davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
Chinese Religious Beliefs.

Stepping into shop in Chinatown, q
gentleman, among other things. asked the
owner what his religious belief was, and
the result of the conversation was that ne
found the shoopkeeper to be believer
in all three of the national religions, &C.
cepting the gods of ach oIlhand. paying
his money to support the priests of all,
and, if it would have made business lit
tic brisker, All Wang would have un-
doubtedly announced himself Christian
of any denomination required. This then
is one of the most striking pcculiarities:
that, while there are three distinct re-
ligions, they see NJ inconsistency in ac-
cepting all. The Confucian Chinaman
believes in spiritual appeal to the moral
nature. He believe in conscience, sees
q difference between virtue ahd vice, pre-
tends to believe in law and order, and is
a firm believer in paying religious ven
Grafton to his ancestors: and, above all,
is remarkable for his flial piety.
The Taoist Is materialist. To him the
soul is something tangible, physical
something, purer tn II the human form.
1t is not essentially in mortal, but attains
this state only by physical training
after Passing through certain
pseudo chemical process. He be-
iieves in various g d., is a liberal
of liberals in this. Ecen the stars are
divine or diviuitics. The Taoist is also
a great believer in hc"m:ts, Physic aus,
magicians, and no y men of all kinds.
The Chinese Buddhist differs from these.
His religion is metaphysical. He de.
lights in argumentativc philosophy, and
gives vent to his imagination in building
up his beliefs on an ethereal platform.
His gods are not realities, but tie mere
personifcation of ideas. Natter, as such,
is entirely disrcgardcd. and ideas, or
theories founded upon ideas, accepted.
Taoism is perhaps IS popular among the
majority as any, as it is of praeticaruse; ;
thus, a sick man will cons 1t his god OF
medicine, which is to he found in some
of the houses, and the priest will tell the
patient exactly what medicine or drugs
are required to heal him. Over ana
arouad these gods are seen testimonials
of patients that have been curcd.-San
francisco CM. ...
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
"Standing Room Only"

Medical officers of h, alth seldom spec
ulatc rs to the statistics of the future,
but DR.. Tidy, of Islington, has cnlivened
his report on the reduction OF the death
rate in the largest parish in the United
Kingdom by some startling spcculation'
as to what We arc coming to if We go on
multiplying and rcplenishing the earth
at the present rate. At present in Eng
land each man and woman and child has
an average elbow room of II acres.
That allowance decreases, annually, for
in place of 10, 900 persons on January
there Will be 10, 100 on December 81. If
this rate of incrca is maintained, in
seven generations cur population will
exceed that of tha entire world at the
present time, and in twenty generations
we shall be 1920, 900. 600, strong; that
is to say, we shall fill about twenty
worlds as large as the planet in one cor
ner of which we are now crowded. DIR.
Tidy wants to know where our posterity
is to find standing room, and we fear
there is no one competent to solve his
riddle. It is one consolation to think
that that problem will have to be solved
not by us but by or descendants. .-Pau
Mall Gazette.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
A Ship's Remarkable Voyage.

Captain J. N. Armstrong, now In COM
mand of the bark Kalakaua, loading
lumber at Port Blakely for the west
coast of South America, was in Seattle
the other day. Captain Armstrong will
be remembered as the commander who
brought the ship Templar from New
York to San Francisco few years ago
on one of the most remarkable passages
on record. After being out for some
time, the captain went to foreign port,
and for some reason his crew, excepting
the officers, left. Finally two English
ships came in, and from them Captain
Armstrong made up new crew, and
after being out four days, the entire
crew, including the captain and his
daughter, were taken down with yellow
fever. The first mate died, and several
of the sailors. TkLse who had the dis
case less violent threw the dead over
board, one by ore. The ship drifted
about without pilot or navigator for
more than a year. The captain, for two
years, was so violent from the ravages of
the fever that he had to he chained to
the deck to keep him from jumping
overheard. He wears the scars from the
chains and lashings to this day.
During.the year that to ship drilted
about. the second mate and three or four
of the sailors recovered, but being out OF
sight of land, and not understanding
navigation, they were powerless to DO
ANYTHING with the ship. Finally the
daughter regained her reason, but not
her Strength. One day she sent for the
Second Mate and asked him to carry her
on deck, which he did. She then sent
for her fathers instruments, and by the
aid of these and her knowledge of naviga-
ton she figured out the location OF the
vessel. she then took the charts from
the cabin and traced out route to San
Francisco. She then practically took
command of the vessel and ordered the
Second Mate and surviving Numbers OF
the crew to make sail, and gave them
the direction in which to sail. Every
day for months she would be carried on
deck to take the sun and give her orders.
Days and weeks passed and the ship
continued on her journey. Being so
light handed the vessel could not be
properly handled and could carry but
little sail, consequently her progress was
slow. After many weary, dreary months
the Captain regaincd his reason, and
when he learned of what his daughter
had done he was greatly surprised, and
declared that had he been placed in the
same position he could not have done
better. The ship was loaded with
general merchandise, the cargo beng IN
sured for over $2Oo,OO0. The long ab-
sence of the ship, and no tidings from
her. led the owners and all interested
palties to believe that she, with all hands
on board, had been lost. Imagine their
surprise, after the supposed fate of the
ship had almost passed from their minds,
when one bright dey in summer the ship
Tcmplar, with her cargo all intact, came
sailing into San Francisco bay.-Ssattts
nv. ~ Post -Inte.liqencer.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
A Watch That Winds Itself When the
-'Wearer Walks.

A watch that winds itself by the mo-
ton of the wearer is the latest wonder of
Europe. The new automatic timepiecc
is called in Switzcrlnn !, where it was
invented, the "Marchr- Marche." TIE
watch is stem-settcr, and in but one
particular differs from the ordinary
watch as to exterior appearance. Its
ssworks" are protected by q square case
instead of round onr, for reason that
will appear after the other features OF the
watch have been dc c>cribed in detail. The
prime features of the watch is the auto
matte self-winding mechanism, which
attains the object in view to perfection.
On the side of the watch that the nrbor
of the winding barr.l is exposed, an
arm, secured at the end and with q
hammer-like attachment at the other,
moves downward whenever disturbed
from position OF absolute rest. The
force of spring adjusted under the arm
furnishes the reaction, and tn: oscilla. ,
tion is repeated with every step taken
by the wearer. This is transmitted to
the lock of the mainspiiug barrel by the
wheel, the circumference of which is
adapted to the clutch of dog that
tholds fast all it gets" and the most or
dinary walking exercise upon the part
of the wearer serves to wind it up ful.
The watch when used for the first time
Is wound with q key, but never after is
q key required if the watch is worn regu:
larly by any one of the most moderate
habits of peregrinat;oa. The square
case is essential to the successful action
of the self-winding apparatus, for the
reason that it must stand horizontally,
and this can only be when the watch has
an upright position in the pocket.
Upon the face of the watch is the small
dial of manometer, which constantly in
dicates the tension to hich the spring
is wound, and by glance the wearer Of
the watch may tell for how many hours
the watch is wound. The running capac-
ity of the 'sbIarche- Narche," when fully
wound, is sixty hours. as is indicated by
the manometer when its hand points to
the number at the top of the dial. The
amount of exercise required to wind 1t
full is represented by six miles walking.
The advantage urg.d in the automatic
winding mechanism is The absence of the
hazard in missing trains and sowing
seeds of dissension il the 1amly by late
arrival at dinner because of forgetfulness
or negligence in the matter of winding
the watch. The aL encc of necessity for
any contact of human hands with the in
terror of the watch is urged as an a,,di-
ticnal argument for durability, and its
shape, which at fir seems odd, is better
adapted to rich and artistic decoration.
The "Marche- -Marchc' is entirely hand
made watch, and is consequently model
of perfection in the chronometric art, the
expense of which is the chief barrier to
it's speedy introduction to general use.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
Paw of the Worlds Lawmakers.

In Belgium, says an English exchange,
each member Of the Chamber Of Repre-
sen ativcs receives 200 forms, or e16 ID
shillings per month; or for the sessi,n
of eight months e134.
In Denmark the members of the Lands
thing and the Folkething are paid the
same salary, ID shillings per day. The
average number of working days IN
session is 145; the total amount for the
same is Glib Is shillings.
In Portugal Peers and Deputies receive
on annual stipend of e67.
In Franc, Senators and Deputies each
get 10. 900 francs, or $3.50 per year; the
colonial representatives getting, in addl-
tion. their travelling expenses.
In Sweden the members of the Diet
receive 1900 rix-dollars, equll to 966
IA shilings for session of four months,
and their travelling expenses. Here mem
bers of both Chambers are fined 10 rix-
dollars, or II sh llings day if they do
not attend.
In Switzerland members of the Ma
tional Council receive II shillings per
day, which is paid out Of the Federal
Treasury. Members of the State Coun.
Gil are paid by the cantons, and their
salaries range from shillings to 10 shil.
lings per day.
In the United States Representatives
and Delegates each receive 81, 900 per
year and their travelling expenses at the
rate of 10 renee per mile.
In Norway the members of the Storth-
ing received 13 shillings pence day
while it is sitting, which is usually about
twelve weeks.
In Italy neither Senators nor Deputies
are paid, but they get fire. passes over
all the railroads in the Kingdom and
scme other concessions as to taxes and
patronage, most Objectionable mode Of
payment, and long since condemned IN
this and other countries where similar
privileges used to be conceded TO legls-
lators.
In Spain the members arc not paid.
In Greece Senators get $40 per month
and members of the Representative
Chamber el0 per month.
In all the local legislatures in Ger
many the members, with one or two ex-
ceptions, are paid, the salaries averaging
in Prussia about 8 shillings per day and
in Austria about 90 shillings per day.
The members of Parliament in Great
Britain, as is we'll known, receive no pay,
and have no direct patronage. Were
the members of the House of Lords paid
at the same rate as American Congress
men and Senators Their salaries would
amount to e5ls, ,OC0, and the members OF
the House of Commons would absorb
about $4,000
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
VANITAS.

When after long battle the prize has been
gained,
When after long searching the jewel is
found,
When after long climbing the peak is at
tanned,
When after long sowing tho harvest is
bound,
Then We halt;
Aud we fret meath the burden of life.
For we feel that the victory's not worth
the strife.
70 fail in the heat Of the on-rushing race;
To love and receive for our recompense
hate;
70 worship and find that our idol is base;
10 trust and awake to deception too late;
Is our lot
Each sign on the pathway Of life,
Pointing out that the victorys not worth
the strife.
Our joys never seem the same pleasures we
= thought;
Our hores never come to their fruitage un-
married.
Our future ne'er brings US the grandeur we
sought;
Our past to our vision appears but i'll.
starred;
Such is fate;
But it darkens the glory Of life,
Thus to find that the victory's not worth
the strife.
Over sights that are beauty, dull clouds
grimly SAIL
Over days that are lightsome, cares blight
ingly fall;
Over fond-cherished gardens, blows Boreas's
gale;
Over pans full of promise drops failures
black pail;
... So they go;
But the memories cumber our life
With the tale that the victorys not worth
the strife.
But we look to aland where the skies never
dull,
Where the flowers never fade, where tho
.. lights never dim,
Where tn. hopes never ebb, where the joys
ne7er lull,
Where no failures are found to its utter
most rim.
Happy land!
- Where we'll feel through an unending life
That the victory there is well worth all
the strife.
-Chas. M Harger, in Detroit Free Press.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
He Didn't Jump.

Sunday afternoon man suddenly ap-
peared at a three. story window in an un-
finished building on Grand River street
and seemed to begin preparations to
commit suicide by leaping to the pave
ment. A crowd of forty or fifty people
speedily gathered in half. cir, lc below,
and although all seemed to be aware of
what was going on not voice was
raised to prevent the stranger carrying
out his designs. He removed his coat
and looked down as if estimating the
distance. Then he removed his vest
and looked down again. Some of the
crowd asked each other in low tones if
his intention was to jump, and were an
swercd that there was no doubt of it.
The man re novel his collar and tie after
his vest, and then spit on his hands and
took his position square in the window.
No one below moved a foot. There was
hall minute of silence, during which
everybody mentally calculated on the
exact spot he would strike, and some
thing like q shudder passed over the
crowd. Then the unknown spit on his
hands once more. raised them above his
head, and calmly remarked:
"My friends, this is to inform you that
l shall occupy this building November l
with large and well selected stock of
staple and fancy groceries. I shall do a
strictly cash business, and it will be my
aim to -"
But the last one had turned tie cor"er.
Detroit Free Press.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10

the gas and rolled in. As soon rs hit
the bed it shut up-that is. as close as it
could. 1t was close enough. For about
ten minutes I would have swapped
places with any one of the seven anar-
chists and given him odds. When I got
out of that place there was not enough
left of the bed-clothes to make respect.
able bandage. know, because tried
it. What 1 suffered you will never
know.
"This morning the landlady Informed
me, that had she known was subject to
delirium trcmens, she would have re-
fused the admittance that gave me q
chance to ruin TIE reputation of her
boarding house. AS left the house the
b :arders poked their heads out and whis-
pered: That's him; he had 'em bad last
night, and similar encouraging remarks.
-NeD York Nsus.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
Plenty OF Claimants.

When Lord Tom Bra sey was IN the
Bahamas, in order to ascertain which
way the Gulf Stream was built, he threw
overheard cou, lie OF Theoretically scaled
soda water bottles with q little flag and
button on top. Each bottle contained
nrtice that the finder would receive G5
on forwarding it to Lord Tom; and in
order to facilitate the task of identifca-
ton Lady Brassey inserted {. fac similc
etching of the two bottles in her new
book. About a week after its publica-
ton the fun began. Soda water bottles
came pouring in by rail, van and parcel
post, until the back yard at Norman
hurst became impossible and bottle racks
at o premium. The lot are row to be
had cheap. Soda water manufacturers,
take notice !--Load0n Times.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
Capital Punishment in China.

In China, writes a Chinaman in the
Columbia Jurist, capital punishment often
depends upon the wbim of the officer OF
the law. Here is an instance: Pen Tia
Rcn, the Rear Admiral of the Yangtle
district, was passing up that river and
CHANGED to overhear quarrel between
boatmen and soldier over the matter Of
two cash-the price of ferriage across q
small stream The Admial took in the
situation. The soldier had been ferried
over the stream, and then refused to pay
the poor fcrryman. There was principle
involved. A large number of soldiers
were looking on and apparently enjoying
the ferryman's rage at the loss Of his
wages. An example was needed, and
the "Great Man" as his name signifies,
who was incognito, being on tour Of
personal inspection, ordered the soldier
beheaded, which was done on the spot.
Willful murder, piracy and confirmed
thieves fall under the beheadsman ak.
Infanticide, however, is not included as
murder. The parent, by Chinese law,
has the right of life over his own child;
hence the practice of female iufantlcide.
Capital punishment can be met by
proxy and the law be satisfied. 1t is not
uncommon. therefore, wren man of
money is sentenced to death that he can,
by the use of money, secure a stay of
proceedings long enough to obtain sub
stitute. This is done by making an offer
of one, two or more hundred 'tacls"
ounces of silver, about 1881 cents, our
standard, for a substitute. Some impe-
cunious family, often having 200 or 800
members, as the patriarchal plan of dc
mcstic economy prevails, will agree
among themselves that they will furnish
substitute for the proffcred sum. Lot
is then cast to determine the victim, and
the doomed man acc pts his fate with
stoical inditfc: encc upon the ultra pre-
destination theory that his time has come,
else the lot would not have fallen to him
individually. lie accordingly presents
himself to the court, and the convicted
man die by proxy, while the family OF
the deceased enjoy the proceeds of the
arrangement.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
Rice at the Fair.

Everybody, almost, knows what a
wide. out short-up figure Billy Rice, the
minstrel, has. Well, about two weeks
ago lat least 50 we are inforrued) Billy
was at an agricultural show in a one
night-stand town, and as he stood in a
thoughtful attitude contemplating the
exhibit, the editor Of the county paper
and farmer passed by.
''Look there" whispered the editor,
that's Kice"
"Where." inquired the farmer.
"There," said the editor, pointing to-
ward William.
"Ricc2" repeated the farmer inquir-
ingly.
"Yes.'
"Well, by gosh, it's the funniest rice
1 ever seen. 1t looks blame sight more
like punkin. Les go an take look
at it."
Billy met the farmer half way and
paralyzed him. WASHINGTON Critic.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
Radinaee of the Ministers.

There wos a meeting of the preachers
of Lynchburg, Va, and when it was
breaking up DR.. John Harmon could not
find his hat. Turning to the Rev. IL.
Acrcc, he said:
zone of you Baptists has my hat"
"Thcn," sail Brother Acree, "your
hat has moro brains in it than ever be-
fore"
A fcws days after that DR.. Harmon
was passing by Brother AGREES yard
gate, and when urged to come in he
said:
81 am on my way to preach
"You can't preach" replied Brother
Acree. :. -,
$50 I felt for long time" replied
DR.. Hannon; shut since hearing you,
the other day, Ihave changed my mind. y
-Richmont Religious Heraa.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
He was an Estim atOr.

"What's all this crowd doing here?"
asked stranger, as he found the pave
ment blockaded in front of Broadway
store.
"Why," replied bystander, "the
proprietor offers a prize for the closest
guess as to the number Of beans in that
bottle"
"How are the gue:ses rurning2"
"From 900 up to Is, ,00O."
ooh, pshaw! Why, there must be at
least 100, 900 beans in that bottle" .
"Where might yol be from, stIanger2"
"I2 Oh, I'm from the West. I've
been out there estimating the population
of cities from the number of names in the
directories. ."-Iid-Bits.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
A Saving Philosopher.

Wandering phisosophcr-"Yes, my
dear sir, I've reckoncd up that by walk
ing down town to my business every day
have saved $500 in the last ten years. !"
Indifferent fellow (who always rides)-
"And your healthi is better, too9"
Philosopher-"Oh, mu:h better"
Indifferent fellow-"Well, I am out
that much. Good day!"
Philosopher-"Ah-by the way could
you lend INC IS for few days2"-New
York Graphic.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
BUDGET OF FUN.
HUMOROUS SKETCHES FROM
VARIOUS SOURCES.

Greater than Herrmann-A Saving
Philosopher-He was an ESti-
mator-Rice at the Fair
He Didn't Jump, Etc.
''That Partisan trick--the Vanishing
Lady-thlt Hermann does is a great
one," said Jones. ''He covers lady
with veil, and after little man ruvring
removes the veil, and the lady has dis
appeared"
''That's nothing to young lady in our
boarding house." answered Brown. II
have seen ten or twelve persons in the
parlor, and this young lady come in, sit
down to the piano, and begin to play
and sing. In two minutes all the rest
had disappeared. Talk about Hermann!
He amt patch to her. '-hea0 York Sun.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10

could be tied to the apron-stringS OF
wives who are anchored on foundation
of church going principles, we should
have a far greater number of happy
homes and vastly more peace and happi.
ness in the world at large Cleveland
Je11er
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10

"Children," said Dakota school
teacher, 'from the noise outside 1 think
a dog fight is going on. You are all ex-
cused and may go out and watch 1t.
Don't get in q hurry, here, it will look
etter to let your teacher 20 first!' and
he shot out of the door followed by
Wild rush of the scholars. .-Esteltins Bell.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10
Paragraph "Going the Rounds. "

Joseph Marcel was trying to set a game
hen at Point all Prince, when the game
cock few in his face and packed him
severely on the left eyelid.
II.
A Cauuck farmer had his eye peckcd
oct by game cock the other day 1t
served him right for trying to set the
hen OH china eggs.
III.
The ferocity of the game cock at GER
tain seasons of the year was strikingly
illustrated at Toint a , Prince recently,
when Canadian farmer had to kill one
Of those noble birds in self-defense.
".
A Canadian farmer was killed the
other day by his favorito game cock. A
man never knows when he is safe from
harm.
One of the most brutal exhibitions on
record was the fight at Point al Prince,
Canada, few days ago, between
brawny farmer, with his hands tied, and
a lcrocious game cock. The bird had
been traine1 to fly at nuns eyes, and
in the fifth round pecked his left orb
into gib!ets. After thirty nine bloody
rounds the human brute caught his
feathercd adversary between his teeth
and bit off its head.-Omaha Bee.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-10

"Thesc newspapers IL never get done
pitching into the oleomargarine manu-
facturers," said old Mrs. Plnaphor.
glancing at an article headed "Corruptlon
in Greece" in daily paper.