davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
Freaks of Photography.
Most neon1e are awara cf tb,

Most people are aware of the fact
that with few exceptions the faces of
their friends are unlike when viewed
from opposite sides, but it is not gen.
orally known what causes this, in some
cases, remarkable difference. Napoleon
Sarony, the well-known photographer,
has made human faces the study of his
life, first by painting portraits and,
later in his career, by posing his sub
jects before the camera. No one has
ever doubted the excellence of his
work, and the reason for his great sue
cess undoubtedly arises from his observ-
ance of his patrons features and quick
ly determining which is the best side.
Frequently, he says, these facial
differences are caused by accidents re-
ceived in youth while playing rough
games, but the principal cause of the
variation in the outline of the nose is
due to carelessness of mothers in allow
ing their babies to lie and suck their
thumbs, for then the forefinger is
pressed against the delicate cartilage of
the nose and slowly but surely is max
ing an indention thereon. Mr.. Sarony
proves his theory by the statements of
many mothers who have remembered
the childish trait in their boys and
girls, and those who have evenly
formed features, or faces which APP
appeared exactly the same on each
side, were those who scorned the
comfort which is derived by putting
the thumb in the mouth while sleeping.
The poet Longfellow is cited as 'hav-
ing much better profile viewed from
the right side than from the left, and
General Hancock was another noted
man who was always photographed in
one position. his best side looking
quite unlike the other In fact, there
was such difference that two photo
graphs, one of each side of his face,
would hardly be recognized as the
same person.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
Augusta's Beautiful Shoulders.

The Empress Augusta was famous in
her younger days for her personal
beauty and especially for her magnif-
cent shoulders. In the later years of
her life her beauty of feature had quite
disappeared, but to the day of her
death the wonderful shoulders re-
manned the same. And court gossip
tells the following story about it: The
Empress has always been excessively
proud of her beauty, and so, when the
unkind years began to leave their trace
upon her, she devised the most skillful
aids from art. For her neck and
houlders-indeed, for the entire upper
body-she had waxen covering made
which perfectly simulated nature in
coloring, texture and outline. This
armor once assumed, she was never
known to remove it, and indeed for
many years the fact of its being the
product of art was matter of suspicion
rather than actual knowledge. Ger
tainty came about in this way. One
of the young women of the court of an
experimental turn of mind slipped sly
ly up behind the august presence one
day and gave just the tiniest touch of a
needle on the smooth white shoulders.
The Empress did not stir. She pushed
little harder, still the Empress did
not vince, and court speculation was
silenced forever.-N. Y. San.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
Commodore VanderbiIt's Feat

Post Boy and Plow Boy were the
team of which Commodore Vanderbilt
was especially fond, and of which the
following story is told, says the N. Y.
Sun: A friend was invited by Mr..
Vanderbilt to ride with him up the
road. They got up to Mott Haven,
and presently came to the tracks of the
Harlem road. An express train was
coming. The commodore looked at
the train and at his horses, and giving
the reins hitch, he sent the animals
flying across the track. They just
reached the other side when the train
whizzed by. The current of air caused
by its motion lifted the hats of the
commodore and his companion.
Not another man in New York
could do that said the commodore,
turning to his companion, and looking
at him proudly.
and you will never do it again
with me in your wagon" replied the
friend.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
She Said Ibid You Ever?''

One of the Seventh avenue cars
stopped at Twenty-first street the other
day to let sharp-featured. snappy.
eyed woman get aboard. When the
conductor came forward to collect hel
fare she gave him a tifty-cent piece.
After giving her change he had turned
to go to the platform when she stopped
him by saying:
''Oh, conductor, you have not given
me the right change"
The conductor said politely: Il think
you must be mistaken, lady. l gave
you four ten cent pieces and a nickel. u
"But you didn't contradicted the
sharp-featured woman; ''you gave me
only four ten cent pieces.n
''The conductor counted his change
and said:
"You certainly must be mistaken,
for the change in my pocket is all
right
did you ever?" remarked the now
thoroughly-eXcited woman, appealing
to fat man opposite. The stout man
did not signify whether he ever did OF
not, and she began upon the conductor
again.
II never make a mistake said she.
'When know thing 1 know it.
"But | certainly gave you the right
change"
She turned to the lady in the corner
and asked, Did you ever?" The lady
was non-committal, which forced the
sharp-featured woman to appeal to an
old man who was reading newspaper.
Whether he ever did or not was, how
ever, left shrouded in gloom. The
conductor counted over his change
again. Then an idea occurred to him.
Wont you get up, lady, and see
whether that nickel is not in your
clothing somewhere?" he asked.
She fairly gasped for breath as she
remarked, Odd you ever?" to the
whole car.
Then the conductor gave up the fight
and drew forth a tive-cent piece from
his pocket which she placed in her
purse. As the car approached Thirty
fourth street she signaled the conduc-
tor that she wanted to get off Six
very much interested passengers
watched her rise to leave the car and
there was a general sigh of satisfaction
and an air of I-told-you-so on every
ones face when the missing nickel
dropped from fold in her dress and
rolled on the floor. The conductor
called her attention to it but the only
satisfaction he got for it was the re-
mark she made as she looked at the
coin on the floor: You ought to
know enough to make the right change
and not make SO much fuss about it. u
N Y
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
Mystery of a Photograph.

A well-known photographer will
vouch for the following facts as told in
the London Tablet. He was called in
one day to take the photograph of a
young girl of about twenty, who had
died few days before. The corpse
was laid out upon bed with the hands
clasped over the breast. Death had
come very gently to her, and, except
for the stiffness, she lay there as if in
sleep. Some flowers had been strewn
side of the bed, and standing out in
black relief against it, was the coffin.
The photographer silently adjusted his
lens and took the photograph. During
the ten minutes needed for the expos
ure the photographer paced up and
down in the long corridor outside the
room where the dead girl lay. When
he returned he saw on the lid of the
coffin flower, which was not there
before. How did that flower come
thereP No one had entered the room,
the windows were closed. and there
was not breath of air stirring. Why
was the flower now lying on the coffin,
when a few minutes before it was on
the bed between the hands of the
corpse? The photographer listened,
but he could hear no sound except the
beating of his own heart. In few
minutes, however, he determined to
dismiss the question from his mind and
busted himself with packing up his in
strument. Then he paused-possibly
the falling flower had left trace on
the negative, or, es the day was
gloomy, the photograph might not be
quite successful. He would try again.
A second photograph was taken and
the artist returned home. That night,
sitting up late in his studio, he develop
ed the two negatives. The position of
the corpse was not the same in the two
negatives. The photographer strained
his eyes, half disbelieving the evidence
of his own senses, but there were the
two negatives before him, telling him
in their silent, unmistakable truthful
ness that between the taking of the two
photographs the arm of the dead girl
had distinctly moved. The mystery of
the flower on the coffin was solved, but
it was succeeded by a mystery more
terrible still.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
MINUTE HANDWRITING.
Notable Examples of Delicate Pennan.
ship, Both Ancient and Modern.

Pliny the elder, that indefatieable
worthy, ''ever young and ever fresh, :"
relates that Cicero once saw the 1liad
of Homer in a nutshell. Huet the
English antiquarian, whose pleasure it
was to search out the improbable,
acknowledges that, after much study,
he has proved it to have been possible.
He says: IA piece of vellum ten inches
in length and eight in width, plant yet
firm, can be folded and inclosed in a
nutshell, using a large walnut. A piece
of vellum this size can hold in its
breadth one line, which can contain
thirty verses, and in its length two
hundred and fifty lines. With crow
quill the writing can be perfect. A
page of such q piece of veilum will
then contain seven thousand five hun
dred verses, and the reverse as much
the entire fifteen thousand verses of the
Iliad."
This was proved by Huet, says a
writer in Harpe7.'s Bazar, before a COM
pany of scholars and nobility, in the
presence of the dauphin, by using a
piece of paper and common pen.
Menage, linguist and literary man,
a contemporary with Huet, records
ceptible except with microscope.
pictures and portraits appearing to be
only lines and scratches thrown down
at random. One such formed the face
of the dauphiness with pleasing
delicacy and correct resemblance;
moreover. poem in praise of this
royal lady, containing some thousands
of verses written by an officer, was put
into the space of eighteen inches.
1t is recorded that in the reign of
Queen Bess many were astonished at
the exhibition of the whole bible put
into an English walnut no bigger
than hens egg. The nut holdeth
the book; there are as many leaves in
this little book as in the great bible,
and there be written as much in one of
these little leaves as in a great leaf of
the bible" 1t is mentioned that this
wonderful unreadable copy of the
bible was seen by many thousand peo-
pie.
The library of ST. Johns college,
Oxford, contains another unique bit of
handicraft. 1t is drawing of the
head of Charles l., wholly composed of
written characters so minute that at
distance the delicate strokes resemble
the lines of an engraving. The lines of
the head and the ruff are said to con-
tain the book of Psalms, the creed, and
the Lords prayer.
The portrait of Queen Anne in the
British museum is another instance of
success in minute penwork. This lilli-
putian drawing, hardly larger than
ones hand, develops upon its surface
countless lines and scratches, which
the official in charge assures the ques-
tioning public includes the entire con-
tents of a thin folio, which in this way
is carried in the hand.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
A DiahoIical Time-Piece.

1t is said that one can have too much
of good thing. Tom Edison is good
thing; ergo, one can have too much of
Tom or rather too much of the fruit
by which we all know him. Mr.. Edi-
son has lately invented clock. One
of them, it is understood, is now on its
way to st. Paul. The startling posi-
bilities of the new time-piece are said
to be diabolical. 1t is a talking instead
of striking clock. When it is l, 2 or
3 o'clock, Edison's invention comes
right out and tells you so to your face,
and when it is high or low u, the me-
chanical tiend jumps into you with an
extemporaneous lecture on the waste
of time, horrors of eternity, ethics of
tempus fugit, homily on the lark,
and roast of all-night eating-houses
and export beer. Remember these are
not set speeches. They can be varied
each day according to the satirical flu
ency of your own wife. There is a
measly photographic attachment, with
hew-gag exhaust and tom-tom escape
ment. just here is where turks the
danger. While man is downtown
tossing the bears and hugging the type
writer, his wife at home can be wind
ing the combination and putting up a
job on him. What if the man does
telephone that he can't come up to din
ner? The patient clock runs right
along, giving out monosyllables and
civility to the rest of the family,
with its big storage battery of caus-
tic invective bottled expressly for his
own private use-somethiug like this:
'.Ah, there. Flimfiam, it is now 3
o'clock a. m. Nice time to crawl home
to the house where your love lies dream
ing the weary hours away! What's the
matter with going to roost when white
folks do? It's no use to put up the old
club and lodge room chestnuts. Books
out of balance is also, trite stale.
Where did you get that hat, and whose
is it? Mothers coming tomorrow to
stay three weeks. She wants to see
for herself if things are as bad as has
been represented. Yes, there's a land
that is fairer than this, land where
they don't shovel snow, and you are en-
route for it on schedule time unless
you slow up and drop off at the next
station. Yes, myself, Tom, Lizzie, the
baby are all down with the influenza,
but l didn't know we had given you
proxies to take whisky and quinine for
the whole family. Now hang your
boots over the gas jet and 90 to bed.
If you wake me and the baby remem-
ber there's second edition of this
in the original tongue, and
YOU will get it."-St. Paul Pioneer Press
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
Carried Money in His Ear.

A middle aged colored man entered
a Brooklyn car the other evening with
basket containing wine in his hand,
evidently sent to make delivery, says
the n. Y. Herald. He seemed to have
sampled it freely before starting out,
for he was in excellent humor. He
managed to get a seat, and when the
conductor came around to collect his
fare he never bothered about pockets
OF pocketbooks, but simply placed his
hand on one of his capacious ears and
drew forth the shining nickel. To say
that conductor and the passengers were
surprised puts it mildly. The conduc-
tor on recovering himself thereupon re-
marked, why do you carry your
money there, captain?" Cause it's
handy, sir replied the son of Ham,
and then the passengers all laughed at
the wrinkle i'll money pouches. 1t was
observed that he carried another nickel
in the other ear.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
When Woman Mails Il Letter.

Femininity in the Post Office is an
amusing study. In the manner Of
dropping simple, ordinary, white,
everyday letter, for instance, she af-
fords an insight into the character OF
the average woman.
The looker-on had nothing else to do
the other day than to watch this little
operation for five minutes. Out OF
thirty young women who went to cast
their epistles in the slot, twenty-five,
by exact calculation, withdrew the let
ter before quite letting go of it to sean
both sides of the note to be very
sure the letter was securely sealed,
properly addressed, stamped, and to be
certain no one could look through the
envelope to read its contents. Out of
these twenty-five ladies three had for
gotten to put stamp on their letter, and
two had to add something to the adj
dress on the envelope, while another
carried off with her the letter she had
intended to mail.-B0st0n Record.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
Doing the Right Thing.

The train was just pulling out OF
Weston, Mo-, for St. Joe, when one of
the passengers in the smoker put his
head so far out of the window that a
man near him felt it his duty to utter a
note of warning.
Eyes, it is little risky" replied the
man, as he pulled in his head and sat
down, s'but 1 was looking for a grave
in that field. Reckon it has been
ploughed under and forgotten"
'How did they happen to bury him
there?"
''It's sad story, gentlemen-very
sad. 1t was ust ten years this month,
and was living here then. A stranger
came in from the West with three
that we clapped him in jail. He never
denied that he stole 'em, and one
night the boys turned out and hung
him to tree back there. That used
to be our way of discouraging the busi-
ness, and I believe it is still practiced
further west We buried him near the
tree, and it was his grave I was look
ing for
meyer denied it, eh?n queried one
of the listeners.
''Never did, although we gave him
every chance. Just week from the
time he was hung we found out that he
was an honest, honorable farmer liv-
ing about forty miles below US. While
he hadn't stolen the horses, he had
killed man, and he no doubt believed
we were hanging him for that. We
felt mean enough when we discovered
that he was no horse thief, and that all
he had done was to pop a man over, and
Kansas man at that, and he must
have been sadly puzzled over our con-
duct. We made such reparation as we
could however.
In what way?n
"Oh, we rounded up the grave.
passed resolutions of sympathy for the
wife, sent the horses on home, and a
few months later l went up and mar
ried his widow. She's in the next car
behind"
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
Not Disposed to Invest in silverware.

''We meet some queer people among
the many who are constantly fitting
into and out of this store;" said sales
man to writer in the Je1Oete7's Wee&ly,
''but an old man and his wife, upon
whom I waited few days ago, took the
cake for pure unadulterated simplicity.
The couple were evidently on their
first visit from the country. When |
approached them the old lady, who was
undoubtedly master of ceremonies.
stated that they wanted to purchase a
soup tureen.
'''Do you want plated ware or rsilver?"
I asked.
"'Solid silver, ter be sure, the woman
responded, with a glance that, had l
been anybody else than salesman,
would have frozen me.
AFTER seeing number of designs
the old lady decided upon one and in
quired the price.
'"One hundred and twenty dollars,
l answered, as called to boy to take
the article to the shipping-room.
"'What!' she almost screamed. One
hundred and twenty dollars fer that?
Wall, swan For a few moments
they gazed at me as if 1 had expressed
an intention of robbing them, after
which they conferred together.
Presently the old gentleman turned
around, and in quivering voice said
he guessed they'd better buy a plated
tureen, as that was just as good.
''We have several dozen designs in
plated ware in stock, and after critic
ally examining each one the old lady
plucked up courage enough to ask the
price of one that had only recently
been produced and was selling for $1S.
When l mentioned the price she looked
blankly at her husband and said she
guessed we didn't have anything to suit
them. As they were going out of the
store / overheard the remark What
mighty dear store these in New York
are, ter be sure. | wouldn't pay morn
So fer soup tureen-no, not if it was
the only one in the country"
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
Why Blind Persons Never Smoke.

A peculiarity about the blind is that
there is seldom one of them who
smokes. Soldiers and sailors ac-
customed to smoking and who have
lost their sight in action continue to
smoke for short while, but soon give
up the habit. They say that it gives
them no pleasure when they can not
see the smoke, and some have said that
they can not taste the smoke unless
they see it. This almost demonstrates
the theory that if you blindfold a
q man in roomful of smoke and put a
lighted and unlighted cigar in his
mouth alternately he will not be able
to tell the difference.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
THREE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS
Curious Calculations Concerning This
Enormous Sum of Money.

Curious Calculations Concerning This
Enormous Sum of Money.
F. H. Swords, banker of London,
sat in the Continental corridor recent
ly reading newspaper. Suddenly he
pointed to paragraph in the latter and
said:
Listen to this statement: The Van
derbilt estate is now calculated to be
worth at least 100000, 000.'" Mr..
Swords folded his paper, and, leaning
back in the chair, continued: ''Of course
l do not know whether that statement
is true; but | saw it published in the
StGnddrd several weeks ago.
The sum seemed so enormous that
| spent quite while in calculating the
physical proportions of that number of
silver dollars. Here is little slip in
my wallet here that may give you some
idea. If Adam, when he first looked
around in the Garden of Eden, say
5000 years ago, had been met by Satan
and had been employed by him at a
regular salary of $4,000 per annum
and his board and clothes; and if Adam
had carefully laid his silver dollars
away in barrels each year. and had
lived to the present time, he would
now have $780, 900, 900. Again, if a
man born in the Christian era. 1890
years ago, had lived and been steadily
employed at a salary of $4,000 per
month, $443 day, and his living ex-
penses besides, and had saved every
dollar of it, he would not to-day have
three hundred millions.
eff it were necessary to transport
this number of silver dollars it would
require $50 freight cars, each of a ca
pacity of twenty tons. If these cars
were put into one train it would be
more than four miles long. If it were
possible for 300,000,0O0 silver dollars
to be laid on the ground in straight
! line, with edges touching each other
the whole distance, the line would reach
farther than from London across the
Atlantic Ocean and over the North
American Continent to San Francisco.
A sidewalk of three hundred million
silver dollars could be laid six feet wide
and more than fifteen miles long. Ii
three hundred million dollars were laid
one on top of the other they would
make a column 475 miles high. Ii
taken down and arranged in the form
of cube each side of the latter would
be thirty-tive feet long and wide, and ii
would weigh more than 10000 tons. Ii
such weight were dropped from the
roof of the new city hall the conclusion
would be great enoughto destroy that
part of the tv."-PhitadetphiG Press.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
FOR = ALE!

At the new Ravenna Livery and
Feed Stable" on West Main Street,
nearly opposite the Shannon House,
you will find everything new and first
class, and can be furnished with con-
veyances, both single and double, at
reasonable prices.
The building is commodious and
well ventilated, the drainage excellent,
making it one of the finest Feeding
Stables in the county.
MRS. S r. Poe,
GEORGE f. NICHOLS.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
A Lively Cripple.

A one-legged man whom the Seattle
(Wash.) police were after the other day
took refuge in a cellar, barred the door,
and defed the whole force. The fire
department was called out and the eel
lar pumped full of water. When it got
up to the mans chin he surrendered.
Since then he has escaped three times
from iail,
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
The Telephone in America,

The are more than 10, 900 miles of
telephone wire in operation in the Unit
ed States, over which 1,055, 600 mes
sages are sent daily. About 100000
telephones are in use in this country.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
4 Large Stock

OF harness, just received, made from
best oak stock and all hand work
Sold at rock bottom prices. Come in
nd ee. T. F. TIL OMPSON.
The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-03-05
Teachers Examinations.

L ExAMINATIoNsw will be held commencing
L. at 8 O'Clock a. m. and closing at 4 p. m.
on the FIRST SATURDAY OF each month; also,
the THIRD SATURDAY in October. November,
February and March.
The examination on the THIRD SATURDAY in
February will be held at tGarrettsville; that on
the THIRD SATURDAY in March. at Kent. All
others at the High School Building, Ravenpa
No certificate will be ante-dated.
BY order of the Board.
IU46 o. +. HAYMAKER, Clerk