davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Johns herald., 1893-02-16
DUST TEST FOR FIREARMS.
4 Process for Determining the Perfection
 of Workmanship.

of Workmanship.
 One little-l1nown process to which small arms manufactured for the United States are subjected is the dust test, in tended to subject the piece to the same dusting it would receive if carried by the soldier in a march across the alkali deserts of Arizona or Utah or the sage brush prairies of Montana or Wyoming. Troops are frequently compelled to tramp for hours through such clouds of dust that the heads of the leaders of six-mule team can be but vaguely seen from the wagons and the dust so fine and penetrating that the soldiers guns and every garment soon become coated with it. The artificial production of similar experience for an arm that might be adopted for military service is manifestly very pertinent trial. This is accomplished by placing the rifle on a shelf within closed box, so that the breech mechanism, which is closed, shall be opposite the mouth of the bel lows; fine sand is then permitted to fall slowly across the blast of air, which thereby in two minutes, the time of the test, drives the sand into any open joints or into the depth of the mechan- ism if it is much exposed. The gun is then removed and wiped carefully with the bare hand, also blown into and cleaned, just as soldier who suddenly goes into action would do with gun he has carried on dusty march. The piece is then fired twenty shots. This test is then repeated, the magazine be- ing charged before exposing the gun to the dust; the cartridge and the gun are then wiped as before and the gun again fired twenty rounds.
The St. Johns herald., 1893-02-16
FIRST TELEoRAPHIc MESSAGE.
It Was Sent Over Three Miles of Bonnet
 Wire January 6, 1898.


 Wire January 6, 1898.
 Stephen Vail, the son of the Alfred Vail so closely identified with early tel egraphy, says that on May 1, 1S44, his father telegraphed from Baltimore the news that Henry Clay had been nomi- mated for the next president. Mir. Vail also says that the first real message transmitted by telegraph was sent over three miles of bonnet wire, stretched around the walls of a large room on the second floor of the now historic factory at the Speedwell iron works, Morris town, N. J.
 The date was January 6, 1S3s On that day new set of instruments was put up and tests were made in the pres ence of distinguished guests. All per sons were then convinced that Mir. Morse and MT. Vail had laid the foundation of a wonderful discovery. But it was not until five years af- terward that the bill appropriating thirty thousand dollars for their inven- tion passed the senate and was signed by the president.
The St. Johns herald., 1893-02-16
HOW TWO DUELS ENDED
Good Nature Overcomes the Desire
 Take Human Life.

Good Nature Overcomes the Desire to
 Take Human Life.
 A quarter of century ago a story went the rounds that Dr. Gwin, of Cal ifornia, the sometimes duke of Sonora the title having been conferred upon him in jest because of his efforts to col onize that Mexican state during the sec ond empire-and Hon. Robert J. Walker. of Mississippi, ex-secrctary of the treas ury, were going to fight duel with tcmahawks. The quarrel was recon ciled, it was said, in consequence of Walkers laughter at discovering the CT ratio results of Gwin's private practice at throwing the tomahawll at stump
 There is a story of a similar nature told of a duel between Charles James Fox, the famous English whig states man of the last century, and Mir. Adam, of the British ordnance department, growing out of Fox's bitter attacks on the management of that department, the chief charge being that useless am munition was supplied to the forces The two met and exchanged shots. At the second fire Adam was not hit, but his bullet struck Fox and stuck in the waistband of his thick leather brooches.
 "By love-" exclaimed Fox on the in stant, smiling at his own wit, eff you had not used ordnance powder 1 would now be dead man!'
 A laugh followed, Adam offered his hand, Fox took it, and they were good friends ever after
The St. Johns herald., 1893-02-16
Peat in America.

reat beds are commonly supposed to be peculiar to Ireland, and few people know that they are almost as abundant in this country as on the Emerald Isle There are many large beds in northern New York, while in New England and Pennsylvania they are also common, and are found in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota. Extensive peat tracts exist in Canada, Labrador and Newfoundland, and the island of Anti costi, in the gulf of St. Lawrence, has the largest peat bed in the world. It is over eighty miles long and from two to seven miles wide, the thickness varying from three to ten feet, The peat is of the best quality, but owing to the cheap ness of coal is very little used.
The St. Johns herald., 1893-02-16
GREAT ELEVATORS.
Two Near New York TEat Are the Largest
 in the World.


 The largest elevators for carrying passengers in the world are on the banks of the Hudson, near Weehawken, says Harper's Weekly. The high ta- ble-land in New Jersey, opposite New York city, and between the Hudson riv- CT and the Hackensack, has up to this time not been used as generally for pur- poses of pleasure and residence as it should have been. This elevated plain, known as the Palisades, is at its begin ming some one hundred and fifty feet above high tide, and is over a mile wide at the same point. It stretches north for many miles up the Hudson river, and naturally rises in elevation as it proceeds. This high land has been ac- cessible only by steep grades for wagon roads, and by means of stairways which climbed laboriously up the steep cliff.
 The Hudson County Railway Com pany, which operates the elevated road at Hoboken and controls many of the street-car lines in that neighborhood, has of late years been extending these lines, and increasing the facilities for getting on top of the Palisades, and from one part of this high plateau to another. The most recent addition to the plant of this company has been the building of huge elevators at Weehaw- ken, where the ferryboats from Forty second street and Jay street, New York city, discharge their passengers.
 These elevators are the largest ever constructed for passengers, and in plan ming them the engineers have adopted new devices to secure their safety against accidents. From the elevators, which rise just from the waters edge, there is an immense viaduct or elevated railroad which runs some eight hundred feet back to the hill, where connections will be made with the various steam and horse cars which will run in one direc- tion and another.
The St. Johns herald., 1893-02-16
ELECTRIC TRAINS.
We May Look for Suah Things in the
 Near Future.


 Near Future.
 Every now and then we hear that electric motors will soon take the place of steam locomotives on railroads. How much truth there is in the ematter is well stated in an interesting article in Loco motive Engineering, which says:
 The prospect of moving ordinary trains by electricity is about as good now as the prospects of lighting cities by elec- tricity were before the discovery that electricity could be generated bya dyna- mo-electric machine. Previous to the in- troduction of the dynamo it was well known that electric li~hts could be made with powerful batteries, but the zinc and copper that constituted the fuel of the battery were too expensive to make electric lighting anything more than a curiosity. The dynamo effected a revolution by cheapening electricity. If another improvement equally radical should be made over the present methods Of generating elec- tricity it would open the way for operating railroad trains more cheaply by electricity than by locomotives. The radical improvement looked for is the direct generation of electricity from the energy of coal So long as coal has to be burned Il a furnace to make steam for an eaginc to drive dynamos for the generation Of the elec- tricity used there is no probability of electric transmission being cheaper than hauling by locomotives.
The St. Johns herald., 1893-02-16
Transient Beauty.

The peculiar customs enjoined upon the Russian and Polish Hebrew women make sad havoc with the striking beauty that marks many young girls of that race. Notlong ago woman apparently of middle age and showing no trace of good looks came to physician interested in an east side charity. She seemed dis appointed that he did not recognize her, and giving her name she said: ''I have been married and have cut off my hair. :" At the same moment she pushed back her headdress to show her ugly brown wig, designed to make her unattractive to the world of men. Three years be- fore she had been girl of rare beau ty and especially distinguished for the splendid adornment of her abundant locks.
The St. Johns herald., 1893-02-16
Dog Fare.

''In the matter of food many dog owners make grievous errors and are therefore remiss in their duty" writes pr. Gordon Stables in the new volume of the Dog Owners Annual, ''toward our friend the dog. I think the rule of a light breakfast at eight p. m., and a good, nutritious dinner at five D. m. is a good one, but we should never neglect to give some mashed greens twice or thrice week, nor forget that change does good. An occasional dinner of well-boiled tripe is great treat to al- most any dog; so is a bit of liver lightly boiled. As to bones, young dogs may have safe ones, but old dogs are better without; handful of bone meal must do duty instead"
The St. Johns herald., 1893-02-16
HEROIC COUHTESY.
The Courteous FrencI3-no3 Never fievealed
 Ills Careless E.ost', c-issal<c.

The Courteous FrenckEa72 Never Hevealed
 Ills Careless Eos,'7 c-istalxc.
 X recent French writer ou The Rev olution, the Empire and the Restora- tion,'' cites an amusing instance of what he calls heroic courtesy.
 Percy, Lord Beverly, invited to dine with him a marquis who was one of the most valiant soldiers of the army of Condo. Wishing to honor his guest and the cause which he served. that of the French king. the English peer ordered his butler to bring him a bottle of fine wine one hundred years old, "a ray of sunshine in crystal"
 He opened it carefully and offered a glass to the mar9uis saying: If you deem it worthy the honor, will you drink in this wine the health of the Eing?"
 The marquis tasted the wine.
 How do you like it2" asked the host
 Exquisite, rep.iel tue marquis
 Then" said Lord Beverly. finish the glass: only in f1li glass can one drink the health of So great and so un- fortunate king"
 Without hesitation the marquis did as he was bidden. Only when the Eng lishman tasted the wine did he learn that what he had forced on his guest was castor oil; and henceforth he held the politeness of the French toward the English in the highest esteem.
The St. Johns herald., 1893-02-16
THE POGOMIP FOG.
A Peculiar Climatic Condition Observed
 in the Sierras.

in the Sierras.
 The city of Carson, New, experienced the other evening the tlliclsest and cold est pogonip fog lin the memory of the oldest inhabitant," says writer in a recent issue of the Carson Evening Post. The pogonip fog is peculiar to elevated attitudes in the Nevada Sier- ras. It ascends from the valleys, and its chill embrace Is so much feared by the Indians, who are predisposed to af- fections of the lungs, that they change camp if appraised by the atmospheric conditions that the dreaded fog is ap- preaching. Mir. Ogden, chemist of the Nevada mining bureau, furnishes this pleasing description of the pogonip:
 ''In the White Pine mountains, the Toyabi, the Hyko and the Pahranagat ranges it is quite common to see trees, houses and everything out in the open gradually become white without any apparent cause. There is no percepti- ble fog but the hot air from the valleys gradually ascends up the mountain side, and, becoming crystallized, the minute crystals attach themselves to anything in sight. This phenomenon affects hu- man beings in just the same manner, and when the fog passes by, the frozen particles will adhere to the hair and clothing, producing very grotesque eff feet Hot Creek valley is situated right in the center of the mining district, and is so called because of the warm springs that are always to be found there. These springs cause Q pogonip in that district every night, and for this reason: The wind in the valley always blows from one direction in the daytime, and after sunset it invariably blows from the opposite point. The effect of the cooler air passing over the hot valley is to force the heated air to rise. When it reaches a temperature of twenty-five degrees, the result is pogonip."
The St. Johns herald., 1893-02-16
CONCERNING CHECKS.
A Bankers Suggestions as to Printing
 and Signature.

A Bankers Suggestions as to Printing
 and Signature.
 The cashier of downtown bank said that when the public learned which end of the check they should sign their names on it would be great and glOri- ous day for the employees of the banks in New York, says the New York Sun. ''When the public has been taught this little detail, the cashier said, it would be well to give the banks lesson in printing their checks. The latest fash ion in checks is by far the most con- venient one. All of the information on the check which is of value to the bank CT is placed on one end. At the right hand upper corner is the date. Under this is the name of the man to whom the check is drawn. Beneath this again is the amount of the check in figures, and right below that the signature of the man who draws it. The other end of the check is filled in with the name of the bank, and so on. The advantages of this form of check are: First, that the date, amount, signer and drawee can be seen at a glance; second, if the check is bound up with dozens of other checks and bills 1t is not necessary to pull it out from the bundle to get informa- tion about it. A cashier can take up a package of such checks thumb over the ends and set them aside in less time than it would take to go over two or three checks of the older form. Nearly all of the larger banking houses and big corporations have adopted the check, and it will eventually find it's way down to the smaller concerns"
The St. Johns herald., 1893-02-16
DIRE TORTURE INFLICTED.
Barbarous Operations by n Chinese on (
 Captive Rat.

Captive Kat.
 The innate cruelty of a Chinaman was clearly shown in an incident occurring in Seattle, Wash, the other day. A huge gray rat had burrowed into the laundry of Yen Ching, and in order to get the paste had gnawed some newly starched clothes. Ching was, as might have been expected, greatly incensed at the destruction of the garments and set a trap to catch the marauder. The eff fort was successful, and then Ching pro- ceeded to take his vengeance. He first fastened the living animal to the side walk, which was of wood, by driving single nail through each foot. The help less rat writhed and squealed in agony, to the intense delight of the Chinaman. When Ching had had sufficient enjoy ment in this way he heated a small iron wire until it was red at one end. With this he slowly burned out the rats eyes. In this latter process he took the greatest pains to infict all the suffering that was possible, for he brought the glowing wire very gradually toward the eye and held it for several seconds in the quivering lid before plunging t in the ball. Ching had just finished burning out both eyes when an officer arrested him, and so what further tor ture he had for the rodent will never be
The St. Johns herald., 1893-02-16
NO GENUINE PHOTOGRAPHS.
Actuality Sacrificed to Please the Vanity
 of Men as We'll as Women.

Actuality Sacrificed to Please the Vanity
 of Men as We'll as Women.
 "There are no more photographs these days" said fashionable New York maker the other day as the talk turned to posing before the camera "Why not?" Vanity first, style sec ond, vanity third" ''Then a woman does not care for likeness?'' ''She sometimes, but not often; not when she is going to give the card to the man from whom she expects a pro- posal, or to any stylish relations, or, in deed, when she is intending it for her parlOr table" You make a speciality of women's work?' 'I do. And I as- sure you, in confidence of course, that you would be thunderstruck if you could notice the difference between the real physical characteristics of the GUS toner who goes in and the finished product as we place it on the counter for her in few days ready for some purpose of society,"" 'How about the men?" ''I am glad you spoke of it. Do not think the women are alone. They are vain, I'll admit, but it is my impress sion that the male customers are even more fastidious. A man is hard crit ter to suit, even at best. He will stand and expect about twice as much Gattery as woman, bless her dear soul" ''You would rather shoot a woman, then?" By all odds. Give me the woman GUS toner, with all her vanities and foibles, for she is much easier to suit, provided. always, we fatter her trifle. But the men are not satisfied even with whole sale fattery. Vanity has thus killed our art" Killed by vanity?" ''Yes, dead as door nail"
The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-13
Running with a Human Trolley.


The novel sight of q man taking the
place of the trolley on an electric car
was seen last night on the Lake Roland
elevated railway. The trolley on one of
the large electric cars in crossing Lex
ington street at North street had its
trolley wheel caught in the wire, and the
entire trolley apparatus was torn off,
falling to the street. The accident hap
pened at q time when travel over the
road was heavy, and it was necessary to
prevent a blockade.
Lineman William Scott was equal to
the occasion. He procured piece of in
sulated wire, and after stripping each
end of the insulating material connected
one end through the car roof land standing
on the top of the car held the other end
against the trolley wire. A connection
being thus made the car was run over
the elevated structure to the car barn at
Walbrook without accident to Mr.. Scott
or delay to the other cars. Mr.. SCOTS
position was novel one and startled
persons who are unused to electricity as
he stood on the top of the car amid myr-
lads of sparks and illuminated by light
ninglike flashes from the trolley wire
Baltimore Sun.
The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-13
Tho Derby AS a "ono Horse" Race.

For fortnight or more before the
Derby everybody who talked or read
about the subject must have become
wearied of the expression that it would
be lone horse race" 1t may be we'll,
however, to realize the fact that the Der
by appears to be becoming one horse in
stitution. for at the start for the last
eight Derbies odds have been laid on the
favorite with the single exception of last
year, when the merest shadow of odds
III to 10j was laid against La Fleche.
Before the race of Wednesday it seemed
reasonable to inquire whether backing
these so called certainties for the seven
previous Derbies had proved profitable.
The reply was that if the sum had been
invested on the favorite in every instance
the gains would have about counterbal-
anced the losses, so that the hacker
would have had his fun for nothing. {"
although he would only have earned that
unsatisfying reward for his arduous la
bors. On the other hand, if he had put
the same sum on each of the favorites
for the seven Derbies Immediately pre-
ceding the one horse Derby period he
would have been considerable loser.
So after all there is something to be said
in favor of the one horse race.-London
Saturday Review.
The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-13
Wonderful Ponies and Dogs.

Prof. Gentry's wonderful ponies and
dogs, composing his Equine and Canine
Paradox, will appear in Roanoke under
tent on South Jefferson, corner of
Kirk avenue, three nights, beginning
Monday, September 10, with a matinee
Wednesday afternoon. This company
is the best of it's kind in this country.
The press everywhere speak in the
highest terms OF the entertainment.
Prof. Gentry himself has taking way
Of talking to the animals and contrib
utes to the enjoyment by giving every
thing an air of good humor. He has
sixteen adult and couple Of baby
ponies. The sixteen drill, dance and
answer questions. Romeo is the star,
unless Eureka, the kicking pony. di-
vides with him the honor, and Juliet is
the leading lady. There is an army of
dogs, poodles, greyhounds, pugs and all
kinds of fine dogs. One of the most
wonderful feats is the complete back
somersault of Barney, a little fellow
whose breed is doubtful. Three of the
dogs ride ponies at full speed. The
greyhounds do some wonderful high and
distance leaplng. The performance
closes with a pyramid Of dogs and
horses which makes an exciting picture
for the youthful vision Admission:
Children, 10 cents; adults, 90 cents.
The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-13
American News In Europe.

An English correspondent takes &C.
casion to point out to Americans in the
course of a recent letter to n New York
newspaper that the outrageous quality
OF what is sent abroad from this country
as news is working wonders in lowering
US in the esteem of foreigners and in
corrupting all classes of transatlantic
readers. Of the few days preceding the
transmission of his angry letter he states
that moro than half the whole matter
sent during that week was given up to
stories of lynching in the south, includ-
ing minute details of the burning of a
negro for outrage after an hour of tor
ture with redhot irons, and nearly as
long story of the lynching of black
nursenaid.
ut is a small thing" says he, THAT
Americans living and travelling here
should be continually insulted by opin-
ions based on this garbage. but if inter
national respect and amity mean any
thing it is not small matter that our
people as u whole should be persist
emily and libelously given away in this
fashion. and from their own side too"
The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-13
THE TIMES KODAK.
interesting News Items Gath
cred Around Salem.

Miss Addie Greenw o0d, Of st. Louis,
is in the city visiting her many friends.
Miss Annie Sherman, who has been
visiting her sister, Mrs. G. Armand
Miller, has returned to her home in
Luray.
Frank P. Stras, who has been spend
ing the summer in Tazewell county and
other places, returned home Monday
night. He reports the Tazewell fair as
a grand success.
Messrs. A. a. Whitesell Jake Fries,
and Thomas Fosythe left yesterday to
testify before the United States court,
which convenes at Lynchburg in the
case OF the moonshiner who was arrested
at this place last Christmas and sent on
to that court.
A. e. Huff will leave this week for
Boston and other places where he will
spend his vacation.
L. B. Woodward, the new gymnasium
instructor at Roanoke College, arrived
here Saturday. The gymnasium build
ing is as yet not completed and he will
form his class in the Crabtree building
for the present.
D. b. Strouse left Yesterday for Lynch
burg on business.
Hon. a. A. Phlegar, Of Christians
burg, WIS in the city yesterday.
Misses Mary and Annie Wiley have
returned from a visit to friends at Gov
ington.
Miss Lily Strouse left yesterday for
Bristol accompanied by her cousin,
Bessie Wiley, whom she will enter at
the Baptist Female Seminary at that
place.
Miss Irwin, of Lawnor, Allegheny
county. arrived in Salem last week, and
will enter the Salem Female Seminary
Miss Saidee Maslin of Moorefield, W.
Va, is visiting Mrs. A. B. Pugh, on
Pennsylvania avenue.
Miss Hattie Wolfender has returned
from a short stay in Wytheville.
A german was to be given at Hotel
Lucerne to night, but on account of the
Indictment weather it has been post
poned till Thursday night.
The family of William Brown have
returned home after very pleasant
stay at their old home in Columbia,
Tenn.