davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-15
THE NAUTICAL . cor. .
He Tells Of the Size and Ferooity of the
Bahama Clam.


Every time / see a clam SHE'LL SAID
the Nautical "Cop." as he kicked one
from the sidewalk into the street, lit re-
minds me OF very sad accident. | was
in the Bahama Islands in 1857, and while
waiting for our vessel to take on cargo
/ witnessed a most remarkable death.
CLANS grow to an enormous size there,
and the natives are very fond of them. A
family of six persons can live on single
clam for two weeks. because they are
about the size of a cartwheel and contain
about ninety pounds of meat.
The work of securing them is attend
ed with considerable danger. The
Bahama clam is very intelligent, and,
strange as it may appear, of feroclous
disposition. 1t was a pleasant day in
September when l was invited by Leon
Lizewell, colored chap, whose acquaint-
ance / had formed, to accompany him on
a clam hunt. We took boat and rOwed
to a barren rock, about nine miles distant
from the town of Safe Harbor, on she west
coast. This rock was literally covered
with huge clans, sticking to its sides. l
remained in the boat and Leon diyed over
board. He swan to the rock and, draw
ing himself on top of it, endeayored to de-
tach a large clam with an iron bar, which
he had taken with him and carried in his
teeth.
~ AuAGhSC SAA iiAlSC 4 saw stAlONANt
clam loosen ITSELF and slowly move along
towards the native. l was so paralyzed
with establishment that l could not utter
a word. The clam crept slowly along, and
before / knew what was going to happen
it was behind the unconscious Leon, who
was still prying away with his crOwbar.
The great shells began to open until the
space between them was fully six feet.
Springing suddenly forward, the clam
seized poor Leon and sucked him in. He
gave one horrible shrek of agony and
that was all. The next thing | saw was
one of his feet drop of as though it had
been cut with knife. Then came piece
of his leg, an arm, shoulder blade and
finally his head. The clam had cut him
into dozen pieces. Fearing that might
meet with a similar fate, for the rest of
the CLANS were getting restless, 1 picked
up my oars and rowed back to shore, and
broke the news to Mrs. LiZewell.n
Chow was it possible for a clam to
move, when it possessed neither legs nor
the power of motion ?'' asked the reporter.
''The Protective plank is one of the
strongest features in the new Republican
PLATFORM said the Nautical "COp."
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-15
THE GIRL WHO ELOPEs.
Some Reasons Why She Prefers That
Method of Getting Married.


The reasons for leaving the paterna
roofs between two days in company with
a young man appear to be varied. Some
times a cruel parent selects a husband
without asking the daughters consent
Oftener some wOuld-be husband selects
the daughter and the old man won't con-
sent. thus necessitating an elOpement for
the double purpose of getting married and
escaping the paternal boot. On occasion
the el0pement is necessary to avoid the
revolver or shotgun of another fellow who
has taken a notion to the girl, Ordinarily,
Opponents do not take place if the
course Of true love meets with no obsta-
Gle in the home Of either member of the
| seeking-to couple.
Girls are freaBish, however, and some
times run away to be married for no APP
parent cause whatever. 1t will be re-
membered that a daughter of the immor-
tai Mr.. Wardle was getting ready to run
away with the famous Pickwickian
without so much as suggesting to her
adorable Snodgrass the propriety OF ask
ing her father whether he had any objec-
tions to the wedding taking place at
home in the usual way. The 16-year-old
daughter Of an eX-Alderman of Long
Island City has made herself famous by
an actual elopement Of this kind. She
was pretty and rich, and answered to the
charming name of Fanny. Her brother
had a friend by the name of Walter, who
was also rich, good-looking and %. Wal
ter visited the brother and fell in love with
Fanny, which. under the circumstances,
was natural enough. Nobody had any OBJ
lection to Walter or the match, and if
Walter had asked for Fanny she would
have been given to him.
But Walter and Fanny concluded to be
romantic and run away to get married.
Fanny spent the day kissing her mother
and wondering what in the living world
she would wear to get married in. She
kissed her mother good night at 10 O'Clock,
went to her room, packed her satchel, met
her lover, and posted to the city of New
York, where they were married, after
which a note was sent home, and the
| maternal blessing, which they might have
had by word Of mouth for the asking, was
| telegraphed to them, and they went on
their wedding tour rejoicing.
The only explanation that can be given
for this highly ggatuitous elcTement is
! that it runs III the family. Two older sis
:, ~s Of Miss Fanny have secured husbands
Nv tbis ''ethod. Whether the mother of
those e1nnino daughters set the example
bv oIoninot barsolf "a not reported, but as
W elOplng neI5eH l. wears IN no irra
the clipping tendency apI " Vi H ir's
sistible in the blood, it is no. c. a -,
probable. If Fanny's mother l.. saL5
more unmarried daughters, however, y, uo
develop an alarming inclination to kiss
her an any particular day, she should en-
pIoy detectives at once to shadow the
oYeratfectionate girl, unless she wants the
elOpement to succeed. The clipping ten
dency is too strong in that family to be
checked by anything short Of the most
rigorous measures,
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-15
AN INTERVIEW WITH JOHN.
How the Abyssinian King Talks and
Does Business.

How the Abyssinian King Talks and
Does Business.
An Austrian merchant, who has hither-
to been living at Kassala, and carrying on
an extensive trade there in wild beasts,
saws the New York Herald, has lately
been writing to his relations in Vienna.
In letter, dated Kassala, April u, he
saws that there are 5000 Egyptian troops
in the town, but that the place has been
besieged for the last three months by the
Stakendos. In order to escape an I'M
certain fate he determined, upon the
advice of one Of his black servants, to 20
to Makaki. the headquarters of the King
of Abyssinia, and to purchase OF the latter
a protective escort for himself and his
caravan. About the audience he had of
King John he writes as follows: The
King inquired OF me in Turkish if I was
perfectly familiar with that language. |
answered in the affirmative. If not added
the King in English) he would speak
English with me. The following dialogue
ensued:
King-Kassala will no doubt soon be in
the power Of Mohammed Achmed.
Merchant-Unless a miracle happen
KassaIa is lost. The Governor Will never
be able to resist the superior fol ces of the
Mahdi.
King-That is also my opinion. There
is no RELYING upon assistance from Egypt,
and when help comes from England 1t
will he too late Dost thou know Moham-
med Achmed by sight!
Merchant knew him and dealt with
him when he dwelt quietly and peaceably
at Khartoum, trading in lions, hyenas and
elephants.
King-Thou liest; Mohammed Achmed
a trader in wild Beasts
What ] sQW Is tho truth. His
name appears in my books, along with
the prices paid him for the animals he
furnished me with.
King-And do his people know this?
Merchandise; few know it, and they
understand how to be silent.
King-As thou art acquainted with
MOhammed Aehmed, why didst thou not
solicit of him a safe escort to Suakin?
Merchant-It would have availed no.
thing. as he is hostile to me and hates me.
King-If England and Egypt fulfill my
demands / shall accord to the troops from
Kassala and other endangered places in
the SOudan free passage through my ter
ritory. Also to thee and all OF thine Will
/ allow safe escort through my realm,
upon payment of $500.
The merchant timidly observed that
only $50 had been stipulated, and that
His Majesty, in the exercise of his soYer-
eign power, had quadrupled the price.
No notice was taken of this remark either
by the King or any of his suite. On his
way to the treasurer, to whom he had to
disburse the 9200, he made the unpleasant
discovery that his watch, handkerchief,
snuff boX-in short all he had in the open
pockets of his garments-had been stolen
by the Abyssinians. ''And they are to save
the SOudan - he eXclaims. 81 fear King
John and his subjects will save that fine
country for themselves" The merchant
saws that Baron Seckendorff, o survivor
of Hicks army, is kept in the Mahdi's
prison at Obeid and suffers terrible priva-
lions. He thinks money would release
him. "Anything," he says, "may be ac-
complished here with gold"
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-15
An Hour in Base Ball Factory


sThe base hall manufacturing business
has had a rapid but prosperous growth, ?
said manufacturer recently. at is con-
fined to a few men, and probably will not
be encrOached upon by spectators.
There are in the United States to-day only
eight factories Of any Importance, and yet
these are entirely sufficient to supply all
the balls that are wanted in this country.
Recently there has been sort of a
boom in the ball market. This is
caused by the adoption by clothing houses
throughout the country of the custom of
giving to juvenile purchasers base balls
as presents. The balls are of different
grades and prices. The kind that are
given away are, of course, cheap but
quite durable. Perhaps you would like
to see how base balls are made. Follow
me and will show you the whole pro-
cess"
sat several men with baskets of dampened
chamois and buckskin clippings at their
sides. Before each workman stood a
stout piece of ioist, in the end of which
was inserted mould, hemIspherical in
shape, in which the balls are formed.
Taking a handful of the cuttings from the
basket, the workman pressed them to-
gether in his hands and then wound about
the mass a few yards of strong wooden
yarn. Placing the embryo ball in the
mould, he pounds it into shape with a
heavy fiat mallet, and then wound on
more yarn and gave the ball another
""unding.
~Afto, tos,,. its weight on pair Of
scales and its diameter Wlth 3 tape mea;
sure he threw the BAH into a basket and
began another. When the newly -hiau l
balls are thoroughly dried the, aio
carried to the seWing-rOOm on the floor
below where they are to receive their
covers. Forty young women sat at tables
sewing on the covers of hOrse-hide.
Grasping ball firmly in her left hand,
with her right hand one OF the young wo-
men thrust a three-cornered needle
through the thick pieces Of the cover and
drew them firmly together.
In less than ten minutes her work was
completed. A smart girl can cover two
or three dozen of the best, and eight dozen
of the cheapest grades of balls in day.
The wages earned weekly range from 81
to 50. The balls are afterward taken to
the packing room where the seams are
smo0thed down and the proper stamps
are put on. The best balls are made en-
tirely of yarn and india rubber.
'My brother was one Of the pioneers in
this business" said the manufacturer.
''He was the inventor of the twO-piece
cover now in general use throughout the
country. If my brother had only patented
his invention the members of our family
would now be wearing diamonds instead
of bits of white glass in our shirt fronts
Ball covers are made, almost without
exception, of horse hide, which costs
three dollars a side. The capacity of our
factory, when we get our new moulding
machines in working order will be about
$1,000 balls daily, each machine being
expected to turn out 200 balls day.
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-15
CHINESE EPICURES.
The Delicate Dishes and High-Prtced
Wines that Celestial Gamblers Order.

The Delicate Dishes and High-Priced
Wines that Celestial Gamblers Order.
Two Cinnamon entered an Arch street
restaurant late last evening, with the
air of habitUal customers, says the Phila-
delphia Times of the 18th inst, and, seat
ing themselves, began to study the bill Of
fare critically.
s.Givee me tenderloin steakee and
smollee bottle Wine," said one to the col
Ored waiter.
USplingee chicklee on tOastee and ponce
brandee,n was the order of the other &C.
lestial. Both were dressed in the usual
Chinese costume-wide-sleev blue coats,
broad gauge trousers and cloth shoes, after
the latest and most approved fashion from
Pekin. When the delicacies they had or
dered camp thay handled their knives and
forks like men who not only understood
what constituted good living, but had
never known how to use chOp-sticks.
Said the steward of the house: "There's
a nice pair to draw to-those two China
men. They come here every night about
this time and order the best in the house.
Spring chicken, tender-lOin steak, game
and the most expensive items on the bill
of fare are none too good. They usually
wind up with champagne and fragrant
Havanas. They never kick at their bills,
as do some OF our young DlOOuS. 'Cneckee
is all they say, and they walk quietly
down to the desk and put up the cash.
know that Cinnamon are generally sup
posed to eat rats, with entrees OF rice and
mice on toast, and l must say that these
two men were a surprise to me. Their
checks run from 81 to 81 30 each"
care they laundrymenW
''Well, that is just what 1 asked my
bartender, and he said they are poker
players. My bookkeeper suggests that it
would not help my business to advertise
the fact that Cinnamon come here, but
must say that l would be glad to have
some more customers as good as they are,
whether Cinnamon or Hottentots.
thought that if the laundry business en-.
abled these Cinnamon to live off the fat OF
the land, with the best wine and cigars
thrown in, would close up my restaurant
and go into the washing business myself
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-15

Tybee. June a, 7:15 p m-Passed up, steam
Passed out, steamship Juniata, bark Jo-
hannes Rod Nor, schr A Server.
Waiting. bark Echo (NOrl.
Wind Sc, light; fair.
New York, June l4-Arrived, Polynesia,
Richmond.
New York, June I3-Arrived, schr Sarah
Potter, Keene, Fernandina; ANNE p Chase,
Poole, Cedar Keys.
Cleared, brig Sjohvat Nor. Oqvuist, Bruins
wick, Ga; schr Geo Congdon, Wleks, George
Genoa. june 9-Arrived. banks Alberese
Itall, Cheti. Pensacola; Nolpe tItaD, Marini,
do.
Rio Janeiro, May l7-Arrived, bark Daisy
lBrl, Lewis, Brunswick, Ga.
In port 18th. barks Good Intent (Br), Forbes.
Pensacola; AXel (Swl, Haggstrom, for Iybee.
Sailed 10th, barks Corfu (Br), Tybee; Lima
Horton port. do; 18th, Ringdove lBrl, do.
savanna La Mar, May 27-Arrived, schr w III
Curry lBr), Work, Pensacola.
Vera Cruz, May 21-ArriYed, schr Robert
RUIZ, Mackeprang, Pensacola.
Bull River, June 10-Sailed, schr Amelia p
Schmidt, Pashley, ORIENT, L l.
Philadelphia, June I2-Cleared, schr Andrew
Nevinger, Smith, Jacksonville.
Delaware BTeakwater, June l2-Passed up,
schr Emily + Northam, Stetson, Brunswick,
Ga, for Philadelphia.
Darien. Ga, June l2-Cleared. schrs Sarah A
Fuller. Hart, New York; N 3 Millen, Hart,
do: 18th. schrs Ella Elliott, Russell, Whining
ton, Del; Ella NJ Watts, Query, Philadel-
phia.
Danversport, June l0-Arrived, schr Chas
L Smith. ketchum, Philadelphia.
Fernandina, June l2-Cleared, steamer State
of Texas, Risk, New York; bark Regina, Rod
man, Trinidad; schrs Sarah e Smith, Stock
ley, New York; Luther I GarretsOn, Craw-
Key West, June I2-sailed, schr Gertrude
(Br). Roberts, Nassau.
Pensacola, June l2-Cleared, steamer Ross
shire Br), Miller, London.
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-15
A Greeley story.
General Skeridaa.


was stationed at New Orleans, said
General Sheridan, when Mir. Greeley
came there ON his tour when a candidate
for the Presidency. The old Creole resi-
dents gave him a dinner, and to make ii
as fine an affair as possible each of the
hosts was LAID under contribution for
some of the rarest wines in his cellar.
When dinner was announced and the
halfshell oysters had disappeared the
waiter appeared at Mr.. Greeley's seat
with plate Of beautiful shrimp. 9EYou
can take them away" he said to the
waiter, and then he added alphabetically
to the Mortified old French Creole gentle
man who presided: 81 never eat insects
of any kind" Later on soup was served,
and at the same time a glass of delicious
wire was placed at Dir. Greeley's right
hand. He pushed it aside quietly, but
not unobserved by the chief host. 'sDo
you not drink wineT' he asked. ''No,''
answered MIR. Greeley; 81 never drink
any Liquors. els there anything you
would liketo drink with your soup?'' the
host then asked, a little disappointed.
''If you've got it, answered Mr.. Greeley,
sand it isn't any trouble, I'd like to have
a glass of fresh buttermilk" ''Mon
Dieu" said the host afterward, in broken
English, ''ze idea of electing to re Presi-
dency man Yot drink buttermilk Wis his
sOupr
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-15
A Rich Little Girl.


The richest little girl in the world is the
seyen-year-old daughter OF Capt. George
ii. Perkins Of the navy, who is well known
in this city. She is worth $1,000, 900 in her
own name, the amount having been left
her by her grandfather, William F. Weld,
of Boston. Mr.. Weld was the father of
the little girls mother, and when he died
four heirs, including the child, came into
possession of the bulk of his fortune, S2S.-
10000, which was divided into four por-
tions. The sum Of $4,000 and a valuable
residence in Boston were bequeathed to
Mrs. Perkins, wife of the Captain, and
$4,000 annually to be used in caring for
the little millionaire heiress until she
reaches the legal age and claims her mil
lions. This makes Capt. Perkins income
in actual cash $4,000, without including
his government salary or the rental from
his magnificent residence in Boston. Sec
rotary Chandler characterized the
story that Capt. Perkins had resigned
from the navy to look after his estates as
untrue, and said that he has been ordered
for duty on board of the steamer Hartford.
The Captain applied for one years leave,
with a view of resigning at the end of the
year. The department, however, declined
to grant the request, as he had been away
from duty for two years. The Secretary
said the Captain was one of the best
officers in the service, and that he would
not resign, because he loves sea life too
well.
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-15
THE ZULU LANGUAGE.
Something About How the Heathens
Frame Words.
CtNCIltIUtt Y 0S-VOUFWut.


Last evening a representative Of the
NelcS-,JOuTRdl made the casual acquaint-
ance of the Rev. VIM. Mellen, who has
lately arrived in Cincinnati from Africa,
where he has spent "a years among the
Zulus and other African tribes, whose
languages he speaks with tluency. Some
of the features of those languages are
curious and interesting. The first curious
fact is that contiguous tribes speak, not,
as with our aborigines, different vernacu-
lars of the same, but altogether distinct
languages. The only feature indicating
the probability that they ever spoke the
same language is found in the fact that
every word is either a vowel or begins
and ends with a vowel. Considered as a
system, he says that the Zulu language is
far more perfect than any language of
Europe, or perhaps of the East. He
further says there are but five classes
within one of which every word falls.
Not only does every word consist of or
begin and end with pure vocal element,
but the accent, whether falling upon the
penult or antipenult is perfectly uniform
for all classes of words. He mentions it as
peculiar that their language has exactly
the same number of elementary sounds as
our own, and indeed the same sounds
save four. They have no arr, see, eX or
re. For these there are several kinds of
clicks formed by the tongue in different
positions, resembling the smacking of the
lips. We don't know the name of Cete-
wayo, for it sounds no more like what we
pronounce it to be than cat resembles fox.
In fact the language has no harsh sounds,
and 1t is impossible to insert an English
word into a Zulu sentence. 1t amounts
to an absolute cessation of speech. If, for
example, the name John were inserted, it
would have to go in as Yokohama. In a
nd n "a dom N nf vocal
elements and the uniformity Of accent, the
language of the Zulu has both perfect
euphony and rhythm, and is veritable
music
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-15
Chinese Conceit.
Bzacz.agood,s Hqoasins


National conceit is quality more highly
developed among Cinnamon than among
any other people. and though perfectly
aware of the superiority of the foreign
organization and arms it not unfrequently
happens that the Mandarins shrink from
publicly acknowledging it in the face of
their cOuntrymen. To such an absurd
length is this paltry vanity occasionally
carried that officers commanding drilled
troops have been known to reserve the
use of rifles for the inclosed barrack
yards, and to review their men in public
armed with matchlOcks, spears and bows.
A want of appreciation of the importance
of being thoroughly well armed and pre-
pared for an enemy can alone account for
the existence of such folly, and it will
require some very convincing home
thrusts before these national coXcOmbs
viii be brought frankly to admit that their
continued existence as nation depends
on the thoroughness with which they
adopt European arms and tactics. Pro
fessedly they are fully alive to the value
Of an every-ready standing army, but I'M
fortunately their convictions never ad-
vance beyond the abstract stage of prin-
ciple, and though, like every other princi-
pie, they surround this one with grandilo-
quent phrases-a Chinaman is nothing if
he is not grandiloquent-they content
AACA1oCAfNS WIN bnC AAhCnbAOA VI S0Cl
phrases and leave the truths they embody
to take care of themselves.
$ The army may be hundred years unem-
plOyed,
But may not be a single day unprepared,"
is a saying constantly in the mouths and
at the tips Of the pens of the military au-
thOrities, and yet no effort is ever made to
carry its principle into practice.
Red is growing more and more popular,
Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-15
slARKETs q rELEaRAFH.
FINANCIAL.

LONDON. June 1.-THE Economist says: ''The
rate Of discount for bank bills, sixty days to
three months. is I5sG2 per cent, and for
trade bills. sixty days TO three months, q 4d21
per cent. The record Of the week Is again
UnfavOrable. All leading sections Of the mar
ket are depressed. The half-mOnthly settle
meut was concluded, contrary to expectation,
without a single failure. The result Of this
was sharp recovery in prices but yesterday
there was again q downward tendency, owing
TO the manner IN which the outside public
stand aIOof Business in foreign securities
was small. American funded bonds have
fallen sharply. Virginia State securities have
dropped . per cent American railway Sc
curities are depressed. Central Pacific has
declined per cent, Denver and Rio Grande
], ditto first mortgage s, Lake Shore IL, Louis
vile and Nashville =, ditto general mortgage
6, New York, Ontario and Western y, OHIO
and Mississippi l, Oregon and California first
mortgage O., st. Louis and san Francisco
preferred y, Union Pacific ?, and Wabash
general mortgage 81
EEw YOEE. June Il, noOn.-StOcks easier.
Money 2d3 per cent. Exchange-lOng, 81 So
a So; short, s. S63zld4 81. State bonds quiet.
Government bonds firm.
500 p. m.-Excnange, 81 SO. Money, per
cent. Sub-Treasury balances-GOid. Sl25, lS6,
eoos currency, s9,509,0o0. Government bonds