davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-22
GEORGE W. ALLEN q co. Agents.
No. 1901 Main street ana
SyI9-tf Company's Wharf. Rockets
old nnnininn Steamshin ComnanY

Old Dominion Steamship Company
Richmond. Va. Jan. 10. 1893.
ON ACCOUNT OF THE ICE IN THE
~ James river. FREIGHT WILL BE
HANDLED BY the WEST POINT STEAM
Frs, leaving New York every TUESDAY,
THURSDAY and SATURDAY, at 3 p. NJ.
Steamers leave West Point for New York
every MONDAY THURSDAY and SATUR-
ia GEORGE W. ALLEN & CO..
Agents.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10
The Haidah Indians,

At Victoria, British Columbia, there
are many IIaidah Indians from the
Queen Charlotte Islands who came down
the Gulf of Georgia in canoes hewn from
single cedar trees and capable of hold
ing hundred persons The Haidah
women, like the women of Alaska, wear
pieces of bone or pearl stuck through
their lower lips. They are clever
workers, making ornaments of chased
silver and baskets of birch fibre, woven
closely enough to hold water. Tho
tlaidahs also carve polished columns of
coal slate, soft when first cut, but hard
cning on exposure to the air. The
figures are bears, crows, frogs, and
lizards. They have curious mythical
bird called the thunder bird, which,
when he flaps his wings, makes thunder,
and when he winks his eye, lightning.
They are great gamblers, using round
polished sticks of yew, sometimes inlaid
with bits of pearl. The sticks are shut
fled under covering of cedar bark, the
gamblers grooming low chant the
while. They will gamble away all they
possess and become so much absorbed
that they sit through whole day and
night without food. AS warm clothing
they wear blankets woven of dogs hair.
II San Francisco Chronicle.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10
The Monastery Mine.

A visit to the Monastery Mine, few
miles from Kimberley, is an interesting
experience. The mine is surrounded by
= reef OF rotten stone, and encircles about
four hundred claims which have evident
ly been worked at some prehistoric
period to depth of about forty feet
when water must have overpowered the
miners-and then abandoned. 1t is
difficult to judge whether the ground
was washed or only dry sorted at
that date, but more likely the latter
The debris must have deposited round
the edge of the mine. The rains of
centuries have washed this debris back
into the mine, which was again worked
Mt more recent period, as several shafts
and tunnels have been discovered by the
present workers, aud skeletons, ostrich
egg-shells and pieces of iron have been
unearthed. The virgin blue shows in
dications of being rich in diamonds
THE jewelers. Circular.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10
Strange Rell.s Come to Light.

A remarkable discovery has just been
made in one of the attics Of the museum
OF the Louvre, Paris, where for many
years pile of card board boxes contain
ing various unclassihed objects has
awaited the investigations of the official
staff. Among this fotsam and jetsam
of the lumber-room is green cartoon,
bearing no external marks to distinguish
it from the others, much less to indicate
that it served as a sort OF urn for part,
at least, of the mortal relics Of the royal
personages. When this insignificant
looking casket was opened the first pre-
monitory symptom of what was coming
consisted of "a Whit of that peculiar odor
which clings even to the bones
of Kings Then yellow sheet
of paper was perceived, Inscribed
with the following inventory of the
melancholy specimens that it half
concealed: A shoulder-blade of Hugh
Capet, thigb-bone of Charles ",
shin-tone of Charles W., sundry verte.
bre OF Charles VII, shin bone OF Fran
els l., more vertebre of Charles IX., a
rib of Philippe LIE Bel, ditto of Louis
Nil, the lower jaw-bone of Catherine de
Medicis. a jaw bone OF Anne of Austria,
IA shin-b bone of Cardinal dc Retz.
Opposite to each name is inscribed the
death of its possessor, and also day
mot always the same) of the month OF
October, 1898. This last piece of infor
nation supplies clue to the whole mys
terry, and, as the paper is pronounced by
experts to belong without doubt to the
period referred to, affords convincing
proof of the genuine character of the re-
mains. The box has, in the course of
unknown migrations. received rather
rough usage, for several osseous frag-
ments are scattered on the bottom
Chicago Herald.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10
Our Most Remarkable Plant.

Tho most remarkable plant found
growing in the United States is that fra
gile and paradoxical wonder, the snow
plant of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
1t is known to the botan st as sarcodes
sanguines, meaning "bloody or bloodel
flesh" Nothing in the giant line was
ever more exguisitely beautiful than this
rosy, snow tinted botanical oddity.
which has been lhkened to a crowned
hyacinth.
1t grows to height of from eight to
twenty inches, each separate bract, sepal
and mi .iature bell being frosted as deli
cately as though done by the ice king
himself. Although the whole translucent
spike is flushed with rose and carmine,
the petals are the richest and most
brilliant parts of the flower, which
is tivc-parted, each open bell plainly
disclosing the little frosted stanens and
pistils.
Floriculturists of the Pacific slope
have made many unsuccessful attempts
to cultivate the new plant, the bulbs
being too brittle to stand transplanting
and the seeds refusing to grow. Botan-
lists once gave it as their opinion that the
plant would not survive below the line
of perpetual snow, but this idea has late
ly been proven erroneous. One thing is
certain, however, it makes its early
growth while covered with many feet OF
snow, blooming rs soon as the icy cover
ing is penetrated Troy Press.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10
The Smallest Bird.

1t is said that the smallest bird in the
world is the "Pajaro Mosca," or fly bird,
of Cuba. 1t is one of the family Of hum
ming birds, and much more diminulive
than any species found in the United
States. A pair of these tiny creatures,
and the only pair known to be in captiv-
ity, are now Oh exhibition in New York.
They were brought to this country a few
days ago by Senior Pubillones, who con-
trolls the circus privileges of Cuba, and
is Familiarity known as the "Littc Bar
num-" AS these birds are SO small, and
fly with incredible swiftness, il is almost
impossible to capture them. and this
pair was taken quite by accident A
laborcr CHANGED to discover the nest
while the birds were fledglings, and he
covered 1t with : bottomless cage, until
they were large enough to &c. along with
out their parents. They are fed with
honey diluted with water, and poise
themselves over the dish on their wings,
while they thrust their long bills into the
mixture. -(Picayune.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10
Hen and Kittens.

We are not in the habit of placing
much sredence in strange stories. but
here is one that. from demonstration we
have had, we can but believe it, AMI
those of our readers who think this
snake yarn may have its utter truthful.
nees demonstrated beyond doubt BY
calling at the Merchant ranch, bctweta
this city and Guerncvillc. Several davy
since on the aforesaid ranch Il cat gave
birth to four kittens. The cat and kit
tens were housed in the barn on stack
If hay near where au old hen was setting
on a nest of eggs. The foreman of the
ranch, William ingalls,, desired to break
the hen from setting and to that end
took the eggs away from her. Since the
time that the eggs were taken away the
hen has been lowering over the brood of
kittens and caring for them as she would
the eggs. The kittens are healthy AMI
well fed and beyond doubt the mother
cat suckles the kittens at times when the
would-be mother hen is absent from her
new vocation. This may seem strange
and SAVIOR somewhat of the hshy, but
nevertheless it is fact Sonoma
County, Cal, Tribune.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10
A Monster Ray Fish.

Pensacola fla fishermen are agitatei
about an enormous ''rale" or 'eagle ray
that has just been taken on the bar near
there. Few of these fish are ever caught,
rs they are much dreaded by the men OF
the sea.
They are sometimes enormously called
devil fish, and also blanket fish, aud
have been known to destroy human life.
They feed on shell fish, which they draw
in by means of the large cephalic fins
which protrude from the corners of the
huge mouth. The teeth of this fish, which
were not visible from the outside, are
very large and powerful, being used for
grinding its food. There is great danger
in attempting to capture one of these
fish with small boat, as it could easily
capsize any boat of ordinary size. They
grow very large, and there is an instance
of one being captured in West Indian
waters which weighed 1850 pounds.
The tails are not as long in proportion
to the size of their bodies as those of the
sting-rays, or ''stingarees," as they are
commonly called. = New York Re
corder.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10
A Savior of Iives.

Joseph Francis, who was called -The
Father Of the Life Saving Service" died
last week at Coop1 rstown, N. Y. His
life was a most useful one. He was
born in Boston in 1901 and, when only
IL years old, invented a life-saving
oat on wholly new principles. This
served to bring him into prominence
and he proceeded in other work Of the
same sort.
In 1888 Mr.. Francis conceived the
idea of life car for landing people from
a wreck. His experiments resulted, a
few years later. in one Of the most val
liable inventions of modern times. He
offered the life car to the government
but they said the invention was impos-
sible and babe him show proof of its
practicability. In 1850 he did SO by
rescuing 300 persons from q sinking
ship. After this Mr.. Francis inventions
were in great demand and he established
large manufactures in several cities.
Mr.. Francis received many honors
from foreign governments in the way of
orders and medals, and in 1883 Congress
offered him a gold medal. This was
presented to him by President Harrison
In 1880.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10
Something About Siam. :

Slams naval force consists of two co.'s.
steamers OF 1900 tons and eiyb, Nv
EACH several glnboats, MANY Of w 3ins
are In bad condition, and some seagoina
steam yach.s. These vessels are as : rnis
Differed by Europeans. chiefly Engl;s u,s
men and Danes. A cruiser of ) 5no
tons is now being built and will be adJog
to the navy. There are forts with haee
guns at the mouth Of the Bangkok, r;va.!
and the latter Sossesses Il bar which eH,a'
tually prevents the entrance of Shin.
much over thirteen feet draupht.
Siam has standing army of ahou.
twelve thousand men, and the nan,Ia
generally are liable to lie called on, '" ~
require'., though there is no armed m;.; -
tia. Every male 'inhabitant from TIM
age of twenty-one years upwards i
obliged to serve the State for thraa
months each year. The following ner
sons, however, are exempt: Priests
Chinese settlers, who pay commutation
tax; slaves, public officials, the father
OF three sons liable to service, and thn,a
who purchase exemption either by nav'
ing fine or by purchasing substitutes
1t is said that the government possesse,
upward OF eighty thousand stand of arms
besides considerable stock of cannon
The army is to some extent differed bv
Europeans, and has of late years Iar,ely
increased in numbers and equipments.
The limits of Siam have varied much
at different periods in its history, but as
nearly as can be calculated the country
extends at present from the fourth to the
twenty-irst degree of north latitude, and
from the ninety sixth to the one hundred
and sixth degree Of east longitude, being
total area of about $50, 900 square miles
According to the latest estimates the
population consists of 2 OOo, 600 Samese
1000, 900 Chinese, 1900, 900 Losians and
1000, 900 Malays. The legislative pow or
is exercised by the King in conf ,nction
with a Council of Ministers (Senabodi).
The Courcil of State consists Of the Msn-
listers, ten to twenty members appointed
by the King, and six princes of the royal
house. The royal dignity is nominalty
hereditary, but each sovereign has the
privilege of nominating his own success
sor. The present Kings revenue may
be estimated at $4,000, 900 II year.
There is no public debt, and par er
money has only recently been issued. ..
New York Herald.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10

MILLIONAIREs have no business
foOling around with steamboats,, be-
cause when they do they Always get
into trouble, Capt. James Davidson,
of Bay City, is the latest illustration
Of the truth of this statement. Capt.
Davidson was hardy and fearless
mariner in ais youth, but the acqui-
sitiOn of wealth blunted his nautical
perceptions, and when he undertook
to steer one of his own tugboats out
Of Racine harbor he landed her high
and dry on reef, to his great vexa-
ton and discontinue. The result is
invariable. Some years ago James
Gordon Bennett, of the New York
Herald, was fred with like ambi-
ton in the harbor of Cherbourg,
where naval review was going on.
He took the wheel of his yacht Ma
mOuna, and in fifteen minutes the
navies of all nations were pulling up
anchors, shivering their timbers and
resOrting to all known maritime ex-
pedients to get out of the way of an
unarmed American journalist 1t
was pleasing sight to a patriotic
citizen of the United States, but it
demonstrated the fact pointed out in
the beginning that the possession of
wealth does not necessarily consti-
tute good steersman.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10
Hawaiian Islands the application for

Hawaiian Islands the application for .
man afflicted with leprosy. Thenname
of the applicant was given in the letter
as John Gaiser, who served in the list
New York Infantry Volunteers, and
was discharged at Harris Island, New
York, in 1866. There was nothing on
the envelope to indicate that there was
anything unusual about its contents,
SO it went through the ordinary chan
nels all right until opened, and then
one of Uncle Sans efficient clerks
read 'leprosy." He turned deathly
pale, dropped the paper and spread
the alarm.
Then the applicant stood a poor
show to have his applicationsexamine
and acted upon. Everybody in the Of
fee was afraid of the document and no
one was willing to read and record its
contents. When it was learned next
morning that the papers were still
there, there was renewal of the
scare, and finally the papers were
taken to the Health Office for disinfec-
ton. There they were placed in
terra Gotta pipe with covering and
were allowed to remain in sulphur
fumes for nearly an hour, when they
were taken out. The commun cation
was marked Kalayo postoffice, Islaud
of Molokai. and was signed by Joseph
button, who was o member of the
Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. The
letter stated that Gaiser had been on
the Island of Molokai for six years and
he contracted the disease from bite
of native leper, who was at large in
stead of being in custody, as he should
have been. After Janitor King had
finished with the papers they were
taken back to the Pension Office.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10
THE STAFF OF LIFE.
Who Grow the First Grain and Made tho
First Bread?


The early history of bread is wrapped
up in mystery. Who're did wheat
grow originally, or did men cultivate
some grass till it developed into wheat?
Egyptian monuments show no age when
grain was not in use-the Swiss lake
dwellers were agriculturists. The
Roman antiquaries and their Greek pre-
decessors thought man tried his prem
tlce teeth on acorns-hearts Of oak were
the natural result among the survivors.
Quite modern Sardinians have been
acorn eaters, and Corsica lived on
chestnuts till Turgot had the trees cut
down, by way of encouraging more re-
fined tastes. Modern stomachs demand
white bread. though rye Is eaten in
Russia and Germany. A passion for
oats was objected to the Scotch as
early as 1900 and by DR.. johnson. But
where do you see inner men," as the
North Briton replied, and porridge Is
still favorite dainty even with people
who can afford rolls, while there is
kind OF elective affinity between ost-
cakes and marmalade. Maize must
have been 4 novelty to the first Euro
peans in America. The Morse dlscov-
erers, with Karlsefni, reported that
wheat grew wild In Vineland. Proba-
bly, they meant maize. The legends OF
America attribute the origin OF agricul-
ture to various heroes, but all races exc
plain the beginnings Of institutions In
this way.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10

WHEN la grippe became epidemic
in this country three years ago there
were many medical men and others
who wrote learnedly about the dis
ease as one that had never before
been known in this country. They
traced it to Russia, and went to Rus
sian and French authorities for reme-
dies, where they did not make entire
ly new discoveries for themselves.
But here again was illustrated the
force OF Napoleon's observation that
nothing is new but what has been
forgotten" In an old copy of the
Salem Mass Observer, printed June
"a, lS43, or just fifty years ago, is to
be found this paragraph: "The in
flueDza or la grippe is getting to be
very prevalent in Philadelphia. A
correspondent Of the Spirit of the
Times, writing from New York and
speaking Of che influenza, says: I'VE
are laboring under its infection in
capital style. New York is now a
city of sneeZers, and coughers and
nose-blowers cry aloud in the streets,
and no one heedeth them. Upward
of considerable, il not more, of the
actors in every theater are down with
the epidemic, and change of per-
formances. from sudden indisposit;on,
is of nightly and looked-for occur
renee. Several OF our clergy on Sun
day Civ in from inability to con-
caer the givings Of their cOngregated
coughs The same paper records
that the United States Court had to
adjourn because of the disease, that
the sailors were unable to man the
ships in the harbor, and that the
e,wspaper offices were almost depop
v.ltcd.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10

AN extremely cruel "joke" was re-
Gently played upon young lady of
good family and spotless character,
writes the Paris correspondent of the
Sketch. An advertisement appeared
in the columns OF popular adver-
Using paper, the Pettes Alliches, and
ran as follows: "Demoiselle, so ans,
jolie, distinguee, ayant fortune, legere
tache, desire sc marier avec monsieur
ayant petite position" and ended
with the full name and address of
the young lady. Within two days
she had over fifty answers. She was
most indignant and furious at having
her reputation attacked in this man
ner and the representation that she
was publicly seeking husband, and
50 she very properly brought an ac-
tion against the paper. 1t was de-
Tended, and apologies were offered
and great regrets expressed. The
magistrates said that the newspaper
had not made proper inquiries as to
the source of such an advert .sement,
and, therefore, the proprietors were
fined 1--WE francs and one franc dam
ages
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10

The scientific department of Yale Col
lege has just come into possession OF a
large meteor. The meteor fell last year
in the Canon Diablo, and was purchased
by some friends of the late Professor
Loomis, who intend to have it inscribed
in his memory. Professor Newton saws
that examination of the meteor discloses
the presence of specimens of black and
white diamonds. The other comp ,ncnts
of the meteor are iron and nickel. with
nodules of graphite and triolite. The
meteor weighs s3j pounds.-[N.w Or
leans Picayune.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10

IT may not be generally known
that Paris is the great postage-stamp
market of the world, and that there
are more men there who gloat over a
black Bermuda. or 60 into ecstasies
over a yellow something else. than in
any other capital. There is regu-
lar Bourse held every Thursday and
Sunday in a corner Of the Cham rs
Elysees, where hundreds of men,
women and boys congregate with
their pcstage-stamp albums ard
packages of stamps for sale and ex-
chAnvs. There is ainpe. &c tE q
gabble Of tongues going on there re
" tho regular Bourse, and SO GrsIs.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10

BEES and birds court the society Of
man-that is, they seek the localities
where fields and gardens abound, for
they fare better when human indus
try EFFORTS from the soil the products
upon which they subsist. A Maine
bee culturist says it is the rarest
thing in the world to find bees away
from the settlements or from OPEN
ings where flowers grow. 1t is in the
small patches of forests they are
oftenest found and generally not far
from the edge of the woods. 1t is
the same with birds. There Sic no
song birds In the Northern Maine
wilderness and scarcely any bird l:fe.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10

IT appears from private accounts
from Australia that the chief losses
in the recent failures will fall upon
the English stockholders and deposit
ors. Most Of the Australians had
warning in time, and withdrew their
money. But the failure of financial
institutions which, with their branch
es, must have numbered not less
than thousand, must place the
merchants who did business with
them in such position of peril that
they cannot tell whether they are
solvent or bankrupt. When a mer-
chant has to take care Of both sides
Of the ledger, he cannot know where
he stands. 1t seems, therefore, that
we must wait while before we can
see where the colonies are going to
fetch up. From a revulsiOn of this
character there is but one way out
that is, by the road of liquidation.
And in the present state of business
in Australia siX-thousand. dollars-a
front-foot lots and shares in mining
companies are not likely to find eager
buyers. In the panics we have seen
in this country there have been
times when no kind Of property
seemed to possess value. Yet the
banks must realize on
their assets, for it is only by so doing
that they can hope to pay their
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10

Professor E. S. Holden says that if the
brightness of star seen with the eye
alone is designated BY one, with two
inch telescope it is 100 times as bright.
with four-inch telescope it is 400 times
as bright, eight-inch telescope it is 1000
times as bright, sixteen.inch telescope it
10 9, 400 times as bright, thirty-two-inch
telescope it is 5000 times as blight.
thirty-s ix-inoh telescope it is 32, 400
times as bright. That is, stars can be
seen with thirty six-inch telescope that
are 10000 times fainter than the faintest
stars visible to the naked eye.--lNew
York Tribune.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10

IT is proposed to redeem the pine
barrens Of Michigan, from which the
timber has been removed, by sowing
two plants, spurry and fiat pea. The
first makes good feed for cattle and
sheep and its roots bind the earth
and help to form a firm soil. 1t
is thought that millions of acres in
the Peninsular State, now utterly
worthless, may thus be made to
serve the uses Of man.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10
THE holding up OF trains is getting

THE holding up OF trains is getting
uncomfortably frequent. Soon a
traveller will have to carry a gun in
each bootleg, Winchester instead
of a sachel. Bank rObberies are be-
coming more common, and the ease
with which their perpetrators G.
cape with the plumber has ceased
to create comment. Are We going
to drift back into the middle ages
and barbarism?
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10

NANCY HANKS, the queen of the
turf, is fed with hay at 500 a ton and
oats costing "a per 100 pounds The
lowly mule will be worse anarchist
than ever when he hears of this ex-
trayapance.
Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-08-10

THE late Marquis Of Exeter dis
covered that swans will keep water
perfectly free from weeds. At Burgh-
ley, piece of water which used to
employ three men for six months in
the year to keep it tolerably clean is
now kept completely clean by two
pair of swans.