davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25
A CELESTIAL SOLOMON,

Two women came before a man.
DARN in China, each of them pro-
testing that she was the mother of
a child they had brought with them.
They were so eager and SO positive
that the mandarin was sorely puz-
zled. He retired to consult with
his wife, who was a wise and clever
woman, whose opinion was held in
great repute in the neighborhood.
She requested five minutes in
which to deliberate. At the end Of
that time she spoke: "Lct the
servants catch me a large fish in the
river, and let it be brought to me
here alive" This was done. Bring
me now the infant" she said, "but
leave the women in the outer cham
ber." This was done. Then the
mandarin wife caused the baby to
be undressed and it's clothes put on
the large fish. "Carry the creature
outside now, and throw it into the
river in sight of the two women"
The servant obeyed her orders,
finging the fish into the water,
where it rolled about and struggled
-disgusted, no doubt, by the wrap
ping in which it was swaddled.
Without a moments pause, one of
the mothers threw herself into the
river with a shrek. She must save
her drowning child. without
doubt she is the true mother" the
mandarin's wife declared, and COM
manded that she should be rescued
and the child given to her; and the
mandarin nodded his head and
thought his wife the wisest woman
in the fowery kingdom. Mean
time the false mother crept away.
She was found out in the imposture,
and the mandarin's wife forgot all
about her in the occupation of DON
ming the little baby in the best silk
she could find in the wardrobe.
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25
A DUEL WITH cRoss-Bows.
The Queer Way Two Gay Frenchmen
Settled q Quarrel.

A duel with cross-boys has just
been fought in the neighborhood of
the Military School between a
youthful actor from one of the thea
tres on the left bank of the Seine,
writes Paris correspondent. The
following circumstances gave rise
to the old-fashioned way of settling
a quarrel. The scion of the noble
house had a fair friend whom he
had lodged luxuriously in a little
dwelling all to herself in the Avenue
de SAKE. Sporting matters, family
affairs and the usual occupations
of a wealthy man about town kept
the scion away from his dark-eyed
divinity during long intervals, and
weary with waiting for a lover who
never was to be seen, she consoled
herself with the handsome follower
of Thespis, who paid long and fire.
quent visits to the small but pleas
ant premises in the Avenue de SAKE.
The aristocratic person having
resolved to return for awhile to the
bowers where pleasure, as he
thought, awaited him, found the
comedian lazily lolling on superb
divan smoking a cigarette and list
ening to the warbling and piano
playing of the accomplished woman.
A lively discussion took place be-
tween the men, and, no swords or
pistols being at hand, it was decided
to fight the quarrel out with two
ornamental cross-bows, which were
hanging on the wall of room in
the dovecot.
The rivals repaired to the garden
followed by the lady, who was in a
state of intense hysteria. The OPP
ponents faced one another, and at a
given signal fired. The comedians
shaft pierced the arm of his oppo-
nent, whose missile lodged in tree.
The young woman tainted when she
saw blood flowing from her protec-
tors wound, and it is supposed
that her reason has been impaired.
The hurt, however, is not serious.
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25
A Unique Farm Lease.

A doctor in Kent county, Della
ware, leased his farm last year. An
ironclad lease was drawn up, but at
the end of the year the tenant was
unable to settle his account. An
attempt to secure himself developed
to the doctor the fact that all the
goods of his tenant were covered
by chattel mortgage held by some
one else, and the doctor was "left."
He again leased his farm, and here
is a copy Of perhaps the most un-
ique lease on record. The names
given are fictitious
81, John Smith, do hereby rent
my farm, consisting of 24O acres,
more or less, to Abel Youngman for
the year 1888. I, on my part, agree
to do the best l can, and | hope
God Almighty will let Abel Young
man do the best he can"
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25
MARKING THE CARDS.

We do it in the same way that
the blind man reads-by the sense
of feeling. But before we can read
these cards they must be put in
shape. This is done with a ring
which is worn on the most conven-
lent finger. On the inside of the
ring-I mean the part under the
finger-is a little steel spur, not
sharp enough to penetrate the cards
and make hole, which would be
detected, but slight indentation,
resembling a pimple, on the back
OF the card, but so small that with
close observation it would not be
noticed. This we cannot see, but
we can feel it, and the location is
the cipher to the denomination of
the card. OF course, we have to see
and handle the cards before they
can be marked" but as we can
handle from five to ten cards each
deal, it does not take long to have
all the important cards punctured.
Reading cards marked in this
way is easy to me. l have one sys-
tenn as to the location Of marks,
and it is just as simple as telling
the time by the location of the
hands of a clock in the absence Of
the regular dial figures. Sharp
players make their punctures 50
slight that they cannot be detected
by the ordinary sense of feeling.
The reading is then done with the
ball of the thumb, from which the
outer cuticle has been removed by
acid. The neither skin is very ten
der, and readily responds when it
comes in contact with the mark"
Greeks of this class can be detected
by watching the thumb of the right
hand in dealing. If it has a slid
ing motion up and down the cards
then you can bet two to one that
the dealer has got book for the
blind to read.-Chicago Herald.
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25
Starving a Criminal to Death.

The North China Herald of No
vember Oath says that persons who
doubt the barbarity of some Of the
Chinese punishments have only
to walk into the city of Shanghai
this morning, few minutes task,
and they will find one of the most
revolving of these punishments in
full operation, and its inf1iction
applauded by all the Chinese who
know of it." The criminal, one
Koh, is a hardened ruffian who has
passed the greater part of the past
ten years in Jail. The specific Of
fense for which he has been pun
ished was his habit of blackmailing
the new prisoners who were put in
Jail with him. He was suspended
in cage about five feet high, with
his head through the top in a
wooden collar, so that he could not
reach it with his hands. His feet,
which were loaded with chains,
were so far from the bottom that
he could only just touch it when
standing on tip-toe. Here he was
condemned to stand, without food
or water, just inside the outer gate
of the Magistrates yamem, the sport
of hundreds, until death put an end
to his sufferings. The writer sug-
gests that photograph Of the cage
and it's occupant would be a telling
frontispiece to the Marquis Tseng's
recent article on the Awakening
of China" The exhibition is sup
posed to act as a deterrent; prac-
tically Koh is popular hero. The
writer found him laughing and jok-
ing with the mob, and bandying
coarse jests with they and the
guards. Some one had given him
Stone to stand on, and he had got
from some other charitable person
some rice and water and a pipe.
"It may be that the sight is such
an amusing one, and the victim Is
such a witty fellow, to judge by the
laughter with which his sallles are
received, that the by-standers are
anxious to prolong the spectacle as
much as possible" The people are
said to be full of admiration tor the
Magistrates firm and intelligent
administration of justice, but the
Shanghai writer views the matter
in a different light: Here Is q
nation claiming to take its place
with the leaders of civilization, IN
PRODUCING railways and telegraphs,
sending it's ministers to foreign
courts, and asking TO be treated as
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25
eRAMDno1HERLY GERMANY.
How the Maternal Government Locks
After its Future Soldiers.
London Globe.

AOuOOU OIOUc.
The following are few items
taken from German official doc
ument handed to every parent in
certain towns upon registering the
birth of a child:
keep the room free from dust,
smoke and bad odors; don't dry
washed linen in it, or cover the
child's head with veil, clothes or
coverlet.
"The light must be somewhat
softened during the first week or
two, but care must be taken not to
leave the room in total darkness !;
the night light must not smoke or
flicker; great care to be taken with
petroleum lamps, not turn them too
low; temperature a little over 60
degrees Fahrenheit.
Cleanliness is the condition of
health; child to be washed once a
day regularly, the eyes, ears, nose
and mouth as often as is necessary.
"'Carrying cushions are to be
used during the first three months,
but guard against tying in too tight
ly; no light clothing, no pins !;
child to be carried but little, and
never 'dandled.' North and east
winds to be avoided. Mattresses
of horsehair or hay and often to be
changed.
"a carefully chosen foster-mother
strongly advised.
"Very injurious to suck the bot
tle,' rags of any sort, and probably
the thumb.
"Diet-avoid bread, potatoes or
meat.
. ain cases of prolonged crying,
sickness or shortness of breath,
promptly send for the doctor. Mark
any redness Of the eyelids, or the
child may lose it's sight for life.
IN. B.-Weighing machine spe-
cially provided in the market place
for periodical comparison of weight,
charge one half-penny, or one pen
ny for separate weight of child and
clothes, certified by official paper" :"
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25
eEoReIA's HEROINE.
A Woman Whose Services Have Never
Been Officially Recognized.
Youths Companion.


One of the most picturesque fig
ures of revolutionary days that has
never been admitted to the pages of
history-Nancy Hart-known all
over the South as 1.-THE Giantess"
and the Heroine of Georgia" She
lived in the wilderness of Elbert
county, and supported herself and
her children by hunting and trap
ping. Nancy was over six feet in
height, and with her mop of red
hair and crossed eyes she assuredly
was not prepossessing. But one of
her contemporaries writes: Her
voice was quiet and soft, and if she
had the courage of a man, she had
beneath it the warm heart of a
woman"
She espoused the Whig cause We
hemently from the first outbreak of
the Revolution. Six British SOL
diers, when pursuing deserters, came
to her cabin and demanded food.
She cooked them a good dinner,
and while they were eating it, hid
their guns, drove away their horses,
and locking the doors, sent word to
her neighhors: II have trapped
six base Tories; come and hold
them for me-"
During the winter, in the disguise
of a man, she frequently entered
the British camp in Augusta and
carried to Colonel Clarke the infor-
nation she gained there. On one
occasion when a freshet rendered
the ford across the Savannah river
impossible, she made a raft of logs,
bound together by wild grapevines,
and crossed triumphantly under
fire of the enemy to the camp of
the Georgia troops Another day,
meeting a puny little British soldier
on the road, she took his gun from
him and marched him before her
into the Georgia camp.
So great was the confidence of
the colonists in her discretion and
valor that she was once left by Col.
Clarke in command of fort filled
with women and children. A COM
pany of British skirmishers attacked
it, but Nancy, herself in uniform,
forced the scared women to put on
their husbands clothes, and to show
themselves on the walls, while she
kept up so vigorous fire from the
old cannon that the enemy fled and
reported the fort to be fully man.
ned and equipped.
After the war Ebert county was
invaded by two or three peaceable
squatters. Nancy fed before them.
She packed her goods on a pair of
mules and emigrated into the will
derness of Kentucky, declaring that
$50 many neighbors left her no air
to breathe" Among her descend
ants have been statesmen and sol
diers. Much of their physical and
mental vigor doubtless came from
the old huntress, Nancy Hart.
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25
SECRET OF THE SPHINX.

An undertaking has been begun
which ought to yield results of
special interest. This is the re-
moval of sand from around the
sphinx. The sphinx occupies a
position where the encroachment
of the desert is most conspicuous.
At the present day nothing is to be
seen of the animal except his head
and neck !; but the old Egyptian
monuments on which it is figured
show not only the entire body down
to the paws, but also large square
plinth beneath, covered with orna-
ments. Since the time of the Greeks,
perhaps, even from the reign of
George ~, this plinth has disap-
peared beneath the sand and its
very existence had been forgotten.
It is generally supposed that the
Sphinx is hewn out Of large,
isolated rock which overlooked the
plain; but M. Maspero's researches
suggest that it is work still more
stupendous. He has proved that
the Sphinx occupies the center of
an amphitheater, forming kind of
rocky basin, the upper rim of which
is about on level with the head'of
the animal. The walls of this am
phitheater, whenever visible, are
cut by the hand of man. 1t seems
probable, therefore, that in the be-
ginning there was uniform sur
face Of rock in which an artificial
valley has been excavated, SO as to
leave in the middle block out Of
which the Sphinx was finally hewn.
The excavations now being carried
on will doubtless verify the exist
ence of the plinth shown on the old
paintings, and also furnish evidence
by the ornamentation of the plinth,
of the true age of the monument.
NJ. Maspero is inclined to assign it
to very great antiquity-possibly
higher than the early dynasties-
that is, than the first period of
Egyptian history. AS the result of
last winters work. the sand round
the Sphinx has already been low
cred by about thirty meters.
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25
{, The Pious Mans Holiday.

An old friend of mine in New
England had been a deacon in the
church for forty years. One night
he got drunk and tore up his native
village. There was sensation, OF
course. The next morning his
preacher called on him. The dea-
con met him, and said: II was
drunk last night; l acknowledge it"
"Why did you do it?" asked the
preacher, astonished that so staid a
man should have done SO dissolute
a thing.
"Well, will tell you," said the
deacon. II have been serving the
Lord for forty years, and | just
made up my mind to take a day OH
to myself. Atlanta Constitution.
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25
!, IDAHO, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1888.

what my name was. I was con-
siderably mortified at this, for /
supposed that l had carved my
name upon the niche of fame to a
sufficient degree of conspicuous
ness to be recognized there. But,
being in my usual obliging mood,
| told him what my name was, and
where l came from.
Then he beloved at the Presi-
dent as if he had got hold of some
thing new. The President grabbed
me by the fin, called me Mr.. Pay
son and said: How do you do?'
GAS he let go my hand he gave a
sort of yank which threw me in
front Of Mrs. Cleveland, and there
l met such a beautiful smile and
bow that it made me happy all the
rest of the evening. l passed on
with the rest of the procession into
a big room that was so full of peo-
pie that you could scarcely move
round, and when II o'clock came
we went home"
''Is this the extent of your ex-
perience among the fashionable
circles of Washington"
mo, I made calls on New Years
Day with a friend and was very
much entertained. l saw large
number of beautiful ladies. They
all wore the same Washington
smile, and some of them didn't
wear much of anything else. l can
hardly wait for New Years to come
again"
"How do you get along with your
fellow-members?"
"They don't know l am here yet.
The only man in the House / am
really intimate with is Perry Bel
mont. Last Monday introduced
resolution for Frank Collier
of Chicago for a change in the
diplomatic relations, under which
our representatives abroad should
be called Ambassadors, instead of
ENJOYS Extraordinary and Minis
ters Plenipotentiary. This was for
the purpose of giving them proper
standing among the representatives
of other nations and for expedit-
ing such business as American cit
liens may have with foreign Gov
ernments. l thought it was proper
for me to call the attention of the
Chairman of the Committee on
Foreign Affairs to the merits Of the
measure. / introduced myself to
Mr.. Belmont and told him that I
was the introducer of the very last
bill which had been referred to his
committee. Mr.. Belmont kept his
eyes on the Speaker all the while,
as if he was afraid he would get
away, and replied: That PROPOSE
ton is not new I suggested to
him then that the age of propo-
sition had nothing to do with it's
merits, to which he replied "Well,
perhaps not; still looking at the
Speaker. l made my escape from
his august presence. After 1 got
back to the Republican side I
turned around and watched, but he
didn't seem to be looking for me.
l think, therefore, | am quite ac-
quainted with Mr.. Belmont, and
my bill is sure to receive proper
attention at his hands,"
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25
The Eenible Swede Treat

There is an American custom that
the Swedes do not seem to take to
very kindly. This is the custom
of treating" The Swede is too
thrifty to find delight in paying
over and over again for 'booze"
which some one else will have the
benefit-of course-of. "No," says
gentleman who has lived in a
section Of Minnesota thickly popu-
lated with Scandinavians, "the av-
erage Swede or Norwegian never
stands treat like an American. They
have. however, what the Americans
living among them used to call a
"Swede treat" that is, every man
pays for his own drink. A dozen
of thena will come up to the bar
together and drink in unison, and
with the best of feeling prevailing
all around, but when it comes TO
settling every one Of them goes TO
the bottom Of his pocket for The
price Of tho liquor he hae peona1ly
absorbed. Thatb~h 8Woae 4skt. -
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25

The KEYSTONE has long been acknowl.
edged to be the sole representative of the
Great Upper Wood River and Sawtooth
mining regions, and, located as it is in the
very heart of the most promising mining
country on the face of the earth. and leav.
complete synopsis Of all mining news and
developments, as well as matters of local
importance in the growth of Ketchum, the
future metropolis Of Idaho, it is an invalua-
BILE guide for capital and informant to the
settler of every craft and position. Sub
scribe for it, read it, and let your friends
read what may benefit them.
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25
The Ruling Passion.

The Chicago News tells this sto,y
about the Rev. Mr.. Manton, who
was a barber before he became .
preacher. The News says that one
Of his first duties after he was or
dained was to baptize child. Wet
ting his hand in the water bowl ne
laid it on the child's head, and
then. his mind reverting to his old
calling, he began rubbing the head
vigorously and, turning to the aston u,
is6ed mother, said: Shampoo
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25

sister by the great powers of the
world and in one Of its foremost
cities, administered by an English
speaking official, and within a few
yards Of foreign settlements pro-
vided with all the resources of mod
ern civilization, criminal is being
slowly done to death with circum-
stances of cruelty that would not
be tolerated in the treatment of a
dangerous wild beast in a really
enlightened country"
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25
A Nan Of His Word.

"Rambo," said Baldwin, "what
is the reason you drink your beer
and whisky through straw nova
days?"
II promised my dear little wiSe
last New Years day." replied RAM
DO, feelingly, THAT l would never
touch my lips to the intoxicating
cup again, aud I'm man OF my
word, Baldwin"
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25
First Experience Of New Member
of Congress.

at the end Of six weeks service as
new member of congress, thus
relates to Star interviewer his ex-
perience while endeavoring to make
himself useful to his constituents ::
My experience in Washington so
far" he said, "has been very much
as I expected it would be. The
climate is as changeable as Cook
county Democrat. The city is, l
think, the prettiest in the world. l
never have seen many cities except
Chicago, Springfield, Waukegan and
now and then a glimpse of Evan
ston, but / am delighted with
Washington"
"Have you been out in society
much?"
"Well, don't really know how
much of society I have been in. l
went to the Presidents reception
to the diplomatic corps, and was
very much entertained Oh the front
porch. We waited on the outside
nearly an hour in a procession
composed of statesmen, newspaper
men, army and navy officers, di-
plomats and committee clerks, and
| found it harder to get in than it
was to enter Canal-street board
|ing-house when the, dinner bell
rings. But there were lots of ele-
gantly dressed people there, among
whom, I f1atter myself, I was one.
/ did not have much of cQnver-
sation with Mrs. Cleveland or the
President that evening, and do not
think I was treated very politely,
because they did not even ask me
to sit down.
"After standing an hour or two
upon the porch with the thermom-
eter somewhere near zero and the
wind bowling like pack Of prairie
wolves, we got into the vestibule,
and there our ears were deafened
by a lot of men who were blowing
into horns and beating on drums
as if they were exercising some evil
spirits. I struggled along the best
l could with the rest, and tried to
keep from getting angry. | enter
tained the people around me by
saying funny things and treading
on their feet, and was finally pushed
along into the room, where the walls
were covered with wooden frames
or pigeon-holes. Here | was in
formed was the place to shed my
coat, but my experience in losing
it few days before had taught me
great caution, and / declined to
surrender any of my garments
without a receipt for them from
Mr.. Cleveland himself. There was
no time to parley, for the crowd
that succeeded US upon the porch
kept showing US along, and We
passed in serpent-like procession,
crawling in through a series OF
rooms until we reached circular
place where stood the President OF
the greatest nation on earth, and
one of the handsomest women IN
the world beside him. | had in
tended to stop and chat awhile with
the President and Mrs. Cleveland,
and thank them for the honor of
receiving an invitation to the first
party they gave this winter, but q
man in q military uniform stood
before the President and asked me
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25

A young man, obliged to invent
instantly some excuse for q long
golden hair on his coat sleeve,
stammered out that he "s-sat next
to the b-b-butter At dinner" !"
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-02-25

One is a shining mark and tho
other = mining shark. This Ia tho
difference between 4 hotel boot
black and Q gold brick sv3ndlpE.