davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22
Oddities of the Egg Market.

A leading commission merchant said:
''The egg business is the most annoying
one in the world. During the cold weather
in the winter the hens quit laying, but
everybody wants to eat eggs. Conse-
quently they go so high that the grocers
can't keep pace with. their customers. In
the spring, just as soon as eggs get plen-
tiful, people quit eating them, and we
have to sell them to packers, who pickle
them for consumption later on. These
eggs that are packed are not liked by
consumers, and SO you see the egg dealer
never has the satisfaction of handling a
commodity that is in good demand and
good supply at the same time" Louis
vile Commercial.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22

Shakespeare was perfect gentleman, hav-
ing been made SO by the Herald's college,
which invested his father with coat armor
This coat armor made a gentleman of the
elder Shakespeare, and as Williams mother
was already a gentleman under the CODE
William became one also both on his fathers
and on his mothers side. Of course all this
is mere detail and is dull and uninteresting,
but refer to it to show that those who have
read things in Shakespeares works that they
did not like, and who therefore say that he
was no gentleman, do the great bard an in
justice.
l do not say that Shakespeare was the au-
thor of his own works, and it would not look
well i'll me to set up my opinion in opposition
to that of scholars, experts and savants who
have had more advantages than I have, for
would never take advantage of any one;
but say that somewhere the impression has
crept into the papers that he was pretty
good little play writer, and am glad that
Mr.. Childs has had testimonial made and
sent over to England that will show an ap-
probation, at least, of his ability to keep be-
fore the people.
1t will be noticed by an alert and keen
scented itterateur that I have carefully
avoided treading on the tail of Mr.. Dom
nelly's cipher. Being rather a poor mathe-
matician anyway, I will not introduce the
cipher at this time, but I will say that al
though the whole thing happened about three
hundred years ago, and has now nearly
passed out of my mind, to the best of nv
recollection Shakespeare, though he was the
son of buckwheater, and though he mar
ried his wife with poetic license, and
though he left his family at Stratford rather
than take them to live in a London fat. wrote
the most of his plays with the assista nee of
an expurgator who was out of the city most
all of the time.
I cannot show Shakespeare's ready wit
better at this time than by telling of his first
appearance on the stage as remember it.
He came quietly before the footlights with a
roll OF carpet under one arm and tack
hammer under the other. In those DAYS it
was customary to nail down stage carpets,
and while doing so ''Shake," as we all called
him then, knocked the nail off his left thumb.
whereupon he received an ovation from the
audience. Some men would have been ratified
and would have "called up" as we say, but
Shakespeare was always ready to please his
friends or respond to an encore. so putting
his right thumb up against large painted
rock in mountain scene, he obliged by
knocking off the other thumb nail.
Shakespeare was one of the few English.
men who never visited this country for two
weeks for the purpose of writing an eight
pound book on his impressions of America
Bill Nye in New York World.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22
Barber Smiths Oral Challenge.

Will Smith is tonsorial artist of i'm
pressive demeanor and much avoir-
dupois. He claims to be the speediest
man in his profession in the world. He
can shave more men in stipulated time
than any barber on earth, he says, and
is willing to make a match for any
amount with whomsoever disputes his
title OF champion. He has accomplished
the feat, he says, of shaving ten men
and running the distance of 100 yards in
13a minutes, which he is certain has
never been equaled. Boston Herald.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22

has fully arrived when we humorists ought
to stand by each other.
William Shakespeare knew all the time
that he was great man and that some day
he would write pieces to speak. He left
Stratford at the age of 81 and went to Lon
don, where he attracted very little attention,
for he belonged to the yeomanry, being
kind of dramatic Horace Greeley, both in
the matter of clothes and penmanship. Thus
it would seem that while Sir Francis Bacon
was attending business college and getting
himself familiar with the whole arm move
ment, so as to.be able to write free, cryp-
togamous hand, poor W. Shakespeare was
slowly thinking the hair off his head, while
ever and anon he would bring out his writ
ing materials and his bright, ready tongue
and write g. sonnet on an empty stomach.
Shakespeare did not want his plays pub
ished. He wanted to keep them out of the
press in order to prevent their use at spelling
schools in the hands of unskilled artists,
and so there was long period of time during
which the papers could not get hold of them
for publication.
During this time Francis Bacon was in
public life. He and Shakespeare had nothing
in common. Both were great men, but Ba-
cons sphere was different from ShakespeareS
While Bacon was in the senate, living high
and counting investigation, Shakespeare had
to stuff three large pillows into his pantaloons
and play Falstaff at one night stands.
Is it likely that Bacon, breathing the per-
fumed air of the Capitol and chucking the
treasury girls under the chin ever and anon,
hungered for the false joys of the underpaid
and underscored dramatist? Scarcely
That is one reason why prefer to take the
side of Shakespeare rather than the side of
Bacon.
know that Shakespeare has been severely
criticised by the press for leaving his family
at Stratford while he himself lived in Lon
don, only visiting home occasionally, but
am convinced that he found they could live
cheaper in that way. Help in the house was
very high at that time in London, and the in
telligence offices were doing very large bust
ness without giving very much intelligence.
Friends of his told him that it was not only
impossible to get enough help in London, but
that there was hardly enough servants to pre-
vent panic in the employment bureau.
Several offices were in fact compelled to shut
down for half day at time, one using the
limited stock in the forenoon and the other
in the afternoon.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22
One of Grants Secretaries.

Ex-Secretary of War Belknap is one Of
the best known men in the city of Wash
lngton. He grows rounder and jollier
and more red in the face as the years go
by, and the circle of his friends appears
to be continually widening. He is a
gastronome, a wit and a story teller.
He makes ten or fifteen thousand dollars
year as claim agent and spends it all.
He has lovely family and luxurious
home.-Cor. Augusta Chronicle.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22
She Knew All About Them.

The Count-Ah! Mademoiselle, Inever
saw any thing SO fresh and so green az
the country around your beautiful New
York.
The Maid-Well. Count, some of the
foreigners who come here are just about
as fresh and just about as green.-Mun-
sey's Weekly.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22
Blackmou.

An English company under royal pro-
lection has been granted control of the
Straits of Ormuz, which connect the Per-
sian gulf with the Arabian sea. This
virtually gives England control of the
gull, and is a menace to the forward move
ments of Russia.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22

"A curious trap at the patent Office is
an imitation rat that has a piece of
toasted cheese stuck on the end a little
spear that projects from his nose a short
distance. When rat comes up to nib
Ole at the cheese the spear jumps out
abotu six inches and impales the unfor.
tunata.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22

Amateur Actress (rehearsing)-You must
not say "exit" when you retire from the
sSage, Mr.. Sissy.
Amateur Actor oriumphantly showing her
the book)-That's what the book says, Miss
Gnshington.
doasl-The Epoch.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22

In England in 1861 SO there was one
known thief to every 1000 persons; in
1SS7-S0 the percentage had fallen by
nearly one-half, and there was only one
known thief to every 1,945 persons. The
decrease in the receivers of stolen goods
is still greater. In 186S-69 there was one
to every S.4SO people; in 1888 there
was one to every o.. 500.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22
Handy With the Shears

Tall Boy-Hello, kid; who cut your
hair?
Short Boy-My father cut it.
Tall Boy-Hah! Yer father a bar
Der?
Short Boy-Naw; he's a editor
Light.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22

"A mans will, properly attested, Il
strong in law, but woman's s.won'ts
never backs down anywhere.-Ram'a
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22
SAVED FROM ROBBERS.
A Contractors FOrgetfulness Proves O
Great Value to Him.

A Contractors Forgetfulness Proves Of
Great Value to Him.
Some years ago prominent railroad
builder of Warsaw, Poland, experienced
one of the most remarkable marrow
escapes" on record. He was employing
several thousand laborers along the
line of railway then under construc-
ton, and as there were few banks in the
provincial towns of Poland in those
days, he was compelled to carry with
him large sums of money from head
quarters on his regular trips, to pay off
his hands He usually drew the amount
he needed from the Bank of Poland on
the day before his. departure. keep.
ing the money over night in his own
safe, which he considered a perfectly
secure depository for these funds, as
the art of safe cracking was not yet
very extensively known at that time.
One afternoon, as he was engaged in
counting and arranging the money he
had just drawn from the bank, some
one called him into the outer office on
some urgent business. Mr.. - threw
. newspaper on the bank notes which
he had spread out on his safe and
stepped out, expecting to be back d.
rectly. On his return a few minutes
later he very carefully locked his safe
and went home.
When he entered his office about six
o'clock the next morning to get the
money from the safe, he was terror
stricken on finding that the safe
had been broken open and its
valuable contents were missing. De-
tectiyes were called at once, but when
they arrived and started to make care
full survey of the premises, they found
all the money lying intact on the safe,
still covered with the newspaper which
the contractor had thrown over it the
day before! He had forgotten to put
the money into the safe before locking
the latter. and the burglars never
thought of looking anywhere else for
valuables, but took the few hundred
roubles they found in the safe and de-
parted. His forgetfulnes saved the con-
tractor $4,000 roubles-
AT Rome, Ga, recently, while a
horse was loose in the stable, one of his
hind feet got caught in his mouth tits
supposed that the animal was rubbing
the flies from his nose with his hind
foot, when by accident the foot passed
into the mouth. The hoof was shod
with heavy iron shoe, and the sharp
corners of the shoe and hoof cut very
painful wounds in the mouth. The an
imal fell to the ground and continued to
struggle without relief. When he was
discovered he was covered with foam
and showed every sign of fearful
struggle. His master came and sue.
ceeded In extricating the foot
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22
Wasted Sweetness.

Miss Clara-And so your engagement with
MIR. Featherly is at an end, Ethel2
Miss Ethel-Yes, for evermore.
Miss Clara-Win you return the presents
he gave youi
Miss Ethel-No, I cannot do that. He
never gave me anything but caramels and
ice cream.-New York Sun.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22

The statement is made that eighteen
tons Of Nlisappear daily on the Lon.
don and Northwestern railroad through
wear and rr1st
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22
An Editorial EuisOd0.

"Here's question" said the Infor-
nation Editor, 81 can't answer. This
man wants to know how long girls
should be courted.'"
"Just the same as short girls" return
ed the Obituary Editor.
And the staff humorist stole the Joke
and sold it to the editor-in-chief for 81.
IN. " Herald.
Blackm0I1.
Angry Citizen-How much will you
take, and leave the neighborhood ct
once?
Leader Of Little German Band-Fifty
cents.
Angry Citizen-You ask too much.
Leader of Little German Band-Ish
dot 80? Veil. blays Won more tune.
und den you see II dots too mooch-
Puck.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-22
BILL NYE TAKES A HAND.
He Wrestles with the Shakespeare-Bacon
Problem.

RUSTING that it
will not in any
way impair the
sale of Mr.. Dom
nelly's book, / de-
sire to offer here a
few words in favor
of the theory that
William Shake
speare wrote his
own works and
thought his own
thinks. The time
we humOriStS ought
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-10-18
Bloodless War.

There is a genius i'll Vienna who
proposes to reform war in such 3
way that an ultimatum LOADED to
the muzzle" shall become cure tor
national insomnia. He has discov-
cred or invented a fluid with which
he means to load bombs, which are
to be dischargen in the face of the
enemy. The fluid will escape and
put the whole army to sleep for
three hours. The attacking force
will then march up, disarm the re-
cumbent enemy, bind them hand
and foot and bear them back to the
capital in triumph. Thus the con.
quering army will resemble a squad
Of Chicago police carting off anar-
chists in patrol wagon and the
"stern arbitrament of war" will be
transformed into a mild and peace
full process of "jugging" the enemy.
1t is a pretty fancy, and one which
all humane persons will hope to
see realized.-N. Y. Times.
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-10-18
Story About Thurman.

No matter what may be a mans
personal convictions on the temper
ance question he is bound to respect
those of his wife. They do say the
venerable Senator Thurman was
never considered rabid on thatissue,
but his wife for reasons of her own
was fully imbued with the "touch
not, taste not, handle not" princi-
pie. 1t is related that upon one
occasion Senator Thurman's friends
visited his house to apprise him
that new political honor had been
bestowed upon him. He was pleased,
but after they had been seated few
momets the conversation Jagged
and the old Roman seemed to be
i'll at ease. His wife tried her best
to entertain the campaigners and
the Senator excused himself. He
presently appeared with his boots
and top coat on. Gentlemen" he
said, "we will now go out and get
something to smoke. My wife is
boss here and we never have any
thing to drink in the house" Mrs.
Thurman looked pleased as she
closed the door behind them. "As
l was saying" added the Senator.
"she runs the house, but thank
God she doesn't run the town.
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-10-18
A Check Is Not Cash Payment.

The Supreme Court Of Minnesota
has lately rendered a decision of
much interest to the business COM
munity in declaring that bank
checks are not cash, and do not
possess legal value as money until
cashed. In other words, the giving
of check on bank is not pay
ment when passed between debtor
and creditor, but only becomes SO
when the money is received on it.
The court holds that in accepting
a check from a debtor, there is no
legal presumption that the creditor
takes it in absolute payment, but
only conditionally, or as written
acknowledgement Of the debt.
Where goods are sold for cash on
delivery, and the purchaser tenders
payment in draft on his banker !;
such payment is only conditional ;
and the delivery Of the goods, if
made, is also conditional. If the
check is dishonored on presentation
the seller may retake the goods for
the purchase money, even from a
third or innocent party, unless 1t
can be shown that the seller has
been guilty of such negligence as
would estop him from recovering in
equity.
This decision is among the first
rendered by higher courts that's SO
far-reaching, and if supported by
other high tribunals, will settle q
mooted question in commercial cir
cles. The same principle has beer
applied to unpaid notes by one OF
two courts, which have held tha
the seller does not lose his lien, fol
purchase money, on goods sold, un
til he receives the actual cash, ant
may retake at any time prior there
to If the Indebtedness be not met a
maturity.-Scientific American.
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-10-18
GEO. j. LEWIS, Agent.


10 j. W. LANE and WILLIAM LANE, iheir
heirs and assigns:
You are hereby notified that ! nave eS-
pended the sum OF one hundred (loo) DOL
lars in labor and Improvements upon the
MORNING STAR lode mining claim
situated in sawtooth mining distract. ana
adjoining the Telephone and Emma MN
ing claims on the southeast, in Alturas
county. Idaho Territory, in order to hold
said premises under the provisions OF sec,
ton 2l24, Revised Statutes OF the unlteu
States, being the amount required to hold
the same for the year ending December 81
Iss9; and if within ninety days from the
service of this notice, or within ninety days
after this notice by publication you fan OF
refuse to contribute your proportion OF
such expenditure as co-owners, your inter 's1
es; being an undivided one-third, amount
ineto$ ~, YOUR interest in said clam
will become the property of the SUBSCRIBE
under the provisions OF said Section 2324.
JOHN COLLINS.
Keichum, l. T.. January -. lsD
First publication, Jan. %, lS'U
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-10-18
A Peculiar Railroad.

"You fellows down here can talk
about your railroads, but | have
struck the biggest thing in the way
of a railroad in the West that l
ever saw in my life."
He was a big Wall street opera
tor who had just returned from I,
trip over the Illinois Central, ana
he was telling his experience TO q
group in Delmonico's before Ne"
York Times reporter.
sits little single-track, narrow
gauge road, and I discovered It IN
a rich farming portion OF Central
Illinois. It is owned and run by
the farmers, and all the hands from
engineer down are run by farmers
sons. The stations are the farm
houses along the line, and there's
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-10-18
A "Reminiscences OF Sedwick.

Among other stories the recent
biography of the eminent geologist
Adam Sedgwick, who died in 1873,
tells how the professor once earned
a shilling. Did I ever earn a shill-
ing? Yes, did, one day in Wales.
I had had a long tramp on the hills
and was walking home, dog tired
and very weary, when | caught
sight of fossils in some stones
which laid by the wayside. So |
sat down and began hammering
away. Presently a lady came up and
asked me several questions about
the country, and how she was to
get to a place the name of which ! !
have now forgotten. She thanked
me for the information and added
"Poor man, you must find this very
hard work" "Yes, indeed, do
| replied; whereupon she took out
her purse and gave me q shilling
Next evening, to my great amuse'
ment, she came to dine al the mouse
where / was staying. | recognized
her at once, but she did not kno"
me in my altered dress. She was
visiting Wales for the first time
and was full of enthusiasm for th'
scenery and the people. They ar,
40 obliging and 80 communicative,
she said "only yesterday | had I
long conversation with an OLD maj
who was breaking stone on tn
road. He told me all | wanted t.
know, and was so civil that | CAV
him q shilling" | could not resis
the pleasure Of saying, "Yes, ma'am
you did, and here it ls.'-Mel
bourne Leader.
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-10-18
How to Address the President.

A Washington correspondent
writes "a discussion having arisen
as to the proper term to address
the President of the United States,
| took pains to-day to inquire from
those who ought to know. If you
send a letter to President Harrison
YOU should address it, TO the Pres
ident, Executive Mansion, Wash
ington, D. c. Most people think
that the President lives in the
White House. The official desig-
nation of his residence, however, is
Executive Mansion White House
is a nickname originating out OF
the fact that the building is painted
white. If you are introduced to the
President do not say your excel.
lency'-that would be proper If you
were to meet q Goyernor-but Pres
ident Harrison is simply Mr.. Pres.
ident.' The members of the Cabinet
are designated The Honorable Sec
retary of State The Honorable
Attorney General, etc. In persona
talk they are Mr.. Secretary, OF II
the case of the Department Of Jus
tice and the Postofiice Department
simply General. :"
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-10-18
How to Wash Wooden Shawls.

The following, says the Mining
and Scientific Press, is q Scotch
sa.aas scrape one pound Of soap and boil
# down in water. When cooling
beat it with the hand it will be-
come a sort of jelly. Add three
.tablespoonfuls table Of ta,pentins. .,sa'l and
the article thoroughly in it, then
rinse in cold water until all the
SOAP is taken off, then in salt and
water. Fold between two sheets,
taking care not to allow two folds
of the article washed to lie together;
Mangle and iron with 2 very cool
iron. Shawls done in this way look
quite new. Use the salt only where
there are delicate colors that may
strike. -
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-10-18
The Ex-Preaoher Overreached
Himself,

That reminds me of a shrewd lit
tie stratagem o young fellow played
on an ex-preacher over at Murray
in those days. The young man,
whom we will call Jones, had been
digging on his claim for a month,
without so much as striking color,
when one afternoon the ex-preacher
appeared upon the scene. Asking
the usual questions as to his sue
cess, ETC., the miner replied cheer
fully, and dipping up a pan OF gravel
offered it to the good man, teAlng
him to carry it to the creek and
wash it out and see for himself. On
the sly, however, the young man
took 81 so in gold dust from his
pocket and plentifully salted the
pan.
Ex-preacher carries the pan to
the creek, and, returning, reports
that he found nothing. Jones pre-
serves discreet silence, though in
wardly sizes the retired clergyman
up as an accomplished liar. Pretty
soon the latter offers $3.50 for the
claim, which Jones very promptly
accepts. Ex-preacher goes to work
like man, never doubling but that
he would realize 81 so a pan. I'm
agine his surprise, after thorough
trial, to be unable to find color.
Then it dawned upon him that the
ungodly young man had salted the
pan profered him with malicious
intent and-gold dust. Meeting
the former owner in saloon, where
he was spending his ill-gotten gains
like prince, the ex-clerical accused
him of acquiring the money under
false pretenses.
Don't you dare throw any of
them charges up to me, partner"
said Jones, solemnly, as he spit on
his hands. "Of course salted the
mine, but what did you do? Didn't
you steal the salt?"
! And he fred the ex-preacher into
outer darkness.-Spokane Falls
Snokesman.
The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-10-18

one through train day-all freight,
with one passenger car hitched on.
There is no telegraph or block sys-
tenn, for there can be no collision.
Nobody knows when train is COM
ing until it is in sight. The rails
are laid on ties placed on the virgin
prairie, and there is no roadbed and
no grades.
Notwithstanding all this it car
ries lots of freight in the way of pro-
duce from the farmers to branch
of the Illinois Central, and it pays
the farmers who own it we'll. 1t
has no name and you won't find 1t
in 'Poor's Manuel. ,"