davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04
Celebrating Independence Day.

Of the day on which our independ-
ence was declared John Adams said !:
'It ought to be comnemorated as
the day of deliverance by solemn acts
of devotion to God Almighty. It
ought to be celebrated with pomp and
parade, with shows, games, sports,
guns, bells, bonfres and inuminations,
from one end Of this continent to the,
other, from this time forward forever
more"
These words, says Julia Ward Howe,
show how comprehensive was the view
which the old statesman took of Ea-i
tons holiday. he desired that all
classes and all ages should participate
in the Joy expressed. The time which
has elapsed since his memorable utter
ance has brought nothing to diminish
this JOY. It has, however, brought
into being new society for which
'pomp and parade, bells, guns and
bonfres' are less available for good
than pleasures of q more elevated
character. We now desire celebra-
ton which shall speak less to the
bodily senses and more to the inner
sense. This is because the historic de-;
velopment of the race goes ever for
ward. .tes
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04
He Knew His Business.

A man was one day making trip on
the "Ayer" of Wyoming railroad.
Passage on these trains is never taken
except for journeys Of considerable
length; walking is as easy and much
safer for short distances. On this oc-
casion the movement was even mors
deliberate than usual and the passen-
ger called the conductor to his seat
and said:
Isn't this motion pretty slow?"
"Well, we amt flying, I admit. "
"May ask what is the trouble,
then?"
"Certainly. We found fine two
year-old steer stuck in a trestle back
here before you got on, and stopped
and helped it out. You know the rules
of the road are in such cases that the
animal belongs to the company"
"But I don't see why that should
make you run 80 slow"
why, we're taking that steer to
headquarters; got it tied behind, and
it amt used to leadin' and don't walk
up very well. I'm doin' all can
got the brakeman prodding it up with
an umbrel', and an ear of corn tied to
the end of the bell rope. fyou think
I'm going to start up and go howlin
along and yank the horns off as good
a steer as there is in this State. why,
you're mistaken, that's all !"-Boston|
Post.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04

These pieces are put into a curious
little mortar and pounded together
again with little hammer that comes
very near being worked by machinery,
just as near as anything couldin China,
where there are so many hands ready
to work for miserable allowance Of
rice. At last these slices are made
into a mass again, and this time it
comes out as soft as dough, which is
placed in large pot of water till it is
completely dissolved, then with some
thing very like sieve they lift water
from this pot, allowing it to run back
again through the bottom, which ls q
fine net of bamboo thread, and there
is always thin white sediment left in
the bottom of the sieve. Suddenly
throwing the sieve upside down on the
floor they dislodge the sediment,
which falls in thin white film. A
thousand of these are left to lie one
upon the other, then the whole is
taken out in the sun to dry, and thus
it becomes paper. The process is al
ways the same all over China, but the
ingredients differ in almost every
factory. The common ingredients are
bamboo, cotton, the tow Of silk, bark
and the leaves Of many plants, the
hair and even the intestines OF animals.
If you take the inner piece Of brown
paper on the wrapping of q pack OF
tirecrackers and hold it to the light
YOU will be able to see some of the in
gredients used in making paper.
It is an easy thing to distinguish
the firecrackers made in America
from those of Chinese make. In the
first place, the American crackers are
never small. They are rarely smaller
than four and half inches in length
and have short cord fuses, while, on
the other hand, the Chinese kind have
paper fuses, are braided into packs
and have giltlabels. A fireworks firm
in Chicago once tried to make small
firecrackers by machinery, but after
several fruitless attempts gave it up
with a loss of several thousand dol
lars. They could reproduce q pack
of tirecrackers after the Chinese pat
tern, the only trouble being that they
would not explode. This is mainly
because no machine can be manufac-
tured to roll the frecrackers and take
the place of the gentle pressure done
with the human hand. They invariably
roll them too tight and thereby
render them useless.
The large American frecrackers al
ways have a notice printed on their
side, EDO not hold in the hand after
Only an American boy
would be guilty of such a reckless
thing. In China as soon as child
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04

paper, another rolls the crackers,
while his neighbor fills the ends with
clay. The paper man would not do
the clay mans work, any more than
the fusemaker would do the sorter's
work, and every little frecracker be-
fore it reaches America has in its con-
struction passed through over sixty
different pairs of hands. The go-down
is divided into q dozen long sheds,
with blue tiled roots; the laborers sit
on little stools at long bench like
tables. As soon as one man finishes
his part of the work he passes it on to
his neighbor, the latter following his
example when he has done his share,
and thus it starts at one end of the
table as little paper and fuse and
comes out at the other end finished
frecracker.
The next room I visited was devoted
to braiding and wrapping the crackers,
and the next to packing them for ship
ment. They are packed in boxes much
resembling the common tea box and
contain thirty packages. A box in
this country brings s1.25, and after
duty and shipment have been paid it
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04
Locusts Held Up a Train.

A swarm of seventeen-year locusts took
possession Of Long Branch train near
Avenel, N. j.. a few mornings ago, and for
time there was every prospect Of the pas,
sengers having to abandon the coaches and
let the locusts retain them. The train which
EXP erienced this unusual trouble was NO.
9S7 of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It left
Jersey City at 10 o'clock. The warm
weather tempted hundreds to visit the coast
towns, and the train was heavily loaded.
The heat had caused almost every window
to be opened, and when the train came to
Avenel the passengers leaned out to look at
the hundreds of thousands of the locusts on
the ground and in the air. They would have
been satisfied with this, but the locusts were
not. Before the passengers were aware
what was happening, the pests had sWarmed
up the sides Of the cars, and through the
windows and doors inside.
Women screamed. and stood on the seats
with their skirts drawn up, so as to avoid
Immediate contact with the crawling objects.
They soon had to let 60 their skirts and pay
undivided attention to keeping the loousts
from their hats and taces. The more tim1d
passengers started for the doors, but at that
moment the car started. Tho rush Of wind
seemed to disconcert the pests. Those on
the outsides OF the cars dropped of. and
those inside clung closely to the seats or
floors, and were soon thrown out OF the WIN
dows by the train hands who started the
oars.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04

cred before its destructive powers
The show ers of sparks that fall from
rockets have sparkled in Chinese skie
from time immemorial. The fire
cracker is said to be the earliest form
of explosive, and was not so much in
tended for boys to use in sport as fol
an article of heather worship.
In the mountains of Western Chins
there is supposed to be giant devil
of brilliantred, at the sight Of whom
men grow faint with fear. A man who
lived about 5000 years ago by The
name of Leedien found that the bang
ing of frecrackers would frighten hin
away, hence Leedien is the god of fire
crackers. All the red frecrackers are
intended to be used to frighten away
the red devil, while the green and
yellow ones are offerings to Leedien.
From the simple little firecracker was
gradually evolved the destructive can.
non, which was used by the Chinese
in their war with the Mongols in A.
D. 1882. It was introduced into
Europe about 1540. Thus we owe to
the Chinese the invention of the most
useful article of warfare in the world.
The most interesting sights of Can
ton are the tea factories aud the fire.
cracker factories, and the most interest
ing of the two are the frecracker fac
tories. These establishments can hardly
be called factories, if We use the word
ip the sense of making by machinery,
for all of the work is accomplished by
hand, and they are, therefore, called
by the English residents of that coun-
try "frecracker go-downs."
On approaching the building one is
not greeted with the usual roar OF
furnaces and the many and one
noises that go to make up the din of a
factory, but it is anything but quiet
place. At distance it sounded like
the riot of furious mob compared
with the quiet about Canton, though
Canton seemed noisy enough.
For mile around the factory the
thousands of inhabitants are all en-
ployed in making frecrackers. Al
soon as the children are old enough to
be anything but babies they begin to
work, and as soon as their mothers
have finished the housework they turn
their hands to making frecrackers
but there is no confusion, for no one
knows how to do but very small part
of the immense amount of work re-
quired in turning out millions o
these little explosives. One man, fol
instance, makes fuses, another cuts
them in length and another sorts
them in sizes; one man makes the
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04
CHAPTER ~.

WELL" Simmons glanced up at Liv.
ingston, and laid the paper he was read
Ing aside.
sHe is not at home"
@So he is married, them"
Livingston sat down beside him and
explained the position OF affairs just as
he found them.
Simmons was surprised.
He was prepared to hear that Bean,
champe had wife-a number of wives
but the sister Livingston described
puzzled him. He began to doubt for the
first time. Possibly what they both saw
and heard were not facts after all. Pos
sibly Livngston's extraordinary faith in
his friend was well grounded At all
events it was now stronger than ever.
aWhat do you propose next?" said
Livingston. u am at the end of my re-
sources-that is, l will be when I make
the rounds Of the newspaper offices, or
can get word to my friends-men I can
rely upon in a case Of this kind.
Simmons rose, buttoned his Goa: and
said his course was mapped out.
He was ready to call upon certain
friends in police circles; in the morning
be would communicate with the head OF
the detective force, and inside of twelve
hours, possibly less time, they would
"get at the truth of this business"
He spoke in the tone of man who
did not know what failure meant.
"You know just where to reach me at
any time, Mr.. Livingston, and all the
world knows where the Record Office is.
I'll leave word there for you if I want
you"
Before we separate, want stiff
ener' of some sort, Simmons. This thing
has been trying on me. Besides, it's
past my lunch-time. What will you
have?"
aNo 'stiffener' for me. I never drink
anything stronger than milk. Milk's
good enough for me-"
Livingston made himself strong glass
of whisky and water, with plenty Of sug-
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04
Selling Football Players.

The sale season for professional football
players has Just commenced in Enslanl. |.
but it is not expected that the business Will
be very brisk. It is perhaps necessaryto ex-
plain that the English Football League, in Or
der 10 prevent unscrupuIous clubs from
candestinely bribing famous players to DE-
sert to them. instituted a system by which no
man can be transferred from one club to an'
other except by paying according to
specified scale Each cu1 puts price
against every one OF its men and these lists
are published yearly. This year. for in
stance. the celebrated Preston North End
Club will not part with Jimmy Ross under
$500, but his brother. Jack Ross. may bs had
for 500. Newton Heath wants $3.50 each
for two of its leading men, and so on. Some
OF these clubs are little better than trading
companies. The Everton Club, which Is
typical of the whole, had an income last year
OF nearly s5O,oOO and will commence next
season with balance in hand OF nearly SlO,-
600.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04
FIRECRACKERS.
no "GLORIOUS FOURTH" IS
COMPLETE WITHOUT THEM.
How and Where That Delight OF
the Small Boy is Made
A Visit to q Chinese =.
Cracker Shop.

VNTHAT visions are eoniured
w e I: y Z,::;.s;:;' {; $::; ''5s 5i.s: ::
flying, grotesque process
gions, small boys with smoke black
ened faces and blistered fingers that
mamma is tenderly binding, with in
tefmittent scoldings-that is the sort
Of . thing the frecrackers bring to
mind, for is it not an adjunct to the
glorious Fourth which no patriotic
young American would be without on
that happy day2
Niter, the principal ingredient oi
gunpowder, has always been found in
great quantities in China, and the
ancient records of that country prove
that gunpowder was there manufac'
tured at time when Europe was 6
bowling wilderness except in the lit.
tie corner where Rome sat on hel
seven hills ere she had become the
mighty empress of the world. Fire
works were the earliest form in which
gunpowder was used, as oddly enough,
its entertaining qualities were discov
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04
The Hygiene of Laughter.

It has been aptly said that there is
not the remotest corner of the inlet
of the minute blood vessels of the hu-
man body that does not feed some
wavelet from the convulsions occa-
stoned by good, hearty laughter. The
life principle of the central man is
shaken to its innermost depths, send
ing new tides of life and strength to
the surface, thus materially tending
to insure good health to the persons
who indulge therein. The blood moves
rapidly, and conveys a different I'M
preston to all the organs of the body,
as it visits them on that particular
mystic journey when the man Is
laughing, from what it does at other
times. For this reason every good,
hearty laugh, in which person in
dulges, tends to lengthen his Life, con
veying as it does new and distinct
stimulus to the vital forces. Brook
lyn Times.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04
Abiiah's Fourth OF July.

Abijah Stone strolled of alone
While yet the morn was hazy; $s
The neighbors' boys made such noise,
= They almost drove him crazy.
"I love my country well, said be,
stBut think it Is sin, sir,
To spoil July's sweet jubilee
By making such din, sir"
30, in nook beside brook,
Serenely sound asleep, sir,
Abijah lay the livelong day,
Curled in little heap, sir;
While In the town the brass-bands brayedl
And cannon doomed like thunder, }
Until very small boy made
A most tremendous blunder, 49, ,sz4f
For, Just at dark, he dropped spark
Where sparks are very worst, sir;
A binding aash-a frightful crash
So
A powder-keg had burst, sir
Abijah found but scattered shreds
When he returned to town, sir,
And people standing on their hesds
Where they had Just come down, sir!
st. Nicholas.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04
Fined for Starving His Wife to Death.

Isaac Hanks, an aged miser, charged with
having caused the death OF his wife by deny
ing. her sufficient food, has been found
guilty by jury in Salem, N. Y, where he
was taken for trial. A recommendation to
mercy accompanied the verdict, and the Of
fender, who g said to be worth more than
$4,000, was let Of on fine Of $1,000 and
costs. ..-...''
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04
A Pinwheel Suggestion.

"Well, Walter" said Walters
grandmother, after the fireworks had
all been set of, show did you enjoy
the pinwheels?"
"They was awful NICE" said Walter.
"They looked just like soda water
fountain on fire."
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04
No Day for the Sisters.

seMercy me! what is that noise"
cried old Mrs. Bensal, as huge
cracker exploded beneath her window.
"I don't know" said the innocent
son and heir, who was responsible for
the explosion, "unless it was sister
Mary's bang you heard"
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04

the most venturesome things. If het
would follow the Chinese example the /
oculists and surgeons would not do
such thriving business the day fol-
lowing the celebration of independ-
ence.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04

lights cracker he leaves it and does
not run back and pick it up to see it
the fuse is burned out. But in Amerl-
ca it is not so. The glorious Fourth
comes but once year, and The smal1
boy in his endeavor to have good
time rushes about and does some OF
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04

The dining-room of the Campania,
the Cunard steamer, is 100 by sixty
four feet, and seats 43Q persons.
The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04

"That is the worst thing ever heard
the last thing would have believed.
I can't realize it now"
He stared hard at Simmons, then at
the pavement
"Isuppose we'll 60 to his lodgings now
Il think that will be best Or" Sim
mons paused and seemed. to be turning
something over in his mind, aif you pre-
fer it you can 60 alone. He might take
It into his head to go there. The only
thing that would prevent him would
be-"
II comprehend, n said Livingston. aYou
think he wouldn't care to have me drop
In on him just now.n
aThat's it, precisely," said Simmons,
briskly. "Rut it's the only thing I see
for you to do. 60 there, and II you can't
find him, manage some way-some sure
way-to warn him to keep out OF the
road for awhile-till he hears from you.
And you can make personal for him
that's the idea"
sWhere will 1 find you in half an hour
or SOP"
Simmons mentioned well-known
popular resort.
Livingston still stood, hesitating. At
last he blurted out, with half-apolo-
getic air, and in tones that appealed
strongly to his companion: "Spite OF
everything, Simmons, I've not lost faith
In Beauchampe yet. Don't think it is
weakness; 1 simply can't give him up
yet There's something more in this
and there's q terrible-a horrible mis-.
take somewhere: know you'll think
Its weakness-but I can't help it.
II don't think anything of the sort
that's all right. I don't want to shake
your faith in your friend more than I
can help. Help him all you can-and
I'll help you all I can. I'll wait till I
hear from you"
ain three-quarters of an hour, at
most" said Livingston, as he strode
away.
Simmons turned about, shook his head
gravely, and walked in the opposite di-
eection.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-08

TIE hrst settlement OF the Jews in the The
Ran peninsula 10 buried In ooseurity. What Is
ssrtsln Is that before the overthrow Of the Ro-
aGn republic thsy went thither, As free men. 70
take advantage Of the resources Of tue country.
Many victims OF the Instructions under Yes
pssian. Titus. and HSdriAB were also dispersed
70 the extreme west; an sxag gsratsd account
computes At $1,000 those who were transport
ed to Spain a. prisoners These probably
would net remain long 10 slavery. for the sym
patty Of their free brethren. lOHg established
Ia the country. could be relied upon to
EAAssm them and thus fulhl the most i'm
D0rtAnt Of the dutiss prescribed b. Tai
nudio Judaism 10 its AdhsrsntA How
numerous the Jess became In some
sArts Ol BOmaa Spain Is shown 81 the names
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-08
The Jews In spaIs.

The Jewish Publication Society Of America
tPhilAdslphia) have brought out the third vol
ume OF the History OF The Js,es. By Prof.. H.
GRAErz. the preceding parts OF which have
been noticed In these columns. The book boz
fore US covers the period from the beginning
OF the sixth to tho close OF the thirteenth CEN
tury. Among tho topics connected with the
external circumstances and internal develop
ment Of Judaism which are here discussed
are the conversion 10 the Jewish faith
OF many Arabian tribes. including those
which constituted the HimyAritic kingdom In
the southwest corner OF the peninsula /;
the formation OF Jewish Chazar State. which
for two centuries continued to be the dominant
power In southern Russia; the position OF the
Jews In Angsvin England; the harmful eject
o! tho oruSAdes upon their status In France
and Germany; the commitment OF the TAlmud
to writing. and the Karaitic reaction sgAinst
Tain udism; the rise and fall OF false Mes
siAhs; the spread OF the heresy associated
with the name Of Maimonides; the evolution
otths Ksbbala; and the attachments OF the
Jews In philosophy, philolOgy. physical
science. finance. and the arts, The feature
OF this volume, however. to which We
shall now eOnAns ourselves Is the light
II throws on what Is usually deemed a difficult
historical problem, namely. the swiftnsss and
durability OF tho conquest OF Spain in the
early part Of tho eighth century By q CON-
baEAtiyely small body OF Aoslsms. Evidently
the key OF this problem Is TO be found In the
situation OF the Jews at the time in the IbsriAn
peninsula. and We may add that the ultimate
expulsion Of tho s.oaam N sdAns was largely
dus TO causes analogous to those which had
promoted the success OF their invasion. SOME
day. when the fascinating story OF the MOors
In spain is written. the great part PLAYED BY
the Jews. alike in the initial and the anal
chapters. will be recognized.