davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
DESERTED VILLAGES.
Boom Towns of tho West That
Are Now Desolate.
The Rise and Fall of MiTinr Camps
Which Orce Had Thousands of Peo-
pie. But Are Now the Abodes of
Owls and Snakes.

II Oliver Goldsmith were alive TO
make tour of the far western states
and of some sections of the south, he
could find many deserted village there
that was once the iiveliest if not, like
his beloved Auburn, the loveliest of the
plain. In Kansas alone. according to
the New York World. where it would
appear that towns as well as individuals
have felt the disastrous results of
phlebotomy. there are fully twenty such
abandoned villages. and in Nevada,
California. Georgia and Alabama they
are numerous. Once thriving mining
camps like Bodie and White Pine that
grew great in night; boom towns such
as Fargo Springs, that sprang up as
quickly as if a magician had called
them into being, and prosperous and
substantial cities like Sumner, in early
days the most important town and
prospective metropolis of Kansas
scores of these decayed municipalities
now lie abandoned and desolate. their
houses empty of human tenants and
rotting away, their streets thick with q
rank growth of weeds, and only few
old timers. or in some cases only a soli-
tary postmaster, left to tell men of the
present generation of their former
hustle and prosperity. In various in
stances, as at Petersburg, in Georgia,
nothing but mounds of earth and a
populous cemetery remain to testify to
the towns departed glory.
Especially mournful has been the
fate of those abandoned towns whose
only inhabitants to-day are the animals
and reptiles that have left prairie and
sand hills to take refuge in the deserted
dwellings. Time has played one of his
most fantastic tricks with human for
tune in permitting owls to fit about
under the rafters that echoed all the
night through to the boisterous revelry
of owl clubs, and snakes to squirm un-
der the very tables at which barkeepers
dealt out biting red eye in exchange for
gold dust; while wolves prowl through
the forsaken lair of the tiger. 1t is like
plunging into an atmosphere of gloom
to visit these blighted cities. for on
every side stand mute reminders of the
feverish activity of the past to intensity
the sad stiffness of the present.
Perhaps the most striking of accounts
of ruined boom towns are those which
relate the untoward fate OF Pierce City
and Kit Carson. Less than a genera
ton ago Pierce City, with it's lawless
population of twenty thousand miners
and gamblers. was one of the most
notable settlements between Denver
and the coast. Its inhabitants to-day
are a handful of Cinnamon, while Kit
Carson has only one hundred left of the
seven thousand restless souls, who
twenty years ago sought gold by day
and revelry by night.
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
VANISHING ANIMALS.
Man Is Hunting Them on Completely
from the Earth.

Man Is Hunting Them on Completely
from the Earth.
No one can read book of travel In
wild countries without having brought
forcibly before him the grave fact that
many of the most interesting forms on
this earth are on the brink of extermina-
ton.
The bison is practically gone as .
wild animal from North America. The
quagga is not now to be found in South
Afr ca. The harmless and interesting ant
bear appears also TO be going the way
of the mammoth and the mastodon.
The London Zoo cannot get giraffe.
The price of animals in the market
has gone up to unprecedented figures.
We carefully provide their native majes-
ties of Africa with repeating rifles to
accelerate the process of humiliation.
Travellers warn US that the dismal
slaughter proceeds with an ever accel-
Grated pace 50 long as animals can be
found to be killed
The destruction apparently must soon
result in most of the larger wild ami
mails becoming as extinct as the dodo.
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
BIG HAILSTONES IN TEXAS.

Lumps Six Irches la Diameter said to
Have Fallen ia Recent storm.
A recent hailstorm near Gay Hill oc-
curred about 4:30 p IN. About two
p. m heavy clouds appeared in the
q roaring sound was heard, such as
usually indicates a coming hailstorm.
Lightning, accompanied by distant
thunder, suggested an unusual storm.
About six miles distant from the Gal
weston News mans point of observation
the clouds divided. Gght-colored
cloud passed out from the more dense
cloud toward the southeast, while the
latter continued its course toward the
east, but far above it at high altitude
was another cloud of pinlish cast,
which moved also toward the east.
few minutes after the rain commenced
small hailstones fell, and each moment
larger ones fell than the preceding,
until they reached the size of small hen
eggs. After falling for about fifteen
minutes the hail and rain ceased for
probably two minutes. Then it COM
menced again to rain heavily and con-
tinued for probably ten minutes, with
higher wind. and it was during this in
terval that the wonderfully large hail
stones fell
This remarkable hail fell in large
humps. ranging from three to six inches
In diameter heard of one piece eight
inches in diameter, which weighed four
pounds. They were, IS rule, spheri-
e.,
fat. and nearly all were covered with
oval knobs. They fell in small areas
about two feet. apart, while in other
places only one would fall in a space
twenty feet square. The average un-
der my observation was about one
hailstone to every three feet square.
The earth was thoroughly saturated
pieces penetrated the ground in soft
places about three inches. | gathered
about bushel of the argest pieces af-
ter the rain ceased and in a very little
while placed them in sack, which
put in box and packed hay around
without special care. Some of the
pieces exhibited in Brenham. for the
reason that ! preferred to give ocular
demonstration in proof Of the state
ment made in relation To the size of
the hail After forty-two hours several
Of the pieces were seven inches in cir
cumference At this date (eleven days
after it felD about quart of the hail
remains. Its density is so great that
believe it will keep should yop wish a
sample. most remarkable fact in
connection with these large hailstones
Is that some of them have particles of
dirt in the center The question is:
How did they get there?
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
OIL WELLS IN JAPAN.
The Petroleum Industry Is n Thing Of Re-
cent Date.

Although Japan is one of the oldest
countries in the world, it has just be-
gun to produce petroleum in large
quantities. Two expert drillers of oil
wells in Pennsylvania have been in
Japan for year sinking wells for the
japanese government. Oddly enough,
these wells are drilled under the waters
of the Japan sea. on the northern
coast of the empire. For at least
twelve hundred years the Japanese
have known of the existence of Pc
troleum along the shore, but the ma
tive wells were dug by hand, and the
oil slowly filed the bottoms, when it
was scooped up in buckets, few gal
Ions at time. Now the Japanese gov
ernment is talking of pipe lines and
railroads for distributing the products
of the wells which the Americans are
digging. Labor is very cheap in Japan,
and natives. work for seven yam a
month and board themselves, a yam
being about seventy-six cents. They
are rot or~ani2cd, and have no such
thir~s as labor unions. and strikes are
,ullIHown. They have 20 set time for
a DAYS work, which is practically dur
ing daylight, they frequently begin
ming work at the wells al four o'clock
in the morning. In consequence, Dig
ging wells in Japan is not expensive.
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
IN THE STATE OF WASHING TON.
Peculiar Names OF MA Of the Precincts
In the Far Nortnwest.

Peculiar Names OF FIa Of the Precincts
In the Far Northwest.
The names of some of the precincts
in this state are certainly wonderful,
says the Tacoma (Wash.) News. In
Adams county there is Washtucna,
which sounds as if it was intended to
call it Washington, but the Indian in
f1uence controlled before the word was
completed. Anatone and Theon are
rather simple, but Humptulips and
Wynoche are at least unfamiliar. Cath
lapoodle and Chelatchie are closely fol-
lowed in the list by Washougal.
Arkansaw and Monticello, in Cow
litz county, show the influence of the
chivalrous south. but Toutle and Olequs
are distinctly home productions Fish
hook, Pasco and Washtucna are the
combination offered by Franklin coun-
ty, and Garfield has a Pataha and a
Tuckanon, Coupeville and Utsalady
are familiar in this part of the country.
but would sound strange to foreigner
The county named in honor of the
sage of Monticello offers Chimacum
and Quilcene to the list of curios. and
Enumclaw, Duwamish, Krain. Sam
mamish and Tolt are the contribution
of King county.
Ollalla. Coleckem, Manastash, Wen
atehee, Peschastin, Swauk, Claquato.
Salcum and Slxookumchuck are a string
Of pearls; Lincoln county has only Sas-
sis TO attract the attention. while Ar
cadia and Coqualima and Humahuma
are in Mason county. Entail. Loop
loop and Toats Coulee are in Okanogan
county, Hwaco and Nasal in Pacific
Kapousin Ollop and Tsnwax seem to be
all right, because they are nearer home
Avon suggests the home of poetry in
Skagit, but they have also Guemas.
Sauk ard Samish. which are distinctly
unpoetic. Port Susan in Skagit sur-
gests home, but Stillaguamish and
Tualco put us at sea again. Lummi
Nooksack and Semiahmos are right
alongside in Watcom.
Oneco, Penewawa. Tekoa. Cowychee
Kiona and Wenas are east of the noun
tainS
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
LIGHTNING AND VESSELS.
Few Casualties Since iron aud steel Ar
Used In ships.

Used In ships.
Since the substitution OF iron and
steel for wood in shipbuilding. the
using of iron for masts ard wire for
riggings, a marked dininution has
taken place in shipping casualties from
lightning. The subject was made mat.
ter for special inquiry by the German
authorities, and the result was pub
lished by them in a recent report.
Capt Dinklass. who had charge of
the commission, states that no case
has been recorded where a ship rigged
with wire rigging has sustained any
damage from lightning. except in few
instances where continuous connection
had not been made with the hull.
But wooden ships. rugged with ordi-
nary rigging, still show the same per-
centage of casualties as formerly, wher
they are not properly fitted with eff
fcient lightning rods. The iron or stee'
vessel with wire rigging forms first
class lightning conductor, which is con-
tinuous. and by means of which the
electricity seems to be led into the
ocean before it can do any damage.
The difference in safety between the
old and the new class vessel has been
particularly, noticed in the tropics,
where violent storms are very frequent.
The destructive effects of lightning
upon the English war ships involved in
former years an expenditure OF not less
than from six thousand pounds to ten
thousand pounds annually. Between
the years 1910 and 1915 no fewer than
thirty-6ve of the sails-of-the-line and
thirty-six frigates and smaller vessels
were completely disabled OF late years
these items of loss and expenses have
wholly disappeared from the estimates
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
KICKED BY A DEAD MAN.
4 Government Mall Carriers Experienos
with n Lynehed Kobber.

4 Government Mall Carriers Experionos
with u Lynehed Robber.
81 had my hat kicked off one dark
night by a dead man." said John A. Ed
wards to q st. Louis Globe Democrat
reporter. "When a youngster Of nine
teen ! was riding star mail route in
southwestern Missouri 1t was just
after the war. and footpads were very
plentiful.
''One dark night couple Of these
gentry tried to hold me up, but ] was
mounted on a mettlesome horse and
socked the spurs home and rode over
them. I went plunging on through the
darkness for several hundred yards
when my horse stopped 50 suddenly
that inadvertently left the saddle and
sat astride his neck.
my roadster was trembling all over
with fright, but, to save me, ] could
see nothing. thought it must be more
footpads and spurred the horse for
ward, while held my pistol ready for
the expected attack.
"As passed large walnut tree that
nearly covered the road big muddy
boot struck me in the face and scraped
my hat off. concluded that did not
need hat, so did not stop to recover it.
ION my way back next morning
found that the kicker was a dead man
who was swinging from limb With q
piece of paper pinned to his shirt. on
which was scrawiod: Thou shalt not
steel-speshally cows and mewlA'"
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
THE BLACK COUNTRY.
Some OF the Strange superstitions Frevs-
lent In Egypt.


Good housewives mark their bread
lOaves with a cross. and housemalds In
sure a brisk kindling of a newly'lit
IRE by making the same sacred sign
over the crate. AS to fortune-telling,
the Blacl, country has for at least half
century been happy hunting
ground for the blacll-tressed and dark
eyed sibyls who disguise their real
calling from all but likely customers
by the pretense of hawking hand-cut
clothes-pegs, skewers, etc. And, more
audacious still. in several towns are
resident magicians. who rule planets
and reveal secrets for consideration.
And when n woman misses an orna-
ment or other valuable, she hies to a
wizard. or else to wise woman" to
learn who is the thief. One of these
star students was so successful in un-
raveling hidden secrets that his skill
was attributed to his dealings with
the Evil One. and. as he haa a more
than local reputation, he was known
far end wide as 1.-The Dudley Devil"
While Satan is endowed by the popu-
idr H1dp ma iOh NieAi ~ NDiNf NY
scarcely less than omnipresent, he is
supposed specially TO haunt the shafts
and su5tcrrancan workings of disused
mines. And, though practically omrip-
otent, he is invoked by the following
absurd speIl: Acrust of bread and
cheese placed inside a hat, with a
crossed knife and fork always an
oninous sign). and over this the rec
itation of the Lords Prayer back
wards. You will to this day find peo-
pie who are prepared to make oath
that when as boys they had tried this
spell on a pit-bank on dark nights.
and had been brave enough to peep
down the shaft, they had seen the
very form of the Evil One gMring at
them from the depths below. Nor was
this idea of personal visible devil
confined to the ignorant, profane and
careless. With the devout and serious
the conception acquired a still more
somber and tragic character. Satan
became to them not merely the in
spirer of foul thoughts and the sug-
gester of sinful actions, but a real
physical antagonist after the style of
Apollyon in Bunyan's allegory.
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
THE DOGS IDEA OF HIS MASTER.
He Probably Regards Him as an AbuoH-
NAL Member Of lI!s Species.

He Probably Regards Him as an AbuoF~
NAL Member Of H.s Species.
Our custom of ascribing human fac
ulties and modes of thought is an invol-
untary and invariable one when we are
dealing with the mental processes Of
other beings. says DR.. Louis Robinson
in Popular Science Monthly Even
when we speak Of the supernatural the
same habit is manifest. and human pas
sions, emotions and weaknesses are
constantly ascribed to beings presumed
to be infinitely more remote from us In
power and knowledge than we are from
the dog. Thus we see in the not very
distant past roasted flesh and fruits
were thought by men to be acceptable
to the gods. doubtless because they
were pleasing to the palates of the wor-
shippers, who reasoned by analogy from
the known to the unknown. This should
teach us to bear in mind that there Is,
affecting the dogs point of view, al
most undoubtedly such thing as cyno-
morphism, and that he has his peculiar
and limited ideas of life and range of
mental vision. and therefore perforce
makes his artificial surroundings square
with him. II has been said that a man
stands to his dog in the position of q
god, but when we consider that our
own conceptions of deity lead us to the
general idea of an enormously power
full and omniscient man, who loves,
hates, desires, rewards and Furnishes in
human-like fashion, ii involves no strain
of Imagination TO conceive that from
the dogs point of view his master is an
elongated and abnormally cunning dog;
Of different shape and manners certain
ly TO the common run of dogs. yet
canine in his essential nature.
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
THE PARSONS TEETH.
They Didn's Arrive IL Time, So He Had
to BE Excused.

They Didn't Arrive IL Time, So He Had
to Be Excused.
There Is story Of clergyman who
had taken temporary duty for friend
and who had the i'll luck to injure his
false teeth during the week. The plate
was sent to the dentists for repairs, q
faithful assurance being given thnt it
should be du'y returned by Sundays
pos;, but the dentist or the post proved
faith css."
With the assistance of the clerk the
clergyman managed to stumble through
he prayers. but felt it would be Impos-
,ibie t. attempt to preach. He there
tore instru ted the clerk 10 make some
excuse for h.ln and dismiss the congre-
CATION.
But his feelings may be better imag-
ined than described when, in the Sc
clusion of the ves-ry. he overheard the
Jerk, In impressive tones, thus deliver
the "eX use"
Parsons very sorry, but it is his mis-
fortune to be Obliged to wear set Of
artful teeth They busted last Wednes-
lay and he amt got them back from
London to-day. as he was promised.
I've helped him all could through the
service. but can't do no more for him;
isn't any use for him going into the pull
pit. for you wouldn' understand word
ne said. so he thinks you all may as well
- hAp,a
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
HE FOUND a HAWKS EGG.
And q Band OF Apaches Found Him 1t
the Same Time.

And Band OF Apaches Found Him es
the Same Time.
A birds nesting adventure that came
near ending in a tragedy is described
by Capt. Bcndire in q monograph on
the birds Of North America, issued by
the Smithsonian institution and the
Washington Star. The captain was
riding along the banks of Rillitto creek,
Arizona, one fine day in the year 1872,
when he saw a big black hawk. He
followed the bird. and at a distance of
about five miles from camp he found it
perched on a dead limb of tall cot
tonwood tree. On nearing the tree he
discovered bulky nest placed in .
fork close to the main trunk. and about
forty feet from the ground. The mate
of the hawk which he had been follow
ing was sitting on the nest.
With the intention of robbery, the
captain climbed up to the nest, in
which he found a single pale blue egg,
the parent birds meanwhile circling
around and manifesting their anger by
shrill screams. He put the egg, which
was as big as hens egg, into his
mouth. and was about to descend, when
he caught sight from his elevated perch
of several Apache Indians crouched
down in little canyon about eighty
yards distant. They were evidently
watching him.
1t was a case where the only chance
of safety lay in presence of mind.
Without exhibiting any signs of having
made the alarming discovery, the cap
tain proceeded to descend in as leisure
ly manner as possible, still retaining
the egg in his mouth. If he had mani
tested symptoms of being in hurry, the
Indians would have perceived that they
were spied, and they would have been
waiting for the egg hunter at the foot
of the tree before he could get down.
In that case death by torture of fiend-
ish ingenuity would doubtless have
been his fate. As it was, he reached
the ground in safety, mounted his horse.
and started for camp.
In an instant the Apach were after
him, and they chased him nearly to the
camp before abandoning the pursuit.
He got there all right, however, with
the egg in his mouth. 1t was unbroken.
Owing to its large size the captain had
great difficulty in getting it out of his
mouth without injuring it, but he final
ly succeeded, though, as he says, his
jaws ached for some time afterwards
1t is now included in the Smithsonian
geological collection.
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
An Obiising Diplomat.

at there are all sorts and condi-
of women in society was shown
he case of a visitor, who. while
ding a portion of the season in
Ellington, attended large official
option at which the diplomatic
ps was well represented. After
ing raptly at the queer little wire
It without which the Korean minis
Ir never appears in public this lady
)4rprised Mr.. Ye by request that he
,ehnove his headgear for her more min
ito inspection. This novel demand
vas at once complied with by the min
ster, who gravcly stood by while the
,urious one turned and twisted the
wire hat over and over to her supreme
N ii sfaptipu
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
III
ONE oEsWATTeRsoN's STORIES.
n Deiaicstlon Case Ia Loui<vIlle and Its
- Remarkable seuuel

~ p
n DefaicsttoP Case 10 LouisvIIle and Its
komarkabie Sequel.
4 nat was a queer story Henry Wat
terson told in his lecture about de-
fslcation. scase at louisville, said a
gentleman who heard the eloquent jour
naiist TO The Man About Tomn of the
st Lou = Republic. "He said that sew
sral years ago a gentleman holding a
rPmmanding commercial and social po-
sition an the Kentucky metropolis had
u psed the funds of the corporation of
he was the trusted financial
Efed, and when the day of accounting
sne he found heAwas shor; in his ac-
+ seounts. The timesgas too brief to
make the defcst good and his own
funds were ia s.ch. shape that he was
|. mextricably entangled He was an
z honest man, but. in a mom-It Of over
ider1ce had permitted himself 70 de-
trotn the narrow path just enough
70 USE the firms cash as a temporary
loan, promising to return it at once and
As Is always the case. he
Jailed to keep. his promise, and the de-
lay was dangerous-when the time came
fhe'could not sTnstead of waiting the
inevitable dfycovery, he called a meet
Ing OF the directors, made straightfor-
ward confessiQh, resigned his Do
sition, threw himself uoon the mercy
of the court $50 TO speak, and pledged
himself ito Hay3seyery dollar If
he were not 80 and prosecuted.
An animated dise2 Efollowed. and a
large majority ah favor of giving
the delinquents3 Nance. His hitherto
high standing Saa pndoubted business
ability were 1ns S4Syor. not to men
! tion that. he mi6ht have skipped If he
had desired Two of the directors held
outs Their <boueht it would be COM
pa fticti and Il was an awful
tfH2l lee tsuelS man loose upon the
penffng community. But tbey
ontgoted, and the defaulter was
given andther chance,. He is now a
q fr1sperors and wealthy business. man
louisville. Twsgss.s after his mis-
fyfoTtune. ono Of the twd men who had
sob5ected to his, release ~as fugitive
( in Texas charged with eIn bezzlement,
Z and at tSe( ldof anethef Year the other
= fa9 To- 0y4asla. to esi;ape arrest on the
/ same ehaxge In the Ehirligig Of time
( this prospsrdus merchapt, whose early
misfortune these two men had endeav.
ored to turn into disgrace and calamity,
said Col Wstte1a0n. yas the foreman Of
the grand a lry thss SAcksted the two
Beware the false s.ee scon-
s,tinued C0]S wattersnn, but don't always
bhde the victim without giving him
,ssf1hf5 h4nef3t of the doubtu
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
wealth from the sea.

Scientific journals in England speak
approvingly of new method of manu-
fasturing caustic soda, chlorine and
other chemical products directly from
4ea water with the aid of electricity.
There Is an immense saving. of time,
labor and material In the process. It is
readily seen that man gets fresh
grasp on the boarded treasures of
nature through such q discovery Per-
haps the most interesting suggestion
made in connection with this new
method tf manufae ;uring Chemicals is
sfhi4 ence Co.'S p to the effect that
30 BILE us so to purify
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
Every Man to His Trade.

A Yarmouth captain thought himself
q handy fellow with paint brush He
decided to put the name of his schooner
on her bow. and as he could not reach
high. enough from noat and did not
wish TO swing a stage. he leaned over
the bow and thus did the lettering He
went ashore. after dong the work on
one sloe. To view the effect from dis
tance aYi this If la, his astonished
syes,peheid. IIUDvN
Tensas gazette., 1894-11-02
The Religions Russian.

The Russian is a very religions man.
Whenever he leaves his cottage or en-
PRS it he will bow before the image of
saint that Invariably has its place in
corner at the window and before
feh lamp is constantly sept burn
Never will he touch any food or
X until he has made the sign of the
goss; that takes the place of pray.
not done witaoas thialSinS Of