davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10
Toad versus Snake.

heard the latest snake story, yester-
day, and as it was about a Mexican
snake, and so far away that no one can
verify it, l shall venture to repeat it.
Come to think of it, the story is toad
story, although snake was the victim,
so it may be all right. 1t was told by
William Cooper the onyx miner, in
about this language: ~ have heard and
seen many strange things in the forests
of Mexico and had heard of toads that
would fight snakes, but never expected to
see one, until one day heard rustling
in the underbrush and saw small snake,
about two feet long, hurrying along as if
in fear. Not five PAGES behind it a toad
was making furious leaps to keep up with
the snake. | stopped to watch them.
The toad gained on the snake, and the
latter suddenly stopped and coiled up,
with its jaws wide open, while it shot out
its tongue and twisted the head back and
forth in an excited manner. Then l
noted that 1t had long head and was
capable of swallowing pretty good
sized morsel. The toad did not seem
worried by the snakes attitude, but kept
right on, and | said to myself, as l saw it
jump sIralSnU aI INC reptlie, '0oou ny,
toad The toad's head went right down
the snakes throat, and the snake rolled
out full length and gradually swallowed
the toad. | could see the toads form in
side the snakes skin rs it passed down
into the snakes stomach Having pulled
out cigar and lit it, L had spent nearly
an hour watching this operation when l
noticed the snake beginning to writhe,
and on looking closer saw that the toad
must be alive inside, for it was evidently
kicking and distending its legs, and
presently had spread the snakes body
widely. heard little noise like a pop
gun, and there was Mr.. Toad and a
busted snake. The toad had broken out
of his confinement, and the snake was
dying. Twas told by the Indians that
the sight is not at all an uncommon one."
t n. Y. Press.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10

legibly that "silnple men, if they could
read at all, could understand them. If
"The Newe Testamente'' in Mr.. Willett's
possession is fair sample of these works,
and doubtless 1t is, writing at that period
must have been elevated into fine art.
The book is about deny octave in size,
some eight inches by five inches. 1t con-
tains some 200 or $50 leaves of parchment,
and these are of such uniform thinness
as to be easily mistaken for ordinary
paper. The title page of the book is
wanting. The contents do not run
throughout in the same order as the mod
ern New Testament, though commencing
with the Gospels and the Apocalypse.
This latter is entitled the "Apocalips of
Joon," and the Acts as eye Dedis of
Apostalis." The divisions of the text
throughout the work are simply
indicated by colored initial letters !;
and the verses are not numbered,
the writing being continuous. After
the Apocalypse follow some helps to re-
ligion, such as the first lines of the Ten
Commandments and the Seven Virtues
these again are succeeded by table of
lessons for Sundays, Wednesdays, and
Saints Days throughout the year, an ex-
ceedingly beautiful specimen of arrange
ment and of black letter writing. The
pages of the Testament itself are divided
into two columns each containing about
forty lines. These lines are throughout
equi-distant, and the letters are so adj
mirably shaped and so uniform in size
that, at first glance, they might be re-
garded as ordinary printing. The writ
ing was evidently Systematically done 4;
and one gets a clue to this from the fact
that preceding the matter in the book is
a page lightly but accurately ruled ready
to be written upon. The division between
the two columns in each page is about a
quarter of an inch in width and this ap-
pears to have been made to afford space
for the display of the beautiful initial
letters, which, drawn in violet ink
with red ink ornamentations, run
throughout the work. And wonderful
specimens of penmanship these initial
letters are; each, in fact, is work of art
There would seem to be but few errors in
the transcription. In the seventh chapter
of the Apocalypse, two omissions appear
at tho side of the page Possibly the
transcriber, nearing the close of his work,
was a little tired ifso, his previous labors
should secure for him absolution
There are no indications in the book of
its respective possessors during its long
existence. On one of the fly leaves at the
end is written, in modern handwriting,
''See Lewis's History of this Translation
of the Bible, p. g. See Stripes Memori-
ais. Ed. 6. b. l. C. 90 On another,
evidently of earlier date, "Some of the
ruder Papists have affirmed that the Scrip
lures were not in our mother tongue be-
fore d. Luther's time, but this book tes-
titieth on the contrary. Queen Catherine
Tudor, the last wife Of King Henry VIII.
caused Erasmus paraphrase to be trans
lated into English; Queen Mary herself
translated into English Erasmus para
phrase upon st. John. 1.-THE Brighton
Herald, Eng.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10

Humming-Bird NestIings.

In the A,tk Mr.. William Brewster re-
cords some novel and interesting obser.
vations upon mother humming- bird
and her young. The two eggs were
hatched on the 4th OF July in a gentle
mans garden in Concord, Mass, and
Mr.. Brewster was taken to the nest
three days afterwards. The young
birds We're then almost as large as the
mother, although they did not leave the
nest until exactly two weeks old.
The little ones bills were about q
quarter of an inch long-not half as
long as the bill of an adult bird of the
same species. Mr.. Brewster took po-
sition of about ten yards from the nest,
and with strong field-glass watched it
for about two hours.
During the time the mother visited
the nest about three times. At her
first coming she fed the young, and af-
ter brooding them for forty-five minutes
buzzed about in the tree-not once leav-
ing it for about minute. Then she
returned to the nest and fed the young
again, and one of them twice in success
sion.
Immediately afterward she flew off
out of sight and was absent sixteen
minutes. At the end of this time she
came directly to the nest, fed each
young bird once, brooded both for six
minutes, and then flew away again, and
did not return while Mr.. Brewster re-
mained.
Her manner of feeding her offspring
was as follows: Alighting on the edge
of the nest, her tail pressed firmly
against its outer side in the manner of a
wood-pecker, her hody erect, she first
looked nervously around, then thrust at
least three-quarters of the total length
of her bill down between the upraised
open mandibles of the young bird.
Next she shook her head vigorously as
if disgorging something; then, with
their bills glued tightly together, both
birds remaided for several seconds per-
fectly immovable save for a slight
rapid pulsating Or quivering motion OF
the mothers throat.
The actual contact of the bills lasted
once four seconds, once six seconds, and
twice eleven seconds, the time being
taken with a stop watch. The father
bird did not appear at all. The young
were perfectly silent. The mother in
brooding them kept moving restlessly
about as if she were trampling on
them.
The close and prolonged contact..oi
the bills, the shaking of the mothers
head, the subsequent quivering of hei
throat, and, above all, the fact that af'
ter sitting on the nest for nearly an
hour she fed the young second time
without leaving the tree, convinced MIR.
Brewster that the humming-bird, like
the pigeon, transfers partially digested
food from her own crop to the crop oi
her nesting.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10
Relic of Serpent Worship.

A huge serpent mound has been discov-
cred in the Carthage road between
Quincy and Carthage, H., by the Rev.
S. d. Peet. A clearly defined rattlesnakc
lies coiled along the ground following the
line of the bluff Its entire length is
1,450 feet. The ridge has been ploughed
down until it is now only two or three
feet above the surface, but the outlines
are still plainly discernible. The mounds
at the coils of the serpent are ten or
twelve feet high. The specific dimen-
sions are six hundred feet from the head
to the coils; the coils occupy space
three hundred feet in length and are
made up of four distinct mounds 100 feet
apart. From the coils to the rattle of
the snake is 450 feet, and there are three
rattles occupying space of 100 feet. The
serpent lays north and south, a straight
line drawn through it showing defec-
tion to the east of fifty feet near the head
and seventy-five feet near the tail. Mr..
Peet explored one of the mounds. and
few feet below the surface found the re-
mains of five persons, but he does not
think that these are the remains of the
serpent worshipers, which he thinks are
buried deeper. He will make further
explorations.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10
THE GENUS BOY.
HOW One of Them Amused Hig Father
with His Classification.

HOW One of Them Amused Hig Father
with His Classification.
The men of science, who spend much
Of their time in classifying the objects
of the natural world, are not the only
people who feel the need of thorough
classification in their most important
affairs. Unsystematic knowledge is
only kind of half-knowledge There
is classification everywhere, and boys,
it seems, are "classiicationists" in their
way as well as botanists and zoolo'
gists.
"You say" said Mr. Brown to his
son Jack, that Mr.. Perkins has son
in your school. How old boy is he ?"
"Oh, he's only young kid, papa"
"A young kid! About how old is q
young kid now?"
Bout six or seven"
what is 10y after he is done being
young kid'?"
"Oh, then he gets to be kid"
"What after that?"
well, he's kid until he gets to be
about thirteen, and then he's young
feller, if he's pretty big"
"None but good-sized boys can be
young fellers, eh Z?
"No, sir. Then they stay being
young fellers' until they're about nine.
teen, and then they're men,"
Indeed But how do you class them
at this other end of the line? Are they
always young kids after they are
babies ?"
."Oh, no, sir. First they're cubs.
They don't get to be young kids until
they get out of dresses"
"But when," the father asked, grow
ing more and more curious, when is q
boy supposed to be 1ad'?"
I'VE don't have any lads nowadays,
sir. We read about 'em in books, but
we don't have any. I've always won
dered about how old Tad was"
"But you have boys surely"
"Oh, yes, sir. They're all boys, OF
course, until they get to be men.
Only these are the different kinds OF
boys"
Though the father was amused by
this classification, and thought that
some of the names were not quite
elegant, he was compelled to admit
that slang terms were used in the same
connection when he was himself boy.
He could remember how intensely he
disliked to be addressed as "Bub" by
his elders, and how promptly he resented
the application of that term to himself
by any other boy.
He had heard boys in those days
called "brats," "chits," urchins, y
youngsters" "younkers" and other
such names. He never resented being
called "a "youngster," and could even
endure the word brat" but to be
called "Bub-especially when the per-
son using the word seemed to fancy
that he was honoring him-was an
indignity which he found it hard to for.
oat
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10

He look so glum and down in the
mouth that the half dozen of us con.
cluded that he had lost his wife or met
with some other distressing calamity,
and so, after leaving Elmira, one of the
boys slid into half of his seat and be.
gam
my friend, you appear to be ill.,"
"No, not exactly ill, was the reply.
"Wife dead?'
"Never had one."
Heard any bad news?'
"No."
"If there's anything our crowd can dc
for you we shall be glad of the oppor
tunity."
will you?"
"Of course"
well, then, I wish you'd begin OF
me and kick until the last man can
swing in his leg for another lift, for o
all the born fools in America, I'm til,
biggest!"
"Why, what's the matter?"
ave had an accident on this roa,
about three weeks ago, and lot of II
lost our baggage. We were told to fill
our claims, and I've Just been down t.
get my money"
well, wasn't that all right?"
"All right! Why, jab my eyes, if
wasn't fool enough to hand in tru
list of six dollars worth of old duds
while a neighbor of our'n who lost tw,
pairs of socks and box of paper collar
stood up and bluffed the railroad out O
$74.25, and they even asked him to tax,
a drink after he got his money! That
me to dot. / hain't got no brain il
my head. can't see through fish
net. I'll never know anything unit
it's kicked into me, and I'm ready to b,
booted the whole length of York Stat,
and give my only pair of suspenders tc
the last man who lifts mew-NelC York
Sun
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10

view of the testimony gwen by the Pole.
iMarlow was convicted and hung.
Il thought then, and 1 still think,
that if Marlow had had any suspicion
that the Pole suspected him and in
tended to inform the authorities, he
could have turned the charge against
the Pole without the slightest difficulty.
IF man of Marlow's standing had ac-
cused the Pole of numbering Bachman
he would have had his wife to cor
roborate whatever story he might hays
lprepared-nothing in the world could
have saved the Pole from the gallows.
And ever since then I have thought
little of circumstantial evidence.
ba7lu Express.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10
Dangers of Dirty Finger-Nails.

Seventy eight examinations of the i'm
purities under finger-nails the British
Medical Journal says were recently made
in the psychological laboratories of
Vienna, and the civilizations thus pro-
duced showed thirty-six kinds of micro
cocci, eighteen bacilli, three sarcinn.
various varieties; the spores of common
mould were frequently present, 1t is
sometimes said that the scratch of a nail
is poisonous There is no reason to sus-
pect the nail issue; it is more likely the
germs laid in wound from a bacterial
nest under the nail Children are verv
apt to neglect to purify their nails when
washing hands; and this matter is not
always sufficiently attended to among sur
gicai patients.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10
Not as 1t Should BE.

The moral that one had better stitch
to his own tongue unless he is thoroughly
familiar with another and even then un
less there is some especial need of his
going abroad for his speech, is one which
is enforced every time some persons try
to appear wise.
A young lady who was much given to
airs and affections, was not long since
talking with gentleman upon whom
she was very anxious to make a good
impression.
"Oh, your sister," she said, "is so very
charming She is so pretty, and so
perfectly CONNIE IL .taaGr pas" The
gentleman looked at her aud saw that
she was perfectly in earnest.
Il will tell my sister that you say So"
he said, smiling; and ever since it has
seemed to the young lady as if the
gentleman's sister was somehow amused
at her, but she cannot SEQ Why
Youths Companion.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10
Well, Well.

His hair was white, but he was tall
and straight, aid looked strong and
vigorous. While chatting with some
friends the subject of his age came up
Some guessed that he was about 3d.
while others thought him not more
than 55.
Gentlemen, I am 76 years of age"
he said, to their great astonishment.
You have never used tobacco? ?"
queried one of those present.
Never touched the filthy weed" he
replied with a look of disgust
And never drank a drop of whisky" F"
said another.
Gentlemen, ever since was able to
swallow have drank whisky, and don't
care if l have little nowl"
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10

FITS stopped free Ivy Dr.. KLINE's GREAT
NERVE RESToREE. No Fits after first days
use. Marvellous cures. Treatise and $2 trial
bottle free. DIR. Kline, 9il Arch St., Phila., Pa
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10

Sic Nouels Free, will be sent by Cragin & Co.,
Phila., Pa, to any one in y. S. or Canada, post
age paid upon receipt of p Dobbins' Electric
Soap wrappers. See list of novels on circulars
around each bar. Soap for sale by all grocers.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10

There is great demand for metal furnitur,
of all kinds in Australia on account of tht
ravages of the white ant.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10

A revolution in coal mining is expected from
the use Of machine operated by electricity.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10

Galvanized wire netting is being largely
sold for lawn, garden and shrubbery purposes,
for which it is admirably adapted.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10

The coolest spot on earth is Verkoyansk, in
Siberia, where the mean winter temperature is
1876 degrees below zero, Centigrade.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10

Halls Catarrh Cure is liquid and is taken
internally. Sold by Druggists, 75c.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10

THERE IS nothing like a steady ann
in lite, particularly when you are re-
1uired to shoot burglar
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10

That DR.. II. James Cannabis Indica is pre-
pared in Calcutta, India, from the purest am.
best Native Hemp, and is the only remedy
either in that country or this that will posi-
lively and permanently cure CONSUMPTION,
Bonehtis, 4'uta,u, Nasal Cdtu rh and Nervous
Debf itB or break up n fresh cold in twen-
ty-four hours. 81 80 bottle, three bottles for
$3.50. Craddock tS Co., Proprietors, 1892 Race
street, Philadelphia.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10

In the Atlantic Ocean there are about
tighty-three pounds of salt to every ton of
water. II %
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10

BEEcnAM's PILLS cure sick-H Headache.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10
DEPENDENT PENSION Bill


honoraby discharged Soldiers and Sailors of the late
war, who incapacitated from earning a support
Widows the same without regard to cause OF death
Dependent Parents and Minor children also inter.
ested. over 20 years experience References in all
parts of the country. No charge If unsuccessful
Write for Copy of Law, blanks and full in
ttructions ALL FREE to X. McALIISTER 81 co.
Successors TO VIM Conard Cob L. d. Box
IL " nshingtom, ID. q.
Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10
7oIo to 8oIo lNTEREST NJ FRI s

500 and upwards Securities first, class, and in
terest guaranteed. References furnished on applI-
cation Correspondence solicited, Address,
FIRST STATE BANK. BRUNING, SEh
Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-12-12

il it was not disposed OF says; "After the
general debate on the force bill closes and
this may not be for days, it must be con.
sidered by sections, amended and re-
amended and under these circumstances
it would be legislative impossibility to
dispose OF it for fortnight at least. The
silver men will not wait that long; they
will not wait half of it. II current re-
port be true they will wait no
longer than Thursday. Then, if
the force bill still be on they will cry o
halt in its considerations and take up
some measure OF financial relief for which
the country is really suffering"
1t is said Plumb has all understanding
with the Democrats regarding this mat
ter. doubt it. 1t is not necessary to
have an understanding. All he has to do
will be to demand the consideration Of
some OF the leading financial measures.
He will carry this point by good round
majority and no one knows it better than
he. The free coinage men in the house
have not given up all hope OF some
thing from this session. McCreary,
OF Kentucky, has got an idea
which he is preparing to formulate. This
proposition is in brief for congress to in
struct the United States delegates to the
international monetary conference which
is to meet here during the coming month
how to vote on the subject. His bill will
provide that the delegates shall be in
structed to favor the adoption of common
gold and silver coins for circulation and
interchange among all countries which
will be represented at the conference, and
that they be further instructed to favor
the adoption by all American nations Of
the gold and silver now authorized by the
laws of the United States and the free
coin age thereof.
Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-12-12

TOPEKA, Dec. 12.-The Farmers's Al
lance has decided to take the election
of United States senator into its own
hands. Sub-Alliances throughout the
state are adopting resolutions demand
ing that the president of the Farmers
Alliance call special delegate conven-
ton to meet in Topeka, Monday jan
uary 81, to place in nomination a can
didate for the United States senate
This movement is taken to bring the
forces of the farmers of the state Alliance
to bear directly upon the Alliance mem
bers of the legislature and to strengthen
those waverlng between the ingalls, and
the anti-lngalls forces. The large num-
Der of Alliance senatorial candidates that
have sprung up since the election has
imperiled the Alliance in the fight, and it
is to prevent the division in the party
that the convention will be called. The
Citizens Alliance will hold q state con-
vention January IS, when action will be
taken locking to cooperation with the
Farmers Alliance.
Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-12-12
The FlYing Machine.

CHICAGO, Dec. II. -- "Within three
weeks we will sail into Chicago in the first
of our air ships" declared E. J. Penning-
ton, at the Grand Pacific hotel yesterday.
Mr.. Pennington, who is the principal
inventor of the air ship, soon to be tried
for the first time, had come to the city
to attend the meeting of the stockholders
OF the Mount Carmel .Eronautic Naviga-
ton company. 1t is virtually the first
meeting of the stockholders OF this big
corporation, which it is said has already
paid up capital stock of $40, 100000. It'll
proposed to invest this great sum in the
manufacture Of ships for travelling in the
air.
Mr.. Pennington, intelligent and studi-
GUS looking man of about thirty years of
age, explained that the first of the ships
is nearing completion, and that the plans
for trial trip over the country have al
ready been completed. This trial will
occur in about three weeks. The ship,
he said, would start from the place of its
manufacture at Mount Carmel and travel
to St. Louis, distance OF 1S5 miles.
From St. Louis it will sail to Chicago and
frome here to New York. Mr.. Penning-
ton and his associate, Mr.. S. Fl. Butler,
proposes to make the trip, taking with
them half dozen newspaper represen-
tatives and any Of the stockholders who
wish to accompany them.
The vessel with which the first trial is
to be made will be 200 feet in length.
The cabin will be made of aluminium.
Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-12-12
The Financial Situation.

LONDON, Dec. 12-The Standards Be,-
lin correspondent says: Advices have
been received frolE~ ~Blaones 4:Yaes tn the
effect that the Argentine government is
prepared to accept financial proposal
from London syndicate.
The Times says: ''The whole none.
tary system OF the United States is in 6
muddled state. The condition OF affairs
is due to piece-meal legislation by I'M
principled legislators. Unfortunately,
instead of there being signs of amend
ment, it looks likely that further
attemps will be made to legislate ia favor
of particular classes. The most ominous
Of the attempts is the demand OF the
Farmers alliance for more currency and
that the national banks shall be compell-
ed to loan money on security on real
estate. If the latter demand is ever
granted, America will be launched on the
dangerous path which the Argentine Re-
public has trod since the evil day the
first credula was issued. The present
crisis is of an ordinary character, but is
made worse by foolish monetary arrange
ments. The only safe cure for it is liqui-
dation