davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-07-21
AN UNSUITABLE, soTToMLEss GRAVE
The Hole of Death-A Ouagmire That
swallows Up Horse and Rider.

The Hole of Death-A ouagmire That
Swallows Up Horse and Rider.
1t is an awful sight TO see man drown.
But with foresight and skill no man need
drown. Fancy sea in which there is
no swimming, and sea into which you
may plunge unawares. A man is looping
over the green prairie, looking out from
under his broad sombrero AT the lazy
cattle and the prairie-dogs playing i'll the
sun. Suddenly there is a sound like a
giants throat swallowing choked shout
Of terror. The prairie-dogs run into
their holes, and a moment later come
out cautiously, curious and frightened.
The tall reed-like grass is waving where
the horse and ride were just now. The
antelope on the crest of the divide
yonder look roun them watchfully. But
there is nothing TO fear-no man in
sight He is go ng to town, that rider,
with the wages of hard winters work
in his pocket, riding his favorite bronche,
dressed in the buckskins he had fr.nged
in the wintec evenings, ready 10 show
the foolish girls how brave he looked in
his rude attire Where is he now-he
and his horsef In a grave of Shiny,
shivering mud-alkali paste, blue with a
nameless tint of putrid death. has filled
his throat-covered his eyes before he
could close the lids.
What does this mean-some hideous
freak of nature-some work of a devil
ontn,u.l with a n,nfn.n,'z ,nxx-ar. W.
only an alkali sink; only natural well,
filed with paste as yielding As water
retentive as hell. Picture TO yourself the
surface setting back to its normal
quietude with an indescribable gulp, a
ghoul like smacking of grave-lips. A
grave that supplies itself with dead-a
grave that buries almost before il kills
an Unsuitable, bottomless grave, set like
trap for the living. The sink-hole is
not always covered with grass; some
times it has a caked and scanned crust Of
blueish-white alkali On the top Of it. But
even that is poor safeguard, for the
long grass around it will hide it from the
rider until it is too late to avoid it.
The tenacity of this paste Of mud is
something incredible. have never seen
a man caught in sink-hole, but have
seen a man ride to the edge of one, dis
cover il too late to turn his horse, and
shaking himself in the saddle, vault oven
the horn-pommel, when the pony was
caught, striking the ground far beyond
the sink-hole. There were twenty men
there, and before the horse had sunk far
there were half a dozen ropes fast To
him. Half dozen strong ponies can
pull most anything, but they could not
draw that horse back from the grave
that was closing over him. There is
strange suction about that alkali mud
it holds all it grasps with a horrible
pertinacity. Francisco Engesidc
Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-07-21
A Treaty ON a SILK handkerchief

A Swiss correspondent of The Repub.
lique Franchise, in looking over the
papers of the eccentric duke of Bruins.
wick, deposited at the library of Geneva,
has found the draft of a secret mutual
assistance treaty between him and the
late Emperor Napoleon. 1t is dated
Ham, eth June, 1914, and is not only
signed Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, but is
written by him on a white silk pocket.
handkerchief in marking ink.-Glasgow
Mail.
Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-07-21
Old Burial Ground In London.

The old burial ground In London, which
was made celebrated in Dickens move
Bleak House, where Lady Dedlock ~lay
with one arm creeping round the bar of
the iron gate, seeming to embrace it,
and where Poor Jo was buried, has been
turned into playground for children. II
is very small one, not more than fifty
PAGES by fifteen, but it must be of ines
timable value in a place like London.
Chicago journal.
Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-07-21
The Oldest SON Of Brigham.

John w. Young, the Oldest son of
Brigham, is the leader of the Mormon
lobby at Washington, and is said to pos.
sess many of the personal characteristic,
OF his father. His mother was the irs'
Of Brigham's seventeen wives.-Dstroi
Free Press.
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17
ARTISTIC MoNoGRAMS.
The Four Principal Laws BY which the
Designs should Be Governed.

Scarcely any thing seems 80 easy rs
to design monogram, yet we see very
few successful ones, the most OF them
being a mass Of mixed up letters and
ornaments Of which we can find neither
the beginning nor tho end. There Is q
law regulating the designing of every
thing. and 1t is this law which the true
designer keeps in mind and applies to
his work; the effects OF obedience TO
this law. and It's violation, are seen AZ
clearly in the design for q monogram
NJ in the design for cathedral.
First, there should be harmony OF
composition, that Is, the letters should
SO emphasize. subdue or control each
other that the composition should i'm.
press us as compact, appropriate, and.
being so. beautiful.
Second, there should be no unneces-
sary ornamentation; there should be
quiet and peace about the design
which will always please the truly ar
tistic. Looking at some designs. we get
the impression that ornament was so
plentiful that the designer saw no other
means of consumption than that OF
burying his designs in It. for We sec
that there Is mass Of curves, angles,
shades and leaves, but nothing else.
Third, simplicity of lettering is an
important requisite. as there should DO
no possibility of mistaking an f for a
@ or c, and the boundaries or outlines
of the letters should be well defined.
Fourth. the order Of sequence OF the
letters should be carefully attended to.
The common idea is that certain
number of letters are given with which
to make pleasing design. and so far,
that impression is right; but there is
something beyond this. There is the
art OF so placing the letters that one
can distinguish at glance the first,
the central and the last letter. Now.
the rule to be observed to secure this
result is rs follows: The last letter OF
the monogram must bo the principal
feature. and must be tho largest,
the boldest and the heaviest letter;
then tho first letter must be tho next
In size, but tho lightest in outline
and color; then the central letter must
be the smallest. and OF an intermediate
tint. II the monogram is of four let
ters. the two intermediate must be OF
the same size. and tho second letter
lighter in outline and color than the
third.-Art amateur.
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17
THE YUCCA PALM.
A Grotcsque, Dwartish 1res Which Can
Now BE Called the Newspaper Plant.

A Grotesque, Dwartish Tree Which Can
Now he Called the Newspaper Plant.
1t seems that in certain Territories
called New Mexico and Arizona, there
are great tracts of desolate desert
lands. where the very hills seem desti-
tute of life and beauty, and where the
earth is shrivelcd from centuries OF
terrible heat And in these desert-
tracts grows n curious misshapen, gro.
tcsque and twisted plant that Seems
more like a goblin tree than q real
one.
Of all the trees in the world, you
would imagine this to be the most out
cast and worthlcss-so mcagera living
does it obtain from the waste of sand
and gravel in which it grows. And yet
this goblin tree is now being sought
after in one Of the worlds greatest in.
dustries-an industry that affects the
daily needs of civilization.
Those wise folk. the botanists, call
our goblin tree by its old Indian name
of the yucca" palm. This plant of
the desert for long time was consi,l-
cred valuelcss. But not long ago II
was discovered that the fiber Of the
Yucca could be made into an excellent
paper. And now one of tho great En-
glish dailies, the London Telegraph, Is
printed upon tie paper made from this
goblin tree. Indeed, tho Telegraph has
purchased a large plantation in Arizo-
ma, merely for the purpose of cultivat-
ing this tree, and manufacturing paper
from it. So. you see. the Yucca is now
newspaper plant.-St. Nicholas.
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17
OUR BOYS AND GIRLS.
4 HOPELESS SeARcH.

On cushions OF pink velvet IN thistle, DO
lay swinging.
A fay. with olhy Lady Noon TO hear hor
plsintivo singing
sAh mol slackaday!" she sang. 'Tve hunt
cd by the hour"
And here her crystal tears fell down like dew
upon the flower;
"rve been to marble palaces, and huts with
windows creaking-
Ono hardly can suggest u place whore have
not bcen seeking.
srve looked In daytime all dared and soon
as came the twilight,
I've crept In MANY mortars house through
window or through skyllght,
sAnd. while above my puzzled head my hre.
fly lantern keeping,
rve trppcd from little bed to bed and scan.
ned the children sleeping.
sBut always proved the search In vain; ]
roally feel like scolding
To th nix OF all the lovely things that wait
that child's beholding;
NJ have u foriunatus purse, q winged horse
and rockets,
4 wishing.cap, some sevcnleague boots, be-
sides two magic pockets;
sBut o. It's not a bit OF use; know I can
not fnd him
The boy that never once forgets to shut q
door behind himv'
Clara l.. B,uilhdm, In Vide AtpdkA
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17

fainting TO the ground. The animal
caught II as 1t fell. trampled 1t with its
feet, tossed II high with Its horns. tear.
ing the pretty embroidery and staining
the delicate colors. but Katie did not
see it. Kind hands removed the fright
ened baby from the carriage and car.
ried her home, but Katie was deaf to
the cry Of her darling. The cow was
secured while engaged with the robe.
but Katie saw not the frantic efforts to
escape. nor heard tho angry muttcr-
ings. When at last shc opened her
eyes in Mrs. Hudson's room, her first
question was for Daisy. "Safe and
sound" said Mrs. Hudson, bringing
the rosy faoe, still wet with tears, close
to Katie's own.
"Whcrc Is the blanket?" was the
next question.
"Ncver mind the carrisge-robe, dear
child" said Mrs. Hudson; show could
you think to do such q brave thing?"
she asked, as she pressed the baby still
closer.
"Hal said: Think quick and act in
hurry" replied Katie, family. "but
hadn't time to think"
"IIadn't time to thinkw repeated
Mrs. Hudson; "the wisest head In the
world could not have done better.
saw it all, Katie; how can thank you
for saving my baby3" and with flood
of tears Mrs. Hudson kissed the pale
face of the nurse girl.
"Hurrah for Katie" shouted Hal
who until now had stood regarding her
with profound astonishment. "a boy
couldn't have done better; but you are
indebted to me foran idea, aren't you?
The masculine mind is the original
one. after ALL"
"Georgie, Katie has answered your
question:" said Mrs. Hudson, and
when she pictured the consequences
that would have followed different
course of action on Katie's part George
had no difficulty in understanding the
desirableness of cultivating habits OF
decision and promptness that, brought
in exercise, people are wont to call
presence of mind.-Esther Converse, sn
Congreqdtiondlist.
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17
A MEDIEVAL RELIC.
Tho Ancient Republic Of Andorra and It's
Form OF Government.


Form OF Government.
"Andorra" Is an independent state
in the Pyrenees, adjoining the Spanish
province of Leredo. 1t is not depend
ent upon either France or Spain and
has been self-governing since the time
Of Charlemagnc. That great monarch
recognized the Andorrans because
they helped him against the Moors.
This little state has an area Of about
six hundred square miles and an es-
timated population of seven thousand.
Those who indulge In dreams as to
what the future may bring forth be-
lieve that it is the fate of modern
Europe to break up into small com.
munities which will be self-governing
locally while acknowledging central
authority, which would dominate the
Western Word. The most perfect form
Of Democracy known TO ancient or
modern times was the New England
town meeting. The neighbors in the
several localities met and managed
their own affairs. This seems to be
impossible in densely populated cities.
These pigmy governments, like An.
dora and Monaco. which have come
down from the middle ages, are types
Of tho decentralized governments OF
the future. Monthly.
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17
IMPORTED SLANG.
The Most Odious Contortion OF Language
Known to Mankind.

Known to Mankind.
Slang is not n desirable addition to
any language, but we never heard OF
any language without it. Elegant and
magnificent Paris possesses probably
the largest slang vocabulary in the
world. The slang of the Partisan
thieves, loafers and street Arabs was
carefully studied by Victor Hugo, who
not only employed it in the speech OF
some of the characters of his greatest
novel but devoted many pages to a
discussion Of its derivation, force and
expressiveness.
The French novelist Daudet, also, is
well acquainted with the much smaller.
but almost equally curious vocabulary
of fashionable slang, which presents
the additional difficulty of changing
with every season. English writers,
too. are obliged to study slang II they
wish their characters to appear natural,
for London Society-with a capital s.
employs more slang and worse slang
in conversation than educated persons
anywhere else. We perceive with dis
may, therefore. a tendency among
Americans to emphasize their speech
with imported slang as we'll rs that
native to the soil.
Now, American slang is bad enough;
but we are. in some degree, hardened
to it. The word dude has long since
ceased to excite astonishment, mug
trump is an accepted fact, and Doodle
(adopted from the thieves vocabulary
is fast coming to have familiar sound.
The slang phrases employed in com.
mon conversation, although unpleas-
Ing. are not disgusting, and are fire..
quently expressive. To get left, for in.
stance, conveys, in the briefcst and
most forcible form, an idea which IL
might take some time to state In cor.
rect language.
But English slang is different 1t Is
silly. 1t is inexpensive. It is some.
times revolving. No good American.
we arc sure. could bring himself to use
It. We advise our readers to distruss
any one who speaks the slang dialect
habitually, to carefully avoid any per.
son who talks about cad,, and to look
upon the individual who is capable Of
saying rot, for rubbish, as hopelessly
beyond tho pale Of olvilisation.-M y
Ledger.
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17
MODERN MAGIC.
The simple Secret OF tho Msrveioua
"Taiklng Head"


In modern times magicians have
made much use of mirrors. The cclc.
bratcd "Sphinx" trick, or "Talking
Head" which caused such profound
sensation when it was hrst brought
out u few years ago, owed its as'onish.
ing effect entirely to tho aid OF mirrors.
Not even the marvellous automatic
chess-player OF Maczcl is at all to bc
compared to tho "Spninx." which
may Justly be regarded as the most re-
markablc illusion ever invented for the
bewilderment Of mankind.
But while tho possibility OF hiding
the person OF dwarf within the box
upon which the chess-player was seat.
ed might have occurred to any one as
y solution of the mystery. 1t was diili-
cult for the spectator to imagine how
an agency other than supernatural
could be connected with head which
lay on dish on q plain four-lcgscd
table in the middle Of the stage, and
talked and smoked pipe with as much
sang-trOid us If 1t had belonged to u
reasonable human being.
As has been said, the table was
placed in the stage. in full view. The
head lay in dish on the table; II was
evidently independent of human agcn-
CIV, for the audience could SEQ under
the table, and there was nothing there.
Beneath the table were visible the cur
tains at the back of the stage. which
was hung all around with dark cloth
reaching to the floor. II is not surpris-
ing that this marvellous talking head"
should have excited the astonishment
of Europe. or that it should have puz-
zled the most eminent scientific men to
account for the mysterious phenomc-
non; and yet, as it is the case with all
really effective tricks, the riddle Of the
sphinx was an exceedingly simple one.
A man was actually under the table
with his head through hole in the
top. but his body was concealed by
mirrors so adroitly disposed that they
reflected the curtains at the sides of the
stage, thus producing an optical illu-
sion by which the spectator was led to
believe that he was looking under the
table and seeing the hanging at the
back. The deception Is so perfect that
it is almost impossible, even with a
person who is acquainted with the nat
urc of the illusion, to realize that 1t Is
such.
An effect somewhat similar is pro-
duccd by large plain mirror inclined
away from the audience at an angle OF
forty-iiyc degrees. In the middle OF
the glass is hole through which the
performer passes his head, which
seems to float in the air, the body OF
the man being concealed behind the
mirror.
Another famous trick is the "box"
trick. a large box is raised from the
floor in the middle of the stage, 80
that the spectators can see around and
under it. The performer gets into the
box and closes it. When it is opened
again he has disappeared, ora skeleton
is found in its place. The man is con-
cealed by mirrors swinging on hinges,
which reflect the sides of the box. so
that the audience think it is empty
Cincinnati Enquirer.
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17
QUEER LovE-MAklNG.
How n Bright Little French Girl Allowed
Herself to lie wooed.

How u Bright Little French Girl Allowed
Herself to lie wooed.
remember. just before the Franco
Prussian war. a Mdlle. Pairicr. very
witty and intelligent girl of eighteen,
attended the day-school in which l was
teaching. She had passed her exam.
nations at Hotel dc Vile, but was so
fond Of her school that she protested
she would not leave it until it was time
for her to be married. She was apriv-
ileged character among the :cachers
and pupils-a sort of a parlor boardcr.
One day she came running TO us and
said: Mamma has seriously gone to
work to find mo husband. saw q
candidate last night at the thcater, but
| don't like him. Ho squints. / am
going to see another at the Opera
Comique tonight" The next morning
our question was: "How did you like
hime" Cant like him; papa heard
that his property was entailcd. and
that his father died of some hereditary
disease" Thus, every morning. to
our amusement, she would come with
new story. told in her own sprightly
way. Once she told us that one OF her
mothers horses was famed; she sup.
posed that he Qhe horse) was heartily
tired of running after husband for
her. At last she found the right one,
or rather the right one was found for
her. She then at once stopped joking.
and. with the dignity she st once as
sumed as financee, she forbade us SO
to do. Her husband is a rich manu-.
facturer of cloth at Elboeuf---Brooslyn
Eagle.
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17
CAT AND BIRD.
The Bitter Enmity That Existed Between
Them.

Them.
They were bitter enemies. although
they lived in the same house.
Polly had been there week. and Be.
gan to think she owned every thing.
She gave her orders in the most anus
ing way. In the morning the first
thing would be: "A cup OF coffee.
Mary, quick" Then: Now I'll walk
out. want to walk out" And II she
was not attended to ut once she would
exhibit frightful temper, or utter tho
most pathetic reproaches.
Her self-pity was quito moving.
"Poor Polly, poor Polly's so hungry!
Polly's sick. Nobody loves Polly"
One day handsome black cat was
given to me. named him Jim Crow.
took him in to visit Polly, as l knew
they would SEQ good deal OF each
other.
Jim Crow glared at Polly out Of his
green eyes till they looked like balls OF
fire, Then he uttered a dreadful m
e-c-o-w, that was o challenge in
itself.
Polly rufiled up her feathers, tossed
her head, and screamed out: "fou
black nigger!" What Jim Crow would
have called her, II he couA talk. ! can
only imagine. But all hope OF making
friends between them was ut an end.
Jim would look at her for an hour ut
time. and pour forth a torrent Of
abuse in cat language.
Polly's favorite retort would always
come in time. How she knew the cat
was black will ever be a puzzle. They
kept up their quarrel for some months.
Ono day Jim came home in a sad
plight. He had been shot, and feared
he would die. l washed and bandaged
his wound, but he grew worse every
moment.
Polly had been looking on with
much interest. Suddenly she few
down from her perch to his side.
"Poor Jim! poor Jim!' she said.
Then she began to cry as only parrot
can. In the midst Of her grief she
broke into wicked laugh, and ended
with her usual tsunt: "You black
Niger"
But poor Jim Crow could not flask
his eyes at her again. He breathed his
last in few moments, and we carried
Polly to his funeral.-Mrs. a. d. Bell,
in Our Young Folks.
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17
THE oRuMMsR's LITTLE GIRL.

My papa 10 a travelling man.
some Irople calls him 'drummer,s
He gu's away In August, and
Gets home again next summer.
j don't know papa very we'll
wish knew him better,
But every week take my pen
Aud write big long letter.
Aud mamma says somc day he'll come
u thought should have faintndD.
And she will keep min IN tho house
untl We get acquainted.
Now amt that funny, don't you thlnkl
10 gives me lots of bother
To think u great big girl Hko mo
Don't really know hor father.
Iwon't know, hardly, hoy to act;
or cOur'. bell bqv 10 "Ni-sH ms,
Dut EooJuc>s gracious, itwon't do
To let n strange man kiss met
And when 10 first comes Ia the house
lwont know how to greet him;
lgliess I'll call him M stcr Papa"
s.ud say I'm pleased to meet him.
Oh pshaw, It's plagucy moan to have
ones papa for drummer.
lwlSh he'd come in autumn and
Stay winter. spring aud summer.
Merchant Tupsls~.
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17

Tho tunnel of Posilippo. in Italy,
Is a fine specimen of ancient engineer
ing. Millions Of human beings have
each year. for nearly twenty centuries,
passed through it Roman charios and
other ancient vehicles have left their
autographs scraped and scratched into
the lining stone and modern wagons
and carriages still rub their hubs
against it, leaving their traces for gen.
erations TO come.
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17

"A greyhound in Buffalo recently
made the lowest official running record
in tho world. The hound was given
three trials. In the first he made the
200 yards in LIT seconds; in the second
he covered the distance in 12i seconds,
and in the third he made the rsmarka.
BILE record of 12t seconds. the lowest
official record in the world.-Bu1dld
ErDress
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17

Cigar stores which have for years
been open every day in Philadelphia
are now closed on Sunday. The deal
ers say that while they could well at.
ford to pay the fine every week they
can not afford to have their names pub
lished by the Law and Order Society as
defying the law.-Phiiadelphio Press.
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17

An Irishman. sleeping with .
negro, had his face blackened BY
practical joker. Starting OF in the
morning. he caught sight Of himself
in mirror and exclaimed: "Begorrs,
they've woke up tho wrong mani
ok,cage LsdQWs
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17

There is law in Vermont which
passed the Legislature last session
making the adul,era6on of maple sn'
gar or bees hoaey with any substance
whatever punishable by fine Of from
twenty-five 2 ft.y douHA
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17

-Grandpa-"Tell me, Ethel. why do
you get gloves with six buttonsP"
Ethel" Yes, grandpa dear. / will tell
you. The reason Is, II ! had seven
buttons. or FIVE. they would not match
the sis byttop oleh"v9ossoa 4sdas@
Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-17

1t is stated by Rhode Island pa
per that since Ex-Governor Sprague's
last marriage there has been q marked
Improvement ip his personal conduct
and financial standing.