davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-12-27
ANCIENT CHRISTMAS CUSTOMS.

"Merry Christmas" Christmas festl-
walls have been known by many differ
ent titles, and none more pleasing than
that which hailed it as the feast OF
SIGHTS. In the earlier periods the house
hold, brilliantly Illuminated by candles,
suggested the name. Other authorities
assert it was named in commemoratlon
of the birth of Christ, "The Light OF
Lights" Whichever view be correct, 1t
is certain the name was applied; also it
made the burning of the yule log appro-
pirate, as the ruddy glow was utilized
instead of candles. The burning OF
the yule log is one of the Oldest OF GUS
toms, survival of Pagan times when
the Anglo-Saxons held annual celebra-
tions of the yule tide, the same being
traceable to sun worship among the
Northern races, who rejoiced to see the
god of day returning. The Greenland
ers still celebrate December 22nd as
their Sun Feast. When Christianity
was introduced, our forefathers still
continued to burn the yule log, adapt
ing the custom to Christmas, the latter
arriving at about the same date as that
of their abandoned custom. The pagan
rites thus became holiday feature OF
the English speaking Christians, and are
still observed in portions OF England.
In the colliery districts huge lump of
coal is used, as timber is scarce.
The Puritans objected to Christmas
festivities, claiming them to be con
nected with superstition. The writer
saw in the British Museum an original
copy of an act of Parliament, passed
December "a, 1862, directing that ''nc
observation shall be held on the five anC
twentieth day of December, calleC
Christmas, nor shall any church service
be held" Next to the yule log came
the boar's head. Many ancient song
were written on the boar's head; one
dating from the time of Henry VIII
contained these words:
This boar's head we bring with songs,
In worship of Him that Sprang
OF Virgin, to redress our wrongs.
The boar's head was heralded b.
trumpet and other musical instrument
the head being borne on a silve
charger.
Many things of the olden time wer
made on large scale, particular
Christmas pies. One has been said
contain two bushels of flour, twent
pounds of butter, four geese, two turl
eys, two rabbit, and seventy pound
of other meats. 1t was nine feet
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-12-27
The Bishops Triumph.

The late Bishop Selwyn delighted to tell the
following racy incident in his varied experience:
While bishop of Litchfied, he was walking one
day in the Black Country and observing group
of GOLFERS seated by the roadside in sem-clrce,
with a brass kettle in front of them, inquired
what was going on.
.'Why Yer HONOR replied grave-looklng
member, tits sort of wager YOn kettle is a
prize for the fellow who can tell the biggest lie.
and am the umpire"
Amazed and shocked, the good bishop said re-
provingly "Why, my friend, have never told
a lie that know of since was born !nere
was dead silence, only broken by the voice OF
the umpire, who said in a deliberate tone, "Gle
the bishop the kettle. Home Journal.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-12-27

What happy effects reading pro-
duces. 1t enriches the memory, beau
tifes the imagination, rectifes the
Judgment, cultivates taste. teaches how
to think, elevates the spirit, and in
spires noble sentiments. Good books
are amiable counselors who instruct
without. offending us; point out our
defects without insulting us, and cor
rect without displeasing us.
Alfonso, king of Aragon, was accus-
toned to say that books were the ad-
visers he most esteemed because they
did not flatter him, but showed him
what he should do. Books are pleas
ing friends, who join us in our enter
tainment while it is agreeable to us,
and leave us when we wish. In the
midst of harsh and crude people they
enable us to enjoy the attractions of
the most cultured society; they proper
tion us the most precious riches OF the
human understanding, and the discov-
cries of the ages. They are fountain
of pleasure in all stations and con-
ditions of life; they afford us thou
sand satisfactions at every period OF
life, even at that in which pleasure in al
most everything else is lost; pleasure:
that may be constantly renewed, tina
we may find everywhere, and which
can always be obtained. Reading sus
pends the feelings of sadness from
which scarcely any human life i
exempt, and enables us to forget, a
least for the time, the sorrows that ar
common to all ranks. 1t is in man
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-12-27
HOW AND WHAT WE DO AND
SHOULD READ.

"What are you reading" is well
worn Interrogation, frayed and thread
bare from constant use. Go where
YOU will it's sound waves are eternaIly
vibrating the tymEanum OF your ear, IN
the office, parlor, dining room, barber
shop, any place where papers or books
are found. This is, readir g age; among
all other appelations applied to this
progressive era none are more appro-
pirate. There are too many books in
the world: for the first time, perhaps,
too much of reading, too little OF
thinking. If Solomon, in his be-
nighted age, said of making books
"there is no end," he would now see
the necessity of making an end to the
production of books if his range OF
vision extended back to the time when
literature first became a weapon in the
hands of civ ilizatiOn against the
realms of ign ORANGE and darkness.
What feast )uld the changes that
it's magic power has wrought present
to him for contemplation. He would
ponder over the difference existing be-
tween it's vigorous youth and degen-
crate old age; then, surmountlng all
difficulties. it triumphantly lifted the
masses up into a better existence.
Now, aided by the genius of inven-
ton, producing books without appar-
ent effort, easily as the sun makes hay
= it caters to the taste OF sensuous
: public. The book stands will support
this assertion. Once pure and lnvlg
: Grating, now impure and degrading
: The man of proverbs would discover
9 but few germs in the mass of so-calle(
v literature, heaped up in the presen
j. century, that is worthy of setting
s among the productions Of Literature
It adown the past. The balance are mer
r trash. not worth the ink and unWorth,
r the labor required to place them IL
book form. Reading indeed becomes
j. WEAKNESS to the intellectual flesh.
l. But what would poor mortals d
" without books? They are the convict
n best friend. unreproachful companion
s. that assist in Willing away the wear
r. hours of our confinement; condense
S, sunshine, harvested by the children c
le nature, to illumine the gloomy cell
~ their unfortunate brothers, and whic
IF enables them to contemplate the futul
r in more hopeful and better ligh
1e bids them leave their vocations
" criminals for a nobler, useful life
in men.
n Books, like many other good friend
u are sadly abused, especially so in OF
of little community. You will obserV
a. in going to your cell at noon or eve
es ing, that the majority of inmates
at at their doors, reading. Reachi1
ch your own number you pass in al
Is automatically pick up paper or boz
,m and go through the form of readir
is consequently, are we not inclined
at make pawnshop of the great thro
ire room of reason for other peopl
ny wares? Or, what is more demoral
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-12-27

ing, reach simply for pastlme tne Sup-
iect matter rushing in through the
windows of our upper apartments, not
to remain, but escaping by way of the
ventiators or resolving into mists OF
forgetfulness, results brought about
by trivial and often worse than Trivial
literature, the reading of which breeds
carelessness, in the perusal of worthier
books; books capable of improving the
mind, and from which, in course OF
time. the vitiated taste of the reader
turns in aversion. If the forgetting OF
the thrash which we read were all
one suffered, all would be we'll; but,
unfortunately, the reading OF matter
which we admit to ourselves to be un-
worthy of effort to retain in our minds
has general weakening effect upon
the memory.
Hearken unto the words Of the phil
osopher Emerson: ''We should learn
to wait and detect the CLEANS OF
thought that flash across the mind
from within, rather than the firm
ament of bards and sages. Again,
Harriet Beecher Stowe says: "There
are a great number Of men like the
lean kline of Pharaoh, who devour book
after book and remain as lean as ever.
Carlyle, also, has d great deal to say
about the injury received from the
, careless reading of two many books.
- It is not the well read man that com
6 mands the respect Of the masses; NJ
- who has read every thing from Home
9 to Riley from Spencer to Nye. 1t il
not he who has mastered the so-callet
n classical languages of the defunc
nations of the past, and can criticiz
& and converse upon all the literatur
that mortal has ever penned. No! l
g is the thinking man, the one who see
20 things through his own glasses, VIII
70 reads not books, but nature, himself
,f and his fellow-man; who solves tn
~ knotty problems of life on his oW
70 little slate. His intellect's children al
10 clothed in home made garments, not
g borrowed ones. He is original, NJ
o+ conventional; his self-sufficiency hole
nt him equal to all men, responsible
ID none This is the man that gains tt
% honor and sincere admiration of a
~ This is the sort of man the country
al in need of at the present moment.
be However, here we are. Our lit
20 community is shut off from the ou
m side world as it pursues the even ten
ar of it's way. This is our portion t
,v better or worse, temporarily. We c'
ms form new plans to relieve the rich
,rt their surplus wealth when again at Ii
TO- erty; we may continue our animal
no istence and make up for the pleasul
1er that we have been deprived OF. Or
Iod can take advantage of this solitude
mt study ourselves, become both text-bo
mo and teacher, build up a character
,ro of the wreck stranded fabric OF G
ere past lives, and show to the world tt
+bv we can be men, that some good c
=, come even out of Saltwater PAN Ii
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-12-27
Vol. VIII.-No. 21.
<>&yoFFRK:
E;NTHRe2S@s~ f.
Written for The Mirror.
DIRGE OF TIME.

[BY SHORN POET.
She was bride in her orange flower,
just one year ago!
Nerrily passed each gilded hour;
Love. the song bird trilled her bower;
Hers we're wealth in health and dover,
Just one year ago!
Sped the days like sunbeams floating;
Time nor bliss nor woe denOting
VenOmed germs on perfume bringing
Death unto her sOng-bird's singing,
Where her molten soul was clinglng-
Just one year ago!
Mind dethroned, eyes wildly sparkling;
Grim the world her future darkilng-
Till at last with heart-strings broken,
Came then AZrael with token;
On her grave-stOne it is spoken
Just one year ago!
Wild, wild thrObs the heart are thrOnglng,
I,ashed in fires of hell'S prolonging
Gibed by imps and gnOmeS upthrOWlng
BarricadeS no passage showing
Ger the hideOuS chaSm f1OWlng-
Just one year ago!
Fierce the fiendS with acclamatlOn
Flash the blue-geamS of damnatlOn;
Plunge the red-eyed pOniard burning
Deep into the pulSive yearning,
Deep into soul discerning
Just one year ago!
Just one year ago! With sorrow
Wider grows the gulf each morrow!
Ghastiy falls the moonlight streaming
On the days like demons Screamlng:-
..T,Ost! Lost! LOST" Beyond redeeming
Just one year ago!
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-12-27
Written for the Prison Mirror.
A CHRISTMAS SONG.
(By Hattie Wetherbee.)

(By Hattie Wetherbee.)
"GlOry be to God on high"
The angels sang on that far off night;
While blaze of splendOr filled the sky,
And Bethlehem star beamed strangy bright
And answering hills gave back again,
"Peace on earth, Goodwill to men!"
Naught can dim that stars bright glow;
And may the glad song never cease;
For did not Bethlehem'S manger low,
Cradle once 1.-The Prince of Peace!"
Gladly sing the song again
'Peace on earth, Goodwill to men,"
Our Bow of promise in the sky,
Our Lord of light and love, is lie,
"GlOry be to God on high;
We will sing through eternity;
But will keep singing until then .,
"Sweet Peace on earth, Goodwill to men.!"
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-12-27
WORDS OF CHEER.
Editor Mirror:

Editor Mirror:
I have read with
pleasure and profit, "Creole's" articles
on GA Trip Through Foreign Lands"
and l desire to tender to him my thanks
for the pleasure he has afforded me.
The articles were so we'll written that
they gave me an insight into the Old
World that 1 had never had before.
Again 1 thank him.
Very truly,
r. w. Johnson.
st. Paul, MINI.
Dec, %, 1894.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-12-27
ON READING.

Translated From the Spanish of Garcia
Mario, in Escuela de Costumbres, for
The Mirror, by Dick Fellows Con-
vict at The Represa, California Pen
itentiarV.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-27
SESSION oF TIE SENATE.
An Early Adjournment in the Interest
of Caucus.

An Early Adjournment in the Interest
of a Caucus.
Washington, Feb. 26.-The necessity or
the anxiety of the democratic senators to
arrive at some definite agreement on the
subject of the tariff bill led to an early
adjournment of the Senate to-day, the re-
mainder of the afternoon being
spent in a democratic caucus, as
a portion of the morning had been.
During the forty minutes that the
public session lasted there was pre-
sented, in compliance with resolution
adopted last week, copy of the CORE
spondence between tne treasury depart
ment and the department Of 5ustice as to
whether silver certificates issued under
the Bland-Allison act of Feb. %, 1878, are
lawful money" under certain statutes.
The opinion of the department OF justice,
as given to the treasury department, is
that these silver certificates "are just
what they purport to be- that they are
only lawful money TO the extent that they
are received for customs, taxes and other
public dues, and that they are not lawful
money within the meaning of the statutes
cited.
The opinions of the committee on for
eign relations in regard to the Hawaiian
question were presented by the chairman
Mr.. Morgan, dem, of Alabama, and no
tice was given by Mr.. Frye, rep, of
Maine, a member of the committee, that
he would address the Senate on the sub
ject next Wednesday morning The Sen
ate at 10 O'Clock adjourned
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-27
prNcE anows MoEE sAvAar.

Mr.. Pence accepted the correction, and
added: II do not believe that the gen
tleman from Oregon, Mr.. Ellis, has made
a statement, taken any action, or cast q
vote on his OWL hook since congress met
last August
Mr.. Hainer, reps- of Nebraska, called
Mr.. Pence TO order, and he sat down.
The words being read Speaker Crisp
ruled that they were out Of order; and on
motion of Mr.. Bailey, dem, OF Texas, Mr.
Ponce was permitted 10 explain.
The Colorado member said that what
he meant and what he would continue to
mean by the words ION his own hook"
was that the member had not acted upon
what he honestly and individually be-
lieved
Mr.. Hainer again called the speaker to
order, saying the explanation but added
insult to the original statement.
Speaker Crisp, however, ruled that the
explanation had proceeded far enough for
the chair or the House to decide that it
was unparliamentary.
HAINEs FULL OF BEER.
81 don't know that gentleman who
lives as far east as MIR. Hainer knows
just what the expression means out in our
country. But having explained the mean
ing as with US, will explain it in English,
as understood in the district of the gen
tleman from Nebraska, in the district of
the gentleman from Oregon, in the dis
trict of the gentleman from Illinois (Can-
nom, from whom | borrowed it originally.
The phrase means that man throws out
his own hook, with his own bait, TO catch
his own fish, without domination from the
gentleman from Maine. or any one else
And now am ready TO proceed with the
statement l was making when called to
order by the gentleman from Nebraska,
Mr.. Hainer, who is fuller of beer than
comprehension Of my ideas,n
Many mem bers jumped TO their feet at
this expression, ana several of them called
the speaker to order.
The chair said it was for the House to
determine whether or not Mr. Pence
should proceed.
On the viva voce vote the chair stated
that the ayes seemed to have It,
Mr.. Reed--I doubt it, and call for divi-
sion. If the House approves that sort of
language, if it thinks that is gentlemanly
and decent, we ought to know it.
A division showed thirty in favor of
allowing Mr.. Pence TO proceed and sixty
against; so he was compelled 10 take his
seat.
And then, at rs o'clock the House ad-
journed.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-27
BLACK THUGS ROUTED.
A Negro Restaurant Keeper Of Lyons
Puts Them to Flight.

Lyons, Ga, Feb 26.-Late Saturday
evening two negro sports came here from
up the road and stopped at the house of
General Dunlap, a respected colored man
of this place who keeps a restaurant.
He came in shortly and found them
gambling. He ordered them out but
they refused TO 90. He undertook TO
eject them by force. which started a
fight during which he got his pistol
and commenced firing. They boiled
one Of them and the other after him, and
his wife after the hiudmost one with an
axe. AS they all got pretty well strung
out on the street friend Of Dunlap, John
Flint, ran up and struck theone who was
after Dunlap on the Jaw with a brick,
which is reported TO have broken the
bone. The other one is also said TO be
wounded in the hip by ball from Dun
laDs pistol.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-27
LOOKS BAD FOR M'KANE.
Unless He Secures a Stay He viii Go
TO Sing Sing To-day.

Brooklyn, Feb 26--John Y. McKane
got another set back this morning in his
fight for liberty, when Justice r. M. Gull
len, sitting in the court of oyer and
terminer, denied his application for
stay till the court of appeals can pass
on his conviction. This means that un-
less his lawyers can find some Judge in
the state who will grant stay at once
Mckane will have to go to Sing Sing in
twenty-four hours.
The defense hoped to get a favorable
decision on the ground that McKane, not
being an election inspector, could not be-
properly convicted under the election law,
which was the statute his indictment was
based upon. Sheriff Buttling refuses to
state on what train he will take McKane
TO Sing Sing. McKane's lawyers refused
to say after the decision was rendered
what they would do next.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-27
TREATY OF THE TRADERS.
The ReiChStaS Begins the Debate on
the Proposals.

Count Won Mirbaeh Opens the Fight
Against Them With a Vehement De-
nunciation-The Treaty Declared Un-
fair to Austria-The Governments
Claims That Political Considerations
Should Cut no Figure in the MatterS
Berlin, Feb. 26-To-day's sitting of the
Reichstag opened with a full attendance
OF members, and the galleries were
crowded to sufocation with visitors.
All of the cabinet minister's were
present. Contrary to expectations,
built upon too previous announcer
ments, neither Chancellor Won Ca
priv nor Marshal Won Biebersteiu
opened the debate on the Russian treaty.
Count Won Mirba h made o powerful
speech against the treaty, his utterances
beng the first vehement denunciation Of
the measure. Russia, he declared, had
long been menace to Germany politi-
cally Did the government, he asked,
suppose that this treaty would modify
Russian hostility If this was the idea
that influenced them in submitting the
treaty and pressing its passage they were
making great mistake.
UNFAIR TO AUSTRIA.
1t was grave error TO afford assist
ance TO a country which was uufriendly
TO Germany, while Gormanys real ally,
Austria, lost all the advantages she Justly
expected TO obtain from a commercial
convention. it was deplorable to see
German industry fall upon it's knees be-
lore holy Russia. 1 The ultimate re-
suit of the concessions granted TO Russia,
though commercial enterprise might be-
temporarily benefited, would be disas-
trous to German interests, as whole.
Count Won Mroach concluded by propos-
ing TO reler the treaty TO committee OF
twenty-eight.
MARSHAL BEGBERsrEIN 4 DEFENDS THE
TREATY.
Won Beiberstein, minister of state for
foreign affairs, said that German indus
tries, although prospering under the
economic order Of things In other coun-
tries, could not renounce the Russian
market. He contended that the prices of
grain would not be so much altered by
the reduction of the tariff on Rus
sian corn as to materially iniure
German agricultural interests. Marshal
Won Biebersteiu said the treaty was
characteristics mark of the present Eu-
ropean commercial policy. The govern
ment desired the Reichstag to examine
the treaty only from an economic point of
view. The conservatives, he declared,
were wrong in bringing political motives
into the discussion
Won MOLTKE AGAINST IT.
Count Won Moltke, free conservative,
spoke at length against the treaty, and
Herr Rickert, leader Of the radical union,
answered him.
Herr Won Kardoff, free conservative
and agrarian, suggested that the house
consider at the same time with the treaty
the expediency of a sliding scale in the
tariff on grains.
This suggestion was accepted by the
deputies.
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-27
BUSINESS REvIvINa.
Encouraging Reports Received by the
1radesman.

Chattanooga, Tenn, Feb. 26.-Reports
TO the Tradesman from all sections Of the
south show a decided revival in business
throughout the south, in Industrial lines,
and the resumption of large mills ali
through the southern states The manu-
featuring outlook In the south, as re
ported to the Tradesman, is much
brighter than for twelve months past.
Among the plants that have resumed,
or are proposing to resume operations, in
the past ten days, in the southern states,
are the following: Blast furnace at
Cowan, Tenn the Gallatin Manufactur-
ing Company, manufacturers of spokes, at
Gallatin Tenn the WestmorelGnd StaVe
Company Gallatin, Tenn; the Bear
Springs blast furnace, in Stewart
county, Tenn; two furnaces of
the Dayton Coal and Iron Company.
Dayton, Tenn. the Concord Woolen Mills,
Nickajack, Ga =; the East Birmingham
Furniture Company, Birmingham; the
Ensign Car Works, Huntington, w. Va. /;
Kyle Lumber Company, Gadsden, Ala I;
Tenn. Bridgeport, Ala, Lum ber Com
pany; The Yellow Pine Lumbe Com
pany, Ashland, KY. The Tennessee Lum-
Der Company, Loudon, Tenn. The Enter
prise Miss. Knitting Mills. The
Chattanooga Tool and Hoe Company are
preparing TO resume after being idle over
four years.
The lumber mills Of the Long Manu-
featuring Company, Beaumont, Texas
the Cumberland Iron Works, Dover
Tenn. the scoal smines Of the Beaver
Greek and Cum berland River Mining and
Coal Company, Somerset, Ky. tho North
Athens Cotton Mills, Athens, Tenn the
Bottling works, Bridgeport, Ala. the
Keystone and Acme Mines, Acme, w
Va, have resumed also.
In all portions of the south, saw mills
are resuming operations, and the lumber
business is much more active and the out
LOOK much more encouraging
A RESUMPTION AT GALLATIN.
Gallatin, Tenn, Feb. 26.-The Gallatin
Manufacturing Company the largest
spo6e and aX-handie manufacturing COM
pany In the south resumed operations TO-
day after an enforced idleness Of six
months. The concern will run on full
time and will give employment to about
200 men
The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-27
noward,s Case Carried Up.

Washington, Feb. 25.-B. A. Howard,
convicted last October in the circuit
court of the United States for the west
ern district of Tennessee. for violation
OF the postal laws, has appealed to the
supreme court of the United States, the
case being docketed to-day. Howard is
charged with an extensive series Of
swindles as attorney for the claimants to
mythical English states. which he was
constantly bringing to the attention of
his victims. Ex-Minister Lincoln and ex-
Consul General New were witnesses for
the government in the case