davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
The Value of Sincerity.

Though a man must be sincere in or
der to be great, he need not be great in
order to be sincere. Whatever may be
the size of our brain, the strength of our
powers, the talents of any kind with
which we are gifted, sincerity of heart,
or Of belief, or of life, is possible to us
all. 1t is of itself a kind of greatness
which, in spite of many other draw
packs, will make itself felt The hon
sst, upright man, who lives openly, fear
'essly and truly, protesting only what he
feel, upholding only what he believes
in, pretending nothing, Disgusting moth
ing, deceiving no one, claims uncon-
sciously a respect and honor that we can
not give to any degree of power or abil-
ity welded with duplicity or cunning.
IF we could correctly divide the world
into the sincere and the insincere, we
should have a much truer estimate of
real worth than we generally obtain
New York Ledger.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
For Ingrowing Nails.

After soaking in hot water, the nails
should be thinned by scraping, and if
very painful faxseed poultice will
bring relief. After the irritation has
sufficiently subsidized, soft cotton should
be pressed between the flesh and the
nail, and after that is done it should
be saturated with tincture of iodine,
and the application repeated several
days, after which the tenderness will
disappear. may be necessary to lift
the end of the nail, and this can be
done by pressing cotton between it and
the toe. This treatment is usually eff
fective, and is attended with as little
pain as any which can be suggested.
Herald of Health.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
History and Mystery of the Comb.

It would be curious to know what
mystic meaning our forefathers attached
to the simple act of combing the hair
We learn from old church history that
the hair of the priest or bishop was
combed several times during services by
one of the inferior clergy. The comb is
mentioned as one Of the essentials for use
during a high mass when sung by
bishop; mass combs of precious metals
Are reckoned among the costly posses
sions of most European cathedrals. Be-
sides those made of gold and silver, the
poorer churches have them of ivory,
while in some the more common kinds
are used.
Among those especially known to his
tory are those of St. Neot, St. Dunstan
and Malachias. That belonging to St.
Thomas, the martyr of Canterbury, is
still kept in the church of St. Sepulcher,
Thetford; that ofSt. Cuthbert, 1.-THE wo-
man hater," at Durham cathedral. From
sundry references in old legends to the
use of the comb in divinations, and from
it's appearance in com bination with pagan
emblems on rudely sculptured stones in
various parts of Scotland, it seems prob
able that this was one of the objects of
pagan generation which early Christian
teachers deemed prudent to adopt, in
vesting it with some new significance
St. Louis Republic
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
Posted on Scripture.

Woods little cousin Jennie was
making him visit, and the two small
bodies reveled in good times together,
their especial playground being lit
tie rocky nest not far from the house,
where housekeeping went on from
morning till night. One afternoon
Woods mother called him into the
house. 1t was in the midst of a thriv-
ing tea party" and the little host
and hostess looked grave enough at
the summons. Les don't 60, Wood.
It'll spoil all our beautiful time" ar
gued Jennie But stout little Wood,
with prophetic instinct born of ex-
perience, answered back, mo, Jennie,
cause the way of the transgressors is
dreffie hard "-Exchange.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
Consumption at High Attitudes.

The distribution of phthisis in Swift
zerland has been reported upon in The
Lancet by DIR. L. Schrotter. Facts
and figures stated do not give much
support to the common impression
that high attitudes are practically free
from consumption. Tables of deaths
for the years 1s76-s6 show that the
disease is endemic to every district of
Switzerland, not one escaping it. 1t
is true that deaths from this cause are
fewer in the high regions than in those
that lie lower, yet the ratio is not by
any means inversely proportionate to
the altitude. 1t is remarked that con-
sumption prevails wherever the popu-
lation is largely industrial. Agricul-
tural populations suffer less from ii
than do industrial populations at the
same altitude.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
The Japanese Fire Box,

The hibachi is fire box, of which the
simplest form is that of square, or cir
cular, or oblong receptacle Of wood,
lined with sheet copper. Into this a
quantity of lime dust or sifted ashes is
put, and on the top of that little pile of
lighted charcoal, which burns slowly
and steadily upon the fine ashes, giving
out heat, but not a vestige of smoke.
This is the primitive and plainest form
of the fire box" such as will be seen in
use for common purposes at railway sta
lions, in Kuruma sheds, in wayside tea
houses and restaurants and in unpreten-
tious shops. But Japanese skill and
taste love to lavish themselves on this
central piece of domestic furniture, and
you see hibachis, accordingly, of all
forms and materials. Some are made of
hammered copper, or brass, or iron, with
patterns delicately and beautifully beaten
out of the FURNISHED metal. Some have
seen in great houses contrived from the
root of vast tree, the gnarled and knot
ted timber being laboriously followed
out and lined with copper, and the ex.
terror carefully polished to bring forth
the beauty of the grain.-Cor. London
Telegraph.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
A Funeral Ode from Horace.

A gentleman named Underwood left
$4,000 to his sister on condition that
she had him buried in a particular
fashion. Six gentlemen were appoint
ed to follow him to the grave, where
they were to sing the last stanza of the
twentieth ode of the second book of
Horace. Mourning was forbidden to
be worn; no bell had to be tolled, and
no relation was to follow the corpse.
The six chosen gentlemen were to be
the only mourners. The coffin was
painted green, and the deceased was
buried with his clothes on. Three
copies of Horace were placed in the
grave with him, together with Bent
ley's Milton and a Greek Testament.
After supper the six mourners sang
the ode-ali being in strict accordance
with the will of the deceased. Gas.
sells Journal.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
His Questions and Answers.

A laughable illustration of how an
ger causes a man to make himself ri
diculous is given in the following in
cident from a German newspaper:
Banker Rosenthal directed his book
keeper to address sharp letter to
Baron Y, who had promised sew
eral times to pay what he owed and
had as often neglected to do SO.
When the letter was written it did
not please Banker Rosenthal. who is
very excitable, and he angrily penned
the following:
DEAR BARON y: Who was it that promised
to pay up on the list Of january You, my dear
Baron, you are the man. Who was it that prom
ised then to settle on the 1st Of March? You, my
dear Baron. Who was it that didn't settle on the
LIST of March? You, my dear Baron Who Is it.
then, who has broken his word twice, and is an
unmitigated Scoundrel?
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
Difference in Etiquette.

An American would never think
OF removing his hat prior to speak
ing to any man on the street.
In Holland, before speaking to
the most humble individual out
OF doors a man uncovers. In Hol-
land, too, men and women rarely pur-
chase at the same stores, but in cases
where they do, if a woman discovers
that men are assembled inside she re-
treats until they leave. A live Amer
lean storekeeper would probably soon
change this feature of Dutch Ell
quette. The Americans, English, Ger.
mans and Russians shake hands with
man in bidding him welcome. An
Arabs greeting is to rub his cheek
against that of the person he salutes
and kiss him. A Frenchman well
comes friend by embracing and kiss
ing him, though by slow degrees this
custom is being superseded Philadel-
phia Press.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
A Hole Through His Body.

Lieut. Muncie, of the Sixty-frst
Georgia regiment, said Capt Tip,
twas one of the most remarkable men
/ ever knew. He was a slender, ca
daverous looking man, with apparent
ly no physical strength, yet he lived
through what would have killed a
dozen ordinary men, and is alive to-
day. In the early part of the war he
was shot through and through. The
BAH struck the breast bone and shat
tered it, passed through his body
and came out within an inch
of his spine between two ribs.
After desperate struggle for
life he recovered and joined his
regiment. At the battle of Monaccasie
creek he was again wounded, the ball
entering between the corresponding
ribs on the other side of his spine and
issuing from the same hole that the
first ball entered at The second shot
must have taken the passage inside
Muncie's body that the first ball made
in going in the opposite direction. He
was in prison with me later and ap-
peared to suffer no unusual pain
Atlanta Constitution.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
THE LITTLE ROSE OF SHANE.
] saw q little rose bud

saw a little rose bud
As I went down the lane,
Not yet abloom. said I'll wait
Till come back again.
Tomorrow, or perhaps some day,
The sunshine and the rain
May open out the bud upcurled,
And viii call my ane
The rose, white rose of all the world
The little rose of Shane.
Tomorrow went back the way.
And needed not the rain
That shimmered in the white, white sun
Ashanti, athwart the lane.
1t was the softest, sweetest sun.
The sweetest, softest rain,
Yet but heard the whisperings
That came akin to pain,
From up the glebe where had left
The little rose of Shane.
There was millwheel by the way;
asked the miller's swain
If he might tell me aught that happed
Since came down the lane
did but hear his answer
In the millwheel's sad refrain
In the dripping of the water
AS it helped to fill the main
Something akin to tears
In their ecstasy of pain
"Ah me-" Some one had ta'en away
The little rose of Shane.
William Page Carter.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
Eisenbahns in the Air.

1t is worth fortune and farm to
stand in Battery park and watch the
open mouthed immigrants as they first
emerge from the barge Office and catch
their first sight of the trains on the ele-
waited railroads slowly putting around the
corner of State street.
The first thing that they do is to utter
an exclamation, each in the language Of
his or her birth, and then they stand still
and look with wonder upon this strange
sight, so familiar to you and me, of rail
roads in the air, or rather railroads on
stills, TRANQUILITY doing business that
seems fated to end in destruction and
fall.
The wonder does not last, however, fol-
the strangers come to America expecting
to see sights foreign and curious. Il
New Workers were accustomed to &C
about their business on their heads
suppose these fellows would only stare a
few moments and then take it as mat
ter of course. New York Herald
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
The Pre-Frontal Region of the Brain.

Modern PSYCHOLOGISTS regard the pre-
frontal part of the brain as the seat OF
character and intellect. After the re-
moval of this part in dogs and monkeys,
no paralysis of any muscles or loss of
sensibility occurs, but singular changes
in the behavior, emotions and character
of the animals have been observed. They
become ivelier, restless, impatient, irri-
table, quarrelsome and violent. Their
movements seem purposeless, and theil
attention to what is going on around
them, and their intelligence, are di1nin.
ihed
These observations have been con
frmed by similar phenomena in the case
of human beings. The well known
"Crowbar case" described by the Amer
lean physician DR.. Harlow, is one ii
point. A young man was busy tamping
a bursting charge into a rock with a
pointed iron rod, when the charge sud
denly exploded and the rod entered hi,
head under the angle j.: the lower jaw
came out in the frontal region, and was
found some distance off covered with
blood and brain substance. He became
childish. willful, tickle and restless ani
suffered loss of intellectual power
Gradually, however, these symptoms
Disappeared he recovered and lived fol-
thirteen years. His skull is preserved
in Harvard university.-Berlin Cor. Lon
don Lancet.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
An Old Trunk.

Mrs. Winnie Mitchell, widow hv-
ing about mile from Rochelle, Ca,
has a small, leather covered trunk
which in all probability is $50 years
old. It has been handed down through
seven generations. 1t was brought
across from Europe long before the
war of the Revolution, full of gold, and
was used by Mrs. Mitchell's grand
father while in service under Gen.
Washington. It was first owned by
Mrs. Mitchell's great-grandfather, and
Mrs. Mitchell is now 81 years of age
and has great-grandchildren. Chi
cago Mail.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
Umbandine. the SWazia KING

A beautiful young wife of the kings
had in some innocent way displeased
him. The order was given to smell
her out, and the witch doctors did
their horrible work. Executioners
were told off, and they were sent out
to the young wife to tell her of her
sentence She dressed herself in her
best ornaments, and determined to ap-
pear before the king to say Good by"
She had been the rulers playmate and
favorite sweetheart as child, and she
ventured to send a message to him
asking permission to say "Good-b to
him. The king refused the request.
Calmly preparing for death, the young
woman disregarded the denial, and
walked to where his majesty" was
sitting, drinking champagne. She
said to him: King, | have come to
say 'good-by;' tell me why you are
killing me-"
The king vouchsafed no answer, and
turned his face away. The poor wo-
man proceeded to bid adieu to the
other wives and girls of the monarch.
They stood in a row, and as she walked
down in front of them she said: Il
am the first, but there will be more of
you to come after me-" Without an
other word she quietly followed her
executioners. They led her about three
miles from the kraal, across the lillian
river, and there hanged her on a low
thorn tree. The REIN by which she
was suspended being too long, her feet
nearly touched the ground, and stran-
gulation was completed by beating the
REIN with sticks, the person of royalty
being sacred to the common touch
South Africa.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
A SWELL BY CHANCE.
Nine Pittsburg Brothers Work a Novel
Scheme to Dress Well.

u
scheme to Dress Well.
A very popular member of the depart
ment of public safety is noted for the
great variety of his wardrobe especially
in the matter of hats and neckties, and
it has been source of wonder to his
friends how he managed to follow so sue
cessfully in the lines laid down by Berry
Wall, more especially as his salary, while
good, is not extravagant, and he is
known to have horror of running bills,
especially tailors bills.
On Monday evening he dropped into
Central station, with particularly lurid
necktie, that put to shame the electric
light and made the glittering brass rail
ing in front of the captains desk somber
by comparison. He was asked where he
got the object lesson in primary colors,
md in burst of confidence told the fol-
lowing story:
"You see, it's not altogether my fault
I'm wearing this necktie. am of re-
firing disposition, and it makes me ner-
vous when pass young lady on the
street to have her look at this necktie
and then stop and listen for thunder.
But this is the way it is: There are nine
of us boys, and we all live at home.
There is little difference in our size, and
the same hat, collar or shirt will fit each
and every one of US. Now see how it
works.
1.-THE first one up in the morning has
the choice of nine outfits. From what
is comparatively an infinite variety of
clothing he can select that which suits
him best-and he generally does it. 1t
is a warm, sunshiny day, and he glances
through the clothing clearing house and
picks out light suit, patent leather
shoes, a straw hat and fancy necktie,
probably leaving in their place heavy
winter wear. all splashed with mud.
1.-THE next to arise will take his choice
of the remainder of the clothing, and so
ON down the list, until the ninth and last
gets up. He has no choice He simply
takes what is left If he has exception
ally good luck he may find a complete
suit, but it is exceptional. The proba-
bilities are that each garment represents
different suit of widely separated eras
of construction, all more or less in need
of repair. We are philosophical, and
the last one to arise usually takes an in
ventory and then goes into dry dock for
repairs, or, in other words, goes back to
bed while buttons are sewn ON and rents
are closed
"After telling you all this it is hardly
necessary for me to say that was the
last one of the family to get up this
morning. The result is l am wearing
baseball shoes, black dress pants, white
vest, lawn tennis shirt, pea jacket and a
straw hat. The necktie is all right.
would have oversight myself this morn
ing, but it was so loud it woke me up
-Pittsburg Dispatch.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01

them suspishus eyes. He might fule
young man, but he needn't try it on me.
Whar's my nevis. ye emery villainw
len minutes after the men rode up |
was cast loose and apologized to. Icould
realize how naturally the mistake came
about, and the men were not to blame.
IL was all right with everyb body except
young Jim and the old man The latter
had Dragged of his cuteness, and his de-
feat annoyed him He went off shaking
his head and predicting that was up to
some trick. had forgotten the boy when,
half an hour after breakfast, l heard
q terrible racket behind the corn crib.
Word came that l was wanted, and
went out to find Jim tied by the leg and
his father trimming the second "gad."
"Now. sonny" said the father as he
got ready to use it, take good look at
that ere stump befo ye. Two days
hence ye may be axed to identify it, and
yemay sw'ar up and down that it's a
blooming CHEEKY treeI You jist cum
powerful nigh O gettin all this cove in
scrape, and I'm a-goin' to improve yer
eye sight!'
And Jim received the incest, most
thorough and lasting licking ever given
to bov south of the Ohio river
LIVING IN THE COUNTRY.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
California's Fruit Pest.

California has a fruit pest in the
gray linnet far worse and more dam
aging to fruit raisers than The English
sparrow. If some means are not sys-
tematically and methodically adopted
to exterminate this bird there will be
very little profit in fruit raising In
those sections where deciduous fruits
are exclusively produced. Some have
sn aversion to destroying this or any
other bird, but then it takes millions
of dollars to sustain and support the
luxury. This bird is very fastidious
it takes the best fruit; hence its sup
port comes from the otherwise profit
of the orchardist.-New York Tele-
gram.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
90 FISHES FEEL PAIN.
A Fisherman Believes That They Are Not
Sensible to Pain.

Sensible to Pain.
A writer in Forest and Stream says: I
have read many articles on the subject
of whether fish, when caught on the
hook, feel any pain or whether their
struggles were merely the result of fnd-'
ing themselves fast. fish great deal
in the summer months for trout, bass
and pickerel and have done so for years.
I have studied the matter very carefully
and have made up my mind from vari-
GUS incidents that have come under my
observation that fish are not sensitive to
pain as are warm blooded animals. |
will cite two instances that show to me
plainly that l must be right in my con-
illusions on this subject.
Last October, while fishing for pickerel
on Lake Cary, Wyoming county, Pa, in
company with companion, among other
fish that we caught was pickerel that
would weigh nearly, if not quite, three
pounds. My friend pulled it up, and as
it came on to the top saw about twelve
feet of very coarse brown line hanging
to it. Upon inspecting it more closely
found that the fish had in its side a very
strong and coarse hook, to which the
piece of line was attached. The wound
must have been made very short time
previous to our catching the fish, for it
was bleeding quite freely and looked
very fresh, and if the fish could feel pain
1t would certainly have deferred it from
taking our hook so soon after such an in
jury. There was only one other party
fishing on the lake that day, as it was
cold and windy, and that pickerel must
have received his injury from them and
have come nearly across the lake to us,
dragging that piece of heavy line with
him.
The other instance occurred in this
way: l was fishing with skipping bait"
most of your readers know what this is:
piece of pork rind or pickerel belly
and had with me friend who, though
he could handle brigade under heavy
| fire, was not up to the trick of catching
fish that way. was having fairly good
sport, but he got impatient, and finally,
when he had a good strike, he jerked so
hard as to break his line, and away went
the fish, and he at once proposed to go
home, but told him in joke if he would
wait five or ten minutes l would catch
that fish and get back his hook So we
sat down and had short smoke. Isoon
commenced to cast my hook near where
he lost his fish. l had a strike, and to
our mutual surprise out came the gen.
erals fish, with his hook well fastened in
its mouth. Now, don't think the fish
would have taken the bait so soon again
had it been in any pain from the hook.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-01
IN THE SLEEPING CAR.

In the evening, weak and weary
Entered the sleeping car;
Found the porter naughty, dreary
AS at eve the porters are.
ID and down the aisle he bossed me-
Flung my baggage here and there;
In my every wish he crossed me
Till my soul o'erf1owed with swear.
Long sued impIored, beseeched him,
Give me quarters for the night"
Till at last my pleadings reached him
And be folded me from sight
In the morning. ali! how lowly
Bowed the porter down to me!
Brushed my garments meantime slowly
Placed his palm where might see.
Thus between mankind and porter
Time is ever shifting powers:
In the eve we beg their quarters.
In the morn they beg for ours
washington Post