davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-12
now Japanese Babies are Welcomes
[san Francisco Chronicle.l

[San Francisco Chronicle.
One curious custom in vogue is the ex'
hibition of fish on every house where 8
boy has been born to the family during
the year. This showing is made in the
month of May, and on the fifth OF
that month there is high festival
held; the relatives and friends of the
family making it the occasion of present
ing gifts and toys suitable for boys, as
well as clothing fitting for the little
chap.
All sorts Of child's gear is to be seen on
exhibition at this time, and no boy is
neglected. The boy is the pride OF
the household, the parents testifyine
their JOY in feasting all corners who
honor them by their remembrances.
The girl babies are not forgotten, but
they are accorded another day and sep
arate festival time, this being the third
day Of the third month-the Sd of March.
Then instead of fish floating as SYM
Dol, he doll is to be seen in abundance,
and all the toys known to the girl world
are lavishly displayed.
There Is very much of pride exhibited
ON both of these child festivals, as the
gifts presented are ostentatiously display
ec by the fond parents for the admira-
ton of their friends. Diminutive suits
of armor, tiny swords and bows and ar
rows, toy horses, with full suits of trap
pings-in tact, every imaginable thing
that goes into the make up of the Japan
csc warrior of the olden time are on pa
rade on the 9th of May; while the Sd of
March brings forth all that is represent
alive of the life and fancies of the femi-
nine gender.
There are many who are not content
to await the full advent of the time for
the display of the fish emblem, 80 that
during the latter part of April it is nc. un-
common thing to see an immense fish,
sometimes two so constructed that it is
filled by the breeze, floating from BAN
boo pole, heralding the glory that has its
Judgment in the house from which it is
axhihitad
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-12

iexpiaIDed my pIssn acquiring great
wealth, and during Tie recital She acted
81 curiuusly that | WAS alarmed. fear
ed that size was losing her mind. Finally
he seemed TO understand Size agreed
with me, but told me not 10 say anything
more about IT, After breakfast ] SAW
her talking earnestly with her father, and
knew that she was explaining 10 the Ole
gentleman how she intended to pay his
debts when i became known as the radish
king The old man approached me, with
much concern, and told me that needed
rest, and that ] must not think Of busi
ness. He was old, and sadly worried, ano
promised him that would not think OF
business.
Pretty soon ! went out to inspect my
radish Kingdom. Locking around, ! saw
the old man following me- From the
field went to the village.
| approached prominent, citizen,
who had always been my friend
sGd told him how | intended TO become
rich. He seemed grieyed, and | saw at
once that he was contemplating the same
enterprise. l. seemed mean that he should
take advantage of me, and ] told him SO.
He tried to explain, but he made me so
mad that,l would have struck bim if my
father in-iaw had not come up and sep
srated US. tried TO calm myself, but
could not. Those who had been my
friends proved to be my enemies. and /
was determined to be avenged, but be-
fore i could execute my will, / was
seized by several men. My father in law
aid not attempt to rescue me, and | hated
him. j was taken TO Jail. My wife came
TO see me, but she did not try to have
me released. | demanded trial, but no
lawyer would defend me.
Then | realized that the entire CON-
munity was against me. l became So
mad that my anger seemed to hang over
me like dark cloud. 1t pressed me to
the floor and held me there. Men came
after long time, took me away, /
thought, to the penitentiary. One day a
cat came into my cell, and tried to bite
it. She made the hair fly, but killed
her. | don't know how long ] remained
here, but one morning the sun rose and
shone in at me through the window. 1t
seemed to be the first time that | had
seen the great luminary for months. A
mist cleared from before my eyes. My
brain began to work, and suddenly !
realized that had been insane. called
the keeper, and when he saw me, he ex-
claimed: "Thank God!' and grasped my
hand. was not long in putting on an
other suit of clothes, and turning my
face toward home. A physician said that
| was cured, and everybody seemed
bright and happy at my recovery.
boarded train, with a gentleman, ana
went home My wife tainted when she
saw lie and learned that had recovered
my mind. ] asked for my little children,
and two big hoys and young lady came
forward and greeted me. l bad been in
the asylum twelve years.
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-12
Early Day Facts.

The first white child born in North
America was Virginia, daughter of Ana
lias and Eleanor Dare, and granddaugh-
ter of Governor John White. She was
born the 18th of August, 1887, in Roam.
Oke, North Carolina. Her parents were
of the expedition sent out by Sir Walter
Raleigh in that year There is no record
of her history, save that of her birth
The first minister who preached the
gospel in North America was Robert
Hunt, of the Church of England, an ex.
emplary man, who came out in the same
company with Captain John Smith, in
the year 1907. He was much esteemed
as a man of peace, and was in many ways
useful to the colony. There is no record
Of his death, or of his returning to Eng.
land; he most probably died at James
town. He had good library which was
burnt, with all his other property, in the
burning Of jamestown, the next winter
after he came out
The first females who came to Virgin.
"a proper were Mrs. Forest and her maid
Anne Burras, in the expedition of New.
port, 1908. The first marriage in Vir
yinia was in the same year-John Lay
Ion to Anne Burras. The ceremony was
probably by the same good Master
Hunt"
The first intermarriage between the
whites and Indians was John Rolf to
pocahOntas, in April, 1913. Pocahontas
vas also the first of the Virginia Indians
hat embraced Christianity and was bap
TIED
The first legislative assembly in Vir-
ginia met in July, 1919, at the summons
IF Governor or George Yeardly. One
month later negroes were first brought
into the colony by Dutch man of. war
The first periodical of North America
was the Boston News Letters, which
made its appearance in August, 1905
The first in the Old Dominion was The
Virginia Gazette, published at Williams
burg, by William Parks, weekly, at
fifteen shillings. 1t appeared in 1886, and
was long the only paper published in the
colony. Slavery preceded She periodical
press by III years.
The Blue Ridge was first crossed by
whites in 1714. The first iron furnace
erected in North America was by Cover
nor Spottswood, in 1870, in Spettsylvanis
County Virginia
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-12
ARTEMUs WARDS HOWE.
Anecdotes of the Humorist's Youth


OF all the pretty inland hamlets of
Maine. and they are many, not one sur.
passes in picturesqueness and quiet beau
ty the little village of Waterford, in Ok
ford County, where Charles f. Brown,
better known as "Artemus Ward" was
born. The place is about forty. five
miles from Portland. 1t contains only
about 100 inhabitants 1t lies on the
shore of large lake known asTom Pond,
at the foot of a precipitous mountain
called Mount Tire'm.
The inhabitants are mostly farmers,
and, as a rule, well to do. Within the
limits of the township are many hills,
ponds aud fine trout brooks, while the
crooked river manages, by hard work and
strict attention to business, to wander
eighteen miles in crossing the seven
miles wide township The country about
Waterford is fertile, and once contained
the finest belt of pine timber in Maine.
Artemus liked Waterford, bat not Ok
ford County. for be relates that within
two months after ascurrilous young man
had made fun of his bald head bis aunt
died and left him a farm in Oxford
County, Me. THE human mind can
picter no greater misfortin' than this"
Artemus' father died when the boy
was about ii years old, and as the family
circumstances were somewhat limited
thereby, he was appyenticed to Mr.. J. NJ.
Rix, who published the Coos Democrat,
at Lancaster, \. II. The stage line at
Lancaster ran by the Brown homestead,
and the driver was not unfamiliar with
the ability of the future genial show
man" 10 the way of practical jokes.
They knew how he organized shows,
wherein the fathers red cow, with a coat
sleeve stuffed full of hay hanging from
her nose, served as the elephant upon
which innocent country youth were in
vited to ride with startling results. They
knew, too, how old Deacon Hale's white
horse had been induced to wander away
for miles following tempting bit of hay,
hung Just beyond reach by means of a
lath strapped TO the horses neck. There
was an endless series of pranks gotten up
by the boy TO mystify the villagers in
general, and his mother In particular, and
all these were we'll known to the stage
drivers.
So when the young humorist started
for Lancaster, eager to know as much as
possible about his future residence, the
veteran driver, Steve Seary, having pre-.
viously conspired with the boys in Rix's
Office to give young Brown fitting re
ception, assured him that Mr.. Xix was a
pious man, and that his hands were, if
anything, more pious than he, and that
the sooner the would be apprentice cram
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-12
The London Fire Department.
Evening Post

A Chicago mau who has been to Lon.
don thus tells how they put out fires
there: "Near the American exchange,
at the corner of the Strand and Adelaide
street, is the Chandos street station OF
the Metropolitan fire brigade. Here are
located manual engine and steamer
and twelve or fourteen 6remen. One day
| CHANGED TO be passing the brigade
station, when a young fellow, all excite
ment and perspiratiOn rushed up from
the direction of Drury lane and breath
lessly shouted:
euro up 'erel There's fire just
breakin' bout in Drury lane. Look sharp,
nowp
"The engineer who was in charge of
the place turned to a group of fremen
and said:
AIRY, put on your 'elmet and go see
what il Is"
AIRY proceeded to don the brigade
.unic and the 'elmet, and started off on
a run in the direction of Drury lane.
He was gone peShaps ten minutes. When
Ne uOfc III siSut again lie udu MS tluct
in his hand, the perspiration rolled from
bis flaming brow, and he was putting lik.
a locomotive"
"Come along" be managed to articI
late, "hit's sure enough fire."
The engineer deliberately ordered the
manual to be hitched up, and while one
man went around the corner to get the
horses, two others put the pole in place
and the rest of the men put on their
tunics and 'elmets When the team was
hitched up, they pulled out and ratified
away over the pavement to Drury lane.
Do you know what happened then? Mol
Well, they got to Drury Jane, found that
the fire had spread frCm an upper floor,
where it had started, to paint shop on
the first floor, and the whole building
was booming. Their manual was no use
under heaven, and they ratified back to
the station after the steamer. When they
returned with their steamer, the fire had
consumed the interior of the building
and its contents, and there was 10 use for
the engine. So they quietly returned to
their quarters"
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-12
Using the Parlor.

In one sense it should not be living
room, because it should be the one place
in all the house where work is not an OBJ
trusive suggestion. 1t should be arefuge
from all business associations and from
all toll that is wearisome or distasteful.
In this room there should be only the
most restful and peaceful associations.
A place free from the worries of life is
really necessary for the healthy develop
ment, and in its appointments it must be
comfortable to the person, tranquilizing
to the mind and gratifying to the eye.
To produce this result care should be ex-
ercised not to make the parlor family
refrigerator or give it stiff and forbid
ding air. There is nothing sacred about
the room; there is no reason why one
should feel so constrained that breathing
is made painful by the fear of being OBJ
trusive.
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-12
Reporters English.
Printers Register.]


Curious examples of mixed metaphor
are occasionally seen in leading articles;
but for odd perversions and strange
phrases the reporters and writers of the
sporting newspapers are unexampled.
Lately paragraph appeared in one Of
them headed-"Dastardly conduct of a
steam tug" in another, we were told
that ''the concert was witnessed by a
fashionable and intelligent audience"
in a third that "after a fruitless search
the whole of the lost money was found
except a pair of old boots"
A descriptive writer informs his read
ers that lowing to the influence of Jul
piter Pluvius, the ground was very soft
and sloppy, but as the day wore on, the
glorious rays of old Solomon dissiDated
the damp" A man was summoned, We
are told for "willfully annoying tele-
graph signal" s man was fined FIVE shill.
ings for knocking at door and disturb
ing the inhabitants of an empty house,"
a railway porter was remanded for inso-
lence to passenger, the magistrate re-
marking that be had never heard of
greater instance of official politeDess;" q
young lady witness in an assault case de-
posed to being greatly exaspersted By
the defendants want of alteration" and
a race-horse is described as "weedy i'll
conditioned excrescence, quite unfit for
equita ton"
These, it will be remembered, are NOT
printers errors. but writers ehegsDc&
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-12
ELEVATED Railway Journal.l

tbteNated fSafWay JOOrnai.l
The International Exhibition of Nice
Is reserving some wonders for the foreign
er who may propose to pass portion OF
the coming winter upon the borders
Of the Mediterranean.
One of these wonders is balloon which
It's inventor, VI. Toselli, calls "the OBJ
servatory under the sea-" 1t is made of
steel and bronze, to enable it to resist
the pressure which the water produces
&C lie metres.
The observatory under the sea" has a
height OF eight metres, and is divided
iRts three compartments. The upper
apartment is reserved for the comman-
der, to enable him to direct and
watch the working of the observatory,
and TO give to the passengers the ex-
plantations necessary as to the dept
of the descent, and what they will sc
in the depths of the sea.
The second apartment, in the center
Of the machine, is comfortably furnish
ed for passengers to the number of
eight, who are placed so that they can
They have under their feet a glass
which enables them to examine at their
ease the bottom of the sea, with its
fishes. it's plants, and its rocks. The
ebscurity being almost complete at
seventy metres of depth, the observatory
will BE provided with a powerful cleo
trio sun, which sheds light to q great
distance in lighting these depths.
The passengers have at their disposal
q telephone, which allows them to con-
verse with their friends who have stopped
on the steamboat which transports the
veyagers to such places as are known
rs the most curious in the neighborhoOd.
They have also handy telegraph ma.
chine. Beneath the passengers an apart
ment is reserved for the machine, which
is constructed on natural principles
that is to say. as the vessle of fish, be-
coming heavier or lighter at command,
so as to enable the machine to sink or
rise at the wish of the operator.
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-12

ieft--It makes me kick myself yet 10 even
think Of tive discovered that the money
he had paid was counterfeit"
''He was good deal of q dandy, wasn't
he?"
quite, but he couldn't compare with
lady boarder that had with me when
clerked in the Alexandrovitch Kotze-
bue house in Sitka in lS64-that was be-
fore America invested in Alaska She
| drove up one afternoon in phaeton
drawn by four white horses"
Here, here. l can't stand every
thing"
"Well, its for you to hear you re
right But quit your Ginning and listen.
She alighted rather grandly and greeted
me smilingly. She ordered the whole
first floor assigned to her and | consulted
the proprietor, and We laid ourselves out
to accommodate our distinguished guest.
She said she was the Countess Rolcaczy,
whose husband had been appointed by
the Imperial Government Governor of
| Russian America He would arrive by
the next Pacific steamer from Petropau-
loviski, Kamschatka, where he was
located. The commandment at Sitka gave
in his allegiance all right and for time
the Countess reigned in great shape.
Everything went swimmingly until she
began to get large advances on credi'
from all the Sitka banks"
| Banks? This is too much"
"Win you quit interrupting? We
thought it was little queer that she did
not offer to pay Us some portion of her
very large hotel bill. One night the
Countess disappeared, and she left a
great deal ahead of Sitka. | was dis
charged next week for not having de-
tected her as a fraud at first sight"
"Who was she?'
"a milliner-name Smith-from San
Francisco"
"But these cases are of rank swindlers.
/ can't see that they were admirable
guests L mean guests that delighted your
soul"
"When | leased the Hotel de rEm-
pereur Napoleon on st. Helena, | gave a
| Brazilian nobleman an inside room, four
floors up near the kitchen, and he never
kicked. He was darling. Then again
when | kept the End of the World at
Cape Horn, my only guests were Argen-
tine and CHILEAN generals who were hold
ing TERRA del Fuego for their respective
powers. Grub got a little short. You
know Port Famine is in that region, and
we had to feed the boys once in while
ON soup made from able-bodied Fuegians.
The generals entered no protest. When
l clerked in the 'Geyser' at the base OF
Mt. Hecla in Iceland"
"That settles it. You yank the belt
away from Ananias in the greatest KIND
of shape"
And the clerks victim made his escape
with something about the Grand Llama:
Delight at Lassa in Thibet and virtues o.
a Buddhist priest who stopped there ring
ing in his ears as parting shot.
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-12
TORRENT AND BROOh.

A torrent once was heard 10 say
To q wee brook, met on the wav,
"Nhat useless If, ~ that YOU leaof
One most would doubt you flowed indeed;
Just hear me g. 1 roll suC roar.
And drag these rocks my waves before.
I'D scoTn TO meaUder a. you 90,
Bur must on goodbye io YOU"
zone moment, please. the brook replied.
Ode curb your cOursV, nnot your prlue.
IT'S true slowly hotter through
This Vafe. anu scarce mile er two
10 twice thai many hours can make
And Yet methinks / wouldn't forsake
Ny ways for yours. Around your led
The earth is rocky, blasted, dead.
About my own the grass and flowers
are Weaving many tiny bowers
That shade ny Way aBd scent the ar.
What's best. your way or mineg BE fair"
The brook then list, bUt heard no more,
Except the sury torrents roar.
- Home Journal
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-12
HOW IrfEELs TO BE INSANE.
tcOl. weekIsy in Arkansas TraveIler.l


was once insane and often muse
over my experience. There are, of course
many kinds of insanity. Some mental
disorders take place so gradually that
even the closest companions ofthe victim
are at a loss TO remember when the
trouble began. 1t must have been this
way in my case. One evening, after an
oppressively warm day, day when !
experienced more fatigue from the heat
than ever before or since, sat on my
porch tanning myself. This arm that i.
now in notion" l unused, "must one of
these days be dust / wonder how long
will the time be-"
Then | unused upon the evidence had
of immortality. l could do things that
other people could not accomplish. l
had gone through battle after battle,
and though the bullets sang and
struck around me thick as hail, yet
remained uninjured. Ihad passed
through epidemics of yellow fever. Ny
idea gained strength as / unused, and
Was convinced that | should live for
ever. No, this cannot be, for death
follows all men alike. Yes, / am to die
like other men, and believe that it is nv
duty to Ike the most of life; to make
money, and enjoy myself, and . educate
my children. / wanted to be rich, and !
began to study over an imaginary list of
enterprises.
At last / hit upon radishes. People
must have radishes. They should be in
every store. They could be dried and
sold in winter. / would plant fifty acres
with radish seed, and people all over the
country would refer to me as the "radish
king" | would form a radish syndicate,
and buy up all the radishes, and travel
around and be admired. | hastened to
the house to tell my wife that she was
soon to be radish queen. At the break.
fast table / said:
Julia, how would you like to be .
radish queenf'
"A whatr she exclaimed.
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-12
Changing Her Punctuation.
boston Times.

"I'm gift of the period and you don't
expect me to do house work. do you
mother?"
ooh, no; all expect you TO do is just to
mango your punctuation little. You
need little more dash about you. You
want to get up energy enough to jump
over high fence. Fewer apostrophes to
the stars and more life will do you good.
Take that bod and put some more fuel
on the fire, and become girl of the
colon"
The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-12
OLD CUSTOMS.

Old cns<omsi Well, our children ssy,
We get along without them;
But yon and /. dear, IN our day
Had other thoughts about tber1-
The dear old habits ofthe past
Ieznnot choose bat love them.
And sigh 60 think the World a; last
Has scared 20 high above them
We had not, in the years gone by,
T$pe grace that art discovers
Our lives were calmer; you and
Wete very simple lovers.
And when. cur daily duties cers
We strayed beside the PUSHES,
The only gems you ever wore
Were bright and blooming biushea
Our rustic way was slow. but vet
Some good there was about II,
And many ills we now regret
0sd habits would have routed
lknow our children sill can see
To Fiffh Commandment beauty,
Nay they obey. As once did We,
From love and not from duty.
The word to-day - far too high
10 wisdom 20 confess them.
Buk we'll We know, dear. you and i.
For that 10 have to bless them.
Thosgh love was IN the heart Of each.
trembled to aecoss you;
Had 700 required a polished speech
think | would have :ost you.
No doubt our minds are slow IN gauge
The ways We are not needing;
But mere cpon our memory's page
avery simple reading.
II says the forms We still hold fast
We're wise as well as pleasant
The good old customs of the past
Have leavened all the present.