davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20
Mrs. Stanley to- American Eyes.

The ladies are gossiping about Mrs.
Henry NJ. Stanley aud her mother, Mrs.
Tenant. in n way that must make their
ears tingle. SO much was said about
the beauty of the Younger lady at the
time of her eng cement to the great
explorer. and American ideas of beauty
are so different from those which pre-
vail in England. that disappointment
is expressed on finding Mrs. Stanley
what heard her described by Muir
ray Hill society leader. - solid-look-
Ing Englishwoman. with too much OF
the color of good health" But that IS
the Engishman's special type OF eau
". The woman that is strong. robust
and healthy. who sets her foot squarely
down on the ground and walks with
athletic instead of minciug manner. Is
lust what suits him. Besides. l cannot
imagine that after his experience IN
Africa Mr. Stanley would have selected
any pale ethereal beauty ~ his wife,
or any woman who was not strong and
solid, after the English type.
The criticism that she wears her
gloves half buttoned ut the theater Is
important If true" aud so shockingly
awful that wonder some OF our Muir
raw Hill DANES do not rush down to
the Everett House and tell Mr.. Stan
ley that he has made serious mistake
i'm his marriage. IL Mrs. Tenant,
with English taste. chooses to wear a
many -colored scarf to the theater 1t is
Offset by the fact that she has bred her
daughter with such noble qualities OF
mind and heart as To win the most dis
tinguished traveller of his age. and that
is all there is of ii. BY the way. while
the London correspondents were ex-
tolling Miss Dorothy Tenants beauty:
trey seem to have entirely overlooked
her sister, who. now that she is seen on
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20
The Dykes OF Holland.

A certain Jealous dame is said to
have once attempted To sweep the
ocean away with broom. The Dutch
have been wiser than this. They are
slow and deliberate people. Despera-
ton may use brooms but deliberation
prefers clay and solid masonry. So,
slowly and deliberately. the dykes,
those great hall-like walls of cement
and stone. have risen to breast the buff
citing waves. And the funny part of it
is they are so skillfully slanted aud
paved on the outside with Hat stones
that the efforts of the humping waves
to beat them down only make them all
the tirmer!
These Holland dykes are among the
wonders of the world. | cannot say
for how many miles they stretch along
the coast and throughout the interior;
but YOU may be sure that wherever a
dyke is necessary to keep back the en-
croaching waters. there it is. Other
wise. nothing would be there-at least.
nothing in the form of land; nothing
but fearful illustration of the princi-
pal of hydrostatics: Water always
seeks its level.
Sometimes the dykes, however care
fully built. will spring a-leak." and if
not attended to 1T once, terrible re-
suits are sure To follow. In threaten
ed places guards are stationed ut in-
tervals. and Il steady watch is kept up
night and day. At the first signal OF
danger, every Dutchman within hear
ing of the startling bells is ready to
rush to the rescue. When the weak
| 4. 4
is used TO meet the emergency? What.
but straw-everywhere else considered
the most helpless of all things in wa
/ teri Yet straw, in the hands of the
Dutch. has will of its own. Woven
into huge mats and securely pressed
against the embankment, it deties even
a rushing tide, eager to sweep over the
country.
These dykes form almost the only
perfectly dry land TO be seen from the
ocean side. They are high and wide,
with fine carriagc.roads ON top. some
times lined with buildings and trees.
Lying on one side of them, and nearly
on a level with the edge. Is the sea- lake,
canal, or river. rs the case may be; on
the other side, the flat fields stretch
ing damply along ut their base. so that
cottage roofs sometimes are lower than
the shining line of the water. Frogs
squatting on the shore can take quite
brd's-eye view of the landscape; aud
little fish wrigge their tails higher
than the tops of the willows nearby.
Horses look complacently down upon
the bell-towers. and men in skitfs aud
canal boats sometimes know when
they are passing their friend Dirk's
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20
Old Fashioned Harvesting.

Harvesting with the rude impe-
ments, WAS "A scene. Imagine three or
four hundred wild Indians in grain
field armed, some with sicklcs. some
with butcher-knives, some with pieces
of hoop iron roughly fashioned into
shapes like sickleS. but many having
only their hands with which to gather
By small haudfuls the dry brittle
grain. and as their hands would soon be-
come sore. they resorted TO dry willow
sticks which were split to afford sharp
edge with which to sever the straw.
But the widest part was the threshlng.
The harvest of weeks, sometimes of
month. was piled up in the straw in
the form of huge mound III the mid
die OF Il high. strong. round corral;
then three or four hundred wild horses
were turned in to thresh it, the ln-
dams whoOpiug To make them run
faster. Suddenly they would dash in
before the bans ut full speed, wncu the
motion became reversed. with the eff
feet of blowing up the trampled straw
To the very bottom. In an hour the
grain would be thoroughly thrashed
and the dry straw broken almost into
chaff. In this manner have seen two
thousand bushels Of wheat threshed in
n single hour. Next came the win
moving which would often take an-
other month. IL could only be done
when the wind was blowing. by throw
ing high into the air shovelfuls of
grain, straw, aud chaf, the lighter
material being waited to one side,
while the grain, comparatively clean.
would descend and form n heap by
itself. In this manner all the grain
in California was cleaned. At that day
no such thing as "A tanning mill bad
ever been brought to this coast. Den.
BidiCei, ia The Century,.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20
What Constitutes n Nation.

Forty millions of people on three
millions of square miles of territory do
not constitute the United States OF
America. A million or so of people
occupying twenty lone thousand square
miles did not constitute Greece. 1t
was the Greeks who constituted Greece;
it Is Americans who constitute Amer
ica. So many people thrown together
on one territory no more make ma
ton than so many blocks of stone
thrown together in pile make tenn
pie. or so many types in pi book. or
so many threads in Il tangle fabric.
Every nation has its own distinguish
ing features. its own type of character,
its own consciousness. its own life. To
constitute n nation there must be not
only people and land and law but
laws that are sclf-evolved, literature
that is the expression OF national life,
language fitted to express that life,
and therefore life to be expressed
Lyu,an .4b50u 40 The Century.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20
Dance Of The Devil.

A fantastic Orgy was witnessed ut the
town of Loongi, the capital of Bullion,
west coast of Africa, by n party of
officers from the West India regiment
auartered at Sierra Leone. The peo-
pie of Loongi are Mohammedans, but
the dancing devil himself is relic Of
not long departed paganism, and so
also probably is the dance itself. 1t
takes place in the courtyard of the
chiefs premises, which is entered
through a circular hut. The scene
which presents itself to any one COM
ing suddenly out of the darkness into
the noise and glare is decidedly uncan-
ny.
In the center of n circle whica fills
the courtyard the devil with an
orthodox tail, great crocodile's head,
and long grass. looking like hair, de-
pending from his body and legs, and
swaving rs he moves, leaps. beating
time with his feet to the beat OF the
drums. while the women, two deep,
wall chant and strike their palms to-
gether in slow. rhythmcal measure,
those in the front row bowling down be-
tween each beat.
The young men, in long robes and
caps. wall with the women. Both are
under VOWS, the dance being one of
their rites They look daZed to begin
with, but gradually work themselves
into a frenzy, and the black faces, tho
monotonous wailing cry, the thrum-
ming of the drums. the rattle OF the
clackers and the beat of the devils
feet as he springs up, crouches down
and swings about, make scene TO
shock the quiet moon and stars and
gladden. Gehenna.
North Of Sierra Leone, Africa, is
Mohammedau, South Pagan and the
Southern people have this devil. When
peace is declared between two native
tribes the peace devil. who is fetish,
comes leaping into the town, but if he
stumbles or falls it is considered bad
omen and he is put to death for his
pains. His dress is sacred, but his
person is of no consequence.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20
AGED INDIANS.
Remarkable Longevity OF tho Natives of
Southern California.

Tho early inhabitants of southern
California, according to the statement
of Mr.. III III. Bancroft and other re-
ports were found TO be living in Spar
tan conditions rs TO temperance and
training and in highly moral condi-
ton, in consequence of which they
had uncommon physical endurance
and contempt for luxury. This train
ing in abstinence and hardship. with
temperance in diet. combined with the
climate to produce the astonishing
longevity to be found here. Contrary
TO the customs of most other tribes of
Indians. their aged were the care of
the community.
DIR. w. A. Winder, of San Diego. is
quoted rs saying that in visit To FL
Cal jon Valley some thirty years ago he
was taken to "A house in which the aged
persons were cared for. There were
half dozen who had reached an ex-
treme age. Some were unable TO
move. their bOny frame being SEEM
ingly anchylosed. They were old,
wrinkled. and blear-eyed; their skin
was hanging in leathery folds about
their withered limbs; some had hair as
"'lbp 10 NhOh, anu llsll Sttll NOflIt
seven score of years; others. still able
to crawl but so aged as to be unable
10 stand. went slowly about on their
hands and knees. their limbs being at
tenuatsd aud withered. The organs
of special sense had in many nearly
lost all activity some generations
back. Some had lost the use of their
limbs for more than decade or gen
Grafton; but the organs Of life and the
great sympathetic still kept up their
automatic functions. not recognizing
the fact, and surprisingly Indifferent to
it, that the rest OF the body had ceased
TO be Of any use generation or more
in the past.
DR.. Palmer has photograph (Which
/ have SEEM of squaw whom he esti-
mates to be one hundred aud twenty
six years old. When he visited her he
saw her put six watermelous in
blanket, tie it up. and carry it on her
back for two miles. He is familiar
with Indian customs and history. and
a careful cross-eXamination convinced
him that her information OF old GUS
toms was not obtained by tradition.
she was couversant with tribal habits
she had seen practised. such as the
cremation of the dead. which the mis-
sion fathers had compelled the Indians
to relinquish. She had seen the Ind
ians punished by the fathers with fog
gings for persisting in the practice of
cremation.
At the mission of San Tomas, in
Lower California. is still living an
Indian Ga photograph of whom DR..
Remondino shows). bent and wrin-
killed., whose age is computed at one
hundred aud forty years. Although
blind and naked. he is still active. aud
daily goes down the beach and along
the beds of the creeks in search of
drift-wood, making it his daily task to
gather and carry to camp u fagot of
wood Charles Dudley Wdrner,m Har-
Der'S NIO0ziue
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20
AFRICAN BARBARiTY.
They XIII Men just for the Fun OF It
Sometim \.


II had the pleasure of Witnessing n
negro execution once" said +. j.
Glave at the Sherman House recently.
Mr.. Glave has just returned from
Alaska. where he has been exploring
the interior. but for the six years prior
10 that he was in the Congo country
with Stanley. Il had the pleasure of
seeing this execution and OF knowing
that | wasn't strong enough To stop it.
| was allowed TO witness it only on the
condition that | and my companion
should he unarmed But for that
should nave shot the chief and the exc
cutioner. Afterwards | did have
forces enough TO prevent it. and for
two years there weren't any wanton
killings. The missionaries have the
place now aud the slaughter is going
merrily on. Soft words won't stop il.
1t takes something more than that to
put the fear of God into those blacks.
But am drifting away from my story.
Some old women of influence had died
and accordingly. TO celebrate the oc-
casion, slave had TO be sacrificed.
He was dashed fast in Il kind of a seat
aud plant stem about fifteen feet
long stuck into the ground near him.
The top Of it was bent over and tied
fast to his head. so that his neck was
as taut as tiddle-string. That was
the first time had seen them use one
of their soft iron knives and expect
ed to see the poor fellows neck bag
gled into rags, but heard only a click
when it struck the homes of the spinal
column, and the mans head shot away
like pebble in a sling. A fountain of
blood spurted from his neck. and the
body worked and twitchcd exactly as u
chicken does when its head is cut off.
The head when picked up was chatter
ing its jaws and rolling its eyes.
Its awful. the amount OF killing
that goes on in Africa. A tribe will
make up party and go out to make
captivcs in an adjoining village. They
wait until after night and then fire up
on the village until its defenders are
killed. They take the rest of the folk
aud make slaves Of them. Some are
killed for the mere fun Of killing them.
some are slaughtered to be eaten. some
for sacrifice, and others die from cruel
treatment. About five out of every six
captives taken die by violence. As a
consequence interior Africa is being
rapidly depopulated. One may 90 for
hundreds of miles and not see man.
but may note the charred stumps which
mark where villages have once been"
- ILicUJO Tl.jb,iup
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20
FORTUNES IN SANDWICHES.
A Wealthy Blonde Gentleman Who Used
tn bs "a Bowery Walter.

1t was in one of these resorts that
saw an elaborate blonde gentleman
with broad-striped shirt. sErieking
necktie, yellow gloves, and w;Ned
mustachc, writes "A New York cores
pendent of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
He is one OF those omnipresent men
that haunt me wherever / 60. He is
always ut the races. at all the the
atrical first nights. and whenever | 20
TO a cafe for dinner he is pretty sure to
be at the next table. He seems 10 be
burdened with money.
do you know him?" asked of my
companion.
Not exactly" replied my friend.
"but l know OF him. and he is n char
acter. He acts, | think, as very
good example of what New York can
do for man of soundly practical
ideas. AS you say. he is burdened with
money-literally SO. In view OF this
il is somewhat surprising to know that
he was a waiter in Bowerv restaurant
eight years ago. How did he make
bis money? BY selling sandwiches
ham. roast beef. tongue. and cheese
sandwiches. From such unromantic
fields has his wealth been due. | will
tell YOU just how ii all happened. As
] have said the fellow was a Bowery
waiter at one time. The cuisine at the
restaurant where he worked was not
of the Delmouico order by any man
uer of means. and there was probably
more kicking done there than we have
heard tell of in Harlem boarding.
houses. One day n man entered the
place whose appearance denoted that
he was from choicer neighborhood
than can be found in the purlieus Of
the Bowery He was in hurry ard
wanted quick bite. He ordered soup
and one of the ready-made dishes.
Neither of these could he possibly eat.
The waiter, now 4 driver of tandems
eyed his customer as he turned sadly
away from the unpaatable food. and
suggested that he might make him a
pretty good sandwich if the gentleman
wished it. There was good bit Of
ham in the place. he said, and the bread
was eatable bakers stuff. The custom
or aSsented, and the sandwich was so
neatly made and was so palatable. con-
slderlng the ordinary materials form
ing il, that the waiter was compli-
mented by the gentleman. who at the
same time advised the young fellow to
open shop in a good neighborhood
and to make specially of sandwiches
The idea struck the waiter with full
force, and it was very short time
after that he started his first shop in a
factory neighborhood. Business was
brisk at once. and the following year
he had sandwich emOriums flourish
Ing in all parts of the city. He has
made fortune. has inve' ted his profits
shrewdly, and can at this moment be
called man of sound business iudg-
mcnt. Like most men of his origin he
is loud in his attire and is given to
aping the fashionable set. shouldn't
be Il bit surprised to see his children,
if he has any, figuring among the 400
And. after all, how can man make
money more honorably than in minis
tcring to the humble and hard work.
ing stomach?n
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20
Japanese Interiors.

The houses that the japanese women
occupy are. it goes without saying. as
neat and wondrously fashioned as
themselves; almost always full of SUR
prises. with movable panels, with
boxes and slides with compartments
of all shapes and astonishing little
closets. Everything is minutously
clean. even among the humblest, and
of apparent simplicity. especially
among the richest. Alone the altar OF
the ancestors. where sticks of incense
burn.is gilded lacquered, and garnished
like pagoda with vases and lanterns.
Everywhere else a purpose baroness
a baroness all the more complete ald
white if the dwelling pretends to ell
egance. No embroidered tapestries;
sometimes transparent portieres, made
of strung beads and bamboos. And
never any furniture; it is on the floor
or on little lacquer pedestals that
necessary objects or vases of flowers
are placed TO the mistress of the
house luxury consists in the very eX-
cess of that cleanliness of which | spoke
above. and which is one of the incon-
testable qualities of the Japanese peo-
pie. 1t is everywhere the custom to
unshoe before entering house. and
nothing equals the whiteness OF those
mats, upon which one never walks
without fine socks with divided toes.
The woodwork itself is white neither
painted nor vanished, keeping as its
sole ornamentation, among women OF
true taste the imperceptible veins OF
the young pine. Pierre Lott, az Hdr-
Der's Mugdzile
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20
kissing Disease Microbes.

The promiscuous kissing of n public
Bible is rs contrary to the laws of
hygiene rs it is To those of decency.
Doctors say that contagious diseases
NAV be communicated in this way
more readily than in almost any other.
The mucous membrane which lines the
lips is peculiarly sensitive to conta-
gious influences. and will receive dis
eases that could not be communicated
through the outer skin. For this rea-
son the medical profession condemns
the practice of kissing the Bible in
taking an oath. The ailiant never
knows how many microbes Of repul-
sive and deadly diseases are lurking
there. and it is matter of wonderment
that boards of health. with their strict
watch over everything detrimental to
the safety of the public. have not before
this time invcighed against the danger
Gus custom. - Philadelphia Bulletin.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20

WHEN the world sees a man old and
hale il wants to know how it was that
he became so old and SO hearty. Jules
Simon was recently written to and
solicited to tell how he had arrived ut
such ripe old age. He answered
that he did not know; that for thirty
years he had worked about the same
number of hours daily. and had not
changed his manner OF living in all
that time. Probably his length OF
years is due to the latter fact more
than TO anything ell
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20

ELECTRICITY has been put to driving
drills. One is in use on the war snip
Maine, building at the Brooklyn Navy
Yard. A three-quarter-inch hole in a
three-quarter-inch plate can be drilled
in less than a minute. 1t is one OF the
prospects of the near future that cleo
trio drills will be used for sink ing deep
artesian wells as we'll as for rapid tun-
neling in the mining regions.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20

A LARGE share of the failures in
farming arise from the attempt to
overtax ones strength, ability. capt.
tai or knowledge. The most success
full men in any branch OF business are
those who commence in n small way,
and who learn from experience and
who gain strength by actual practice
to enable them TO double up their
operations or TO enlarge their field OF
work
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20

WOMEN always know how to stond
up for each other. According to Mrs.
s. +. Hershey. woman Is more SUI
perior being than man. She says:
Woman lives longer than maa. goes
insane less numerously, commits sui
eide one-third as often, makes one
tenth the demand on the public purse
for support in jails, prisons and aims
houses. and in every regard maniiests
potentially above that OF man"
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20

AUTOGRAPH hunters will have TO
pay literally for the signature of the
late General Spinner. His name, as
he wrote, now commands "A good fig
ure. There are still in existence
many first class copies Of his strange
signature in the shape of wartime
greenbaclis and fractional currency.
But they are kept as curiosities and
command premium.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20

THERE was never yet faith that
did not mean struggle after truth;
nor even yet a superstition from which
higher knowledge cannot learn more
OF truth. In all that is written, sung
or said, nothing is true but that which
prompts and gives wings to aspiration;
nothing false but that which works
for DEGRADATION.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20

It is said to be curiocs fact that all
OF the girls in Wellesley college who
lead their classes are blondes. But il
is curious only from the fact that the
dark haired girls who happen to be in
that particular college are lacking in
conspicuous brightness. 1t should not
be considered strange that the blondes
can hold their own.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20

THE Buddhists Of Japan think they
have the world wide religion because
it is based upon humanitarian princi-
pies and propose to become propa-
gandists OF their doctrine. a Budd-
hist bank will be established for the
purpose OF gathering funds with which
spread into all the world the gospel
of Rnddhn
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20

A LARGE part of the expenses OF lit
igation is borne by the taxed portion
of the public. Many litigants pay no
taxes, and they are the ones who
largely supply the courts with bust
ness. The taxable costs under the law
are only small part of what the
hearing of any case costs the tax
navar
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20

cottage only by seeing the smoke FIR ON
the chimney; or perhaps by the cart
wheel that he has perched upon the
peak of its overhanging matched roof, in
the hope that some stork will build her
nest there, and SO bring good luck
Nary KapeS. in 50. Nicholas.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20

TO have milk shelves in kitchen,
where all manner of cooking, broiling
and baking is going on, is the surest
way to spoil your cream and butter.
In store, or workshop, or farm
house, and especially a dairy-room. 1t
is very good motto to "have place
for everything and everything in its
Dlace -
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20

IT is not alone on the young that the
'.lurid literature" of the day gets its
work in. The old have TO suffer, too.
A man in Pennsylvania who is 60 years
old became crazy from reading sensa-
tional stories. 1t is as true as over
that there is no fool like an old fool.
Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-20

LONDON. Berlin, Vienna and Paris
have provided themselves with under
ground roads or are preparing TO do
so. London was the first city to meet
this problem, and its underground
roads have proved the swftest most
satisfactory, and most profitable sys-
tenn yet provided for great city.