davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18
Jamaica Lore.

The island negro is full of legends,
stories, and quaint proverbs. 1t is a
pity that they should never have been
regularly collected and recorded, for
the race of the old time housc-slave
woman, who held her audience breath
less with the wonderful doings of
"Anancy" and his wife ''Crooky" and
a son, Tacoma, is now almost
passed away. All of the strange. out
of-the-way phenomena of tropical ma
ture are alive with suggestions of the
supernatural and the mysterious to the
negro mind.
AT various parts of the island are
subterranean rivers that here and there
make a sudden appearance, to run
swiftly for few miles, and then to dis
appear again in the bowels of the earth.
In places the water appears only in cir.
cular sink-holes, always trimming but
never overlooking. even in the wet
season, or never diminishing even in
the dry, In one of the mountain fast
nesses a negro pointed out to me such
a gloomy pool, with neither inlet nor
outlet. To him it was the habitation
of some monstrous subaqueous creature
named ''Croomie." He told me that
nobody dared even go near the margin.
for "Croomie" would catch him and
pull him under. / could gather moth
ing from him but the bare facts, for
when pressed him for further detail
concerning "Croomie's" character and
habits. he evidently took my questions
for covert ridicule, and withdrew him.
self into the shell of non-comprehen-
sion.
In their peculiar dialect the negroes
possess fund of quaint saws and pro-
verbs. Alligator lay eggs. but him
no fowl" says one. Fishermen never
say him fish think" says another. Re-
ferring to the land-crab, Little crab
hole spoil big race-horse." Some of
these quaint sayings show not only the
keen insight of the scmi-savage into the
characteristics of the voiceless creation.
but also wonderfully sly and cunning
knowledge of the weakness of poor
human nature.
duck and fowl feed togedder, but
no roost togedder." when man dead,
grass grow at him door" Dog run
for him character, pig run for him
life" Hungry dog eat cockroach."
Man bit by snake, him run away
from lizard" Such are few of the
many score Of the like sayings that
pass current from mouth to mouth OF
the merry black island prasantry.-
HoiOard Pyle, ia Harper's Magazine.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18
Private Gorman's Plan.

We hand in our company very
conceited young man named German.
says a writer in the N. Y. Sun. and
from the day he shouldered n musket
he was anxious to invent a plan to
save the country. He had someV-here
read that private soldier gave Napo-
leon the plan of successful campaign
and was rewarded by being made a
general. and his whole time was taken
up in inventing plans, all of which
were knocked in the head by our cap
tain. One failure after another had
no dampening effect on Private Cor
man, however. The more he was sup
pressed the harder he thought and his
time finally came. When Burnside
moved up to attack at Fredericksburg
German wrote him letter, saving
that he had plan by which Lees
whole army could be driven into Rich
mond in terror or captured without
bloodshed, The letter was put in such
strong language that the general de-
cided to investigate, and Private Cor
man was sent for to explain his plan.
He came back to us prisoner, and
was kept in the guard-houSe all that
winter, and it was three months be-
fore we got chance 10 find out what
had happened at headquarters.
He explained that he was ushered
into the presence of Gen. Burnside
with ceremony. identified myself as the
writer of the letter. aud the general
wheeled on him with:
We'll, how would you scatter Lees
armyP"
Easiest thingin the world. general"
was the unbashed reply. wait, for a
dark night; then let 10000 soldiers
dress up as spooks, put on false faces
and cross over the river. Each one is
to step softly, groan every few seconds,
and if accosted he is to answer that no
is the ghost of a soldier slain at Bull
Run. The sight of these spooks. will
strike terror to every rebels heart, and
he will either Fly or surrender. If this
don't work /"
But he got no further. He said that
the general booted him out of the tent.
1t was a sudden and radical cure, and
he spent no more time planning great
campairns
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18
Feeding Canary Birds.

A good many people don't know how
to take care of canary birds, and l,
therefore. give them the following adj
vice which l got from a bird-fancier:
"Never give your bird sugar, or figs,
or raisins, or anything sweet, except
a small piece of sweet apple (peeled)
twice week. Put the apple in the
cage in the morning and take it out
at night. 1t should have all the rape
and canary seed it wants and gravel
should be kept at the bottom of the
cage. Avoid feeding the bird celery.
Twice week feed it on one-third of a
boiled egg. using both the white and
the yellow of the egg. Crate up the
egg; that is better than putting it In
whole. Give it the egg the day before
it gets the apple and rs large a piece
of the former as of the latter. Let
it have bath every other day,
using water with the chill taken off,
-ED0ch.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18
Shaking Hands With a Lion.

In recent English autobiography,
"Reminiscences of a Literary and Cler-
ical Life" the author mentions one OF
his exploits as q schoolboy. A travel
ing managerie once came to town, and
gave IAN evening performance, redol-
ent with gas and orange peel" and the
schoolboy was there.
The menagerie was especially famous
for its lions. They were indeed noble
beasts, but crowded together in travel
ing vans, where their discomfort was
not likely to improve their tempers.
All round the vans ran a rope-chain to
keep everybody at reasonable dis
lance from the claws and beaks of the
wild animals. managed to smuggle
myself under this rope undetected by
the keepers.
A magnificent old lion lay stretched
at full length, with one paw outside his
den. A sudden thought struck me
that it would be fine thing to shake
hands with that lion. 1t was by nc
means the sort of thing to be done
every day. 1t would place me in q
proud position among the boys of the
town.
III a. VI but
top of the Outstretched paw. 1t was
soft and somewhat velvety, and the
lion lay perfectly still, appearing not te
mind me in the least.
1t Is not unlikely that 1 might
have gone on to complete the opera.
ton of Misunderstanding. but all at once
felt the cut of a whip across my face.
started back with the pain and
looked round. At that instant the
keeper came up and spoke to me very
civilly. He was very sorry to have
hurt me, he said, but in all probability
the lion would have torn my hand off,
and this was the only way of making
me start back.
/ did not feel so grateful to the mar
at that moment as / have done evei
since Youths Companion.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18
TAaANTuLA AGAINST cENTlPEDE.
Some Interesting Battles Between VEN
omous and Ferocious Creatures.

One afternoon last week there was
an interested crowd of amusement
seekers in and in front of the large side
windows of Knox e. Van Haren's drug
store. Several days before two cent?
pedes. one large and the other small.
were brought into the store, and also
tarantula. They were left in sep
arate receptacles, and all alive.
On this particular afternoon Il was
determined to see how the animals
would act when placed together. A
layer of sand, about an inch thick. was
spread over the bottom of glass
globe, and first the two centipedes were
dropped in and then a horned toad.
His majesty with the horns took no
part In the trouble which disturbed the
other two. He seemed to be acting
simply as the referee of the fight. The
two centipedes crawled over him and
rolled over him. but hardly awakened
his sleepy nature.
Not so the others. They circled two
or three times around the globe and
finally came in each others way. Each
desired to crawl over the other and the
battle began. 1t was short but 1t was
exciting. No two pugilists ever went
after each other with more vim or more
apparent determination to do each 9TH
er harm than did these two centipedes.
Their eatike claws were repeatedly
Embedded in each others bodies, but
the smaller one could not stand the
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18
Negro officers.

In the early regiments recruited
from the slaves OF the southern states
nothing was at first greater obstacle
than the unwillingness of the ignorant
blacks to be subjected to one another.
Not only had the commissioned otii-
GERS to be taken from the white rae.
but in some cases the scrgeants ;,rre
similarly appointed, and it was only
very gradually that the colored sol.
dier could be brought to obey any one
of their own race. II don't want him
to play the white man ober me-" was
the frequent protest. BY degrees they
came TO understand that they were moi
to obey their officers by reason of color,
but because they were officers, and
then they gradually learned to take
pride In having sergeants and corporals
of their own hue.-Harper's Bazdr.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18

AN ICELANDER'S HOME IN THE TIGER HILLS
stances: Skapti Arason, settled in 1891, CAPT
tai at time Of starting 500; now worth $1,000.
Pail Arnason, settled 1897 without means
now worth $l400 Thorstein Jousson, settled
in 1891, capital $40; which is now increased
to $3.50 Bjorn Walterson homesteaded ip
1888, capital $50; now worth $4,000. nigh
cite a score OF other cases equally favorable
but enough has been said to illustrate tn
wealth of the soil, and what it will give to TIN.
worker. Wherever went through the settle
ment saw evidences of the remarkable sue
cess Of these people, who had come from the
far frozen North. / co Id not help feeling that
IL these people, poor in this worlds goods
coming from a country foreign to our own,
and where the conditions of farming are SC
dissimilar, had been so emiuently successful
how much greater should be the progress Of
those moving from the older provinces o,
c NADIA or from English speaking countries
I was assured by the Icelandic agent, that
without exception, the colonists in tina
settlement were we'll satisfied with their lands
positions and prospects.
We spent two days driving through tn
country adjoining, Pelican, Lorne, Louise
Rock and Killarney Lakes. / can safely say
that q more beautiful section OF country
bordering these Lakes it has not fallen to my
lot before to visit This section is the very
beau ideal of farming country, possessing
rich soil of great depth and an abundance OF
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18
Dispositions on Tap.

It would be an enormous advantage
to humanity if we could buy or hire
dispositions. Millionaires would keep
a stock of all kinds and hang them in a
wardrobe as they do clothes. When
you wanted 60 to a wedding. for in
stance, you would go and put the APP
propriate disposition on with your dress
suit. You would have a disposition
for all kinds of occasions, and you
could adjust yourself to any circum-
stances, iocose or sad. But you would
have to be careful. For instance. if
you put on your wedding disposition to
go TO funeral there might be trouble;
it would not be SO bad if you put on
your funeral disposition to go to we'd
ding. People would think you were
sad about the girl getting married. as
a result of your own experience, if you
were married; because she was not
marrying you, If you were not. 1t
would not do to 60 to high tea with
your prize-tighting disposition, either;
and it would wrench your high tea dis
position to go to 20 prizc-hght with
it. A great many men would not go
home and change their disposition
alter business any more than they
change their clothes.
There, Mary" a fellow would say
to his wife when they were settled at
the opera. IL quite forgot to change
my disposition. aud have my lawsuit
one on. l might rs we'll go home"
What are you home so early for,
Johnp" the anxious wife would remark
when her husband came home early in
the afternoon.
Got some fellows from Chicago to
entertain. Where did you hang my
jovial jag the last time came homer"
II hung it out to air. You'll find it
in the back yard-still little moist
San francisco Chronicle.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18
Putting IL TO the Test

Faith in the friendship of others is q
very good thing to have, but 1t is not
always strengthened by the unexpected
guise that friendship occasionally as.
sumes. A young versitier, upon sub
hitting one of his productions to hi:
older and less dreamy roommate, was
asked. the verses having been read with
great care:
did you write this stuff"
yes"
"Where will you send FTP"
ITO Mr.. Blank. He's the editor
of the W--Ddiiy Journal / send il
to- him because he is an old friend Of
my fathers"
''All right. I'm glad you're going tc
send it to Blank. Perhaps, for your
fathers sake, he will decline to print
it."-Hdrper's Magazine.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18


wood, hay and water. II Is well served with
railways; at no point is the farm more than
fifteen miles from market-town on rail
way. When TO this is added the fact that tn,
lakes are we'll stocked with fish and water
fowl, and the bluffs and hills with game in
great variety it Is not TO be wondered at, tina
the farmers are contented and happy and fee
that their lines have fallen In pleasant places
At Killarney enquired what chances Their
we're for obtaining land and learned that al
the homesteads or free grant lands had beer
taken up, but the Canadian Pacific Railway
Company had still lot of valuable lands foi
sale to actual settlers, at prices, which con
sidering they are situated in such n we'll set
tied district, seemed 10 mo 10 be low viz.
from 81 to 81 an acre, especially, taking into
consideration the easy terms OF payment
one-tenth of the purchase money In cash. i
was somewhat surprised that thei o was any
land left to by. Improved farms can also
be purchased at fair figures There are al
ways a number OF farmers In any distric,
fitable, or who have the roaming fever.
Such are always ready TO sell out and NOV,
farther west. II seemed to me that q man
with some means moving into Manitoba in
the spring would be well advised II he bought
out one Of these farmers. He would save
season, as his house is already built to receive
his family, and he need not lot n day pas
before putting In a crop. BY this means he
win be able to pay his way from the start and
will be from one 10 two years ahead OF the
nan who takes up or purchases wild land
PEN AND PLoueH.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18
An Important Discovery.

We have reasons to believe that .
discovery Of equal importance to New
Testament scholars with that which
gave Codex Aleph to the world has just
been made. The rumor current in
well-informed quarters credits the new
find to Bryennois, the learned Arch
bishop of Nicomedia. The completion
of the Epistle Of Clement Of Rome, and
the unique manuscript of the Teaching
of the Apostles have made him famous
far discoveries even in this age of dis
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18

was at a morning wedding n few
days ago with very pretty and dash
ing girl who only year ago had re
fused the man who was on that day to
wed another. AS she moved up the
aisle an usher stopped her aud said
Pardon me; are you member Of the
familyP" ~ @
No" she answered, 81 am not; but, y
she added 'give me good seat, for
might have been."-M Y. Truth.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18

Postmaster-General Wanamaker wa,
once proprietor and editor Of q news
paper. When he was IS years old h,
started an amateur journal in Phila.
delphia. He obtained a hundred sub
scribers at the start and when the
journal passed away year later il,
circulation had somewhat increased.
The sheet bad advertisements. editor
ials, and poems. all of which were the
work Of the proprietor.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18
An Orange Wrapper.

Some genius has invented . ma
chine for wrapping oranges that does
the work of three men. He says il can
wrap $500 oranges in one hour.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18

The glass works Mt Kokomo. Ind.
claim TO have cast the largest sheet oil
plate glass ever produced in the United
States. 1t covers us sSRsr, feet and
weighs aS2 IL poaaas
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18

Winnipeg men hailing from every part OF
the prairie province, each of whom takes
delight in expatiating on the advantages or
bis own particular district and the best route
10 take TO see it. Whether the representative
of Southern Manitoba was the best talker, or
whether he had really more variety OF scene
and peoples to offer me, am unable to say,
but was won over to his side, and concluded
TO take drive through the Lake District OK
Southern Manitoba.
Leaving Winnipeg at noon, by the train
on the Manitoba South Western Railway,
we had most enjoyable trip to Glenboro,
the terminus of the road there
easily completed my arrangements to drive
south through the country lying between
that town and the South Western Branch
of the Canadian Pacific Railway, with
the intention of taking the train back to
Winnipeg from Killarney. ] visited n num-
Der Of the wel-to-do farmers in this vicinity.
One a Mr. Davidson, who had 400 acres under
cultivation, informed me that he had succeed
ed beyond his expectation. That with the
exception Of two seasons he had always had
an average of over thirty bushels of wheat to
the acre, oats about fifty. II is no uncom-
mon thing to find farmers in the GlenbOro
District who have over two hundred acres in
crop, and who confirmed NJ. Davidson's testi-
mony as to the high yield obtained from the
rich black soil for which this country is noted.
Leaving the lower land our drive took VI
out through the Tiger Hills, whore had an op
porturity of seeing how foreigners succeed.
There is in this section a large settlement OF
IcelanderS Most of these people when they
landed in Winnipeg had hardly a dollar OF
capital after defraying their expenses out
from Iceland. 1t was hard to reconcile then
statements as to their early struggles in Mani
toba when they were unacquainted with the
English language aud the ways of the
country, with the afiiuent position
In which found them. As an illustration OF
of their success let me mention few in
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18
SOUTHERN MANITOBA.
THE IMPRESSIONS OF A VISITOR TO
THE LAKE DISTRICT.

IeeIanders who Eavo Made Happy Homes
I'm she Tiger HiiIs-Lots OF Fishing In
Their waters-Farmer's who Have tho
Roaming Fever and Move Further West.
Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-04-18

aving a day or two to
spare in my transcon-
tinental trip by the
Canadian Pacific Rail-
way, / decided to stop
over at Winnipeg with
the view of seeing
part Of the Province
Of Manitoba. Several
sections Of the country
were mentioned to me
as points well worthy
of inspection. The
traveller is almost
,'cartain to meet in
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1890-01-03
aNisGeltameous.
THE CopYIsT.

boy, put on some morc conl
..Yes, sir
s'And--do you hear tax 3, this packet
OF papers around to Penn Il Inks and
ask EN- what they menn by sending me
such blotted piece Of work y
Yes, sir" anu G,im evidently pr
ferring the snow-freighn air nnJ
perry sidewalks Of the oils Wort
close little law office, darted
arrow out oil n bow
Mr.. Perkins took out fresh
Of quill pens and quire Of legal 10
zap and bcgar to work in good earnest,
wheff. all ol-u Sudden, atap came to his
Office door.
.Come in said Mr. Perkins, 10 a
voice that sounded considerably more
like 'clcar out, and young lady
entered, dressed in currant-colorod me-
rino, with little plumed hat md 3
neat looking Hat satohe on her arm
Il haven't anything 10 give said
Mr.. Perkins, sternly
The young lady eat dpgn uninvited,
und then Mr.. Perkins saw that she was
very pretty
- vas tot begging, sir, she said
May ask, then, wllnt was your
business :, said Mr.. Perkins, more frig-
idly than ever.
The young Indy took II parcel from
her bag.
II don't want to buy anything said
Mr. Perkins.
! was not selling, SIR, said the
lady.
'Please explain your business at
once said be, tartly. II have no time
to spare !.
aPleasc allow me to do so, then"
saiJ the young lady. II was soliciting
subscriptions for
i lon't want to subscribe hastily
interrupted Mr. Perkins.
How do you know whether you do
Or not, inquired the young lady with
some spirit, until you have seen the
work. at least 9
Mr.. Perkins smiled little. She was
brusqae, but he didn't altogether dis
like that And besides. she was de-
cldedly original.
Because there have been at least
three Of your craft before you this morn
ing said he, '.all selling illustrated
Lives Of Great Men.
but mine is quite different. Mine
is Careers OF Famous Women, with
Steel Plate Engravings, persisted the
young lady
your business Is ovcrcrowded, said
Mr.. Perkins No, you needn't take
the trouble 70 show me tho book Why
don't you do something elsey
@Will you tell me what" said the
young lady, dcspairiDgly. "Will you
help me to get anything whereby niay
support myself?'
What can do =
That Is what everybody sys, she
answered, ''and between you ~ ! should
starve. You are n lawyer WI " =
give me some law copyingY
"Can you write clear and ieglble
hand r Mr. Perkins asked
The young lady sat boldly down at a
desk by the chimney piece. y
'rll show you what ] caa d.. said.
Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1890-01-03

-
suddenly, because she was. \
fancy work /"
Aud besides, added Edith !.
1 belle. ii really aud truly wasn't III
fault because Walter chose to make .yes
at her.
Don't use such vulgar expressions.
my dear said the mamma. ''Sbe was
pert, bold-faced thing, and would hnvc
eloped with your dear brother il she
had remained 10 tho house another week.
And | told her so, pretty plainly, TOO I!
What's that? The postman ? Give mo
the letters at once, Edith Rosabclle r
Somebody has sont us wedding
cards, cried the youngest hope Of The
family of Molyneux Martin Open ii,
mamma, quick, and let as soc who they
are from"
Mrs Molyneux Martin hastily tore
open the envelope, aud giving one
glance at It's contents, fell backward
with historical scream.
Elisha Perkins," she shreked -,
"Girls, its your uncle! Alas, my poor
disinherlted pets y
For Mrs. M0lyneux Martin had e,lu-
Gated her daughters in tho full belief
that each and every one Of thom was Ii,
DO an beiress in the right OF Uncle
elisha Perkins money
But, mammu, who's the bride2 Who
lias he married ? You don't tell Us Che
name persisted Katharine, who was
endowed with u goody spice OF Mother
Ewes bequest
II don't know don tcarc r sereal
ed Mrs, Molyneux Martin, tappiig tho
soles of her slippered feet on the sarpet
In way that threatened yet mors vio
lent attack Of Mysteries.
"Pick up tho cards, Kathic, and
look, urged Edith RosabeIlc.
Amy Arcfdele.' she read out loud.
"Why, ma, its the gogernoss y1a si-s--
charged. f.s car Miss Arehdalas
The old fool r. slirisked Mrs. sioiy-
ncux Martin. ITO go and marry . girl
young enough to be bis grand daughter
Well, that caps the climax"
"You forget ma, said Edith Rosa
belle, "Uncle ElisLa's only two yenrs
older than you are. I've heard you say
80 lots Of times
"lIold your tongue, you ungratefnl.
pndaiiful daughter = ejaculated MRS.
Molynenx Martin. s'l'll never speak l.,
him again r
But she did Sober second thought
convinced her that il was better to sub
nit 10 tho inevitable, and she was one
Of the first 10 eall on Mr.. and Mrs.
Elisha Perkins in the elegant brown
stone house that the lawyer had bought
and furnished for his bride
And perhaps one If the most trias.
plant moments Of Amy ArchdaIc's lilo
was that in which she extended gra-
cious aud patronizing greeting to the
woman who had turned her out Of doors
scarcely three months before.
Things do balance themselves even-
y ia this world. If one only has p ssieneo
and faith TO wait, she said to h'F hus-
band
II