davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
'eDelikit.n

A stout and exceedingly robust looking
colored woman went to the office of physi-
clan to ask him If he could give her some
thing that would "kind o. build her up."
"What seems to be the matter?" asked
the physician, failing to see any indications
Of weakness.
"Well, doctah," was the reply, "rm jess
natchelly delilzit."
"Delicate?"
"Yes, doctah; Ise allus been delikit, en- it
peahs like Pm gittin delikitter all de time"
'You look very strong"
''Dat's hit, doctah. don't look delikit,
but am. I cayn't bar to git up in de
mawnin', en- I don't wanter do anything
arfter am up; en- Pm so narvous hit puts
me all out ter be asked to wuk."
'Is your appetite good?"
"Va'y good, doctah, way good. Nothin'
eat seems to hurt me, en- l kin eat all I
wanter of it, but when it comes ter doin'
anything I'm that delikit I jess cayn't do
hit. Hits turrible ter be so delikit."
The doctor had had similar cases of deli
cate constitutions before, and, as usual,
prescribed a trip to Europe. Com
Danion
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
Elysian Weather.

There is nothing the matter with the
weatherin Washington now or at any time.
Here the summer days are strings Of silver
pearls, which hang translucent in the cool,
sweet air; the red rose kiss Of June falls
like benson on every breeze that wanders
down from the blue Virginia hills and,
like a cooling hand, drops softly through
the sunshine upon the eyelids of the rest
ing town: the long, low lines of rustling
trees, dew laden morn and eve, bring fresh
ened life to every living thing, and every
nerve and fiber is filled with that rare tonic
power which makes age youth and over
comes all ills that may be heirlooms to the
flesh. And our winters are our summers
in duplicate, and our springs and autumns
will discount the other two seasons with
one hand tied behind them.-Washington
Star
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
Antiu uity of Gloves.

The antiquity of gloves is very great.
They doubtless antedate history, for the
earliest literature alludes to them. They
have been known and worn from the re-
mote ages of the world. Homer, in the
Odyssey, describes Laertes, the farmer
king, the father of Ulysses, in his retire
ment: "While gloves secured his hands to
shield them from the thorns" Xenophon
jeers at the Persians for wearing gloves as
a protection from the cold. mot only did
they have umbrellas borne over them in
the SUMNER" he says, "but in winter it is
not sufficient for them to clothe their heads
and their bodies and their feet, but they
have coverings made Of hair for their hands
and their fingers" The Romans scorned
such effeminacy at that time, but we are
told that at about the time of Christ the
amanuensis of Pliny, the historian, wore
gloves to keep his fingers nimble in cold
weather.--St. Louis Republic.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
The Russian "Hire List"

An order has been promulgated by the
Russian ministry of the interior that every
laborer must carry with him. besides his
passport, "hire list" in which the condi,
tions under which he takes employment
are recorded. Both the passport and the
"hire list" must be kept by the employer
as long as the laborer is in his hire, even in
cases when the two parties have an oral
agreement between themselves. But still,
in order to facilitate the employment of la
borers, the courts shall recognize verbal
contract as valid if it is satisfactorily prov
ed and attested by witnesses.-St. Peters
burg Letter.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
A SENTIMENTAL VAGRANT.
A Man Who Loved to Lilo A-basking In
the Sun and Read Poetry.

the Sun and Read Poetry.
A cNrious incident occurred the other
night while the detective police were scour-
ing the Bois de Boulogne, with the object
of ridding it of the many suspicious char
acters who had recently made it place Of
resort. A poorly dressed man, seeing the
police give chase to gang of roughs, took
to his heels and fed. The fact Of his run
ming away induced the police to follow in
pursuit, but the man, reaching the lake
before them, plunged bravely in and swan
to the opposite bank in the expectation
of eluding them. Unfortunately for him,
other detectives witnessed the scene, and
quietly arrested him when he stepped out
of the water.
Taken dripping wet to the police COM
missary's office he was of course search
ed. In canvas bag strapped over his
shoulder were found. first, a little case con-
tanning needles and thread, zinc drinking
cup, pocketknife, two pocket handker-
chiefs and 400 francs in notes and gold. On
the sight of this money the police commissa-
ry at once concluded the man had stolen it,
and began to question him and to call him
a thief; but at that moment the official
was surprised by his subordinate drawing
out of the ineXhaustible canvas bag two
we'll worn volumes of poetry, one by AL
fred de Musset, the other by Victor Hugo.
The "thief' said he was neither IL rough
nor a thief, nor anything but hard work
ing, but perhaps eccentric, individual. He
was not vagabond, because during the
winter he always had lodging at house
he named, but during the summer his
great delight was to live in the open air,
basking in the sun in the day and enjoying
the GOODNESS of the night. He neither stole
nor begged in his wanderings, for he lived
on the savings he had put byin the winter,
during which he worked night and day as
a porter at the Central market. AS he
never drank anything but water he was,
by great economy, able to live on franc
day, and to save at least two francs.
While Mt work he always carried his
money every week to the savings bank.
He was never weary of his wandering life,
for his greatest delight was poetry.
His favorite authors were de Musset and
Victor Hugo. The volumes found in his
pouch had, he declared, been read by him
over and over again, and every time with
increased pleasure. Every one of the va
grants statements was, on inquiry, found
to be absolutely true. At the Central
market he had the reputation of being one
of the most hard working and honest of
porters. At the house where he lodged in
the winter his reputation was equally
good.-Pall Mall Gazette.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
A S2,0OO,OOO Check.

The largest check ever given in this coun-
try was that given by Jay Gould to Thomas
Allen for the Iron mountain. He paid
s., ,OOO, 900 for it, and he handed Allen a
check for that amount upon his acceptance
of his offer Allen looked at the paper that
represented this vast sum and said, "Isn't
this q good deal of money for one man to
have in one bank?" 81 don't know" re-
piled Gould; perhaps it is. Let me have
the check" Allen then handed the check
back to Gould, and he handed it over to his
office boy, saying, "Here, boy, take this
check to the bank and have the cashier
certify to it," And the boy went out and
did it.-Frank G. Carpenters Letter.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
His Reason.

There was a very nice dish of watercress
on an uptown restaurant table the other
day. A pretty young woman saw the cool
and dainty dish and appropriated the
whole of it. 1t happened that young
man seated at the end of the table had also
cast covetous eyes at tine watercress, and
he gave the waiter a quarter to steal the
dish from the young lady. When the lat
ter discovered her loss she looked angrily
around the table and saw the watercress
slowly disappearing down the young mans
throat.
Excuse me. SIR" she exclaimed, with
heightened color and infinite sarcasm.
"Can you tell what you took that dish
for?"
The young man stopped chewing for a
moment. Then, with graceful inclins-
ton of the head, he replied:
"Pardon me, madam, but took the dish
because it contained watercress. New
York Journal.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
Iron from Sea Sand.

Among the numerous magnetic separa-
tors which have lately been put before the
public one of the most remarkable is that
for the extraction of iron from sea sand.
It is stated that ordinary sea sand contains
from to per cent. of iron, enough in
fact to give large excess over cost of ex-
traction. The machine. is very simple, con-
sisting of a cyclinders whose surface is
composed of electro magnets, revolving on
the inside of an endless canvas belt. The
sand is fed to the belt, and spray of water
separates the particles, the iron being re-
tained by the powerful electro magnets,
and carried off on the belt to receptacle
at the other end, while the sand falls into
the trough below 1t is claimed that the
iron can thus be extracted for about one
eighth of its value.-New York CONNER
cial Advertiser.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
The Investigating Boy Again.

The 3-year-old son of certain clergy
man came home from church the other
Sunday with something puzzling his young
soul. He was unusually silent all day, and
it was not until next day that he appealed
for light and help from his elders. AT
dinner on Monday he broke forth:
"Papa. they was two ladies sanged in
the choir. One lady had wall tied back
around her head, so Gllustrating), and
nutLer lady had little bonnet fiat down
on her ears, so (palms OH ears). One lady
sanged Ills name is King and nuther
lady sanged His name is Lord What is
his name, papa:"
The choir, it appeared, had 'sanged" an
anthem substantially as set forth in the
young mans report.-New York sun.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
Getting Rid of Buzzing in the Telephone

Getting ktd OF BuZZlnS III the lelepnone.
The Central New York Telephone and
Telegraph company of this city has devised
a plan by which the induction to its lines
by the electric current on the wires of the
Belt line street railroad is in measure
overcome When the electric cars were
first operated, and at times since, patrons
of the telephone company have complained
of buzzing sound in the instrument when
the receiver was placed to the ear, making
it difficult to understand the person at the
other end of the line. Trouble was also
occasioned in the exchange by the frequent
falling of the annunciator when no one
had sent in call.
Investigation by the company's elec-
tricians revealed the fact that the trouble
was occasioned by the electric cars. The
current from the underground wires Of
the railroad spread out and interfered with
the return circuit of the telephone COM
pany. The difficulty can never be entirely
obviated, but plan has been hit upon by
which the service is greatly improved. A
large copper wire has been run from the
central office between the line wires on
which the phones are connected, and
thence into the ground, thus establishing
a balance between the two urrents.-Utica
Herald
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
A CITY of Bowlegged Men.

Are you bowlegged' Nearly everybody
else in Tacoma is"
Such was the remark of one gentleman
to another rs they stood listening to the
music on the Tacoma hotel porch the other
evening. The person addressed had his
lower limbs encased in extra wide trousers,
and therefore the crookedness or straight
hess of those articles could not be CLEANED
by superficial glance
Acting upon this remark of the appar-
emily observing gentleman, who was Wis
itor on his way to Alaska, a Tacoma Rec.
ord reporter started out to investigate the
subject for himself While walking up
Ninth street he kept his eyes oren,, and
what he saw indeed surprised him. Hard
ly man or youth trod up the hill from
Pacific avenue to Railroad street who was
not afflicted with bow in either or both
legs. The victims were in all stages of the
terrible ac1lction, and the eye of an OBJ
server could easily detect he who had but
recently started to curve underneath and
also he who had "been there" for years.
Out of fifty men, youths and boys who
struggled up that hill just thirty-tive were
bowlegged, some much so and some just a
little bit so. In every group of three
or more the majority carried with
them bent lower limbs. One man almost
tread one foot upon the other as he walked,
while another, handsome young fellow
with beautiful blonde mustache, stepped
out in curious way, apparently conscious
of the fact that his limbs were beginning
to turn, and evidently seeking to hide the
fact from the general public.
The cause of so much crookedness in the
City of Destiny is a natural one and surely
an insurmountable one-the hills. TO
climb them, and Tacomans can not do
without climbing them in some degree, is
a strain on the neither limbs and gradually
they give way, and in some cases bring hui
initiation to their owners. There are plenty
of handsome young men in Tacoma today
who would give anything to have their
legs Strengthened, and as much can be said
of plenty of the young ladies in Tacoma.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
Brides Of Tender Years.

Sebastiano Pietropinto and Maria Donata
Grieco, two young people from sunny
Italy, made an application for marriage
license at the recorders Office The re-
corder at first demurred because Miss
Grieco was but 12 years old, but her father
gave his consent and the recorder could
see no way of getting. out of issuing the
license. Pietropinto was 90 years old. Just
after issuing the license to the two Italians
another young couple applied. They were
B. L. Piercy, of Excelsior Springs, and
Miss E. NJ. Gibson, of this city. Piercy
was 81 years old and Miss Gibson Is years
old. Miss Gibson having the consent of
her parents this license was also granted.
kansas City Star.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
A Fine Place.

umbrella maker has worked 'or rather
over two years for firm in London. She
was machinist, and was paid by the piece,
so that any loss of time was no loss to her
employer. Like most women in this trade,
she was often kept hours waiting for her
work, and was of course paid nothing for
the time thus spent, though she was fined
if she did not arrive punctually. Her fines
for this and other trivial matters-all these
things being of questionable legality-are
shown in her wage books to amount in the
two years and little over to the sum of
e6 6s. 3d. No account Of the sums thus
deducted is rendered by the employer. The
average wage of this woman was about los.
a week Comment may very well be dis
pensed with.-Christian Union.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
"Annie Rooney's" Classical Origin.

"Little Annie Rooney" is Wagnerian.
Its opening measure is to be found in
Wagner's "Die Walkure." It forms the
motif of the Feuerzauber movements, and
as such pervades the whole scene. 1t is
especially prominent just at the point
where Siegfried steps into the flame. Al
though consisting Of only seven notes COW
ering one measure with one note over, it is
exactly the same as the beginning Of An
ME, even to the tempo. 1t is hardly likely
that the author of Little Annie Rooney"
has plagiarized from Wagner, rs it is
doubtful if he is sufficiently familiar with
the Music Of the Future to be able to do
this.-Cincinnati Times-Star.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
Uses of Coffee.

It is asserted by men of high professional
ability that when the system needs a stimu-
liant nothing equals cup of fresh coffee
Those who desire to rescue the dipsomaniac
from his cups will find no better substitute
for spirits than strong, newly made coffee
without milk or sugar. Two ounces of cof
fee, or one-eighth of pound, to one pint
of boiling water makes a first class bever-
age, but the water must be boiling, not
merely hot. 1t is asserted that malaria and
epidemics are avoided by those who drink
cup Of hot coffee before venturing into
the morning air. Burned on hot Goals cof-
fee is a disinfectant for sick room, and
by some of the best physicians it is consid-
cred specific in typhoid fever.-Chicago
Herald.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
ANCIENT PLATE IN BROOKLYN.
Rare and Valuable Pieces Possessed by
an Episcopal Church.

an Episcopal Churcn.
Among the relics preserved by the Off
GERS of St. AIMS Protestant Episcopal
church, on the Heights in Brooklyn, n.
Y, Is an old communion service. 1t con-
sists of two plates of solid silver, nine and
u half inches in diameter, with an engraved
inscription around the rim Of each, "St.
AIMS church, Brooklyn, 179S." These
were given, it is believed, by Joshua Sands,
who, with his wife, was liberal donor to
the church. A massive silver flagon ten
and one-half inches high is inscribed, "St.
AIMS Church, Brooklyn, the gift of Ann
Sands, 1906" These three pieces are not
used, and seldom see the light of day, but
they were taken from the vault in which
they were kept few days ago by the vet
eran sexton, Thomas Lawrie, and shown
to reporter. The plates were first used
in the small church which stood on the
Episcopal burial ground, on Fulton street,
between Concord and Hillary streets, and
the fagon was used for the first time in
the stone church at the corner of Sands
and Washington streets. which was par
TALLY destroyed by the explosion of pow
der mill in 1908.
Another old piece Of silver is a plate for
the communion bread, which bears the in
scription, "St. AIMS Church, Brooklyn,
1916" 1t is inches high and 9A inches in
diameter. This is occasionally used in con-
nection with cup 81 inches high, remod-
eled in 1879 from two silver cups which
were presented to the church at Christmas,
1850, by Mr.. and Mrs. George D. Morgan.
The more modern service consists of a
magnificent solid silver flagon II inches in
height, and plate 6% inches high and 10
inches in diameter. These two costly
pieces were presented by Mary c. Water
bury in 1879 as memorials of her husband,
Chauncey A. Waterbury. The following
year the same lady gave, also in memory
of her husband, massive silver aims
basin, measuring 1s inches in diameter,
and made by Tiffany & Co. The inscrip-
ton upon it is, "Honor the Lord with Thy
Substance and with the First Fruits Of All
Thine Increase"
St. AIMS is the mother of Episcopal
churches in Brooklyn. 1t antedates the
revolution, but owing to the destruction
of it's records during the war its earliest
history is obscure In IT'S the Rev. James
Sayre was sent to Brooklyn, and remained
until the evacuation Of the place by the
British troops. He is said to have been an
adherent of King George, and held serv,
ices for the soldiers.-Jewelers' Weekly.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
Where Artists Come From.

"a curious statement" says London
daily, "has recently appeared to the effect
that the majority of nations painters are
born in the country, while the architects
spring from the metropolis. At first sight
such an assertion seems plausible enough,
and quite in accordance with the nature Of
things; but, as matter of fact, the exact
contrary is the case-so far at least as Lon
3tn and Paris are concerned. We believe
We DO not overstate the case in saying that
in England GO per cent and in Paris rs per
cent. of the nations artists were born in
the capital, and we are prepared to support
our contention with statistics"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
Pulling Against r Horse.

A curious wager, with fatal results, was
recently decided at Siepring, in Bavaria.
A notoriously strong man. named Frey
tag, bet that a horse could not move him
from the door of his house. The horse
was brought, and Freytag put his hands
and feet against the door posts, while
Stern, the man with whom the bet had
been made, fixed rope around Freytag's'
neck. At the first pull the rope broke. A
new rope having been brought, Stern piled
his whip with all his might, when Freytag
gave a scream and, letting go, was dragged
along for some yards. His neck was
broken. VANITY Fair.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

Over and over again,
No matter which way turn,
I always find In the book Of life
Some lesson have to learn.
must take my turn at the mill,
must grind out the golden grain,
must work at my task with resolute Will,
Over and over again
We cannot measure the need
OF even the tiniest flower,
Nor check the flow of the golden sands
That run through single hour;
But the morning dews must fall,
And the sun and the summer rain
Must do their part, and perform it al
Over and over again.
Over and over again
The brook through the meadow flows,
And over and over again
The ponderous mill wheel goes;
Once doing will not suffice,
Though doing be not in vain,
And a blessing failing us once or twice
May come If we try again.
The path that has once been trod
Is never so rough to the feet
And the lesson we once have learned
Is never so hard to repeat.
Though sorrowful tears must fall,
And the heart to its depth be driven
With storm and tempest, we need them all
To render us meet for heaven.
Josephine Pollard in Washington Star.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
Demand for Intelligent Machinists.

A leading iron journal states that i'm
provements in the new navy are bringing
young men to the front in all departments,
not the least of which is steam engineer
ing. In the modern ships, in addition to
the great triple expansion main engines,
with all their complicated parts, there are
dynamos, blowers, steam steerers and
auxiliary engines of all kinds and sizes,
scattered in widely separated parts of the
vessel, and with the small number of en-
gineers carried, large ami ;ntelligent
force of machinists is pressing necessity.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
Mirrors of Wood.

In Germany wood with mirror polishis
coming into use for ornamental purposes
in place of metal. The wood is first sub
mitted to bath of caustic alkali for two
or three days at a temperature of about IT'S
degrees Fahrenheit, then dipped in hydro
sulphate of calcium for twenty-four to
thirty-nine hours, after which concen-
trated solution of sulphur is added. After
another dip in an acetate of lead solution
at about 100 degrees shining metallic
surface is given by polishing, when dry
with lead, tin or zinc.-New York Tele.
gram.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
Victoria Wettint

Row many readers can give thu surname
of the royal family of Great Britain? Near
ly every one that thinks himself well in
formed will say Guelph, but this is not
true. When Victoria married Prince AL
bert she dropped her own family surname
and took that of her husband, just as any
ordinary woman in lower station in life
would have done. This is a fact seldom
taken into consideration. The family name
of Prince Albert was Victim, and So is that
of all the kings of Sayony.-St. Louis Re
nnhliI.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-22
You Can See the Scene, but Not the Crowd

You Can See the Scene, but Not the Crowd.
An ingenious device has just heen adopt
ed at the IIippodrome in Paris for the pro-
duction of scenic effects in the central ova!
space, without the spectators opposite be-
ing seen at the same time. An elliptical
screen of fine steel netting is let down in
comparative darkness, so rs to be about
twelve feet in front of the benches. ThiS
is painted on the inner side with any de-
sired scene, and as it is strongly i!luminatr
ed at a given moment from the center. II
spectator from any point has an excellent
view Of the scene without seeing anything
of the crowd beyond. Letter.