davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-04-29
An Ancient Birdland.

For ages before its occupation by
man New Zealand swarmed with great
wingless birds, which found here no
carnivorous enemies, but an abundance
of vegetable food. The moas not only
existed in vast numbers, and for thous-
ands of years, but had such diversity
OF form as to embrace no less than
seven genera, containing twenty five
species-a remarkable fact which is I'M
paralleled in any other part Of the
world. The commonest kinds in the
North Island were only from two and
one-half to four feet high. Those of
the South Island we're mostly from four
to six feet tall, willie the giant forms
reaching twelve and thirteen feet were
always rare. Immense deposits of moa
bones have been found in localities to
which they appear to have been washed
from the hills in tertiary times. Skele-
tons ON the surface of the ground,
with skin and ligaments still attached,
have given the impression that these
birds have been exterminated in very
recent years, but other facts point to n
different conclusion. Tradition seems
to show that the moa became extinct in
the North Island soon after the arrival
of the Maoris in New Zealand-that is,
not less than 400 or 500 years ago-and
in the South Islands about 100 years
later The fresh appearing skin and
ligaments are supposed to have been
preserved by unusually favorable con-
ditions.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-04-29
Extremes of Gallantry.

Iu the days when Charles Surface
and his rollicking friends drank to any
woman who proved an "excuse for the
glass, it was not uncommon to quaff
the bumper from her shoe. The Earl
of Cork relates an incident of this kind,
and to carry the compliment still fur
ther he states that the shoe was ordered
to be dressed and served up for supper.
The cook set himself seriously to work
upon it he pulled the upper part
(which was of fine damask) into fine
shreds, and tossed it up into a ragout,
minced the sole, cut the wooden heel
into thin slices, fried them in batter,
and placed them round the dish for
garnish. The company testified THEN
affection for the lady by eating heartily
of this exquisite impromptu.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-04-29
FROSTBURG, Md. SATURDAY., April. 30 1898.
Under Difficulties.

The methods employed by the Par.
isian authorities for communicative
with the provinces during the seige OF
Paris were persevering and ingenious.
The principal means of sending lettera
was by balloons and carrier pigeons.
but many other plans were tried. 1t
was almo st impossible for a messenger
to get through the German lines. Even
when other difficulties could be over
come, the danger Of search and the
discovery of the dispatch was great.
Many of the messengers made in.
cisions in the skin and hid dispatch
under the epidermis. Others provided
themselves with hollow ten centimc
pieces, or hollow keyes, which could be
opened like box and in which dis
patches were hidden. One was accus-
toned to hide his dispatch under an ar
titicial hollow tooth. These dispatches,
of course, were written in cipher ard
covered only fragment of paper.
Attempts were made to cross the
enemy's lines by following the caves
and natural tunnels under The left
branch of the Seine, and by diving and
crossing the bed of the river in diving
suits, but all these plans failed.
A curious scheme was the putting of
letters into little hollow spheres of zinc.
and throwing these spheres into the
Seine or its tributaries, hoping tLht
they would float to Paris. They did
finally float to Paris, but not unit! after
the armistice. 1t is supposed that they
were stopped by dams, or that they
were discovered and held back by the
Germans until the siege was at an end.
Another clever and economical devi,c
was the use of hollow glass spheres
with an orifce to admit the dispatch.
These were small and light they looked
so like bubbles on the water that it was
impossible to distinguish them. They
tloated easily over the dams and through
the nets set by the Germans. They
would probably have proved very use
full had not the river frozen soon after
they were invented.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-04-29
JOHN BROWN.
Weighing His Course in the Even Balance
Scales of Impartial History.

Weighing His Course in the Even Balance
Scales of Impartial History.
When John Browns attack on Har-
pers Ferry ended in arrest and i'm
prisonment, his dreams of many years
had been shattered. The result was
what any man of judgment would have
forcseen. In the light of common
sense, the plan was folly; from a mill
tary point of view it was absurd. The
natural configuration of the ground,
the inaccessibility of Harper's Ferry to
Washington and Baltimore doomed
him in any event to destruction. 70
attack with eighteen men a village OF
1,400 people, the State of Virginia aud
the United States Government seems
the work of madman. Only by tax
ing into account his unquestioned faith
in the literal truth of the Bible can any
explanation of his actions be suggested,
for Brown was in ordinary affairs a sane
man as ever lived, and of no mean
ability as leader in guerilla warfare.
70 Emerson, he seemed ''transpar-
ent, pure idealist." Gerrit Smith
thought of all men in the world John
Brown was most truly Christian,
and that he did not doubt the truth of
~one line of the Bible Like the Puri-
tans of two centuries before. he drew
his most impressive lessons from the
Old Testament; he loved to dwell upon
the wonders God had wrought for
Joshua and for Gideon. His plan
seemed no greater folly than was the
attempt of Joshua to take walled city
by blowing of trumpets and by shouts
of the people; nor was he more foolish
than Gideon, who went out to encounter
great army with 800 men, bearing
only trumpets and lamps and pitchers.
Yet the walls of Jericho had fallen fiat
at the noise, and Gideon had put to
flight, amidst great confusion, INDIAN
ties and Amalekites, who were like the
grasshoppers for multitude. AS the
old Puritan was doing Gods work, he
felt that God would not forsake him.
A century may pass, perchance, be-
fore an historical estimate acceptable to
all lovers of liberty and justice can be
made of John Brown. What infinite
variety of opinions must exist of a man
who, on the one hand, is compared to
Socrates, and Christ, and, on the other
hand, to Orsini and Wilkes Booth The
likeness drawn between the old Puritan
and these men who did the work of
assassination revolts the muse of his
tory yet the comparison to Socrates
and Christ strikes a discordant note.
The Apostle of Truth and the Apostle
of Peace are immeasurably remote from
the man whose work of reform con-
sisted in shedding blood the teacher
who gave the injunction, Render unto
Caesar the things that are Caesars, and
the philosopher whose long life was
one of strict obedience to the laws, are
silent rebuke to the man whose re.
nown was gained by the breach of laws
deemed sacred by his country. AS
time went on, Emerson modified his
first exuberant judgment. and, when
printing. ten years later, his lecture on
Courage" omitted the expression here
cited as his opinion of the old Puritan.
James Ford Rhodes in the History
of the United States.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-04-29
Big New England Families.

Though Puritan children had but
few recreations and amusements, they
must have enjoyed a very cheerful,
happy home life. Large families
abounded. Cotton Mather says:
"One woman had not less than
twenty-five children. another had no
less than twenty three children by one
husband, whereof nineteen lived to
mans estate, and third who was
mother to even-and-twenty children. :"
Sir William Phips was one of twenty
six children, all with the same mother.
Printer Green had thirty children.
The Rev. John Sherman, of Water.
town, had twenty-six children by two
wives-twenty by his last wife.
The Rev. Samuel Willard, first
minister of Groton, had twenty chill
dren, and his father had seventeen
children.
Benjamin Franklin was one of Il
family of seventeen.
The little Puritans rejoiced also in
some very singular names, the off
spring of Roger Clap being good ex-
amples: Experience, Waitstili, Preser.
ved, Hopestill, Wait, Thanks, Desire,
Unite, and Supply.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-04-29
PAINTING MEATS AT HOTELS.
All the Principal Eating Houses in Pari,
Now Employ Flesh Artists

Did you ever eat painted meat 2
asked Edward Sales, o Parisian, of
st. Louis Je-Dem0c,m man. Yes,
,here is such thing. Your American
cooks are artists in their line, but do
not kn w all the tricks of the trade.
The idea is not very old one, but all
the most important restaurants in Paris
now employ an artist whose sole occu-
patton is to paint beefsteaks, chops and
ioiuts. 4 meat artist just now is an
important individual in the culinary
department. Let me explain it to you.
There was party of diners at one of
the l'ig cafes, and t3ey insisted upon
having leg of mutton roasted on
spit The caterer already had fresh
leg of mutton roasted in the pan. This
he wanted to dispose of and called ON
his meat artist to make it look as
though it were roasted on a spit. First
the chef transfxed it with spit, which
he Immediately withdrew, and passed
it to the painter. The artist had be-
fore him a dozen pots and bowls of
different sizes. Each had its own
particular brush and its own pecnl.
lar name. Beside these lay q number
of other brushes of various sizes,
shapes, kinds and degrees of stiffness
The artist studied the leg of mutton
fora minute, much as one would study
u landscape he was about to copy.
Ther, passing his hand across his brow,
to aid his thinking probably, he thrus1
his brush into bowl Of paint called
rissole, and painted over the deep
brown parts of the mutton that had
just come from the oven. The next
thing he did was to take cloth and
sprinkle over the mutton powder of
carbonized meat. This is calculated
to make the morsel crackle under the
teeth, and lends a crisp, brittle surface
to the flesh. Then he applied mix
ture called natural blood. With this
he inflated the pricks from which the
juice is supposed to have escaped in
abundance, Then the leg was passed
to the scullion, who poured q few spoon
fuls of consomme in the dish and added
little beef juice. Then, taking small
syringe, he pierced three holes in the
meat. Next he variegated the whole
with quantity of boiling grease. With
these finishing touches NJ. Garcon
placed it before the diners, and with
flourish announced that it had gust
come from the spit. The guests ate it
with a relish, and do not know the diff
ference yet. Oh, it is perfectly harm
less, but you never know what you eat
you know.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-04-29
The Average Height of Men.

The average height of the human
race is, for men, five feet six inche,
for women, five feet two inches What
is called the medium height, as applied
to native American men, is higher THAI,
the above. A man of five feet seven
and one-half or five feet eight inches Is
often said to be "of medium height.
The shortest men on earth are the BUSH
men, who average only four feet three
and oue-half inches the tallest are the
Patagonians, who average five feet eight
inches. AS rule Americans and Aus.
tralians are taller than Europeans, but
not so compactly built. The American
runs to nerve and sinew, the European
to bone and flesh, Exchange.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-04-29
Made From Refuse,

Many perfumes are artifcially manu-
factured, and, strange to say, most fire.
quently out of bad smelling COM
pounds. The fusel oil, separated out
in the distillation of spirits, has q
peculiarly nasty and sickening odor
1t is used, after treatment with acids
and oxidizing agents, to make the oil
of apples and the oil of pears. Oil of
grapes and oil of cognal are little more
than fusel oil largely diluted. Oil of
pineapples, on the other hand, is best
made by the action of putrid cheese on
sugar, or by distilling rancid butter
with alcohol and oil of vitriol. This
oil is largely used for making pineapple
ale. Many fair forehead used to be
damped with Eau de Millefeurs" with
out knowing that its essential ingre-
dent was got from the drainage of COW
houses, though now it can be obtained
cheaper from one of the constituents of
gas tar. Out of the latter is got oil of
bitter almonds, so largely used to per-
fume soap, pastry and confectionery.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-04-29
For Leisure Hours,

One of the most pleasant occupations
for young people who have a taste fol
literature or art is the making of scrap
books. With taste and care they may
become things of beauty, and as useful
as theEE e7e attractive. In family of
the writer's acquaintance each membel
of the household is provided with large
scrap books, in which to collect pic
lures OF various subjects. The father
calls his three volumes "A Study of
Human Nature, and portraits of men
and women from all the different walks
of life are collected therein. The
mother gathers Bible scenes the old.
est daughter, reproductions of artists
pictures, the subjects Of home scenes,
animal pictures, Bible pictures and
views from America, Europe, Asia and
Africa. 1t is remarkable how rapidly
these scrap books have grown. Mag
aZines and pictorial papers have been a
fruitful source from which to gather,
and interested friends have also con-
trbuted. The fact that the books are
divided into separate subjects adds
much to their interest, and their in
structiveness to children is great.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-04-29
Did His lluty.

An old gentleman on the Rochester
and Pittsburg railroad anxiously in
qu iel of the conductor whether the
train stopped at little cross road town
on the line. 1t did not, and the old
man seemed very much disturbed in
consequence.
"Oh, what am 1 going to do 2" he
asked mournfully.
Did you want to get off there 2 Il
sympathetic passenger inquired
no; but you see I've got box of
clothes pins that | wanted to leave off
there for my darter."
Why, you can drop them off the
rear platform, said some one.
AS they approached the little town
four or five people followed the old
IN II out on the rear platform of the
train, where he descended to the lower
step, and as the train sped past shantv
he leaned forward until the alarmed
conductor grabbed his coat tails. Tho
box struck the end of log, and .
couple of gross of clothes pins she:
into the air as though fired out of u
gun, and scattered like shot from tha
muzzle of a bell-pointed blundetouss.
For Il moment the old man was d
picture of perplexity, but when h
looked back up the track aud saw that
his daughter aud grandchildren had
witnessed the mishap and were hurry
ing out with the evident intention of
picking up the scattered merchandise
h" turned and entered the car, and
eIancing with an amused expression at
the laughing passengers he said as he
took his seat : We'll, I'm glad them
pins are delivered"
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-04-29
A Martinez of a Teacher.

''How is your cooking-c class gettius
along, Ethel ?"
81 don't know. / left it,"
Indeed? Why ?"
"The teacher wouldn't let me wear
gloves when was cleaning chickens, "
Judge.
Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-04-29

Miscellaneous a3sent'q M ,oote
The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-05-04
COMING THIS A

The frequency of cyclones in this part
Of the world is growing alarming. Scien-
lists tell us that the sun is out of whack,
and that we may look for anything, in
Guiding the end of the world, at any time
from this on.
This is cheerful, and to the average,
wide awake American citizen, who is
just now contemplating with pride the
possibilities of a great nation as meas
ured by the Chicago exhibit, it is crafty
ing to know that other planets are also
on the move, impelled by the same laud,
able ambition to keep up with the pro
c~ession.
1t is all right to read about cyclones in
Texas and the far west and feel real
sympathy for the sufferers, but when it
gets as near as Roxboro and Oxford, it
begins to look squally indeed and ad-
monishes prudent people to so to and
build caves.
But Notwithstanding North Carolina
has failed to escape entirely the ravages
Of the now too common cyclone, it is still
fortunate, in that only two lives have
been lost and the destruction of property,
while considerable, slight in comparison
with that of other sections. Altogether,
the Tar Heel state, as usual, is in luck, a
fact which her people should appreciate.
The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-05-04
THE MANY WAY OLE MEN.

Dallas, Texas, is just now enjoying a
sensation in the way Of an elopement
which has developed into a public scan.
dial, from the fact that the fugitives are
both married and leave behind families,
whom it should be their pleasure and
privilege to honor and protect, TO bear
the shame and disgrace Of their wicked
perfdy and mad folly.
The facts in the case appear to be
these:
Nix j. c. HAvEN,a printer and proof
reader, with his wife, boarded in the
house with a Mr.. LAMKIN and his wife
and as Mr.. LAMKIN was an insurance
agent and often from home, Mrs. LAM
KIN sought companionship in her loneli-
ness with the husband of her fellow
boarder. As is too often the case, this
companionsh!p proved more agreeable to
both than that of their lawful partners
The upshOt Of it all was that a few DAYS
ago Mr.. HAVEN and Mrs. LAMKIN disap.
peared simultaneously, and as since ascer-
tanned, in company with each other, and
The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-05-04

THE public will watch with i~8terest
the Inauguration of wha. promises to be
the greatest railroad freight fight ever
waged OF the Pacific coast. The rates
which the Southern Pacific proposes to
at once put in operation on such COM
mOdities as secured wool, wine, bOraX and
rags and like freights are said to be in
several instances not more than half the
regular rates, and, according to the view
expressed in San Francisco telegram,
they are so low that neither by rail nor
steamer can freights be moved with any
profit to the transportation companies.
The scheme Of the Southern Pacific Rail-
road company in making this onslaught
is to break down this competition of the
new North American Navigation com
pany. At this date the steamship com
paDy has only third rate steamers char
tered and it is stated has no accomoda-
tions for a large business. But the new
transportation company may have re.
and facilities behind it which
the Southern Pacific does not suspect and
it may be able to carry freight at a loss
long as the railroad cares to compete.
At any rate the shippers Of the western
coast will have the benefit of the cOmpe-
It'll n as long as it lasts.
The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-05-04

have not since been heard from. The
deserted husband together with the father
and brother of MRS. LAMK1N, are carry.
ing guns and swearing vengeance on the
cowardly wretch whom they hold is re-
sponsible for all their trouble, while Mrs.
HAVEN, the betrayed and outraged wife,
is tearing her hair and %exhausting every
means known to the detectives to find
and bring back the festive RUNAWAY and
erstwhile partner of her joys.
Mrs. HAVEN claims that she discov-
cred the growing intimacy months ago,
and after expostulating with her recreant
| spouse to no purpose, in desperation ap-
pealed to her gay and giddy rival to give
up her husband, whom she explained 10
her was being led from the ways of truth
and paths of peace by the ill~-cnncealed
Establishments, which had already caused
him to forget his love for her and his
duty to his own
But still in vain were the pleadings of
the modest, loyal and dutiful wife, such
do II 11AN EN- - SolO W OCs anu SllII lDE
cunning Gree W. 1ght her charms.
At last came the elopement, with the
publicity, disgrace, and all the narrowing
details Of the divorce suits which must
necessarily follow. And of course there
is great sympathy expressed for the de-
ceived and ~dishonored husband as well
as for the abused and deserted vile.
While separations between man and
wife are not desirable, and a public scan
dial always to be deplored, THE GLOBE is
Of the opinion that the deserted husband
rather than otherwise. A woman who
would drag in the dust the name Of a
husband who was honest and honorable
is a fit companion for the cowardly sneak
who would take advantage of that same
husbands absence to wreck his home
and pollute his hearthstone.
Mrs. HAVEN claims that her husband
was worthless any way and that she had
had to support him for ten years. This
being the case she could not wish for the
base woman WHO has supplanted her in
his affections a more complete and
speedy punishment, and should 'e salts
fed.
In a word, THE GLOBE believes that
the flight of the faithless pair was a
happy radiance to all concerned, and that
in this instance the game is not worth the
chase.
The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-05-04
BANKING ACT TO BE ENFORCED

The departure of PRESIDENT CLEvE-
LAND, in appointing as comptroller Of
the currency a man who has heretofore
known little of the practical operations
of banking, which appointment has met
! with criticism at the hands of those who
have been accustomed to think only of
skilled financiers in connection with that
position, is, contrary to the general ex
pectation, proving very much of a sue
cess.
1t is now conceded by both democrats
and republicans that the new comptroller
has some ideas about the nature of the
duties he will be called upon to perform,
which are entirely sound and if put into
effect cannot fail to have good results.
In an address to his fellow-townsmen,
who banqueted him a few days ago., he
said regarding the expressed apprehen-
sion hat the national bank system may
suffer impairment because the cOmptrol-
Ter is not a skilled financier, that no i'm.
palrment to any system can be brought
about by an honest and rigid enforce
ment of the law which governs it, land
those most strenuous in their criticisms
must not complain if the national bank
act, as it stands upon the statute book,
be the rule and guide of the comp.
troller." He said pointedly that the
danger to the public, the danger to the
banks, has never been the rashness of the
comptroller, but has always had its
source in the Indifference of bank off.
Gals to keeping within the restrictions
of the law. Il venture the statement"
said the comptroller, and he risked moth
ing in doing SO, that the history of bank
bank will prove that the loose method CT
the officials of failing banks, or their
patent ~dishOnesties, have caused the great
majority of bank disasters" He urged
that if those most interested in the ma
tOnal banks desire most to serve the
public and themselves, let them insist
that those placed in direct control of
these Institutions "be not only technically
honest, but absolutely so. Let them in
sist that the spirit Of the banking act
governing official conduct be lived up to
not less than the letter, and that no bank
official be permitted to do by indirect
means that which he could not do under
the law by direct means" These are
sound views and their utterance is timely.
Under COMPTROLLER ECKELs it is un-
that some contemplated re-
forms will be instituted. Among the
changes talked of is a Encouragement of
examination districts, so hat the work
of examiners shall be more equally di.
thar at present. Many examiners,
it is said, are now Overworked, or rather
more is required of them than they can
perform properly and efficiently. An eff
fort is to be made to remedy this. 1t is
evidently the purpose of the ~administra-
ton to give close and careful attention
to this branch of the public service and
and TO strictly enforce the law in all re.
The banks will grow stronger
in public confidence under such a policy.