davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08
MODERN JERICHO.

According to Good Authority 1t IL the
Nastiest Village in the World.
There are no exceptions to the law
of evolution. The history or architect
ure in the East is an illustration.
Modern Jericho. which is two miles
southeast of Elisha's fountain, Charles
Dudley Warner pronounces 1.-The nasti-
est village in the world" He saw il.
and have no reason to dissent from
his judgment. The few miserable
huts swarm with Bedaween, and,
suppose, with vermin. Tourists
familiar with the huts say that the
natives frequently get up in the night
and literally brush them from their
bodies into the fire. An old, dilapi-
dated tower, desperate necessity,
has been fixed upon as the house OF
Zaccheus, the publican. There are
few buildings in modern style about
Jericho-a Russian convent built OF
stone, a three-storied structure on
which we were almost as much startled
to read the label: "The Jordan Ho-
vCAs Do WO WOutu U0 W uuu d UuSA Vi
roses ON the summit of Mount Matter
horn, and three modest villas built by
Russians. The last are surrounded
by gardens protected against molesta-
ton by fences of dead thorn bushes
piled eight or ten feet high and filed
with flowers and fruit trees f1ourishing
in tropical luxuriance. Here we saw
the banana. its fruit still green; orange.
lemon and fig trees. the grape and
Oleanders in full bloom. These beau
tiful spots show beyond perad-
venture what the plain might become
under cultivation. At the beginning
of our era the balsam of Jericho was
famous. The plain was presented by
Anthony to Cleopatra, who sold it to
Herod. Industry and enterprise would
turn this desolate and lonely region
into fertile fields But as long as the
Bedaween are the only population it
will remain as it is, mournful picture
OF rich land going to waste. IN. 7.
Mail and Express.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08

Human nature is mighty queer,
isn't IT." he observed to the other
man on the rear platform of the street.
car. Eyes; suppose So" replied the
other. People are too sensitive-al-
together too sensitive" II don't
know about that. well. l do. For
lnstanc'. now. You have red nose.
Lou are not to blame for it. perhaps,
out you are so sensitive that if should
oner you a remedy for it YOU
You old loafer! I've a good mind to
knock your head off" Kissed the red.
nosed man as he squared of. Told
you sol" replied the other as he
dropped off. Human nature is the
queerest burned thing on earth, and
some folks are SO sensitive that they'd
swallow their false teeth rather than
let any one know they had EN-" DE
troit Free Press.
jewellers in Florida who are fortu-
nate enough to possess pet sand-hill
cranes have discovered that thew are
alert night watchers. No tramp or
thief can approach the house without
hearing clear bugle note of alarm.
The cackling of goose saved Rome
and the cry of a sand-hill crane per-
forms the same-service for the Florida
hen-roost aad smoke-house.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08
THE WElSlNG LOTTERY.

How the Cinnamon of Canton Satisfy Their
Taste For Speculation.
The most famous of the many lotter-
les in China at the present time is that
known as the Weising. 1t is of recent
origin. is most popular in southern
China and among the Cantonese, and
is briefly described by the Consul at
Canton in his report on the trade OF
that place. After describing the great
college established by tho Viceroy for
the encouragement of the study of
native literature. with its one hundred
acres of ground in the city. surrounded
by high walls and moat. its lecture
room. residences and endowments, Mr..
Alabaster observes that although
Canton is not literary city, there is
no want of opportunities of education.
Colleges abound. and any boy who
shows ability has no difficulty in OBJ
tanning teaching and support as long
as there is hope of success in the ex-
aminations. which in China take the
place of the race-course elsewhere.
Gambling. in the shape of lotteries on
the successful candidates, is licensed,
and in place of putting money on the
Derby the Cantonese satisfy their
taste for speculation by backing
favorite students. The lists of those
entering are published. and the man
who can prick on the lists of entries
the greatest number of successful
scholars wins. the lottery. Men ruin
themselves buying lottery tickets,
tickets are forged or stolen, promis-
ing students are hocussed or bribed
not to put out their powers; examin-
ers are. it is limited, exposed to seri-
GUS temptations; but as racing en-
-cOurages the breed of horses, so the
Weising lottery encourages the pur-
suit of learning and furnishes the
local government with a considerable
revenue in the amount given for tho
monopoly of carrying it on.-London
Times.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08
GOING INTO DEBT.


n vice winch Keeps Western Farmers
Poor and Fosters Discomfort.
When we have seen so many new
farm implements going past our win
dows to the country for the past three
months we have wondered what 1.-The
harvest will be-" We regret to say
most of these farm implements have
been purchased on time. To this has
been added new wagons and carriages,
all on credit So long as this way of
doing business is continued there will
be cramped farmers. mortgages. per-
sonal and real and hard times. No
government, nor the smiles Of Provi-
dence in abundant crops. will ever
make money to pay such recklessly
contracted debts. All of these farm
implements. on account of the rage to
buy on credit, are on an average sold
for two or three times the actual cost
of construction. This is a necessity
caused by having to send out glib
tongued and high-priced solicitors,
and the to'al loss on sales in MANY
cases. the interest on the money in
vested, and the greed of manufacture
ers and the heavy taxes for royalty.
But it is done. The scheme is yearly
going on. And now at about the close
of one of the most productive years in
decade. what is the prospect of farm
ers paying for their high priced and
fancy implements. Oats are from Is
to 18 cents per bushel and the prospect
for corn is no higher. Hogs 81. Is and
beef cattle from 81. so to $3.50.
After paying hired help and rent Cor
charging up for what it is worth to the
owner) what will be left to pay three
prices for harvesters, mowers. hav
stackers. new wagons or a new buggy?
Oats at 40 bushels per acre. sold at 16
cents, will be Sc. 40. The rent of the
ground is So. blowing $3.50. seed oats
% cents. sowing 10 cents, two pounds
of wire at II cents is "a cents. cutting.
binding and shocking 81 per acre.
Threshing. in case it is done the
cheapest way. out of the shock. 80
cents per acre, boarding threshers per
acre 16 cents. hauling to market 81.
total SO. 81. or loss of 1924 And
this does not include several items
such as bins for storage. and the SUI
perintendence of the owner. The only
way we can see for the safety of the
farmer is to savagely and sternly drive
every peddler from your doors and
never visit an implement store until
the money is in the pocket or bank to
pay for all things either for house or
farm. There is need for thorough re-
solves on this subject and answering
devotion to this rule of action Credit
is the curse of our country. 1t is this
which thatches the farms with mort
cages. and bows down the body and
spirits of farmers under many troubles.
And there is no hope for relief from
hard times until the cause of debt is
lifted SO that farmers will not be COM
PEELED to sell their crops and stock I'M
til they are ready. When a farmer is
out of debt he can set his price on his
crops and stock. as the merchant does
his goods. or the lawyer and doctor
their fees. Then farmers will be pros
porous, independent and happy.-Des
MOines (Iowa) Register.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08


The great high road OF human
welfare lies along the old highway OF
steadfast well-doing, and they who are
the most persistent and work in the
truest spirit will invariably be the
most successful Success treads on the
heels of every right effort. Smiles.
1T does us good, especially II We
are defeated by long and monotonous
work. to get the intellectual invigora-
ton that comes by contact with other
minds. The stronger. too. and healthi.
er the minds are. the greater will be-
our benefit The soul of friend may
e . US . tonic as certainly q :
Oroe1e from the north. -Unitel Pre-.
byterian.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08
HOW CHAMELEONS FIGHT.
The Champion Celebrates His Victory BY
Banqueting on His Foe.

The Champion Celebrates His Victory BY
Banqueting on His Foe.
AS soon as they catch sight of each
other they remain perfectly still for a
moment. Then they nod their heads
up and down three or four times. as if
to work themselves up to the right
pitch for fight. Give seen chickens
do the same thing many a time. J
Then they swell out their dewlap, or
throat pouch. until it becomes a beau
tiful light scarlet. All this while
their color is constantly changing in a
manner marvellous to behold. Before
they saw each other both wore a gay
gOlden-green coat and white shirt
bosom, tinted with green. but in an
instant this holiday attire vanishes
and they don their fighting suits one
after another. dark brown. light brown,
olive green. slate color, some plain,
some spotted. but the putting out of
the dewlap is the last of these pre-
liminaries, and now. like a flash the
tussle begins. And such tussle it is,
to be sure! No fun or play about it,
only deadly earnest. / have watched
these lilliputian combats more than
once; one especially | recall between
two unusually fine specimens. regu ar
anolis dudes. and fair lady I sus-
pect she was at the bottom of the
trouble, too) sat on a leaf close by gnd
looked calmly on. ready, no doubt, to
greet the victor with sweet smiles.
The antagonists seized each other
by the jaws their teeth are very tiny,
just big enou n to feel rough to ones
6nger-but they managed to hold on
to each other, and then their heads
moved to and fro, their long tails
dashed, they advanced and retreated
up and down the stem of the evening
jessamine, which they had selected as
their battle-ground. and for ten min
utes they kept hard at it, their dew
laps swelled like beautiful scarlet
balls. their hues constantly changing,
their whole aspect instinct with rage
and determination.
At the end of that time one of them
had lost half OF his tail, but he fought
bravely Oh until another sharp jerk
deprived him of the remaining half.
That was the sd op too much;" he did
not ''turn tail and rum" simply be-
cause he had none to turn, but he did
run as fast as he could go. leaving the
victor to swallow the writhing stump
OF his tail, which he did with evident
enjoyment The conquered hero es-
capped the same fate only by fight, for
it is the fashion among the anolis
tribes to devour their conquered en-
e.ay.-Philadelphia Times.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08
NEW YORK types.
observations Made by an EnGllshmsn
the American Metropolis.

U0D6fv8tIOu8
the American Metropolis.
The people who. in New York. Brook
vn and Jersey City, correspond to the
over middle class in London are the
same curious compounds in each OF the
three cities. They are kind OF COM
posite of Irish and German. and Ital-
Ian, and Pole, and Frenchmen. with q
.ertain delicacy of feature and 1.-the
ness of limb. and, it must be added, .
,wagger of manner, which may be re-
garded as the American addition to
the mixture. They have an accent
peculiarly their own, as the London
cockneys have theirs. 1t is not at all
like the Yankee twang of the New
England States, nor has it any OF the
Western burr" The shibboleth of
the metropolitan cockney Of the Amer
lean word is his enunciation of the
letter ''t' at the beginning of a word
Note a hundred smart mechanics,
small shopmen, employees on railways
md tramways and in restaurants
and on the numerous ferries, which
aresuch important features of life in
The great center. and you will observe
hat they all enunciate the "t'' with
The same curious hesitance-a quaint
lingering upon the letter giving to the
English word of which it Is u coEpo-
lent a kind of foreign air. Add to this
trifling thickness of pronunciation,
which is universal in this class, aud
you have two of their principal dis
inguishing linguistic marks. "Twen-
~" is never plain 'twenty;" 1t is
'twunty," or ''twonty," and said
slowly, as if the word came hard. In
grade little lower down, where ed
lcation has had but small chance,
mere is another popularity. which
las no existence in New England, and
S but rarely observable in the West.
hat is, the substitution of I'd" for
It." Does it come from contact with
The German in these great, sprawNng
:onglomerations of population I
know not; but certain it is that the
German immigrant. who fam
lies with that robust con-
idence in himself peculiar to his
ace that he speaks English with
astounding fuency and correctness,
never geta rid of the I'd" and goes on
aying "dey" and ''dem" for they"
ind them" to the end of his life. Re-
member that these remarks refer to
the lower middle class and not to the
highly-cultivated and intellectual
classes. Cultivated Germans get rid
If the sd" But they never can speak
English so but that the moment they
open their mouths it is easy to discern
hat they are foreigners. To return TO
the lower strata of the Teutonic stock,
The German of direct Importation and
the German born in America all keep
heir national I'd" wonderfully we'll
But that scarcely seems good reason
Why an Irish-American boy, an Italian
American boy, Polish-American boy.
IND an American-American boy-if
you will overlook the expression-of
certain class should say der" for
"the,' "dey'' for they" and dem"
for them" Yet it is the fact that he
lOes speak in this nanner.-All the
Year Round.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08

The Countess Marie Edle Won
Ameilne, who recently arrived in San
francisco, has been travelling in India
Tor the past three years, and has been
amusing herself by hunting tigers and
otter large jungle game. She is only
thirty-five years old and worth e mill
lon or more. She is said to carry with
her Jewels Of great value
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08
ELECTRICAL NOTES.
Twenty Questions and Answers Of Moro
Than Ordinary Interest.

!
Twenty Questions and Answers of Moro
Than Ordinary Interest.
The Scribners have published q
pamphlet entitled ''Some Useful and
Interesting Information About Elec-
trical Matters" From this is taken
the following: Twenty questions about
electricity.
l. How strong a current is used to
send a message over an Atlantic cable?
2. What is the longest distance over
which conversation by telephone is
daily main tanned?
8. What is the fastest time made by
an electric railway?
4. How many miles of submarine
cable are there in operationP
5. What is che maximum power gen.
Grated by an electric motorp
6. How is break in submarine cable
locatedp
Z. How many miles of telegraph
wire in operation in the United StatesP
8. How many messages can be trans
mitted over a wire at one time?
9. How is telegraphing from NOV.
ing train accomplished?
10. What are the most widely sep
arated points between which it is pos
sible to send telegram?
II. How many miles of telephone
wire in operation in the United Statesp
IL. What is the greatest candle pow
or of arc-light used in lighthouse?
-. How many persons in the United
States are engaged in business depend
ing solely on electricity?
IA. How long does it take to trans
NIT message from San Francisco to
Hong Kong?
Is. What is the fastest time made
by an operator sending messages by
Morse system?
16. How many telephones are in use
in the United States?
IL. What war vessel has the most
complete electrical plantp
l8. What is the average cost per
mile of a transatlantic submarine cablep
10. How many miles of electric rail-
way are in operation in the United
States?
20. What strength of current is dan
gerous to human life?
ANSWERS.
l. Thirty cells of battery only.
Equal to thirty volts.
2. About $50 miles from Portland,
Me-, to Buffalo, N. Y.
8. A mile a minute by a small expe-
rimental car. Twenty miles an hour
on street railway system.
4. Over 100, 900 miles, or enough to
girdle the earth four times.
8. Seventy-ive horsepower. Ex-
periments indicate that 100 horse
power will soon be reached.
6. BY measuring the electricity
needed to charge the remaining un-
broken part.
z. Over million, or enough to en-
circle the globe forty times.
8. Four. by the quadruplex system
in daily use.
9. Through circuit from the car
roof inducing current in the wire on
poles along the track.
TO- British Columbia and New Zea-
land, via America and Europe.
IL. More than 10000, over which
1.O55 900 messages are sent daily.
IL. Two million. in light house at
6oustholm, Denmark.
Is. Estimated, $50. 900.
IA. About fifteen minutes, via New
York. Canso. Penzance. Alden, Bonn
bay. Madras, Penang, and Singapore.
15. About forty-two words per min
ute.
16. About 100000.
II. United States man-of-war Chi
cago
Is. About 81. 900.
10. About 400 miles, and much more
under construction.
20. Five hundred volts, but depend
Ing largely on physical conditions.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08
PERSONAL AND IMPERSONAL.

The Duchess Of Fife is a capital
hll-round gymnast and is especially
fond of fencing, at which sport she
excels.
Anton Meucci. Garibaldi's old
rompatriot, is still living at the old
house at Clifton, S. l.. in which Carl
baldi manufactured candles when in
this country.
One of Sag Harbor's old citizens
has quit the use of tobacco. He says
he has smoked 5000 cigars during
the past fifty-two years and did not be-
gin until he was twenty-four years
old.
Engineer Folsom, who ran the ILL
fated Ashtabula train at the time of
the disaster, has never since handled
an engine throttle. He is now work
ing in a purchasing department OF
Western railroad.
There is man in BiddefOrd. Me-.
who has viii tied so industriously and
skillfully fer eleven years as to bring
himself into notice. Among the prod
ucts of his jackknife are a violin case
made of 1887 pieces of wood of LOG diff
ferent kinds; yoke of oxen and
cart, put together in glass jar with a
small neck. and a great number OF
really well-made animals.
The death was recently reported
of a mechanic of marvellous ingenuity
and wonderful skill, Mr.. Fasoldt, OF
Albany, N. Y. When about seventy
years of age he devised machine by
which he could scratch upon glass
about one million lines in an inch
space. By aid of the microscope it is
only possible to see these rulings OF
fneness OF 230, 900 lines to the inch.
Mr.. Presley Saunders, uncle OF
Mrs. Russell Harrison, recently died
ut Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. He had lived
on the same quarter-sectiOn since 1851
and one of his children was born in
Michigan Territory. another in Wis
consin Territory. a third in Iowa Ter
ritory. and a fourth in the State OF
Iowa. The family record is lesson
in political geography.
Cardinal Gibbons IS perfect mas
ter of the art of tact 1t was said OF
the great Duke of Marlborough that 1t
was more agreeable to be refused a
favor by him than to have one granted
by any other man. The American
Cardinal is like the Duke in this re-
spect. He is daily called upon to de-
eide disputes about this. that and tne
other thing, and so gentle and cons'd-
crate is he that all parties 60 away
perfectly satisfied.
Miss Sarah Yewdall, Of Philadel-
phia, who is now seventy-six years Of
age, is one of the most successful busl-
ness women in the United States.
When, at fifty years OF age, she be-
came a widow. with five children to
maintain, she made herself familiar
with her husbands business and now
carries on the worsted mills at Heston-
vile with cv.r grea.er success than
he did
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08
"A LITTLE NONSENSE"

-Preacher-"Ye generation of vi
pers!" Umpire (waking up)-':No back
talk there-$10."-Epoch.
FIRST dude-''I have tewible news.
Charles is dead" Second dude-'How
did he die?" First dude-"His cane
fell on him. Boston Beacon.
The man who feels around in the
dark for a door. and gets an arm ON
each side of it, occupies the time Of q
recording angel for fully five minutes
Puck.
The watermelon comes again,
On greedy lips to sweetly melt,
And Johnny, feebly, will complain
Because it hits below the belt.
Washington Post.
France has her lily,
And England h r rose,
And everybody knows
Where the shamrock grows;
Scotland has her thistle,
FlOwering on the HILL
But the American emblem
Is the one dollar bill.
Denver News.
-Finlan Cat the rolling-mill scrap)
-"Have yez amy more gloves
handy?" Master Of 1--WE
have" Finlan-''Put wan on me OPP
ponint's head, r tn match doan't come
off Olive fit wild coons befoor. -
Judge.
Judge Ito prisoner)-'So you were
drunk and disorderly. What have you
to say?" Prisoner-'rve good deal
to say. your honor. if you'll only give
me time to say it." Judge-"Cer-
tainly, with pleasure. Sixty days
will be enough. won't it? Our object
is to please. Washington Critic.
Miss Gushley-'.I so often see
some one spoken of as being beautiful
as poets dream. Do you poets have
more beautiful dreams than we COM
mon mortals" Mr.. A. Tennyson Fiz-
zle-"I hardly know. / generally
dream OF porterhouse steaks. fried
chickens and that sort of thing
Terre Haute Express.
Gay widows daughter-"Mamma
why did You tell Mrs. Lamode that
am only eighteen when l am really
twenty-four?" Gay widow-"Because
eighteen is six years under twenty
four, my dear" Daughter-"Yes,
know; but surely l don't need the BEN
eft of those six years at my age. do
II" Widow-''Not at all, my child,
but / do. "-Binghamton Republican.
fare you fond of autographs, Mrs.
Mushroom asked the aesthetic young
lady OF the practical visitor. mo;
don't go much on 'em, but my son,
who's away at college. has a big COL
lection of the handwritin' of great eel
ebrights. reckon I'll surprise him
some when he gets back this summer. :"
I'm what wayP" well, you see, some
of them celebrights writ such poor
writin' that l had all the names copied
off in neat hand in big book. You
have no idee how much better they
look. That other truck. that nobody
couldn't make out, ! just burned up"
America.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08
Gouging a Glass Eye.

Thar goes the meanest man in
Chinook" growled one of the old
mossbacks of the Gunnison valley, as
ne pointed to a man on the opposite
side of the street.
''How SOP"
when he first came here we had q
nght. 1t was to be fair fight and no
knlhng. l got him down and got the
gouge on his right eye, and what d We
s'pose happened?"
He cried quits
mo, he didn't. Durn his shadder,
out he had glass eye thar, and
kept fOolin' with it until he had me
licked!"-N. Y. Sun.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08

The son who goes to work in q
mill represents the -four of the fam
Traveller.