davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1890-10-18
COmnendable.

All claims not consistent with the high
character of Syrup of Figs are purposely
avoided by the Cal, Fig Syrup Company.
1t acts gently on the kidneys, liver and
bowels, cleansing the system effectually,
but it is not a cure-aIl. and makes no pre-
tensions that every bottle will not substan-
tate.
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1890-10-18
A SUMMER DECEIT.

on, ne $50 ne said was millionaire.
A. A los she was bankers daughter.
on tha s ssn snld ha sne was, as they srolled
Ihey talked of the wealth that each ono ba Il
a an tnelr future seemed much brighter
ana then he returned to his lob as clerk
And she to her old typewriter.
-L0aorence american
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1890-10-18

FAME is a glorious thing to achieve,
but a small salary is more negotiable. =
BinqhanatOn Leader.
Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1890-10-18

BANKs-"I dined with a millionaire
yesterday" Cumso-"How did he
treat you?' Banks-"Like million
aire: he let me pay for the dinner
TO1cn CJ.ipr
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-18
The Drummer Who Bought a Kiss.

The medal for the meanest man no
longer belongs to the individual who
turned the brick in his sidewalk to save
buying new ones. At one of the Kan
sas City hotels the other day, says the
Star of that city, pretty little tlaxen-
haired. blue-eyed baby girl was play
ing with big Newfoundland dog
about the office. when she was induced
to quit her romping and sit on the lap
of fat commercial traveller. The
traveller amused the baby for awhile
by showing her his watch, key-ring,
aud various trinkets; then seeing that
the little one was restless and wanted
to Diet down" he promised to let her
60 if she kissed him first. His was not
an attractive mouth and the child
strongly objected. As final induce
ment. after much coaxing. the drum
mer went down in his pocket and
pulled out big shining silver dollar
and held it before baby with the re-
mark: IF You give me kiss you may
have this" Such a glittering offer as
this proved too much. so up went the
little mouth, with lips puckered as
though about to receive dose of medi
cine. and ''smackT' and all was over.
Now 90 div me the money" said
the baby holding out both of her club
by little hands to receive it. The man
put the dollar back in his pocket, and
instead tished out copper cent and
gave it to the child with the remark:
IN ow go and play with doggy"
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-18
ALL DRESS ALIKE.

In AMMAN, an empire occupying
the eastern portion of the Indo-
Chinese peninsula, with a population
of $4,000. 900. men and women wear
their hair in the same way and dress
almost alike. Like the man. the
woman wears the turban, a long tunic,
wide loose trousers, and bright sash,
the ends falling below the knees. The
physiognomy is almost the same, as
the men are beardless and have their
hair done up like the women. The
only clew to distinguish them is the
earrings and tnger-rings worn by
women only. The earrings are like
double shirt studs. and among the
lower orders are of colored glass. The
wives and daughters of mandarians
alone are allowed to wear good
jewelry. The rings are of spiral wire,
fitting tight, and standing out to some
height. Some women of the upper
class wear also necklaces of strings of
gold and silver beads.
The hat of the women is monu-
mental. 1t is like large barrel cover,
three-quarters of yard in diameter.
Six orseven silk cords as thick as quill
are fastened an each side, and when
worn fall down below the waist Where
the ends are fastened 10 the bat on
each side is huge black or brown
silk tassel. Some of these hats are
artistically made of carefully selected
palm leaves. and lined with neatly
plated flag leaves. These are ex-
expensive, especially, when they have
chiseled silver clasps at the tassels.
Many women fasten a little round
mirror in the hat. before which they
arrange their turban when they 20 to
town. The hat is the article most
priced by the stylish ladies, and often
costs SO or SIS.
The Annamites either 90 barefooted
or wear sandal, consisting of a sole
and two straps, often lined with stuff.
The straps are crossed between the big
toe and the next. In putting on the
sandal the big toe is used so much that
it becomes like a finger. AS these
sandals are loose at the heels they
cause an awkward gait and have been
abandoned by the better classes. who
wear Chinese shoes and. slippers. but
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-18
ON THE ORIGIN OF THE ALPHABETs,
Thoughts Suggested by a Man who Has
Read Much Manuscript.

Those who are obliged to read the
handwriting of a number of CORES
pondents are aware how large por-
ton of educated men write more or
less illegibly, and that, except in cases
of imperfect sight or of an unsteady
hand, this want of clearness is mainly
due to hurry. The writer sketches the
general effect of word so as to give
himself the least trouble in conveying
its meaning. and omits all strokes.
dots, and stops which he thinks not to
be absolutely required. Nor is this
only to be observed in civilized Eu-
rope, for the handwriting of Orieutals
who use the varieties OF the Arabic
alphabet is equally rendered illeeible
by the same causes.
1t is in the recognition of this desire
to save labor that the underlying prin-
ciple to be followed in tracing the
growth of all geographic systems is to
be found, not even excepting the most
cumbrous and laborious of existing
methods-the Chinese-aud the knowI-
edge of this principle has enabled
scholars to place on a secure basis the
study OF ancient models of writing.
The crude attempts made a century
ago by those who had not at their COM
mand the wealth of geographic evil
dence which has now been gathered,
who regarded the square Hebrew Of
their own times as an original char
acter already existing in the days of
Moses. who saw no objection to at
tributing the early Christian "Sinaitic
Inscriptions" to the Israelites, or the
81 Io IL.
of Judah, have now been superseded
by sounder study of facts, and the
recovery by De Sarzec of very early
Babylonian texts on the statues of Tell
Lo, and that of yet more archaic in
scriptions in Syria and Asia Minor and
Cyprus, has rendered it possible to
trace with certainty the progress of
the art of writing.
From the hurried scrawl of mod
ern Arabic epistle to the carefully en-
graved letters of the Moabite stone is
a transition so complete hat. if we were
not possessed of the intermediate steps
represented by the Nabathean and the
Cutie, we should never be able to feel
satisfied that the Arabic alphabet is a
direct lineal descendant of the Phe-
nician. Yet not only is this the case,
but the story of the Phencian let
ter itself can be carried back from
the ninth century B. C. for length
OF time equal to that which divides
our own days from those of Solomon:
and the well-dehned form of the Mo-
abite symbols is found also to result
from continual and very gradual
change, which has produced a conven-
tional shape from what was original
ly the carved figure of natural OBJ
ject. 1t has been proved. over and
over again, by independent scholars
working at different systems of writ
ing-such as the Chinese, the cunei-
form, or the Egyptian-that no people
ever invented an arbitrary system of
writing, or ever originated an alphabet
as such by any mutual assent. All the
known graphic systems originate in
picture-writing as rude as that of the
American Indian or of the South Afri-
can bushman.-1he Edjndurg ReUjeoo.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-18
Told by Veterans of Chicamauga.

Of all the "reminiscences of Chicka.
mauga's iron hail-storm Jim Brother
tons experience was the hardest strain
on credulity. says the St. Louis Globe
Democrat. Jim. was fighting the best
he knowed how" He was in the thick
est of the assault on Snodgrass hill.
As he charged across the road and over
the field toward the DYER farm Jim
caught glimpse of the house he was
born in. But valor did not make Jim
forget discretion. He took advantage
of all the pine trees he could when go
ing into and coming out of the fight.
On his back was slapped his knapsack,
and over the knapsack was rolled his
blanket The two made a hump
which projected beyond the trees be-
hind which Jim took temporary shelter.
When Jim unioaded his knapsack and
blanket the night after the battle he
found that thirty-seven bullets had
penetrated it. Yes, sir" said Jim,
looking the listener straight in the
eyes; ''thirty-seven bullets had gone
into my blanket and knapsack-thirty-
seven bullets and two buckshot. If /
had that blanket and knapsack now /
wouldn't take 81 900 for them. After
the battle | gave them to mother and
told her to keep them for me until |
came back from the war. But
you know how it is when folks 10
moving around. Things get lost.
don't know what become Of the
blanket or knapsack."
There was only one veteran who told
a story which approached that of Jim
a
was Private Sinnatt, who came all the
way from Virginia to attend the re-
union. Private Sinnatt was particu-
larly anxious to meet and renew ac-
uuaintance with some of the Twelfth
Georgians. A big man of the Twelfth
Georgia saved his life, Private Sinnatt
said. He explained how. When he
got into what seemed to him the hot
test place he had ever found Private
Sinnatt lay down behind tree which
wasn't more than eight inches through
and made himself as small as possible.
While he lay there wondering how
long it would be before he would be
hit a stapping fellow from the Twelfth
Georgia grabbed him by the leg, lifted
him from behind the tree, and lay
down where he had been. Sinnatt
SAYS the Georgian was about twice az
big as he was He couldn't lick him,
so he made the best of bad situation,
crawled up behind the Georgian, and
kept quiet. 1t wasn't but a few min
utes until bullet struck the Georgian
and killed him. Sinnatt lay still be-
hind the body, which stopped fifteen
bullets before the wave of battle passed
on That is why Private Sinnatt says
he will always cherish kindly feeling
for the Twelfth Georgia.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-18
Only a Rose.

a rev years ago lauy living III JnS
city returned one evening from the
country, where she had been spending
the day, with large basket of roses.
AS she approached her own house, a
ragged. dirty boy followed her with
such wistful eyes that she gave him a
rose. Before her door was opened he
was beside her again with two other
grimy boys.
EFF you plaz, mem, yell not be
havin' one to spare for them" point
ing to his companions.
IF they had been hungry and ask
ing for bread" she said afterward.
they could not have watched me with
more eagerness. When | handed them
the roses, they all gave shout and
darted away. In fifteen minutes the
steps were almost filled with children,
pale, ragged, starved little creatures.
| did not know where they had come
from; they seemed to swarm out of the
earth. | gave them the roses and all
flowers in my garden, ashamed to
think how many | had and how little [
valued them, while they were such
priceless treasures to these children.
Most of the children ran home with
their flower as if it had been a rare
jewel.
Later in the evening another poor
waif rang the bell to know if this was
the house where they gave away
flowers | determined then that, with
Gods help, it always should be-
Out of this chance gift of rose
grew the flower mission of our great
cities.
No one, who has not carried flowers
or growing ants into the slums of
cities, can know the delight which
common field daisy or bunch of clover
can give to the wretched inmates.
A little incident which occurred this
summer has certain significant pathos
of its own. A young girl one day
bought from an old negro on the side
walk bunch of purple water-hags.
Going into small trimming she
observed that the saleswoman eyed
them intently.
What are these flowers, miss?n she
asked. Il never saw them before, but
| think they must be the flags my
mother talks about that grew on the
creek near her old home in Delaware.
She's never seen any since"
Give them to her," said the custom
er kindly.
The woman tried to thank her, but
the words choked her. Shes old and
very sick" she said at last. She won't
be here long
A month later the young girl went
into the shop again. The shop-girl,
dressed in shabby black, came to her.
She kept them flowers by her for
ten days-aS long us She lived" she
whispered. She thought they came
from her old home When put her in
the coffin | laid them by her. They
had given her so much pleasure /
thought I'd like to have them go with
her still"
1t is not necessary to belong to a
club or organization to join this beauti-
full charity. Any child who lives in
the country can send box of field
flowers to her friend in town, and
these. if taken into the nearest court or
alley, will become a missionary charged
with Gods message of goodwill and
love.
Flowers are His free gift to man.
Food, clothes, even knowledge we
must work for and buy. but flowers
grow for the beggar on the wayside.
Snail we not carry His gift to our poor
brother imprisoned in city walls, who
has not received it?-Youth's COM
1on1l1O77
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-18
heart, and the poor rugged old face grew

neart, and the poor rugged old face grew
| grayer.
The Colonel's bungalow being close to the
parade ground, the wounded man had been
conveyed thither; and so, after all, it was
fated that Nelly should come there, and not
to the little nest that loving hands had pre-
pared for her.
After little time there was a change.
IF only his wife would conner sighed the
doctor. He frets for her. If only she
could be here in timel"
AT last she came-came as he had wished
when the sun was setting, gliding, as she
passed, the background Of palms, and cast
ing long mysterious shadows and gorgeous
lights round about the old well, the cool
green plantains, and the tiny square bunga-
low And, as she jolted by, she knew not
that all the little scene was planned for her.
and even had she known, she could not
have looked at it for the tears that dimned
her eyes.
At his own gate the Colonel met her but
he could find no words of greeting for her
who was to have been so royalty welcomed
His had been the kindly forethought which
arranged that the terrible news should be
gently broken to her on landing at Bombay,
and in such manner that despair should not
travel with her through all the long Jour
ney up country. And now, when he met
her at his gate, he could only lower his gray
head over her small cold hands and whisper
hoarsely that there was still hope-for there
was life
Then Nelly knew what need there had
been for her to hasten her coming. Kneel-
ing by the bed where her husband lay white
nd c+I11 1,,,@ hn cd
Heaven for having guided and quickened
her footsteps.
Till close upon dawn she watched beside
the still form. She was past thinking,
but her weary mind was filled with the
comforting knowledge that Jim was still
alive.
AS the dawn broke she fancied she felt
the cold wings of the recruiting angel.
With wide startled eyes she gazed at her
husband, and saw that there was change
Then she cried aloud. with great sob:
"Oh, Heaven, let him speak to me-only
oncel"
AT that moment Jim opened his tired eyes
and saw her.
Her hands grasped his tightly. Would he
say good-by: They were alone together in
the gray dawn, with the morning star look
ing in. Would it all end like this?
''My darling, you have come in timel" he
said, in labored whisper.
When the doctor entered few minutes
later, Nelly was told that the Angel of
Death had indeed been with her, but not to
stay. He had passed on and claimed the
Colonel, who died quite peacefully.
The old man was found dead in the chair
where he sat watching through the long
night outside Jim's -''Within call, he
said
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-18
Bombay Oysters.

The very newest thing about town
is the Bombay oyster. The Bonn
bay oyster isn't an oyster at all, of
course, but this is the name that has
been bestowed on it. 1t is Il compo-
sition sufficiently simple and common
to please the lean and larded purse
alike. 1t is nothing more than an egg
dropped unbroken into a tumbler and
deIuged with vinegar and sprinkled
with pepper and salt. 1t is consumed
always before breakfast and by Il great
many sporting men III the city. One
of its effects is 10 cOunteract the evil
tendencies of overwhelming and over
eating Some stout men like Bonn
bay OYSTER in the morning and eat
nothing again until noon. For bill
ious stomach it is the finest kind of a
remedy Boston Globe
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-18

the fine ladies wear these very narrow
and short.
The Annamites have splendid hair.
1t is not rare to see women with hair
reaching their feet. They take great
care of it, washing it frequently with
some soapy mixture, aud sitting in the
sun to let it dry, The men have little
beard, and even that appears only at a
much greater age than with us, and is
never full. This makes it very hard to
tell a mans age. The women are
small but well proportioned. with
small hands and feet. Their faces
would be charming if they did not
stain their teeth black. Children are
charming until they become z or s
years old. Then the nose fiattens, the
cheek bones become prominent, and
the eyes assume the inclination seen in
adults.
The attire of children is not ex-
pensive. In summer they run about
the streets naked, or at most with
little skirt not reaching the knee. All
have coin, or amulet, around the neck
to keep off evil spirits and disease.
The hair is cut close. except a tuft on
the top of the head or lock at each
temple
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-18
A Sparrow On Il Spree.

In the yard of a Scranton bird student a
pair of English sparroWs began last spring
to get ready to go to housekeeping.
They took up their abode in little box that
was fastened to tbs top of a pole. Other
sparrows undertook to occupy the box, but
the pugnacious first corners soon drove them
away, and from that time on the plucky
pair fixed up their household and got every
thing in readiness to raise family without
beng disturbed by their apparently envious
neighbors.
When the industrious birds were nearly
ready to settle down to quiet married life,
an accident happened that caused a row be
tween the pair. One day before the female
had begun to sit, her husband fitted away
and was gone a good deal longer than usual.
During his absence the female busted her.
self by flying from the nest to the yard and
back, adding finishing touches to her house
hold and sprucing things up inside of the
box. By and by Mr.. Sparrow returned,
but he didn't look as neat and natty as he
did when he sailed away In some way he
had lost all of his tail feathers while he was
gone, and his wife wouldn't have any
thing to do with him or let him enter the
house. He seemed to try to explain mat
tiers to her, but she wouldn't listen to him
at all, chirped at him spitefully, and fought
him, whenever he attempted to approach
her.
The student knew that the bobtailed bird
was the rightful husband by a peculiar
mark on his head and he watched the re-
suit of the family trouble with deep inter
est, For two days the unhappy husband
coaxed and begged his wife to treat him as
she had formerly done, but his pleadings
made her all the more determined to get rid
of him for good. All at once the bobtailed
sparrow disappeared, and has never been
seen around there since. The female con-
tinued to occupy the box, and inside of
three days she got another husband, set up
housekeeping anew, and in due time hatch
ed out nest full of little ones.-N. z Sun.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-18
The Discovery of Gold.

One of the anomalies Of the gold dis
covery was its slowness in reaching
Americans in California. 1t was mid
summer before the news was generally
credited in California and Oregon.
Then, when people became convinced
that the reports were true and that
fortunes could be made in a few
months in the Sacramento valley, there
was a rush such as was never before
known in history. OF course the Cali
fornia settlers had the great advantage
of proximity to the new Ell Dorado.
Next, perhaps, came those in Homo
lulu. The Oregonians obtained their
news by way of the Sandwich Islands
and Fort Vancouver. These hardy
pioneers had just emerged from long
struggle with hunger, the wilderness
and the Indians. They were poor and
they saw in the future only a vista of
weary work with small profits, as they
Suddenly the scattered settlements
were electrified by the news of the
gold discovery. Those who took part
in the rush declare that not less than
tvo-thirds of all those capable of bear
ing arms swarmed over the Siskiyou
mountains and came down to the gold
fields of the Sacramento. In the mean
time the news had spread to the east,
to Australia, and to South America.
From all quarters came young men as
eager for adventure as for gold. Not
one in a thousand had any practical
knowledge of mining or any plan of
remaining in the country after a fort
une had been made. Eighty thousand
is a conservative estimate of the num-
Der of gold hunters who fiocked to
California in the first twelve months
that followed Marshalrs discovery
George HdnaLi1a Fitch. IN The Century.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-18
Pluto's Safety Valve.

Two and half miles south of the little
Mexican village of Las Hummettas in west
ern Arizona, in low, sandy valley, f1anked
by tall mountains, there is a hole about
three feet in diameter and of unknown
depth, from which a dense cloud of smoke
and steam is constantly arising. For 100
feet on each side of the hole the ground is
moist and heated. Water collected in the
holes which has been dog in this moist
ground has the tendency to make one very
walzeful, besides giving the face, hands, and
feet paralytic numbness. Every evening
at o'clock large volumes of sand are shot
from the hole, preceded by roar that can
be heard for miles.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-18
Cards for the Dead.

A curious fashion has come into
vogue in Paris. In all the cemeteries
metal boxes with a slit in the lid are
placed on the tombstones to receive the
cards of visitors. The relatives of the
deceased are thus enabled to see who
among the living still cherish the
memory of their departed friends.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-18

The cars on the Jungfrau railway
have movable flaps. which may be ex-
banded by the guard until they nearly
touch the tunnel lining. In this way
the car becomes kind of piston acting
in the tunnel as cylinder and the air
act as an automic brake to check the
speed OF the descending car.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-18

If all the persons whose names are
in the new government blue book were
to form line four abreast it would
take ten hours for the procession to
pass the white house.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-12-18

A company has been organized at
Port Townsend, Wash, to cultivate an
oyster farm of 10 acres 1t will be
stocked by the best varieties from the
east