davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30
A Story OF slOO.

The following story was vouchsa'e ed
cy the '.urbane and gentlemanly' clerk
Of an uptown hotel By the way, why
are hotel clerks invariably urbane and
gentlemanigl Why dOesn some enter
prsing Young man, with contempt for
mOnotony and . disregard for tradition,
get up and immortalize himself by being
supercilious and disagreeablel One good
i'll bred and offensive hotel clerk wonld
relieve the public strain immensely. The
story Is this: 81 non aero c Ten tr0rot0,
A CO ntry guest at a certain uptown hos
telry, having dread of pickpockets and
bune0 sseerers, went 10 the clerk and
handed him 500 bin TO be put in the
safe. Asking for il next day he was
thnnderstruck when the fGnctionary to
whom he had given the money coolly
denied any recollection of the matter.
Whereupon the countryman went to a
lawyer. SECT another 500 bill, said
the lawyer, '.and 60. accompanied by a
friend. back to the hotel Apo ogike 10
the clerk for your mistake; say it was a
defect Of memory. attribute il to drink
or absent-mindedness; deposit the second
500 In the presence OF your friend. and
come back t1 me" The myst:fied rural
is obesei Instructions TO the very letter.
sNow, said the lawyer, ''go back alone
to the clerk and ask him for the 500.
Knowing that your friend saw him re-
ceive il he will give back the second S1O0
bill Then take youH friend with you
next day. approach the clerk, ask him
boldly for that SlOO, and a IN re was no
witness to your receipt of the second bill
he will be forced 10 return the first also. "
The ruse proved compl tcly successful.
The lawyer sent his bill next day. 1t was
for Zee Of SlO0.-Nss York Hora.
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30
THE REAPERS.


When the tired reaperI, with fragrant
sheayes,
Come out Of the corn, as the sun goes
down,
And the sky is rich as the falling leaves
In crimson and purple and golden brown
Isit in the mellow and marvellous ewes
And watch. as the loom of the sunset weaves
Its cloth of gold over country and town.
And think how the summers have come and
gone
Since We saw the shuttle across the blue
That wove the colors of dusk and dawn
Wheu the musk of the sleeping roses flew
On the wings of the south wind over thu
lawn,
And the evening shadows were longer drawn
And the sun was low, and the stars wer,
few:
When Love was sweet in the lives we led
As the leaven that lives in the latter
spring
To grow in the flowers, the books we read,
The romp and rush of the grape-vini
swing,
IL WIN anu WOIhi W % ulleO ana Ieu
On brooks of honey and wasted bread,
And sung in the songs that we used t.,
sing.
And cut of the shadows they come to me,
As flowers of the spring come, year b.
year,
The lovers we had when to love was free
The stars were few and the skies wer,
clear,
Aud we knew it was happiness just to be,
Through the sheaves of the cloud-land fail
to see,
While the weary reapers are drawing near
Though the red and white roses have los
their leaves
In the ashes of summers of long ago,
They come, through the mellow and marvel
lous ewes,
With the harvest of love that we used t,
sow,
As rich as the garlands the sunset weaves
When the tire1 reapers with fragran
sheaves
Come out of the corn and the sun is low.
-WiH Wallace Hdrney, in Harpers.
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30
HUMoR OF THE DAY.

"A designing man-The architect.
Large revolvers-The earth and moon.
A cool baseball player-Thc ice
pitcher.
The motto of the sheriff: Hold fast
that which is goods -Tid-Bds.
Question of the chiropodist-"D "Do you
acknowledge the corn?-Detroit Free
Press.
Some things are most valuable when
they arc upside down. A figure 6, for
instance. = Philadelphia Call.
"a handsome woman is dangerous,
says an exchange. Perhaps this is the
reason why so many men court danger.
-NesO HaUen Neles.
Summer boarder-'I have heard that
silk tassels grow on your corn" Farmer
Eyes, miss, regular gros grain silk it
is, too. .-LoweH Citizen.
1t is stated that Henry Clay never vyss
at a loss for word. From this it is e'A-
dent that Henry never jammed his thumb
in door-NeSo Raren Ners
Mamma Ito Noel, who is inclined to
be talkative)-"Hush, Noell Haven't
told you often that little boys should
be seen and not heard2" Noel-''Yes,
mamma, but you don't look at mep'
A musical composer writes: Have
you noticed my March for the Piano."
We have not When we observe any one
march for the piano we invariably march
in another direction. Tee1s SJtiags.
"Jessie!'' sYes'm." what are you
crying for". ''Laura hit me on the
head" ''Where?" That's the matter.
[ tried to keep the mark till l got home
to show you, and, boo-hoo! it's gone
away. - Chicago Lsdger.
Wise Matron-"Yes, my son, ear
nestly hope you and Miss Blank will
make match of it; l like her exceed
ingly." Her Son-''But Miss Blank is
su h giggler." sob! she will get over
that after she's married. y Omaha World.
"what's home rule, john" asked his wife at
tea,
"That the papers talk of so7'
John looked as sad as he could be,
And groaned in utter misery,
II wished didn't know
They were speaking of Buffalo
BRIDES trousseau. ''Were her robes
made in Parish" one asked. ''Oh. no."
another one said; ''they were made in
Buffalo. She takes pride in wearing
nothing but Buffalo robes. "-Ne,0 York
Sun.
"Excuse me dearest" he said, Olsen
sangIing himself. Then he stalked to
the edge of the veranda, and tiercely de-
nanded: "Boy, what are you lurking
about the front gate for at this time o
night" ''Mornin' papers, sir1'-Ncw
YorE San.
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30
The Eaihle Snail.

The ''poor mans oyster IS so appre-
ciated by our neighbors that Paris alone
consumes some forty-nine tons daily, the
best kind coming from GreaObIe or bur
gundy. The finest specimens are care
fully reared in an esarrg'tieTS. or small
park, such as the poor Capuchin mouks
planned in bygone davs AZ Colma- and
Weinbach, when they had no money to
buy food, and so cultivated snsils Tut
the majority are collected by the vine
dressers in the evening from the stone
heaps where the snails hare assembled to
enjoy the due. The creatures are then
starved in dark cellar for tUo months,
and when they have closed up tie aper-
tnre OF their shell ere ready for cooking.
According to the true Bersuady method
they are boiled in FIVE or six waters. ex-
tracted from the shell, dressed with fresh
butter AMI garlic. ten replaced IN the
shel. covered with parsley and brcsd
crumbs, and finally ssmncred il white
wine. - CAamb,r's .AsraaL
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30
Sunken Treasures.

an the year 1883 the Lutlne, Dutch
East Indiaman, founder d off the coast
of Holland, near lie schelling, having
on board twenty fiye millions of guilders,
almost entirely in gold coin and bars.
Only on sailor escaped, and he was
afterwaid able to point out the place of
the wreck. Many proposals TO raise the
treasure have been since broached; and
one had SO far success in the early years
of this century that about fifth of the
whole amount was recovered by divers.
Later ESSAYS showed that either the sands
had shifted, or the wreck had sunk
deeper. An inhabitant of Terschilling
named Ter Meulen is strongly impressed
with the opinion that continued effort
m st be successful. He has succeeded
in forming an association to undertnke
the task, and two vessels specially pre-
pared for the work have gone to Ter
schilling.
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30
MIDNIGHT ArrHE HELM.

"What seest thou, friendl
The frail mas.s bend.
Thy ship reels wildly on the tossing deep;
Thy fearless eyes
Regard the skies,
And this broad waste where through white
chargers leap;
Seest thou the foamP'
Pilot-'T see my home.
And children on a white soft couch asleep"
"What sesst thou, friendl
The tiller end
Thou graspest safely in thy firm, strong grip:
Thine eyes are strange,
They seem TO range
Beyond sea, sky and clouds and struggling
ship
Beyond the foam"
Pilot-"I see my home
Brown cottage caves round which the swal-
lows dip"
"What seest thou, friendl
Black leagues extend
On all sides round about thy bark and thee;
Not one star speck
Above the deck
Abates the darkness of the midnight sea;
The waves throats rear
Pilot-'I see the shore,
And eyes that plead with God for mine and
me-"
George BarlosU. in Boston Herald.
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30

horn to his nostrils. Five-ten-fifteen
twenty minutes passed. One ten min
utes left of that precious half hour
which meant life or death to her She re-
doubled her efforts. Another i've min
utes passed-still no change; the face
seemed even more death-like, the icy
limbs more rigid. She raised his head
upon her arm and administered more
brandy, then applied the bottle OF harts-
horn to his nostrlls. She glanced anx-
iously at the clock-only two minutes
more, and far down the street came the
rumble of the death-cart, and like death
knell rang out the solemn cry: ssBring
out your dead" She ra'sed her psllid
face to Heaven with an agonized cry
''Oh, my God: my Godl save himl /
cannot give him up"
The head resting on her arm fell back
ward-the bottle shook in her trembling
hand, and q quantity of the hartshOrn
was spilled on the deathly face; p0r-
tion Of the fiery liquid penetrated the
nostrils. There was a sudden, sharp.
convulsive movement of the dead mans
limbs, cry of pain, and as the dead
bearers entered the room he sprang to 5
sitting posture, gasping for breath
The wife turned to them a face trans
figured with Joy. ''Seef7 she cried ex-
ultingly, stretching out herhand toward
her husband. 81 have conquered deatnI''
and fell unconscious across the bed
The reaction in the sick mans case
was complete; a speedy convalescence
followed. and week later, with his de-
voted wife, he was safe among the New
Hamushirehills-saved by alove stronger
than death,-Detro Free PrsSs.
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30

The cotton goods industry offers, per-
haps, as striking an illustration as any Of
the apparent displacement of labor, q
Delaware house considering that the dis
placement has been seventeen per cent.
outside of motive power. By hand
loom weaver used to weave from sixty
to eighty picks per minute in weaving a
cloth of good quality, with twenty
threads of twist to each one-quarter
square inch. A power loom now weaves
1s0 picks per minute of the same kind
of cloth. Even in power machinery a
weaver formerly tended but one loom.
Now one wsaver minds all the way from
two to ten looms, occording to the grade
of goods. In large establishment in
New Hampshire, improved machinery,
even within ten years, has reduced mus
cular labor fifty per cent. in the produc-
ton of the sane quality OF goods.
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30
ChIvaIry in ArmOr.

War is always brutal, always terrible;
but there seems something almost cow
ardly in the custom OF the brave knights
Of old" in crawling for safety into suits
Of steel and iron. And the funny side
Of il all is that sometimes knights thus
covered with plate. like modern iron
clads, would fight all day without being
hurt In one Of the Italian battles OF
the sixteenth century. two armies OF
knights sheathed in the best Milan armor
fought from in the morning until il
the afternoon without one valorous war.
rior being killed or even bsing wounded
st. Nicholas.
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30

DR.. Burggraeve, learned professor o.
the University of Ghent, has just pub
lished remarkable work in which he
endeavors to prove that anybody who
will take the trouble to follow his in
structions may become centenarian.
His system is me- ely system of reno
vation, and is simplicity itself. The
great panacea for all ills which he pro-
fesses to have discovered is salt, the ra-
tional use of which, he says, is sure
preserver of life. He afirms that good
health is not a matter of chance or con-
stitution. The laws which regulate hui
man life are calm and regular phenom-
ena, and all we have to do is to take care
that they shall develop themselves with
out obstruction. According to his
theory, salt is the great regularizing
agent. If the blood be too rich, salt
will clarity it; if the blood is poor, salt
will strengthen and furnish it with the
Necessary elements. DR.. Burggraeve
quotes several examples in support of
the sovereign virtue which he attr butes
to salt. Formerly, in Holland the
greatest punishment which existed for
offending soldiers was to give them un-
salted bread. After a few months OF
this regime the culprits almost invari-
ably died. In Saxony, at the end ofthe
last century terrible epidemic reigned
solely through the want Of salt. The
Dutch savant furthermore assures us that
salt Is an infalIible cure for consumption
and cholera (The Russian peasants once
saved themselves from plague by put
ting salt in their milk.) He estimates
that the quantity OF salt which every
adult in ordinary health should consume
daily is two.thirds Of an ounce. In con.
cIusion, he asserts that il the world
would only take salt, centenarians would
become almost as common as newborn
babes.
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30

Country people can make their own
barometers if they have no other use for
their wells. In the Swiss village of
Meyringen some disused wells have been
Theoretically sealed to serve as barom-
sters. On a fall of atmospheric pressure
air escapes through a small hole in the
well cover, blowing a whistle, and thus
giving warning of a coming storm; but
when the outside. pressure is increasing,
the air, being forced into the well, causes
a different sound, and announces the
probability of fine weather.
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30
Some Anecdotes Of Stonsnall jackson.

In the October Century is collection
of Personal "reminiscences of Stone
wall jackson, {" from which we quote as
follows: Talking with him once about
some subject Of casuistry or prevaricS-
tion. put the question direct to him.
Did you ever tell ief PausiEg, as
was his invariable manner before giving
a categorical answer, as if for an intro
spective review of his consciousness, he
said:
"sYes; but only once, so far as 1 can
remember. / was leading nv men
through a rank chaparral, infested bv
Mexican guerrillas The balls were fly
ing necessarily, and the broad leaves of
the tropical plants were being riddled
through and through. They became
panic-stricken, and, notwithstanding my
repeated order for advance, they hung
back. Stepping some distance in front
of them, into q narrow pass, where the
bullets were whizzing round my head,
and the foliage was being cut to ribbons,
I called out:
"sFollow me, menl Don't you see,
there is no dangerl"'
ssHe never posted letter without cal
culating whether it would have to travel
on Sunday to reach its place of destina-
tion, and if so, he would not mail it till
Monday morning. Still further did he
carry his Puritanical observance Un-
numbered times have known him to
receive important letters so late on Sat-
urday night that he would not break his
fixed resolution never to use his eyes,
which were very delicate, by artificial
light; he would carry the letters in his
pocket till Monday morning, then rise
with the sun to read them
'In the winter of '61-'62, while Jack
sons forces were at Winchester, he sent
a brigade to destroy the canal leading to
Washington. The expedition proved =
failure; and he attributed 1t, in some
measure, to the fact that Sunday had
been needlessly trespassed upon So
when second expedition was planned
he determined there should be no Sab
bath-breaking connected with it that he
could prevent The advance was to be
made early on Monday morning. On
Saturday he ordered my husband Col
onel Preston, at that time on his staff to
see that the necessary powder sNas IN
readiness. The quartermaster could not
find q sufficient gu nifty in Winchester
on Saturday, but during Sunday 1t was
procured. On Sunday evening the fact
in some way got to Jackson ears At =
very early hour on Monday he dispatched
an officer to Shepherdstown for other
powder, which was brought Then sum
monIng Colonel Preston, he said, very
decisively:
'Coionel, l desire that you Will see
that the powder which is used for this
expedition is not the powder that was
procured on Sunday"
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30

In 1924 1000 men formed the Old De-
Tenders association Of Baltimore. and on
September IL Of each year celebrated the
battle Of North Point. fought in 1919.
Three years ago the association expired
because the nve resident mrmbers re-
gu red by the constitution could not be
present at the meetings of the ! 900
men but four are alive-George Boss,
aged ninety-two. James c. MOrford,
ninety lone. John Pettecord, ninety
and Nathaniel Watts. ninetJ-one.
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30

A correspondent says that Ireland has
more than twice as many policemen as
England, in proportion to her popula
zion, and nearly three times as many as
Scotland. 1t tcosts 81, 500, 900 every year
to keep the peace in Ireland, as against
81, 700, 000in Scotland, and $4,000, 0OG
in England. The Irish police, as rule,
are very tall men. They wear helmets
and clothes Of olive green, and are armeS
with rifles, short swords and clubs.
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30
THE
Charlotte Messenger
rs TCCL. .cHED
Every Saturday,
CHARLOTTE. N. c.

In the Interests of the Colored People
of the Country.
Able AMI well-snown writers will contrib
ute to its columns from different parts of the
country, and it will contain the latest Gen
eral News of the day.
THE MESSENGER is a first-class newspaper
ard will not allow personal abuse in its col
umns 1t is not sectarian or partisan, but
independens-dcaling fairly by all. It re-
serves the righ ito criticise the shortcomings
of all public ofiicials-co commencing the
worthy. and recommending for election such
men as in its opinion are best suited to serve
the interests of the people
1t is intended to supply the long felt need
OF a newspaper to advocate the rights and
defend the inter sts of the Negro American,
especially in the Piedmont section OF the
CaoliDas
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30

A STURGEON eleven feet in length. weigh.
ing 500 pouais was caagh' near SpaiIo
mish City. ore, by enc iadan.
Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-10-30
SUBSCRIPTIONS:


w. c. SMITH, Charlotte, N. c
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-04-23
K FROM LIFE.
How the Girl of the Period Receives At
tentions From Her Many Suitors.

At six o'clock her flowers came; at
eight she and their sender were going
to a card party. mo, Jane, you need
not open the box. Just peep in and
see what color they are, then put them
in the refrigerator. Pink roses? Well,
1 will wear my new Chinese silk. l
will sleep about an hour longer, then
come and put up my back hair.' And
he had foolishly selected them with
care and much expense. She did not
even give them a glance, but closed
her pretty eyes in sweetest slumber,
unthoughtful of the roses that had
bloomed for her.
That night she modestly thanked
him and murmured something about
his delicate little attention, etc.; and
he? Why. of course he believed her
when she returned home with the
prize, a bauble of beauty. She care
lessly removed them from over her
sordid little heart and told Jane that
they would do to put in the window on
the morrow. s'For you know, Jane,
mamma likes all the flowers the gen.
tlemen have sent to be placed in the
front window. She says it looks well,
and shows that 1 am having attention,
and I do have lots, don't l, Jane?"
Three foolish men each tenderly
lifted a pink rose from over his heart
that night, and thought of his ''deav.
good girl' who had given it.-Lowis-
nile Commercial.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-04-23
A SODA MOTOR.
An Invention Which Promises to evolu
tionize Street Car Traffic.

An Invention Which Promises to Revolu-
tionize Street Car Traffic.
Minneapolis is %anxiously waiting the
results of experiments with a "soda
motor" which the inventor claims will
revolutionize street car traffic, and who
thus explains its workings: ga suitable
quantity OF properly diluted soda raised
to its boiling point (429 degrees) is
placed in a closed tank in intima te on
tact with the steam boiler filled with
steam and water in the usual proper
tons and at the working pressure. On
the opening of the throttle steam passes
into the cylinders, does its work, and
passes into the soda solution through
the exhaust pipe, which ends in Il per-
foratcd tube extending through the
soda, the remaining heat being abb
sorbed into the latter. When the soda
is so dilute that it can no longer MAIN
tain the difference of temperature nee
essary to make steam, the soda I've is
discharged and a new charge of hot
condensed soda taken in. This opera
ton requires about five minutes, and is
called recharging. 1t has to be done
on an average once in six hours. The
operation of the engine is precisely
that of any steam engine, except that
there isno exhaust into the air and no
fire nor smoke connected with the
boiler. Steam is produced without fire
by the heat generated in the soda I've
which surrounds the boiler, and the ex-
haust steam is led from the cylinder
directly into the soda I've instead of into
the air. Thus a working pressure is
maintained without any of the objec-
tionable vapors appearing, as in the
case Of the ordinary motor, for the
simple reason that there are no vapors
to appear.-St. Paul Roneer-Press.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-04-23

If an ounce of prevention is worth
a pound Of cure, the antidote for rabies
discovered by M. Pasteur can not be
thought to compare very favorably with
the prophylactic invented by g young
woman of Leavenworth, Kan, who
was attacked by a mad dog while carry
ing a washtub across the street. See
ing that the rabid animal was close
upon her, she coolly awaited its APP
proach, and, having dropped the in
verified tub over the dog, sat down upon
it and held him securely trapped until
assistance Chicago Mail.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-04-23

1t is said one firm in Germany has
made and sold during the last five years
5000, 600 thermometers. This enor-
nous quantity made may be a reason
thermometers have been so low in
Florida during the past winter.-N O,
PcAyune-