davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26

The Appetizing Meal of Rabbits That G
Boa-Constrictor Delights In.

The Appetiz'ng Meal of Rabbits That .
Boa-Constrictor Delights In.
Three corpulent rabbits of Belgian
breed were Gagged in soap-box quietly
awaiting their fate. They were the
meal for which the snake was anxiously
awaiting. He had not tasted meat in
four months and his voracious nav
yawned like bottomless pit for the un-
fortunate trio in the soap-box. Mana
ger Bell appeared and drew forth one
of the rabbits. After stroking bunny
on the back for moment he opened
the door to the snakes den and thrust
him in. The huge bora had eoiled him.
self up in corner, but at once reused
himself for action. He was fully
twelve feet long, and having recently
shed his winter coat, his skin glistened
and shone like satin. He raised
his head foot or so from the floor and
viewed the first course of his quadri-
annual meal. The rabbit showed no
signs of fear, but rather seemed to en-
joy his new quarters. The snake slow
ly lowered his head and cautiously be-
gan to stretch himself along the side of
the den. He never once took his eyes
OF the rabbit, which was still uncon-
scious of his danger. Suddenly the rab-
bit began to act strangely and to cut all
sorts of ridiculous capers. He would
leap back and forth over the snake, and
then rub up against it, and appeared to
be fascinated. Slowly and stealthily
the snake turned his head about until
1t was within foot of the rabbits
launches Then, quick as flash, he
darted forward, seized the rabbit in his
mouth, and in another instant there was
nothing to be seen of the little ANNA
save the tips of his ears, which pro-
truded from between the TO s of the
snake.
The huge serpent then raised his
head full two feet from the floor, darted
out his forked tongue and Kissed horri-
bly, at the motley group watching him.
Ii there was any struggle on the part Of
the rabbit it was not visible. The
snake had him in his awful coils. Then
the coils slowly, but with strength
which was terrible to look at began to
tighten until every bone in the poor
rabbits body must have been broken
This done the coils relaxed, and the
limp, lifeless body of the sportive rab-
bit OF few moments before lay ready
to be swallowed. First the serpent
nosed his victim all over. The eye
balls of the dead rabbit were protruding
from their sockets, and by way of be-
ginning the boa licked them with his
tongue. Once more he coiled about his
victim, leaving its head and shoulders
free. Then he opened his monstrous
jaws and, taking "bunny's" head there
in, began to swallow Soon the head
and shoulders were out of sight, and in
less than fifteen minutes the hind legs
followed.-Chicago Inter-Ocean.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
Senator Palmer,s ssS Plates.

I hear that Senator Palmer has been
entertaining magnifcently at Madrid
Mrs. Palmer is millionaire, and she
and the senator are the most accom-
plished entertainers at the capital. Their
house here cost s85, 900, and they have a
china dinner service which is worth its
weight in silver. Senator Palmer bought
this at Paris just before he came here to
take his seat in the senate, and Gen.
Cutcheon was present at the house at
the time this china was opened. He
saw that it was very fine and he asked
Palmer how much the plates cost. The
senator replied: 81 paid $35 apiece for
them. and when I bought them in Paris
Mrs Palmer objected, saying, Thomas,
do you think we can afford to use such
expensive dishes as theseY %, yes, my
dear, said L L want the best thing
can get In this world. I live in hope of
hereafter, and when get to heaven
expect to eat off of just such dishes as
these every day. and l want as far as
possible to get used to my future sur
roundings-' co. said she, and the result
was that we bought the dishes. Wash
ingtOn Letter
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
First Observatories.

The first recorded observatory was
on the top of the Temple of Belus; the
tomb of Osymandias, in Egypt, was
another. 1t contained a golden astro
nomical circle 200 feet in diameter.
Another at Benares, India, is supposed
to be at least as ancient as either of
the two others. The first in Europe
was erected at Cassel, in 1861; that of
Tycho Brahe. at Uraninburg, was
built in 1876. The Paris observatory
dates from 1867, and that of Green
wich from 1875 The Nuremberg OBJ
servatory was erected in 1878, and that
of Berlin in I'LL. The famous Bologna
tower was built three years later, that
at Pisa following next, in 1870. Stock
holm, Utrecht, Copenhagen and Lis
bon observatories were erected in 174O,
1890, 1856 and 1928, respectively.-St
Louis Republic.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26

As the west bound mail and express
train was leaving Medina little after
noon April 16 a peculiar accident
occurred, the cause of which seems
to be a mystery. A branch track
leaves the main line just east of the sta
ton and runs close to the edge of the
passenger platform. How it happened
no one can understand, but at the spring
safety switch the rear truck of the rear
car left the main track and swung upon
the switch. The train was moving rap
Idly and the end of the car swung around
with terrible force. The bow window,
In which Operator Shea sat unconscious
Of danger, was struck and the semaphore
signal was torn down, but not a hair of
Shea's head was injured. Baggageman
Van Deusen was struck by the car and
hurled to the platform badly bruised,
but out of harms way.
There was a crowd of people on the
platform and there was a wild stampede,
several persons being thrown down and
bruised. The American Express wagon
was standing upon the side track and
was struck and smashed in an instant
The horse was thrown down and bruised
somewhat and Driver Mcbride was
pitched out headlong. His escape was
. narrow one, his vest being torn off by
the car. His bruises are painful but,not
serious. The car was loaded with fran
tic passengers who were tossed violently
to one side as the car slowly prepared to
turn a somersault. None Of them were
badly injured, but there were many pain
full bruises. 81. MacGraw, of New York,
had his face badly cut, and ex-Justice
Allen and Miss Diana, of Medina, were
slightly injured. The water column at
the west end of the depot was torn down
and the train was stopped just in time
to save the car from rolling over.-Buf-
falo Express.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
How Timothy Gras. Was Named.

Timothy or herd grass is the most COM
mon grass of continental Europe, grow
Ing wild throughout all that vast region
between the Mediterranean sea on the
south and the North sea in the direction
the name implies. It is not known ex-
actly when it was first introduced into
the United States, but this much is
known, it takes its name from Timothy
Hanson, a farmer of Maryland, who
brought it into general notice as hay
grass, after he had cultivated it extern
slvely for his own use for years. The
botanical name for the grass is phleum
pratense. 1t is a curious fact that, al
though its native home is Europe, the
United States is the first country in
which it was grown, cut and cured for
hay. Not longer ago than 1856 some
timothy heads and seeds were taken to
England and exhibited as curiosities.-
st. Louis Republic,
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
GIRLS IN CONNEMARA.

Tn cir Life in Healthful Poverty and Their
Dream of American Luxury.
The Connemara girl weighs about one
hundred and eighty pounds She wears
two red wooden petticoats woven by
herself, and over her head and serving
the purposes of both shawl and hood
is white petticoat, held in place with
her left hand under her chin. The red
petticoats reach only half way down
her calves. The stride of this child of
the bog is Amazonian, yet tits grace full.
Her days are spent in carrying sea-
weed for fertilization, turf for the fire,
and water for the illicit still. Some
times she carries the turf a distance
Of two miles on her back in
wicker basket Her load usually
weighs about one hundred pounds. Her
stockings have no soles. and she is too
poor to buy shoes. But she wears the
legs of heavy WOODEN stockings to pro-
tect her calves when the edge of the
heavy petticoat, wet with sea water,
slaps against them.
The brown cow that browses in the
bog is no more innocent than this maid
of the crag and land. Such a wealth OF
color, such satiny skin and such vigor-
Gus health are not seen in America In
the evening, after this maiden has
worked hard, she goes home and eats a
supper of potatoes (boiled pota toes).
nothing else. Her father and mother
may drink cup of tea, but this luxury
is denied to the girl. The tea costs too
much. When the potato skins have
been fed to the pig the Connemara girl
heaps on the turf-for there is plenty of
it there-and mods herself to sleep in the
chimney nook. Or, it may be, if there
are visitors or neighbors in the house,
she will Tilt or hum for them to dance
by on the hearthstone. This Tilt is one
OF the quaintest things heard in Ireland.
The sounds resemble closely those of
an Irish pipe. They are produced by
the vocal organs in conjunction with
the tongue. The tune is usually very
rapid and the litter catches her breath
frequently.
And what do you suppose the Come
mara girls dream by night and by day
is? IT'S that she may gather twenty
dollars together so that she can come to
America. the land of catarrh and pneu-
monia; of indoor work where she will
lose her satiny skin and splendid vigor;
where her eyes will ache for a sight of
the Twelve Pins in Connemara; whore
but pshaw! she'll cross the sea when
she gets her passage money.-Boston
Globe.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
PERSONAL AND LITERARY.

Jay Gould wears no jewelry except
gold shirt-stud.
The National Library in Paris is to
be greatly enlarged. 1t now contains
nearly million volumes
The Emperor of China is young
man who looks like an American college
student but behaves himself very much
better.
Stanley is said to have received
$40, 600 in cash for his latest book. The
story that he was paid $500, 900 for it is
absurd.
-Tennyson does the greater part of
his literary work in the morning be-
tween breakfast and lunch and loafs the
rest of the day.
Otto Goldschmidt is engaged busily
In writing a life of his wife, the late
Jenny Lind. It's said that some of the
memoirs will be very curious
Mrs. Garfield lately sold farm near
Prestonburg, KY, to spectators for
$1,000, which General Garfield bought
during the early days of the war for less
than $700.
"A Russian society has begun the
publication of newspaper in London
sailed Free Russia, which is designed
to influence English opinion in favor Of
constitutional liberty in Russia.
Some relic hunter has cut out and
carried away from the Union College
building. in Schenectady, N. Y, a
section of window sill in which ex-
President Arthur cut his name years
ago when student there.
Lord Acton is considered the most
learned man in England. He is a
Roman Catholic. His library contains
40 less than 100, volumes, all of
which are carefully selected and num-
Der among them some very rare books.
Count Charles Dillon, who died in
Paris recently, was one of the four
survivors of the Court of Charles X, to
whom he was page of honor during the
last four years of his reign. The Count
had lived in England and spoke English
duently.
| The AthenBum says that DIR. Emin
Pasha has forwarded three volumes of
meteorological observations to Gotha,
which extend from August, 1881, to
February 9th, 1890, and are now being
prepared for publication. The rainfall
1t Wadelai is stated to amount to forty
two inches.
Miss Elaine Goodale, the poetess, is
Government supervisor of education
among the Sioux. She lives in camp
Or reservation in the most primitive
way, travelling from one Indian village
TO another on horseback or in prairie
schooner" She deliberately prefers
this life to the social success which a
woman of her talent and culture might
command.
| Senator Saunders, of Montana, sets
higher money value on his newspaper
than most men do. Before the North
srn Pacific railway was opened he used
10 pay one hundred and seven dollars a
year for the weekly edition of the Ev-
sning Post, which reached him by pony
express across the plains, at cost of
one dollar a copy in gold which was
then equal to over two dollars in green
backs.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
HUMOROUS.

-"How do you like that cigar?"
swell, candidly, Harkins, I'd rather
smoke ham or red herring. EPOCH
Merchant Tin want of boy, to ap-
plicant)-''Can you spell correctly?"
Boy Eyes. sir. C-o-r-r-e-c-t-l-y."-
Harper's Bazaar.
MIR. Borrowit--'I wish you would
help me out little to-day" Mr.. Busy
-"With pleasure. I'll hold open the
DOOM. Y. Weekly.
ut seems queer" remarked Fangle,
shat while no animal wears hat
there is only one that goes bear-head-
3D." ''What animal is that ?" asked
Mrs. Fangle, with deep interest Jury.
Said a sweet, charming, lovely young Mrs.
81 really don't know what Krsp'
A rouge heard her speak,
Kissed her plumb on the cheek,
And said as he did it, "Why, Thrs l'
Lawrence American.
-''What! Have you never met Mr..
De Courcey? Why, he's great society
man." Let me see-how can I describe
him? / think his name will give you a
good idea of the man." "What is it?"
Reggie.-N. Y. Sun.
First Tramp-'I saw Bill Jackson
last week; I've tramped good deal
with him." Second Tramp is
Bill getting along, going to the dogs?"
First Tramp-"No, the dogs go to him
the same as ever. "-Philadelphia Press.
-Old-fashioned people who do not
quite understand what is meant by the
electrical storms" they read about so
frequently are respectfully informed
that they are the modern substitute for
the old-fashionedt hunder-storms.-P
adelphia Inquirer.
Miss Addie Pose-sI do wish could
and some means of falling off in my
weight I am getting to be perfect
sight" Miss Gracefully don't you
try riding bicycle?" Miss Addie-
"Would that do me any good?" Miss
Grace-"I'm not sure, but heard my
brother say that when he first rode he
fell off y."-America.
First Student-"You will play
game of poker, won't you?" Second
Ditto-'I am sorry, but 1 don't know
now 10 play pOh0F. 1uoH you Will
Join me in a game of billiards." 81
don't know how to play billiards
either" Good gracious, man, what
have you been doing all this last term?"
-Fliegende Batter.
-Arthur-"Hello there, Sam, come
over here; you don't owe me any money,
do you p Sammy-"Not that I'm aware
of. Why p Arthur-'Oh, nothing,
only 1 noticed you crossed the street
every time you saw me coming, and l
thought perhaps you owed me some
money and 1 had forgotten 1.-THE
Jester.
The printers were eating their mid
night lunch, says the Olympian. Says
Sam: tom, have you got your take
up?" to which Tom replied: mo, I've
got my coffee cup" On another occa-
sion Sam took umbrage at some remarks
from Tom, and he sarcastically re-
marked: "Tom-ass." But Toms ready
wit was equal to the occasion. He re-
plied: "Sam-mule. "-Seattle Press.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
THE LEAF OF WOODRUFF.

1found leaf of woodruff In book,
Gone was its scent, and lost its pristine glory;
Each slender bradelet wore dingy look,
And all was blanched and hoary
And yet this withered leaf spell possessed,
Which worked upon me in mysterious measure,
And sent old memories thronging through my
breast
OF mingled pain and pleasure;
OF childhood's days that knew no thought Of care,
OF hours that passed on wings Of rainbow feet
ness,
OF odors floating on the wanton air,
6ad from their very sweetness;
OF woods that wore garb Of summer green,
OF knee deep ferns, and hooks of shady stiffness;
OF streams that glimmered in the full moons
sheen
And mirrored back its fullness;
OF lazy baskings on the lone hillside
In the fierce glow of July's sultry weather;
OF twilight wanderings where the enamored tide
Crept up to kiss the heather;
OF voices still beneath the churchyard sod,
Bright eyes that glistened from behind long
lashes;
Warm beauty early given back to God;
Red lips that now are ashesl
VIM. Leighton
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
RECRUITING FOR HAREMS.

How tho Girls Are Trained and Where
They Are Taken From.
The Revue Britannique contains an
article descriptive of the training of
girls for harems. Their education is
begun at very early age, children of
from seven to ten years being usually
chosen for the purpose. The girls are
then sent to a regular harem school,
where they are educated and taught
various accomplishments. Those in
tended for the Sultan's harem are
taught music and French; if, however,
as they grow older, they are found to be
stupid or wanting in good looks, they
are sold as slaves to the lower nobility.
Girls from Persia and Afghanistan are
in great demand, particularly from the
latter country. Circassians generally
supply the Turkish slave market, not
only with their own children, but with
girls who have been stolen in their in
fancy from R~ssia and the Roumanian
provinces of Hungary. The Gypsies, it
is stated, up to the present time entice
young children away from their homes
and travel with them to the market OF
Top Home, where there is constant
demand for good-looking girls. Some
few years ago these thefts became so
common that the Hungarian Govern
ment instituted an inquiry into the
subject and since then the trade has
decreased, but it is still carried on
secretly to certain extent. One of the
rules of the sultanic harem is that
when a slave has reached the age OF
twenty five and does not meet with the
approval of the Sultan she is immedi-
ately removed and married to one of
the court officials, whose taste is not
consulted, but who acquiesces in the
inevitable with truly Oriental indiffer-
euco.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
BEHIND THE TIMES.
The Ta1low Candle Still Reigns Supreme
in Old England.

The Ta1low Candle Still Reigns Supreme
in Old England.
The English are slow to adopt new
ideas. Strange as it may seem, the
people are still using tallow candles all
over the country. They didn't know
what kerosene was in Warwick ard
Bakewell. They had never used it. At
the Warwick Arms and Charing Cross
hotels in London we had to go to our
rooms with one tallow candle, and sit
with it, too, or pay sixpence for an extra
one. After writing by our splendid
kerosene lamps in America this trying
to write by the light of tallow candles
is something dreadful 1t is going back
to barbarism.
At Oxford 1 got fairly exasperated,
and calling the porter asked him if he
couldn't go out and buy me kerosene
lamp.
''What be that there?" he asked in
amusement.
"Why, something to burn--to give
good light" said.
"Lor'. yeas 1 do know whar to find
that their" and off he started. But
what do you think the fool brought me?
| Why, six tallow candlesI Light them!
| Why of course l did, and if you'd seen
me trying to write with eight tallow
candles in row you would have taken
my table for a Catholic altar and tho
writer for bald-headed monk
In London they are just beginning to
use .kerosence little. They call it
| paraf1ne, but it has the same old Oil
City smell. One snuff convinced nae
that had struck oil The smell was
pleasanter to me than the perfume of
flowers 1t was real good old home
smell 1t was the first time that ever
thoroughly enjoyed the smell of coal
oil. The dealer told me that he sold it
at sixteen to twenty-four cents per GAL
Ion. They have no splendid lamps to
burn it in yet, but they will come in
time. They are now burning it in
small lamps without chimneys in many
instances. There is field for some
enterprising American to come over
here and introduce some good lamps.
Candles are sold here at eight to ten
cents per pound; very cheap, indeed, if
you want flame without light, but
dear enough if you have to stand eight
in row to write letter by. They tell
ne the French are burning our kerosene
very generally and that they have very
beautiful lamps. Letter.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
IT WAS TOO MUCH.

Detroit Ice-Man Killed by . Truly Re.
mark tble Shock.
do many people kick about shortage
Of ice?'' was asked of an ice-dealer the
other day.
''Heaps of 'em," was the reply.
"And do they have valid excuse?"
'Not one in twenty. They feel it OBJ
ligatory to drop in and claim light
weight but not one in a hundred ever
weighs lump to be sure about it. And
then nearly every lump is allowed to
lay at the gate from fifteen to sixty
minutes, and the sun melts off five
pounds in very little time"
II suppose you can tell kicker as
soon as he enters"
II can. Hush! One has just struck
the foot of the stairs. Wait and see the
circus"
The steps came nearer and nearer.
and presently red-faced man opened
the door, glared around, and asked:
sis this the ice Officer"
''Yes SIR"
SWELL, / came to see about my ice."
EYES," was the non-committal reply
Is the ice-man winked at the reporter.
1.-THE Jumps look very small to me-"
eyes"
II guessed their weight to be about
seventeen pounds"
eyes"
"Where ought to have twenty -five.'
Exactly"
"And so 1 got pair of scales and
weighed them for a week."
81 see. How much was the short.
age3"
Shortage! Why, man, every lump
weighed twenty-seven pounds, and
some of them thirty, and we come in to
pay you for nineteen extra pounds for
LAST week. How much is it?"
The ice man turned red-then white
began to tremble, and finally pitched
of his stool to the door. When the re-
porter raised him up he was as dead as
. mackeral The sudden shock had
killed him.-Detroit Free Press.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
How to Get to SleeD.

One married man describes his mo-
dus operandi which is sure to dispel the
wakeful mixes; it consists in laying
his head on hop pillow and allowing
his wife to tell him all the things she
wants him to buy when he goes down
town; and another heartless monster
declares that there is no need of a hop
pillow if one just sets his wife to talk
ing about her relatives. The hypnotic
state is very speedily produced, even
before she has half finished enumerat-
ing the virtues of her mother.-New
York Sun.
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26

A rabbi of Montreal says that the low
death rate among Jews is owing to their
adherence to the Mosaic law, which per
mits for use as food only the flesh of such
animals as divide the hoof and chew the
cud. In the killing of these animals the
strictest examination had to be made to
prevent the communication of disease to
man. As to fish, the Jews only eat those
with both fins and scales, and oysters, in
his opinion, are simply the 'scavengers
OF the sea-" Holsters, crabs and other
erustacea are likewise tabooed. Chicago
herald
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
Miss Agnes Harris, seventeen years

Miss Agnes Harris, seventeen years
old, of Pittsburgh, swore out warrant
against Harry Davis on Q curious
charge. In her affidavit she states that
Davis caught her in his arms on the
street and rubbed her chin and cheeks
with his stubby, stiff beard. Her face
panied her for some days and then sores
were developed and a physician had to
be called in. Davis promised to pay
the doctors bill, but later refused to do
20. Hence the present suit for assault
and hattArv
The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
Ir Is an Improvement.

Some of the South American states
have reorganized their armies and now
have ten private soldiers to one general.
The generals lick vigorously, as there
used to be ten to one private, but on the
whole the people consider it to be sue
cess.-Detroit Free Press.