davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Springdale news., 1889-12-06
SPlDER-WEB TELEPHONE.
The Effect of a Tuning Fork on a Hungry
 Old Spider.

While a gentleman was watching some spiders last summer it occurred to him to try what effect tuning fork would have on the insects. He sus- pected they would regard the sound just as they were in the habit of re- garding the sound of a fly. And sure enough they did. He selected large, ugly spider, that had been feasting on flies for two months. The spider was at one edge of it's web Sounding the fork, he touched thread at the other side of the web, and watched the re- suit. Mr. Spider had the buzzin5 sound conveyed to him over his tele- phone wires; but how was he to know on which particular wire the sound was travelling? He ran to the center of the web very quickly. and felt all around until he touched the thread against the other end of which the fork was sounding; then taking another thread along just as man would take an eX- tra piece Of rope, he ran out to the fork and sprang upon it. But he re- treated little way and looked at the fork. He was puzzled. He had ex- pected to find buzz!ng fly. He got on tho fork again, and danced with delight He had caught the sound of the fly. and it was music to him. Our Young People.
The Springdale news., 1889-12-06
WANTED TO BUY HER.
How tho Shah Intended to Get Possession
 of Mrs. John hiackaY.

of Mrs John hiackay.
 The Shah of Persia would like to buy Mrs. John ". Mackay. At least so runs the story at Newport. The offer was made at d ball given in honor of his Persian Highness at one of the Ambassadorial houses in London. Mrs. Mackay was there with all the rest of the swell world.
 His heather highness is no beauty and his manners are scarcely fascinat- ing. Nevertheless he is representa- tive of the principle of royalty, and royal British matrons, with feeling of devotion always for Kingship, were always throwing themselves in his way and hoping that he might fatter them with some little notice. But he didn't. A brutal candor is one of his characteristics, and there was nothing in the appearance of the women to win his attention. When, however, his eye fell on Mrs Mackay he said something in his own tongue to the Persian Minister, q gentlemanly little man, who has lived in London several years and is very much liked. Mrs. Mackay saw that the little diplomatic actually blushed. Sho was in for lark
 What does the King say?' sho asked.
 The diplomatic avoided an answer.
 The Shah grumbled out some new command.
 Come" said Mrs. Mackay, what Is it?"
 "Woll, /" replied the Minister, "his Majesty wishes to buy you"
 ''Oh, dear me-" cried Mrs. Macllay, laughingly, "tell him l am not for sale"
 The diplomate did so. A shade of disappointment passed over the royal countenance and the diplomatic re- ceived another command.
 Hell him. replied Mrs. Mackay, 'that the lady IS too rich.
 The Minister translated the answer. His royal master, with grunt of dis gust, gave them both scowl and abruptly left them. Cor. Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette.
The Springdale news., 1889-12-06

silent.y throngf t1e bleak lanes and across where the heather bells giowed like H,,ne on the browning #old until the airy, breezy ChacG came to view, which lay between them and the chapel at Oak Lawn.
 The clouds smiled high Grd white with tho deep blue rifts shining through them in long. calm belts, swcetlY gieamiag, as if Heaven smiled complacently down ia un- changing love, in spite of all the tumult- ous sorrows of earth.
 The brown and russet leaves whirled hither, thither, and whirled on before in little ed&ies of death, and Sir Rupert sighed deeply and repeated to himself in a half audible voice: We all do fade as leaf-as . leaf'
 What is it, master2" asked John, think ing that for once in these lonely outings Sir Rupert had deisned to speak and that he had been addressed. So leaning over the seat he repeated eagerly: What is it, master!"
 i've all do fade as leaf, John, and arc forgotten, forgottcu,o repeated Sir Rupert once more, and sighed again.
 The gates of Oak Lawn swung open to admit them, while the solemn-lool1ing sex ton stood respectfully by diyiniag the req son of this visit. He had admitted Miriam Percival Fairfax some months ago, and well, he remembered it; also that there was q message here awaiting the master of Heatherleigh.
 Leaning on the arm of tho trusty John he made Iii way with uncertain faltering step to the family tomb, which seemed to say: Sir Rupert, they are nearly all here nearly all here" as he stopped, weary and faint at it's portals. Poor old manl He took up the spirit echo and murmured; "Yes, nearly all here; all excepting Miriam and those other iff-fated ones and-and me D
 The wind swept up from the sea. signing and whispering in the dark yeWs of the sealed volumes of trouble, pain and tears laid away to molder in their danli shadows, breaking into requien5 for the silent sleep CTS when gusty branches of he.reddenhg oaks were reached. Up through the cen tral passageway= of the grounds boraesed on either hand with aged, weeping elms the restless winds seemed to catch the peaceful inspiration of rest and lost them
The Springdale news., 1889-12-06
HOW BEADS ARE MADE.
Jewels That Are Nothing More Nor Les
 Than Glass.


 Most of the worlds beads are Venetian In the island of Marano thousand work men are devoted to this branch. The first process is to draw the glass into tubes of the diameter of the proposed bead. For this purpose the glass-house at Murano has a kind of rope-walll gallery one hundred and fifty feet long. By gathering various colors from different pots and twisting them into one mass many combinations of color are made. The tubes are carefully sorted by diameters, and clipped into fragments of uniform size. These pieces are stirred in q mixture of sand and ashes, which fills the holes and prevents the sides from closing together when they are heated. They are next placed in a kind of frying-pan, and constantly stirred over a fire until the edges are rounded into globular form. When cool they are shaken in one set of sieves until the ashes are separated, and in another series of sieyes until they are perfectly sorted by sizes. Then they arc threaded by children, tied in bundles and exported to the ends of the earth. France has long produced tho 'pcarl beadso which in the finer forms arc close limitations of pearls. They are said to have been invented by NJ. Jaquin, in 1656. The common variety threaded for ornament is blown from glass tubes. An expert work man can blow five or six thousand globules n day. They are lined with powdered fish scales and filled with wax It takes l6000 fish to make a pound of the scaly es sence of pearl Untll recently the heirs of Jaquin still carried on large factory of these mock-pearls, Tue best of them are blown irregular to counterfeit nature, some in pear shape, others like olives, and they easily pass for genuine.
 Imitation gems formerly employed tho chief attention of the highest arti1ccrs in glass. They are still the chief idea of or namental glass in China. In the ancient and middle ages they circulated every. where without much danger of discovery, and their formulas were held as preclous secrets. Blancourt first published their compositions in lG98 Now they arc com mon property; and with the growth of science in the past century an expert knowledge has become widely dlssemi- mated which easily detects the paste from the real jewel, particularly as the modern false stones are less successful copies than the old glass-makers produced. Moro study IS now given to artificial gems which are true gems being composed of the same materials as the genuine ones, but manu. factured. -Harper's Magazine.
The Springdale news., 1889-12-06

selves in meiodious chants for the dead. Sir Rupert drew his sHtaoat closely about his fraf, shirering form, and heard with sinking heart the dirges for the dead echo ing down the grand old alsles of the ceme= tery as when he heard them ehaHted over Lady Pereival's bier on that awful day; the day when the light and sunshine went out forever for Hcathcrleigh, cclipsed by the shadow of the tomb
 Then he grew vlsibly agitatod, and put ting out his hand clutched the outer iron door to steady himself and gain sufficient composure and caImness of manner, if not of mind, to deceive his attendants as to the nature of his weakness.
 As he did so a piece of paper dropped from it's hiding place in the interstices of the complicated fastening and futtered to his feet.
 John picked it up at his masters bidding and gave it into the trembling, outstretehed palm.
The Springdale news., 1889-12-06
A CURIOUS INDUSTRY.
oo" Leeches Are Bred Farm D,
 voted to Their Culture.

do" Ieeches Are Bred on Farm De-
 voted to Their Culture.
 There is a curious branch of indus %rY followed by certain inhabitants of fhe great marsh lands in the neighbor- hood of Bordeaux, France.
 Some years ago farmer of the dis tfict observed that the lecches native to these marshes attained to a great Size in places where many cattle were turned out to pasture, and more particularly where horses form the principal stock This suggested to him the idea of making leech culture speciality. He had some small capital, and this Ae was shrewd enough to turn to the best advantage. In the first place, he rented tract of marsh, which he divided off into square ponds, surrounded with rail- lngs. The water in these ponds is about fifteen inches deep, and the mud at the bottom of them affords winter quarters for myriads of leeches, which, when the warm sun of spring arouses them from their winter lethargy, come up to the surface very lively, and anx- ioQs for q gorge upon their natural aliment, blood.
 To supply this the leech cultiyator invested q portion of his capital in a drove of old horses, which were bought up by him at an average price of about twenty francs per head. No sooner were these wretehed victims driven into the ponds than they were fastened upon by the#leeches, whose :goraelous instincts were aroused the moment the water became agitated. Instances are not infrequent of horses becoming so exhausted by these in- satiable blood-suckefs as to sink down into the water, where they are some times suffocated before assistance can come to hand.
 The process of catching leeches is a very simple one. It is mostly carried on by young girls and lads, who, dur ing the summer season, enter tho ponds, wearing long, waterproof boots of thick leather, and furnished. each of them, with a sort of camp-stool and canvas bag. Seating them eclNeS III tHc poidS, they dlSlQfO the water with their feet, and immediate ly the leeehes, imagining that horses have plunged into the ponds, swarm around the leeeh-Gahers and fasten greedily upon their boots. Selecting the best-grown #Ieeches, the fishers now pick them=ofT, and pat them into their bags and in this way many thousands are taken by them in the course of a few hours. Tho leeches are then carried homo. and having been culIcd and sorted according to size, arc placed in tubs filled with soft, moist clay, into which they im- mediately burrow. The tubs are then tightly covered with strong, porous canvas, and in this state the leeche5 are taken to markcf.-N. Y. Lcdrer.
The Springdale news., 1889-12-06

destiny. But such an answer does not suf- flee the agonized questioning of my soul to- day. Indeed, this is more than can bear ''
 At the close of this sorrowful letter Mirl- am had written: 'Giye my regards 10 Sir Rupert PercivaL together with my best wishes for his health and-happiness."
 Peggy Clarkson had wept herself sick over the contents of this, the saddest letter she had ever received
 "Only to think she sobbed, while the great tears of loving sympathy rolled down her withered cheek, "on.y to think O1u niyer clasp the wee dariint iu mo arms aein Bad luck to the loikes ov it's old raHfaythur for tho dhriyin' oy em away
 The servants desired to break the news to the master, thinking even at the last he might still repent him of his decision and
The Springdale news., 1889-12-06
An Gxtravagant Child.

Woman Co dog)-Has Fido lost his collar? Well, Fido shall have another collar, so he shall, and to-day. too.
 Nurse (entering) Mrs. De Coureey, little Oracle needs some new shoes very much.
 Woman-For lands sake! that child will have to stay in the house. I can't buy shoes for her every six months. Judge.
The Springdale news., 1889-12-06

Robert Bonner once paid Ten nyson s, GOO for a poem which made only twenty lines in the New York Ledger. This WAS at the rate Of s250 q line, which is price that would al- most seem beyond the value of any written production.
The Springdale news., 1889-12-06
Encouragement That Counts.

Employers IS class are prone, we think not to let their employees know that they value their services; this we believe to be a mistake. The winning man is the man who loves his work, and 10 him who loves hls work there is no encouragement so eucour aging as the assurance that his employ likes him and likes hIs work
The Springdale news., 1889-12-06
- - Nnur Lan nf Glrcnrinn-

Carpenters and other tool-uscrs who keep up with the times now use mixture of glycerine instead of oil for sharpening their edge tools. Oil, as is well known, thlckens and smears the stone. The gIye- erine may be mixed with spirits in greater or less proportion, according as the tools to be sharpened are fine or coarse For the average blade two parts of glycerine to one of spirits will suffice
The Springdale news., 1889-12-06
A Sarcastic Hotel Clerk

Job Hayseed-I s'pose thar's no chance for feIler to get home com- forts at this ere hotel?
 Hotel Clerk (obligingly)-Why, yes, sir; if you'd like to wash at the well in tin basin, and sleep on bed without springs l guess we can fix it all right.-Texas Siftings.
The Springdale news., 1889-12-06

To tell when jams and suarmalade are sufficiently cooked, test by taking out little on d saucer and let 1t cool. II no juice gathers about it, it is safe to conclude that 1t is thoroughly dona
The Springdale news., 1889-12-06
April f2 IS.

thing of it's contents took the paper re luctanuy and read in clear, modulated tones:
 April 12, !s-.
 ''rhis is the last letter I shall lndict 10 a relative; even now l am talking to one who can mako no response, as by these few lines l am saying farewell to my blessed dead-aH ] have left to talk to. Mother, l have been al Hcatherlegh for the last time, think; gloom ily-dcsolated Heatherleigh! l imagine up in the shining courts of your beautiful home you may still remember it. but certainly not for any good.
 'T have forfeited all right to its doors, mother, you dreaded l would before you passed away, and the respect of its master my father, has gone with it. In all this have Q0t sinncd, as God is my judgel
 The condemnation 1 have to bear have not merIted by word or deed nevertheless l have it to bear Oh! that I could have q ed with thee; then the heartaches and tears would have been unknown that now fill my bitter cup to the brim.
 'Ican return to the Hall, mother if beg for forgiveness and ask pardon for the course saw fit to take, but I, too, am q Pcrciyal, and will never humble myself enough to ask for giyeness of one of ny own kin simply to ia- dulge that hated austerity that curses my house.
 "A few hours ago I bade them all goodbye, and looked my last on the paternal face full of furious pr de and naughty severity. Now am here, mother, besile the tomb of my ancas- tors; here where you arc resting. But I shall not have the privilege of lying with you when the shadows fall across my sun, for even the repose of my dead kindred is denied me. My lot has fallen with the dis sinherted, and brand ed as Cain I seek the strangers home Tn Q strange land
 Rest ye! darling mother. The boom of the seas will roll between us and you will not know the fate of your heart-broken child, unless you can see from the region above the stars andloVe and pity me from the gates to which trust to shortly come. Yet, mother, it is well. MIRIAM PERCGvAL FAIRFAx'
 The sexton had finished reading the strange, weird epistie, and in such place it seemed entirely in keeping with the sad, soul-communion with the dead.
 Sir Rupert, who had kept his eyes riyeted on the lips of the reader from the beginning, with wild, unearthly stare and shriel1 staggered back into the arms of the whitehead coachman and lay quite still for some moments, giving but little sign of consciousness.
 The frightened John held his master tenderly in his arms, as if he had been a sleeping child, while the sexton chafed the withered hands and face to hasten return ing animation.
 ''I expected this" he said to the fearful servant. Il looked for hIm to find that let ter. Yes" he went on, as John shot an in- quiring glance at him, Il knew it was here. You sec Mrs. Fairfax visited Oak lawn last spring, and she desired me to ac- company her in the grounds as she left the boy outside with the carriage.
The Springdale news., 1889-12-06
CHAPTER KY.

Sir Rupert spread out it's long-folded length on his hand, gazcd intently at the ehirography for some time, apparently try ing to dceipher it's contents. Not making it out satis sfactorily, he handed it to the sex ton who stood watching him, and said, hur- riedly: Read it to me, will youE'
 The quiet sexton, having an idea of some thing of it's contents, took the paper re luctantly and read in clear, modulated tones:
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-10

from service in England great many OF
them kept their fondness for these light and
comfortable little garments; but at no time
did they rise to the distinction and dignity
Of the old-time clawhammer. Now that
they have started here, however, there will
be no stopping them Tor the next five years.
1t is a curious thing, by the way, that
there Is no diminution of this Anglomaniac
craze. 1t is not quite true that the absurd
and silly imitators of the English are Begin
ming to drive on the left-hand side of the
way, but they are certainly pushing the
craze for British manners, intonation and
clothes to an absurd point.
AMERICAN CADs,
For instance, few days ago, went to a
breakfast at Delmonico's where no less than
four out OF seven men wore single glasses.
Two of the men are from Philadelphia, and
1t transplred In the course of a talk that
they had none Of them crossed the ocean. I
do not ever remember to have been in a
crowd of half dozen men in London where
as many as three or four affected
the single glass. A great many
men who are near sighted over
there, carry thick glass in their waistcoat
pockets, and peer through it when they wish
to see at distance; but they do not attach
string to the monocle or wear it for any
other purpose than that of convenience.
The glass over there is by no means as COM
mon as people usually suppose. Bad actors
and queer specimens of the genus swell in
America are the only ones who keen up the
absurd affectation. In England and France,
men often carry a glass when they wear
evening dress, merely as means of decora,
ton apparently.
The present stage of Anglomania in New
York is not particularly attractive. The
men have the surliness of the English with
out the solidity or good nature. 1t is too
much on the surface. Englishmen are curt
and reserved in public because they are
always afraid of the presumption of q class
or grade lower than the one they chance to
be born in. They are always on guard in
public. From the keeper of public house
to prince of the blood there is always the
same stern and unrelenting endeayor to
keep the man below from climbing mn
Hence the heavily fortified armor of snob-
berry and austerity. This manner the New
York Anglomaniac has succeeded in copy
ing, but the cardinal mistake he makes is in
not knowing when to throw it all off. That
is where there is such difference between
the British snob and the New York imitator.
No matter how austere an Englishman NAV
be in public, the instant that one is alone
with him and he is fully satisfied that you
have right to be in his house he is genial,
frank and hospitable Not so the Anglo
maniac. He is cad first, foremost and for
ever. Now that think of it doubt if he
is even worth writing about.
BLAKELY HALL.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-10
THE OPEN WINTER OF 1916.
II LASTED Twelve Months and There Was No
Summer.


Omaha world.1
1.-THE open winter" of 1SSS-'S9 will have a
companion when the history of the century
is writers. The year 1916 enjoved an "open
winter" during the entire IL months, being
frequently referred to by cotemporaneous
writers as ''the year without summer"
All through the settled portions of the
United States there was frost in every
month, crops were ruined and farmers
called it the year OF Eighteen hundred and
starve to DEATH" Snow fell in November
of 1915, but there was none in December or
January to speak of. Christmas and New
Year were warm. open and green" and
faithful to the old saw that ga green Christ
mas makes fat churchyard." The old
people predicted all sorts Of dire calamiuies.
and the results would Justify it. January
was very mild month, the sun shone every
day, and little snow that fell hardly COW
cred the earth and soon melted.
People prepared for great storms and ex-
treme cold weather in February, but were
disappointed, as it was even milder than
January. Toward the end of the month and
during the first days of March a terrible
storm ragged and gave place to cold and
boisterous winds. The weather in January
was repeated in April, but grew colder as
the days passed, ending with snow and ice
and very low temperature. In MAY ice
formed an inch thick on the rivers and
streams, buds and flowers were frozen, and
the entire corn crop was killed. Frost, ice
and snow were common in June, and all
attempts to raise vegetable products failed
The condition of the farmers is described as
being desperate, and they were compelled
to hoard their crops of the year preceding
and necessitated a big increase in prices.
Almost everything was killed, and the fruit
was nearly all destroyed.
July was accompanied with frost and ice.
The 4th was cold and clustering wind,
raw and uncomfortable, swept the entire
Atlantic coast. On the following day ice
was formed of the thickness of window glass
in New York City, all through New En-
gland, and in Pennsylvania. In August
ice half an inch thick was frequently seen.
September and October presented the near
est approach of summer weather than any
other month in the year, but in November
extreme cold weather began, and a severe
winter continued up to April, when summer
began, and permitted the farmers to realize
bounteous crops
The same condition of affairs existed in En-
gland as in this country, only it was not so
severe. In central New York it is stated
corn was so badly frozen in the summer
that 1t was cut down and dried for fodder.
The warm weather in January so encour-
aged Vermont farmer that he planted corn,
and In fact some of it was in good condition
during March. Farmers were compelled
to pay "a or S5 bushel for the corn of 1915
for feeding purposes.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-10

I'm new or old, Pm hot or cold,
/ travel DER the land;
I'm up, or down low on the ground,
Mid rocks, or mud or sand.
From sea to sea. where dwellings be,
surely may be found;
But oftener in the cities din.
Where busy scenes abound.
Sad changes come in every home,
But change to me is mild;
Instead of steel I'm cloth you feel,
An apron on child.
In ancient days. the poet says,
helped bedeck the fair;
The lovely bride, with queenly pride,
Then wore me on her hair.
But now we find I'm used to bind
With all my might and main;
Upon the rail help to trail
The heavy loaded train.
NJ c. WooDFoRD.