davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1893-11-09
How an English Railway Company
Treats Its Employees.

In a description of the Stratford
works Of the Great Eastern Railway
company, Ell gland, some interesting de-
tails are given of the solicitude extended
towards the employees of the company.
There is an accident fund, to which all
the employees subscribe; pension fund,
4 savings bank (optionaD, and conta-
gious disease fund. The institution of
the three first funds is due to the chair
man of the company: the last is n work
mems movement entirely, and an excel
lent one, as it only prevents the de-
privation of the members means of sup
port when most needed, but by re-
moving the risk involved by attending
their duties when disease is in their
homes, prevents the spread Of infection
among their Shopmates. The company
generously covers every subscription to
the accident fund and pension fund with
an equal amount, allows per cent in
terest on savings bank deposits, and
supports a science and art institute
and technical school near the works,
which has Il library upward of 1000
volumes. Other privileges are grant
cd by the company to their employees,
every one of whom, besides having the
right to travel once a week, with any
members of his family residing with
and dependent upon him, to any point
on the system at q fare of 1-2c a mile,
has three days holiday per annum,
with pay and free passes anywhere
on the company's lines for himself,
wife and members Of his family under
the age of fourteen.
The sun., 1893-11-09
MATRiMoNY IN MASsAcHUS.
ETTS.

seme Reasons Why Yankee Women
Have Long Ontnunbered tIse Men.
The excess of women over men has
long been feature of the population
statistics of Massachusetts,, and since
Mormonism is not permitted to flourish
In that progressive state the natural eff
feet of this feminine surplus has been
an unusual number OF old maids. The
cause, says the New York Press, is
| probably Horace Greeley's advice to
| young men on the subject of going
West. The Massachusetts young man
has been going West ever since, but
| we decline to believe that 1t Is his fault
that the Massachusetts young woman
has not gone West with him. She stay
ed behind, not that she loved the Massa-
chusetts young man less, but that she
loved Massachusetts more, especially
Boston. But as the Massachusetts
young woman who did not go West with
the young man of Horace Greeley's
day became an old maid she missed
the young man. She was left TO law
ish the wealth Of her affection upon
cats, birds and other pets. And thus
1t happened that Massachusetts old
maid, having nobody else to leave her
fortune to, recently left it to her pet
cat.
There are those who think the tend
ency of our time is toward a reduc-
ton in the ratioe of marriages to the
population of the marriageable In
one sense this is a result of the con-
tinual improvement in the independ-
ence and general social condition of
women. Not only are they no longer
the slaves of men, but they are not
obliged to tie themselves to men in
order to get a living. AS civilization
increases the number of occupations in
which skill and tact and passive en-
tiurance make SuCC ess, women, being
often superior in these respects take
possession Of a greater number of
places and crowd men out. The tables
seem to be turned against the inquiry
of Miss Mona Caird, rs Marriage a
Failure? This question caused a great
deal of discuCcion in print few years
ago. If it is to be answered in the
aftrmative-which heaven forfend-
then it must also be declared, on the
strength of the latest returns from Mas
sachusetts, that siDgleness is a failure
too. This leaves the relative merits of
marriage and singleness just where they
were before Miss Mona Caird dared to
prick the alleged bubble of matrimony
with her pen. If an old maid, who died
rich was, nevertheless, so circumscribed
in the wealth Of affection and home life
as to be obliged to endow a cat, what
can be said of the srccess of old maidq
who never get rich, even in money?
The sun., 1893-11-09
ModiesIxa's Little Tricir.

Nine. Modjeska, the actress, is a
bright woman who doesn't hesitate to
play practical jokes In an innocent and
justifable way. She was recently a
visitor at a mansion, says the Louis
vile Times, and was asked for brief
recitation. But, though she racked her
brain, nothing apropos required to her,
and finally she begged to be let off
with a short selection in her native
language. The sugG Gestion was applaud
ed, and madame began. Although her
listeners could not understand her
words, her gestures and some thrilling
tones held them enchanted until the
final syllable, when she was over
whelmned with plaudits. AS she was
preparing to depart her hostess asked
her for the title of the selection she
had given, and much to her surprise
madame went into a small-sized par
oxysm Of laughter. II am sorry to de-
ceiye you," she said, smilingly, "but
my recitation hasn't any name. My
memory failed so badly that as a last
resort recited the numbers from one
to two hundred and thirty in Polish"
The sun., 1893-11-09
The Best Hospitality.

Hospitality shares what it has. It
does not attempt to give what it has
not. The finest hospitality, it has been
said, is that which welcomes you to
the fireside ard permits you to look
upon the picture of a home life so lit
tie disturbed by your coming that you
are at once made to feel yourself Il
part of the little symphony-the rare
bit Of color just needed to complete
the harmonic combination. With this
fiattering fact impressed upon your
memory you will hardly be able to re-
call the material adjuncts of the Oc-
casion. It is a sign of gross nature
to measure hospitality by the loaves
and fishes, forgetting the miracle that
goes with them. And it is equally .
mistake for a host to be afraid to
offer humble entertainments when rich
er offers are beyond his means. 20 .
refined perception, 'Fthe life is more
than the meat" and the personality of
the host, not the condition Of the iaFder,
decides whether or not it is an honor
to be his guest. Delightful though it
be to be able to afford ones guest a
rare and beautiful entertainment, one
must dismiss the idea that q graceful
and acceptable hospitality depends Oh
material things. Sir Launfat, sharing
his crust with the beggar at the gate,
was still Sir Launfal. The impover-
ished hostess may preside at her frrl-
gal board with the spirit and the man.
neP OF 2 queen, whereas the coarse
fibered vulgafia1 yainly heaps his plat
ters with choicest game and rarest
fruit, the while he serves the banquet
like the churl that he is.-Philadelphia
TMes.
The sun., 1893-11-09
An Expensive "Liwht, :"

A landed proprietor from the German
provinces was staying not long ago at
hotel in Berlin. He got into CONVEX
sation with the landlord one evening,
and they talked of the hardness of the
times.
1T seems to me-" said the visitor
'''that the Berlin people have got no
money left" taking from his pocket as
he spoke a bulky purse, from which he
took Q couple of bank notes, twisted
them into a spill, and calmly lit his
cigar Boniface and the other people
present stared at him in open -mouthed
amazement. A few hours afterward
came the time for the visitors depar-
ture. Once more he took out his purse
this time in order to pay his bill He
counted through his notes, and sudden
ly turned white, and then red. He
found himself still lip possession of 4
score of flash notes, which he kept
for the purpose of playing practical
jokes; but he had lit his cigar with the
only two genuine notes he had with
him.-Tit-Bits.
The sun., 1893-11-09
ELECTRIC LIGHTS IN MINING.

Value of the Arc Lamps in Pit Sink
ing at Great Depths.
A novel application of the electric
search light has been made In Scotland.
To enable the workmen. to labor
through the night while pit was being
sunk a search light, the apparatus for
which consisted of an arc lamp, lens
and a mirror, inclosed in q sheet iron
case, was suspended over the pits
mouth. Access to the lamp was OBJ
tanned by a sliding shutter on each
side of the case The light was focused
or adjusted by a screw ON the top of the
outside of the case, and when necessary
the lamp could be adjusted to diffuse
light throughout the whole shaft, or
be concentrated at the bottom. The
mirror, which was hung on its center,
could be moved in vertical direction,
so to defect the rays of light to any
required spot, and could be fixed in
any position by a thumb screw.
This method of Illuminating was
found to give the following advantages:
The light in the shaft was far in ex-
cess of that given by the ordinary
sinker's lamp, consequently more work
could be performed in given time.
The lamp, being stationed on the sur
face, could be got at easily at any
time for adjustment without fncon-
venience to the sinkers, and in the
event of the strata giving Off Sire
damp 1t gave perfect immunity from
danger of explosion. Another point of
not little importance was that by the
aid of the light those in charge could
see from the surface what was going
on below, and a practical mining en-
gineer who visited the colliery gave it
as his opinion that this alone was worth
all the outlay, even if the light served
no other purpcse.-St. Louis Globe,
Democrat.
The sun., 1893-11-09
FROM AN OLD MAIDS DIARY.
An Involuntary Sigh fOc n Husband,
Even If He Kept Late Hours.

An Involuntary Sigh fOt n Husband,
Even If He Kept Late Hours.
Sept. 22.-Tea pals on the taste to-
night and even kittie's purring isn't
comforting. 1t is plain as day, Jennie
Martin, that you have the blues. I
didn't know what I would do if there
was q man around-scratch his eyes out,
| guess. Yes, / know I should, for
there was Mrs. Smiths husband who
came home at 2 o'clock this morning.
was awakened by hearing him whist
ling out under the lamp post and try
ing his various keys ON the front door.
| am certain he started on the watch
key and went right through the list.
When | said to Mrs. Smith, Your hus-
band was a little late last night, wasn't
he, Mrs. Smith?' she just laughed and
said, 20, Tom, is grand panjandrum
of the Ancient Azteckian Order of
Spoopenjays and his duties keep him
out late Saturdays. But he is always
so good-natured that never can scold."
I'd like to see a man pull the wool
over my eyes that way. Deacon Jones
called to see me again yesterday. 1t
is plain that the deacon is far gone
on me. But ! declare though / would
not say it, I'd rather have somebody
who had q little "more pepper in his
makeup than the deacon has, even if
he did stay out until 2 o'clock Satur-
day night and hold the Office of holy
bojum or some such awfulness. When
l was calling on Mrs. Smith the other
night what did that Tom Smith do but
put his arm right around my waist
and Mrs. Smith right there, too, and
a=laughing just screamed. And Tom
says, kind of saucy like, Deacon Jones
has got something rich, rare and racy
growing up for him, hasn't he, Jen.
nie?" L declare, but the slap I gave
him tingles my hand yet. Tom is
dreadful tease. Well, must clear away
the dishes and so over to the literary
society. 1t meets at Mrs. Johnson's
this evening.-NTinneapolis Journal
The sun., 1893-11-09
(To Be Continued.)
TRYING 1T ON.

Sensations Produced by a Heavy
Electric Current.
Edison's Orange laboratory, despite
it's pastoral surroundings and the pa
cific nature of it's habitues, has been
the scene of some grewsome expert
ments. When the new law was passed
enlisting electricity as an agent of
death, Mr.. Edison was consulted as to
the best method of applying that mys-
terious and deadly fluid, and in the ex-
periments made by him to test the
comparative action of different cur
rents at various intensities, many pain
full animal executions were necessary.
Mr.. EdisOn'S most valuable friend
and assistant, Mr.. Charles Bachelor,
barely evaded the distinction of Off
ciating as a sacrifice on the altar of
experimental science. He was mend
ing some defective apparatus in con-
nection with a lamp, and, as it seemed
to him at the time, had taken all i'm
aginary precautions against an acci-
dent. He supposes, however, from the
presence of a burn afterward found on
one of his fingers, that he must uncon-
sciously have established a circuit by
uO1uIuS IL wire III edCn udAu- mo SOOu-
er had he made the contact than he
staggered back to a stool, with the
awful memory Of soul and body
wrenched violently asunder, with such
pangs as the Mohammedan death
angels wreak on the awakening spirits
of the damned. He describes it as re-
sembling the sensations of an immense
rough file thrust through the quivering
fibres of the body, shuddering, rasp-
ing pang, grinding it's way through
lungs and heart. For over fifteen min
utes he sat motionIess, bathed in an
icy and deathlike sweat, and nervously
unstrung from head to foot. Yet,
strange to say, the shock passed away
in day or two, leaving no visible in
jury except in the memory Of the vic
tin.-Cassier's Magazine.
The sun., 1893-11-09
A TRUNK MYSTERY.
Saratogas Which Looked as If They
Had Been Baggage-Smashed.


Had Been Bnggage-Smashed.
"Your Honor" said the complaining
witness, "this man is nuisance to the
community, and"
"What is he guilty off,"
''Running trunk factory In full
blast"
II never teard," said his honor, gaz-
ing mildly at the respectable appearing
prisoner, according to the Free Press,
''that there was anything immoral ill
running q trunk factory"
IT'S the noise, your honor People
can't sleep in their beds at night
II never heard of trunk factory rum
ming at night" remarked his honor,
blandly. "Win the prisoner please state
the circumstances?
''They are ladies' trunks, your honor,
made to order and with special instruc-
tons, which are a secret"
Tell the court all about it," suggest
ed his honor, in judicial voice.
After they are finished and the name
painted on, they are taken to the roof
of the factory and thrown into the
court beneath &c." i o.
For what; purpose?''
ITO break the iron clamps at the
ends and make dents in the side If
that process fails / blow them open
with dynamite 90
MAY I ask why such a remarkable
method is used in the construction
of your ttunks?'''
''It is to give them q travelling look,
your hon6E, They are for brides who
wish to travel incognito.'
The prisoner was discharged.
The sun., 1893-11-09
Old Trunks i'm Demand.

Old chests and trunks have a high
value as curios, and are largely taken
by the dealers. AS paper was costly in
the eighteenth century, many such ar
ticles We're lined with newspapers then
current. and IL the pleasantries of tho
period are to be trusted, even with re-
jected manuscripts. A curious old
trunk with pentagonal ends recently
turned up in the shop of dealer in
old furniture. 1t still bore a weather
stained card, showing that its last de-
livery had been to somebody in Pearl
street. 1t was lined with a Philadel-
phia newspaper of 1773, and the pages
exposed bore the tax list of that year
in pounds, shillings and pence.-New
York Sun. ..
The sun., 1893-11-09
ONE ON THE DRUMMER.
He Made u Bet With the BaGEag'
man and Had to Weaken.

He Made u Bet With the Baggage
man and Had to Weaken.
I'VE had some fun last Vice." said
the drummer to the hotel clerk Satur-
day night, after he had taken his sup
per and his weeks work was done,
says the Free Press.
Go on," suggested the clerk, en-
couragingly.
1T was up at a station on the Flint
4 Pere Marquette railroad, where there
is a saw mill and store or two, and
timber is plenty. There were three or
four of us, one of the party, young
Chicago drummer, who was as fresh
us Lake Michigan. He was Jolylns
everybody, as we were waiting for a
delayed train, and at last he tackled
the man who cht cked the baggage.
IL say he said to him, with Il wink
at the rest of us, can l get a trunk
checked here for Detroit?
Certainly, if you've got ticket.
That's all right; I've got the ticket;
but checking the trunk is what Dothers
me-
Don't worry about that, mister,
said the simple-minded baggageman.
L can check any sort of trunk you
got
This is such a trunk as l never
saw checked explained the Chicago
fresh.
Bring on your trunk; I'll fix it,
Insisted the baggageman.
III bet you So you won't do IT,
blufred the Chicago man.
The baggageman replied by taking
out n flyer and putting it in my hands,
and Chicago came up smiling and put
his there, too.
wait he said to the baggagenan,
with another wink ut me, till go back
to the hotel and get it
Then he disappeared, and in about
ten minutes he pulled up alongside of
the viatform with Il team of cattle
dragging the trunk of a tree about
twenty-five feet long and two feet in
diameter at its smallest .girth.
Here you are shouted the Chica-
go man. with big laugh Of triumph;
bring on your check. This is my
trunk
Il thought and so did the rest of
lis. that Chicago had the eOuntryman,
and he looked at himself at first foF
there was no use talking he could never
get tilat thing into the car; but he got
his second wind in a moment.
'''AIl right he said, smiling at the
drummer, Then to the man with the
team: Haul it over onto them hay
scales, Bill, and weigh it,
Whats that forY asked the drum
mer, without a wink at any of US.
"'Got TO see how much it weighs
said the baggageman quietly. 'Lowin'
you your 80 pounds, should say there
was about 1900 pounds extra baggage
in that trunk. and it'll cost you some
thing over $500 to git it to Detroit.
Hurry up, Bill he called to the driver,
the train1l be along in ten minutes
But Bill didn't hurry. The Chicago
man paid him half a dollar for his
trouble, yielded up his V to the green
and guileless baggagenan, and didn't
have anything more to say to any
body"
The sun., 1893-11-09
Swift Travel Under Water,

The fastest mechanism, artificial or
natasal, made to penetrate, water for
any considerable distance is, according
to Mr.. jeremiah Head. Thorncroft's
torpedo boat Ariete, which, oa trial
made 30.16 miles per hour. Aerial
mechanisms ere capable of very much
greater speed. ganG3 Tristram told the
ton, in his address, that Herr Gatk2
holds that godwits and ploYers can do
their 240 miles an hour, and the spine
tailed swift, according to DIR. Jepdon,
can breakfast in Ceylon and supper in
FAe Himalayas on the same day
knowledge,
The sun., 1893-11-09
Latest Experiments IN EIectrO-CuI-
tUre.


tUre.
The tabulation of Prof. r. Chodat's
late experiments on the action of cleo
trio light on vegetation affords most
valuable and authoritative gaia On the
subject, To discover whether germina-
ton was really quicker in plants un-
der the influence of electricity Prof.
Chadat made the following experiment:
A certain number of bean seeds were
placed iq water until the roots became
visible. Fourteen seeds in all were
used: they We're divided into two lots,
each of these being identically the
same as regards weight, size apd APP
pearance. Each lot was placed ip tuD
containing sawdust, and each was pegH-
larly watered and submitted to the
same conditions Of heat and light. One
Of the tubs was then placed in commu-
nieatiaR with Holtz machine and cleo
trified, tbs fifst day for forty minutes,
the second day tGr two and one-half
hours, the third day for HlRee and one
half hours, the fifth day for four hours,
and the following days for three hours
UP t9 the eleventh day. On the fourth
u'J utc te4Ts@ EE&p2n w. aPPeSI III TIC
electrified tub, wtite No sisp of leaf
was apparent in the other, On the
fifth day the difference was stiii more
marked, for the leaves and stems began
to take ap upright position, though no
activity was 4IGpifest in the second
tub. On the seventh G4y the non
electrified seeds began t6 PUT forth
buds, 1t is an interesting fact that
the sensitive plant is not affected by
these electrical influence,
The sun., 1893-11-09
why a WfEs Changes Her Name.

why q WfGs Changes Her Name.
1t is said that the practice Of the wife
assuming the husbands name at mar
riage originated from a Roman custoaa
and became the common custom after
the Roman occupation. Thus Julia and
Octavia, married to Pompey and
Cicero, were called by the Romans
Julia of Pompey and Octavia of Cicero,
and in later times married women in
most European countries signed their
names in the same manner, but omit
ted the ''Of." Against this view may
be mentioned that during the sixteenth
and even the beginning of the seven
century the usage seems doubtful, since
we find Catherine Parr SO signing her.
self after she had been twice married,
and we always hear of Lady Jane
Grey mot Dudley and ARabella Stuart
Gnst SEYMOUR. Some pers0pe think
shat the custom originated fPom the
ScriptuFal teaching that husband and
wife are one. 1t was decided in the
case of Bon VS.. Smith, in the reign of
Elizabeth, that a woman by marriage
aOsea her former name ard legally re-
ceives The name of her husband. Phil
adelphid G'imes.
The sun., 1893-11-09
Wanted Justice.

A few mornings ago, shortly after
the adjournment of the jefferson Mar.
ket court, man came in and wanted
warrant
You can't get it now," explained
one of the officers, "the judge is gon0
for the day"
Where can l find him?'
You'll have to wait until tomorrow
morning to transact any business of
that sort"
wait until tomorrow" he exclaimed
wiping the perspiration from his fore
head and gazing at the empty bench
as If he'd like to jump aboard of 1t
and issue the warrant himself
There amt no use Of getting excit-
ed,"n continued the officer; you don't
expect to be murdered, do you2 and
nobody amt going to burn your house
down, / guess"
"Well, you keep on guessin'," replied
the exasperated citizen, but if you
had q woman next door hangln' over
your backyard fence from molnin' till
night, talzin' to your Wife, while you
were waitin hungry for your meals,
I'm bettin' you'd squeal for justice a
good deal loudern / can. "--ssSasy York
Times
The sun., 1893-11-09

manner. Mrs. Jack was always frank,
too frank, her mother-in-law said; and
| am inclined to think her mother-in-
law was right. But there are natures
which need pretty sharp discipline
to teach them the lesson that other
folks are not SO much Interested in
them as they are In themselves, and
1t Is not rare to see persons go through
life without having learned it, Mrs.
Jack always expected sympathy, and
1t must be owned that she gave 1t abun-
dainty and warmly to others.
Miss Barnasconi listened, drinking her
ten the while, to the young widows
story; and when Mrs Jack wound up
with, Il dare say it's all very true,
and that I'm not good manager, al
though I'm sure / buy the very, very
cheapest things!-quite horrid things /
buy!-but as to going and living In Per-
cival house, 1t does seem too dreadful
to think ofr'-when Mrs. Jack ended
with this vehemently uttered sentence,
Miss Barnasconi slowly opened her
said, in her deep voice:
Come! they're not ogres at Percival
house, are they? They won't eat you
cold boiled for breakfast, will they p
'Oh, but they are SO stupid! And,
besides, Popsy can't bear her grand
ma"
"Popsy's objections are profoundly
serious, still they might be overcome" /"
'Oh, it's all very well, but you don't
know how Mrs. Lilly worries the child.
And then there's Biddy. / couldn't
send away Biddy. What would Popsy
do?
"Popsy, aged three years and FIVE
days. would clean forget her."
"Oh, don't believe she would! Pop
sy has wonderful memory"
"Pooh! don't talk like fool, my
dear" said Miss Barnasconi, hluntly.
ITO Be COntinued.l
The sun., 1893-11-09
CHAPTER III.

Mrs. Jack lived in a queer lite nook
of street leading nowhither, and
bounded at an end by high garden
wall. The other end opened out of a
quiet street behind the High street
The house she lodged jp was an old
stone house Of tWp stories with a
green door in the middle ef It bnd
green shutters, blistered by the SUM-
hooked back against the wall on either
side of each of the ground floor win
d,QWs. The green door bore brass
plate =g4tAl thig singular inscription:
MRS. Il. PIsPIdEAlCB, II. N.
Strangers might stare aha slpile
when they saw 1t, but did not every
man, woman and child in Codllngton
kaQW that Mrs. Petherick was the
widow Of Thomas Pethericl, master
in the Royal NaYy9 And did they not
know, moreover, that when her bus
baHd died she had the letters M, i, s,
squeezed ia between the rim of the
plate and the naIae Of q, Petherick
And was not that measure Of simple