davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25

moth may have been dead anywhere
from five to fifty thousand years, yet its
flesh was 50 perfectly preserved and the
eye so fresh that a scientific man said he
could hardly distinguish between it and
the eye of living animal.
Thousands of years ago this gigantic
creature had perished, perhaps failing in
to crevasse in the ice, and ever since
had been frozen up like solid rocks.
Gradually undermined by the river the
body had fallen out, as we have SEEN.
About thirty pounds of the red hair
and wool was collected by this fisherman,
the tusks and portions of the feet, and
all sold to q Russian official, who i'm
mediatel sent word to St. Petersburg,
whereupon the Emperor ordered that the
entire skeleton should be preserved. The
skeleton was secured, with some of the
skin and hair, and all are now in the
Royal Museum of st. Petersburg, illus.
trating the enormous size of the prehis-
toric giant.
This was in the last century, and ever
since people have been on the lookout
for these giants of the ice. Several
specimens have been found, the most re.
markable by Russian engineer, named
Ben Kendorf, in 1S46. He was engaged
in surveying the coast off the mouth OF
the Lena and Indigirka Rivers, and his
story is so striking that I give it just as
it is taken from letter writt-7 to a
friend then in Germany:
"Afterward We landed on the new
shore, and surveyed the undermining and
destructive operations of the wild waters,
that carried away with extraordinary
rapldlty masses of soft peat and loan.
While we were all quiet we suddenly
heard under our feet sudden gurgling
and stirring which betrayed the working
of the disturbed river.
"Suddenly our jaeger called loudly
and pointed to singular and uushapely
object, which rose and sank through the
disturbed waters. I had already re-
marked it, but had given it no attention,
considering it only driftwood. Now we
all fastened to the spot on the shore, had
the boat drawn near and waited until the
mysterious thing should again show it.
self. Our patience was tired, but at last a
black, horrible, ,giant-like mass was thrust
out of the water and we bebeld colossal
elephants head, armed with mighty
tusks, with its long trunk moving in the
water in an unearthly manner, as though
.eeking for something lost therein.
Breathless with astonishment, I beheld
The monster hardly twelve feet from me,
with his half open eyes yet showing the
whites. 1t was still in good preserva-
ton.
"a mammoth A mammoth" broke
out the Tschernoniori; and shouted,
"Here, quickly Chain and ropes!"
As the animal again sank, we wait for an
opportunity to throw the ropes over his
head. This was accomplished after many
efforts. We then threw chain around
his tnsks TINT we're eioht feet lonp drove
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25

It, showing that mere was graveyard
of monsters of the olden time. When
the account reached the centres OF civil
lZation men went out to see if It was
true, and in short time an extensive
ivory trade in these ancient relics sprang
up. .
There was then an indefinite idea OF
the animal which bore them, but grad.
ually the fact became known that they
were the tusks of an enormous elephant
known as the mammoth.
Imagine Jumbo & third longer, third
higher and covered with coat of woolly
hair from two to three feet in length;
imagine him armed with huge recurring
tusks ten feet in length, and some idea
can be formed of this king of the elc'
plants that lived in the long sgc. For
long time very exaggerated idea of
the animal was entertained and some Gu.
rious pictures of it were made, but final
ly a specimen was found and then an
other.
The first and best specimen was dis
covered by native fisherman. He saw
its tusk protruding from the bank or
tuuda, and watched it for several sea-
sons, until finally he found it lying upon
the beach. The wild animals had been
feeding on it, and, think of it the mani
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25
The mammoth was formerly as COM
mon as are horses to-day, and the ivory

from its tusks is still an important COM
mercial item. Mammoth tuslss fire.
quently weigh 800 pounds apiece, and
fine specimens bring large prices. One
tusk was sold some years ago for $500,
and fifteen years ago ten thousand were
received in London. They weighed
about one hundred and forty pounds
apiece, the price being Is. cd. per
pound.
The mammoth is not the only ice giant
the ice cliffs of the North conceal. Some
years ago hunter, in travelling across
rough country, came to deep crevasse,
and upon looking in saw the body of
some monster that had been washed out.
he lowered himself into the chasm and
found it to be huge rhinocerous, an
animal that was as we'll fitted to live in
Siberia as the mammoth, having cover.
ing of thick hair and wool to protect it
from the rigors of the cold. The head
of the monster was large and the nose
armed with two tusks, one of which was
enormous, being nearly four feet long
and large enough to be used as clab by
the natives.
If you can picture an ordinary rhino-
cerous third larger, or perhaps half as
large again, covered with reddish hair
and an underclothing of wool, with
tusk four feet in length, another two feet,
some idea can be had of the strange
creature that roamed the country with
the elephant and perhaps fought with it,
as these animals are known to do in
Africa to-day.
The big rhinocerous is also well known
to the Chinese; its horn is supposed to
be the tooth of big dragon or uni
corn, and when ground up forms valu.
able item in medicine.
We need not 60 so far back to find
animals preserved in the ice. Whale1s
tell of gigantic whales which have been
seen entombed in icebergs, and several
authentic cases are on record where big
whales have been observed thus impris.
oned, held aloft aud floating around at
the whim of the Arctic currents.-Mo
York Herald.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25

q stake in the ground about twenty feet
from the shore and made chain and rope
fast to it. The day went by quicker
than I thought for, but still the time
seemed long before the animal was &C.
cured and the water had loosened it.
The soft peat or marsh land, on which
he stepped thousands of years ago, gave
way under the weight of the giant, and
he sank as he stood on it, feet foremost,
incapable Of saving himself, and severe
frost came and turned him into ice, and
the moor which had buried him. The
latter, however, grew and fiourished,
every summer renewing itself. Possibly
the neighboring stream had heaped over
the dead body plants and sand. God
only knows what causes had worked 1or
its preservation"
If this specimen could have been pre-
served the entire skin of one of these
monsters could have been mounted. In
recent years other specimens have been
found, and there is hardly locality but
has produced its teeth and bones, show
ing the wide range of the great ele-
phant.
Near Colchester a fine specimen was
uncarthed, and at Scarborough the teeth
have been dredged upin numbers, show
ing that where the water now flows for
merly was q grazing ground for the hairy
elephant.
Iu Italy the bones have been discov.
cred in the volcanic gravel of Ponte
Molle, showing that they roamed Italy
when the site of Rome was covered by a
river of lava.
In Germany prehistoric man undoubt-
edly hunted the mammoth. Near Cron-
stadt its bones have been found in great
quantities. packed as closely as if they
had been placed so arti6cially. In the
village of Thiede, near Brunswick, eleven
tusks were found in heap.
In the southern portion of this coun-
try an allied form-probably as large,
but without the hair-was found and
called the American elephant. Recently
one was discovered near San Juan,
Southern California.
The writer as soon as he learned OF
the find attempted to reach the spot,
but little was left to tell the story. The
railroad had cut directly through the
skeleton, so that the tusks were all mat
could be secured and some of the teeth.
The locality was examined afterward by
the writer, who found that the body
must have laid in a bed of fine sand
that was undoubtedly a quicksand, and
in this trap the big animal had been
caught thousands of years ago, to be
held until to-day.
The mammoth has lived its time, and
belongs to past geological ages, the ex'
net cause of its determination being a
mystery. That it was known to man
and hunted by him is very probable.
The evidences of this are rare, it is true.
A piece of tusk has been found in France
with fairly correct representation Of
the mammoth engraved upon it, pre-
sumably by some prehistoric artist.
Again, arrow heads have been taken from
beneath remains, while the much dis.
.cussed elephant pipes of the interior
Indian mounds of this country may be
evidence in this direction, though this
is not positive.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25

words we're very indistinct, mingled as
they were with the rolling, dashing
waves that beat against the sandy beach.
As the Americans were marching with
ell the care they could across the sand,
there suddenly rose on the air, with
loud, unearthly hiss, q sky rocket, leav-
ing broad, white trail behind. 1t was
almost Immediately followed by one with
red and one with a blue light:
THAT is The signal, said Griffith, in
q cheerful undertone, to his companions.
He detailed two men to guard the prison
or, and with the others started toward
the cluster of dark figures to be dimly
seen at the waters edge, at run.
Steady, careful! We must not fail
this time, he whispered.
Each rife was cooked, teeth set with
determination. and from the manner Of
the patriots there seemed little danger OF
failure.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25
EIDE DISH OF aIDLETs.

A nice side dish is made from the CIR.
lets offowls. Wash well and soak in warm
water for twenty minutes. Cut in thick
slices and fold each in a thin slice OF
streaky bacon; tie or fasten with snail
skewer and stew forty minutes IN sea.
soned brown gravy with six small button
onions. Dish the rolls, lay tie onions
around and strain the gravy, slightly
thickened, over ALL Washington Star.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25
Princess Bismarck.

The wife of Prince Bismarck has been
rarely mentioned in the chronicles Of the
German Court because she seeks to
avoid anything like publicity, but for all
the man whose name is so closely linked
with the progress of the fatherlaud in
the last thirty years or more. The Prin-
cess is a member of distinguished Ger
man family. She married when her
husband was little known. She has al
ways been believer in the greatness Of
her spouse, and has devoted herself to
making his home life as peaceful as his
public career has been full of acrimony.
Her tact has had much to do with smooth.
ing away in social intercourse asperities
created in the course of political con-
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25
CORN CRoouETTEs.

These may be prepared at this season
Of the year with canned corn. Proceed
as follows: Melt two tablespoonfuls of
butter, stir well in half teacupful of
flour, cook few moments over a slow
fire, add a little milk and one yelk
OF egg. This should form good heavy
sauce. Half can of corn may now be
put in and stirred we'll. Sweeten with
powdered sugar; cover the pan and allow
it to cook slowly for ten minutes; then
remove from the fire, and when colo
divide in small portions and shape with
knife blade; dip in beaten egg and
milk, roll in bread crumbs and fry in
plenty of hot lard.-Mu York Press.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25
SIBERIAN JUMB0S.
LEGENDS AND RELICS OF PRE-.
HISTORIC GIANTS.
Trapping a Mammoth - The Lore
and the Romance of Hunt
ing Big Animals in
Bygone Age.

When the first Europeans visited China
and began to obtain information regard
ing the traditions of the country they
learned, among other things, that in the
natural history of the people was an
enormous subterrancan rat called tyn-
schu.
This rat was five or six times as large
as a horse, had terrible teeth and lived
chiefly in the northern country, where it
forced its way beneath mountain ranges,
so that when a tremor of an earthquake
was heard in China the parents would
turn to the child and say:
"My SOD, behave yourself. The tyn-
schu is boring beneath the mountains,
making the earth tremble."
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25

troversy. 1t is said of Princess Bismarck
that she is happier, now that she and
her husband are permitted to live quietly
upon their estates, than she has been OF
any time since the King of Prussia made
her husband his ministerial representa-.
tive. In this connection the story is
told that once, in company, Princess
Bismarck expressed longing for the
life of a plain German gentleman's wife,
when the Prince said, in a manner at
once grave and gay: "That time will
come, my dear, when, grown old, the
nation will have no more use for u.s."
If there is regret in the Bismarck mansion
that the day of retirement has arrived ii
is not harbored by the wife, chicago
Post.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25
HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

For slight cut, bind on it a piece OF
common brown wrapping paper.
When acid OF any klAd gets on CLOTH
ing, use spirits Of ammonia to neutralize it
and then apply chlorofo;m to restore the
color.
A tight shoe may sometimes be made
easy by laying q cloth in hot water
across where it pin:hes, changing several
times. The leather aill shape itself to
the foot.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25

Tradition has it that the last assem-
blage in the hall of Tara took place In
the year A. D. 544. The great trlennial
council of the Irish nation was held
there for several centuries previously, but
because a criminal who had fed for
safety to the monastery of St. Raan had
been dragged to the hall and executed,
the holy abbot aud the monks cried
aloud against the sacrilege and pro-
nounced curse upon its walls. "From
that day." says an old chronlcler, mo
kings ever again sat at Tara"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25

WOMEN have great respect for age.
Watch young lady seated in street
car between young gentleman and an
elderly one, and see how determined
she is not to incommo1e the latter by
crowding against him.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25
LARGESSE,

In chivalrous days Of yore, II
When knights held a tournament gay, 4
And castle and terraced court
Cleaned with banners in brilliant array. +
Each lady gave to her chosen knight
A favor to wear in his helmet bright.
A scarf or glove, a bracelet or veil,. >,
Or gemmed clasp to fasten his coated.
mall .,
With his 'ladye's largesse" he entered the
fray, -
A-tilting his lance as the rode on his way.
Fled are the days Of jcusting, - II
With squire and yeomau brave, -
And, thought no knight in glittering mail,
A favor still crave ,iT.
ask not scarf or veil, bracelet, clasp or
glove 5s
The only largesse ask is-my lady's love.
Mary Fisher Bosom, in Boston Irareile1.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25

"Take auy twenty five tall, lean men,
said an old court officer to reporter,
"and you can secure jury in murder
case. They have no conscientious scru-
pies against the death penalty. AS a
rule, short, thick men have doubts on
this point"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25
FOB AN ALBUM.

tho day Is cold and dark and dreary,'
Tho rain descends as though twere weary;
While DER my heart feeling creep
OF sadness, that is low and deep.
fain would drive 1t all away,
And give to happiness complete sway:
But that's task, you're well informed,
Much easier talked Of than performed,
Az long as with tenacious hold
1t clings, like miser to his gold.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-25
HJUSEHOL,E MATTERS.

ITO BE CONTINUED
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1891-01-24
IN AN OLD ORCHARD.

Men think Of me Away as deaf and voiceless,
Having no memory for time or things,
Unwatchful Of the passing of the seasons
Unmindfui Of the fluttering of wings
And visit not that through all the winter
weather, .,....
AS over me the snow its white net weaves,
AS sharp winds whistle down the barren
passes.
Ny gaunt arms hunger for the coming leaves,
And long once more to see the buds run riot
Among my licnened branches bare and gray,
To hear again the nesting birds go wooing
Adown my borders all the livelong day.
My leaves give welcome when the birds wing
homeward
From Southern winter int Northern spring.
And IN the late fall days the same leaves linger
To see the last bird southwark turn its wing.
When through the vanished years have for
gotten
In early spring to set my ways ablow,
To fling broad leaves adown the paths to
shelter -e
The lambs and children In the hot noon giows
When through the vanished years havs for.
gotten,
As sharp frosts touch and scar the garden
ways, r
And summers ample vintages are shrunken.
To bring my fruitage in the autumn dayss
Then think not am Away deaf and voiccless.
Having no iemory for bud and song,
For through my gnarled aad barren branches
The thoughts Of nesting birds and blossoms
throng. W
Lucy E. Tilley. in Harper's Weekly.
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1891-01-24
SOME SHARP REPLIES.

Eminent Men Who Knew How to Say
bitter Things ON Occasion.
Robert Hall, even when insane, did
not lose his wonderful powers of re-
partee. An insincere condoler once Wis
tied him in the asylum, and said, in a
hypocritical tone: "What brought yol
here, Mir. nall?'' Hall touched his fore
head with his finger. and replied I:
What will never bring you, sir--too
much BRAIN" The extreme sensitive
ness Of Thackeray to criticism is we'll
known. He once said to Douglas Jer-
rold: II hear that you have been saying
that The virginians' is the worst book
l over wrote" II never said any thing
Of the kind" said Jerrold 81 said it
was the worst book that anybody ever
wrote" A lady who lived near Thomas
Carlyle kept Cochin China fowls, and
the growing was SO intolerable nul-
sance that the philosopher sent to COM
plain Of it. The lady was indignant
why" she said, ''the fowls only crow
four times day, and how can Mr.. Car
lyle be so much annoyed at thai ?'
The lady forgets," was the character
istic rejoinder, 1.-THE pain suffer in wait
ing for those four crows. The old
nurse of James l., having followed him
from Edinburgh to London, entrcated
him to make her SON a gentleman. my
good woman" said the King, 81 might
make him laird landowner. but
could never make him . gentleman"
They tell me, Sir John, that you like
glass Of wine," said George III. to the
Chief in Ireland Those
who have reported that fact, replied
Sir George Irwin, have done me great
injustice. like bottle The Duke
OF Norfolk, who was much addicted to
the bottle. asked Foote, the actor, in
what new character he should 90 to .
masquerade $50 sober" was the in.
slant reply. A young officer complained
TO Napoleon that he had been six years
a Lieutenant 81 served seven years in
that grade" was the answer, s'and it
has not prevented me from making my
way" Napoleon was at one period OF
his career great economist he said.
between St Cloud aud Paris, to Lauris-
ton: why does not the carriage 90
faster?" 1T wonld," answered Lauris-
ton, 'if more oats were allowed" The
transition from Napoleon to Wellington
is easy. On one occasion the Duke was
In imminent danger OF being drowned
At sea The captain of the ship at bed
time. came to him and said: ut will
soon be ali over with u.s." Very well"
answered the Duke, '.then shall not
take of my boots.r At some party q
lady of high rank asked him whether it
was true that he had been surprised at
Waterloo By Napoleon. II never was
snypsssed till now" was the character.
istic reply. -Cassell's Saturday jour
nal.
The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1891-01-24

~Airx Hornbill, when did the post
met change their uniform?"
"iThat?" sha asked.
"When did the Government OF tho
United States Of America prescribe
swallow-tail coats for postmen?'
s.Horatio, it is all mistake. for there
was no one, and Ionly said that to sat
isfy you. believed you about Ara
bella"
II say there was no Arabella!v
And l say there was no man; so we
must believe each other. 1t is now so
late we will let the curtains go. and, as
1 am going upstairs. you can lock up the
house"
Mr.. HornbiIl was not satisfied about
the man, and Mrs Hornbil was not sat-
isfied about Arabella; and while he was
looking about the room she was listen
ing outside of the door Then for O
moment he forgot about the man. as
the play that had to be committed to
memory came to his mind; and he sat
by the candle to read it. Now, Mr.
Hornbill hadn't much imagination, and
he felt that he could do much better if
but as that was out OF the question. no
did the next best thing to aid his im.g-
ination by building dummS woman
out of an umbrella, shawls, wraps, a
bonnet, AMI pair of his shoes, and
seating her in chair. Then. with tho
manuscript in his hand. he said: Nov,
Arabella, we can have comfortable
time"
Mrs. Hornbill heard the words and
Mr. uornbill saw the door opening. and
with one breath he extinguished the
light and left the room in darkness as
he hid behind tho table.
"Horatio, where are you, and what
does this mean?' she asked, but no an
swer came. Mr.. Hornbill heard his wife
feeling her way toward the table. and
with presence of mind that showed
genius he poured glass Of water into
the matchbox.
Mrs. Hornbill felt about the table
until she had the MATCHBOX, and then
proceeded to scratch each match with
out any of them lighting. She then
thought of her husbands vest, and
while on her way to it he crept Noise
lessly into the hallway; and she. find-
ing the vest hanging on chair, tried
to light a numbero OF toothpicks that she
found in the pocket before learning OF
her mistake; then. trying another
pocket, she found some matches and
lighted the candle.
AS she looked about the room and saw
the dummy she gave scream and ex-
claimed: Horrors! you impudent
thing. what are you doing here? Speak!
you Arabella!r And as her husband
entered with the dress-coat on his arm
she turned to him and continued:
Now, tell me it is a mistake il you
can. Look at that thing with No. 0
shoes on. as livel"
THAT" said Mr.. Hornbill, as he
knocked the dummy over. sis the Ara
bella that ! was rehearsing with, and
now you have spoiled the surprise that
Mary had arranged for you; but this
coat! now tell me that it is mistake"
"Thatf answered his wife. "And
now you have spoiled surprise that
John had arranged for you"
Mutual explanations followed. and
the tin-wedding was happy success,
though the surprises had to be omitted.
Chicago News