davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-10


quit at half past g -Four hours of steady appliea-
ton arc enough On some days we accomplish a
great deal, while on Others the progress make IS
hardly perceptible'
=" How do you divide up tho workl'
There IS no dividing UP. We work together In
every feature Of the construction and in the dialogue
The most critical person cannot tell in plays where
Belasco ends and DE Mile begins"
(which Of you for instance, suggested the plot Of
THE Wife, ~
"why, believe Da-no I'm not quito sure about
that, either. Let's see New situauon husband
defender of wies honor instead of best rlend-reay
/ have forgotten whether that Idea was Dawes or
mine. Yeu see, when either gets idea he com.
municates It 10 the other, 1t IS thought over and
talked over new ideas born Of It, and so the play
Is built up. We begin at the beginning and go right
through with the construction, leaving the dialogue
IN the last AS we proceed we 70, down such happy
may occur 10 us In the discussion OF each others
sugges tons. They landmarks which act guides
In finishing up the piece The third act OF The Wife
was written In two afternoons, while The second act
kept us busy for four weeks We wrote Lord Chumey
In fOrty-two days, and but for Dawes Illness could
at Is supposed that the scenes and characters IN
Lord Chumley' drawn largely fIDn English
ii know It, but they were not Lord chumley' IS
entirely original in every respect BY the way, we
did most of that I'm rain storm. Most OF our work,
you know is done az country place, Echo Lake
n j. There arc no distractions up there such as we
find In town. The country is wild and abounds with
small game and we 90 out every day With our runs,
dogs pencils and paper In search Of sport aud IDEAS.
But Dave never shoots anytn.hg no hardly reaches
plants himself on a log 70 write. Our best work has
been done IL those forest raInbles One day when
were out together heavy rain storm came tp and we
took shelter al the house OF one DR. Lum DO you re-
member .Lummy Tum' in Lord Chumley'f Well,
sthe name suggested by DR.. Lums quaint old
Sour plays have been criticised for their lack Of
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-06
A Beetle That Eats Floors.

State Entomologist Lintner has re-
ceived from Howe's Cave a specimen
of beetle which has riddled a painted
kitchen floor in that place. The holes
are about quarter of an inch in diam
eter. The beetle is about an inch long,
gray. with black velvety dashes on its
wings. and the males have horns.
Prof. Lintner finds that the depredator
is the long-horned pine-borer (Mono-
hamus confusor). Its larva, or grub,
is the one that causes the injurious
and unsightly burrows so often seen
in pine lumber. In this instance the
grubs must have been in the pine logs
before they were sawed into flooring.
From some unknown reason the grubs
occasionally remain in a dormant or
unchanged condition for long time.
In the museum of the Peabody Acad-
envy of Science at Salem, Mass, one of
these beetles is preserved which had
eaten it's way out of the wood
of a pine bureau which was made
fifteen years before. AS showing
greater Imprisonment of beetles
in furniture it is additionally sai0
that in 1856 son of General
Israel Putnam, resi- ding at Williams
town. Mass, had table made from
one of his apple trees. Out of this,
twenty years afterward. long. horned
beetle gnawed his way, and second
one burrowed his way out twenty
eight years after the tree was cut down.
IN. Y. Times.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-06
BASEBALL SLANG.


a Peculiar PhraseOlogy Developed by the
Interest Taken in the Game.
AS natural result of the wide
spread interest in baseball, nomen-
clature of the field has sprung up
which is pure Greek to the INITIATED.
What would man ignorant of the
game make of such printed express
sions as ''muffs, .'fungoes," sssky-
scrapers. STEALS" "slukes,'' ..balls"
and hundred other kindred express
sions? But each one of these has a
significance which opens a whole land
scape of possibilities to the ball crank.
These words are keys to the crucial
positions in the game to the man who
understands them. In addition to this
phase of the subject there are thousands
of well-paid critics whose business is to
keep records and to make comments
on the game and the players. These men
rake mythology and history to find
metaphors in which to express orig
inal ideas. This is peculiarly oner-
GUS duty, from the fact that the game
is capable of only a limited number Of
combinations. and as the same plays
must occur indefinitely in every game,
the reporter has an onerous time of it
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-06
IRREGULARITIES or BABY.
All Sorts of Funny things Found In Infan,
Humanity.


All Sorts of Funny things Found I'm Infant
Humanity.
| In the course OF a lecture delivered
in New York the other day, distin-
| guished female physician said that the
inability of baby to hold up its head
was not due to the weakness of the
neck, but to the lack of development of
its will power. The act of standing
was instructive and initiative, while
facial expressions and gesture were
due almost wholly to imitation.
A baby's smile, she said, was the
most misunderstood thing in infancy.
A real smile must have an idea behind
it. but the expression resembling a
smile. which is so often seen on very
young baby's face, was without an
idea and was due to the easy condition
OF the stomach Or to some other phys
ical satisfaction. The smile with an
idea does not appear earlier than the
fourth week. So, too. with the crying
OF baby. The contortion of the feat
ures Is due to physical causes. The
baby sheds no tears. because the lach-
rymal glands are not developed for
several weeks after birth. The chief
pleasure of all children is to change
from one position to another by their
own efforts. This is the beginning OF
the development of the will power,
and is often attested in what has been
called the imperative intention of
tears" This is not disclosed until after
the second or third month.
A baby tests every thing by it's
mouth, it's sense of taste being the
surest and most reliable guide it has.
The attention of all young children is
difficult to attract. and they must
attain considerable age before they
begin to notice. Then colors and
sounds are most potential. Fear is
known. to be manifested by baby
only three weeks old. and in all cases
the sensation is produced by sound
more than by sight. Children of
luxurious aud carefully guarded homes
are most wholly without fear, but the
children of poor and exposed parents
always manifest it. Jealousy and
sympathy begin to manifest themselves
in the second year
Curiosity also begins to develop
here, and proves to be a self-feeder
throughout childhood A little later
the ego begins to appear, and the baby
has the first consciousness of itself.
The ego first appears as muscular
sense, and the infant gradually learns
to distinguish itself from surrounding
objects. 1t is first the hand that is
distinguished and then the foot, and
finally the whole body. Memory does
not appear before the child is two
years of age. All the reasoning of
children is primitive and elementary
and develops slowly. Darwin noticed
an association of ideas in the mind of
his child when it was only five months
of age. The lecturer related expert
ences of babies with the first view of
mirrors. and showed that their actions
under the new conditions were similar
to those of anthropoid apes and dogs
under like conditions. Louis Re-
Duhlic
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-06
Early Encyclopedias.

Pliny speaks of his great work on nat
ural history in thirty-seven books as an
encyclopedia Quintilian, Galen, Vitru-
vius and Zonaras apply the term to the
"doctrinarum omnium discipline. The
word was introduced into English in the
Sixteenth century by Sir Thomas Elyot,
who speaks of 1.-The world of science and
circle of doctrine, whiche is in one word
of greke Encyclopaedia. But the Middle
Ages had their encyclopedias also, the
greatest of which was the "Speculum
Mundi" of Vincent de Beauvais, who
was lector or librarian to st. Louis, in
the Thirteenth century. 1t was reprinted
in four folio volumes as late as 1924 by
the Renedictines of Arras
We pass over a number of similar
works to which the revival of learning
in the Sixteenth century gave birth, all
of them having been frequently reprinted
and in general use, until we arrive In
the Seventeenth century at the historical
dictionaries of Moreri and Bayle, which
still retain their place in our libraries.
The first alphabetical encyclopedia in
English was the work of John Harris.
London clergyman, who was secretary
of the Royal society and a friend of New
ton. But this Lexicon TechnicuEi
was superseded by Chambers Universal
Dictionary. which was the most popular
book of reference of the Eighteenth GEN.
fury. Mr. Lyons mentions that Abra-
ham Rees produced an enlarged edition
of this work in 1888, but he fails to do
Justice to the far more important and
complete publication known as "Rees
Cyclopedia, which belongs to the earlier
years of the present century, and is still
in many respects book OF much utility
and value. The Edinburgh Review.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-06

he following specimens of descrip-
ton is given as a sample OF what kind
of writing is required of the first-cIass
baseball reporter. The description
appertains to critical play-the fy
catch. on which may hang the fate of
the game:
'tAnson smote the ball square in the
nose in way that startled the seams
and away sailed the sphere toward the
blue sky. Eyes watched it in its grace
full fight. and among them was a pair
owned by Gore.
HE took one glance to determine
the spot where grass and horsehide
would meet unless flesh interviewed and
quick run through the grass of sew
enty-five feet. Then he sat his heels
heavily in the sod and raised his hands
above his head in the position of a
Pagan asking succor of the sun, his
calf and thigh muscles stiffened and
his teeth chucked together. It was a
moment of intense anxiety when five
thousand bleachers raised from their
seats, with bated breath. with dilated
nostrils. and while the sphere. stained
with grass juice, was scooting through
space like falling meteor, Pfeffer
was standing on the first bag in the
attitude of runner waiting for the
word Go The umpire stood waiting,
with Judgment in his eyes; the rose
buds in the grand stand, with parted
lips, were waiting; the boy in the tree
outside the fence was so absorbed that
he did not notice his heat beating a
quick tattoo against his ribs as he
glued his eyes on the falling ball. A
stiffness like that preceding a cyclone
on the Caribbean Sea was over all the
scene. The ball descended with ac-
CELEBRATED speed as it neared the earth.
Now it was one hundred feet away,
now only fifty, ten, five. Then it was
gripped between Cores palms like a
June bug in the jaws of bat A
shout went up such as saluted the ears
of Spartacus when he thrust his blade
through the lions heart in the Roman
arena. The suspense was over, men
stood on their feet and howled their
frenzied delight at the superb feat,
and pandemonium reigned for nearly
a minute. Gore threw the ball to the
pitcher, modestly bowed his thanks
for the ovation and the game went on.
The incident consumed less than a
minute, and yet how much of human
achievement, how much of passion
had been squeezed into that brief
space IN. Y. Star.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-06

lat the funeral of the late Mrs.
Henry Hoffman at Sassamansvliie'
Berks county, Pa. there were used up
at the funeral feast 200 pies, 70 loaves
of bread, so dozen rolls and cakes,
calf and large quantity of ham.
"A broom factory man in Duluth
laid off his thirteen single men and in
formed each one that he could not re-
turn to work until he was married
Eleven of them married within fort
night, and inside of six weeks there
Yere five applications for divorce
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-06


Houses of varying pretensions border
the Alameda behind the trees. At it's
upper end the streets of the town are
reached, and beauty yields to commerce
The streets are roughly paved and dirty;
the houses, painted white or of pale tints
are plain and rectangular, their smooth
walls broken only by light verandas be-
fore the upper windows and by the flag
stats projecting over every door. The
shops are poor. But the street scenes
are interesting enough. Cracking wa
CONS, drawn by oxen, lumber noisily
over the stones, the dark skins and high
cheek bones of their drivers showing In
dian descent. Lighter horse drawn carts
and shabby hackney coaches pass by.
but very few respectable private car
riages are seen. Outside saddler's shop
stands the picturesque figure of "Hu-
aSo," mounted on small but strong and
spirited horse.
The ''huaso'' is distinctive parsonage
of Chill, answering somewhat to the
guacho of eastern South America. He
spends his life mounted on his horse
which he manages with consummate
skill, his ccupation-when he has one
usually being cattle driving on the
"haciendas," or farms, of the co.ntry
More than half Indian, dark, silent,
fierce, he is an unpleasant individual
to meet at night in a lonely country
read, for he is INSCRIPTIONS and ready
with his knife. especially when, as is
frequently the case, he has imbibed a
quantity of ''aquardiente'' in the low
drinking places of the town. A wide
hat of we'll worn straw shades his un-
shaven face; 'poncho"-in appear
ance like striped blanket with hole
in its center, through which his head
emerges-conceals his shabby dress
From his heels project monstrous spurs,
cruel as the powerful bit which renders
his horse obedient to a touch. At his
saddle, of Mexican pattern, hangs the
"lasso." his implement of Office, in the
use of which he is astonishingly dexter
ous His high leather boots rest in gil
gantic wooden stirrups-blocks of carved
wood-which protect his feet from the
press of cattle. the Year Round
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-06
N INTERVIEWED.
Some Poetry of His Which Senator Tabo
Thought Real Good.

Some Poetry of His Which Senator Tabor
Thought Real Good.
Having returned from a three months tour
in Europe, old ex-senator Tabor, of Colorado,
is reeking with recitals Of interesting expert
ences Barring the trivial circumstance that
they quarantined against him in Scandinavia
under the erroneous impression that he was q
Mormon proselyter, there was nothing, to
use the words OF our society reporter, to mar
the harmony Of the occasion. While he was
in Italy the senator tried to buy some of the
pictures and statuary he saw in the Vatican,
and inasmuch as he offered very liberal
prices he thinks that the proprietor made a
mistake in not selling. Travelling from Edin-
burgh to London, Senator Tabor met a very
charming gentleman named Alfred Tenny-
son; suspicioned that he was a newspaper
man, because he was so we'll posted, and this
suspicion was confirmed when Mr. Tennyson
recited a number of poems. which he assured
the senator were original
'It's wonder to me-" said the senator.
"that you don't print some of them poems"
Mr.. Tennyson made no answer, but he
looked rather surprised
"Oh. mean it," said the senator. 81
know poetry, when l see it sat next to
John ingalls, in the senate chamber for three
months, and moreover l run The Leadville
Herald for two years There are four things
in this world that Pm a cynosure on, and
they are mining property, diamonds, ruffled
night shirts and poetry. Now I'll stake my
reputation that some of them poems of yours
are good deal above the average-particu-
larry that one you recited about the crick."
'You like The Brookrm
Eyes; and that other one about Maud and
the garden; they've got the right ring
they're full of the divine inflatus."
Mr.. Tennyson didn't say much, but the
senator (who likes to encourage struggling
TALENT assured him that if ever he wanted to
print his poems in book form he could get a
check covering the expense simply by adj
dressing H. A. w. Tabor at Denver
The senator did not think very much of
Westminster Abbey; he objected to the air OF
snobbishness which obtained there. He ran
out to Stratford-upon-Ayon for day and
placed $40 bouquet upon Shakespeare's
tomb. He sought in vain to learn aught of
the whereabouts and condition of the play
wright's family; wanted to do something for
them if they were needy Had contributed
to the BARLEY Campbell fund, and as Shake
speare's pieces had also been played in his
Denver opera house he thought it no morP
than right to help out the dead authors WI
dow and children in case they were hard up.
Eugene Field in Chicago News
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-06

If it were not for the Bible and COM
mon prayer book in the vulgar tongue
We could hardly be able to understand
anything shat was written among us 100
yea. ago Swift.
Typewriter Agent-'I called to
see you in reference to your Type
writer. Would you exchange if you
collld get some improvements Mer-
chanf-s.I can't; I'm engaged to her."
Judge
Mrs. Cyrus W. Field is said to
guard as the chiefest among her treas
aures small silver box presented to
her husband by the municipality of
New York and containing the freedom
of the city. This was given to Mr..
Field after the successful laying of the
Atlantic cable and was the last time
that the honor was bestowed.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-06
The Hole In the Wall.

TELL me about the hole in the wan"
!" ell, It was one of the famous in
situations of our early days. I'll give
you full history of it-something that
has never been told in print. 1t had it's
origin in ham and bread One of the
senator's suggested to John Beall. who
was sergeant-at-arms away back in the
thlrtles, that it would be good thing to
have little luncheon set near the hall
where hungry senators could run out
ana get bite to eat. So Bealls wife
boiled hams and made bread and Beall
brought them down and set them up in
little circular room just north of the
rotunda and on the east side of the CORR
dor. Soon he added pickles, nuts, salads
and such little delicacies, and the place
became very popular.
"Then somebody suggested to Beall
that there ought to be a bottle of whisky
there, and after the whisky had been
procured there came demand for gin.
rum. brandy. wine and all sorts of
things. In little while the place be-
came regular saloon There was no
bar, OF course, not even sideboard, the
bottles and demijohns being set in rows
on the shelves. For long time the SEN
ators used to go in there and help them
selves to whatever they wanted, and the
expense was run in under the contingent
account. as horse hire or something like
that.
After time the stock got SO large and
popular that it was no uncommon thing
to see dozen senators and their friends
In there drinking and having good times.
The little room, not more than twelve or
fifteen feet in diameter, and taking its
name from the fact that it was simply a
hole in the wall, lighted only by one win
dow, was often badly crowded, and
good deal of confusion resulted in the
arrangement of the stock, so that the
senator who had a favorite brand of
liquor had much trouble in finding it.
"Thus it became necessary to put man
man in charge, and after time the ex-
pense became so great that it was not
easy to work it off in the contingent &C
count. Then the senators were required
to pay for what they got, and after this
was done the popularity of the Hole in
the Wall fell off very rapidly. But it
was kept up until some years after the
senate moved into its present chamber
in 1859 1t is good thing, I'm think
ing, that the walls of that dark little
room are dumb!"-Ohio State Journal.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-06

s'Oh. yes, mamma" said Ethel,
drearily. She was pale and heavy
eyed; l think she had not slept all
night.
''And who were there?'' went on
Mrs. Mariner, helping herself to but
tered eggs with CHEEKY briskness.
Ethel enumerated various people.
"And Dicky Carshalton." she con-
cluded. land Jack Da<enant."
The last name slipped out with ex-
aggerated carelessness, and yet it was
whirring about in the poor girl head.
and had been doing so for the last five
or six hours. like an imprisoned blue
bottle in a glass.
''Jack-Jack-Jack Davenant." Was
she never to have another definite
thought again?
by the bye," said Mrs. Mariner, as
she rose from table. twill you send a
note to Florence Byrne? want her
to lunch here tomorrow at 1:3O-the
Singletons are coming"
Ethel moved to the writing table,
blushing family. She remembered
that Mrs. Byrne was Jack Davenant's
cousin.
''Half-past one. recollect,'' cried
her mother, as she rustled from the
room.
Ethel listlessly took up her pen, and
pulled sheet of paper toward her.
1t was not stamped with the address,
but she failed to notice this, and be.
| gan at once
''My dear Mrs. Byrne."
Then she stopped short, and the
buzzing in her brain went on worse
| than ever.
The note got written at last, all but
the signature. and then she began tt
wonder dreamily if she should sigr
herself "Yours. very sincerely" OF
yours affectionately"
ETHEL, Ethel,' cried her mother
putting her head in at the door, q
am going out Give me the note fo1
Florence; l can take it to the post
Guilty and ashamed, Ethel seized
her pen and wrote hastily, but in /,
bold hand:
| "Tours very sincerely,
| JACK DAvENANT."
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-06
AN OBJECT LESSON.

. ,,etty dog with soft, dark eyes
Ana long, soft hair. II coler black
And tan and white, which parted lies
On either side, down ne ok and back.
the children say he is a GUIDE,
BECAUSE h S hair thus splits, and We
emile at the apt s:militude,
Which suits our doggie to a T.
M cou Sc he is a pet with all
A. home. Including wife and me,
nm RIM to catch the children's ball.
And # would make you laugh to see
me antics he will cut at play;
Hen give his paw your hand to shake
And hide his foxy head away
Retw xt his paws when e'er you take
An earnest look into his eyes,
An, then. how bashfully they fall
yrnr gaze; but. more than all, prize
usw waving, pretty, waggish tail.
Not for its graceful, pretty curves,
us waving hair, in black and white;
puI for his wag, which Iobserve
Is his expression tor delight.
When. home returning, on the street
He sees me coming, wag and bark
MY eve and ear unfailing greet,
His masters welcome always mark.
fcan not do the smallest thing
TO him, give cen word. or look.
Or vet crust OF dry bread fling
ia him, but that his wag is shook.
For thus he shows his gratitude.
And what q lesson does he teach
10 animals Of nobler brood
Who. unlike him. have gift of speech.
The dog. my friend will wag his tail
To speak his thanks for what you do
Or saw. If kind, he'll never fail
In this. MY friend, how is't with youf
When morning comes, with rosy light,
TO kiss your eyelids, as you lie
Refreshed with slumbers OF the night
Have you no graceful thanks to say
To Him, whose mercy, while you slept
Watched over you in tender love,
In health AID strength your being kept
That you may forth to duty move?
And as the day goes happy by,
Each passing hour with mercy fraught
Is there no upward glance of eye,
Nor in your heart one grateful thought
or Him. 1.-THE Giver OF all good
Which comes to man, whose loving hand
Provides alike for all their food
And bv whose power alone they standf
The social joys which bless thy lot;
The powers Of mind, and soul and heart;
Are these good gifts, or are they not!
II YES, whose hand did them imparti
II to give thanks for these you fail,
OF your intelligence don't brag;
But think awhile OF doggie's tail,
And learn the lesson OF its wag.
F. r. Southma I'd, in Inter Ocean