davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
National Capital "Signb0ards. I"

Frank G.. Carpenter, in one of his in.
teresting letters from Washington, says
of one of the 'signboards" of the national
capital: :.
Another remarkable character here is
man who is always ready to take a
drink. and who lives around Washing.
tons hotels trying to squeeze one out OF
every new conner. There are a number
of this class, and I recall the remark OF
one of them, who was once minister to
BOLIVIA. Eads's ship railway project was
being discussed in the house, and the
question had arisen as to the climate OF
the ishmus of Panama and of the region
about DE Lessep's canal. knew the ex-
Minister was acquainted with the
country, and sitting down beside him, l
introduced myself, and asked him how
he liked his life in South America.
He replied: Very we'll; but indeed,
am not hard man to please. l could
live happily on tallow candles with the
Esquimaux, and l could exist comfortably
upon the jerked beef Of the Patagonian
hunters. like the meals of Delmonico' !;
L nave OluCV fCIy "Sii az tAo
Hotel de Paris. am man of all times,
all climates and all things. But there is
one thing 1 like above all others, and that
l am always ready for"
Here he looked me straight in the eye
and, as he put one hand caressingly upon
my knee. he concluded:
81 always like to take drink ~
returned his gaze without fiinching,
and. after full minute had passed, in a
sore tone, he said:
"Ah, my young TREND, but you don't
drink"
"No SAID I coolly; my doctor has
forbidden it."
This same ex-Minister subsists largely
off of free lunch counters, and boards
wherever they will keep him longest.
How he continues to live on, year after
year, is one of the things which God only
knows
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
Marriage Customs.

Among the Lolos of Western China it
is customary for the bride on the we'd
ding morning to perch herself on the
highest branch OF large tree, while the
elder female members of her family
cluster on the lower limbs, armed with
sticks. When all are duly stationed the
bridegroom chambers up the tree, assailed
on all sides by blows, pushes and pinchcs
from dowagers, and it is not until he
has broken through their fence and cap
tured the bride that he is allowed to carry
her off. Similar difficulties assail the
bridegroom among the Mongolian Kor-
axis, who are in the habit of celebrating
their marriages in large tents, divided
into numerous separate but communicat.
ing compartments. At given signal,
so soon as the guests are assembled, the
bride starts off through the compartments
followed by her wooer, while the women
of the encampment throw every possible
impediment in his way, tripping up his
feet, holding down the curtains to pre-
vent his passage, and applying willow
and alder switches numerically as he
stoops to raise them. AS with the maiden
on the horse, and the virgin on the tree
top, the Korak bride is invariably cap
tured however much the possibilities OF
escape may be in her fayor.-Black0ood's
MdgdziDe.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
A Fiendish PROPOSAL.

"Be mine, dearest Angelina ex.
claimed Roland De We're, the handsome
young dry-goods clerk, as he dropped
on his knees at the feet Of Angelina st.
Clair, "be mine, aud make me the hap,
piest man the world contains"
care you sure you love mc?' mur,
INJURED Angelina, as she gently swayed
her. nincty-nine cent fan, and glanced
half ba ,hfulIy, half coqucttishly at the
ardent youth prone at her feet.
"Love you! Angelina I would do any
thing for you. Be mine and l will 40
your shopping for you, match your rib
bons, your sewing silk -"
"Sir," exclaimed Angelina, drawing
herself up haughtily and fixing upon him
stony glare, this is the proof of your
love, is. it! This is what you would do
for me? Ha. DO my shopping! Match
my ribbons, my sewing silk" and she
laughed low, demoniacal laugh that
made his flesh creep. Don shopping
Dcpri.e me of one of the greatest
pleasures of my life, nay the greatest
the solace, the joy Of a woman's exist
ence. Fiend!" she hisscd, looking ma
iestic in her wrath, while the eyes erst
brimful of tenderness emitted flashes OF
indignant fame, "feud, wretch, demon,
begone?'
And Roland De We're retired with such
precipitation that he overturneda "what-
not" and smashed to smitherecus a
crookcd-necked bust of Shakespeare the
man who. it will be remembered, was
so long supposed to be the author oi
the plays of Bacon.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
The Walled Lakes Of Iowa.

Along the water sheds of Northern
Iowa there are great many small lakes.
VARYING from one half q mile to one mile
in diameter. One Of these in Wright
ouuty, and another in Sac County,
have each received the name of "Walled
Lake" on account of cmbankments that
completely surround them. 1t has been
generally supposed that these cmbank-
,n,ntS were thrown up by the ancient in
lan;lnnts uf the country. They arc from
two to ten feet high, and from five to
thirty feet in width. Some who have
examined these, however, declare them
to be the result of natural causes only,
and ascribe them to the periodic action
of ice, aided to some extent, by the force
of the waves The lakes arc very shall
low. and in winter they often freeze to
the very bottom The ice freezes fast to
the earth b. low, and as in its expansion
it acts in all directions, from centre to
cir, umfcrence, IL certain part of alluvial
dc 'os:t is forced to the shore, and this
60 'ng on from year to year, and from
century 10 ceutury, has created the
natural embankment. =:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
Great Age Of Fishes.

1t is not generally known that there is
hardly any limit of the age of fish;
The late Professor Baird, of the United
States Fish Commission, is the authority
for the statement that there is authentic
evidence to show that carp have main
tanned an age of 900 years.
There is tradition that within fifty
years q pike was living in Russia whose
age dated back to the fifteenth century.
There are goldfish in Washington that
have belonged to one family over fifty
years. They do not appear much larger
Than when they were originally placed
in the aquarium, and are every bit as
lively as when young.
The Russian Minister says that in the
royal aquarium at st. Petersburg there
arc fish to-day that have been known by
the records TO have been in them 140
years. Some of them are, he says, over
five times as large as they were when
first captured, while some have not
grown an inch.
An attache Of the Chinese legation says
that there arc sacred fish kept in some of
the palaces in China that are older tEan
any of those in Russia.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04

to wit, that, "not knowing how to spell,
they purposcly write so that their fea-
,lres in orthography cannot be readily
detected"
A gentleman who was taken through
the White House by Mrs. Cleveland last
winter saw her private desk piled high
with letters she had eel, ed, and said to
her:
"surely you don't expect to answer all
of thesef"
''lndced 1 do" she responded. Gall
these persons have written to me in good
faith, and are doubtless excellent people,
who will appreciate reply directly from:
me. wouldn't hurt their feelings or
disapoint them for the world"
The official note paler used in the
Presidents offices has Executive Man
sion. Washington" printed in small
blue letters at the head Of the paper,
and on the upper left hand corner of the
envelope, beneath Executive Man
sion," in the same characters as on the
note paper, is the word "Otticial." The
paper used is smooth, some thick, some
thin, but all tough.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
Mrs. ClcyeIand's Notes.

It is a rule rarely if ever broken in any
of the departments and bureaus of the
Government at Washington ~ well aS
in the Executive Mansion that al! lettc S
received which do not in themselves vio-
late the rule of courtesy shall be an
swercd in some manner. even if only to
acknowledge the fact that they were
received, says Hrpes's Bc"r.
Mrs. Cleveland, on whom no official
obligations rest, voluntarily follows this
rule of replying to all the letters she re-
ceives so far as is possible. She is very
prompt, too, in writing her answers to
letters whenever practicable. and has
remarkable facility in expressing herself
in a few words, while seeming to say all
that is necessary. Her handwriting,
while as stylish in appearance as that of
the ultra fashionable quill pen Affecting
ecrawlers, is still unlike that of the
ladies of that class perfectly lcgible.
She noes not lay herself open to the
charge bright man recently preferred
against the fashionable women whose
writing no one can easily read, ii at all,
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
The Shortest an Longest Railroads.

The longest ,ailroad, including all di-
visions and branches. is the Chicago,
Milwaukee and st. Paul Railway, whose
total length of lines operated Dec. 81,
1886, was 5,297.74 miles. though its
main line is only 420 miles in length.
But the longest single line of road oper'
atcd by one company is the line of the
Northern Pacific from Duluth, Mlnn., to
Wallula Junction, Washington Tesrltory,
ut stretch of l,G5l miles.
The smallc>t regularly Incorporated
railroad in this country is said to be the
New York Central, Hudson River and
Fort Orange l'aiiroad, built for the puT-
pose of carrying freight to and from the
Fort Orange rarer Company's works.
The main track is but 3,16s feet in
length, and the rolling stock consists of
a locomotive and ono passenger coach.
The road. however has a full set of Off
GERS and board of directors, and issues n
yearly official report. The gross earn
inos of tho road amount to nearly ST., 900
o year, but all of this, except about $50
or so, is consumed in paying the expenses
Of the road.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
Hunting in Idaho.

George Riebald, pioneer of Idaho,
since 1868 the owner of the Little Giant
gold mine at Warren and long skilled
hunter in the Sawtooth Mountains, is in
Iowa. Mr.. Riebald was for many years
a contemporary of George Weiser, the
famed trapper and hunter after whom the
busy young metropolis of Weiser City
was named, and he was associated with
him at times on some of the most perilous
tramps. "Weiser was the Daniel Boone
of that section," said MIR. Riebald yester-
day, "but the naming of the Territory
was done by Joaquin Miller. The word
idaho is pure Bannock, and signifies
the gem of the mountains AS to game
up there now, we've got plenty, and
gooa game too, but not buffalo. There
were uncounted thousands but short
time ago, but the Northern Pacific road,
and the hunting that ensued from it,
drove what remained into British Co.
lumbia, where isolated bands. may occa-
sionally yet be found. There is an abun-
dance of elk and bear and myriads of
mule deer. On all the earth probably
there is not another place where there are
more deer. They weigh from 30 to 300
pounds each, dressed, and any hunter
with anyskill at all can easily get all he
wants. The widest and most exh Ia
rating sport in Idaho is that INDUCED IN
by the Sheep Eaters, branch of the
Bannock tribe. They are known by this
name because they subsist largely on the
huge mountain sheep. When the sheep
are heavy they drive them far up on the
cliffs, and then with their dogs make
them Jump down, where they are found
dead at the bottom and made away with
by these fellows. These Indians are
first class shots, too, and of course kill
many of these sheep and other game that
way. We've got an animal up there
called the antelope goat. Did you ever
hear of them2' They grow very large: A
bull antelope goat will weigh as much as
800 or 400 pounds. They remain in the
very highest mouIltains-that is, above
the snow line-at an attitude of from 700
to 1900 feet. They stay there summer
and winter. They have jet-black horns,
! five to thirteen inches long, sharp as
pencil, and depend altogether on fighting
when attacked by wolves or dogs. They
sit down just like a dog. I have seen
them sit down on a rock and watch.
They can't run much, and they can't
lump more than six OF seven feet. They
are indigenous only to that country, and
scientists don't know anything about
them. 1 tried to get one of these queer
antelope goats for the Smithsonian Insti,
tuition the last time I was out, but didn't
succeed. The ld.headed grizzly bear
is the only animal the Indians won't dis,
turb. They amt afraid of the Others.
! have myself driven an ordinary she
grizzly away from her cub, and she didn't
attack me, being thus less dangerous
than a sow. A sow wouldn't permit
! that. But these bsld-headed grizzlies
! are large and extremely vicious. The
silver-tip ip grizzlies are also very cross. -
i San Francisco Examiner.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
A LEGACY.

Friend Of my many years!
Nhaa the great silence falls, at lust on me,
Let me not leave to pain and sadden thee
Amemory Of tears,
But pleasant thoughts alone
OF one who was thy friendships honored
guest
And drank the wine of consolation pressed
From sorrows Of thy own.
I leave with thee sense
OF hands upheld and trials rendered less
The unselfsh joy which is to helpfuness
Its own great recolnpense;
The knowledge that from thine,
As from the garments of the Master, stole
Calmness and strength, the virtue which
makes whole
And heals without sign;
Yea, more, the assurance strong
That love, which fails of perfect utterance
here,
Lives ON to fill the heavenly atmosphere
With its immortal song.
John G. Whittier, in Independent.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
W0MAN'S WORLD.
PLEASANT LITERATURE FOR
FEMININE READERS.
Tired Ones.

Tired Ones.
So tired:
Such weary mothers love inspired
But worn with loves demands
Until the trembling hands
Falter above their tasks, and stay
While white lips pray.
So spent, undone;
On guard above each little one
As though each dying day
Carried no tired mothers far away
From their fond world, and so
They fain would 60
Bent to loves least beheSt-
A child clasped to the breast.
So weary; STOPPING low
Above sweet, sleeping faces when the glow
OF twilight fades, but not so tired as they
Who have no care all day
For loved ones, young or old; no cheeks
To touch
With kisses, as they sleep, or such
Dear riches as love brings
Dearer than diadem of kings.
The weariest hand
Is empty, having no command
OF loving lips, no care Of age or youth;
No lips to call for it, in truth,
From purple dawn till night-no wealth
Dearer than fretted gold.
George Ktingle.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04

A remarkable instance of intelligence
In homing pigeon occurred recently a.:
Shelby, N. c. The bird was of A
Perry Baldwin's strain Of Newark. He,
Is a magnificent pigeon, and known To-
the National Federation by the name OF.
General Kearney." Like all of Mr..
Baldwin's leng-distsnce flyers, he was
marked in big red letters, "a pilgrim
from Newark, New Jersey; feed and
liberate," on the feathers of one wing,
and "An honest man is the nobiest work
of God on the other wing. The bird
was returning from IN Se8-mile fly to
Newark, when he became exhausted and
alighted on the little Post Office at Shets
by, N. C. Mr.. B. F. Logan, the Post.
master, caught him, fed and watered:
him, and then the bird again perched on
the roof. That afternoon he took two;
hours fly, but returned. The next:
morning, after being again fed, he took
three-hours' fly, but again returned. In
the afternoon he made his third fly, but,
after being gone four hours, came back.
The following day he made 10 more as :.
tempts to come north, but each time, noe
feeling strong enough, he returned TO.
hospitable Shelby.
The next day, however, after receiving.
his food, he circled over Postmaster Lo-
gan's head and then darted northward.
Mr.. Logan sent postal card to Newark
describing the bird and its marks,r but
before the card was received by Mr..
Baldwin the General was back safe; and
sound in his loft. Mr. Baldwin says he
made the little flies at Shelby to guage
his strength; that the bird knew he
would be cared for while he stayed
there, and would not attempt to leave
there for Newark until he was positive
he was strong enough to make the jour
ney.-Neu York Sun.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
An Eve for Color.

A gentleman who was invited out to
dine lately observed that the chandelier
over the dining room table was of pc.
culiar construction, 80 that there was a
light over the head of each guest. The
globes were of various colors, some am
Der, some red and some blue. "What
is the object of having the globes of diff.
ferent colors2" the guest asked of his
hostess. ''Why, you see," said she,
"when one gives dinner of ten, one
must invite some people whom one per-
feetly hates. Now, last Tuesday gave
a supper and I had to invite two women
whom despisc. But I had to invite
them or some of the young men wanted
wouldn't come. Ihad my revenge on my
fair enemies, however. Ipluced each of
these two women under one of those pale
blue lights at the table. They're usually
considered beautiful women, but under
that light they had the most CHASTITY look
you ever saw. They were perfect scare
crows. They seemed to have aged
twenty years the minute that they sat
down. The men noticed it. of course.
but they did not divine what caused it.
They were quite taken aback and awfully
glun at first. But finally one of them
turned with sigh and began talking to
real homcly little thing that was sitting
under q ruby ,colored light Why, she
was rpcrfcctly charming under it. So,
you see, that when I want people to
look perfectly hideous | put them under
the blue lights. 1t kills everything"
The gentleman looked up. lie was
under the blue light. .--BgtaO C0prier.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
killing an OK to Save the Diamonds.

A story from the diamond fields. A
Katiir was suspected of being in pos
session of uncut diamonds, and was pur.
sued by the officers of the law When
they came up with him he had just shot
ono of his oxen. Then they proceeded
to search him. They ransacked his
scanty clothing, they combed his woolly
head, they tried all the usual processes.
but never a diamond did they find, and
finally they had to retire discounted.
Then the kafir proceeded to pick oa,t
from the dead ox's carcass all the dia-
monds with which his g'ln had been
loaded, and which he had fired into the
unfortunate beast when he saw the Of
ficers approaching.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04

Mexican hogs, which are cross be-
tween the spanish and the wild hog of
the Mexican mountains, are raised with
profit in Mexico, but not in any consid-
erale numbers. They average l75 pounds
in weight, and are killed chiefly for
their lard, which is worth twenty cents
a pound. Fresh pork is worth twelve
and one-half cents a pound, but is eaten
very little, for most persons can't afford
it. 1t is said that Monterey, which has
$4,000 people, eats only about FIVE hogs =
day. -:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
War on Carrier Pigeons.

The Russian Government has been try
ing experiments in the capture of car
ricr pigeons by falcons, and they have
proved as successful rs the Minister of
War expected. The falcon secs tho
pigeon at distance, goes for it, and
captures it promptly. The idea is to
utilize the birds IN time of war to inter
cept messages sent from the enemy, and
falconry stations are to be Established
at the different Notifications in Russia.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
An Appropriate Name.

A woman lately returned from Europe
brought reception gown that must
have 200 little brown birds fas ening o
rose -colored crepe upon skirt of white
silk. A circlet of these little feathered
creatures is for the head.
81 believe it would be good dress for
q character to wear at a costume ball,
said its owner; "only I wouldn't know
what to call it. What would you say
for name2"
"Cruelty to animals" replied the
friend.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
BUDGET OF FUN.
HUMOROUS SKETCHES FROM
VARIOUS SOURCES.
All She Asked-What They Stole
Dogs That Chum-Narrow Es-
cape-Not Inquisitive-One
Notch Better, Etc.

"It cannot be otherwise, he muttercd
hoarsely, "you must be mine. You and
I could not avoid it if we would, and let
us thank the fates that our union will be
cemented by love. You could never
have been another mans wife. There Is
a destiny hanging over you,"-
"Oh, George" she gasped convul-
sively: "Brush it away, please DO. -
Merchant Irareler.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
Docs That Chum.

els that your dog2" asked passenger
of the elevator boy.
"No, sir. It's my dogs chum."
"How is that2 Do dogs have theil
particular friends"
"Oh, yes, sir, dogs chum just like
people. This is black -and-tan. but
my dog is a pug. When he was sick
this one came to see him every day.
THEY'LL eat off the same bone" he added
proudly as he stopped at the fourth floor.
-Dctr0t Free Press.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
Teaching q Bird to Stand on Your
Finger

Set the cage on the table near where
you wish it to sit; after little conference
with the bird, Introduces finger between
the wires near the favorite perch, hold
ing it there patiently, yourself occupied
with book or paper the while. Pres
emily as it shows no disposition to harm
him, he cautiously goes up to examine it.
Then he pecks it to ascertain its quality;
maybe he fights it. That is we'll; he no
longer fears it. Pay him with little
bird food; put him away. Next day
try him further. He may 90 farther and
light on it, or he may be several days
getting thus familiar. Be patient. Once
this step is attained, vary the program
by introducing the finger in other spots.
He will soon light on it any point or an
gle. Then try the door, at first thrust
ing the finger under it; next time fasten
it open, blockading egress with the rest
of the hand as one finger extends within.
When he perches on it, draw him forth
little. Next time tempt him to the
perch outside little, and so on. In a
short time you have but to open the
cage door, uplilt finger, and he is sure
to fly for it; and he may thus be called
to any part of the room to rest on the
familiar perch. Most birds learn this
familiarity in a few days, yet there are
those who will be two to four weeks.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
What They Stole.

"Darringer, hear that some robbers
broke into your house last night. What
did they steal2"
'Nothing, Bromley. They didn't get
farther than the vestibule. My son came
home at midnight and they ran. Well,
yes, they did steal several things"
"What:"
"The house dog, spring gun I had
set for them, and the burglar alarm. ~
Harper's Bazar.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04
One Notch Better.

AS train was ready to leave the Cen
trail Depot the other day, drummer, who
occupied two seats: or had prepared to,
left the car to say good bye to some one.
When he returned he found his luggage
on the wood-box and strange man In
possession of the seats.
"What does this-this 'er-mean!"
he demanded as he drew himself up and
took in the situation.
drummer, amt you?" queried the
other.
"Yes, sir"
drummer on twelve hundred ycarl''
"That's my salary, sir, but what has
that got to do with this casei"
"a great deal, sir. I'm lightning
rod man on fifteen hundred".
And he calmly crossed his feet and un-
folded his newspaper, while the drummer
gathered up his things and went into the
next car.-Detroit Free Press.