davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-01-27
MhaIehnnn

cone 6f the most changcable articles
of commerce is whalcbonc." declared a
New York dealer in that commodity.
In January it may be worth 81 a
pound, and in April S. pound.
Twenty years ago it was worth - cents
a pound. The price is governed by the
catch Of whales. If the whaling
grounds are ice bound or the vessels
should meet with shipwrcck, or the
men from any other cause fail to catch
whales, the price Of whalebono goes up
"Where does most OF the whaiebone
come from2"
"The North Pacific ocean furnishes
the largest supply and it is usually
brought to market about November
The North sea catch arrives here about
June. A small catch is made in Hud-
son bay and Davis straits. Whales are
caught there at all seasons Of the year,
and the bone coming to New York does
not disturb the market. A few years
ago the Pacific whalers would some
times run into a port and exchange some
OF their cargo for supplies. This would
unsettIe the market very often. Now
the ships go out thoroughly supplied
and they do not often run hort. The
chief ports in this country where the
whalebone is marketed are San Fran
cisco and New Bedford.
slabs of whaIobono, as they are
termed, are done up in bundles of about
200 pounds each and arc sent to market
in this shape. In cutting up whale
bone there is loss Of about 20 per cent.
in the raw material The hair is worth
ten cents pound. 1t Is mixed with
horse hair, and used for upholsteriag
purposes. 1t is sometimes used in the
n1'ulacture of brushes. ."-T Mail an
EYD1pC1
Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-01-27
HU MOR0US.

A mere shadow. The detective.
She stoops to conqur-Th. washer
woman.
The sonorous shouts of the fish ven
dcrs should be called fish bawIs.
Now is the time 10 lay in your ther-
mometers. They are way down.
The dresses of engaged young ladies
wear out soonest about the waist.
Wonder if balloon would be more
effective if it were made Of fly paper2
When the fire is lSindled in your par
lor stove, then look out for Sparks"
Nothing will turn a woman's head so
completely as a bonnet that has passed
by.
When a girl is little she has doll
baby; when she grows up she has adol-
man.
A young man intending 90 press his
suit" first went and had his suit
iulo 'o'H "i,o' ii'' ie"lhgu 70
''' y % "' % save 'lio expense O Keep
ing " uos'
A iarmer says that "gate-money' is
''i'' |h'e" = VNPq",,'' 'o' inc '"n'g'
'"uS'o 'y '''i anu N"'''
Ioast-An honest lawyer, the nobIest
work OF COD, when an old farmer added,
And about the scarcest' :
1t is when man sits down suddenly,
Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-01-27
A Chine.n Fnrno

The hero a sea captain, comes in and
seats himself at a table to write; but h,
is heavy with Sleep his head soor
droops, and he falls into a peaceful
slumber. But scarcely has his nap lie
gun when he IS disturbed by the hasty
entrance Of breath.e,s fellow. who be-
gins with an ar Of great consequence,
TO pant out long tale of not the
slightest Importance. The captain
listens for a time with wilc-orcned
eyes, but when he finds that the story
has settled down into an uninterrupted
sing-song which shows no prospect Of
reaching an earIy conclusion, he tries to
break the thread of the narrative. All
in vain, for the tedious fellow repr.sses
his interruptions with a deprecatory
wave of his hand, and goes on in his
monotonous way, with head thrown
back and eyes half closed, in au ccstacy
Of delight at having secured listener.
After time the captain submitting to
the inevitable,adepts the wiscst course in
the Circumstances, and dozcs oil to sleep
again. The bore is so satisfied with
himself and SO engrosscl in his tale
that he neysrnotices this, and still goes
on, sce-saw, singsong, with never
stop, till tn audience, or at least half Of
them, growsas weary as the captain.
But a mysterious ayenger is at hand. A
limping ghost Of horrible experience,
who remembers his own suiTerines on
Garth, happens in unseen to Lclriend
the captain. IL squats silently behind
the char o. the story teller hol ing the
club he carries in readiness to strike,
while that Worthy is still iabbering his
intcrmlnatto nonsense. Oacc the club
IS raised tFoataaingly over him. twlc>,
and yet I'D goes on; then thanierlne
stroke d'scends on his shoulders,
which stops his voice 50 suddenly that
1t leaves DIM with an open mouth in the
middle OF IA word. In comical terror he
gazcs abott IN vain attempts to fad cut
whence he blow came, Chen, in amazc-
ment, seiies the sleeper and ar5ues him
to tell q this terrible new affair." But
the captah listens with hlzy matt ntion,
evi lentlyt blinking it somc mose of the
same tlb and dozes eff again imme-
diately. The bore, abandoned now to
the tendF mercics Of the spectre, ruus
hither auR thither In horror, adopting
first ono Ian and then another, to dis
cover LIP Invisible ass liant; but the
ghost crdwls after him wherever he goes,
now clubbing, now clutching him, until
at last he poor wretch makes his es-
cape half dead with fright, aud tho
eart~i' y Left te-aleep in peace, whilc
the ghost curls up by his side like q
faithful dog whose labors are done. -
LMacmillan's Magazine
Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-01-27
NO. -.


Last night my dream clad feet did tread
On well remembered paths and did SEQ
The self same scenes-th' same stars shed
Their dreamy light ON You and me.
The little stream courscd on its silent way,
Our little boat rocked idly at our feet,
And side by side we watched the shadows
play,
And list to strange, weird music, wildly
sweet,
Last night
Last night we drifted down the self-sam
stream
And ! looked down into those mdnigh
eyes,
And read in their clear depths my lifelong
dream;
They were to me my heaven and my para
disc
You sang, and e'er the echoes died away
My heart beat wildly with a throbbing
pain,
My eyes were weeping, for could not stay
The tears that came for the hopes long
slain
Last night
A4i9N HiEit e 81 tlit tNcHllS slittl'NS icll
We met we partel, twas the last on
earth,
heard, as Of yore the village church bell,
As 1t rang on that eve of the Saviour's
BIRTH
How little we dreamed rs he turned to 60,
The different paths we were doomed to
tread
Then my heart grew sick and my head bent
Oh, many the sorrow that lips never
know
Aud spriukled with tears hope long deal
Last night
Last night my dreaming fancy led me where
In days forgotten we would often stray,
And bid me dwell for one brief moment
there,
And sip the fragrance of the now-mown
hay
And faces that the sod hath covered DER
And blotted from our sight, cane bacl, to
me,
And phantom figures pressed the tufted
floor
Whare we two fingered in our infancy
Last night
-[George Wlmot Harris
Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-01-27
A Parrot That Prays.

A family living near church owns a
very bright parrot. Every evening the
bells of the church ring the "Angelus
and recently one Of the little girls Of
the family was taught to recte the ap-
propriate prayer at the sound of the
bells. The parrot watched her care
fully and the other evening, at the first
sound Of the chimes, dropped to the
bottom Of the cage, put down his head
and said the first few words Of the prayer
He has kept this up ever since and IS
adding other words of the prayer as the
little girl teaches them to him. Il CHI
cago News.
Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-01-27

field for quarter of mile and blew
u2. Had She encountered No on the
main track there must have been a ter
rible smash-up At the speed she was
going the runaway would have
elm bed right on top of the train. Af-
ter the explosion | entered the station
and called for K, to give him the
news, but he could not be raised
could not get him until the usual hour
next morning, and then | learned some.
thing which made my hair stand on end.
lie had not heard word Of the matter
lie was not in bis office when the ac-
commodation passed, aud he had heard
nothing from G =, the station where
the engine broke away. then called
for the agent at c., and it turned out
that at clock on the afternoon pre-
vious, he had met with an
accident by which he had
been made dcirious all night. When
they went for him 20 telegraph about
the engine he was in bed, and being
held there by nurses, aud they did not
even try to make him understand what
had happened. As a matter of fact
and record, no living hand clicked that
message to me Every man on the line
was examined but all denied it.
heard 1t and understood it, and acted
upon it, and it came from X. How
do | explain it2 | never could. have
had people tell me that it was mind tele-
graphing to mind, but you can take any
theory you wish. | was called for in the
usual way understood fully what was
being said, and hurried out to do what l
have described The matter has been
puzzle and a mystery for years and /
have no hopes Of a solution.
How did lose my leg7 Well,
there was a mystery about that We
had changed our time and a passenger
train passed my station atf2 a. M
awoke one night at o'clock, feeling
that the upper switch had been left
open by the freight train. LIGHTED my
lantern and ran up there, and sure
enough it stood wide open, and death
trap had been set for the express.
closed it, and was on my way back when
three cars which had broken away from
the freight several miles away, at the
top of a grade, came whooping down,
and, in trying to get out Of the way,
made a stumble and got my leg under
the wheels dragged myself into the
station and tried to call up the offices
above me, but could raise no one. The
cars were missed, and hunted for from
one end of the line to the other.
aud, strangely enough, they could not
he fanea II was m odd thing to.
lose cars in that fashion, aud before
they got through earching men walked
over every foot of the line. 1t was six
weeks before they were found. They
had left the rails at IL curve near steep
bank, and had gone over the rocks into
deep river without leaving trace. 1t
was as if they fad been picked up and
flung over by human hands. Being
loaded with hardware, they had gone to
the bottom, but the current rolled them
along untll they finally showed above
the surface in bend, When hauled
out none Of the three we're damaged a
cents worth, but it was deal Of
trouble to get them back to the rails
again. 81 New York Sun.
Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-01-27
Ayers Sarsapariila,

has had In lis caso- flsiFs1s aais '.Ssf9e. -
Z s4as ~ eefltaifed fne hnmor for Of least ten
years; but it did not show, exceptin the form
of q serofuloas sore on the wrist, until about
five years ago. From a few spots which an
peared at that time, it gradually spread so as
to cover his entire body. | assure yor he was
terribly afflicted. and an object of pity, Aben
he began using your medicine. Now, there aro
few men of his age who enjoy as good health
as he has. ! could easily name fifty persons
who would testify to tho facts IN his case.
Yours truly, w. NJ. PHILLIPS"
Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-01-27
A Isefnl Life.

A farmer In South Carolina is said to
nave followed the plow for sixty-eieht
years. There is something to admire in
tn? humble but useful life Of such man.
He never waited for anything to turn
up, but went faithfully and uncomplain,
ingIy to work aud turned it up Inns If,
and continued to turn it up. -lChica %
Tribune.
Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-01-27
Got Ahead of tho Cnmmodore.

Years ago, when the New York Cen
tral and the Erie r ilroad3 were en-
gagged in desperate and destructive
battle Of cut rates, jim Fisk played
shrewd dodge on Commodore Wander
bilt. The freight rates from Chicago to
New York City were so low that there
was no profit in transportation. Fisk
seized the golden opportunity to buy
cattle; shipped the cattle over the Com
modore's road, and o block, d the Com
modore's transportation facilities that
Central was obliged to refuse all
other freight Fisk then put up the
p &C oflreight on the Eric and WIS not
only able to do a lucrative business
while the Central was carrying cows at
loss, br' was also able to get his cattle
to the market, via the Commodores
line, at such low terms that he made a
profit on them. = New York Star.
Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-01-27

Chicago architects have a queer way
Of estimating the cost of the ten and
twelve story buildings now being erected
there. They take the dimensions and
find the exact cubic contents. Then
they say the building, If plainly finished,
should cost 25 cents cubic foot, and
not more than 30 cents if elaborately
finished. This is kind of 'Rulo Of
Thumbs" plan which the boat builders
use to determine the carrying capacity
of their vessels. The rule of thumb is
said to be very exact, and so is the rule
of the architects noted above The use
of the rule by the architects is almost
universal throughout the west. 1t en-
ables them to come somewhere near the
cost of the buildings SO that they can
find out whether it is worth while to
draw plans and mako specifications.
Contractors also use the rule so that
they can give a rough guess and decide
whether they will be able to carry such
a large contract = Buffalo Express.
Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-01-27
Ayers Sarsaparilla.

Six months ago was completely covered with
a terrible humor and scrofulous sores. Tia
humor caused an ncessant and il tolerabl9
itching, and tie skin cracked so as to cause
the blood to flow in many places whenever
] moved. My suttcrmgs We're great, and my
life burden. ] commenced the use of th9
SARsAPARILLA in April last, and have used
it regularly since that time. My condition
began to improve at once. The sores have
ali healed and / feel perfectly well in every
respeot = being now able TO DO good day's
work. although IS years of age Many INQUIRE
what has wrought such a cure in my case. and
l tell them, as 1 have hero tried to tell YOU.
AYERS SARsAPAWLLA. Glover, Vt. oct.
Il, 1882. Yours gratefully,
HIRAM PHILLIPS"
AYERS SARsAPARILLA cures Scrofula
and all Sorofulous Complaints. Erysip-
elias, Eczema, Ringworm, Blotches.
Sores, Boils, Tumors, and Eruptions OF
the Skin. 1t clears the blood OF all impu
rites, aids digestion, stimulates the action Of
the bowels, and thus restores vitality and
strengthens the whole system.
-
PREPARED By
Dr.. j.C.Ayer & Co, Lowell, Mass.
Sold by ali Druggists; 81, six bottles for Sa
Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-01-27
They Matched His Head

dts very cold, remarked Mr. Nc
Corkle, as he came in to dinner "AIy
hands are perfectly numb"
Then they match your skull perfect
II, was the un!eeiiug comment Of hia
wife. II Philadelphia Times.
Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-01-27
The Wrong Kind.

Bromley I've been going through my
last years vests.
Find any bills in the pockets, Dar>
ringer%
"Yes. one"
"Good. A $50 bill hope"
mo, bill or 1888"
But there ism t a bill OF that denomi-
nation"
''oh, there isn't eh3 Bromley, it was
a wash bill - Philadelphia Cal.
Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-01-27
A Station Agents Stories,

lIaIHest " HhuIleI.
A Station ATput'S Stories
=,
" '' WIN ~ =.
1.'n'. '',"'' , ~ .
.,.....t.....i,.'.r,,.,..
.,.-e..l:...-.,.....
,,n.,.,t., 1
;,r.o,,,at W., =, -. '',' - "','
-. - ''''''
w,,.;rl -. - 0'9'''
, " =
,I, ''''' = l''''','''' At,
-. ..s...',.I, ',', .''' - eo'' I' ''"''
'''' - va '''o '0"s
sidl1g to let various other trains pass.
The policy Of our road was nig-
rarlly The object was +, rot every.
tbinq choan Ana to ,cori. .y.ry man j.
tbe hmit Nv .t,Go, b,ifiir. w,.
itno better tb1n a sb.d a.a +, ,r,. in
nossible 10 oct anv rsn,ir. or i,nrrovo-
monte WIS r.n,,ir.d 70 o.4 - t.lo
oronb oncrator ,;.j..t sal,.r ,.ai,,h,
ooon4 eboro I'M I. ,.J. an ai.o a,d Al
M bav. an bon,. c,oll o,u ~, or.n
rh,lo cot !, NO ooi.a a.d ,.,, y, ool,
Iur;,o tho ,iob+ r.. 49,, .ou,, .,u
o.l, Will ,.,-. f.. ,,., a.o...t.i.o al
ir.ilo Of tooo.t,, s.o,,1. ,,,,, roal. -
o,s,.o- 1.Lo,,iI ,.,..,h ~ e. .,...
,..i.+aa+ - .,.t;. ,+ ~ .
nonr na,la III ,,;4 ..
aitho. a. -, ....,. l,...o. r..
7 b., ba,o;,..o -, ,aaa.h a., .4l
and voar f. .oor 80, t,;nl;na,
,hout ,,,;au H.. -.
= .ss.s' ---.sasrs.a.. - = -. -
enough to keep my nerves under con
stant strain Tram despatchlng was
not the art 1t IS now, and II regular
got oehiho her time II caused confusion
al aionS tne me-
cone Of the queer incidents occurred
after had had the station about two
years. i was in the fall q the year,
with great deal Of nasty weather and
tralns were continually late. The last
passenger train on our road passed me,
according to schedule, at 10 IL p IN.
The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-04-21
Proof of the Earth's Rotary Motion

Any one can prove the rotary motion
Of the earth on its axis by simple eX-
pertinent, for making which an cduca-
tional journal of Frankfort, Germany,
gives the following directions: "Take
a cood-sizcl bowl, fill it nearly full OF
water, and place it upon the floor OF a
room which is not exposed to shaking
or jarring from the street. Sprinkle
over the surfac, of the water a coating
of lycopodium POWDER white sub
stance which is sometimes used for pur-
poses of the toilet, and which can be OBJ
tanned at almost any apothccary's. Then,
upon the surface OF this coating OF
powder, make, with powdered charcoal,
straight black line, say al inch or two
inches In length. Having made this
| little black mark with the charcoal
powder on the surface Of the ontents of
the bowl, lay down upon the floor, close
to the bowl, q stick or some other
straight object, so that it shall be exactly
parallel with the mark. If the line hap
pens 70 be parallel with crack in the
floor, or with any stationary object in
the room, this will serve as well. Leave
the bowl undisturbed for few hours,
and observe the position Of the black
mark with reference to the object that i
was parallel with. 1t will be found tc
have moved about, and to have moved
from east to west that is to say, il
that direction opposite to that oil TIT
movement Of the earth on its axis. TIL
earth, in simply revolving, has carried
the water and everything else in tn
bowl around with it, but the powder OF
the surface has been left behind little
The line will always DC found to hav
moved from east to west, which Is pei
fectly good proof that everything els
has moved the other way"
The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-04-21

There are a great many things in the
head of the average commercial traveller
never dreamed of in the philosophy of
other people; hut ii remained for Moses
Raphel, London commercial traveller,
to beat the record. He died recently,
and when DR.. Doyle performed an au-
topsy, h, found pcnholdcr and nib
three inches long inside Mr.. Raphels
head, attached to the right orbital plate.
1t could not be shown how it got there.
The man had never been known to com
plain of the existence of the alien sub
stance in his head.
The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-04-21
A Wonderful Watch Dial.

A gentleman connected with the Hi
nois Watch Company has wonderfully
curious watch dial Instead OF Roman
numerals to denote the hours, there are
eleven small but very distinct Silhouette
figures, representing man out with MS
dog for a days sport. Vt ! O'clock lie
is seen starting out with his gun ana
doc. at s o'clock he makes a shot; at
o'clock he has sandhill crane which
measures as long as himself at ~
o'clock the man and his dog are scared
at the sight of a jack-rabbit which Is
sitting upon his hind legs with his big
long ears raised above the bushes, at IL
o'clock the hunter takes drink, and
while in this attitude the dog sits IN
froat of his master, with his nose point
inr directly at the flask; at II o'clock
the sportsman Is seen sitting on stump,
and IS eating lunch-the dog Is eyeinS
the niece of bread which the hunter has
in his hand. At 1 o'clock he starts out
/ to fish tho rest of the day, and SO he
takes his dog and fishing tackle, and
goes to the water; at . o'clock the dog,
which y behind his master, has
been caught with the hook
by an attempt to throw
in this line, a. o'clock he and the dog
are all Strengthened out again, and the
line i, in the water, he has both hands
on the pole, and his foot braced on
stump by the waters edge as though he
had tremendous bite; at 4 o clock tho
man has got big fish on his line, which
has pulled him off his feet, and he falls
on the dog and doubles him all up, but
the man is holding fast to the pole
which is bent almost double lat 5 O'Clock
he is all Strengthened out again, his pol'
is thrown across his shoulder, and Will
his fish in the other hand he starts fol
home, the dog following behind Will
his head hanging down, being all tireC
out. The mans name IS also painted IL
the centre of the dial in rustic letters
The dial reflects q great deal OF credi
upon the artist, Mr. Charles Geyer. Tn
figure VI. is superseded by the seconds
|, = Jewclry News.
The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-04-21
Her Fathers Hone.

"Father," she said, burying her fac
upon the old mans shoulder, ''if | Cd
win the pure, earnest love OF an homes
upright man, my life will be full u
deed. Task not for mere wealth
would love and honor such man, des
father, if even one hundred thousan
dollars were all he could rightly call b
OWL"
'Noble girl" responded the old ma
deeply affected. Il hope you may I'D
him. - Epoch.
The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-04-21

Next May the Presbyterians will cele-
bratc the centenary of their first General
Assembly in the United States, and re-
Gently n meeting was held at the Brick
Church in Fifth avenue, New York
City, to push forward project to mark
the event of raising 81, 600, 900 to add to
the fund FOR the benefit Of superannuated
ministers and the needy widows and
chillrcn Of deceased ministers OF the de-
nomination,
The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-04-21
Get Ready for the Wedding.

"Mamma," said a beautiful X street
maiden in ter der tones one morning d
breakfast, "Henry is coming around
tomorrow night"
"Well, what of that2' said mamma
with ill-concealed disappointment
"He's been coming every Sunday nigh
for two years."
Every true, mamma; but neither o
them was leap year." and cold, hard
determined look spread over her love!
features an inch and a half Thick
The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-04-21

Mr.. ODonnei OF Michigan has intro
duced bill il the house Of representa-
tives to reduce postage on drop letters
after July to cent per ounce or frac-
ton thereof. He says there are 1S9
free delivery offices in the country, en-
ploylng 1910 carriers and that the cost
OF the service last year was 81, CTS, COZ.
and the revenue o. local matter was
81. 691, 2j3, the local mails paying FOX
the service and leaving an excess OF
S2,0t2 SCI. He does not think 1t JUS:
10 charge as much Cor delivering it IN
Washington Territory.
The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-04-21

An apiarian writer observes that ex-
tracted honey is the purest honey posi-
Die, and may be eaten at all times with
perfect impunity. The Hebrews use
money in many Of their religious rites,
particularly in the feast Of the Passover,
and so strict are they in regard to its
purity that the price to be paid is 10
object. The rabbi ilstructs them to
buy caudiel honey as precautionary
measure against impurity.