davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23
A HORSE WITH A MUSTAcHE.
The Strange Development of a San Fran
cisco Equine.

The Strange Development of q San Fran
cisco Equine.
There may be seen at the corner of,
Montgomery avenue and Kearny street
at frequent intervals during the day a
horse that would make a comfortable
living for it's owner if placed on exhi-
bition in a dime museum. Neither
horse nor master, however, seems to be
imbued with desire for fame, and
the latter is content apparently to serve
out his days at his allotted task of draw
ing an express wagon about the city,
says the San Francisco Call.
He is an ordinary-sized gray horse
with a most amiable cast of counte-
nance and with nothing remarkable
about him except the possession of
large and well-shaped mustache. The
latter is kept carefully trimmed and
brushed by the owner Of the horse, but
the possessor of this unusual append
age seems to pay but little attention to
it. He has never been known, at least,
to stroke it as men do, but by watching
him closely it may be observed that he
eyes it occasionally in critical sort Of
a way.
He is six years old and was born in
Mexico, bnt so far as can be learned he
is the only member of his family that
has ever been blessed with either mus
tache or whiskers. On the contrary,
his fathers lip was without suspicion of
hair, and his mother, of course, was a
stranger to such a thing.
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23
She Turned Black.

An amusing story is told Of a we'll
known Russian woman who went re-
Gently to enjoy the sulphur baths at
Tiflis. On a particular morning the
countess entered, as usual one
Of the bathrooms. The water had
hardly touched her body, how
ever, when, to her horror, she be-
gan to turn black. She was SO frightened;
at the transformation that, upon seeing
her reflection in the mirror, she tainted.
The attendant, who was as greatly
startled as her mistress, cried for help.
The explanation was simple enough.
It was discovered that the countess was
accustomed to paint her face, hands,
arms and neck daily with 9 substance
containing zinc. On that fatal day the
poor woman had neglected to remove
the ..beautif tying coat. The zinc COM
bined with the sulphur and natrium Of
the water and quickly made an African
belle out Of the white-skinned bather.
"A considerable time passed ere the un-
fortunate woman resumed her natural
appearance.
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23
A FASHION SPOILED.
How Coaching Got z Backset in Early
New York. :.

|Ao" 0""os W. $'
A curious instance OF a fashion
nipped in the bud took place in New
York during the early part OF this
century, as related by the Clothier and
Furnisher. A party of young men;
possibly the advance guard of the pres
ent army of Anglomaniacs-one day
rugged up a coach-and-six, and drove
around town in style.
This melted another clique Of young.
men, who, not to be outdone at this
sort of thing, Immediately fitted out a.
coach-and-eight, and appeared upon the
principal streets in great splendor. So
amusing was this to the workmen in
town, that party of sixteen carmen
determined to burlesque the whole
affair.
They dressed themselves in clean,
white frocks, and appeared in the most
fashionable parts of the town in a new
coach, which was driven by no les
than sixteen horses tandem. Each man
had his hair powdered. Thirteen OF
them acted as positions, and their
extraordinary appearance sent laugh
from one end of the town to the other.
So ridiculous did the carmen make
the new custom appear that no further
attempt was made to Introduce 1t on
the part of the young swells, who, how
ever, took the affair in such good part
that one of them wrote an ode which,
by a happy Latin pun, he entitled
Carmen Triumphe."
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23
A Bovs' school in 1888.

Some weekly reports of a pupil in
Columbia college grammar school N
1888 have fallen into the hands of q
writer for the New York Sun. The
school was in Murray street, near
Church street, and Charles Anthem,
Jay professor Of languages in the col
lepe. was rector. He was noted for his
fondness for whipping the boys, turn
ing the performance into 9 daily exer-
else before the entire school and crack
ing Jokes between the strokes Of his fer
rule. John McMullen and Henry Dris-
Ter were teachers there away back in
that time. A full course was twelve
dollars and fifty cents q quarter, with
one dollar extra for fuel and fifty cents
for stationery. At the bottom OF each
report old DR.. Anthem added this IN
quiry: .sThe rector presents his compli-
ments and begs to be informed whether
the young gentleman is Industrious at
home.' ~
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23
IN QUEEN ANNE'S REIGN.
There Was No Law for Cutting Off Cred~
itOrs' Heads.

There Was No Law for Cutting Off Cred~
itors' Heads.
In the reign Of Queen Anne, says the
Louisville Courier-Journal, the minister
from Russia was imprisoned for debt,
under laws of England. The authori-
ties could do nothing to secure his re-.
release, except to pay the debt, which
they did.
This did not satisfy the Russian, and
he left England in anger to lay his COM
plant before Peter the Great.
Peter was indignant and demanded
on charger the heads of the creditors
of the minister, who had taken such
severe measures to collect debt.
In response to this demand the Eng
ish minister replied that unfortunately
the power of the queen was limited,
and that under the law the decapitatioh
of the offenders was impossible. Eng
lish law had allowed this recourse to all
creditors, and they could in no way be
punished for awaiting themselves of it.
In order to shield impecunious embas-
sailors from future demands, and to
prevent them from obtaining credit,
parliament would pass an act exempt
ing them from imprisonment, and this
the ministry of Queen Anne hoped
would be satisfactory to the car of all
the Russias, but there was no power in
England to punish the offenders.
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23
Customs of the Lascars.

Some of the peculiar customs of the
East Indian coolies, called Lascars, are
very amusing to Americans. For in
stance, they always eat their food in
the open air, with their faces towards
the west; and the greatest insult a
white man of ''Giaour' can offer them
is to walk between them and the sun
while they are eating, causing his
shadow to fall on their food, which inn
mediately becomes unclean. Their APP
pearance is rendered peculiar by their
habit of shaving their heads, leaving
but one tuft at the side for 'sthe
prophet to drag them into paradise by.
When married, they wear ring on
their big toe. They stand the cold re-
markably well, and make good sailors,
being as active. as monkeys. In running
aloft they ignore the ratlins and use
the backstays, a perpendicular wire
rope, which they literally walk up.
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23
FEW ORIGINAL CRIMINALS.
why the Work Of the Detective Is Often
Made Easy.

why the Work Of the Detective Is Often
Made Easy.
One reason why detectives often ap-
pear to do something miraculous occa-
sionally is that there is after all very
little originality in criminals. When a
man sets out to get money by crooked
means, says an ex-detective, in the st.
Louis Globe-Democrat, he seldom sits
down and evolves new PLAN On the
contrary, he evidently thinks of the
smart cases he has heard Of at various
times, makes up his mind which suits
him best and copies the plan adopted
very closely indeed. Hence, when the
detective sets out he has, in many in
stances, quite a string of presidents to
take as guides to the course the crimi-
nal will probably pursue. One case
years ago that helped me immensely in
the business, was a forgery The man
had disappeared and left no clew what
ever behind. l obtained access to his
rooms and found that he had developed
partially for cutting scraps from
newspapers. There was a whole draw
erful of these, and went through them
carefully. Several had relation to for
gerry cases, and one cutting that APP
peared to be pretty we'll fingered de-
scribed how forger had got away in
woman's attire. worked on the the
DRY that my bird had flown in this man.
ner, and followed it up until finally
got on the track and captured the GRIM
inal The capture was regarded as a
x1o,.1, ram 1lro7ola ona hint aS q matter Of
fact the runaway had left for me an ex-
ceedingly valuable elew. If he had
taken the precaution TO burn that cut
ting he might have escaped capture al
together.
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23
cURJoSITjES ABou BOOT 4.
Tho various Developments Of This Areict0
" ar Masculine Attire.

r,ha varfous DEVELOPMENTS of This Articlos
! of Masculine Attire. Il 45As
Boots, which are only q lengt hened
variety 81 shoes, were among the most
ancient articles OF attire, says the 81.
Louis Republic. Shoes extending 2 Ger
| tain height up the leg, laced, ornar.
mented and Of fanciful colors, Were il
use by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks,
and Romans Different kinds OF half 'l
boots were worn by the Anglo axons:
and Anglo Normans In the reign Of
Edward w., the boot proper, with tops
and spurs, was established as an article
Of kniphtly dress. In the reign OF
Charles l., a boot, wide at the top, made
Of the Spanish leather, came into use
Charles II. introduced a highly deco
rated French boot as an article Of gay,
courtly attire. Meanwhile the boot, or
iack-boot as it was called, had become,
Indispensable in the costume OF cavalry
soldiers and horsemen generally, ana.
was regularly naturalized BY ,Wllllam.
III. and his followers in England. !
The iack-boot was strongly made, ex-
tending in length above the knee; was
large at the top and had very high
heel, and around the ankle had q fat,
leather band bearing strong spur. In
the early years Of the present century q
number of members Of the house OF
commons wore top-boots. What con-
tributed to break up the general use OF
top-boots was the introduction of the
Hessian boot as an article of walking
dress. 1t was worn over tight panta-
looms and was a handsome piece OF at
tire. These, in turn, were superseded
by the Wellington boot, which was in
troduced by the Iron Duke as being
much more comfortable under the loose
military trousers. This species of boot
has been almost entirely abandoned in.
consequence of the universal use OF the
short ankle boots, but is still used by
some classes in this country who s5'aH
the trousers loosely in at the top.
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23
HOW FISHES BREATHE.

They Find Sufficient Air in the Water
for Their Needs.
The severe frost of last. winter froze
many rivers and lakes III England that
are usually open all the year round,
and gentleman who found small fish
dead wrote to Nature to ask: elbow is it
with the fish in countries like Siberia?
Do they desert those parts of the river
which are frozen over, or are the cur
rents more rapid, so as to transfer air
beneath the ice from unfrozen parts,
or, as in some glacier streams, are fish
altogether absent?' .4
Anyone who has caught fish through
ice three feet thick on Maine ponds will
understand that fish live very comfort
ably so long as any part of the pond re-
mains liquid. The waters OF Siberia
are likely to be abundantly stocked
with fish, which will be found in the
best condition when their house is sealed
with frost.
1t is not necessary to suppose that air
is carried under the ice from open
places in the brooks. There is air
enough in the water at all times to an
swer the purposes of the fish. The
presence of the air is best discovered by
allowing water slowly to become warm
in a vessel Of tin or iron. The air,
which is held in the water very much
as water is held in sponge, is expanded
by the heat, and may be seen gathering
in small bubbles attachedto the surface
of the vessel. This must be matter OF
common observation.
1t is this air which supplies the fishes
with breath. It may be thought by
some persons that fishes breathe water,
for the writer has heard this statement
made; but such view is not correct.
The fish has no power to decompose wa
ter and get the needed oxygen from that
source.
AS he is constituted he needs very
little air. He is furnished with but lit
tie blood, and this is sufficiently oxi-
died by coming in contact with air in
the water forced through his gills,
which are his breathing apparatus.
The effect of the air is seen when the
fish is taken from the water. The gllls
suddenly redden. This is due to the
rapid oxidation of the blood. The fish
is killed by the excess of air. In the
water he gets only the proportion that
he needs. Altogether the fish must be
very comfortable under the ice during
our hard winter.
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23
CHINESE llllMOR.
How Clever Opiam Smoker Got Even ].
with His Torment0r1.

How Clever Opiam- Smoker Got Even
with His Tormentors.
The Chinese are not supposed to have
much talent or liking for humor, but 9
little story related BY the author OF
tsThree Years in Western China" shows
that they are not altogether deficient II
that respect. It may be taken also as
an illustration Of the truth that man
may be given to some form Of wicked
ness and folly, and yet be capable OF
wise conduct in other directions.
Several of my followers were opium
smokers, and one Of my bearers had
contracted great craving for the drug.
He was somewhat disreputable in APP
pearance, but a willing worker. His
baggage consisted Of the clothes on his
back, and small bundle containing his
opium pipe and the necessary parapher-
MALTA for smoking.
On leaving certain village noticed
that the bundle had assumed larger di-
mansions, but my speeulations as to it's
contents proved to be wide of the mark.
A few miles to the west of Yang-lin a
halt was called for rest, and the cakes
OH GQ6 TOduSlQe SUdl were 4uACh1y
bought and devoured. The opium
smoker, meanwhile, sat apart on the
edge of the stone road.
SHOW is it that you are all eating and
drinking" said he to one of his COM
rades, land haven't a single cash to
follow your example?' 4.
The other man put his thumb to his
mouth, and pretending to inhale, pro-
nounced the single word, ''Opium," at
which the smoker smiled and was ST.
lent:
On the following day we were sud-
denly overtaken by a sharp rainstorm,
and when the other bearers were search
ing for shelter, the smoker solemnly
produced his bundle. gravely undid the
cover, and proceeded to unfold and put
on frst-class waterproof coat which
he had wisely, purchased in the village
to which we have referred. The aston
ishment on the other mems faces, and
the look of triumph in which the smoker
INDUCED, were study.
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23
800 N
4 RUSSIAN ROMANO
How > Young Aristocrat Secured - Pie
beian Bride. sss

How Young Ar1StOcfot Secured q R1ee
beian Bride. szss
Walter Besant, the English novelist,
reports the Philadel phia Press, ID note
recently received from him, says: Here
is a true story which does not belong to
my correspondence, but I think 1t is
very interesting. give it as it was
told me: A certain young Russian of
good family fell in love with village
girl, whom he wished to marry. His
father, Directing on the ground Of
social disparity, made arrangements by
which the girl was betrothed to a young
peasant of her own class.
Nov, it is the custom in some parts
Of Russia for the bridegroom and his,
friends to begin drinking early in the
day Of the marriage, so that when the
time comes for the church ceremony the
groom has often to be led to the altar
and supported by friend on either
hand. This happened on the morning
of the marriage of the girl. The bride
groom was led to the altar and sup
ported by two men, of whom one was
the young gentleman himself.
SNOW, mark his craft and subtlety.
When the time came for joining hands
he put out his own hand, the groom be-
ing too far gone to notice anything, and
so was joined in matrimony to the girl.
The certificate of marriage had already
been written in the register before the
ceremony, a precaution obviously neces-
sary.
'"The wedding over, the young noble
took the girl from her people at the
church door, drove her away, and took
her to Paris, where they lived together
in amity for several years.
''Then the father died, and it became
necessary to return to Russia, and if
possible, for the sake of the children, to
get the marriage duly acknowledged.
F'Thig business was intrusted to a
lawyer, who visited the village and saw
the register. He returned, stating that
it was impossible, because the marriage
was entered in the books as between
the rustic and the girl. Being, how
ever, assured that something must be.
done, he returned, got possession OF the
register, and clumsily erased the name,
of the rustic bridegroom. This done he
at this point you ask what he did,
and everybody says: Filled in the other
name No, he didn't; he wrote again
over the erasure, the name of the vii.
lage swain. He did not, therefore,
forge the record, but if his noble client
afterward found it desirable to ASSERT
that some one had done SO, the fact of
the erasure would be apparent"
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23
A BIG DINNER.
Banquet Given by an Italian Magnate II
the Sixteenth Century.

Banquet Given by an Italian Magnate in
the Sixteenth Century.
From the amusing article on ''Renais~
sance Cookery contributed by Sir
Austen Layard to Murray's Magazine
we quote the following account of 2
marriage banquet given in 1889: A
dinner was given in November, 1889, by
Marcantonia Colonna, grand constable
of Naples, on his marriage with Prin-
cess Orsini Peretti, niece Of Plus ",
at which several cardinals were present.
On the plates were figures of boys hold
ing shields on which were the arms of
the guests-so that they could find their
places without causing confusion-and
cupids and angels holding labels with
amorous notices and nosegays. The
first course of the ''credenza" was of
twenty-one dishes, including salads of
radishes, capers and kids feet; heads of
wild boars boiled in wine, with their
shouts silvered and artificial fire issuing
from them, garnished with herbs and
flowers; sailed buffalo tongues boiled
in wine; cock pheasants, on their feet
as if alive, and holding perfumes in
their beaks, and roast peacocks served
with a sauce made of pomegranates
and lemons, their beaks and feet gilt
and their beautiful necks and tails dis
played. In the first course of hot meats
were the most delicate birds-ortolans,
pheasants, woodcocks, larks and
sstordi'' (feldfares); in the second, of
twenty dishes, calves heads with
stufhng, roasted on the spit; bologna
sausages, capons stuffed with chestnuts,
roast red-legged cartridges in paper
garn;shed with sour oranges, roast gray
cartridges stuffed in the Spanish fashion
and sprinkled with rose water, and a
sweet dish called "bocche di dane''
Qadies' mouths), made by the nuns.
The third course was of eighteen
dishes, among which were pheasants
stuffed with trufhes, olives and fresh
fennel garnished with sour oranges
and fennel, roast sucking pigs, pea
cocks larded with lampreys and stuffed
with trufaes, Indian pigeons, large
truffles surmounted by imperial crowns,
tender crabs, eaten with salt and vine
gar, with a ducal coronet upon each,
and Holsters crowned with the papal
tiara. The second course Of the ere
denza" consisted of twelve dishes,
among which were entire trufaes served
in napkins and sweet fennel and
thistles served with butter in silver
plates and garnished with sour oranges
and ginger. After the dinner were
handed round sweetmeats from differ
ent parts OF Italy, such as preserved
fruits from Genoa, which is still re
nowned for them; quince-cheese Of
Naples, ssvaisetti'' from Bologna, per
sicata' . ((peach cheese), also from Genoa;
little boxes (of comfts) from the
Romagna; sticks of cinnamon from Ber.-
IRamo, and bonbons from Toligno and Ind
IPortunuese ma11ma1sde.
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23
He Drew the Line.

A capricious Baltimore artist com
PEELED sutton to perform al sorts OF
strange antics for her delectation, says
the Detroit Free Press, but when she
insisted that he must have two teeth
pulled to offset the one she had to lose
he said good-by forever and walked of q
and married q clerkess who hadn' a
dollar. He loved the heiiress but he
loved his mo1ars more.
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23
where Do They Fall?

According to the careful estimate Of
scientists, not less than twenty million
luminous meteors fall upon our planet
daily each of which il q. dark, clear
night would present us with the we'll
known rhenome of u shooting star.
1f the number of minute neteorites
! included, many 81 which are en-
firsly INV to the naked eve, but
4 Il, elescopes, the number
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23
Converted the Enemy.

A New York letter to the Philadelphia
Press describing several metropolitan
clergymen relates how on one occasion
DIR. Rainsford forcibly elected a museu-
lar, strapping fellow who persisted in
disturbing one of his meetings after be-
ing duly cautioned. A few minutes later
the bully returned and following him
was another strapping big fellow whom
DR.. Rainsford supposed was compan-
ion. The rector said to himself: CHOW
I shall have a circus; shall haYe to put
them both out = The second bully be-
gan to make trouble at once and DIR.
Rainsford went to him and commanded
him to behave himself or leave. He,
too, was insolent, and the minister was
about to attack him, keeping one eye
fixed on the other man, when Of a sud-
den the first rowdy arose and glaring
upon the second one said: 'tSoy, look a
here, me and Rainsford can clean out q
half dozen toughs like you, and IL you
don't look out we'll fire You out head
FIRST. Dye hear me?''
The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-23

a necessity OF progress
ssThe climate of equatorial Africa is
not so bad" continued Capt. Hore, ''as
many people suppose. A large part OF
the mortality among the whites who
have been in central Africa is due to
their lack of all the comforts and con
veniences. of life Put a man in that
wilderness, almost out OF reach OF com
munication with his friends. without
proper food, suitable clothing. or com
Portable quarters, destitute of medicine
and nearly every comfort, and he is
very likely to succumb. We shall not
have so formidable death-roll in cen
trail Africa as soon as the comforts OF
civilized life multiply there. They are
beginning to do so. and there is>no rea
son why white men should not live there
at least as comfortably and in as good
health asin India. This may be said
especially Of such regions as Tanganyi-
ka, which are several thousand feet
above the sea level"
Like most men who have spent years
in inner Africa, and have been success
full there, Mr.. Hore has faith that At
.rica is worth retaining, that the ma
tiyes have capacity for development,
that the efforts to civilize them are
praiseworthy and practical, and he be-
ieves that country has resources which
will amply repay the white race for al
the money and labor it is putting into
the dark continent. Capt. Hores is on his
way home to England, and when he ar.
rives there he will have completed 9
tourney around the world