davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-09-08
LOVERS OF WARMTH.
Fire Among the Aborisines of the Island
Continent.

Fire imon. the Aborisines of the Island
Continent.
The invention OF fire was great step
in the progress of the human race, and
it is not strange that SO many unciv-
ilized peoples have superstitious no.
tions connected with it. Mrs. Millett,
in her account of the aborigines OF
Australia. has some interesting obser-
vations under this head. When the
natives camp for the night fire IS
lighted in front of each hut-the nuts
being made of boughs, with the en-
trance carefully turned away from the
wind-so that the feet of those who are
sleeping within may be kept warm.
If one of their relatives has lately
died, an additional and solitary fire is
lighted at a little distance from the
huts, where the ghost of the deceased
may sit and warm itself without dis
turbing the family hearth. In fact,
warmth Is SO great a necessity to the
native that he seems to think that the
dead can only by degrees become ac-
customeG to the want of it, and the
airing of q grave by kindling a fire
within it is very important ceremony
at a funeral.
The same love of warmth creates an
aversion to early rising, and natives
are seldom seen abroad until the sun
has been one or two hours above the
horizon.
In wet weather it is usual to carry in
the hand, beneath the kangaroo skin,
piece OF smouldering wood, which
compensates the bearer in some sort
for the want of flannel .aistcoat,
and enables him to light fire at a mo-
ment'S notice.
One of our men had also plan on
cold nights of lying down, rolled up in
his furs, upon the ashes of a raked-out
fire. He explained to my husband that
the advantage of thus going to bed
was two-fold, being no less good for
warmth than for coucealment. especial
~ when passing the night in a strange
place, where the keeping up of fire
after dark might attract the notice OF
unfriendly natives.
Each tribe possesses territory of
its own, and each family of the tribe
has its own especial tract of land with
in that territory. Here a man can
light his fire and build his hut without
fear of molestation. 1t is, in fact, his
paternal estate, so that the word fire
conveys to an Australian the same
meaning of fatherland or birthplace as
the word hearth" conveys to Euro
pean, and is used by the aborigines in
the same sense.-Youths Companion.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-09-08
MOUNT ETNA.
Its First Eruption Mentioned in History
Occurred in 42j II. e.

Its First Eruption Mentioned in History
Occurred in 435 II. e.
Mount -Etna, the eruption of which
threatens to assume formida BILE pro-
portions, is located in the northeast
portion of the island of Sicily. adjacent
to the sea and near the City of Catania-
1t is an isolated mountain of conical
form, and is separated from the other
mountains of Sicily by the valley of the
river Alcantara. It is 10.935 feet in
height, and has circumference, at its
base. of ninety miles Its volcanic phe-
nonena are presented on greater scale
than those of any other European vol
cano, and attracted greater attention
from the ancients. Thucydides men
toned an eruption which occurred in
425 B. c. Four violent eruptions are
recorded as having occurred in twenty
years, viz: 40, 135, 126 and 121 b. c.
In ancient as in modern times the vol
canic action of Mount 4Etna was irreg-
ular and intermittent. On various oc-
casions the city of Catania has been
nearly ruined by the eruptions of the
volcano and the accompanying earth
auakes. Several of the ancient writer's
describe the upper Fart of the mountain
as covered with perpetual snow, but at
present snow lies there only during
eight or nine months of the year.
Eighty-one eruptions are recorded
since -Etna has had history. the ear
liest in the the time of Pythagoras, the
most recent in 1874; of these not more
than nineteen have been of extreme
violence, while majority have been of
ell rhf " ha
character. The recent eruptions were
in the years 1868, 1874, 1879. 1888 and
1886, that of 1868 being the last to be
classed among the exceptional disturb
ances. The eruption of 1885 commenced
on May IS, and continued until the first
week in June. There were Fremont
tory symptoms in the form of earth
quakes and fall Of hot cinders, which
were thrown as far as Messina, some
eighty miles distant A lava stream
was seen to be issuing from a crater in
the side of Monte Penitello, about
mile south of the English house where
the government observatory is situated
''Twenty-four hours afterwards" wrote
An eyewitness to the London News,
streams of lava were seen coming ont
at seven other points, and a day later
these seven new volcanoes all Joined
the principal crater, so that red-hot
lava was poured down simultaneously
in volume nearly two miles In
breadth. The rate of descent was reck-
oned at an average of twenty yards an
hour. From time to time great massive
stones were cast down, together with a
deluge of hot water" As this stream
continued to advance for days, and
rolled nearer and nearer to Nico-
losi-the town situated at the foot of
the mountain-the greatest alarm
was excited amongst the Inhabitants,
who implored Heaven to avert the i'm
pending disaster. Thus the veil of St
Agatha, the patron saint of the district,
who is said to have miraculously inter-
vened in the eruption which threatened
Catania in 1869, was borne through the
streets of Nicolosi with great ecclesias-
tica' pomp. while the people brought
out the images of the saints from the
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-09-08
NOT USED TO 1T.
An Inland Mans First Experiment in Eat
ing Shad.


Abner Stone had lived finland" all
his DAYS and knew all there was to be
known about pork and beef as articles
of food. His acquaintance with the
products of the sea, on the other hand,
was very slight; in fact it was confined
to one lobster, which his younger
brother Wilson had brought up to the
farm from Bayport one summer when
he came up for short visit
Abner had enjoyed that lobste,
amazingly, and it was in some meas
ure his praise of this fish that led Will
son to press his brother to make him
a CALI the next autumn or spring and
..eat his fill' of fish There's heaps
O. things better'n HOLSTERS" Wilson
averred. There's shad. now; / reckon
you'd find sad would relish pooty
fair
Yes. indeed, he'd orter eat some OF
our shad," chimed i'll Mrs. Wilson
Stone: and the next spring, with
thoughts of shad in his mind. Abner
went down to Bayport-
He had a tiresome journey, for he
was not used to travelling, and when he
reached Bayport at night he was m ore
than ready for bed.
You're goin' t have some shad in
the mornin'," remarked Mrs. Wilson
Stone. as she babe him good night.
The promise was kept, but somehow
Abner did not seem to enjoy the deli
cacv as his brother had expected. In
fact he ate so little of it that Wilson
said at last: Don't We like it Alb. aft er
alp"
brave attempt at smile, Il calc'late I
shell. when I get kinder wonted to it,
mebbe: but it docs seem, jest at fust,
we know. consid' able like tryin' t eat
a paper o buttered pins. Youths
Companion.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-09-08

don't deny, my dear. Is an object to a
lone female like me, with neither chick
nor child and my own way to make in
the world, with fine laundressing out
of the question on account of rheuma-
tism in the finger joints.
You look like Il respectable person,
Mrs. Pounce. that has seen better
days" was what the house-agent said
when he handed over the keys, land"
says he: Il think we may trust you to
take good care of bur doorsteps and
windows. show applicants over the
house and answer all questions
You may say SO, SIR says /. with
courtesy: there's many houses I've
had charge of and never 4 fault has
been found yet And this shan't be
the first one" says /.
We've a large business" says Mr..
Eagle. and if you give satisfaction,
Mrs Pounce," says he, as civil spoken
as possible, Its $ikeiy you will never
be without a roof to your head
Well, my dear. of all nice houses
and I've seen a many in my day-this
was the incest. Brown-stone front,
with bay window and snug garden
planted all in box borders, hot and
cold water all through. little conser-
vatory with an arched glass roof at
the rear and the hall floor covered with
real Minton tiles, as made you think
yon was walking on pictures; walls
painted with cupids and venuses and
garlands of flowers and dados of hard
wood all throughout eighborhood
most desirable; drainage and sewerage
perfect and churches conveniently
near. Excuse me, my dear, if it
sounds like an advertisement, but Mr..
Eagle, the agent, wrote it down for me
and never rested until / had commit
ted it all to memory so i could speak it
off easy like, without any stops. or
bitches And this l will say, as can't
be said of all advertisements, there
wasn't a word in the agents descrfp-
ton but what the house bore out.
And the board hadn't been up TWEEN
ty-four hours before there was a rush
to look at the house. Young married
couples as wanted to give up apart
ments; old married folks as wasn't
suited with their location; boarding.
house keepers as made believe they
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-09-08
10 ViCTfS.

sing the hymn Of the conquered. who fell in
she battle OF Efe
ihe ne OF the wounded the beaten, who
Slea overwhelmed in the strife;
w. - 1ao-fant song OF the victors, for whom
the resounding acclaim
u na,ioas vas lifted In chorus whose brovs
wore the chapIet OF fame
oc' 'ilc EyIiln OF the low and tie humble the
weary, the broken in heart
"Eo s.roFe and who failed. acting b-avely 4
silent and desperate part:
nose YOUTH bore 10 flower on its branches
"nose hopes burned in ashes away,
{ ron whose hand slipped the Prize they had
srasped at who stood az the dying Of
With the wreck OF their life all ror1nd Their, I'M.
pted, UNDECIDED. alone
WIN oeatn swooping down DER their failure,
anu al but ;hcir faith oyerthrown-
niic the voice OF The world shouts its chorus
us paean for those who have won:
me inc trumpet is sounding triumphant, and
nlsh 10 the breeze and the sun
eiao banners are waving, hands clapp:ng. and
hurryiny feet
ihronging after the Iaurel-crowued victors, I
stand On the field of defeat,
II the shadow with those who are fallen and
wounded, and dying, and there
@h1nt requiem low, place my hand on their
paln-knotted bro@s, breath a prayer.
hoid the hand that is helpless, and whisper:
Ihey only the victory win
Who have fought the good fight. and have
van9Uished the demon that ie,npts US with
in:
Who have held TO their faith unseduced by the
prize that the world holds On high:
" no IaFe dared for high cause 10 suffer. re
s;st- hght-if need be. to die
opeak. history! who are life's yictors? Carol
thy long anra3s.and say.
are tney these whom the world called the VIC
tcrS-whO WOE the success of day:
The martyrs or Nero: The Spartans who fell
On Thermopylae-s tryst.
Or the Pe-si1ns and Esrxes: His Judges or
Socrates: PLATE, or Christ:
W w Story, in Once a Week.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-09-08

the house in two, can we?" says he.
''Wefl, we must tell your old gentleman
just how it happened dare say he'll
be reasonable about it,
But he wasn't reasonable, Mr.. Eagle
told me afterwards; he never saw any
one in such rage.
I've taken the house." says he, land
I'll have it. cost what it may. Do you
say that the rent is two hundred
pounds? I'll give you two hundred and
fifty pounds down: if my claim and that
of this lady are equally good, the ques-
ton of price must settle it,
Well, we supposed me and Mr..
Eagle-as that was the end of the mat
ter. But not bit of it. The lady came
that afternoon with an upholsterer
and a tape measure to see about the
carpets
1.-TWO hundred and fifty pounds, in
deed.' says she, with the toss of the
curls. SIT will take more than a pal
try two hundred and fifty pounds to I'M
settle my plans. I'll give three hun
dred pounds sooner than I'll lose the
house,
When my old gentleman hears this
he grinds his teeth in a manner as was
fearful to hear.
Its my house." says he, land will
have it. Three hundred and fifty
pounds, Eagle"
Come" says Mr.. Eagle, matters are
getting lively. Real estate is looking
up in the market" says he.
But you should have heard what a
whistle he gave when / told him. the
very next day, that the curly lady had
authorized me to offer four hundred
iii not stand this any longer" says
Mr.. Eagle, jumping up and sending the
papers flying all over the office-table.
I've a conscience, if fate has made a
real estate agent of me. Tell her to
come round this afternoon and sign the
lease. Four hundred pounds is twice
what we asked and we asked all tine
property was worth to begin with
So the curly lady had her own way
after all.
The baldheaded old gentleman
stamped about in a pretty rage when he
heard as the house was let.
III sue the agency" said he. I'll
have the house if it costs me all I'm
WORTH
''Oh, hush. sir, hush,' says 1. all in
tremble. Here comes Miss Wix now"
"Who?" says he
'.Miss WIKI" says 1. THE lady as has
taken the house"
And got behind the door, fully ex-
pecting q scene, after all that had
come and gone. But to my surprise she
gave a little shrek and few into his
arms
ssDear JOSH" says she.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-09-08
Two Slick for the Barber.

The celebrated French poet, St Folk,
who, in spite of his large income, was
always in debt, sat one day in a bar
ber's chair, waiting to be shaved He
WIS lathered when the door opened and
a tradesman entered who happened to
be one of the poets largest creditors.
No sooner did this man see St. Folk
than he angrily demanded his money.
The poet composedly begged him not
to make a scene. Wont you wait for
the money until I'm shaved?" Ger
tainly," said the other. pleased at the
prospect. st. Folk then made the bar
Der a witness of the agreement and
Immediately took a towel. wiped the
lather from his face and left the shop
He wore a beard to the end OF his dsy&
London Tid-Bits-
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-09-08
Source of Stable Fortunes.

The Real Estate Record and Guide
has been investigating the sources of
American fortunes, and though its con-
clusion can not be particularly pleasing
to millionaires who fondly regard them
selves as ''self-made," a very interest
ing article is the result. The writer
observes that under the feudal system
land was at first the sole and later the
chief source of wealth. and down to the
latter part of the last century the only
permanent form. Since that time large
European fortunes can be traced to
land, which retains its Importance
though agricultural land has largely
given place to urban and suburban; but
banking, manufacturing and trading
have also furnished foundations for
great fortunes.
Trading has never been very import
ant however, except in cases in which
the trader has been able to secure for
his business the characteristics of a
monopoly, like that of the great brew
ers. In this country the writer finds
that circumstances have peculiarly
favored monopolies of just that char
acter Very few fortunes have been
made here in the ordinary channels of
trade. Though the foundations may
have been laid in mercantile business,
the founder, fortunately for himself
and his heirs, invested his profits in city
real estate, and then reaped a rich har-
vest as the city grew" The
fortunes of our railway million
aire, the writer adds, are essen
tally of monopolistic origin, and most
bankers fortunes have been made as in
termediaries, under favor of monopoly
privileges, between railroad corpor-
atoms and the investing public. He
then lays down this law: while in
ordinary business, expansion of trade
means increased competition, such ex-
pansion necessarily contributes to the
growth of anything which approaches
the nature of monopoly" To the
operations of this law. he says, ''our
American fortunes are nearly all trace
able, and they contain a promise of sta
bility such as is not shared by mercan-
tile fortunes.
It is encouraging to find papers like
the Record and Guide engaged in ex-
aminations of this kind along sub
stantially correct lines of inquiry. The
writer assumes that large fortunes are
in themselves bad; but since he clearly
draws the true economic distinction
between fortunes obtained in competi-
tive business and those obtained by
means of legalized monopoly-a dis
tinction that runs between wealth and
poverty-his error is of little or no con-
sequence. 1t is strange, however, that
he should recognize the effect of
land values in making and fix
ing large fortunes, without instantly
seeing the injustice of our land tenures-
That the land itself justly belongs as
much to one generation as to another,
and to one individual in a generation
as to others, is proposition that no
man can refute, and that no intelligent
and honest man ventures to deny. But
its value is often honestly supposed to
belong to individuals What makes
land value? Nothing, even as this con-
servative writer shows, but the profits
of competitive labor As those profits
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-09-08
Dearest isaraara,. SAYS he.

Dearest Barbara" says he.
How on earth came YOU here?'' says
she.
Il was loo, irg for a desirable resi-
dence for YOU, my Own ANGEL" says he.
You duck says she.
And 1 thought thi, would exactly
suit you," says he.
''Oh.'' says she. 1T does And I've
taken it for four hundred pounds a
year. 1t seems a good deal of money
to pay, but I've been driven to it by a
horrid old cormOrant who was deter
mined to have the house at any price.
However,
Barbara" says the old gentleman,
with little. gasping sound in his
throat, as If he was swallowing a
lump. . that cormorant was T.
You don't mean" says she.
THAT we've been bidding against
each other" says the old gentleman.
Yes, we have"
And / was going to give you a
pleasant surprise" says she, pulling
out her handkerchief
1T is surprise saws he. But as
for the pleasure OF it-uever mind,
Barbara. Let's 20 in and measure for
the carpets and curtains. Let by
cones be bygones-but the next tina
we drive a bargain perhaps it might be
as well to conide in each other. Two
hundred pounds u year-on a five
years lease-is almost too much to pay
for pleasant SURPRISE
So that settled the matter. my dear,
said old Mrs. Pounce. They We're mar
ried in a month and they came there to
live. And of all my experience in
house-letting this beat verything-
and SO everybody says, my dear, as
hears the story.-Baltimore World.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-09-08
1T MIGHT BE WORSE.

The Black Bootblack's Philosophy of Hot
Weather and Shipwreck.
| s'Good morning, sub: have shine,
subj" said the black bootblack, as he
saw one of his regular customers COM
! ing down the corridor. The regular
, sat down in the chair, inwardly prayed
that no one of his friends might come
along before he got out of it and made
some original observation about the
weather.
Yes, suh.'' replied the bootblack; sit
is sutnly a very hot day. I--well--
no, sub, l won't say nothing about it,
because it might be good deal wus.
. There might be a big flood or a wind to
blow US all away. Vas, sub, that's
what l always say when hear people
talkin' about how bad things is.
says: Don't you go and say nothing,
because it might be good deal wus-' I
remember one time I was out sailin'
with six other people and four of 'em
was ladies: yes, sub, that was on the
James river, and a squall struck the
boat and she was just tippin' all round,
and the ladies, they was just scared to
death. and they ali yelled that we got
to go back
But l says: Don't say nothing; it
might be good deal wus; if we try to
go back the wind IL hit us harder
and we might tip over.' But it
want any use; the ladies kept hollerin'
that we got to go back. and the
captain put her round and she got
caught right between two waves, and
she went to the bottom and FIVE of 'em
was drowned. Yes, sub, all the ladies
was drowned and the captain was
drowned 1 just struck out for the
shore, 1 tell you; want going to get
drowned for nobody. Could l save any
of the others? didn't see none of the
others; didn't want to see none of 'em.
just got to the shore; that's all want
ed. Then found a man with boat
and we started out, and in minute we
see the other man comm down the river
and we pulled him in, and the ones that
was drowned, some of 'em wasn't found
for two days, and then they was way
down the river.
That what say, as long as I'm alive,
it might be wus- / never hurt nobody,
and don't want nobody to touch me.
Anybody can steal my money or my
clothes or anything: just say: Give
me my life they can have my wife,
they can have anything got, only don't
hurt me. l know 1 got to die sometime,
that's certain, but don't want nobody
to murder me. No change, sub? Thank
you, sub Shine.'-N- Y. Tribune.
Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-09-08

was private families; and private fam
lilies as wanted to take few select
boarders. But the rent was put up
tolerabIy high and most of 'em dropped
off after I'd named the sum-
Never mind, Mrs Pounce-never
mind" saws Mr.. Eagle, rubbing his
hands. Its house that there'll be
no difficulty in letting without any re-
duction of rent Just watt says he.
until the spring sets in"
But one day in trots an old gentle
nan with gold spectacles and a smooth
shaven tace and business" written in
every wrinkle of his forehead.
s.This house to let, ma'am?' says he.
Eyes. SIR" says /.
s'Can look at it?" says he
Certainly, SIR" says l. 1 began, as
smooth as oil, about the hot and cold
water, the marble-foored bathroom
and the Minton tiles, when, all OF q
sudden, he put mp both hands in
warning sort of way.
..That'n do. ma'am." says he, 'thatu
do. I've eyes and 1 can see for myself
Certainly. sir" says 1: but won't