davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-09-03
A HARD MAN TO SURPRISE.
One of His Own Experiences on ShiI
N Il L.. IL

One of His Own Experiences on Ship
board as Related by Himself
A party from the village where old
Uncle Bill Williams lived camped out
q few years ago on the Hudson's bank
about a mile above West Point Their
stay was cut short by an incident which
was not over welcome. The cadets at
the Point had been having a mortar
drill and had been firing at the target
on the face of Gro Nest, the mountain
that towers half a mile north of the
military academy. There was a cessa-
ton of the fusillade, and one of the
camping party was collecting firewood
In the rear of the tents. The unexpect-
ed report of large gun at West Point
broke the stiffness of the air. Almost
Immediately following came whirTing
sound. Looking up, the camper saw q
black object coming straight at his
heard from the direction of the Point.
He didn't stop to examine into the
nature Of the flying mass, but made for
the bushes with all speed. He had not
gone fifteen feet when the missile struck
and buried itself three feet in the earth,
Just beyond the spot on which he had
been standing, BY great good luck he
had cleared the tents and no one was
injured. After much labor the mystic
rious messenger was dug out of the
bank and turned out to be an iron
shell, weighing 176 pounds.
Fortunately 1t was empty If it had
been loaded it would not, in all proba-
bility, have been carried home, as 1t
was for a souvenir of the trip.
With singular unanimity, consider
ing the circumstances, the party that
night voted to return home the next
day The reader may have some diff
Guilty in seeing what connection this
tale Of the camping party has with
Uncle Bill Williams. Here it is;
The shell was taken home in one of the
boats, and was shown to the old man,
lnd It's story was told him. The mar
rator Of the tale expected that it would
astonish him, but he reckoned without
his host.
'Humphl" grunted Uncle Bill, 'that
amt much; why, Cap'n Broat an me
es had lots O them things go through
our mains'l while passin the Pint One
time we was comm down ther river OF
ther slop (sloop) with load O wood
an when we got down opposite ter Col
Spring the wind guy out. There wal
big tide runnin down, and so We
KEEP movin. The fellers on the Pin
was affirm at their targets on the
water Some of their shots hit prett,
clost to Their targets, an some of ZEN
didn't. We was lookin at 'em SO hare
that we didn't see where we was goin
when all of student somethin com
kerthrash through the mains'l, al
dropped inter ther water on Their tothe
side o. the slop.
"'Lor, Bill, what was thatp sing
out the cap'n.
Looks as though it mought be
she'll from the Pint, cap'n, SEES l. Jus
then mother shot come through the sal
"Look-a-here, Bill, yells the cap'n
we've got ter git out o this, or ther
won't be nothin left O. u.s.
"'That's so, cap'n, ses |, but wha
yer goin ter do about til
"'Why, there amt narthin we XII
do, Bill, but sit an cuss.'
IAN kin tell yer we did cuss then
West Pint fellers, while they ser
shells through our mains'l an jib, a
knocked off more'n half our load I
wood. One o the shots come With
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-09-03
To Prevent Iron Rust.

An Italian paper says that iron ar
ticles can be protected from rust by
sinking them near the negative pole of
an electric bath composed of twenty
quarts of water and seventy-five grains
of chloride of manganese and about
seven ounces of nitrate of ammonia.
Under the influence of the current the
bath deposits on the articles film OF
manganese, and prevents them from
rusting.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-09-03
A warning to the supersensitIve.

Primary What did you do that she
should leave you on the wedding tour
and return to her father9
Secundus-I kept the promise she ex
acted of me that we should not be
taken for q newly married couple
No. Vn,Ir IT~ooh
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-09-03

er loot O. my head, an its wind knocked
me over fiat on ther deck"
"Didn't you try to get some explana-
ton from the officials at West Point,
Uncle~ inquired the listener.
"Ya-as, went to ther commandant,
but he laughed at me. faint no use
tryin to git anything out O. them fell
lers. New York Tribune.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-09-03

New Zealand sends large quantities
of mushrooms to San Francisco and
also to Hong Kong. The Chinese eat
it, use it for medicine, and make a fine
dye out of it. One remarkable species
grows out of the body of large cater
pillar, practically converting the animal
into a vegetable. indianapolis Jour
mol
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-09-03

Mrs. Bloomer-Did you everl Miss
De Talent, the wonderful actress, has
married her manager.
MIR. Bloomer-I presume she got tired
of being managed. New York Weekly.
The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-09-03
Scarcity of WhalebOne.

The whalebones which were once
used for the hoopskirts, corsets and
stays of the fashionable women, and
which were often secured only at the
sacrifice of brave mems lives, are being
largely replaced by ordinary horn and
composition invented by clever men.
Whalebone grows scarcer and dearer
every year. The annual product has
fallen from about 100000 pounds
secured by the old time sailing vessels,
with ancient appliances, to about 20O,-
900 pounds, obtained by the modern
whaling steamships with machines and
guns. The price of whalebone has risen
from q mer> trife to about five dollazs
q pound. Mercer.
The Iola register., 1891-10-16
What London Teaches Us.

London will teach you that it is pos
sible for the streets of the busiest city
in the world to be kept scrupulously
clean, writes Edward W. Box in the La
dies Home Journal. 1t will teach Am
orleans. too, that city can be paved
so as to withstand the inroads of heavy
traffic. and yet be luxury for one to
drive on any of its streets. We may
teach them how to build the cars, but
they can teach MS how to construct
safe railroads. Where the American
railroad grades a crossing and endan-
gers life, the English road builds a
tunnel and protects the public. The
wooden piers along our river fronts
are nightmares when you see those
buttresses of masonry in England.
The American housewife is taught how
beautiful the humblest home can look
when flowers bloom from every win-
dow in it, and gardens look like spots
of Paradise. The English woman can
teach her American sister the great
secret of keeping young by refusing to
worry. She knsws that worry means
premature age. and she has too high a
regard for her health to endanger it
with what she knows will not avail.
The English girl will teach the pride
of every American that the foundation
of the best health is exercise and
plenty of it. and that healthy girlhood
is the stepping-stone to the best wife
hood and motherhood; though, in
every other respect. the American girl
can stand comparison.
The Iola register., 1891-10-16
Sleep in Sickness.

Concerning sleep. in connection with
sickness, there is good deal of hsresy
regarding the matter, among other
wise well-informed people. Don't
let her sleep too lOng!' BE sure to
wake him when it is time to give the
medicine; it will be great deal better
for him not to sleep too long at one
timem How often we have heard these
words. or words to that effect. when in
fact. in nine cases out of ten, and very
likely in uinety-nine out of the hum
dred. they were the exact opposite of
the truth. Gentle, restful sleep is bet
ter than any medicine; and how often.
even how almost invariably, does the
change for the better" for which
anxious friends are waiting so prayer
fully. come during sleep-making its
first manifestation when the patient
awakes with frightened eye. stronger
voice, faint tinge of returning health
mantling the features. in place of the
wan hue of threatening death! In the
words of Sancho Panza, we may well
say, BLESSED be the man who in
vented sleepr There are, of course.
critical situations in which troubled.
imperfect sleep may properly be
broken to administer medicines; but in
these later days physicians, quite
generally, give the caution that in case
of restful sleep the patient is not to be
awakened for the administering of
medicines Housekeeping.
The Iola register., 1891-10-16

the most enyied women in ali Italy.
The fugitive resemblance she traced
in me to her ''dead" husband was GER
tainly attributed by her to be purely
accidental likeness common to many per-
sons in this world, where every man,
they say, has his double, and for that
matter every woman also. Who does
not remember the touching surprise of
Heinrich Heine, when on visiting the
picture gallery of the PalazZa Durazzo
in Genoa, he was brought face to face
with the portrait, as he thought, of a
dead woman he had loved, Maria Ia
morte." 1t mattered not to him that the
picture was very old, that it bad been
painted by Giorgio Barbarelli centuries
before his Maria" could have lived; he
simply declares-"Il est vraiment dune
resemblance admirable, resemblant JUS
qu'au silence de la mort!"
Such likenesses are common enough,
and my wife, though my resemblance to
myself (D troubled her little, was very
far from imagining the real truth OF the
matter, as Indeed how should she? What
woman, believing and knowing, as far
as anything can be known, her husband
to be dead and fast buried, is likely to
accept even the idea of his possible
escape from the tomb? Not one!-else
the disconsolate widows would indeed
have reason to be more inconsolable
than they appear!
When ! left her that morn
ing found Andrea Luziani
waiting for me at my hotel. He was
seated in the outer entrance hall; bade
m fnllnNU mn Mt rnrfx co1A
He did so. Abashed at the magnifcence
of the apartment, he paused at the door
way, and stood, red cap in hand, hesi-
tating, though with an amiable smile On
his sunburnt merry countenance.
''Come in, amico," l said, with an in
viting gesture, land sit down. All this
tawdry show Of velvet and gliding must
seem common to your eyes, that have
rested so long on the sparkling pomp of
the foaming waves, the glorious blue
curtain of the sky, and the sheeny white
of the sails Of the Laura cleaning in
the gold of the sun. Would I could live
such life as yours, Andrea!-there is
nothing better under the width of
heaven"
The poetical temperament. Of the ST.
Gillian was caught and fired by my words.
He at once forgot the splendid appur-
tenances of wealth and the costly lux
uries that surrounded him; he advanced
without embarrassment and seated him
self on velvet and gold chair with as
mnch ease as though it were a coil of
rough rope on board the Laura
"You say truly, Eccellenza," he
said with a gleam of his white
teeth through his jet-black nous
tache, while his warm southern eyes
flashed fire. "there is nothing sweeter
than the life of the marinaro. And
truly there are many who say to me,
'Ah, ah! Andrea, buon AMIGO, the time
comes when you will wed, and the home
where the wife and children sit will
seem better thing to you than the ca
price of the winds and waves But L
you'll know otherwise. The wo-
man / wed must love the sea; she must
have the fearless eyes that can look Gods
storms in the face-her tender words
must ring out all the more clearly for
the sound OF the bubbling waves lesping
Igsinst the Ira when the wind lie
high! And as fer our children" he
paused and laughed. ''psr 10 santissims
The Iola register., 1891-10-16
In the OF Tobacker Patcn.

I jes kind o. feel so lonesome that ] don't
know what to do,
When think about them days we used to
spend
A hoeln out tobacker in tn clearin-me an
YOU
An wishin' that the day was at an end.
For the dewdrops was a-sparklng on the
beeches' tender leaves
As we started out q workin' in tn morn:
An tn MONDAY sun was sendin' down q
shower o. burnin' sheaves
When we heard the welcome-soundin' dinner
horn.
An tn shadders round US gathered in a sort
o. gbostly batch
Fore we started home from workin' In that
or tobacker patch.
I'm feelin' mighty lonesome as look aroun'
to-day.
For see tn change that's taken place since
then.
All tn hills is brown and faded, for tn woods
is cleared away:
You an me has changed from ragged boys to
men;
Ysu are livin' in tn city that we used to dream
about;
] am still a-dweilin' here upon tn place:
But my form is bent an feeble, which was
once so straight and stout.
An there's most a thousand wrinkles on ny
face.
You have made mint o. money; j, perhaps,
have been your match,
But we both enjoyed life better in that or to
hacker patch.
Farm and Fireside.
The Iola register., 1891-10-16

Msdonnal II the salt and iron Of the
ocean be not In their blood, they
will be no children of minel
smiled at his enthusiasm, and pour
! ing out some choice Montepulciano, bade
him taste 1t. He di so with keen ap-
probation Of its favour, such as many
q so-called connoisseur of wines does not
possess.
ITO your health. Eccellenza" he said:
''and may you long enjoy your life."
thanked him; but in my heart was
far from echoing the kindly wish.
"And are you going to fulfill the pro-
phecy Of your friend, Andrea?" l asked.
''Are you about to marFy?"
He set down his glass only partly
emptied, and smiled with an air Of mys-
terry.
"Ebbene? chi sap he replied, with
gay little shrug of his shoulders, yet
with sudden tenderness in his keen
eyes that did not escape me. 'rhere is
a maiden,-my mother loves her well,-
she is little and fair as Carmelo Neri's
Teresa,-so high" and he laid his brown
hand lightly on his breast, "her head
touches just here" and he laughed. "She
looks as frail as a lily, but she is hardy
as sea-gull, and no one loves the wild
waves more than she. Perhaps, in the
month of the Madonna, when the white
lilies bloom,-perhaps! one
can never tell,-the old song may be
sung for us
"Chi sa fervente gmar
Solo C felice!'
And humming the tune Of the
well known love ditty under his
breath, he raised glass of wine
to his lips and drained it off with a
relish, while his honest face beamed
with gaiety and pleasure. Always the
same story, thought moodily. Love,
the tempter,-Love, the Destroyer
Love, the cursel Was there no escape
possible from this bewildering snare
that thus caught and slew the souls
of men?
TO BE CONTINUED.
The Iola register., 1891-10-16
One on Chief Murphy.

A good joke is told on Chief Murphy
of the Jersey City police. SAYS New
York CORES pondent of the ST. Louis
Republican. The chiefs duties have
recently been those of an inspector,
and he takes an occasional ramble over
the beats of the officers to see that
they are attending to business. He
was unable to find q Teutou. who had
recently been appointed. anywhere on
his post the other night. After o two
hours search he at last discovered the
man at the bar of a saloon guzzling
beer. This is q favorite occupation of
the Jersey City police. it may be said
pareuthetically. The chief called for
glass of beer, too. and then. edging up
to the officer. inquired why he was not
on his beat.
Dot vos no pikness of yours" was
the independent reply.
The chief Strengthened up severely.
"Do you know whom you are talking
to-" he asked.
"No. and / don't care" returned the
man of the billy.
Il am Chief Murphy. sir; and /
want you to know that you are violat-
ing the rules in being IN this saloon
drinking beer"
Chief Murphy was in citizens cloth
ing, and the officer had not recognized
him. He was only second recovering
from his surprise. Glancing at the
chiefs glass of beer. he became conf
Dental. Say. chief" he said, ''of
YOU dond say holdings apoud our TAX
ing peer, l won't say noddings." The
chief took in the situation at glance.
The Teuton wanted to make serms of
mutual silence for mutual protection.
The situation was so ludicrous that the
chief has abstained from telling on the
officer except as good joke.
The Iola register., 1891-10-16

al, Cesare. What viii you say them"
THAT you are perfectly welcome to
them" replied.
She looked slightly surprised.
"You are really too good to me, caro-
mio," she said; "you spoil me-"
.'Can you be spoilt?" asked half jest
ingly. "Good women are like fine brill
liants-the more richly they are set the
more they shine"
She stroked my hand caressingly.
''No one ever made such pretty
speeches to me as you dol" she MUIR
INJURED.
"Not even Guido Ferrari?" 1 suggested
ironically.
She drew herself up with an inimit-
ably as3-acted gesture Of lofty disdain.
%Guido Ferrarir she exclaimed. HE
dared not address me save with the
greatest respect! / was as queen to
him! 1t was only lately that he began
to presume on the trust left him by my
husband, and then he became too IA
miliar, mistake on his part, for which
you punished him-as he deserved"
i rose from my seat beside her.
could not answer for my own composure
while sitting so close to the actual mur-
deress of my friend and her lover. Had
she forgotten her own familiar" treat
ment of the dead man-the tnausand
nameless wiles and witcheries and tricks
of her trade, by which she had beguiled
his soul and ruined his houour
~ am glad you are satisfied with
my action in that affair."" ! said
coldly and steadily. 81 myself
regret the death OF the unfortu-
nate young man and shall continue to
do so. My nature, unhappily, is an
over-sensitive one, and is apt to be af-
fected by trifles. But now, mia bella,
farewell until tomorrow-happy tomor-
row!-when l shall call you mine in
deed,"
A warm flush tinted her cheeks; she
came to me where l stood and leaned
against me.
"ShaIl l not see you again till we meet
in the church," she inquired, with be-
coming bashfulness.
mo. will leave you the last day Of
your brief widowhOod alone. 1t is not
well that / should ebtrude myself
upon your thoughts or prayers. Stayw
and caught her hand that toyed with
the flower in my buttonhole. 81 see you
still wear your former wedding ring.
May 1 take it offT
Certainly" And she smiled while i
deftly drew of the plain gold circlet
had placed there nearly four years
since.
"Win you let me keep it?"
IF you like. Iwould rather not see
it again"
"You shall not" ! answered, as !
slipped it into my pocket "It will be
replaced by new one tomorrow-one
that hope may be the symbyl Of more
Joy to you than this has BEEN"
And as her eyes turned to my face in
all their melting, perfdious languor, l
conquered my hatred Of her by strong
effort, and stopped and kissed her. Had
l yielded to my real impulses, would
have crushed her cruelty in my arms,
and bruised her delicate flesh with brutal
ferocity of caresses born. of bitterest
loathing, not love. But no sign of my
aversion escaped me,-all she saw was
her elderly-looking admirer, with his
calmly courteous demeanor, chill smile,
and almost parental tenderness; and she
judged him merelyas an influential gentle
man of good position and unlimited In
come, who was about to make her one OF
The Iola register., 1891-10-16

like ghost himself. came and told me
he was dead. Fancy hearing such a
piece of news suddenly, while was ac-
tually at luncheon with Gui-Signor
Ferrsrii We were both shocked, of
course, tut / did not break my heart
over it. Now / really do love you"
l drew nearer to her on the couch
where she sat, and put one arm around
her.
'You really do?'' asked in a hnlf
incredulous tone; 'syou are quite sure?"
She laughed and nestled her head on
my shoulder.
Il am quite sure. How many times
have you asked me that absurd question:
What can say. what can I do to make
you believe me2"
Nothing" answered, and answered
ruly, for certainly nothing she could
say or do would make me belieye her for
The Iola register., 1891-10-16
The German Emperor.

William II. has been for three years
emperor. and in this time has succeed
ed not only in winning the respect of
foreign cabinets but in strengthening
himself at home. He succeeded a
father idolized by all who came within
the sphere of his gentle and generous
nature; his grandfather left behind Il
warike fame so great that only the
age of Frederick III. can afford
parallel. The present Emperor has
had, therefore. no easy task before
him, for it has been necessary for him
both to remove prejudice and TO give
the country confidence in his inten-
tions as we'll as in his abilities.
The secret of the Emperors power
with his own people arises mainly from
three causes:
First. He has courage.
Second. He is honest.
Third. He is thorough German.
If the whole country had to vote to-
morrow for a leader embodying the
qualities they most desired. their choice
would fall unquestionably on their
present constitutional ruler. Perhaps
the virtues l have specified appear
commonplace. and will be taken for
granted by the reader; but an emperor
must be compared with others in the
same trade.
His honesty has been the cause of
nearly all the malevolent criticism
that outside papers have accorded
him, for he has said freely what older
or more polite people might have
placed in a different way. He has
made many minor mistakes from act
ing upon the impulse of the moment.
but these mistakes have never betrayed
to his people want of sympathy with
their development. He has made his
share of minor blunders in handling
large masses of troops at the grand
maneuvers. but the army would be
happy to see him make a thousand
times as many rather than to miss the
active interest he takes IN keeping the
military machine in working order
PouItrsey BigeioU in the Century.
The Iola register., 1891-10-16
Useless Remonstrance.

Two of the best-known hunters OF
California are the two Aris. Ari Hop
per, father and son, of the Sierras de
San Rafael, saws the Youths Conf
pIniOn. The father shutters dreadful
ly, and the son is giant. with voice
like bull of Bashan. which, try Us he
will, he can not moduiate below roar.
Whenever the son bellows out a GER
tain favorite story the father marches
up and down, exclaiming as the climax
is reached: .'B-b-boy. you Lille; you
kn-kn-know you lie."
They were hunting in the San
Rafael mountains and had driven two
grizzlies down steep. narrow path to
a plateau that ended in a sheer preci-
pice. on the edge of which stood a
small tree. The bears were separated,
and the son following one drove him
up the path, leaving the father to tackle
his on the plateau.
After q chase. which ended in his
grizzly getting away from him. Ari
Hopper. Jr., returned to the plateau.
As he came down the path this is what
he says he saw:
ludT WdT tue Olu mdu up tEcc,
and so taken up with the bar that he
never even noticed his only son. He'd
clum out on the limb of that tree over
the precipice, aud Mr.. Grizzly was on
the same limb, reaching carefully for
him with his paw. Every time he
stuck his fist out the old man would
jab it with his bowie-knife. and say.
G. back. g back. you pesky fool;
d-d-don't you see if you c-c-come any
f-f-fu'ther the l-l-limb'll break and
k-k-kill US both?"
Right here the old man always ex.
plodes. and never gives his boy q
chance to tell truthfully how he man
aged to control his laughter long
enough to pick off, the bear with his
rifle.
The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-02-11

There seems to be a wave Of reli-
gious liberalism sweeping over, or
rather through, the clergy of the
United States. In Pennsylvania five
young clergymen were recently sna-
pended from the Presbyterian hbFch
for modifying belief to conform with
the facts of modern science, and the
last dispatches left two more on trial
at Pittsburg for the same offense.
At Cleveland, Ohio, the Rev. How
ard MacQueary was being tried, early
in January, for heresy, by the EpiS-
copal Church, for publishing a book
entitled christianity and EvOln-
tion," in which the author failed to
agree with the popular faith as sci
forth in the creeds of Professionalism.
As a defense the reverend gentle
man sets mp conscience as a final
arbitrator, and alleges that, LATTER
study of Dawson, McCosh, Geikie
and the Duke of Argyll, who are
neither nti-eyoIutionists nor Chris