davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-04

\ Bootblack Knows a Kind Man When He
Sees One.

a Bootblack Knows a Kind Man When He
Sees One.
The italian boys whose familiar cry
of ''Shine, boss?' is heard on all the
ryboats, are sometimes very clever
in their methods of extending the
trade. a we1l-dressed, lniddle-aged,
prospero,is-looking man boarded a
South Brooklyn boat for New York
one afternoon lately. his shoes display
ing variegated assortment of Brook
lyn dirt and dust. He nodded to n
boot black who regarded his customers
shoes critically, observed that the Gus
toner was OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
man, and said persuasively:
''Catcha da Plenta mud, boss. Dis-a
shine ten-a cent. Eh?''
The customer said all right. A little
boy. five or six years old, edged away
from sister twice his age. who had
him in charge, and watched the shin
ing operation with great interest The
boy. and the bootblack noted that in
stantly. When the bootblack's first
job was finished the man and boy had
formed very friendly acquaintance.
Let me give-a da boy da shine said
the boot black.
boy.
Now, who is your mother?'' was one
of the questions of the boy.
His mother is dead, sir.' said the
sister.
''Ah, poor little chap!' exclaimed the
man.
The bootblacl> regarded the girl out
of the corners of his eyes, gave a glance
at the man, finished the boys shine
and said:
''Let-a me give-a da lady da shine,
bOSS?'
Certainly, certainly!'' exclaimed the
man, and the girl laughed SO much over
the operation that the man was too
well pleased to remember that my
change was due from the quarter he
gave the bootbiack.-N. Y. Sun.
The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-04
Nitrogen and SUPERINTENDENT.

A few words in regard to nitrogen in
fertilizers will not be out of place.
This is the most costly constituent of
commercial fertilizers; and, in many
instances, the increased cost of the fer
tlIlzer will balance or even exceed the
increase in the proceeds from the crop,
due to the nitrogen. Fortunately, we
are not obliged to rely entirely upon
commercial fertilizers for our supply of
nitrogen to enrich our soils. Recent
Investigations have proved that
the class of plants called ''legu-
miaous plants,'' to which the
clovers, peas, beans, etc, be-
long. have the power of deriving from
the air a part of the nitrogen required
in Their growth. For this reason they
are. sometimes called "nitrogen-gath TIL
erers.' This fact helps to explain why
The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-04

list of guests invited to the hops at the
neigh boring hotels. One morning a,
breakfast they discussed the last invi.
tation with their father, who was
rather opposed to what he called
''miScd gatherings
However, Mrs. Grant had provided
her daughters with evening dresses.
and remembered how she had loved
dancing in her youth. She would
chapcronc them and be very cautious
about introductions. So their father
reluctantly consented to their going,
and their dresses next absorbed them.
The night was perfect, and the ball
room at the fremont presented a
Charming scene when they entered it.
The girls soon discovered friends in
the many groups, and their cards rap
IDLY filed. Both became interested in
IL tall, slight young man, who wore a
badge and seemed quite ubiquitous,
managing everything and every body.
He dances beautifully" said Belle
Grant to her partner, who was de-
cidcdly awkward.
No wonder He has lots of prac-
tice,' said Mr.. Felter. "He really
starts all these festivities for the sake
OF having Il dance. Can't l present
him? He is really charming, talks as
we'll as he dances, and sings exuuis-
itely.''
Lillian Grant laughed at her own
partners seriousness, but just then the
good dancer approached them. Felter
presented him, and he chatted easily
about the success of the evening. He
was on the floor committee, and was
apparently overwhelmed with affairs:
but he managed to put his name on
each sisters card, and they agreed
aftcrward that his was the best dance
OF the nj ght- They described him to
their mother, wondered if they would
meet him soon again, and really spent
great deal of time thinking and talk
ing OF his many attractions.
Several days afterward the coal sup
ply gave out and Mr.. Grant wrote on q
postal card an order for several tons
and dropped it in the box at the post
office.
That afternoon the girls We're seated
on the porch, sewing for a fair to be
held at a neighboring house, when they
noticed Il large wagon entering the
drive. 1t was filed with coal and
drawn by spirited horses. Their driver
The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-04
a woMAn.s PockET.

Just where it is one never knows.
beneath tho folds 1t never shows:
Above. below, before, behind,
A puzzle to the human mind!
Man never knows his helplessness
Until he tries in woman'a drcss
To md tho pocket
Twas sooner found in early days
Before they had the Eolonaise!
Dressmakers now are sore pcrplexed
10 Know Just where to hide it next!
In these hard times Of srnnty purse
IT'S hard to find the dress-But worse
To find the pocket.
A fact by husbands too we'll known,
She finds his pocket; while her own
Is so concealed about her dress
It long since lost its usefulness.
She bears her purse now in her hand
0ecSuse she never1nn command
That hidden pocket.
He's new 70 matrimonial cares
Who volunteers to run upstairs
And fetch q trif1e, more or less,
HIS bride left in some other dressl
Believe me, nature ne'er designed
That mortal man should ever find
A woman's pocket
He opens wide the closet door;
Each hook so full OF robes galore,
That ere he hnds tho proper gown
Each dress in turn has tumbled down
Into the placket hole at back
He thrusts his arm: alas! alacs
lis not the pocket
He drags ttout in his despair
And spreads it DER an easy-chair-
He lifts up each tuck and fold and seam,
Walks round and round as in a dream;
Ee's much too good n man to swear,
net undevoutly wonders where
She keeps that pocket
He grabs it up and rushing down
Upon her lap losses the gown.
In truth you are the better half
II You can find-why do you laugh?"
II laugh because you've brought me here
a petticoat, my hubby dear,
To find the pocket"
BERKSHIRE Courier
The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-04
Rooster Pigs for Profit.

It is often the case that pigs fit for
roasting. especially when there is a
good demand for them, clear more
profit to the owner than they will at
any later period. This is especially
true of fail pigs which are hard to
winter without stuntinT them. Crowd
the pigs for roaSters all that is possi-
BILE. The better they are the larger
price they will bring per pound
Farmers LONE journal
The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-04
LOYAL MOORS.
Relief in the :" Divine Right of the Sultan

| OF Morocco.
Il am the caliph of the Lord: am
| the captain and commander of the
| Faithful, the chosen one OF the Prophet:
am the King of kings; l Prince
! in paradise: then obey me without Il
| murmur, as my camelS do
This is the ma enificent pre- tension of
the sultan OF Morocco. and it is gener-
ally allowed. 1t is refreshing to find a
country where not only has the divine
right never been contested, but where
as yet it has not even been questioned.
Now and again a pretender to the
throne has turned up. and the anna Is
OF Morocco are red with stories of civil
wars. But the pretender has never
been a revolutionist: he has always
based his contention upon having a
more divine right, and the alleged pos
session OF d more generous and direct
, flow of the blood of the prophet in his
veins.
The loyalty of the people toward the
monarch partal>es of the ma ture of ado
ration. When the battle is fought and
won, and the soldiers who have fallen
sorely wounded are brought off the
field and placed in a circle around the
white pavilion in which the mysterious
monarch leveS, as unapproachablca and
invisible in his camp as in his court
then, it is said. the dread sultan walks
up and down among them, smiling
they, the poor ignorant Kabyles of the
Valleys and the nonad horsemen from
the desert. cry out until the cries give
place to the rattle of death. "Allah
ibarl amer Scetlna'' ('.God prolonsr the
days of our Lord'D. And this too is the
cry of the malefactor as he goes toward
death or nutilation. and these are the
words of the disgraced vizir who, when
for purposes of political necessity he
must disappear or be cffaced, takes the
cup of poisoned tea from the hands of
his gracious sultan.
The mantle of the Prophet of Medina
that he wears must indeed be broad
and ample, for it is called upon to cover
Il multitude of sins-that is, viewed
from our standpoint-but the Noors
believe that, try as he may, the sultan
can do no wrong. He is like the saint
saw in Tangier who spends his entire
time in drinking gin and whisky. One
might think that this saint was drink
ing an undue quantity of strong wa
tiers, but such is not the case: at least
it has never appeared to the Moors in
this light. for he is such a holy man.
they say, that the moment the strong
waters came in contact with his per
son they lose all their fiery qualities.
and become innocent mares milk
Stephen Bonsal, in Century.
The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-04
Raising Chestnut. for Food.

At the suggestion of the national arl.
thorities, who believe that chestnuts
can be protitab bly, raised as an article
of food. several farmers of i;eri<s coun-
ty have engaged extensively in the
cultivation OF the fruit. One farmer
has thirty acres in almost bearing con-
dition. and he believes they will be-
come as popular in Il few years as an
article of diet as either wheat or corn.
-Phiia 4 81 plia Times.
The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-04

clover IS so valuable in restoring and
enriching poor soils. If we fertilize
our crop of clover literally with potash
and moderately with phospha te* we
have there the means of enrichin@ our
soil in all these Essential ingrctlients''
of fertilizers. This is a very importa mt
principle in the use of fertilizers and
is in accordance with the long-esta b.
lished practice.-Bulletin No. 40 Ky.
ES Station
The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-04

glanced up as he passed on the high
seat, raised his hat and distinctly
bowed to the sisters.
THE man bowed to u.s." said Belle,
dropping her work in amaZement.
What does he mean?''
'Oh, he's a country Jake, I suppose,
ond thinks that the proper thing" said
Lillian. laughing. s'But see how clev-
erly the work is done here
The man had driven close to a cellar
window, adjusted a narrow slide, and
was shoveling the coal into it with a
display of muscular strength that was
quite interesting, while the rafting
aoise was deafening. He wore blue
The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-04
An Experiment in Cotton.

farmer should know what it costs
to make n crop and then he should
know how much it is worth. and bal
ance accounts, and if he finds he has
gained he should still pursue his course
OF work: but if he has lost, he should
surely change his plans. am tiftv-
hive years old and have been farming
all my life except four years Of war.
and l have been successful, not as to
wealth. but l have raised IL large fam
lily and have made fair living. will
give YOU detail of the real experience
OF making one acre of cotton on the
basis OF I. whole farm, and on the or
binary plan of farming, as l see there
is n wide difference of opinion as to
the cost of making cotton. Here it is;
The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-04
Giving Pleasure.

A little thought will show how vastly
your own happiness depends on the
way other people bear themselves to-
ward you. The looks and tones at your
breakfast table. the conduct of your
fellow-worSers or employees. the faith
full OF unreliable men you deal with.
what people say to you on the street.
the way Your cook and housemaid do
their work. the letters you get, the
friends or foes you meet-these things
make up very much of the pleasure or
misery of the day. Turn the idea
around. and remembe that just so
much are you adding to the pleasure or
misery of other peoples days. And this
is the half of the matter You can con-
troll. Whether any particula~ day shall
bring to YOU more Of happiness or of
suffering is largely beyond your power
to determine. Whether each day of
your life shall give happiness or suffer-
ing rests with yourself.-N. Y. Weekly.
The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-04

base tho handling of cotton on a
half bale per acre. If you sell $50
pounds of cotton at five cents per
pound, and the seed at a basis of nine
dollars per ton, You will have sls.75.
and you see we can not make cotton at
five cents.-.J. Il. Jordan, in Farm and
r.;
The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-04
a Piece of Land

Is worth on the Strand, in London,
$27, 500 for twelve-foot frontage, or not
quite $500 Il foot.
On the corner of Fifth avenue and
Fifty street, So, 600 a front foot
perhaps more now: that's what Hunt
ington paid Bonner.
On lower Broadway, in corner plots,
s15, 600 to $40, 900 per front foot.
Corner of Wall and Broad streets
can't be had at any price.
On Long Island, far from railroads,
SIS per acre.
On government land eighty acres for
nothing.
In most of the South A merican re-
publics a big farm for nothing and a
bounty for settling on it.-Philadel-
phia Record.
Uncle Jack returns from a long
walk, and, being somewhat thirsty,
drinks from a tuinbler he finds on the
table. Enters his little niece, Alice,
who instantly sets up cry of despair
Uncle Jack - whats the matter,
Allie?" Alice (weepiug) - you've
trinlxed up my aquarium, and you've
swallowed my free pollywogs. "--Har.
ward Lampoon.
The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-04
T1@eHA@UDTA
TAe@oap.
a. 7NHege5a7z7A
Copyright, 1893, by
the AuthOr.l

HE Grant fam
lily had rented
n f rn i S h e d
cottage for the
season at a
fashionable re-
sort, and were
included in the
The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-11-04
Ready for Hla Namn-

FeAf1y TOT HIS N8mC.
''Who is this coming?'' asked the
hotel clerk.
That's another East Indian prince, ;"
replied the porter.
''Front"'
eyes, sir
Bring in the doubic-width register. 1"
Washington Star.
Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-08-17
A Contented serubwoman.

"I don't have very hard times now,
do IT, appealed the woman who was
down on her knees wiping up an
Office floor. "You see / am janitor
in three buildings that ! have to clean
up in the morning, but it only takes
little while, and then I have time
to go and clean somewhere else. j
have to work in the morning and
work in the evening till . o'clock
sometimes, but don't have such a
hard time of it.
"Oh, no 1t amt as hard as washing.
You have to do so much more work
washing to get the same money.
You have to wash SO many pieces, ]
| mean.
AT one Office l get $S, at another
Sc and at another s., and that's
pretty good for me, / think. / only
have to dust and clean little every
morning, and then can go some
where else the rest of the day. ]
lon't think | have to work so hard.
get along very well. "
Surely contentment with our lotis
a great thing, and contentment is
greater than gold. Imagine spending
good part of the week on ones
knees cleaning floors and thinking il
ISN'T hard work. Most of us would
decide otherwise. Buffalo News.
Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-08-17
The DOC Knew what Was wanted.

John w. Hayes, the old police court
officer, had a dog that had been in
his family for long time, but it had
been decided for good reasons that il
must go the way of all flesh. The
family talked it over, and the decision
was finally arrived at that the dog
wagon was to call the next day and
take the animal to the pound. We
called with the wagon the next day,
but the dog could not he found. We
called again the next day and were
told that we had scarcely left the day
before when the dog put in an ap.
pearance. But he could not be found
at our second visit. We.called the
third day, and although the dog had
reappeared soon after we had left on
the previous day he was not to be
found at our third visit.
Then a search was instituted, and
the dog was found under the bed. He
had crawled clear to the farthest
corner. He acted just like a human
being that was aware his life was be
ing sought, and no argument can
convince me that the dog did not un
derstand the conversation of the fam
ily that had condemned him to death
and knew just what the dog wagon
meant to him.-Detroit Free Press.
Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-08-17
The Meaning of "Bunkum." !"

The meaning of the word bunk
um, or at least the impression con
veyed by the word. has slowly al
tered in this country at least within
the last 40 years. 1t originally meant
according to all American diction
aries, talking for talking's sake OF
talking to one audience for the bene
fit of another. The congressional
member for district of North Car
olina, named Buncombe, insisted on
delivering speech to an inn, ,l':r
house of representatives, and when
taxed with his conduct defended
himself by declaring that he W. ;
compelled to make a speech which
his constituents could read. and that,
in fact, he was talking to Bun
combe." This is certainly the sense
in which Judge Halliburton, the auth
or of Sam Slick" used the expires
sion, and our recollection is that In
l840-50 it was so employed within
quotation marks in criticising parlia
mentary speeches.
The Americans, who catch any
much needed phrase of the kind
with extraordinary quickness, speed
lily degraded "buncombe" into 'bul
KUN, and the vulgar spelling wa,
slowly adopted in Engleud, but witt
significant change of meaning. The
word being American, and all Ameri-
can oratory uttered for effect having
one peculiar note in it, "bunkum'
came to signify speech uttered sole
ly to attract through its tone of pa,
triotic exaggeration. The man who
talks bunkum is not talking vague
nonsense or stuff intended to occupy
time, but is uttering high falutin'
flattery either of the people or of the
country or Of the future which is be
fore either.-London Review.
Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-08-17
A Friendly Wasp.

A gentleman becoming annoyed by
the persistent buzzing of a wasl
about his head knocked it down with
his newspaper 1t fell through al
open window upon the sill apparent
Iy dead. Only apparently, for few
seconds later to the Observers aston
ishment a large wasp flew on to the
window sill and after buzzing arounC
the injured one a second or two be
gan to lick it all over After this
treatment (Which may have been a
kind of massage) the sick wasp
seemed to revive, and his friend then
dragged him gently to the edge.
grasped him around the body and
few away with him. Evidently the
stranger finding a wounded cornrade
gave some aid partly to restore him
preliminary to removal to place OF
safety for further treatment, and
then carried him there. This brave
little wasp acted like a good samari.
tan, who found a man half dead,
bound up his wounds, pouring on
them oil and wine" and brought
him to an inn and took care of him.
Sunshine. ~
Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-08-17
A Ararnoions Little snnks.

To my surprise the little black
snake with yellow polka dotted skin
of India is a ferocious fighter. The
sidewinder, which is ugly enough to
strike terror into the hearts of the
bravest, is always anxious to avoid a
conflict, even when disturbed. On
the contrary, this little black and
yellow snake is pugnacious and ut
terly devoid of fear. He is general
ly to be found by the irrigation
bitches, and when convenient will
get under sack and there pass the
night, only leaving his shelter when
the sun is warm enough to tempt
him out. The other morning pick
ed up one in sack, unknowingly
must confess, and when laid the
bag down out darted his snakeship
with fiery eyes and made an impetu'
GUS onslaught.
kept out of his reach and threw
sand and small stones at him which
he snapped at like an enraged dog,
still steadily pursuing me. | kept
him at distance, and believe he
would have been chasing me still had
not finished his career by halving
him with a shovel.
The Indian woman, | have been
told, made pet of this evil tempered
snake, showing a strange fancy,
think, after my experience. The In
dian working for me explained tina
he was perfectly harmless and de
clared "him very good. Exchange
Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-08-17
Jenny Jupe,s oulek wit.

An instance of Jenny June's ready
wit is told by an amused bystander,
who overheard this conversation; A
young woman was introduced to Mrs.
Croly as "sister Of So-and-so, the
artist" Instantly the exclamation
followed: Il should have known the
relationship, my dear, by the resem'
blance. Why, it is positively star
ting. ! never saw two faces more
exactly alike in contour and "But,
Mrs. Croly," interrupted the girl in
a meek, small voice, II am only his
sister-in-law." Which makes 1t all
the more remarkable, " continued the
other without the least embarrass-
ment or hesitation. New York
Times.
Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-08-17
flow Dried rlIss Are Captured.

"No matter what it may be, if en-
article brings fair price deal in
it." said commission merchant.
MY last venture consists of dried
flies, Just common flies which come
from Mexico. People buy them for
their singing birds. / sell them re-
tail to the dealers. Flies are plenti.
full in the tropical valleys, and the
time of the Mexican Indian is not
particularly valuable. When he can
70 longer sleep in his hut on account
of the swarm Of flies attracted by the
filth which accumulates about his
front door, he sometimes is stung
into a desire for revenge on his enc
mics.
Revenge is sweet, and sweeter if
there is any money in it, He goes to
the woods and collects a number o.
green twigs of a certain tree. Thest
he lays in a pile on the floor of his
hut, with some dry twigs under them.
Then from another tree he gets a
gum which he boils into thin sirup
and spreads on the walls of his hut
The flies are attracted by its fragrant
and farreaching odor. They gather
to feed on it. When the hut is black
with them, the Indian sets fire to the
twigs on the floor and closes the
apertures from the outside. The
twigs emit an aromatic smoke which
kills the flies and they fall to the
floor in thousands. Then the natives
wife dries them while he goes to
sleep again. "-Waverly Magazine.
Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-08-17
A onrs For InrrorlBE Nails.

II is easier TO prevent than 10 cure
ingrowing nails-cut them straignt
across instead Of oval When, how
ever, a nail starts to grow IN, soak
the feet in water as hot as can DO en-
dured. loosen the cuticle, cut the
NAH or the sides and apply a little
perchlorate of iron with a camels
hair brush. This hardens the fiesh
and renders it impenetrable to the
new nail. New York World