davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
THE NIMBLE ELEPHANT.
He Ventures I'm Places which Would Puz
yie Mules.

zie Mules.
1t is n remarkable thing that clc-
plants are able 10 make their way up
and down mountains and through
country of steep cliffs where mule.
would not dare venture, and even
where men find passage difficult. Their
tracks have been found upon the verg
summit OF mountains over seven thou
sand feet high. In these journeys ar
elephant is often compelled to descend
hills and mountain sides which are al
most PERCEPTIONS. This Is the way in
which 1t is done: The elephants first
maneuver is To kncel down close 10 the
declivity. One fore leg is then eau
tiouSly passed over the edge and .
short way down the slope, and if he
finds there is no good spot for firm
foothold, he speedily forms one by
stamping into the soil if il is moist. or
kicking out a footing II it is dry. When
he il sure of a good foOthold the other
fore leg is brought down in the same
way. Then he performs the same
work over again with his feet bring
ing both fore legs little in advance
of the first fOothOlds. This leaves good
sure places all made and ready for the
hind feet. Now, bracing himself toy
his huge, strong fore legs, he draws his
hind legs, first one and then the other.
carefully over the edge, where they oc-
cupy the first places made by the fore
feet. This is the way the huge animal
proceeds all the way down, zigzag.
kneeling every time with the two hind
legs, while he makes footholds with
his forefeet. In this way the center
of gravity is preserved and the huge
beast prevented from topping over on
his nose
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
a Chemical Triumph.

The complete isolation of fiourine
by a French scientist is a recent chem
ical triumph which has excited much
interest. Flourinc, as described for
the popular understanding, has a smell
resembling that of hypochlorous acid,
which is somewhat masked by the
odor of ozone, from its action on wa
ter vapor. 1t, of course, acts powerful
ly on the respira .ory organs, even
when greatly diluted, and it causes in
sensibilty, lasting as long as week or
more, of the mucous membrane of the
nose 1t is of a yellowish-green color,
somewhat lighter and yellower than
chlorine. 1t combines eNplosively
with hydrogen, even at a great cold
and in the dark, and sulphur, solen-
ium and tellurium take fire in it at or
dinary temperatures Bromine and
iodine burn in il with a flame of low
temperature, and amorphous carbon,
amorphous boron, and especially crys-
talline silicon, with the evolution of
great heat Many other substances
burn in it, oxygen and nitrogen ap-
pearing To be the only elements with
which ii does not unite.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
a SILKEN TRAP.
The Huge Web Built bV Species of
Spider Native i'm Ccylon.


Spider Native i'm Ceylon.
Ceylon il the home Of the largest
species of spider that has Yet been
made the subject of entomolosical inn
vestigation. This web-spinuiug mon
stcr lives in the most mountainous dis
tricts of that rugged island and places
his trap-nOt a gosSamcr snare OF Amy
lghtncsS, but a huge net of yellow silk
fl ON five to ten feet i'm diameter
across the chasms and ti~aurs~ Iu the
rocks. The supporting guy- OF ,hi~
gigantic net, which i'm all cases I~ al
most strong enough for "a hammne-s.
are from five 10 twenty feet I'm length
(aS conditions and circumstances may
requirel, made of a series oi twisted
webs. the whole being of the diameter
of a lead pencil A. might bee inn
agined. this gigantic silllcn trap i- NOT
set for mosquitoes. flies and pe~tifcrou~
.rnlts but for birds. CANDY moths and
alcgantly-painted butterflies. some "l
the latter having a spread Of wing
-9ual 4 tl-t g " rs'i. ." ''E Jay
Some extra fine skeletons of small birds
lizards. snakes. etc, have been found
in these webs. with every ys~'.gc of
flesh picked from them. The owner
and maker. of thee. queer silk trapr ie
a spider with "a body averaging luur
and one-half inches in width and ~lV
inches in length, ANA with legs nine o.
twelve inches from body To terminal
claw.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
a SHREwD CHURCHmAN.
He Doubled the Collection by Corn.riu
the Small change ia Town.

He Doubled the Collection by Coru.riug
the Small Change la Town.
In the small town in the MiIiaud~
there is a rich congregation that b. NOT
characterized by lavish liberality. says
the London Tid-Eits.
lime after time the minister had
vainly appealed to his people to o,rtrI-
butte more generously 10 the fund. of
church. The members would. indeed,
give something, but il was nearly al
ways the smallest silver coin uf the
realm that was placed on the plate.
\ shrewd Scotchman who had r--
Gently come TO the place and Joined
the church was not long in noticing
this state Of atfaira.and "a remedy soon
suggested itself 10 his practical mind
IN tell You what" hc said 90 oue
of the officials. If you max me trea--
urcr IN engage TO double the collec-
tions in three months"
His offer was promptly accepted,
and sure enough the collection began
10 increase. until by the time he bad
stated they were nearly twice "a much
as formerly.
How have you ma anagcd it, Mr.
Sandyman?" said the pastor 10 him One
day.
ITS a great secret" returned the
canny Scot, but III tell you in conf
dence. The folk / saw maiSty garr
three-penny bits. Neel. when / -.l
the money every sabbath evening /
carefully picked out the sma coins and
put them by. Moo. as there's only "a
limited number OF three-peuuy pieces
in little place like this, and "a ] have
maist Of them At present under lock
and key. the folk maun give siNprHcr~
at least instead. See. that's why ,nr
collections are doubled"
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
INCONTESTAeLE POLICIES.

Life Insurance Companies Issue Them
Only in Europe and Central America.
The policies written by some of the
leading life insurance companies of
this country are incontestable for any
cause whatsoever. II a pOncy holder
suicide Immediately ly after pay
ing his first premium, and before the
ink il dry on his policy, his heirs viii
receive the money just the same. That
is because the companies know that
life is the most precious possession of
every individual, and that very few in
deed will throw il away in order to
benefit an heir. The ''inconteStable
clause Is found, however, only in the
American policies Those issued to
Europeans. Central Americans and
South Americans do not have them.
One of the chief officials of a leading
company recently said to a reporter
for the New York sun:
''All our foreign policies are written
subject to cancellation. 1t is true we
discover very little fraud among the
European policy holders, but that il
because their schemes are SO clever we
cannot run them down. The chief
reason for our writing less liberal pol
icies abroad and in the southern por-
tion of this continent is, however, be
cause wars are so frequent and so liza
bic to occur at any moment. Europe
is always on the brink of great war.
and if we should write incontestable
policies there we might be ruined any
time. In the Central and South Amer
lean states revolutions are in progress
all the time If our policies were not
subject to cancellation there we should
be subjected To great losses continual
ly. Our method is to write policies
freely, but to cancel them whenever
a revolution occurs in the countries in
which the policy holders reside"
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
A BURGLAR DeMORALIZER.
How 1t Worked and why the Inventor
nldn,. Nrl % ratented.

nidn't set 81 Patented
i once invented" a." said a man who
lived in the suburbs To New York
sun reporter, IA burglar dcmorali1er
that was very effective IN its way. but
/ never got ii patented, because /
didn't think | ought To. II was very
simple coutrivancc- It consisted mere
w Of 4 stout wire stretched across the
door at such a distance from tn" door
and windows that anyone entering
would got under hcadway before reach
ing il. and low enough So that ne
would fall over it. There had been q
number of burglars ia our town. and 80
| fitted up the lower hoor of our house
with the dcmoralizer. We adjusted
the wires the last thing at night, when
we were locking mp.
-Onc uirht-about three nights
think after we nad set them up-w,
heard a noise ut the bacl, door. and we
knew that somebody was coming. We
gathered around the head Of the bacl,
stairs and listened The burglar got
in without much trouble and closed
he door softly behind him. and then
for n moment everything was vcrv
still. Then there was a great thud
that fairly shook the house. then an
other moment of stiffness. and then
the suppressed, but steady sound of "a
human voice. II was the burglar sit
ting ON the kitchen floor and cu~-in'.
After awhile we moved around Il
little upstairs to let him know we wrr.'
ON deck, and he got mp and went away.
He didn't take anything. but Mrs.
suburb said she had rather he ha.
taken everything there was in tn,
house than % hear him swear -o- aud
that is why never got tho dcuoraiizsI
patented. II was effective. but "a would
have seemed like Offering a premium
on profanity"
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08

A Kobe Japan) paper copies a curl
Gus advertisement which has been
hung out ON the board boy rich man
at Matsuragata. Naga-alli The no
tice explains itself: when my daugh-
ter was sick | prayed the kompira of
Sanuki province for her recovery,
pledging To let her pay thanisgivinE
visit 10 the temple by creeping on her
hands and feet all the way through Iu
imitation of cattle, If She recovered.
The prayer was heard. and she r"e"'-
cred by the miraculous influence ol
the Almigh ty Deity. But. after all II
is impossible for a tender girl 10 creep
several hundred Of miles 10 Sanulii ]
should therefore like 10 find substi-
tute for her. and if anyone offering
himself or herself for such hc found
suitable To the task | will offer such
nersnu one thousand dollars"
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
a JOB FOR THE PREACHER.
It Was to Re Either Conversion or tn
Funeral of "a Mountaineer.

It Was to Re Either "a Conversion or the
Funeral of "a Mountaineer.
The mountain circuit rider met me
at the foot of Hurricane gap in the Pine
mountains, says a Detroit Free Press
man. and we rode along together, and
about a mile from where the roads
forIled we were stopped by noun
taineer with Winchester, whom the
preacher knew. He presented me in
due form, and when the native knew |
was an outsider" he didn't hesitate to
talk.
Il just stopped yer he said to the
preacher. ter AK yer to come up to the
house in the mornin'.'
Anybody sick ?'' inquired the
preacher.
No" and the mountaineer hesi-
tated. "You know you have been a
talIlin' ter me fer a long time erbout
gitten religion, an been "A holdin' OFF,
The preacher nodded and looked
pleased, for there was tone of peni
tence in the natives voice.
well, I've erDout made up my mind
that I've got ter the pint when some
things got ter be done. Jim GUllins
come ny my pld'' Nl'A9 il'i mn "i
killed one nv my dogs when | was
away, an you've heerd me say what |
thought of Jim Gullins many a time
afore this
The preacher nodded sorrowfully
this time.
well. I'm goin' down to see Jim
now" continued the mountaincer. IAN
if l git him III be ready to jine the
meetin' house when You come up in the
mornin'. and if Jim gifts me youu have
Il funeral to preach. SOS you won't lose
nothin' by it nohow. | must be gittin
along; good-by." And, singing hi,
Winchester into the hollow of his arm
he hurried away through the thicllct
leaving the circuit rider and me sitting
ON our horses in the road. completed
knocked ont 10y the Suddenucss of i
all and the peculiarity.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
Revolutionary Uniforms.

During the revolution the most elab-
crate of uniforms We're designed for
the American officers, and the men
were ordered to wear green shirts, IF
they could be procured" As a matter
of fact very few uniforms were worn,
everybody wore what he happened to
have and the navy was clothed in mot
ley array. The native born American
seamen, most of them, wore the can
vas petticoat, and they all wore the
hair in a braid down the back, waxing
1t TO make it curl up at the end. As
many of the seamen were foreigners
the costumes of all nations We're dis
played on many ships 1t was not un-
til $500 that there is a record of a crew
in white duck uniforms
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
FUTURE OF THE HUMAN FOOT.
Progressive Development In the Art Of
ii. gematliuU.

Progressive Development In the Art OF
sL1emaklng.
The boot and shoe exhibit at the
worlds fair leads one 10 view with
alarm the prospective fate Of the
human pedals, says the Minneapolis
Tribune. The wild variety Of iu-
genious shapes exhibited in shoes dis
closes the fact that the human foot In
modern times has ceased 10 have
shape of its own. 1t is putty in the
hands of the ingenious artist. Ia
short. the foot. as 10 shape and size, f.
purely a shoemaller's product IT,
therefore. we want 70 know what the
foot of the future Is 10 be we must
study the trend Of the cobbler's art
In spite of the fearful vnriety Of
shapes and dimensions exhibited iu the
worlds fair shoe exhibit, there are
certain tendencies Of the shocma5in-
art that are clearly marked and show
progressive development between the
shoepaclS and plowshoe on the one
hand and the patent leather ball
room slipper on the other ther. i- "a
broad variation in the shap. and di-
mensions which the human foot must
assume, and yet there are ON, or two
principles which apply more or less in
common 10 all of the widely ditTcreu-
tiated styles.
The one principle which stands ont
most prominv ntly in all the schools 1f
the shoeTaaking art Is This: That There.
is but one recognized toe un she humaa
foot. The other cNcrcSceucc> are not
To bc cOuntenauccd or tolerated. Tho
definition approved 10y all shoe moo
distes il that the human foot b. a yuriu-
bile aggregation consisting oi -four
parts-thc heel, the in~tap. the bali
and the great toe. The latest aud gem
orally adopted canon relative To- he
proper shape Of the front part Of the
shoe is that il should consist OF "a
straight line drawn from the out .r
edge Of the bah of the foot 20 the tip
Of the great toe II is true there are
many styles OF shoes that do not CON
form rigidly 10 the canon, but the vari-
ations are permitted simply ou aesthetic
grounds 10 secure variety. and not at
all that not more than one toe H. rrcog-
nized
There is said TO be only one shoe in
the worlds fair exhibit which distinct
ly recognizes and countenaucc- five
toes on the human foot and THAI D. the
wooden shoe from Belgium. That shoe
which allots five compartments 81
space to the toe family. is the cNccp-
tion which proves the rule namely,
that the great toe IL the only author
izcd projection on the porticp of the
pedal structure. \ generation cor tHn
more Of culture and hcr,dity under
the Braconiau laws imposed hy the
shoe artists viii doubles see ilr lls-
man foot simpliticd and improved by
the gradual elimination OF four super
iluouS. useless, and inartistic frontal
projections.
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
EnISONIS METHODS.
He Does Not Invent by Accident or WIN
out Hard work.


Fdison's genius comes near TO Jusu-
fvinr that definition OF the ""'"
y-bich makes it an infinite capacity Tor
taking pains, says the heVicW OF 10
-. Are your discoveries often
brilliant intuitions? Do they come 90
You while You are lying awake
nights? I asked him.
u never did anything worth dong
bv accident" he replied, nor dld any
,f NV inventions come indirectly
through accident, except the phoHo-
graph. No; when l have fully decided
that a result is worth getting ! 60
,bead on il and make trial after trla'
until il comes. / have always kept
strictly within the lines of commercial- l.
" us,.fuI inventions / have never had
INV tinq To nut on electrical wonders,
,,,iunbIe simply as novelties to eaten
the popular fancy" And he named IN
distinction some noted electricians
who had made their regulations
through the pyrotechnics of the pro
fcssiOn.
What makes you work?' / asked
with real curiosity. What impels
You to this constant, tireless struggle
You have shown that you care com
parativeIy nothing for the money IL
makes. and You have no particular en-
thusiasm in the attending fame.
II like il, he answered, after mo-
rnent of puzzled expression, and then
he repeated his reply several times as
if mine was Il proposition that had not
occurred to him before. IL like 1t. |
don't know any other reason. You
-, .st
stamps. Anything that | have begun
is always ON my mind, and | am not
easy while away from it until it IS fin
ishrd. And then hate it."
Hate it?" / asked, struck by his EN-
phatic tones.
Yes" he affirmed, when it Is al
done and is a success | can't bear thu
sight of it. l haven't used telephone
in ten years, and l would go out OF my
way any day to miss an incandescen'
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
Falcons as Military Messengers.

a Russian army officer has made
some very successful experiments in the
training of falcons TO carry dispatches,
and general attention has been called
To the possibilities of the use of this
bird for messenger purposes in time of
war. The falcons SO trained carried
messages from one garrison To another
with very gratifying success. If the
use of these birds is found To be really
generally practicable they win have
many points of superiority over pigeons
for messenger purposes. They are
much stronger, and some of those 50
far tried carried a weight of four Rus
sian pounds without hindrance tn
speed. A not unimportant cOnsidera-
ton is that they are not likely 10 suffer
from attacks of other birds
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
THE GREAT INLAND CITY.
what Has Helped Chicago in Her Phe-
Domenal Growth.

What Has Helped chicago IN her fhe-
DomenaI Growth.
A generation ago, says the London
Spectator. America consisted of the
settled northeastern and southeastern
states and of the great eXpanse of
more or less wild continent behind
them. Year by year, however, the
population has been spreading west,
and every fresh census has pushed in
land the mean line of population
the line on either side of which the
population is equal. The significance
of this gradual withdrawal of the mean
population line from the coast must
not be missed. The fact means that
the Anglo-Saxons in the United States
are becoming what they have never
been before in their history, an inland
people
In a very little time the vast major
itv of Americans will not only have
never seen the sea, but will never have
been within "A thousand miles of it The
destiny of the American people is to be-
come as much people of great inland
Mains as th, Russians. and this fact
will be made clear to the world when
travellers leave the ocean at New
York. and after travelling inland over
a Thousand miles find themselves in
city as biz as Vienna, and ten times as
rich and energetic.
The existence of great city so far
removed from the sea is probably
uuioue in the worlds history. Delhi
in the days of its greatest prosperity
h-,d no doubt a very large population
but unless Moscow can be called great
we can recall no other great city OF an
cient or modern times situated in the
heart of a continent. II may lac said
that Chicago is an exception only in
name. and that it could never have
achieved the position il has achieved
but for the fact that il is situated on
the shores of a great doublc-armed in
land sea No doubt the great lakes
have helped Chicago, and no doubt
also the fact that they require from
the populations which surround them
all the sea -faring qualities of the Eng
lish race Will prevent its inhabitants
from becoming too inlandish in their
habits.
Chicago. however, is not enough in
the middle of the continent To hold
forever the position of the typical
American city. As the center of popu-
lation shifts westward her relative po-
sition viii decline, and she will ulti-
mately have To give way TO some
younger rival in the west and south.
possessed of u geological position more
suited To the commercial capital of a
nutiDn of some two hundred millions
of inland people. Still, as we have said
above, Chicago for the time will serve
as an object lesson in regard to the
great change which has come over the
conditions under which the American
continent Is inhabi
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
Warding on Cholera.

Persians have many rites which the
superstitious believe are efficacious in
averting attacks of the cholera. One
of the most popular of these is that of
passing under the Koran. Two elders
stand opposite each other, holding be-
tween them a scroll of the Koran
wrapped in a sil1en scarf. Under this
swinging talisman the peasants pass
one by one and then go home, con-
vinced that the cholera will not be able
to touch them
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
A Chinese Columbus.

The belief in a Chinese Columbus
was first allowed by scholars only
about fifty years ago. The claim Is
that a Buddhist priest in the fifth cen
tury crossed the Pacific To this country
and returned. making "A written re
mort of his discovery. The report sllll
visits II was translated into French
In t79t bv NJ. de Guigncs. 1t gave "a
narrative of a voyage eastward oS
priest for twenty Thousand H. "hvrT '''
found a country which he named "-
sang. People similar To the lhai"''
were described, as wei as Amer''i"
plants. The only doubt about inc
matter is as To the distance meant py
twenty thousand Ii. The priest may
have only reached some island IN the
Pacific ocean
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08
1t Travels swiftly.

The earth's motion has an apprecia-
bic effect upon artillery fire, DETECTING
the projectile from straight course
Firing from north to south, there is a
divergence of projectiles to the left.
due To the earth's rotation, and firing
due north, the divergence is to the
right. The extent of the pull" varies
at different points on the earth's sur
face and with projectiles fired at diff
ferent speeds and elevations. In Eng
land, detection of five inches is found
to occur with the projectile of a twelve
FOUNDER in a four range
The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-08

Some years ago the Scientific Amer
lean took occasion 10 interview a large
number of commanders OF ocean steam
ers concerning the momentum of yes
sells. suppose" it asked. "A steam
vessel We're running at full speed and
the engines were reversed, how far
would the vessel run before it began
TO gather sternway-tha Is. to move
baclEard?' The answers varied be
tween two and -four miles, but the con
clusiCu was reached that if two vessels
were approaching each other under "A
full head of steam they might, after
hearing the foghorn at a distance of
four miles apart, do their best to stop,
and yet come into collision with eacn
ether, with serious consequences.