davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29
A Lamentahle Failure.

"There," said the superintendent o,
the lunatic asylum, sis young man
who set out to be Il great public bene.
factor. After years of thought he
finally completed a gigantic plan OF
philanthropy. a scheme which he ex
pected to bring joy into the hearts o.
millions of gricf-stricken mortals and
peace into thousands of unhappy
homes-its failure sent him here.'
"How infinitely pitiful,'' mused the
visitor, land what was his idea?"
"1t was device for preventing trou
sers bagging at the knee" responded
the superintendent, with long sigh
Detroit Tribune.
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29
A HUMAN FIRE ALARM.
saighly Probable Story Told by . western
Man.


sdighly Probable Story Told by . westerr
Il read the other day." said west.
ern man to Sun reporter, 'sa story
about a man with powerful voice,
William Flicker, a circus canvasman.
Remember it? Well, 1 knew man
once who had a voice great deal loud.
err than Bill Flicker's. This mans
name was Rufus Glidby; he was black
smith.
"Rufus lived in a western town that
was small but growing rapidly, and in
which the citizens were divided on the
question of public improvement. One
party wanted to go ahead, the other to
economize. One party, for instance,
thought that the town ought to have u
fire-alarm telegraph. The other party
said: why spend money for that
when Rufus Glidby lives in this town.
'There was an idea in that, and the
authorities laid out the town in dis
tricts, which they numbered just as
they would have numbered fire-alarm
boxes. Then they went to Rufus, who
was both a modest man and obliging
citizen. The plan was very simple.
SUPPOSE there was a fire in the district
numbered "a. The citizen who discov-
cred it would run to Mr.. Glidby's black
smith shop and say 'twenty-four' to
him. Rufus would set down on the
floor the hoof of the horse that he was
shoeing, and step out into the street
and say 'twenty-four' two or three
times. His voice was SO loud that it
could be heard by everybody, and when
the firemen heard it they would run to
the fire.
"This worked pretty we'll for awhile
and then something happened. For
long time there had been no fire in the
town and then there was a big one
The man who rushed to Rufus Gid
by's blacksmith shop to get Mr.. Glidby
to give the alarm found the black
smith shop closed. The modest and
steady-going Mr.. Glidby, who lived
next door to his shop, and who was al
ways sure to be found in one place or
the other, had for the first time in
years taken day off. There was moth
ing to do but notify the firemen in.
dlvidually, and this was done, but
meanwhile the fire had gained such
headway that before they put it out it
had burned up half the town.
After that there was no opposition
to the introduction of a fire-alarm tele.
graph system. Even those who had
tefore been most strenuously opposed
to it were now in favor of it, for they
realized fully the serious nature of the
flaw now discovered in the old method,
and, as one of them said, seeking
further justification for the abandon
ment of his previous position: Even if
Rufus never went away from home,
suppose he should take cold and get
hoarse. IN. Y. Sun.
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29
A WILD BEAST CARAVAN.
The Journey OF Some of the Animals See
in Our Menageries.

The Journey OF Some of the Animals Seen
In Our Menageries.
Few of those people who go to a
menagerie realize what an immense
undertaking it is to transport wild
beasts from the land of their birth and
of their freedom to the land of their
imprisonment. and, too frequently, of
their death. I will ask my readers to
picture for themselves an African
desert blazing beneath burning sun.
Across the weary waste of sand a long
column of men and animals is wend-
ing its slow way. AS it draws nearer
we see that it is a caravan of wild ami
mails on their way from the interior to
the seaboard. And as it passes us, the
vast mass of living creatures. as in a
chemical process. slowly dissolves itself
into distinct particles and individuali-
ties. Let us regard them carefully.
In the first place we notice a process
sion of fourteen stately giraffes, then
come five elephants, a huge rhinoceros,
four wild buffaloes believing sadly
after the mates they have forever left
behind. Then there go numbering by
number of enormous carts or
wagons, in which are safely
confined thirty hyenas, five leop-
ards, six lions, two cheetahs, sixteen
antelopes. two lynxes, one serval, one
wardbob, twenty smaller carnivorous
animals, four African ant-eaters and
forty-five monkeys. And then there
come slowly prancing by, wary, rest
less, cunning, twenty-six ostriches.
There are twenty boxes of birds, from
which sounds of shrill screaming are
constantly proceeding. There are up
ward of hundred Abyssinian goats
scattered here and there in the pro-
cession. These are to give milk for
the young animals. and to serve as food
and meat for the old. The caravan is
on its way through the desert to
Saukim, which is the first shipping
place for Europe. There are no less
than one hundred and twenty camels
in it, which are required to carry the
food for this caravan, and there are up
wards of one hundred and sixty drivers
in the procession. 1t takes the caravan
upwards OF thirty-six days to cover the
distance which lies between Cassala in
the interior Of Nubia and the port of
Suakim, for which they are bound.
The same journey is usually performed
by quick post camels in twelve days.
McClure's Magazine.
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29
Worried About His Rox.

''The trouble with that boy of mine,
DIR. Fourthly," said the grocer to his
pastor, who had dropped into his place
of business for friendly chat. sis that
he is untruthfuL He's industrious,
learns well and is a pretty good boy in
most respects, but he will lie now and
then. don't know what to do with
him. talk to him about it, tell him
how wicked-How do you do, Mr..
Shackelford? Arabian Mocha coffeci
Certainly, sir. Plenty OF it. Hitbs
wait on this gentle0anI''-C Chic age
Tribuna
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29
DIsREPuTAeLE ROBINS.

Kno Ked-Breasts Got Howllng Drunk a.
Florida Chinaberrv Juices.
A white, winding road in Florida,
sandy, sunny and hot. An old negress
gong home from work in the cotton
fields has stopped on the way. She
stands with arms akimbo, her glisten-
ing black eyes fixed on some object in
the road, and her fat sides shaking with
laughter.
Curious to learn the cause of her
mirth my friend and I drew nearer,
and find robin lying on his back in
the deep sand, futtering and strug-
Cling to right himself. Indignant at
the old "mammy's" seeming heartless-
ness we stopped to help him, fearing he
may have been hurt in some way or
wounded by the slingshot of some
small boy. But not a bruise nor a mark
can we find on his plump body. Put
ting him on his feet we watch him in
surprise, for he totters and wavers,
and. after trying in vain to stand up,
tumbles over again in a helpless way,
and lies motionless.
The colored nanny, deeply inter-
ested. has not uttered word, but is still
chuckling and fairly bubbring over
with merriment.
In little while and after repeated
efforts, comical to see, the bird sue
ceeds in balancing himself on his tiny
feet. Smoothing his rufled feathers,
he gradually spreads his wings and
slowly sails away in an unsteady FASH
ion, seeking refuge on the nearest
branch. He failed to give even a ehirp
OF thanks for the interest shown in his
welfare or our attempts at relief.
Lost in wonder at what seemed a
pathetic scene, yet puzzled by the old
aunty's laughter, we turned to her.
lnquiring the cause of it all. Sunny
and black under her red bandana, her
wrinkled face breaks once more into
smiles as she excla;ms: ia! chile.
dat bird tipsy!' On declaring that we
could not believe it-being fresh from
the puritanic, prohibition part of New
England-she repeated her state.
ment. "Yo' nevah see robin dat
pears like it hab too much whis-
ky?" Upon explaining our ignorance,
which she doubtless thought deplor-
able, she told us all about it. Her ac-
count was afterward pronounced true
by reputable and lifelong residents of
that peculiar peninsula.
1t seems that this red-breasted bird
is very fond of certain chinaberrv.
which somewhat resembles cherry in
size and shape. Picking hole in the
skin he will draw the juice from one
after another with keen relish until his
little head becomes dizzy and down
fall ensues The effect of this pungent
juice renders him helpless for the time
being and he lies in a state of apparent
intoxication. the deep. warns and form
ing soft bed for the tiny inbiber.
On recovering from his small spree he
is apt-more's the pity-to repeat it as
soon as he can find fresh supply of
the favorite beverage:
The old aunty, with a low ''curtsey''
and a parting smile, starts down the
sandy road to her ca bin, but not until
she has pointed out to us chinaberry
tree. 1t is short with spreading
branches, and it's small fruit is the in
nocent cause of much winged intem-
perance.-Chicago Times.
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29
A New Attraction,

Pete Amsterdam got>married without
consulting his parents or friends.
After seeing the bride one of his
friends asked him:
'How did you come to marry that
girl? There is nothing attractive about
her. She has not got q pretty face; her
figure is not good; she is not rich: nei-
ther is she intelligent. What do you
find attractive about her?"
"You ought to see how prettily she
sneezes," replied Pete. ecstatically.-
Texas Siftings.
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29
Interested in Pomolory.

Johnny, Mr.. Barlow tells me he
caught You in his apple tree to-day.
What were You doing there?"
studying"
''What! Don't lie to me, Johnny.
What were you studying?"
"Apples.'-Boston Globe.
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29

In the museum at Cambridge, En-
gland, is the skeleton and stuffed Skin
Of an adult hybrid. between lion and
tigress. This, with several distinct
litters by different parents, was born
in the same menagerie. Dissection
showed that the creatures would have
been sterile.
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29
Plenty OF Relatives.

Madame Finishem lat Young Ladies'
academy)-Miss Pretty, that was the
sixteenth young man who has calico
here as your brother, and 1 know YOU
have been deceiving us.
Miss Pretty-No. madame: I hav.
promised to be u sister to them all
Good News.
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29

"A Sunday school excursion at
Bethlehem, Pa, counted the other day
one hundred and thirty turtles that
had been driven by, the drought to a
spring, and which struggled and fourht
for water until it was stained with
blood and entirely unfit even for picnic
lemonade.
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29

--He-''If should ask you if you
were telling the truth when you said
no you could not marry me. what would
you say?" She-''I should still say
no. "-.Vsgue.
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29

"A return of persons who voted a.
illiterates at the last general election
IN England was recently issued. This
shows that the number of ignorant
electors in England and Wales was 4s..
100; in Scotland, 4,577, and in Ireland.
S4,910.
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29

-Simson (sternly)-''Freddie, where
are those green apples gone that were
down cellar?" Freddie-''They are
with the Jamaica ginger that was in
the closet.''
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29
Clearly n Eraud.


Mulllns-l was. at seance the other
night when the spirit of Horace Gree.
ley wrote slate-message.
Kilduff-Could You read it,
Mullins-Ycs.
Kilduf-Then it was fraud. II
wasn't from Horace.-Judge.
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29

This world needs less words and
more works; fewer. promises and
greater performances-Rest Islander.
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29

alters time succeeded In severing my
arm from the body of the fish, which
they both declared was the awful deep.
seo lobster. IN. Y. Advertiser.
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29


the street from our home, and was
walking leisurely along the shady path
way, when l heard some one calling
me. looked around and, to my i'm
nense establishment. there sat Grand
father Leggett in his buggy.
''Come, get in here, john" he COM
manded, peremptorily.
He always called me John for some
reason known only to himself.
1 Iobeyed, outwardly composed but in
wardly in tumult of wonderment. AS
we went rolling swiftly along behind
his housekeeping bay, he asked:
Ibid that blunderhead of a Peter Van
Dusen bring letter to your house last
| Monday?"
''Yes, sir,' replied
eWhere is it?"
"In the upper drawer of Blanche's
Desk"
Ibid you read it?'
| "Why, of course. we read it," was my
rather surprised answer to this strange
question.
"Humph! Do you always read other
peoples letters, you girls?''
II don't know what you mean, grand.
father. 1t was not other peoples let
ters. The man asked plainly if this
was not the Dalrymple place and said
you told him to give the letter to us"
"Oh, well, Peter Van Dusen was
never known to do an errand right.
But should think you could have read
Cyrus Cobley's name on the envelope y
and he chuckled as if he had said some
thing funny.
There was no name on the envelope
There was nothing at all ON the out
Griggs courier., 1893-09-29

as seen often on the inside of the two
fingers of a lobster's claw. Several of
these were piercing my arm almost to
the bone. Some distance above the
mouth-like hand observed a joint, and
then drew my knife. Bull alas! the
heavy shell SO overlapped the fleshy
tissue that could not injure nv captor.
''For the first time 1 saw those ter
rifying eyes move and turn upon me.
The whip-lilse arms again began to
move and curl about my body. His
head was now only about foot dis
tant from my body, and, drawing nv
knife once more, plunged it into the
eye near me, turning the blade round
and round. 1 saw that had
destroyed the eye, for an inky
fluid issued out of the SOCK
ct darkening the water about
his head. This checked the aggressive
movements of the animal, but it did
not seem to hurt it. Iwaited until its
head turned SO that he might be able
to see his prey with his other eve.
"This was what wanted, and with
a swift thrust sent my knife into his
other eye down to the hilt. The crea-
ture reeled and the grip on my arm
slightly relaxed, but though totally
blind, my captor did not release his
hold.
"The agony of my arm soon grew un.
bearable. Then the light went ont of
my eyes and I remembered nothing
more.
when recovered my senses was
in the skiff, and learned how the divers,
alarmed at my long silence below, had
come down. They saw my plight, and
The morning call., 1893-03-10

their representatives. were Cd hand to cele-
brate the dispatch of the North Amer
lean Navigation Company's first Panama
steamer.
The officers and executive committee of
the Traffic Association, who usually prefer
to keep from public view and never before
turned out in a body to take part in any
demonstration, were on board the St. Paul an
hour before she left the dock.
Barry Baldwin, the associations presi-
dent. and J. S Leeds, the traffic manager,
headed that delegation, and there were
justifable CLEANS OF pride in their eyes
VI en- the vessel swung out into the bay,
starting on the important voyage.
Frank :. johnson and Captain William
ii Merry, the agent and president OF the
North American Navigation Company. were
also there, and so were Leon SlOss oil the
Alaska Commercial Company, Herman
Beude, A. II. Small, Issac Upham, Walter
Castle, Alfred B. Field, Charles NJ. Yates,
William l.. Locke. Captain A. p Bacon
and score OF other wel-knOwn business
men.
Toasts were given as the glasses clinked
in Captain Anderson's cabin and the good
ship was given royal send-off by every
body.
Three cheers for THE CALL" were heart
lily responded TO. Captain Merry made a
neat little farewell speech.
Then the whistle sounded and the whole
crowd adjourned to the wharf TO see The
way Captain Andrews was taking his ship
out to sea.
The Colombian flag was hOisted on the
foremost and the Stars and Stripes futtered
to The breeze at the stern when the pretty
steamer sailed out toward the Golden Gate
and the gray-bearded merchants as well as
as the young business men shook hands
with each other, silently passing congratu-
lati0ns, because they have reasons TO hope
Tor better times at last and the Pacific Mail
Company's monopoly has been broken.
The new company will tomorrow COM
mence to open its lists for the second cargo
TO be dispatched. which will go by the
steamer Mexico on the 23d inst. and there
after regular two weekly trips will be made,
With the departure of the ST. Paul yes
terday begins new era for San Francisco
which has Tor so many years been forced to
remain at a standstill, from 4 commercial
point of view. just because its commere
was in the hands OF irou-elad transporta-
tion monopolies.
The wonderful resources of this State,
which are the envy of all the world, have
been allowed TO remain undeveloped be-
cause Mr.. Huntington and his associates
had them surrounded with an unsurmount-
able barricade which kept thousands of
people away from California.
The merchants who do business In this
city have been paying tributes and taxes to
the Southern Pacific or Pacific Mail ogres to
an extent which discouraged them and pre-
vented their spreading cut.
In the South and throughout the North
west where competing railroads ami other
trans portatiOn lines were established. im-
porters and shippers built up large trades,
The morning call., 1893-03-10

and San Francisco. formerly the only mer-
camille center of the Paciti, Coast, was
about to be relegated to a second place.
1t was then that the Traffic Association
was formed and commenced its operations,
and the organization of the North American
Navigation Company is one Of its accom-
Dlishments.
Seeing that the only relief possible for
the local merchants lay in their exIrcation
from the Southern Pacific Com pany's thrall-
dom, the Traffic Associations work has
been almost exclusively in that direction.
III was SLOW work at the beginning, for the
business community had been used to
wearing shackles so long that it had time
TO become accustomed to it.
Where the Traffic Association expected
to find enthusiastic support IL largely found
at first only apathy and resignation to the
existing state of affairs.
Gradually, however, the good work grew
and one by one the merchants fell into line
and strong desire for emancipation spread
among them.
Some plans for competing railroads were
Matched and some of them are well under
way.
River transportation as far as possible
was encouraged and consequently Increased
In volume.
Then came the organization Of fast clip
per ship lines via Cape Horn, which COM
peted with the old companies who were
lOw-conspirators with Mr. Huntington in
For slow traffic these clipper ships
brought much relief, because they reduced
rates at once and are now doing a very
large business. carrying thousands OF tons
of freight from New York to this port and
return.
While the schemes for new overland rail-
roads are being perfected the Traffic Associa-
ton members realized that some immediate
relief from the excessive freight charges
they had to pay was absolutely necessary,
and steps were taken TO secure it through
the Legislature during its present session.
Through the manipulation Of the South
ern Pacific COmpanY's political wire-pullers
this attempt failed, because, rs the events
Of the past few weeks showed, the Senate's
majority voted against all measures cacu-
lated to benefit the people of this State to
the detriment of Coils Z. Huntington.
The Pacific Mail Company's contract with
the Panama Railroad Company expired
some months ago and the railroad did not
care TO renew Ii.
or course, having entirely monopolized
the isthmus route traffic for California, the
The morning call., 1893-03-10

in the sand with long rod of iron for the
box, and 1t was only few days ago at he
located something hard at this spot and
seventeen feet from the surface. BY jab-
bling down in the sand this hard substance
was found to be about three feet square and
about SIX inches higher at one corner than
anywhere else.
Ii this hard substance is the long looked
Tor 0oX 1t rests at an angle, and that posi-
ton agrees exactly with the manner in
which 1t was said to be lying when first d s.
covered by b. W. Clark a great many years
ago.
This chunk or hard stuff Is what NJ. d.
Nelson IS now trying TO get at.
over the spot he has erected scaffold on
which he and an assistant stands to drive
the pipe down.
The sand Is taken from the inside Of the
pipe as 1t descends, and when the hard stuff
Is reached he Will have hole straight down
10 it.
Through this hole the dscoverer viii ex-
anime the hard chunk and find out what
it is
lie has prepared a long rod with steel
point, fashioned like a crochet hook. If the
iron box OF the pirates is at the other end
OF The hole down will go this hook. II will
be lor'ed through ths rust-eaten safe and a
hshlng expedition Will begin.
If diamond necklace or a kings crown
are brought up, then sure it is the long
sought box that is discovered, and great will
be the joy of the discoverer.
10 place of jewels the hook might not
bring up anything better than plain everv-
day mud. Then indeed will the seareher's
name be mud with big NJ.
So sure is Mr.. Nelsoa that the iron box Is
at the other end of the hole he is digging
that he is making preparations for sinking
shaft and bringing up the fabulous
wealth, box and all.
About three years ago a man named
OConnOr felt sure he had located the box
and sank several shafts in hopes of bring
ing it to light Every time he got TO his
supposed iron box ii turned out to be a
lump OF sandstone.
While the last shaft was being dug
OConnor had several boxes made strongly
bound with iron and the lid fastened down
with an immense paddock. These boxes
were to hold the Gefunct pirates wealth,
but when the supposed safe was reached it
turned out to be another rock and OCounor
gave up in disgust.
OConnor dug holes about half a mile
south OF where Nelson is working
The old residents along the beach saw
that all the searchers are too close to the
water. The beach. they say, was about 100
yards farther inland about thirty years ago
and that if there was any box at all it
would be under some Of the sand hills
back from the shore.
The morning call., 1893-03-10
PERSONAL NOTES.

DR.. G. Il. Novel; Of Santa Clara is at the
Grand.
Grove L. johnson of Sacramento is at the
Baldwin.
E. w. Jones. a Colusa merchant, was at
the Grand last night.
NJ Brough, Sacramento County horse
man, Is at the Grand.
Judge R. J. Hudson of LakepOrt is spend
Ing a few days at the Grand
c. NJ. Wooster. a san Jose real-estate
broker, is staying a the Baldwin.
Willard D. johnson of the United States
Geological Survey is at the Occidental.
c. II. huffman of MERGED arrived in the
city Tuesday and registered at the Palace.
Robert Brewer, well-known theatrical
manager, registered at the Baldwin yesLer-
day.
S. c. Abbott, manufacturer from Con-
necticut, is registered at the Baldwin from
Hartford.
John Finnell. landowner and rancher
of Iountville, Cal, Is in the city. staying at
the Palace.
George B. Katzenstein, the Sacramento
attorney, registered yesterday at the Lick
House from that city.
Charles W. Dorm is registered from Stock
ton at the Lick. Mr.. Dorm is a well-known
merchant at that place.
s. j. Loop has been elected a director of
the Soldiers Home at YOunlyille to fill the
vacancy caused by the death of Captain T.
j, kniDe.