davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19

is bound 80 neatly in freshly cut reeds
and grass that the little burros look as If
they were carrying huge cocks Of new.
mown hay.
Scarcely had I seated myself again,
when I spied barefooted boy across the
street carrying on his head fat wicker
tray, which was such splendid kaleido-
scope of color that it was impossible to
resist calling him over. "Ohiga, ohiga,"
I cried in answer to his call of ''Frutes,
frutes," and he came across. He first
asked me twelve cents "a really for six of
the tiny little yellow bananas they pre-
fer down here, but, knowing we'll his
kind, I offered him six cents for six of
the big fat red ones we liked, and got
them. I bought strawberries-big
luscious ones-for eighteen cents
pound, his first price being thirty cents.
I added six oranges for twelve cents
(Which did not look as though they
could be wormy, but probably are, as
the rains have begun) and eighteen
apricots for another twelve cents, and then
/ called him back and gave him
contour for O couple of aqua-cases for
the salade. The melons are not good,
mangoes one has to cultivate taste for,
and 1t takes long, for the odor is an ag-
gravated case of that of overripe bananas
shut up in close room. But the cher
rimoya, or custard apple, shaped like
pineapple cheese, green and black on the
outside, rurest white custard within,
tlecked with black seeds like water
melon, is liked by every one.
Half ar. hour later I forgot myself and
looked up when I heard ".Senorita,
seno.ita," under the window, and I be-
held q fine turkey held up to my gaze.
There stood man with chicken coop
ON his back, fully as high as himself,
and divided off into four or five stories,
which were full of fowls. He was a wild,
dirty specimen, but he had with him
neat little brown-faced woman, who car
ried in each hand a basket Of eggs.
Cook buys our turkeys at the plaza usu
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19
~ ---'~
Curious Cactl In Washington.

Most strange and grotesque Of the
plants at the Botanic Garden are the
cacti. They would seem to have been
created by nature in freakish and ire
sponsible mood. One might imagine
them to properly belong to some other.
world than this, only half alive, as they
seem and assuming such extraordi-
nary and absurd forms. Certain natul
rallsts have imagined that they must be-
relics of vegetation belonging to q,
period long prior to the development of
the plant life familiar to the present gem
Grafton. Their characteristic spines,
emitting them to the name of vegetable.
hedgehogs, accentuate their impossibilityl
as contemporaneous species The larger
forms, some towering to fifty feet in
height, the other individuals weighing q:
ton or more, plentifully adorn the Mexi4
can landscape, which in many parts
obtains an aspect extremely weird from
these astonishing growths. That coun-
try, in fact, contains three-fourths Of
the entire number of varieties knownl
Nature provides the cacti with spines in,
order to save them from being eaten byj
animals. Horses are very fond of thennJ
and will frequently devour them, after
kicking off the prickly surface with their.
hoofs. ~
There are few known plants which
afford such beautiful examples of sym13
'metrical structure as the "mammil llariaW
group of cacti, many of which resemble
exquisite pieces of mechanism finished
with utmost minuteness and accuracy
Others might be imagined to have un1
dergone kind of capitalization, their
whole surface being frosted over in geo:
metrical patterns. - 3ti
It is from a species Of cactus that.
cochineal is obtained, and for the purl
pose of gathering from it the insects so,
valuable in commerce, great estates ara
planted with it in the West Indies, AL
geria, the Canary Islands and India.
The plants are set out in rows, trimmed
to the height of four or five feet. In.
August or September of each year is.
the season for what is called the ''sow-
ing" when the field hands attach to the.
cacti, by means of thorns, leaves COW
cred with female bugs, which are thus
left, in order that they may produce.
their young. The latter quickly swarm
over the plants, from which they are ,
removed four months later with blunt.
knives. This process is tedious one,
$1,000 being required to make pound.
Finally the insects are killed by INNER
sion in boiling water and dried in thay
sun, that being the condition in which
they are exported. .a.,IS
One OF the most surprising curiositiess
in this branch of the animal kingdom is
the "Old Man cactus," which derives its..
name from the silvery white hairs that.
cover the upper part of the stem, giving
it peculiar resemblance to the hoarY
head of an aged man. The hairs are in
reality soft, weak spines. When thsf
plant is grown in the house it is best.
accommodated in glass case, inasmuch;
as dust will otherwise render the hairs.
dingy, and impart to the old gentleman
a very disreputable appeatance.-G1oe
Dem0crGt. r' .- ..' "l
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19

ground, they had made with great labor
flor stone walls in Mexico are not built
TO pull DOWN holes some five feet square,
and this week they have fitted window
sashes and filed in the great archway
with very handsome wooden doors.
Through these windows one may see a
second wall with corresponding windows
and c-oss walls with doors also dividing
the long space into rooms, SO it is plain
to the world that home for somebody
is to be produced from that old stone
wall.
1t doesn't seem very comfortable, does
itq And you think it must be poverty
stricken creatures who will consent to
live there. Not so; just at this moment
they arc plastering over the entire face
of the wall and soon they will paint it to
initiate a stone building, brick trimmed,
and then it will be quite as good as the
house next to it, in which extremely nice
people live and pay from $50 to $50 a
month rent.
The floors are stone and the house is
damp, DeluS uuilL liSae oo S1S sAN1Nf
but SO are most of the houses in the City
of Mexico and ninety-nine one-hun-
tlredths of those in the smaller towns and
in the interior, and yet the inhabitants
learn how to keep themselves quite COM
Portable after some months of misery.
One has to become acclimatel to ways
as well as to seasons in foreign lands.
OF course there is always the warm,
sunny garden in the rear, for these long,
low houses, one room wide, usually run
round two sides of space perhaps sixty
feet square, often more, and the remain
der of the ground is a tropical garden,
where all the year round the trees are
green and the flowers bloom, and some
part of the day the sun senos its bright
rays straight down and one cf.n step out
side and get warm.
Before we get too far away must tell
YOU about the masons over the way.
There are number of groups of three
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19
CHAPTER XLIII.

Instantly all was confusion and excite
mert in the bcEker's Office, as we'll as in
the entire mansion.
While some ran to peer out OF the Office
window, others rushed around into the
garden by way Of the hall passage and
front porch, and still others, the servants,
made their appearance upon the scene
through door issuing from the side Of
the house, between the dining room and
the conservatory.
The nature of the terrible accident that
had occurred was speedily apparent.
One of the insecure balconies of the
upper story had suddenly fallen, with
man in it, dragging down a part of the
stone window ledge, together with great
mass of the clinging ivies.
1t now lay crumpled ruin in the gar
den walk, and almost in line with the
bright column Of light that issued from
the Office window.
Prone and motioniess amid the debris
lay the figure Of a man, with a revolver
still clutched in one OF the hands, and
with q white, staring face upturned-
white but for the great. stresking Of red
issuing from q ghastly temple wound, In
which sharp-pointed fragment of ma
sonry was still adhering.
1t was Boncourt, and 1t was evident that
he was dead.
Kneeling by the body was Adele, wildly
wringing her hands, and calling vainly
upon his name in agonizing accents.
Among those who had been summoned
into the garden were Noel and Gwendo-
line, and in the frightened group were the
boy Dip, and Dalhousie, the detective,
the latter phlegmatically composed amid
all the excitement, but with his sharp
eyes never missing q movement on the
part OF either Croak or the banker, both
of whom were at the window, with
others, including Mr.. Hartwell and Miss
Winford.
This is terrible; frightful event." at
length called out tho London lawyer, who
was the first OF the spectators to utter
anything. Can any one out there ex-
plain tha accidant'"
awe-stricken voice. The miserable man
who has been overtaken by this accident
appeared at my window, in the room di-
rectly above, but moment ago, with the
avowed intention Of taking my life and
the life of this young lady, who char :ed
to be with me.
He had stealthi'y scaled tie side of the
house by means of the vines, and clam
bered into the balcony, which has long
been deemed unsafe. His pistol was lev.
cleo ut our hearts. but maryelout inter-
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19
Pearl Fishing in Lower California.

One of the largest pearl fishing
grounds in the world is in the Gulf OF
California. 1.-THE pearls" says cor
respondent, "are not generally regular
in shape or very pure in color, but some
are of large size, and many of the rare
black pearls are found. The divers are
nearly all Indians and their equipment is
of the simplest kind, consisting only OF
a basket hung around the neck, in which
to collect the oysters, knife to detach
them from the rocks and stone with q
cord attached. When diver goes down
he takes the cord between his toes, the
weight of the stone carrying him at once
to the bottom. He gathers oysters as
long as his breath holds out, and then
rises to the surface, to descend again in
fifteen minutes. Some of the divers are
wonderfully expert, and can remain un-
der water for as much as two minutes
before rising to the surface. The NOR
tality among them is fearful, for the
Gulf of California is infested with huge
man. eating sharks. who carry OH scores
of mer every year."
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19
He Carried a Piece Of Oak In His Head

Lewis E. Rotternan, of Peoria, Ill. j
has in his possession the proof of one OF
the most interesting cases known in sur-ii
gical history. He was one of the pas.
sengers on the ill-fated Niagara Falls ex-
cursion train which went down to de-
struction at Chatsworth. he was in the
last day coach leaning on his hands in an
open window when the crash came.
Nearly everybody in the car was injured
and several men were killed outright.
Rotterman's face was badly cut and.
bruised and he was unconscious for sew
eral hours. His face was sewed up and
healed rapidly. Since then he has suf-
tered constant pains in his head, but To-
cal physicians attributed it to the shock
of the wreck and treated him accord
ingly.
Last November, while blowing his nose
vigorously, he blew out wire nail one
and three-eights inches long, badly rusted+
He and his friends were confident that
his trouble was at end when the nail was
dislodged, but he still suffered from q
dull pain in his head. In June he went
to Chicago aud was examined, by the
staff surgeon at the Rush Medical COL
lego. The physicians found a forei ign
body in Rotterman's head at the inside
corner of the left eye, and, in the pres
ence of room full of surgeons, cut the
patients face. Imbedded in the head
back of the nose was found an irregular
piece of oak one and half inches long,,
fve-eighths of an inch thick and three
eighths of an inch wide. This fragment
of the window sill had been carried IN
Rotterman's head for four years. The
paint had been absorbed by his blood.
The case was reported to all the leading
doctors in Chicago and is pronounced
one of the most remarkable in history
Nev York Tribune.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19
at work on various parts.
The nearest

at work on various parts. The nearest
to US will serve as type. Each mason
has two helpers, and it is in the costume
If these that one is particularly inter.
.ssted. The mason himself is more OF
ess decently clad, wearing pink calico
blouse and loose white cotton trousers,
the latter held in place by d red sash.
Helper No. 1 wears an old pair OF
trousers, one leg at least eight inches
shorter than the other and the bottom
given one turn, so that it may perchance
seem to some onlooker that it is rolled
up. These trousers possess q hundred
different shades of those grimish tones
o. raw umber to which exposure to
turc's clements turns everything under
the sun. They have dozens of patches
and hundreds of tatters, and the dirty
brown knees that snow through the
holes prove that no other garment is
worn beneath. suppose he wears
shirt, perhaps it was once a shirt. and
NAV be it was white, but to-day 1t has
one sleeve, no bosom and is the color OF
mud. That one sleeve is oil that shows
of it, except as he reaches his arms up
when mounting the ladder. Then only
do knew that it is attached to gar
ment. This sleeve only reaches to his
elbow, where it is tied round about with
a bit of rag, otherwise, being slit to the
shoulder, it would fall from the arm.
Over this garment be wears o piece of
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19

MORE than one brave fellow VIII 60
down to his death this summer in river,
pond, and sea. In the van went a l3-
year-old New York "kid." Patsy Con-
nelly was his name. He played hockey"
from school, took his soul-stirring har-
monica, went to the dock and made the
other "kids" dance. But Patsy's tune
maker got firted into the river, and
promptly Patsy jumped in after it.
But there was mud there, and then the
swell of passing boat banged him
against another boat. Then Patsy,
coming up the last time, shouted to the
"kids" on the dock: "Don't let 'em take
me body home if I drown. It'll make
mudder feel bad. Take me to de under
takers shop" Then Patsy went down,
and that was all.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19

unbeached cotton; probably the coarse
stuff which is made from the magney
fiber. Its color in most places is deep,
deep yellow brown, especially in spots.
Its edge is elaborately fringed with tat
tiers, because it never was hemmed, and
there is hole cut or torn right IN the
centre Of it. through which he sticks his
head. 1t hangs down to his waist, back
and front, where it is tied about with
wisp of rope. His outer garment is
piece of sacking or bagging even more
dilapidated than the rest of his attire. 1t
is treated in the same way as the article
of dress last described. zerape fashion,
with hole in the middle, through which
the head IS pokcd, and then it hangs
loose.
Early in the morning, on top OF all
this, be wore piece of Brussels carpet
ing, the wrong side out, put on in the
same way. AS the tropical sun of mid.
day is just now burning hot and fierce
in the dusty streets, he has laid this aside
in convenient place on the sidewalk,
WQere all Tue uOtldE WnlCu AaiiS iioLAA oAAS
trowels may drop upon it. Little he
cares; dirt is his bosom friend, his daily
and nightly companion. His head is
covered with an old straw sombrero, bis
feet are bare, his face is lean and pinched.
I wondered what he would think if l
called him over and gave him sandwich
of good sweet white bread and meat. ]
doubt if he ever had one in his life and
his beard is gray.
It would be dangerous experiment;
tomorrow all the beggars (and those of
Rome are few compared to those OF
Mexico) far and near would be under the
window. This morning at least twenty
have stopped at the window where sit
and at various pitches have whined out
their sad stories. ''No comprendo es-
painoI" is the answer to all, and an alb.
solutely stocial Indifference is the only
way one can protect oneself. 1t is hard,
for beyond doubt they are in awful
need, but they are at every hand, the
manned, the halt and the blind, one
cannot stir without being followed Dy
dozens of them, and cannot help all.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19

huw WI auml~o Jne man VINO can
buy a pound Of b 'ef-steak without tor
turing the busy clerk wi b / reasons
for buying pound. ard his reasons for
buying beef ins,e,rl of pork or mutton,
and the reason he is buying it instead OF
his Wi o, and how he likes steak cooked,
and when he intends to eat it, and who
refrains from telling his opinions of
steak ir general. How we admire that
kind Of man, and how seldom we see
him. The average man thinks that no
one in the world has anything else to
do but to listen to what he intends to
do, and his reasons for doing it. How
few men there are in the world who
know enough to transact their busi-
ness as speedily as POSSIBLE.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19

ally and pays 81 for one weighing sew en-
or eight pounds. So when he asked me
$1.06 for this one unplucked, I knew it
was the same old tale-get all you can
out OF the foreigners. We dickered
away, he coming down six cents at a
time, until I bought it for sixty-two
cents, in spite of cooks appearance on
the scene and evident disapproval of the
purchase. She said it was thin and
poor, and quite turned up her nose at the
noisy creature. So. made him take
another one from the coop and soon saw
that she would make the same objection
to them all, undoubtedly for reasons of
her own. Chiet among these probably
was her commission from the market
woman, and that hardly second to the
extra amount Of work she would have
to do in picking the turkey. But in no
way would the vender be induced to
come down in his price. Eggs, eight
for twelve cents, was his price, and none
other. And as cook brings them from
the market place for the same money 1
am willing she should get her commits
sien. So the man and woman trotted on
their way.
One of the things I did not buy,
which was urged upon me with never
ccasing volubility, was goats milk. The
wrinkled old crone who importuned
me was driving a little flock of goats
about the streets, and, squatting down
before each purchasers door, would draw
the quantity of goats milk any one de-
sired from natures fount with her dirty
brown hands.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19
Thin Men and Fat Men.

"Do you know" observed the man
ager of large restaurant to a Phlladel-
phia Inquirer man, "that thin men eat .
great deal more solid food than fat menf
Well, it's 81. Take man weighing wv
pounds and he can tuck away O great
deal, but Gf you'll excuse the pun) he
leans toward soups and puddings, and
beer and water in large quantities, and
vegetables. But those with little flesh
on their bones eat steaks, roast beef and
other meats. Actresses who wish to keep
from getting heshy also eschew vegeta.
bles. If these people want to get fat
thew should observe what kind of food
are eaten by aeshy friends and act &C;
cordinGly." j
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19

How MUCH better off is man at the
end of a.week than he was at its begin
ning9 He is just as poor, a little older,
. little more tired out, little more
irritable, and little less hopeful. If
he ever sits down and reckons it all up,
he is either hopeful fool or q very
brave man if he continues cheerful.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19
MY BEAUTIFUL
n ABBII O. M'XKKvKR

Ny beautiful! ! my beautiful
The world has never known
A being half so beautiful
AS thee, my loved, my ownl
NY beautiful r.y beautiful
My precious, oh. my pet!
can not tell you all my love,
The half you would forget.
Ny beautiful! my beautiful
clasp you in my arms;
There's sunshine in thy merry smile
And In thy baby charms.
Ny beautiful my beautiful
What matters scorn or tears?
The Joy that all the world can bring
In tly sweet face appears.
NY beautiful my beautiful
o, what is wealth untold?
know that riches could not buy
What in my arms hold.
Ny beautiful! my beautiful
Oh, dainty baby grace!
What do I care fol other smiles2
My world lies in your face.
Ohio.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19
"pretty Well Off,"

German railways now aggregate a.
600 miles, and employ IL, 62O locomo-
tives. 26,OOs passenger cars: 556,S
freight cars. and 618,0OO officials and
other employees. In 1890 there were 3Oss
accidents of all kinds.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-08-19

Switzerland yearly receives about S2e,.
600. 600 from foreign tourists.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-01-17
An Emperor's Modest Mother.

The Empress of Germany is daugh-
ter of the Duchess Adelheid of Schles-
wig -Holstein- -Augustenburg The latter
is singularly modest and reserved per-
sonage, quite averse to display and
palaver. She is in the habit of travel
ing about incognito, and this incognito
Invariably of the strictes5 kind. Recently
she went to Vienna, and, as the Com
tesse de Wolfersdorf, hired apartments
in bourgeoise part of the city. The
landlord treated her as he might have
treated any other elderly lady whose
only visitors were her physician and a
few solemn looking friends One day,
however, this landlord was stricken
nearly aghast when the Emperor OF
Germany (who happened to be visiting
Vienna) whirled up in front of the mod
est mansion and inquired after the Com
tesse de Wolfersdorf. After this inn
posing visitor had departed the landlord
scuttled up to his lodger's apartments.
"Do you know, Nine. la Comtesse. :"
he inquired breathlessly, "who your
caller is? Why, it was the Emperor of
Germany.
"Of course, answered the old lady
quietly, "he happens to be my son in
law.
The sister of this estimable woman is
the wife of DR.. E5march, an eminent
surgeon who is very chummy with the
kaiser. 1t seems rather curious doesn't
iD that an Emperor of Germany should
have for his uncle a professor Of Kiel
University!-[C Chicago News.