davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Opelousas courier., 1889-03-30
KABlNDA ~COURTSHiP.
Strange Marital Customs OF q Little AfRi
an Colony on the Congo.

Strange Marital Customs OF q Little Afrien
an COLONY on the Congo.
With the Kabinda the bride and
room Immediately after marriage are
locked in a hut which must never have
been occupied before, and are there
kept close prisoners for three months,
exceptthat at every midnight the old
men of the town take the groom and
the old women the bride and escort
them to the 'fetich man." to whom
they appeal for children. During this
time, however, they are we'll supplied
with both food and drink. At the end
of the three months a great feast is
held, when the prisoners are released
and the hut where they had been con.
fined is burned, and thus their honey
moon is brought to an end.
The ceremony of marriage among
these people is conducted by the differ
emit tribes in q manner that is common
to them all.
When a native wants q wife, if there
is none in his own town to suit him, he
sends to some neighboring chief ask.
ing if there is a girl in his town of the
age desired. II the answer is in the
affirmative, he then presents his case
to the old men of his town, and after
q ''palaver," or talk, at which there is
the drinking of much rum, they agree
that he may bring home as a wife a
woman from another town.
After securing this permission he,
with presents in his hands for the
Precipitation of the spirit powers, visits
the head ''fetich man." and, after
listening to his many prayers, receives
a charm. He is then ready to seek his
bride.
In the meantime the women of his
town-maids, wives and widows-hav-
ing been advised of his intention and
being i~ncensed by this sighting them
in selecting a stranger, are prepared,
as they are allowed by their laws to
do, to prevent his leaving until their
charms have been admitted and their
Indignation allayed by many presents.
The custom, despite every precaution
of the man. often ends in disputes
which are settled only by an appeal to
| the ''fetich man" and ''sussiwood."
However, having overcome the diff.
ficulties of his departure, he arrives at
and is received in his prospective
brides towa by the old men of the
place and by them conducted to the
'.palaver house." where there is more
| talk and more rum. The presents he
has brought having been found &C.
ceptable, he is then allowed to know
the parents of the girl he is seeking,
and from them learns the sum in
beads, rum, cloth, ETC., he has to pay
before he can secure her. This usual
ly represents in value about ten dol
lars. This matter having been
satisfactorily settled, he returns
to his town and forwards the
goods as agreed upon. At the
setting of the sun on the day
appointed for the closing of the con-
tract the bride, naked except for being
painted with different colored chalks,
accompanied By her parents and
friends, arrives at the home of the
groom. There they r received with
much rejoicing, gun-fring, drum-beat-
ing, dancing and feasting. This is
continued until both mar and woman
are exhausted by their orgies, when
they are bundled into the hut to re-
main for the customary time.-Cor. N.
Y. Herald. 2
The Opelousas courier., 1889-03-30
Electricity cut up some ouee

Electricity cut up some queer
capers with a tree down in New Or
leans. A guy cable was attached to
the tree from an electric light. In some
unaccountable wa1g the cable became
crossed with a live wire, and on wet
days electricity u down the former.
Several times pit set the tree afire and
eventually started a blaze which de-
stroyed that part of the tree above the
wire. The trunk was examined and
its heart was found to have been en-.
arely eaten out by the electricity,
leaving a mere she'll
The Opelousas courier., 1889-03-30

j0nn gregory Went nome GO dinner q
little earlier than usual.
It 30 happened that Janet, for a won
der, had not succeeded 30 well as usual
with her dinner, and this, knowing as
she did, how particular he was, made
her feel a little and fdgety.
However, to her surprise, he ate his
dinner without appearing to remark
that any thing vas out of the way. He
seemed unusually distracted, as if he
were intently thinking of something.
At length he said, abruptly:
.Janet, did you come to this country
In the year 1902
Yes, sir,n answered janet, in sur
prise. But how did you knowpn
"f believe you told me once, Janet. =
Another silence.
How long have you been with me,
JanetPn
Eight years, SIR
sYou have been very faithful. /
have been very well satisfied with your
services
Il am sure ] am glad OF it sir" said
Janet, in increased surprise. II am
sorry the dinner isn't better cooked
to-day. but things seemed to work
contrary
The dinner is excellent said John
Gregory. I'll couldn't be better.
.Well, ! declare, thought Janet; q
wonder what's come over him. lex
pected d aDolding.
q hope you'll always stay with me,
Janet
Pm sure, sir said the astonisl1ed
housekeeper. = shall be happy TO dc
The Opelousas courier., 1889-03-30
0PEL0usAs FEMALE INsTI1nIr

Opelousas.S 50. Landry Parish. rs~s
THIS institution will resume duties ~,
L September. /. Is 8, unIer the Immed,,a \,
superN ision of Mrs NJ. NJ. Hayes and WI" te
A. Davis with e mpetent assistants, IN =
scholastic year consi5s OF forty weeks Ane
TERMS OF TUITION.
Preparatory Department, per month co..
Academic Dep 'ltment, per month ~
Music, with use Of piano .., W
Board ng-inc.udtng washing, light and 'W
10 NJ
Embroidery, wax flowers, PAINTING j" u:
drawing, each, extra. N AZ
hhSIdoiit"l ASo'.-t'-...-. ........ IN
DISCIPLINE. HF
The government of this school ia s+r;o. [.
parental; no hard tasks or Restrictions an,,uut
posed, but every student must comnl C 2x
the rules, and must prepare IN to Tho "ltn
ure of her ability, the lessons assipnnI "eas'
Our course CT study ana mode of instinct,
are to train the mind to hab ts Of oas .ao
thinking and thOrOugh investigation ~
student will be a wed to enter higher clo.aNo
without thorough preparation. Parent" a% ~
guardians may rest assured that the manna u
health an morals of the children ana voaI,
Shall re Give due atlent on ""'us
No deduction for absence, unless in o,.
protracted lines. The location of the towa
is he flthful and easy of access. The hos, ,Gmu
department is under the immediate char =
Mrs. HAY es. BoarderS Will provide tbon,t
selves with blankets and towels. For nart,nn
lars address, MRS. NJ. NJ, HAYDS"'
july .S'33-nov21'T9 Princino,
The Opelousas courier., 1889-03-30
H. J. FISHER,
@. D. STEWART.

Contractor, Carpenter and Builder,
WILL C ,ntract for the erection of buildings
w of all kinds. turn shing al! materia 1t
desired. Work done promptly and u reason
able r. es. Orders through the r~ost0tiee
givsnl Iompt attention. list mates and plans
Furnished. Having special facilities for OBJ
tairing i.UMuER At REnCCE8 RATES, ! will
giso9my patrons the benefit of thasaTne.
sep}SI
The Opelousas courier., 1889-03-30
ST. MARY'S
CpelOusaS, La

opelousaS. La. :
THE course OF instruction in this institution
Il embraces English. / rench, Latin, GreoL
Arithmetic. Algebra, & ometry. Eo H. een'
ing, Natural SC enc s, His DRY, &c eraphy
Penmans,ip. n great care is bestcyedf c !,
Christ en- instruction. VI
TERMS-Board and tuition, per month, s1s.
Day Scholars, per month, s.. 81 or 81. accSrd''
l. Z to class. tlasses are resume on Nednes.
Cay, September 18TH, ls8S.
REV. G. RAYMOND, DID.
REV. f.. j. RAYMOND.
HENRY G. LEWIS,
Aug 80, 1888 NJ. LFRED BRlLLEr.
The Opelousas courier., 1889-03-30
"a. D. ARCADE
~

Bellevue Street, near h e'Bridge,
OPELOUSAS, La.
A LII kinds of Tin. Copper and Sheet Iron
N work d ne on short notice and at reason
able prics S. Gultering and r .ra ring q spe-
ciaIty. Makes n repairs evaporation syrup
pans.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-23
TO HIS DOG.

Well, well, old doggie? You wsg your tail, and If
you could only talk,
You'd say with your tongue what you say with
your eyes that you want to go out for walk.
You know not chow could you?) the hand that you
loved, that you warmed with your soft, moist
breath
Will never caress you once it did, for it's quiet
and cold in death.
You can't make ont why don't respond as you
climb upon to my bed,
And DON'T stretch ont my hand to stroke you, and
pat your woolly head.
Theresa world of sympathy, dog-like and mute,
that shines from your purple eyes,
But you don't understand chow can you. doggie y
that anyone ever dies.
You'll want for a time to go to her house (you
o could find your way alone),
And wag your tail and whine to her, and ask her
to give you bone.
But that's all over, those days will never come
back for you and for me,
Those days that we spent all together, boy In the
summer time by the sea.
You surely remember those days, old dog, how she
scolded you when you leapt
To greet her each morn with your muddy feet,
from her door-mat where you slept?
How she lay in her hammock with you UNDER
meath, never lonely and knew no fear
When was away for you guarded her well, and
let not q soul come near.
But you and have the memory, boy, Of the love
that to us she gave,
And we shall prize it more dearly now that they've
laid her in her grave.
Yon didn't see her, but did, doggie, she laid so
marvellous fair,
With lilies strewn on her hands and feet and
framing her gold-brown hair.
You didn't see when she went away, OIL so far
away, and aackI
She's gone where perhaps we may follow her,
doggie, but she-will never come back.
TODAY.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-23
Saying the Right Thing.

However, we must not be too uncompliment-
a1y to that portion Of the tongue on which we
are discoursing. Some of us find it very USE
full. after all. and are glad when we can keep it
we'll supplied Look at the good it can do, when
well disposed; look at the scraDes it can keep
us out of; look at the triumphs it can secure!
To have always whatever we want at the tip OF
the tongue has made the fortune of thousands;
it is in effect the secret of success. As Hamlet
tells us-though he applies the phrase differ
ently-'the readiness is ALL" 1t is the ready
man who conquers all along the line. One re-
remembers how Samuel Phillips, of the
Times, one day met Douglas Jerrold,
and told him he had just seen Payne
Collier, looking wonderfully well '.and
quite an evergreen" "He may be an ever
green" said Jerrold, sbut he's never read":-a
remark which some one who heard Of 1t de-
scribed as ''ready wit" Take, again. the story
of the Judge and the barrister, the former of
whom was looking on at ball while the latter
danced. "Ah, my friendr' said the not-too-
wise occupant of the bench, "you are q bad
waltzerr "Ah," was the reply ''but you are
bad Judger' Was that not delightful bit of
repartee to have ready on the tip OF ones
tongue? In the department of compliment,
too, of what enormous value is this spontaneity.
The chief merit OF pretty speech is that it
comes not premeditatedly, but "tripplngly on
the tongue"
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-23
A GREAT DAY FOR PARADEs.

Never was Washington's Birthday SC
brilliantly celebrated in PIttsburg as yester-
day. Not only did the Catholic societies
and the Junior Order Of American Me-
chanics surprise themselves and the public
by the numbers and the enthusiasm of their
respective displays, but what was most for
tunate, old Sol graciously assumed i'm
partial command as chief marshal of both
parades.
The weather was simply marvellous for a
mid-winter holiday; nothing like it was be-
fore seen in these parts.
L was very pleasant sight to note so
much and such undoubtedly earnest de-
votion to the Stars and Stripes. So long as
like testimony is given of popular senti-
ment, there is some excuse for holiday,
even if business men do grumble at what
they consider a useless waste of time. Some
people have affected to see lesser political
significance in the parades, not unconnected
with recent semi-sectarian disputes; but the
wisest and best disposed citizens will not
choose to consider the matter in any such
light When it comes to appreciation Of
the honor and duties of American citizen
ship the religious opinions of one or of
another do not and must not interfere. That
should be the true import of both parades
yesterday, and, without doubt, in the event
of any test whatsoever, affecting the country.
all would be found as cheerily marching to
the same music and under the same banners.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-23
FACTS AND FIGURES.

PITTSBURG has the largest AK factory in the
world; it turns out 5000 axes per day.
THE imports of iron and STEEL not including
iron ore into the United States in 1SSS were
were s42 ,377 as against $50, ,42O,6 COZ in 1887
THE carpet manufacturers of Philadelphia
have 1850 looms in use, employ II, 500 hands,
manufacture annually 800, 900 yards of carpet
at value of s44,07O,0Oo.
THERE we're manufactured in the United
States, last year, in round numbers, IL 600, 600
pounds of tobacco. 100000 pounds of snuff,
4OeO 600 cigars and 1.500 0O0, 900 cigarettes.
THE United States exported in 1883. s2,0e2.-
05S worth of sewing machines, as against & 307,
357 in 1887 and ST. 628 1856 worth of steam engines
and other machinery in 1898. as against $685.
200 in 1887.
THE total exports, by the United States, of
petroleum, and its various products, for the
year ending December 81, 1883, were o6, "a, U5
gallons, yalned at s45 $50 OOO as against 5Sl. OIL
829 gallons and s45 231 9SS for the previous year.
THE nitrate industry Of Chilli is rapidly de-
veloping large wealth. AN English company
organized in 1883, has returned s126 for every
500, paid in. Since that date ten new COM
panies have been organized, with an aggregate
capital of SIC, $4,000.
THE 1900 miles of new railroads built in 1883,
called about 60 200 new men into the service,
reckoning five employees to the mile including
officers and men in all capacities. The present
railway system Of the United States has an
army of 7S5 600 men.
SoUTHBRIDGE. MASS, has the largest spec
tacle factory in the world. More than three
fourths of the gold spectacles and eyeglasses
made in this country are made in Southbridge,
one company alone in that town having turned
out ], 500. 900 pairs last year.
ABOUT nine-tenths of all the clay pipes
manufactured in the United States are made in
Brooklyn, N. Y. where three factories are
located that turn out 150c0 gross annually
The clay comes from Woodbridge, N. j., and
costs at the factory, IS per ton.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-23
TEE TORY BREAKDOWN.

What commentary upon the parade of
the letters in "Parnellism and Crime" and
the months of piling up evidence of the
Irish disorders is furnished by the fact that
as soon as the question of genuineness of the
Parnell letters is reached, the man who sold
them to the Times and who is solely RESPONSE
bic for them, admits previous written con-
fession that they are not genuine, and at
tempts to get money from the Irish party
for proving their spurious character!
The claim that the Egan letters are not
yet proved to be frauds is an almost pitlable
confession of the utter breakdown of the
important part of the case. Mr.. Egan has
been hard fighter for ireland for many
years, and, although nothing of the sort
is proved, it would not be surprising
if he had at times contemplated
and counselled the resort to force. But Mr.,
Parnell is the responsible head of the Ma
tional movement. He was the person
charged by the Times with having encour-
aged outrages, while preserving the veil of
constitutional agitation. 1t was to determine
the foundation for these charges that the
Commission was Impanelled, and after
months of dawdling, twisting and tergiver-
sation by the Times lawyers, the only man
on whom the Times depended as the author
ity for these letters, breaks down and ex-
poses his utter unreliability.
If this result does not shake the Tory
party's power in England and leave the
poor old Thunderer's reputation for truth
fulness in tatters, then party passions in
England will rise utterly superior to facts.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-23
Some Painful Instances.

But, in general, when we profess to be at a
loss for word or an idea which is nevertheless
apparently within our grasp, We mean it. The
thing is really where we say it is, but we can
not capture it, great and sometimes painful as
our efforts are. Shiel, on well-known occa-
sion repeated the word necessity" two or
three times, and yet could not recover the re-
mainder of the sentence of which it had been
intended to De the beginning-thus giving
point to Peel's chatting interjection that neces
sity is mot always the mother of invention"
So. again, the witty Lord Rochester opened
speech with, My lords, / divide my dis
course into four branches; but there he stuck,
the only thing which came to the tip of his
tongue being the remark which prefaced his re-
sumption of his seat-"My lords, If ever rise
again in this House, give you leave to cut me
off, root and branch, forever" 1t is singular
problem in mental physiology this inability to
get off the tongue what we have on the tip of it.
Where is the thought to which we desire to
give public utterance? In what odd corner of
the brain'' is it secreted? We hurriedly rack
our intellects, but 10 no purpose. Such matters
can be got at only.by careful association of
ideas. They must be followed up as detective
follows up clue. One thing suggests another,
and at last, that which was at the portal of our
lips got past them safely into space.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-23
MILLS CONSTITUTIONAL IDEAS.

The genius of Mr.. Roger @. Mills for put
ting himself carefully in the wrong. was
never more strikingly displayed than by
the attempt yesterday to insist on his reso-
luton declaring the Senate substitute to the
tariff bill unconstitutional. To assert that
the Senate cannot amend House revenue
bill, so as to change its scope from that of a
tariff reduction bill to a revenue reduction
bill, is equivalent to asserting that it cannot
amend it at all. ANY amendment that did
not suit Mr.. Mills would be declared to
change the scope of the measure. If Mr..
Mills should secure the passage by the
House of duty on raw sugars and the
Senate should add thereto duty on refined
sugars, it would be as easy to call that a
change Of scope as the one he complains of.
1t is q remarkable fact that Mr.. Mills can
seriously urge this view in the teeth of the
constitutional reservation to the Senate of
the right OF amendment, as against the ex-
elusive right Of inception in the House; bat
than, perhaps, Mr.. Mills regards that part
of the Constitution as unconstitutional.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-23
A POOR BUSINESS PROPOSITION.

1t is piece of absurdity. which can only
be accounted for on the theory of want of
reflection, that anyone in Pennsylvania
should want to tax manufacturers in any
shape, corporate or otherwise. The pros
perity Of this State, more than that of any
other, depends on manufacturing. 1t is not
merely the milo or the factory worker,
! having homes and interests IN the Common.
wealth, who are concerned in SEEING our in
dustries flourish, but also, of course, the
farmer and the merchant. All this ground
was gone over fully in exposing the fallacy
of William L. Scott's assaults in Congress
upon the Braddock's steel industry. 1t is
lamentable that it should be necessary to
preach, now and again, these plainest princi-
pies of every day business experience to
Pennsylvania high officials.
In THE DISPATCH yesterday, side by
side with the account of the sensible argu-
ments of Mr.. Oliver to the Ways and Means
Committee at Harrisburg, appeared three
column advertisement from the gas belt of
Indiana, setting forth what great manu-
featuring center that was, and inviting
capital there. Everyone knows what the
Findlay and other districts have done by
way of special inducements to manufactur-
ers to settle in their midst. Here in Penn
sylvania, alone, we hear proposals to tax
them when they appear in corporate shape.
Surely the State officials and the members
who take such view must know that the
great bulk of heavy manufactures now re-
quire to be conducted in corporate form.
One or two men seldom have the means to
undertake enterprises solely on their own
account, giving employment to thousands of
hands; or, if they have the money, they do
not want to incur in Pennsylvania the risk
of losing all they have by partnership ar
rangements when in New Jersey or New
York they go into the same business in COM
pany form and limit their losses to the
money they willingly put in at the start. 1t
is true the tax proposed is not prohibitory.
But it is stupidity discouraging to line of
business upon which the interests of the
State depends.
We agree entirely with Mr.. Harry Oliver
even though he be a directly interested
party-that, if revenue has to be raised by
taxing corporations, it should come exclu-
sively from those which enjoy grants from
the public. The railroads which have prac-
tically monopoly of transportation and the
right of eminent domain; the electric light
companies which make immense profits on
original investment; the street railways
whose franchises have proved to be of such
known worth; the bridge and the ferry CON-
panies, the gas companies, in short all which
have practically an exclusive market-these
are the corporations which should con-
tribute.
We trust that on this occasion, for the last
time, will be heard in Pennsylvania a pro-
posal so foreign to its interests as the tax
alton of manufactures. The premium which
nature so generously offers of fuel, ore and
water transportation should not be offset by
such official and public dullness.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-23
THE CAUSE OF THE CHANGE.

The Presidents signature yesterday COM
pleted the legislation necessary to osecure the
admission OF four new States to The Union.
North and South Dakota, Montana and
Washington will extend the belt of full
fedged States along the Northern line clear
to the Pacific. if they choose to avail them
selves OF this legislation; and there is no
room for doubt on that point.
This actio n at the close of the Cleveland
administration is decided change from the
course to which the Democrats have held
for four years on this point On one excuse
or another the House has put off the subject,
but back of its excuses it was clear enough
that while there was hope of their remain
ing in power, they would not admit new
States with Republican majorities unless
they could get a compensatory reinforce
ment of new Democratic States.
1t is possible that the passage of this bill,
and its approval by the President are in
tended to atone for the rather discreditable
refusal to admit Territories we'll qualified
for statehood. That is certainly the most
charitable view to be taken of their action.
If these States are qualified for admission
now, they were qualified last year and the
year before; and to exclude them for the
sake Of hanging on to power was rank in
justice. Perhaps this concession is intended
as compensation.
Still, in view of the fact that this bill adds
five members to the Republican majority in
the House and presumably thirteen to the
Republican vote in the next electoral col
leges, we are inclined to credit the change
in Democratic policy to the conviction of
our Democratic friends that they might as
well let the tail go with the hide.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-23
TAKE THE GREAT OFFENDERS FIRST.

The reported steps, taken in the Legisla-
ture toward the forfeiture of the charter of
the Schuylkill Eastside Railroad, in Phila-
delphia, would be very commendable, if
they were not so manifestly jug-handled.
nany corporations have violated their char
ter limitations they should undergo the
penalty; but the policy of attacking a small
corporation for minor ofense is in this
case so manifestly in the interest of great
er and more defiant offender against both
the Constitution and the courts, that if the
Legislature were to take such a course it
would be most unblushing display of the
corporation collar. If the policy were to be
adopted of seeking out all corporate offend
ers against charter obligations and Consti-