davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-24
"Chestnuts."

Scene: Private dining-room at club.
A company of gentlemen dining. Mr.
", slightly garrulous party, loquitur,
triumphantly:
"sharp boy, my Bob; rather got even
with him yesterday, though. Guess he
found the old man quite sharp enough
for him. You see twas this way: l had
been telling about that time when the
boat upset at Lake George and not one OF
the six in it could swim but myself, and
at the point where I swan ashore with
Bob's mother 1--WE weren't married then)
that young monkey remarks:
"'Oh, chestnutP
"sChestnutY said I; what is that2'
"It means you've told it before; it's
an old story said Bob.
"Pretty soon Bob passed up his plate
for more meat. Quick as a flash:
"'Chestnut, said |.
"'What do you mean by thats' asked
the boy in surprise.
"Tt's an old story; you passed your
plate for more meat yesterday
'sBob looked pretty streaked, and said
if I'd give him some meat he would never
say Chestnut again. Rather turned the
tables on the young scamp, eh9 And
then his mother said, with a smile:
"sYou shouldn't notice those things.
Robert. Only think of the years I've
heard your father tell that storyv"
v somehow failed to appreciate the
laughter that greeted his story.-Boston
Record.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-24
A Large Tarantula.

The largest tarantula ever saw paid
me visit one evening and walked into
the parlor without waiting to be an
nounccd. Several Nassau gentlemen
were spending the evening with me, and
we were talking and thinking about any
thing but spiders, when somebody ex-
claimed:
"There's ground spider!" If hand
grenade had come through the ceiling
and dropped on the floor none of us could
have been on our feet quicker. Every
body jumped back two or three feet, for
the beast was right in our midst. He was
on the floor at our feet, not yard away
from any of US, and had walked in as un-
conccrncdly as possible. He was, with
out any exaggeration, as large as the
crown of mans hat. His legs looked
as thick as the neck of small bottle and
were covered with coal-black hairs, some
of which were more than an inch long.
Fortunately I was following Nassau
custom at the time of leaving the floors
uncarpeted, and we had no trouble to see
him against the light-colored boards.
There was Immediately rush for walk
ins sticks and umbrellas to fight him
With; but one gentleman, with great
presence of mind, picked up large otto
man that stood near and threw it at him.
The one shot put an end to the tarantula's
.,rcer. He was soft, and the ottoman
It nothing of him but a big spot on the
.oor. larger than the rim of q hat, and
little heap of black hair and legs.-Rostea
DuWstin.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-24
Wonders of the Sea.

The sea occupies thrce-tlfthS OF the
surface of the earth. At the depth of
about 3, 500 feet, waves are not felt. The
temperature is the same, varying only g
triAe from the ice of the pole to the burn
ing sun of the equator. A mile down,
the water has pressure of over ton to
the square inch. If box six feet deep
were filled with sea water and allowed to
evaporate under the sun, there would be
two inches of salt left on the bottom.
Taking the average depth of the ocean to
be three miles, there would layer of
pure salt 230 feet thick on the bed of the
Atlantic. The water is colder at the bot
tom than at the surface. In the many
bays on the coast of Norway, the water
often freezes at the bottom before it does
above.
Waves are deceptive. To look at them
in o storm, one would think the water
travelled. The water stays in the same
place, but the motion goes on. Some
times in storms these waves arc forty
feet high, and travel fifty miles an hour
more than twice as fast as the swiftest
steamer. The distance from valley to
valley is generally fifteen times the height
hence q wave five feet high will extend
over seventy-fve feet of water. The force
of the sea dashing on Bell Rock is said to
be seventeen tons for each square yard.
Evaporation is a wonderful power in
drawing the water from the sea. Every
year layer of the entire sea fourteen feet
thick is taken up into the clouds. The
winds bear their burden into the land, and
the water comes down in rain upon the
fields to flow back at last through rivers.
The depth of the sea presents an interest
ing problem. If the Atlantic were low
cred 6, 564 feet, the distance from shore to
shore would be half as great, or 1,5O0
miles. If lowered little more than three
miles, say 1860 feet there would
be road of dry land from
Newfoundland to Ireland. This is the
plan on which the great Atlantic cables
were laid. The Mediterranean is COM
paratively shallow. A drying up of $50
feet would leave three different seas and
Africa would be joined with Italy. The
British channel is more like pond,
which accounts for its choppy waves.
1t has been found difficult to get cor
rect soundings of the Atlantic. A mid
shipman of the navy overcame the diff
Guilty, and shot weighing thirty pounds
carries down the line. A hole is bored
through the sinker, through which a
rod Of iron is passed, moving easily back
and forth. In the end of the bar cup
is dug out, and the inside coated with
lard. The bar is made fast to the line,
and sling holds the shot on. When the
bar, which extends below the ball,
touches the earth, the sling unhooks and
the shots slide off. The lard in the end
of the bar holds some of the sand, or
whatever may be on the bottom, and
drop shuts over the cup to keep the
water from washing the sand out. When
the ground is reached, shock is felt as
if an electric current had passed through
the line ElectricGZ Reyie1D.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-24
Where Maud 8. Got Her Name.

The society columns of Cincinnati
paper not long since contained the follow
ing: "Miss Maud Stone entertained q.
number of her Young friends at hetS
fathers elegant home in the East End
last week." I think I hear you say, re.
marks the gossip of the Philadelphia
Neaos, "Well, don't see anything strange
in q notice like that" There is not, only
the young lady mentioned is the one tho
fastest trotter in the world was named
for. Her father had purchased the young
flly from a gentleman named Bugher fol-
$500. Not long after he took friend
out to Chester Park to look at some rae.
ing stock. The filly was in the enfield,
and as they walked toward the stables
Captain Stone said: ''There is a FLY !
bought the other day and think she haa
turn of speed" His friend looked he,
over, and liking her points remarked:
"Start her up and let's see how. she
moves" Taking off his silk hat, the
captain ratified it with his hand and the
fine young animal started off at three
minute clip. "Why, she's natural trot-
ter" was the comment. s'She is, indeed"
replied the captain, with commendabie
pride in his purchase. II wish I knew
q good name for her." he added. "Why
not call her after one of your childrenT
asked the friend. Il had not thought OF
that, was the reply made as they walked
away. The friend thought no more Of
the filly for about two weeks, when he
met Captain Stone coming out Of the
postofice. "Hcllo," said he, ~ have
acted on your suggestion and just posted
the letter claiming the name for my lilly.
I am going to cali her after my daughter
Maud" "Maud Stone will be pretty
name," responded the friend. ''Oh! III
not call her the full name" replied the
captain, with blush. "You see, she'll
mature before my daughter, and /
wouldn't like to see her full name on
race card, so have called her Maud S."
After the FLY made her great record at
Lexington she was sold to W. II. Van
derbilt for $21, 900. He never knew how
to handle her, and was never able to get
her speed out of her. Captain Stone
tried to buy her back, and offered $780,
900 for her, but the Vanderbilts would
not let him have her. '...>
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-24
A Clock Of Clocks.

The famous clock of Strasburg is put
completely into the shade by "the great
World Clock, or the ten-thousand year
time Indicator" s'It was constructed in
Germany during many years. labor by
Christian Martin, clockmaker." The
clock marks the years and leap years, and
will run for hundred centuries, when,
as the bill frankly admits, its 'smechanic
works" will have to be changed. The
face of the clock is about ten feet square,
and has o large number of dials and lit
tie inches, where 122 little figures have
their abiding place. These latter, as the
ever-ready bill explains, are Ito allego-
rize human life" Every minute Il sor-
rowful looking angel hits bell with a
sledge-h hammer. When he has done this
fifteen times another angel in red robe
strikes the first quarter. 'The Genins, !"
dressed in Louis XIV. costume, turns
a dial so that the figure is shown. At
the same time the figure of child ap-
pears at a lower door. At the second q
youth appears; at the third an
aged man with spectacles and high hat,
and at the fourth, decrepit old wreck
with white wig. While all this is 60
ing on below, death, in the shape of o
Comanche Indian with wings, has been
vainly endeavoring to hammer bell in
an upper niche, but an angel has headed
him off in every case and protected the
human family "by raising the right hand
in an allegorical relation" as per pro-
gramme, until the fourth quarter. Then
death gets the better of the struggle,
strikes the hour and bundles the old man
off to eternity. The twelve apostles are
trotted out each hour. Above them Is q
figure of Christ, "who blesses with both
hands each Apostle in passing" as the
bill states, with mathematical exsctness.
At morning, noon and night number OF
bell.ringers ring their respective bells
with vindictive energy, and an old man
drops upon his knees as if some one had
kicked his legs out from under him. All
these and many other wonders, exposing
the family secrets Of the zodiac, the
heather gods, the seasons, the moon, and
the globe all run regularly. The whole
structure is surmounted by cock, which
crows at 6 and 12 o'clock.-Pa0 Aa~
Gazette.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-24
POPULAR SCIENCE.

Glass plates have been substituted for
copper in the sheathipg Of an Italian ship,
the advantage claimed being exemption
from oxidation, and incrustation. The
glass was cast, like iron, in plates to 1T
the hull.
An interesting field for scientific re-
search has been opened by Prof. 8. r.
Langley, by the discovery that the heat
radisted from the soil is of an almost
totally different quality from that which
comes from the sun. fta ls.[
Nordenfelt has now built torpedo
boat 100 feet long to carry two White
head torpedoes of 900 pounds each, and
capable Of accommodating crew OF six
men under water for six hours. These
boats would cut the strongest steel nets,
and its torpedo would abolish the greatest
ironclad. .... .-..-. -.,. .,. ..a, +. ~,sas
Late Investigations indicate that the
chlorophyl, or green coloring substance
of the leaves, is most liable to pick up
metallic matter absorbed by the roots OF
plants. When vines have been manured
with sulphate of copper, most of the
metal is deposited in the leaves, merely
a trace appearing in the juice of the
grapes. Tca-leaves contain much iron,
doubtless due to the ochrcous soil on
which they best grow. l.E,.:s. s
After study of nearly $4,000 cases,
DR.. Hermann Brehmer, an able German
physician, rejects the theory of the con-
tagiousness Of pulmonary consumption.
He finds the disease to be due to deficient
nutrition of the lungs, which may result
from various antecedent causes, such g
inherited defects of constitution, and
vital organs impaired by disease, injury,
or mode of living. He believes that the
operation of all these causes may pro-
duce such changes that it may be possi-
ble-years, even decades, in advance
to predict with great probability which
members of a given family will be at
ficted with pulmonary consumption, and
which will remain healthy. 4.s..zs
Percy Smith, writing on the Liability
of trees to be struck by lightning, says:
THE suggestion that oak trees are struck
because they contain iron is both errone-
Gus and absurd. If oak did contain iron
it would in all probability increase its
conducting power and act as a preventive
If oak contained an estimable quantity
. of that metal the wood would turn black
on exposure to air on account of the tan
min which is present. The blackening
may be seen surrounding the iron naias
in any oak fence. The contour of the
ground, nature of the soil, and the pres
ence or absence of water have more in
fuence in deciding the locality Of an
electric discharge than the height OF .
tree. Add to this the difference in con-.
ductility between various woods, and va
have at once an explanation Of the ap-s
parent peculiarly of tall trees escaping
unharmed while shorter trees are de-
stroyed." " ~
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-24
Expulsion of the Poles.

The Prusslan government, in the sum-
mer of 1885, issued an order for the ex-
pulsion of all Poles from the country.
They were to be allowed certain time
to dispose of their effects, and at the end
of that time were obliged to depart what
ever their circumstances or condition of
health. AS the Russian government re-
fused to admit these banished people un-
less they could prove they were born in
that country, their hapless condition
aroused much sympathy in the German
states, and upon the meeting of the
reichstag, or German parliament, reso-
luton was passed requesting an explana-
ton of this action. To this Chancellor
Bismarck replied that the matter was a
Prussian affair wholly, and as he could
not admit the right of the reichstag to
concern itself in those affairs that were
exclusively the province of the states,
he could give no explanation. Subse-
quently, however, similar resolution
was passed by the Prussian landtag,
or local assembly. To this Bismarck
replied, January %, 1886, at some length.
lie said that the primary cause of the
governments action was the disloyalty
of the Poles to the German crown. They
were always, he said, engaged in in
trigues, endeavoring to set foreign states
against Prussia, and keeping up con-
tinual agitation against the government.
The government had therefore decided
to Danish the evil element that made all
this trouble. The government had de-
cided to purchase all the real estate
owned by the Polish mobiles in Prussian
Poland, and place German colonists on
the land hitherto occupied by the ex-
PEELED people. None of the Poles were
to be allowed to repossess the land, even
by renting it, and to make it's colonial
tion more permanently valuable to the
German empire, the colonists were to be
forever prohibited from marrying Poles.
While it is admitted that the govern
ment will have some difficulty in carry
ing out these extreme measures if they
are not concurred in by majority of
the Prussian assembly, it is certain that
neither Bismarck nor the king is likely
to concede a single point of the plan,
and their influence is quite powerful
enough to bear down all opposition to
those measures. Chicago Inter- Ocean.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-24
A Born Journalist.

George D. Prentice, while editor of the
Louisville Journal, was often importuncd
by college men who painted for chance
to send a culver through the great read
ing world A graduate named Edwards
was so fortunate as to secure trial on the
Journal. He was modest young man,
and did not claim that he could, the first
week, take quite all the work off MIR.
Prentice's hands, but he knew that after
the first month he could take the place
of the chief editor and discharge his
duties in way that would render the
readers oblivious to the change. The
great journalist had, by very dear
friend, been recommended to Prentice,
consequently the editor was anxious that
the Young man should do we'll. During the
afternoon of the third day, Edwards
went into Prentice's room, and with an
air of self-confdence. began to boast OF
his newspaper requirements.
'There is great deal in the newspaper
business after all, ," said he.
Mr.. Prentice agreed that there was
great deal in the newspaper business after
all.
"Yes. SIR" Edwards continued,
"when I was at school used to think
that man could learn all about the
whole thing in day or two. but he can't
doit. think, though, that some men
inherit kind of insight into the journal
istic profession, don't you"
'sIt seems So" Mr.. Prentice replied.
eyes" Edwards resumed, "some men
have natural facility for forming the
opinions of others; and, sir, the beauty
of it is the natural product Journalist
forms opinions so skilfully that the man
who reads it swallows it, and, by George,
sir. thinks that he himself formed it"
Every often the case, no doubt" re-
piled Mr.. Prentice.
"Now," Edwards went on, 'that's
what regard as journalism. None of
your slip-shod business about that. l
suppose, Mr.. Prentice, you have observed
that have learned to say things pleas
antly2"
eyes"
"'That's one acquisition. Now, what
next would you advise2"
'Learn something to say"
why, IL" stammered Mr.. Ed
wards, 'T thought that"
"No explanations are necessary" said
Mr.. Prentice. Then, turning in his chair
and bestowing a quizzical look upon the
upstart, the man whose idlest pen stroke
was sometimes gouging pasquinade
said:
'Your foresight is too clear to enable
you to become journalist"
"How so2"
"Why, you see through the whole
thing. You can look into the business
of a newspaper like prophet could
look into the future. This, in the end,
must render the business distasteful to
YOU. AS all strollcrs will tell you, the
most pleasant road to traverse is the one
chat ofe.'> the largest number of sur
prises-r glimpse of shining water, q
moment view of rich landscape. There
fore would advise you to give up the
newspaper business, for it will undoubt-
edly become distastefu1 like monoto-
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-24

pitch. They commanded and threatened,
and, finding this of no avail, opened fire
on the house. It was built of stout
planks, and so long as we kept away from
the windows there was no danger from
their bullets. They maintained the fusil-
lade for half an hour, and then an ex-
citing event occurred.
That hero Of an engineer, with his
blood soaking his clothes, and the
mosquitoes biting him by the thousand,
lay quiet where he fell until the outlaws
abandoned the steamer to attack us.
Then he carefully worked his way aboard,
secured one of the Henry rifles, and crept
through the bushes until he had them
cut off from the swamp. Then he opened
fire, and his first bullet passed through
and through, the leaders body and struck
the house boat. Almost as fast as one
could count we heard the crack of his
rifle The Williams were seemingly petri-
fed with astonishment and terror. Not
a shot was fired in return, nor did man
of them seek to escape. In three minutes
the last man was down, and every one OF
them dead as men can die. We couldn't,
of course, form any correct idea of what
was going on, having long before given
the engineer up for dead. he advanced
to where the bodies were lying, counted
them to make sure that none had escaped,
and then came down and let US out.
The affair was never Investigated even
by coroner. We gave the bodies burial,
and when it became known that the
swamp gang had been wiped out, no
steamer, barge, or raft passed US without
her captain shouted his thanks.-Neao
York Sun.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-24
What Flame Is.

According to DR.. siemens, large fur
naces, on account of the nature of flame,
must replace small ones. He claims to
have proven that solid substances inter
fere with the formation of flame, and
that flames injure solid substances with
which it comes in contact. To account
for the phenomena he advances, prefer
ably, an electric hypothesis.
Accordingly he explains flame as the
result of an Infinite number of exceedingly
minute electrical flashes being due to the
very swift motion of gaseous particles;
and solid body which opposes itself to
these flames is cut by them, while the
motion being more or less arrested by the
solid body, the fame is thus more or less
subdued. Siemens insists, therefore,
that fame must not be allowed to i'm
pinge on bodies to be heated, but must
simply heat the bodies by radiation, and
furnaces must be so constructed as to
allow the flame to develop out of contact,
not only with the substance on its bed
but with the walls and roof of the fur
nace itself. .-Phrenologica1 Journal.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-24

nous path too often gone over. I know
that it would be struggle to tear your
self away now, but you should make tho
sacrifice. You owe it your father, your
mother, your creditors. "
sIknow there is much truth in what
you say, Mr.. Prentice, but have given
so much thought to this business, that
now to throw it away and engage in some
thing else would be changing the course
of life-would be like changing the
channel of a mighty river"
Edwards smote his troubled breast,
lifted up his moustache, put finger on
each side of his mouth, and missed the
spittoon about six inches.
81 foresee the struggle. said Mr.. Prem
tice; "but because a struggle is foreseen
is no reason why it should be averted.
Life is struggle"
"But, Mr.. Prentice, what would you
advise me to do?"
"Your foresight prompts me to suggest
the advisability of running a govern
ment. 1 don't know anything about the
chances for getting that kind of situation
at pTcScIlG, DuI l NO hLlOW lAo1 Jou tOoiSe
do up the work to the delight of the
queen and to the taste of the entire royal
household. Let me see. How are you
IN Greek2"
''First-ratc."
"Probably you might get situation
as writer of circus pos ters."
II wouldn't like that"
"No? Well, how would you like to float
down the river on raft, spending your
spare moments in the study of current
navigation, sand bank philosophy, and
the wholesome casuistry of ferrymen who
charged double price when the water was
low, because it is low, and double price
when the water is high, because it is
high!"
''You are making fun of me-"
"Oh, no; quite impossible. I cannot
make anything of you. Here, Bill, D." call
ing porter. "let in that other graduate
and we'll give him turn. ."-Ark0msa~
T9uUeler.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-24
An Electric Tree.

A German explorer, one DR.. Kummel,
has discovered, it appears, an electric
tree, the Elsassia Ehctrico, in New
Guinea. He proposes to chop it into
slices and set up central station for
lighting by solid generators. The follow
ing description is given of the find: II
stopped under large tree which seemed
particularly to attract the attention OF
Kummel, who had been finding all kinds
of novelties the whole morning, to take
exact bearings of high peak, which
was visible through an opening in front
of US. To my surprise the compass
seemed utterly drunk. While Kummel
and were discussing this phenomenon
one of the men struck with machette
one of number of peculiar buttresses,
which ran up the outside of the tree,
splitting off large slice aud severing .
curious-l looking black core, which formed
the centre. Kummel placed his hands
on the two ends of the core to look at it
more closely (rational action), and in
stantly gave yell and rolled head over
heels, getting up without his spectacleS
and stammering that he had had severe
electric shock (say, $50 voltsD." The
expedition did not possess galvano-
meter. but an apology for one was made
with q helix of copper wire and the COM
pass. the result going to show that
strong current was pasring throug h every
portion of the tree. A forest of these
trees was seen, the locality being nearly
bare of other vegetation. The black
core, we are informed, is composed of
pure amorphous carbon. The story of
DR.. Kummel strongly suggests strong
favorite German beverage of the same
name. Very likely the combination Of
these two "Kummels" may have resulted
in the production of the above fruit Of
the pen.-Loadon Globe.