine in cases
OF that kind. One whipping was sutfi-
cient, he said, but he favored fine OF
g., 1t ought to be severe enough to
make it an obj jact.-BH Nye.
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20
Why Divorce is So Common To-Day

This generation sees d vorce more
frequent, not because men and women
are more wicked, but because married
life is made more difficult by the ex-
element and complexity and manifold
strains of modern life, which render
unhappy marriages more uncomfortable.
A broad gap opens between the hot
present and the dull quiet of other
days, when the husband passed his day
wpofK,s " KsteaAAssn aAssn and faptAappo4s rqAp4b at
marriage opened before most women,
and both men and women passed lives
from which excitement, worry and the
anxious rush of this day were absent.
Any candid man who will reconstruct
the life of sixty and eighty years ago
will be Convinced that, while that day
had in it much of secret wickedness-
as court and church rccorus show--it
had also conditions much less likely to
prevent two people from leading quiet,
uneventful and reasonably happy lives
together. Phiiade' 'phia Press.
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20
He Felt No Effects,

Uncle Abe was fond of 'possum. Hav-
ing caught one, he got his wife Dinah
10 cook it for him, and requested that
it should be placed in the cupboard uns
til morning. The favor was granted,
and Uncle Abe lay down before log
fire and went to sleep. His son Nose,
coming in late, got the 'possum and ate
it, laid the bones down.at Uncle Abe's
head, smearcd the old man 5 face and
hands with the grease, and went to
bed. The following morning Uncle
Abe awoke and asked Dinah: 'Whar's s
dat 'possum?'
''ln dc cubberd," which she explored
and found it missing.
R>turning, Dinah inquired. cab.
when did you eat dat pussump bars
dc bones at yer head, yer face smells
s->A.--.. ,e~.~-~-~e-@,
Maybe l did eat dat 'possum, but if
l did it did me less good dan any pos
sum ebcr ct. "---Na5hla 'e Journal
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20
~, down YOUR umbrellas,

.u down Your umbrellas. lou
scare this gine off The line, screamed
the engineer on the Western North Car
olina Road .oa crowd Of ofcounlry people,
who had gathered to zee the first train
come in. They We're all lowered al
once:
The adventure of an owl: A Texas
owl mistook sleeping mans head for
a chicken, and fastened his claws into
his hair and scalp. '.Wcll, what's the
matter now, old woman?" said the as
sailed. as he awoke. Jersey CITY
journal.
If a cabbage that has failed to head
is hung by string from the top OF the
hen house withia reach Ut fowls, It will
be surprising to note how quickly u
will be picked TO pieccs BY this mcth-
cd the cabbage il kept from the dirt
According to the late reports Of the
Bureau Of Agriculture. Indiana ranks
first among the wheat-growing States.
Ohio comes second, and Illinois third.
The average yield in the Hoosier State
ID On bushels per acre. M
Have the hen-house 80 oonstruOtSd
tina. no drafts cslh enter 70 aflict the
fowls with roup, colds. etc. Always
keep the house clean. hss6 + warn u
winief, aud to do this have glass -
pat IN lis south ifvnt.
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20
A New Typa Of Reporter.

The go ahead west is constantly as
tonishing the world by furnishing new
and progressive types of individuals in
every walk OF life; but il remained for
ST. Louis and Chicago combined to
produce cannibal reporter. 1t APP
pears that two police reporters from
Chicago got into discussion yesterday
over news in st. Louis, and one of them
bit the finger Of the other 50 severely !
that amputation is likely to follow. We
have heard of biting sarcasm and
toothsome morsels of scandal in con.
nection with certain phases of journal.
ism, but this is the first instance OF pure
journalistic canniba!ism on record.
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20
ELK POINT, UNION COUNTY, DAko1
A Poem and Its Story.

The moon, had climb d the highest hiE
Ara mnfcn tcnr rises ss er the source q Dee
Her silver lighl on tower ana treeL
When Mary laid her down 70 sleep,
when snSssnts sof, snn ON on sanay ; asr e. sca
Sweet Mary, weep no more Tor mof
She from her r,,,ow oer.,v ..;....
Her head to ask who ihsrc misiIk bet
NV VIII snw S,saa sonng ga SANDY & &shiycrinE
"Oh, Mary dear, cold is nv c,syt
III lies beneath stormy soa,
So Marv ween s" no Sneop mor. ~ sor res.S. ~.
.,,. ,.,..
We to. scd upon the rnr;ne MIN. ~
And long we strovc our bark 10 save.
Even thr,, M S wasn as,ang harr WIS st,a.x n yain:
Ny heart was filed with love forr fr NJ ~
me storm is passed, and at sest,
wy ~ "'ose ior slsa IN N
y, wv maa s len . nenr. thyse1 prspars ~
Were love d free irani 4 ufi,f 'II nii4 ~.
Luicrnwe ed ,Ic cock, iha sha,i"w led.
No more OF Sandy could she see.
n"s .sS,,, ~ = Mr rassins trlrit sad;
r., -. ,..., nv " '. '' '"e'
,i NV .Ni"'sl'' .1'.ic ocot'l>h sons Was
.U,hpoSen ,i apput 'he year l1'o' Hs
''i' H. 1..n .1o"., "'s so'nS man
,,,,;.oI ~. ','': ~ eNet ','i,s "c-
~ f,,l,;,l M ~ ,ha , a,,;as =. 'n'' enap,e': MN
a ,ron,,nnan,s fau,;I,. ~. .uaor III
,., .rn ."i'i . nie sohiieinah'
of ,wo m ,, var,, .as anso'.,;ahpPs ' nhapPs Possessor
donob,.rs ,ha o.L ,f1"l, 'isHo.i t ~, anu pretty
ga@sI ~ 10 'n' n,,rrios r,aes' VI whom m was en-
fhe u.d5;na y. lin '.,. Ia,. ,.Iu . ~ sc' captain
.,as,s ne "iuu ;au;, va. nay pce' hAea' tne
ED ] W. oiu, 'uu ~ al ,l.,,' nau peen maze
oraaa "a ~. wy s"'''.n. captain
tnnn nov rora,,a II. "eao''la hn., n'a l,oile' al.er
,vhe, % W., ,rnri as mo nau ,, oeI.i aosen. on,
tho axn.n,ar, h.;ao .s ,l'..s, o'ouSht 70
ano,,,n,a'l ...' o,uo ., 'l'' MS snip nad
rnn, h'u,eN lnu,r zen a." 'eia.pie , gaie ana had
Eonra E NV w. WIN ] ns'r.y every soui on
bv I III. sn;,, II. =. 'a''Iin .L' must nave s'ood
,..' n 1",p =" a',e las', Us ne never al
;,n.o;na,;a ara VS. nI"iu o,, except ia the
''n nna'Ion Va Lows Ahis unfortunate
occurrence gave stch sudden shock
70 the young lady that she lay for many
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20


..That match you are lighting your
cigar with is very small thing. isn't
it?" said PASSENGER who had shared
my seat for few miles. A small thing;
but you wouldn' believe the American
people paid out 1000, 900 for matches
last year. world you! It looks big, but
it is u fact. Now. take pencil and
figure it out. Fifty millions OF people
in this country; they use on average
five ma;chcs each per day; that is
$50, coo, COO matches daily. Or $500, 600
boxes of 100 matches in box. every
day. Last year these boxes retailed ut
an average Of cents each. making
$7s,Oou . day for matches, or vi. 7.375,-
coo year. And. then. to think that
three-fonrthS o< AL these matches were
supplied By one company. It they
didn't make q, ,O00. 600 clear profit out
Of II they didn't make cent.
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20
The Orig..n of HYrlga1

This is curious word, having pos
tive personality undt Flying it. Such,
at least, it is, if ID lsraelis account
thereof be authentic. D'Israeli quotes
from very old pamphlet, entitled Re
marks Upon the Navy" wherein the
author says; "Ihere WAS in our time
one Capt. Fudge, comman ier of u mer-
chairman. the Is ack Eagle, of the time
OF Charles H., who, upon his return
from voyage, how ili-fraught soever
his ship was, ALWAYS brought home his
owners n good crop of lies, SO much
that now, aboard ship, The sailors, when
they hear great lie tod, cry out, You
frf' re il ~
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20

a Philadelphia man was recently
founG wandering about the street with
his throat cut. He was carried to a
hospital, where he has become what
the surgeons call u ''beautiful cast" "
They have sewed him up and rugged
up an apparatus for forcing a chemical
substitute for air into his lungs, and
some other apparatus with rubber
tube TO introduce food into his stoul-
ach. The man was liv ng at last ac-
counts, and hi case is said to be with
out parallel in the history OF surgery.
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20

The number OF persons killed by wild
animals and snakes in India last year
was 22,125, against 81. 427 in the pre-
vious year. and of cattle. 46,797,
against A, $50. OF tEc human beings
destroyed, 1905 were killed by wild
animals, and 1859 by snakes. OF the
deaths occa-ioned by the attacks OF
wild animals, 895 wcre caused by ti-
gers, 278 by woives, POT by leopardS,
395 BY iackals, and 202 by alligatorsi
1881 wild animals AnI 822, AL snakes
were destroyed. ior which the govern.
mens paid rewards amounting to ILL.
sos rHpees.
Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-02-20

A short time ago London pawn
broker was aroused about a. m. by Il
vigorous pounding ut his. street door.
Hastily throwing on a dressingsown he
rushed to the window and demanded,
who's therep" 81 want 10 know the
time" came the response from the
pavement in the familiar tones of y
frequent customer. What do you
mean by calling me up at this time
o'night to ask such question as thatP'
replied the irate pawnbroker We'll,
and TO whom else should Gomez" was
the rejoinder. in husky accents; you We
pot nv Watch,o