davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-01-03
THE SCHOOLS AT FAULT.
The Unnatural Methods of INSTRUCTION I'm


Use.
A lady of wide educational experience
told the other day this story of a small
schoolboy whom she found in great dis
tress over his lessons. When she asked
what had been his particular trouble
that day, he stated his arduous problem:
IF John has two red apples, and
Charley has two, how many red apples
have they both together2S
SIS that hard?" she said.
'Very hard" he said sadly.
"But surely" she replied, ''yoG know
already that two and two make fours
there can be no trouble about thatg
'Of course not" was the pathetic re-
sponse "Ot course know that we'll
enough, Mrs. -. But the process
it's the process that wears me OUT
No one who has mad much to do with
schools, and especially with pablo
schools, can help seeing the tremendous
force of this infantine sarcasm. Multi
tudes of things which come so natmally
into child's mind that they might al
most be taken for granted are virtually
taken from him, and offered him again
in such a formal shape, and so envi-
roned with definitions and technicallties
and processes" that he is almost mad q
unconscious that he ever Rnew them. II
is not confined to arithmetic. Many
children who nave grown up under edp'
Gated influences write better English
certainly moro idiomatic, and often
moro eorrect-before studying English
granny than afterward They write
us they spuaIi, by ear, and the rules con
fuse more tnan thoy help Aarper's
BaZar,
The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-01-03

The papers had very full accounts of
the opening of the show next morning,
and perhaps because they occupied so
much space there was such little room
for the announcement about the man
who. committed suicide. The papers
did not say where the body was found,
except that it was near the exhibition
buildings, and his Highness never
knew that he made that excellent
speech directly over the body of dead
man. - Luke Sharp, in Detroit Free
Press,
The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-01-03
FISHING AT CAPE COLONY.

1t Is an Important Industry of the Place.
If you wish to make the best of your
time, and the breeze is not too strong,
you can let go drift lines from the stern
on the chance of Cape mackerel, finer
specimen than that caught off the Dew
onshire coast-fat and smooth and about
eighteen inches long. The bait used is
very often bit of dried sharks skin,
or, when you have caught a fish, bit
of mackerel itself sliced off above the
tail. If you get among a good shoal the
tugs on the lines are constant.
But the chief fish of commerce in the
Cape is the 'snoek," q long, hawklike-
looking fish, with sharp dorsal fins. 1t
is these that the fishermen are chiefly
occupied in catching Their employers
give them 1 4 d, for each fish, and those
that are not sold in Cape Colony are
split and salted and dried, for exporta-
tion chiefly to Mauritius. A single
fisherman can often earn 25s. to 30s. a
day at snoek fishing. These snoek have
curious habits of their own, as they will
disappear altogether during the months
of June, July, and August During
these--the summer months-th they prob
ably go to their spawning grounds off
the banks The best time for catching
them is in May, and in that month
there are generally vessels, bound for
Mauritius and the East, loading up with
the dried fish, which are stacked in
sheds close by.
When well cured the snoek is not un-
like haddock and makes a good break
fast dish. The natives at the Cape are
extremely fond of it. When palled up
out OF the water it strikes one as being
a particularly fierce and voracious-look-
ing fish, with its elongated cylindrical
body, protracte& jaws, large, trenchant
teeth, and sharp dorsal fin.-BlaslS-
n,r,nd's Mnnnginn
The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-01-03
A Machiaysllan pespot.

Ha,A pton %, yes; my wife always
does what want her to.
ChaNkley How is it that your wife
obeys her husband SO implicitly and
mine doesn't?
Hampton - Well, always urge my
wife to do what dissaprove Of. Judge.
The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-01-03

Next to It--"We had such scare
last night" she said, as she got seated.
"Fire?" mo" "Accident?" NO"
"Burglars?" mot quite, but the very
next thing to it. A policeman tried
our back door, and we all got up and sat
up for two hours. Detroit Free Ptess,
The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-01-03
MEN OF MILLIONS.

The Greatest Aggregation OF Wealth in
the World.
As fortunes 90 nowadays in America,
rays the New York World, one of e1o,-
10000 is not considered particularly
great. There are thirty-fve fortunes Of
that or greater magnitude in this coun-
try. There are three men who are
worth 500, ooO 600 or more. The list Of
Americans who count their wealth at
s5, 900, 600 and above is as follows:
The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-01-03
Willing 40 Commute IL.

"We'll give you iusttwenty-four hours
to leave town." said the chairman of the
vigilance committee.
"Do you believe that time is money
asked the undesired visitor.
"Yes, certainly"
"Then how much cash will you give
me to leave at once?" - Munsey's
WeeklY.
The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-01-03

MIR. Callowe-"Is the report true
that you are married?" Miss Three
Stars-"No such luck! I'm oven out Of
an engagement New York World
Crawford avalanche., 1891-03-26

| At about noon, as was journeyinl
on horseback through North Dakota,
came along to a farm house whicl
looked very dilapidated, but which
might furnish a comfortable dinner
nevertheless. It seemed at first to b,
deserted, but after awhile bare head
ed. coatless man answered my knocks
and asked what was wanted. When
told him he replied:
Stranger, I'm sorry, but 1 cant
accommodate you. My wife is dowr
with the chills."
"Too bad"
"And my oldest gal has got the
jumping toothache. Just jumped her
clean over a chair"
"That's hard lines"
"And the other gal has bin in bed
three weeks with thorn in her foot.
"Pm sorry"
"And I've got my every-other-day
ager shake on, or would cook some
thing for you myself"
Things seem to be going hard with
YOU" suggested.
You've hit it, stranger" he said, as
he sat down on the doorstep and in
dulged in long shiver.
"The land amt what / thought il
was"
"No?"
"And I've had three crops fail on
me-"
"Yes?"
"And some of US have been sick
every day since we came into the State.
Barn burned up last month"
"Did, eh?"
"And some one run off my horses
and wagon last week"
Il declare~
"And Pm dead broke and nothing in
the house to eat except cornmeal."
well, well Wern't you discour-
aged?"
"Teetotally."
@And why don't you pull up stakes
and leave?"
"That's it, stranger, why don't I?
know orter, and the old woman says
orter, but I'm hangin' on for bluff. +"
SLOWS that?"
Eastern man got a mortgage for
$500 on this outfit, which tain't worth
5000, and I'm hangin' on to bluff him
into giving me $50 more to vacate and
travel. I've writ him if he won't do it
we1l all die in the house and haunt
the ranch forever more, but he's slow
in making up his mind. Ever see a
feller shake worse than do, stranger :?
It's seven miles to the next house, end
the old woman is hollering for water,
and that jumping gal is jumping With
another spell of toothache. Excuse
haste, stranger, and keep straight on,
and you'll fetch up at Browns"
Crawford avalanche., 1891-03-26
The II ack Cat Train.

The Madison branch of the p, c., C.
q st. l.. sports what is called by the
railroad boys the "Black Cat" train,
says the Louisville Times. Some time
over n month ago the train, in charge
of Conductor Wheedon, pulled out
from Columbus, and just beyond that
city the trainmen observed two black
cats crossing the track ahead of the
locomotive. 1t was jokingly remarked
that this was a sign of ill-luck. and,
sure enough, the train was wrecked a
few moments after. Fortunately no.
body was hurt. Since then the train.
men claim to have seen one or both
black cats crossing the track ahead OF
the train several times, and some mis-
hap always followed. Night before
last the black cat crossed in front OF
the train again, and sure enough the
engine broke her Saddle" few miles
below Columbus. This is the last
piece of ill-luek credited to the black
cat. 1t is said that the trainmen are
becoming nervous over the persistence
of the ebon-hued feline, and next time
they see IL cross before the train will
turn back for fresh start at the risk
Of discharge.
The belief in the evil influence OF q
black cat is as old rs the hills, but is
especially strong among railroad mon.
Crawford avalanche., 1891-03-26
Is Your Mustache Unevens

A writer in the Albany Express says
"A friend of mine has for several years
been annoyed by a curious circum-
stance. One side of his mustache
grows about twice as fast as the other,
and if it is neglected for few weeks
he will suddenly notice that it is from
half an inch to an inch longer on the
left than on the right He is obliged
to keep cutting it off from time to
time to make things even. He had not
the faintest idea what caused the
greater luxuriance on the left, until
some DAYS ago he asked barber about
it, and the man questioned HIM as to
how his desk stood in relation to the
light.
HE replied that. for years he has
occupied desk with window on his
left, which at once explained the diff
Guilty. Hair, like vegetables, grows
best in the light, and ascertaining the
fact my friend at once had the desk
changed to the other side of the win
dow in order to give the right side of
his mustache chance to develop. He
is awaiting the result with some inter
est, and if the change in growth shifts
with the light he is going to face the
window"
Crawford avalanche., 1891-03-26

AMo MOST MouuWMoM EctAu1i41uUHt MulA
In England.
Glastonbury Abbey Is Justly the
most renowned ecclesiastical ruin In
England and bears q weight Of the
most varied and interesting associa-
tions. Though now, like some ancient
tomb, IL sits in solitary ruin. the infiu-
ences, social, political, and religious.
that il once distributed weave around
il halo of renown. Glastonbury is
said 20 have been originally an island
and its surface a marsh its then name
being Yniswydryn-the Isle of the
CLASSY Water. This was changed by
st. Benignus, one of the early abbots
Of the monastery, to Avalonia and sub
sequently, when Saxon power was as
cendant, TO Glastonbury. A very
questionable tradition has it that
Joseph of Arama.h@a, who provided Q
tomb for the Savior, was the first
Christian missionary of Britain and
the most beautiful romance has been
thrown around the event. But more
probably Britain was visited by some
other missionaries in the first century,
one of whom, il is believed, was st.
Paul or Bran, the father of the re-
nowned Caractacus. At this era
the tendency of religious life was
toward asceticism. Persecution ragged
and Christians retired into the soli~
tudes of forests and caves. hoping to
find that peace and security denied
them by the cruelty of their enemies.
Societies were formed and the founda-
tions of regular monasteries we're laid.
This was so in Britain as in the Orient
and Glastonbury Abbey was founded.
Whatever community of Christians
dwelt together at Glastonbury dur
ing the first six centuries appear not
to have adopted any particular garb.
but when st. Austin visited the abbey
in 605 he changed the existing insti-
tutes for those of st. Benedict. Glas-
tonburyis therefore the first Benedic-
Crawford avalanche., 1891-03-26

rectly ahead, and fred with charge
OF 630 pounds OF siow-burning powder
and a l,250-pound projectile. The
blast produced by rush of the
powder-gas and the shot was so tre-
mendous that the plates of the fore
castle were forced in and the deck
beams bent out of shape. while almost
every round carried away some frag-
ment of the projecting portions Of the
ship, even when the training was to
the right or left. 1t is estimated that
the vessel would be reduced to some
thing very like wreck, were twenty
five rounds to be fired, either directly
ahead or directly astern. This inter
ferferes with, or renders impossible,
firing when either in fight or chase,
and has caused our naval constructors
to modify The plans for the projected
battle-ships, as it is not deemed desir-
able to have them sink from the dis
charge of their own guns"
Crawford avalanche., 1891-03-26

which Ormuzd (Supreme Reing) and
Ahriman (the DeviD were to contend to
the end of all things. II was said that
on Easter the earth was hatched or Gre
ated. In most pagan lands 10 was a type
Of the resurrection. The ritual OF Pope
Paul V. reads:
Bless. Lord. we beseech Thee, this Thy
creature OF eggs, that IL may become a
wholesome sustenance to Thy faithful serv-
ants, eating it in thankfulness TO Thee on
account of the resurrection of our Lord.
Come with me to Cairo. This is Easter
week. These women you see are Moslem
--MOhammed is their savior This is
Palm Sunday-and a. you see they bind
palm twigs about their heads and fingers.
Each succeeding day has its peculiar
ccremonials. On Shrovc Tuesday the
diet is cheese broth and onions: Ash
Wednesday is Arba Eyub-Job's day;
Maundy-Thursday is their pea soup day.
and Good Friday is their ghm'a el-maf-
ruka--day of butter cakes: and Saturday
Is sebt ennur. or Sabbath of llght-so
nameo from the sacred fire which on this
day bursts forth from the Holy Sepuichre
at Jerusalem. Now do they strengthen
their eyes with powders. get themselves
bled and eat colored Easter eggs. On
Easter Sunday, i'd en-nusara, they love
their neighbors as themselves even
make friendly calls upon their Christian
neighbOrs--calls that arc 70 be returned
during the feast of Beriam.
In the discussion OF Plutarch and
Macrobius we find that the egg plays a
prominent part In the religions of the
ancient world. IL was used In augurles.
was placed by the Romans upon the tab e
at the beginning OF the repasts, and at
feasts I'm honor of the dead 10 was also
prominent The ancient Jews at Pasqua,
after purifying and cleaning the house,
placed hard eggs on the table "a SYM
Dol, and also cakes Of peculiar form, and
dates and figs three emblems Of fecund-
city. Tho Greeks and Romans used the
egg in expiatlons, and when they had
blessed the houses and temples. and
sprinkled them with lustral ipurlfica-
tion) water, they carried an egg with
them. The account of blessing the ship
by Apuleius might almost stand for a
description OF the modern ceremony at
PasQue. ~The high priest" he says,
@carrying lighted torch and an egg, and
some sulphur, made the most solemn pray
ers with his chasto lips, completely purl-
fed It, and consecrated 1t to the goddess. T"
Besides the blessing OF the eggs and
the house, IL Is the custom In some parts
Of Italy for the priest at Easter to affix
10 the door Of the palaces and villas a
waxen cross to guard against evil spirits
and seal II with the letter M--Misere-
cordla-"Have mercy on us"
Crawford avalanche., 1891-03-26

A prosperous farmer recently en-.
tered jewelry store in Bay City.
Mich, and asked il the repairs on his
watch, which he had left there q short
time before, were completed. The
proprietor said the watch was ready
and delivered it with the remark:
Next time don't use quite so much
Kerosene" The man looked surprised
and embarrassed, but managed 70 saw
Il guess won't oil il any more at ali.
1t costs too much" He paid his bin
and departed. After he had gone A
reporter asked il the man had actual
ly put kerosene oil into his watch.
Certainly he did," said the jeweler.
"and he is not the only one who does
it. We have cases of a similar kind
every few weeks. and people who one
would think know better are generally
the ones who commit such folly. / sun
pose a little kerosene would not do a
watch much harm, but when it Il
poured In something happens and wo
are called upon to remedy the difficulty.
/ suppose should not complain. for "a
Is good thing for us, but Il is strange
how foolish some people are"
Crawford avalanche., 1891-03-26

There is hardly an ancient English
city which Is not surrounded by the
memories Of tho quaint customs of by
gone times. Most of them selected some
particular day to celebrate. Easter was
chosen by Chester, and was enlivened by
sports-everybody played football, there
being two games one for the men and
one for the women-and an imposing
procession. This latter was not dlscon-
tinued until 1866, having been kept Up
for centuries. IL had Its origin In the
delivery from the Welsh of Lord Dut-
tons casele. Many minstrels aud other
rowing characters were gathered TO.
gether and marched toward the invad-
ers' camp. They made an imposing ap-
pearance, and although they could not
have fought for half an hour, frightened
the Welsh away. Lord Dutton, out OF
gratitude, declared that parade should
be given every Easter for all time Ia
come. Various sports are still held In
Crawford avalanche., 1891-03-26
EAsrER sUPERsrIrIoNs.
Curious Customs ct Various People o
That Day.

Curious Customs al Various People on
That Day.
The curious practices and beliefs thai
cluster about Easter would almost bt
laughable 10 an American II he were not
able to trace many Of them to a source
anterior to Christianity, aud II he did
not know that they once had a profound
significance for his ancestors. The
world Is big child, which often affects
TO look with contempt upon tho broken
toys of its babyhood This Is particu-
larly so In America, the most precOci0us
OF countries. The old-time feasts for us
are stripped bare like the interiors OF
our churches or the walls OF our imag-
ination.
One must 40 to some hamlet In Ger
many, or some village in the North oil
England to find a survival OF Easter GUS
toms, or, as some might call them, super
stitions. This word may be discarded,
however, as IL Is too harsh to be applied
to our ancestors.
THE SUN DANCE.
The first of childish fictlons about
Easter, and the one that has longest
survived I'm America. is that tine sun
dances or takes three steps on Easter
morn. One has a suspicion that this
fable was invented by nurses who wished
to encourage in youthful Christians a
habit Of early rising. Little ones go to
bed Easter evening fully determined to
get up to witness the phenomenon; but
as they oversleep themselves they gen.
orally remain credulous and unsatisfied.
Perhaps it would be wrong to rudely
disturb their beliefs.
One Of the minor English poets has
given a metrical explanation which is
satisfactory Of the Easter jocularity OF
Crawford avalanche., 1891-03-26
EASTER Eoos.
A Glance at the Rsliso re- ture OF the
Enn

A Glance at the Religious re- ture OF the
Egg.
Tho egg is the germ OF llfc From
the egg comes forth all things that live
and breathe. Tho egg, therefore, Is the
emblem Of the rising sun, of the coming
forth of vernal life-of the bursting OF
environment - the tomb, and coming
forth In lie. The egg has been intl-
mately connected with religious worship
for many thousand years; and yet clings
20 its place In the ceremonials. The
Buddhist, Moslem, Chrlstian-all connect
the egg with Easter--with the resurrec-
tion-with the coming forth OF life.
In the matter of color-It sometimes
runs to fantasy, but red is commonest-
bl0od-red-in imitation Of the blood that
the pre- Christian Medlators shed In Civ
ing up their lives for sinful man. Both
the idea and color passed into Christian
custom. Indeed, IL would be difficult 20
point out the year or century when the
Easter egg custom ceased to be Pagan
and became Christian, since 1t has under
gone no material change In all the ages.
Tracing ii back IL becomes connected
with the crescent moon at Heliopolis-
the city of On in the Bible pages, also
with the serpent-like as the Eden apple
and the serpent Among the Cyprus
ruins Is found an enormous carved stone
egg. adorned with generative emblems.
The practice present ng eggs to
friends on Easter day is Magian'or Per-
sian, alluding to ie mundane egg for
Crawford avalanche., 1891-03-26
Quail I'm a skunk Tran.

A skunk has been taking too much
interest in my poultry for my benefit.
found his tracks in the snow, and
they were very plain and easy to fol-
low. 1 found what seemed from the
number of tracks to be quite den OF
them. Procuring good trap placed
it we'll down in the hole, and in the
morning the skunk was in the trap all
right. / let the trap remain in the
same place until seven had been
caught; and then imagine my surprise
to find quail in the same trap that
all of those deadly foes of quail and
all birds that roost on the ground had
been caught In. Have they no instinc.
to tell them to keep away? There was
quite flock / should think by the
tracks around the hole. and
Stream.
Crawford avalanche., 1891-03-26
A slight Mistake.

A fond father. blessed with eleven
children and a very domestic man,
tells this story:
One Afternoon, business being very
dull, he took the early train back to
bis happy home, and after O time
slipped upstairs to help put the chill
dren 10 bed. Being missed soon. his
wife went up to see what was going on.
Upon opening the nursery door she
exclaimed:
"Why, dear, what in the world are
you doing?"
why. WHEY" said he, Il am putting
the children to bed and hearing them
say their little prayers"
"Yes," said WHEY, "but this is one OF
our neighbor's children, all undressed 7"
And he had to redress it and send IL
home.-Londo1I Mo0nshi1la.
Crawford avalanche., 1891-03-26
singular Misadren,ur..

George Tolbert, q young herder,
rode into Mojave, N. NJ, to have q
tooth pulled. On his way back his
horse threw him, and. becoming fright.
ened, kicked him into insensibiiity.
When he gained consciousness he
found that matches carried in his
pocket had become ignited, setting fire
to his clothing and severely burning
one foot. Being unable to walk, il is
said he crawled on his hands and knees
ten miles to reach assistance. 1t is
thought amputation of the foot will be
necessary.
Crawford avalanche., 1891-03-26
He Protests.

Prisoner" said the Judge, at is my
duty to say that approve of the ver-
dict the jury has rendered. The crime
you committed was one of unusual
atrocity. With murder in your cow
ardly, treacherous heart, you stole up
behind your victim and stabbed him
in the back. You gave him no chance
to defend himself. It was the act of
an assassin. You have shown that you
have an abandoned, malignant heart,
destitute of any redeeming qualities
whatever. You are capable of any
crime"
THAT isn't fair, Judge" protested
the Arizona cowboy. an indignant flush
dyeing his bronzed cheek. Il never
stole horsa."