davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03
a HAUNTED MAlNToP.
How . TaIkative Parrot Frightened th
Tnrs a an English Ship.

How . TaIkative Parrot frightened the
Tnrs a an English Ship.
Talking about ghosts, writes CORE
spondent Of the Shefield (Eng.) Telegraph,
our chief mate once told me that on board
q ship in which he once served the mate on
duty ordered some Of the youths to reef the
maintopsan. When the first got up he
heard q strange voice saying: /" lt blows
hardn The lad waited for no more; he
was down in q trice and told his adventure.
A second Immediately assembled, laughing
at the folly of his companion, but returned
even more quickly, declaring he was quite
sure that voice not of this world had
cried in his ear: ut blows hardr' An
other went, and another, but each came
back with the same tale
A length the mate having sent up the
whole watch, ran up the shrouds himself,
and when he reached the haunted spot
heard the dreadful words distinctly uttered
in his ear:
st blows hardF,1
sAye, aye, old one; but blow it ever so
hard, we must ease the earrings for all
that" replied the mate, undauntedly, and,
looking round, he saw a fine parrot perched
on one of the clews-the thoughtleas author
of the false alarms-which had probably es-
capped from some other vessel to take refuge
on this.
Another Of our officers mentioned that on
one Of his voyages he remembered boy
having BEEN sent to clear rope which had
got foni above the mizzentop. Presently,
however, he cams back trembling, and al
most tumbiing TO the bottom, declaring that
he bad seen 'sOid Dayy" aft the cross
treeA Moreover, that the evil one had .
huge head and face, with prick-ears and
eyes as bright as fire. Two or three others
were sent up IN succession, to all Of WHOM
the apparition glared forth, and was identi-
ned by each to be ''Old Davy," sure enough.
The mate, in rage, at length mounted
himself, when resoiutely, as in the former
case, searching for the bugbear, he soon
oscertaiued the innocent cause Of 80 much
terror to be large horned owl, 50 lodged as
to be out Of sight to those who assembled on
the other side of the vessel, but which,
when any one approached the cross-trees,
popped up his portentous visage TO see
what was coming. The mate brought him
down in triumph, and "Old Dsvy," the
owl, became very peaceful shipmate
among the crew, who were no longer scared
by his horns and eyes, for sailors turn their
back on nothing when they know what it II.
Had the birds in these two '-sSaDces de-
| parted as they came, Of course they would
have been deemed supernatural visitants b
| the respective ships by all who had heard
| the one and seen the other.
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03
DIPLOMATIC. RoMANcEs.
Late Marriages Recall stories That A
Worth Reading.

Late Marriages Recall stories That Arc
Worth Reading.
Many diplomats have recently weddeo
Americans, writes a correspondent from
Washington. A few years ago, however
there was even greater eagerness To wed
American girls. One Del Campo, of the
Chilian Legation, angled earnestly ana
widely for an American girl with fortune.
de was rogue, and kept the city In an up
roar by his sprees. After an unusually I'm
passioned appea: to a Washington girl ne
was recalled, and, returning bv way OF Pan
anna, he wrote letter to her, purporting to
come from friend, describing in vivlo
language an account of the rejected Dei
Campo's death by the dread fever of the
tropics. His obituary was done up by him
self in good shape The g1ri was stlli Ia,
menting her ooldness 70 the sensitive
Southerner when she heard from the ChlI-
ian who took her lovers place that the
former attache OF the Chlnan Legation
was now attache OF a horse-car in the Chill
ian capital.
These modern romances OF American
girls and foreign noblemen can not matcn
the alliance Of forty years ago, the famous
marriage of the old Count de Bodisco, the
Russian Minister, and Miss Harriet WILL
iams, the Georgetown beauty. He was old
and decrepit- 1t was said that he wore
"plumpers" in his cheeks and dressed
his poor, broken old form so that he would
look like man of forty. after he saw the
beautiful schoolgirl st her fathers house
In Georgetown. For she was a schoolgirl
only fourteen when he married her. He
sent her to Europe to finish her education.
and when she came back she was said to be
the most beautiful woman in America. A
magnificent. fair woman. with golden hair
and brown eyes, was this young wife Of the
old Count de Bodisco. After leaving here
her husband returned to Russia, and she
became the reigning belle Of st. Peters
burg.
More pathetic than this story, for It was
surely pathetic for girl of fourteen to
marry man of seventy, was the story Of
her sister, Miss Fanny Williams. Al the
time Count de Bodisco was Minister he had
with him as attaches two nephews Of the
same name, whom in his last hours he ac-
knowiedged as his illegitimate sons One
OF these nephews loved the sister of his N
comparable aunt. The Count de Bodlsco
claimed that the Russian law forbade such
an intermarriage, and the two were sepa-
rated. She went to st. Petersburg with
her beautiful sister, became engaged 70 o
Russian nobleman. and on the eve Of her
marriage was found dead, with the ivory
miniature of her first lover in her hand.
The tales Of the old days are best
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03
JIM-JAM VALLEY.
Strange and Terrible Features of a South
ern California Mirage.

Strange and Terrible Features Of a South
ern California Mirage.
SIN the secluded Jim-Jam Valley of the
San Bernardino Mountains" remarked Joe
Joachinson, the pioneer of San Bernardino,
to San Francisco Examiner reporter at
the Palace Hotel, ''there are the most mar
velous mirages known to the world The
wonderful mirages of the Mojave desert
have been talked about good deal, and
they are entitled to all the prominence they
have had. But those of the Jim-Jam Val
ley are far more wonderful than these.
1t is called Jim-Jam Valley because of the
strange things seen there, and 1 defy any
man, however sound of mind he may be, to
go in there, and not think he has got 'em
before he gets out This valley is about
twenty-five miles long by fifteen miles
wide. It is uninhabited. 1t is bordered by
the main San Bernardino range on the east
and by spur of the Sierra Magdalenas on
the west. There is no well-defined trail
through the heart of it. The valley is a
desert. The surrounding mountains are
terribly serrated and cut up. The peaks
are jagged. Altogether the surroundings
are very weird and forbidding Leaving
Fisk's ranch on the trail at the foot of the
Sierra Magdalenas, you climb an easy grade
to Dead Mans Pass, the entrance to the
fohOg' 0O OA III anu pISbGy 6OOu you see
lakes and running rivers, and green bor-
ders, and flying water fowl. Willows spring
up here and there, and in the distance YOU
see water lilies What you behold contrasts
finely with the rugged mountains, and you
are charmed with it and go on thinking you
have struck an earthly paradise. Indian
camps appear in view, and 1.-the oarsmen
propel fantastic crafts upon the waters. Ad-
vancing still further you see dim outlined
forms, things whose outlines you can hardly
express in words. Somber countenances
CLEAN at you from the air above. The lakes
and rivers and the pallid faces shift and
change before your eyes. Sometimes q
dozen Of the more or less dimly outlined
forms may be seen, and the pantomime re-
minds you of a strange hobgoblin dance.
Sometimes a storm brews in the valley. and
then the scene is all the more terrible.
Forked lightning blazes about, and strange.
uncouth animals differing from any you
have ever read about are to be seen there
These phenomena are seen for stretch of
about fifteen miles up and down the middle
Of the valley principally, and they have been
viewed by great many people. They can
not understand why the forms Of the mirage,
if such it may be called, are SO much more
strange than those on the Mojaye desert
Every body is in awe Of the valley. and
there are mighty few men, however pervy
they may be ordinarily, who care to go there
much.o
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03
SOME QUEER WILLS.

Extraordinary Documents Copied from
South Carolina Court Records.
In overhauling some Of the old books in
the records Of the probate court, Judge
Gleason has, according to the Charleston
News and Courier, come across some queer
documents- Here are some of them:
A man, who has been dead so long that he
shall be nameless, was hanged in Charleston
for murder. He protested his innocence to
the last, and the day before his execution
made will leaving his personal property,
valued ct $489 in money, and a silver watch
and chain to his relative. The last clause of
the viii is as follows:
"As am to be hung tomorrow for the
murder Of -. of which crime am inno-
cent, and firmly believing thatI was found
guilty by packed jury, bequeath to this
jury eternal damnation, and in order that
their names may be known to posterity
herein insert their names, -, foreman,
and eleven others. order and direct that
my executor hereinafter named shall deliver
my body to the medical students of Charles
ton, 8. c., and they are requested to have
my bones properly cleaned, my skeleton
properly mounted, 80 that it will pass
down as proof Of the bribery and corrup-
ton used IN the couvietion of an innocent
man"
Another man, long since deceased, and
who was evidently wealthy Frenchman,
after disposing of his estate, provides for an
erring daughter as follows:
1T Is TO me great cause Of modification
and regret to mention the name of ClotIde.
my daughter, now twenty-three years old.
To protect this instrument bequeash To
her one barieycorn. pray she will repent
and preparefor the Lords forgiveness.
Another man, who was q widower, and
had an only daughter who seems to have
been the cause Of much trouble to her
father, disposes of his estate and gives TO
his daughter my blood horse, Jim, feeling
satisfied that if she will either ride or drive
him it 10 likely she will be brought home a
corpse, in which satisfactory event then let
the horse be sold and the proceeds given To
the poor"
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03
BYRON AT VENICE.


| Interesting "Reminiscences Of tho Author
OF DON Juan and Tom Moore.
The scene is Venice, the tune the FORE
noon Of an early autumn day in 1917, and
| the light sea-fog which has drifted in from
the lagoons lies gently on the oily swiris Of
the canals, and throws . golden vail over
the carven fronts OF the marble palaces,
which line the sides of the Grand canal
Under the influence OF tho mist, permeated
| by the rays of the morning sun, which had
risen in cloudless sky, Venice seemed
like to that tabled golden city Of the Incas,
tbs lode star which drew many Q brave
| gentleman to ultimate death and destruc-
ton. Carelessly reclining on q pile of
cushions in large, well-appointed gondola,
which was gliding quickly down the Grand
canal, was young man Of singular ap-
pearance.
Sitting opposite to him, writes Horace
Townsend In Once Week, was a plump,
dapper little man, commonplace in feature,
but dressed in the height of the prevalent
fashion, he sat stifiy In his seat, coca
slonally gtancing at his companion as
though longing for him to speak, and vet
not daring himself to begin the converse
ton.
At length, when the gondola had left the
canal and was cleavlng the blue waters of
the lagoon In its path toward the Lido, a
low, long island which, the sun having by
this time dispersed the morning mist. was
visible at no great distance.
Mr. Moore, for this was his name. couId
not longer restrain himself and burst ,uto
rhapsody over the beauty Of the scene.
his Efforts to arouse his companion were
not wildly successful, Lord Byron-for he
IT was whom the minor poet addressed
merely turning over with an ungracious
movement and snarling out: Don't be 4
fool Tommy. Keep your poetry for wom-
ems albums, and talk common sense. If Won
cauu
so Tar from offending the little man. this
snuD had the effect Lord Byron desired.
and during the remainder Of the voyage
across the lagoon Mr.. Moore chatted awav
70 his noble companion, displaying not lit
tie shreWdness and wit in his chatter,
which dealt principally with the current
London scandals Of the day.
when the Lido was reached and the two
men had landed they found awaiting them
on the strip Of sandy beach couple Of thor
ougnbred Arabian horses, in charge OF an
Italian groom.
II was In TACT for his daily ride that Byron
visited this spot. for here he kept his sruau
nut well selected stable Of saddle-h0rs
ter he Arxt time that day. when be
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03
A GUESSING MArcM.
Simple Tests Which illustrate Con
Errorm ~ InA~rrxAnA

simple Tests Which illustrate Counm0o
Errors Of Judgment
A crank who is an occasional visitor 70 o
downtown Office entered the place tho
other day when nobody appeared to be very
busy, says the Pittsburgh Dispatch. Some
one was telling a story in which he made
mention Of some object about the size Of q
silver dollar,' when the crank interrupted
the speaker with the remark:
t'Pll bet five dollars there isn't a man
in this Office who can tell without meas
uring what the exact size Of q silver dollar
iSn
The bet was not taken, for nobody knew.
The crank went on:
81 am also willing to give 1--WE dollars to
the man who will take his pen or pencil aud
draw line which shall represent the exact
diameter Of silver dollar"
Upon this all hands made the attempt
A piece Of paper was taken, and each took
hlsAturn at drawing line upon Il When
all had flushed the crank took dollar
from his pocket and placed it successfully
over each of the marks. Some of them
were too long by half an inch, and some
lacked almost that much in length. There
wasn't one which was not az much as an
eighth OF an inch out Of the way. The CO.
centric visitor said:
you do, It is strange you are not more famil-
laF with its size and appearance. Now let
me test your judgment in another matter.
Here Is long sheet Of white paper, which
VIII place upright against the wall back Of
this table. Now take your pencils and msrh
on the paper what you think Is the hesght
OF an ordinary silk hat Some Of you have
silk hat here, supposea'
Mine is in the other ROOM" answered
one of the clerks.
Well, let it stay there until we want it.
Now try to guess how tall the hat is, and
mark the paper accordingly"
| The estimates afforded a curious illustra-
ton OF the way mems opinions will differ
even about small matter. Between the
shortest and the longest mark there was q
difference Of nearly four inches. When the
hat was brought out and set upon the table
against the paper, all the marks, with
two exceptions, were from one to three
inches too long. The nearest guess was
made by man who made a mark about
three-Quarters Of an inch too short. Then
the crank asked for an estimate Of the diff
ference in the height of his derby and the
silk hat. The guessers didn't come as near
as before.
"That is the way it is" said the crank
people have an idea that high hat is ever
so much higher than common one, yet you
will find if you measure both that the diff
ference is very little. The eye that is not
trained in measuring distances will lead its
possessor into some serious errors of iudg-
ment-"
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03
Unintentional Apostasy.

An old clergyman used to relate the fol-
lowing anecdote with great glee: Once.
when preparing his parishioners for the
solemn ordinance Of confirmation, be found
among them an old woman so excessively
ignorant and stupid that, for some weeks
prior to the time, he was obliged to have her
come to his house every day in order to In
struct and catechise her. At length he be-
gan to hope that his time, patience and zeal
had not been enterely bestowed in vain, .
few bright flashes Of understanding having
burst from the old danes clouded intellect
The important day arrived. Now, my
good friend, ? said the worthy pastor 1ust
arHvinns ta The c9mneuseHento Of the cere-
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03
He HIT THE OWL.
A Clever Job Put Up ON One or Boston,1
Suburban Nirnrods.

A Clever Job Put Up ON One or Boseonss
Suburban Nimrods-
Out In one OF the suburbs Of Boston there
lives business man who Is much given to
guning, and whose fondness for the sports
OF the field has according to the Boston
journal, passed into proverb among
his friends. Like most hunters he Is
given, also, to relating occasionally, in Q
modest way, hls triumphs with his gun.
His firearms are always kept in perfect
order, and in easy reach, as If he expected
to get . shot at q bear or an antelope in his
back yard at any moment. Perhaps his
near relatives may have thought he needed
little "taking down." or else they acted
from pure mischievousness, when, on a re-
cent night they put up q job on this suburban
Nlmrod. They procured Q stuffed owl, and
when darkness had fallen upon the earth
they fastened this owl upon high branch
OF maple tree In the yard. The hunts
mans wife was in the secret. Early the
next morning the wife was up, and the lit
tie girl as well. The little girl wasn't In
the secret. As soon as it was light the
mother, who had gone out of doors for
something, called the little girl out
There is something up in that tree, my
DEAR" she said, land can't make out
quite what it is-my eyesight is so poor.
Can you see what it is?n
The little girl looked up into the tree.
why, it's great, big owl, mamma"
81 guess it is"
"Oh, I'll go and tell papa, and he'll shoot
1t with his gun.'
So the little girl ran and walked up her
father, saying:
Papa, papa, there's a great, big owl up
in the maple tree out in the yard"
The father did not need second adneni-
ton. He got up, dressed himself hastily,
seized his 500 hammerless shotgun, and
hastened out into the yard. There was the
owl, up high on the top limb of the tree, ''as
big as life and twice as natural" He could
have sworn that the bird winked one eye at
him. He raised his gun, took excellent aim,
and fired.
And then down came a shower Of feath-
ers, bran, sawdust and glass-eye, and up
went several windows in the nelghborhood,
where the neighbors, who had been let in
to the secret and were on the watch for the
| performance, had stationed themselves, ali
| provided with tin horns, upon which they
blew tremendous blast. The hunter
| looked at the remains of the stuffed owl
listened to the blast on the tin horns, and
beat hasty and demoralized retreat into
the house. He says that the price of the
owl has been the smallest part of the cost
of his exploit But he takes some little sat
isfaction from the fact that he hit the owl
| anyway.
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03
maiolica and Faience y.re.

Majolica was the name at first given by
the Italians to a certain kind of earthen-
ware, because the first specimens that they
saw came from Majorca. But as subse-
Quently a large manufacture of the same
kind of earthenware was carried on at
Faienee, Italy, the name s'Majolica' was
dropped and 'fFaIence'' substituted. The
term Majolica is now used to designate yes
sells made of coIored clay, and coated with
white Opaque varnish, so as to resemble
''faience," but it is Of much less value than
the latter
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03
Mans Height and yyeight.

Five feet one inch should be 10 pounds
Five feet two inches should be 126.
Five feet three inches should be 133.
Five feet four inches should be 1856.
Five feet five inches should be 142.
Five feet six inches should be AS.
Five feet seven inches should be 148
Five feet eight inches should be 156
Five feet nine inches should be 162.
Five feet ten inches should be 169.
Five feet eleven inches should be ia
A man six feet high should weigh ITS.
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03

mony, (" as this is the last moment In wnicn
Ishan have an opportunity of conversing
with you, let me ask, do you thoroughly un-
derstand and believe all the articles of your
Christian faithi" s'Aye, yes, sir, thank
'ee," replied the venerable pupil, with q
simper, and dropping one of her best
courtesies: 81 does, indeed, now; and,
thank God, heartily renounces 'em all"
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03

At the ofice Of the Insurance Commits
sioner Of Massachusetts an annual record
OF fires IN the State is kept, the engineers
in the different towns and cities being ex-
pecfed to furnish list These lists are
compared with one cut from the papers a.
they occur and verified A letter received
at the Office recently contained the following
original reason for conhagraton: Caused
by friction generated by rubbing large in
surance policy against very snaH stock pi
goods. -
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03
no KseI1 fIle Iirain Rignf,

Moderate work, alternating with moderate
rest, gives brain which, taking the whole
life through, viii accomplish the most and
the best work OF which human being Is
capable. The brains are to be improved and
developed by reasonable exercise and rea-
sonable rest. The one Is a. essential as the
other.
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03

An English joker took down the calendar
IN business Office and hung up one two
years old. Dates for important papers were
taken from It, and loss Of $4,000 was the
result
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03
Necessary to Oisciplfne.

A sea captain On trIaI in San Francisco
FOR cruelty said it was highly necessary to
good discipline to knock sailor down with
. Delaying pin now and then.
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03
IA High Coral aIountaIn.

Christmas Island, the last annexation Of
Great Britain, Is the highest coral island
known, rising three or four hundred fest
from the sea.
Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-04-03
CHURCHES.

DAPTIST.-Preachlng each sunday at II a.
DIN. and at 1870 p. m, at the courthouse. sun
day school at IL O'Clock. m. Prayer meeting
Wednesday evening of each week. Rev. w. A.
Cain, Pastor. Residence ON North Walnut ST.
OHRISTIAN.-Preach every Sunday at
~ IL o'clock, II. M, and 1880 p. m, by Elder
David Nation. Prayer meeting every We'd
ncsday night. Sunday school at 10 o clock II. m.
every Sunday.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL.-Services every
xN4 Sunday at ! 100 a. IN. and Z 80 p. IN. Sun
day school every Sunday at 10 a. IN. Prayer
meeting every Wednesday evening at 1880.
Strangers invited. X. SANDERsoN, Pastor.
DRESBYTERIAN.-Se every Sunday at
= ii a. IN. and 80 p. IN. Sunday School at
10 a. IN. j B. NORTH, Pastor.
CATHOLIC CHURCH Services on End
Sunday of every month at Sherlocks hall, at
1000 a. IN. REV. BITTER Pastor.
GERMAN BAPTIST BRETHREN-HOld reg
" ular services at MingOna, Barber county,
the second and fourth Sundays in each month.
At Forrest school house on the second Sunday I;
Cedar Creek school house ON the third Sunday.
BY Elders Shamberger, Smith and Neher.