davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12

where he is not angular he is lumpy, his
hair is worn of In patches OF square feet
and no one can count the joints OF his
tremulous legs. II anything is needed TO
further disfigure him IL is a soiled and tat
tered saddle of carpet and cheap ornaments.
This lis fastened over the lean and irregu-
lar ridge OF his back by numerous straps
His long and mournful head Is bound in a
halter. Then you have the camel as he is
found in Cairo. a sight TO brighten children
and tempt stout women TO reckless feats.
This riding Of camels has become almost
a craze. The buzz and clatter OF Cairo
street breed a contagion of nervous dar-
ing. Other people are rocking up and down
the streets on the camels. Donkey riders
dash through the halting crowds followed
by exulting yelps. The shrill and martial
pipes and the pattering tom-toms assist in
ing, offering wares. The holiday Is perpet-
ual. He who gets into IL feels a sudden de-
sire to be part of the hurrah-to ride a
camel.
And so the numbering ships OF the desert
are kept on the move all day. 1t costs Is
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12


work and blacksmithing. besides museum
oI native arms But interesting as all
tnis is. 1t conveys but an imperfect idea
OF what the Dahomeyans really are To
great many people even the location of
lhe country is unknown.
The kingdom of Dahomey is in Upper
%ulnea, on the slave coast of Africa. Its
present area Is Supposed. to be about 1000
Square miles; IL was once considerably
larger, but unsuccessful wars with neigh
boring tribes have MUCK reduced its ex-
tent.
" hen not fighting, the people are mostly
engaged In farming. Ivory and gold are
plehuIuL Whydah is the principal coast
Town, with a population of about 5000.
a1OuI seventy or eighty miles inland from
Hnydan IS AbOmey. the capital and the
VlhcleAl headquarters of the king. Abomey
- Struggling town. surrounded by bitches
Hueu with brush and clay walls pierced at
intervals with gates. These gates are In
pairs. one Tor ordinary use the other ex-
Sius1Vely for the entrance and exit OF the
Ming AT the gates posted sentinels.
VINO VIII allow no one to enter the city
MIthoot the kings permission. Once in
sice. the town is found TO consist mostly
Much pretension TO arrangement, though
the main thOroughfare is about 100 feet
VIDE and leads to a central square and
market place. on which Is located military
barracks. The city is five or six miles in
circumference and not being very closely
ouLt. includes within its walls a number
OF farms.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12

look on both sides to see that the two were
fastened all right. This seemed to excite
suspicion in the mind of the young
woman. who had ceased to smile and was
trifie paier than before
is there any danger?" she asked. noticing
a shake and tremble of the dun mass un-
derneath them. 1t was too late to begin
asking questions. The driver was Juggling
at the halter and humping the camel over
the neck with his stick. At first the camel
then all of sudden his HEADQUARTERS be-
gan to lift. They kept on lifting. II SEEM
ed as though he was using one end at a
on the girl. Both threatened TO slide over
the saddle and down the sloping neck to
the ground below. The girls hat fell over
enough to keep a tight hold and lean back.
As they chung to this steep incline the
camel paused Then he swung to the right
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12

The kings palace is only distinguish BILE
from other houses by its greater size and
Its location In vast Enclosure or court
yard Close TO the palace is an immense
circular tent made OF velvet and silk. This
Is the harem where the monarch's four or
nve hundred wives reside. Surrounding the
large tent are numerous small TENTS and
scattered about the spacious grounds are a
great number Of gold and silk embroidered
umbrellas. some Of them twenty feet in
diameter. These are gifts from the neigh
boring pOtentateS. wealthy subjects and
traders II might be we'll to state here that
the king Is most absolute despot and all
within his domains can own property but
by his sufferance. When subjects are pre-
scented TO the king they are obliged to pros
trate themselves and cover their heads
with dust, thus testtfyins what worms of
the earth they are In the presence of his
sable majesty. White men are usually per-
mttted to come into the royal presence
without complying with this requirement. of
court etiquette. Women are also exempt
from It
The Dahomeyans are fond of excitement
and display, thus the reception of foreign
visitors is often made the occasion for a
great demonstration Of the kings power
and glory. a review OF his troops is held
they go through various evOlutions and fire
on their guns. the kings gifts are brought
from building called the trea sury and
two or three hundred bearers carry them
about the town for several hours TO afford
everybody the opportunity of beholding his
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12
TWIN BOTHERATION,
Twin sisters Are wOOed by Twin
Brothers and Complications Arise.

Twin Sisters Are woOed by Twin
Brothers and Complications Arise.
From the Chicago Inter Ocean
william and Edward Sites are brothers
ana wealthy real estate men OF Wichita
They are twins. and in addition are SO
much alike that people who have known
them Intimately for years constantly mis-
take one for the other. In the same town
nved two school teachers who We're sisters
and twins. The authority for the story, A
NJ. Burton Of Kansas. who is at the Great
Northern, says that IT is difficult to tell
them apart The four twins met, fell in
love and married. Each twin married the
twin with whom he or she was in love
though little mixing made discrimination
impossible
Many stories, too long to be retold here
are related Of them during the courtship
but suffice 1t for the present narrative to
say that In order to avoid mistakes William
and the young lady to whom he was en-
gaged assigned Monday, Wednesday and
and Ed called on the remaining nights of
the week. so there would be no mistake
Ihey were married by the same preacher at
the same time. The gentlemen were dress
ed alike and so were the ladies. The
preacher got little mixed and had to
refer to his notes, but the high contract
Ing parties are satisfied that they got the
one they wanted. The father of the boys
presented them both colts that were twins
tlenen. looking exactly alike and driving
horses and buggies where no difference can
be detected may be seen in the streets of
wichita, where they are known to nearly
everybody in town.
Well. twins have come into those two
households and IL is gravely asserted that
each set of twins cannot be determined
from the other They have all four been in
one house and the visiting mother has taken
two babies home with her. and IL they be-
come mixed they comfort themselves by
saying: It's all In the family anyhow
The children are satisfied with either one
or the ladies as a mother. When either
one Of the gentlemen meets any one of the
four on the street and il calls Hello
papa" he doesn't know whether it's his or
not.
Eight of these twins for, of course the
horses are to be left in Wichita, are coming
to see the fair. At the hotel are two negro
boys. twins. who are to be assigned es-
pecially to walt on them. Complications
are looked for as one of these boys once
had broom at the door when a gentle
man ordered brougham, and the other
brought sick man a Bible when he ask ed
for q barber.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12


One of the most shocking in its barbar-
ity Is The throwing of the presents"
This occurs annually. A platform Is erect
ed, hung with drapery and flags. among
which Is the flag of Dahomey-white
with a figure in black holding up a head in
one hand and a sword in the other. On
this platform stands the king surrounded
by his court. while all about, in a dense
mass. is the populace. kept back by the
Amazonian guard. The ceremonies begin
by the king throwing into the crowd bum
dies of cloths. muskets, knives. pipes and
tobacco. &c. which are fiercely scrambled
for by the people. Then comes the slaugh-
ter of criminals. and prisoners of war. The
unfortunate victims are dressed in white
shirts. white caps. and tied into long bas-
kets with their knees drawn up to their
chins. A sort of slide Is attached to the
platform. The baskets with their living
contents are lifted on the slide and hurled
down into the crowd below. horrible
struggle ensues. the poor wretches are
hacked 20 pieces by the rabble, many of
whom are killed or injured in the effort to
get the heads of the victims. the posses
sion of which is considered q great honor.
Two hundred are often killed in these sat
urnalias OF blood
Another horrible custom is that Of offer
ing up human sacrifices at the shrine of
the kings ancestors. their blood being
sprinkled on the graves. This Is called
Watering the kings graves" When a
king dies. his wives are said to engage In
a free fight. In which some are killed. This
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12

tipped back 70 save themselves from sliding
the front half OF the animal came up with
a bump, and they might have fallen back
ward IL they had not grasped the ropes.
AS IL was. both plunged forward and the
young woman let out a third scream The
young man was too busy preparing for an
other tip TO reassure her. But Il was all
over. The camel had shaken the kinks out
OF all his legs and was slowly turning
around with a wabbling motion like a boat
caught In a trough OF waves. The young
woman had recovered her hat and from
night she had passed into a giggle. the
young man assisting her. All this time the
men ana women who stood around had
been yelling and tittering with glee and
saving 70 each other: We'll, did you eyer2''
Then they waited to see them come hack
ana unload. Tor that Is half the fun. Usually
the rider takes kindly TO the trip down the
street. To be sure. the animal rocks rack
and forth and seems always on the point Of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12

men to carry 1t. Each log has one end
ss s on the ground, the other support
ed by a small wooden trestle. The men
have each a wooden hammer these also
ranging from one the size Of a tack ham
mer to two-hended sledge. With these
banners hammers the men beat upon the logs. pro-
which needs to be heard at a distance to
s oe properly rope appreciated by the civilized
with tbs anvil chorus, probably because
Of its .eafening din. The Dahomeyans
nave other musical Instruments. such as
Gym1ais. drums and horns. but the ham
The dress Of the men generally consists
OF breech cloth. a short pair Of drawers
length by four to six in breadth, worn like
the ancient toga.
The women wear loin cloth held up
bers Of the court circle adding a cloth to
cover the upper part Of the body. They
tattoo themselves. especially their stom-
also wear ornaments. such as anklets
bracelets. &c.
.Dahomey is very fertile country,
aoounding In corn, cassava "a substitute for
bread, yams. some Of which grow to an
enormous size; sweet potatoes, plantains,
oranges, lines and apples. cocoanuts.
matoes, ginger and spices of all kinds and
tobacco. Cattle. sheep and goats are also
raised. Some of the farmers are men Of
wealth and live in the capital city.
The country about Abomey Is rolling
with forests Of fine trees, in which roam
lions. tigers. elephants and other wild ami
mails. 1t is a very cheap country. Labor
ers are paid 1 and cents a day: a pound
of beef or mutton can be had for a cent:
from twenty to thirty eggs for the same
price. grapes. pears, bananas and other
fruits cents a calipash. a calipash being
dried gourd shell holding two bushels
One cent will purchase more food than q
hearty man can eat in a day.
The money Of the country consists Of
small shells called cowrie. 1t takes eighty
of them to equal a cent In value.
Some Of the so-called kings customs"
of the Dahomeyans are most bloodthirsty
and revolving These are known as throw
ing OF the presents" the feast Of the Trou-
badors." the milking Of the PALM" 1.-The
day Of the king &C.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12

cents to go to the end Of a street and back
In one week the camel pays for itself more
than once.
The drivers are large black men with
loose gowns and twisted turbans. They
are strong and willing men, too. One Of
them will grasp a heavy woman around the
waist and lift her on TIE saddle as though
he were handling a sack OF rice. II she
loses her hat and shows a desire TO fall on,
as the camel weaves and staggers In ris-
Ing. he grasps her firmly by the ankles
and, In volley of hot Egyptian, begs her
TO keep cool and hang on. Although he
has seen people lurched and tossed around
on camels for great many years he en-
joys IL as much as any one for he wears a
broad and sympathetic grin. Every mo-
going utterly TO sleep, he whacks Il with
his stick like a man beating carpet and
says something. to which the camel pays
no attention.
Three camels were sprawled on the ma Is
yesterday when a young man and a back
ward girl approached one of the drivers
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12

That the Dahomeyans, and especially
the Amazons. can fight was abundantly
proved during the campaigns of 1SeO-9l -92.
when the French invaded the country on
account of the slave trade and depreda-
tons on French territory.
In 1880 a force of DahomeyanS, 5000
strong. 1000 men and 1000 Amazons. at
tackled 2 French force of 400 men. They
made three assaults on the French and
would have overwhelmed them but for the
terrible execution of the Libel rifle the
balls from which even went through the
trunks of good-sized trees. The loss of the
Dahomeyans was 300 killed, that of the
French sixty-one killed and wounded.
In another battle in which the French
had 5000. opposed to 1000 Dahomeyans the
AmaZons made many desperate charges
upon the French lines. and were only driven
OFF after frightful havoc had been wrought
in their ranks by the nineteen field guns
and terrible fire of the Libel rifles.
But the white mans discipline finally
overcame the imperfectly organized forces
of the Dahomeyans. In 1882 the capital
was taken. the king. BENJAMIN.. fed and
a protectorate was established. 1t is very
probable that the King of Dahomey will
rule neyermore. The dethroned BENJAMIN.
was educated in Paris, but on his return
to his native land his savage instincts got
the better OF his training and he took UP
again the customs of the country.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12

falling down, but the sensations are mia
compared with the shake-up of mounting.
III the passenger becomes camel sick bow
ever he is ready to land at once and noth-g
Ing will stop him. The rolling and lurching
give him a troubled feeling I'm the pit Of
his stomach and the minarets begin TO
wave In the air. For such a case a ladder
IL near at hand and he is permitted TO
oescend Very few people are troubled
with this attack In fact. there is hardly.
risk OF any Kind I'm riding a camel. Many
nave been frightened. but not one person.
has been hurt. To be sure. when a comes
10 olsmounting the camel is abrupt end
uncertain de may lower his rear haunch-l
es some eight feet at one lazy droop ana
allow the rider 10 toboggan over his tail
or ne may swoop carelessly TO the front and
threaten header" but Il only lasts a
moment Usually he comes down by de-.
grees breaking each leg in new places and
giving his rider nothing more than a few
uneasy swings forward and back
Whatever may be his way OF folding up
ne bnally settles in complete repose on tho
oirty mating and waits for another cargo
OF strangers.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12

From the London News.
A highly respectable Indian gentleman. a
member Of the Bombay Anthropological So
ciety-Mr. Sarat Chandra Mitra-has come
forward with an apparently well authenti-
Gated story Of girl who has been discov-
cred In Jalpaiguri In the den of bear. The
young persons habits were decidedly bear
fsh, for she tried to bite ard scratch those
who came near her, went down ION all
fours" for locomotion and "growled at
meals" The orphanage of the New Dis
pensation Church in Calcutta could make
nothing of the ferocious founding who has
consequently been removed to Bias Aram a
refuge founded and supported by Brahmo
gentlemen in that city
Nor is this all. A Bhagal Zemindar has
captured in the jungle a wild boy, whose
only approach to speech is the utterance
OF chattering sounds like those OF a mon
key. Col Sleeman and the Rev Mr. Lewis
of the Secundra Church Mission have
vouched for similar stories. Mr. Mira is
OF opinion that when, as sometimes hap-
pens. an infant is abandoned in the bush
there is nothing absurd I'm the idea that II
might be adopted by a female wild animal
that had lost her young.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12
OF FEMININE INVENTION.
Little Matters of Dress fn which
Comfort and Grace Are Sought Chez v

From the New York Sun
Almost every woman has some article OF
clothing Of which she is especially fond
Nine times out OF ten II is something she
mas devised herself as a substitute for " haf
Is worn by her less inventive sisters. For
instance. one shrinking young woman who
would almost rather be wicked than strong
minded. goes about with her small feet
done up in boys boots of the sturgiest
variety. She says they are more comfarta-
bic. three times as durable and quite as
neat as the so-called strong walking shoes
for ladies. She wears the daintiest end
most flexible of feminine house shoes. but
Tor walk on the pavements she will have
nothing but boys boots.
Another woman of more advanced wars
IN fact she is on the shady side of flfty,
wears white balbriggan hose and has " Orn
them ever since she was a child. FASHIONS
come and go, but IL does not alter her
fancy. For years the good woman has not
been able to give her skirts a tidy lift on a
rainy day. because she was at the wrong
end OF the color line. But she cherished a
belief that black stockings made her weak
80 she dragged her petticoats with stern
her undyed hose. Closely allied 20 the hose
are the elastics. There are two varieties ot
the susnenasr eie x sne roun1 ha eAr re- saa
q suspender and vice versa. Friendships
watchword OF the suspender faction; beauty
IL the boast of the garter tribe.
One proud woman serenely claims TO
have solved the difficulty by uniting the
two. She wears suspenders-but such Nus-
pendersi This is the way she makes them
II they are to be Of light blue she takes
the hooks and clasps (she has solid silver
ones) and sews those which catch the stock
ings to blue ribbons, with coquettish bows
flor there are two clasps TO one stocking.
OF course). are fastened together with an
other bow at the buckle. The piece whicl
eyr ha IN hal a =
blue silk elastic. This II stretched TO It's
full length. and while thus extended, q
strip OF blue ribbon Is sewed over It When
the elastic In released IL shortens. OF course,
huting the ribbon IN the process. This
makes a suspender which VIII silence the
the round carter
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12

From the Boston Transcript.

From the Boston Transcript.
Fogg and Henderson were discussing
Johnsons affairs. Said Fogg: He is too
much OF society man to lay up any
money"
why, ! didn't know he was a society
man at ALL, retorted Henderson
Society man! Why, bless you he be-
longs to the Alpha Beta Kappa. the Kappa
omega Phi. the Phi Sigma Delta the
omega Chi Beta, the Society of Hero
plants of the Hindoo Shrine, the Sons Of
the Evolution. the Knights of St Simon
the simple, the Uncles OF America. the
brotherhood of Behemoths and the Society
OF American Hayfever Sufferers"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12
Poor Little Thing.

from 1e&as Slftlhgs.
Whats the matter. Molly?" asked Col
Yerger OF his little six-year-old daughter
Pa, my hooking bird Is dead
Well. never mind. Molly, I'll buy YOU
another one
Il am calm enough now. but when I
saw that poor little dead bird / could have
cried like q child" said Molly,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12
The Real Cause Of the Trouble.

From the Detroit Free Press
Dick had trouble after he was married
1 believe-didn't get along we'll with his
WIFE, did he?'
oh, yes he got along very well with his
wife: but he got along too well with other
mems wives"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12
A ROMANCE or THE TRANSVAAL
WRITTEN FOB THE EVENING STAR BY
WALTER BRUCE.
CHAPTER I.-ALONE WITH A GREAT
SORROW

~ Il u 10 l. d !!
Gold!!! The region
Of gold-the city of
gold! Gold In the
earth beneath: golden
silvery stars shining
in the sky above. But
alas! no gold In the
pocket of the young
man who with droop-
ing head and W 1 t h
deepening m Is er y
stamped upon his face
walks with W e airy
49,. - AL u&.4>xA
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12
IN DAHOMEY LAND,
An Interesting and Attractive Vii
lage at the Worlds Fair.
SOMETHING ABOUT The KINGDOM,
Barbarous Practices When CeIe-
bratlng the Kings Customs.
a VI AZONIAN SOLDIERS.

MONG THE MOST
interesting Of the at
fractions In the mid
way plaisance at the
worlds fair Is the
Dahomeyvillage This
consists of thirty
native houses with
a population Of sixty
nine people. thirty
one of them Anna
ION soldiers. Here
are shown native
manufactures and in
dustrles. such as
weaving, goldsmith
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12

CHAPTER VI.-SUNSHINE AFTER RAIN
Christmas day broke fair. bright genial
iovely-the very ideal of South African
weather. The sky was of stainless blue:
the river glistened like FURNISHED gold: the
air was balmy and fragrant. Clarkson
spent the morning wandering UP and down
the river bank He gazed upon all the
beauty of earth and sky callously-it did
not seem to be for him. A dark sky and
wild storm would have better suited his
mood.
In the afternoon he returned to his tent,
wishing that Christmas was over that he
might get back to work. Labor was all he
cared for now, for physical WEAKNESS
brought with it some measure of mental
rest. LiStleSsly he took up of the
newspapers Rock had left him. What mat
tered It to him how the rest OF humanity
were moving, what men were buying and
selling, who was growing rich and who had
become poor. He was about to fling the
paper down again when something caught
his something that instantly banished
the hot blood rushing to his cheek. 1t was
a Johannesburg journal. and he read:
A DEATHBED CONFESSION.
Truth is after all stranger than fiction,
and murder will out. The truth Of these
well-known adages has just been proved in
a remarkable manner. Few people will
have forgotten the excitement into which
Johannesburg was thrown about eighteen
months ago by the murder of Mr.. Diblin, a
wealthy and much respected merchant of
this town. young man named Garrison
was accused of the crime and after trial
sentenced to death. The sentence was
afterward committed to penal servitude for
life 1t will be remembered that Cfarkson
escaped from prison, and that all efforts to
trace him were unavailing. 1t seems, how
ever, that the young fellow was innocent
of the crime for which he nearly paid the
awful penalty. A man named Dick Carter.
who was injured in the dynamite explo sion
at the Gladstone mine yesterday and who is
now dead, confessed to the murder 1t ap-
pears that for some time there had been i'll
will between Mr.. Diblin and Carter, and on
the day Of the murder II terminated in a
bitter and terrible quarrel. Late in rhe
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12
CHAPTER II-BY THE MOUTH OF THE
LION

The court house. facing the market
square, was crowded to suffocation as the
popular phrase runs. on the day appointed
for the trial. The affair had excited much
public interest on account Of the wealth
and local standing of the murdered man
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12
From Puck

Taken From the Nude"
DAD