davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Johns herald., 1894-05-17
A FeiIaheen Minister.

Ali Pacha Mcubaralz, whose death has recently taken place, was the only Egyptian fellaheen, or peasant, who ever attained the rank of cabinet min ister. He possessed all the craftiness of his downtr odden race, trimmed his political sails with much skill when he saw that the Arabi revolt was on the point of failure, and found means of remaining a friend both of his coantry- men and their English masters, a mat ter of some difficulty. Like most fella- heen, he was exceedingly uncleanly in his appearance and personal habits, objecting most strongly to sanitary ap- pliances as superduous.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-05-17
Old Mexican Mines,

Whenever a cave is newly discovered in New Mexico or Arizona the finders first hope is that he has unearthed an old Spanish or Mexican mine, but this seldom or never has proved to be the case. Generally these holes in the mountains are natural caves in lime stone or sandstone formations, but sometimes they lie between walls of hard rock, which perhaps contain mineral deposits, indicating that the primitive civilized Indians may have dug their way in following soft streak in search of tale to use in pot tery making, with no thought for precious metals. Stalactites, snowy white, hang from their roofs, and where mineral water has percolated these crystallizations take on gorgeous me tallic hues. Human bones are some times found in these caves and other evidences of human work or former occupancy. The Coffee cave and Rob- inson's cave, in the Black range, in southern New Mexico, have been ex- plored for several hundred feet, and other large caves in that region remain to be explored.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-05-17
SUICIDE IN EUROPEAN ARMIES.
Startling Official Statistics from the Rec
 Ords Kept in Germany.

Startling Official Statistics from the Rec
 Ords Kept in Germany.
 Startling are the official statistics that have just been published in Ger many concerning the number of sui cides in various armies of the Old World, and they constitute striking illustration of the unpopularity of ob- ligatory military service. It seems that in Austria the average rate for the year is 131 per 100000 men. The French come next, with 92 suicides per annum for each 100, ,000 men. The Ger man government gives it's rate at 6S but these figures are generally believed to be below the actual number, as the impression prevails in military circles throughout Europe that the suicides in the German army are more frequent even than in that of Austria. Italy's quota is given at 45, while that of Rus sia does not exceed 20, 8 figure that is obviously far below the truth. Bel gium gives it's rate at 24, Spain at 14 and England at 2S, most of the suicides in the British army occurring out ir India. A remarkable fact is that, not withstanding the majority of suicides are popularly believed to be attributa ble to tyranny on the part of the off cers, yet it is precisely among the off cers that the largestnumber of self-in flicted victims is to be found. The favorite method of suicide is by shoot ing, either with a rife or with re volver. Next comes drowning, an6 after that hanging, while of late a large number of officers and men have taken their lives by throwing them selves in front of railway trains. Ii has also been noted that, whereas the smallest number of sui cides takes place in winter, the largest number occurs in the broiling hot months of July anG August.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-05-17
KING uMTASSA.
An Ebony POtentate Who Had . Right
 Royal Thirst of His Own.


 have just profted by holiday tc pay visit to Chief Umtassa, or rather, the Kinglet Umtassa, as the official dispatches call him, says a writer in South Africa. The country belongs to him and the chartered com pany gives him yearly present of one hundred dollars, and this one hundred dollars and this present was just due. It is almost impossible to get "a glimpse of Umtassa, partly because he is such a very important person-in his own eyes-but chiefly because his life has only three phases-going to drink, drinking and being very drunk indeed.
 We were shown into reception hut" into which we crawled almost upon our hands and knees, and we seated ourselves on mats, prepared tc wait an indefinite time-for the 'chic' of native chief, like that of a smart as possible. After about half an hour we began to clamor and then we left the hut and began to wander about the kraal-a proceeding which the natives generally objected to, and before we had gone far an induna came to say that Umtassa was coming and had sent a present of Kaffir beer. So we scrambled back and sat outside the stuffy hut and waited. v
 At last a sort of procession came winding down among the rocks, some of the natives wearing snuff-box and catskin, others draped in blanket a la Julius Caesar, but none of them carrying any sort of weapon with the exception of big native, who carried Umtassa's knobkerrie and his battle. ax. After this usher of the Black Rod came Umtassa, draped in blue and white toga, with blue and white cap on his head.
 Much to our surprise, he turned out to be a very imposing-looking person age. In spite of his excessive dirt he de cidedly possesses what is called le grand air, which take to be produced by complete satisfaction with one's surroundings and not little contempt for the rest of the world. We'll, our friend Umtassa gave each of us very grimy hand to shake and really one might have planted mealie field under each of his hands He then sat down on his mat, with all his people grouped around him and his induna told ouI interpreter that he might [speak. Thereupon good deal of business was transacted. .
The St. Johns herald., 1894-05-17
CONDENSED HER OUTING.
Plucky SteuOgrapher's Pilgrimage to Lon don and Paris in Three Weeks Time.

PIucky StenOgrapher's Pilgrimage to Lon
 don and Paris Tn Three Weeks Time.
 It takes New York girl to overcome obstacles, says Helen Combes in Kate Fields Washington. One of them who is earning her living as a stenographer has been for a long time saving her spare money with view to visiting Europe this year. She had enough when vacation time came to carry out her cherished project, but, alas, she found that not day over three weeks leave of absence would be granted her. She did not dare throw up her position, as she knew from experience that good places are hard to get.
 Right here is where most girls would have given in to the force of circum stances and spent the vacation in America. Not so the plucky little stenographer. She left the office a Saturday morning in August, went on board one of the fast steamers and in exactly week landed in Liverpool Taking a night train she arrived in London bright and early Sunday morning and proceeded to ''do the town" She saw the tower, West minister, St. Pauls, houses of parlia-' ment, the national gallery and host of other things before leaving on Mon' day night to make her way Parisward.
 Crossing on the night boat she ar rived in Paris Tuesday and spent two clear days sightseeing. Notre Dame, Versailles, Pere la Chaise, the Louvre, the morgue, the Champs Elysees, an evening at the grand opera and numerous other diversions occupied to the full the time she spent in Paris. Leaving there in time to reach Dieppe Thursday night she recrossed the channel, arrived in London Friday, took the train for Liverpool and had several hours there before boarding the Lucania on it's maiden westward trip. She arrived in New York Satur- day, September 9, and after spending Sunday quietly turned up as bright as button at business Monday morning.
 The ambitious young woman did not boast of her flying trip, but somehow the facts leaked out on the steamer and were considered too good to keep.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-05-17
THE WEIGHT OF A TON.
Attorney Thomas, of Washington, En-
 Hghtens the District.

the OIStficts
 In the last district appropriation bill there appeared an item allowing 50 cents per ton for the removal of gar bage in steel tanks, says the Washing ton Star. Shortly after the law went into operation question arose as to what number of pounds constituted ton. The contractors claimed that 2,OOO pounds was the legal ton and made returns on that basis. The first auditor, however, was not disposed to pass the account until the commission CTS explained the definition of the word ''ton."
 Attorney Thomas was called upon to give his opinion of the matter and re- turned the papers with the following opinion:
 ''The act does not specify the num- Der of pounds which shall compose a ton and hence we must go outside for definition. Among other definitions of the word ton given by Webster is the following: The weight of twenty hundred gross or 2,240 pounds. In the United States the ton is commonly esti- mated at 2,ooO pounds; this is some times called the short ton.' The law in relation to the collection of duties on imports prescribes that whenever the word ton is used in reference to weighing bulky articles in custom houses, it shall be construed to mean twenty hundred weight, each hundred weight being 112 pounds avoirdupois, but this section throws no light on the question, since but for the statute 2,0O0 pounds might have been consid- cred by custom-house officials as a ton. Nor would there seem to be any prac- tice in the district amounting to usage, since by an ordinance of the late cor poration of Washington in regard to the sale of coal, 2,240 pounds is fixed as a ton, while section 1,190 of the dis trict revised statutes makes 2,0O0 pounds of hay or straw ton. In the absence of a definition of the word ton in the act of March 3, 1893, no special importance is to be attached to section 2,951 of the revised statutes, in regard to the collection of duties, making 2,240 pou nds ton, as showing what congress intended by the use of that word in the act of March 8, 1893. For these reasons my opinion is that 2,000 pounds is to be taken as ton in weighing garbage under the act of 1s93."
The St. Johns herald., 1894-05-17
The Pooiah Stone.

Trouble was recently threatened be. tween the people of Orissa and the Indian government on account o1 the 'sPoojah stone," which had rested for ages over the main entrance to the temple of the Sun. It was carved with symbols of the sun and planet, and thirty years ago fell from it's place in the temple to become at once a special object of worship. The gov ernor of Bengal, being interested in it as an archaeological treasure, had it re- moved to the Indian museum, and this raised such resentment among the na- tives that the stone has been restored to them and has been raised again to its original place in the temple.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-05-17
FOREIGNERS OWN LA PLATA.
Its Politics Are Run by Natives. Who
 Leaves Business to Outsiders.

Its Politics Are Run by Natives, Who
 Leaves Business to Outsiders. The old notion of the Argentine Republic as essentially a stock-raising country. from which nothing was to be expected in the way of food exports but uneatable ''charqui," otherwise ''jerked beef will have to be modi- fled, says the London News, in the face of the fact that the crop of wheat this year is estimated at l, 1,750, ,000 tons, of which more than a million of tons will be available for export. Agriculture, in fact, as distinguished from cattle raising, has become an important source of wealth in this part of South America. It has many advantages for this purpose. among which are it's ex- cessive fatness, extending over S00,000 square miles, and its remarkable varie. ty of climate.
 Our consul at Buenos Ayres notes the remarkable circumstance that foreign CTS Tn the republic practically monop- olize trade, railways and commercial undertakings of every kind. They own large portion of the country, and are yearly acquiring more proper ty of every description. Almost all the railways belong to English capital ists. and. if not to English, to foreign CTS. 1t has been stated that one-half of the cultivated portion of the prov ince of Santa Fe belongs to English men. Agriculture, it is9added, 1iay be said to be entirely in the hand of Flu ropeans.
 The amount of crime all over the Argentine Republic is stated by our consul. Mir. Gaskell, to be alarming. The population is every day becoming more exclusively foreign, but the gov ernment is entirely in the hands of the comparatively small number of pure Argentines, a rather anomalous posi- tion, which in the course of years may alter if the enormous foreign element should make it's power felt and become decisive factor in politics.
 At present all foreigners shun poli- tics and only busy themselves with ac- qniring wealth commercially.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-05-17
THE CALLA LILY EDIBLE.
It Tastes and Is to Be Cooked Like tho
 Potato.

It Tastes and Is to Be Cooked Like the
 Potato.
 A new vegetable is about to be in troduced to the people of the United States through the department of az lily, which resembles somewhat in ap pearance the Irish tuber, with the ad dition of a few whiskers that have nothing to do with the qualities of the article as an esculent, says the Phila delphia Times.
 It is more elongated, and when cut the interior is trifle more viscid. But a section of it is so potato-like you would not be likely to distinguish any difference. In cooking it first has tc be boiled to destroy certain acrid prop critics, after which 1t may be fried roasted, baked or what not, according to taste.
 Farmers in Florida have begun tc raise these calla roots for market. The plants grow rapidly in the swamps and so thickly that the yield of a single flooded acre is enormous. They re produce themselves by the multiplica- tion of their bulbs under ground, SC that the grower has simply to dig uI the offshoots and leave the parents tC propagate anew.
 For centuries the Egyptians have cultivated similar crop during the season of the Nile overflow, and at the present time calla lily bulbs are a com mon vegetable in Japanese markets, So prolific and palatable are they that their propagation ip many parts of the United States, where conditions are favorable, may reasonably be looked forward to as an agricultural industry of the future.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-05-17
Older Than Methusaleh.

One of the largest whales ever see-- recently washed ashore at Tokelund, Wash. It came in on high tide, was alive and did not surrender it's lease on existence for twenty-four hours after ward. It had an extreme length of 174 feet s inches, with circumference of 161 feet inches. Itwas estimated that it's weight was 4715 tons, and that the blubber and whalebone were worth, at current prices, S10,375. Scientists who examined it came to the conclusion that the whale had lived for 9S6 years, lacking but four teen years of having lived the longest term of whale life.
The St. Johns herald., 1894-05-17
A ZONE RAILWAY SYSTEM.
Results In Tripling the Passenger Busi.
 uess in Hungary,

Results In Tripling the Passenger Busi- ness in Hungary.
 A remarkable revolution in railway travelling was brought about in Hun gary some years ago by the introdlc- tion of cheap fares and the zone sys, tenn, says the London News. The fares were lowered from about 40 to so per cent, and the country divided into zones, having Buda-Pesth as their ceil- ter. The first zone is fifteen miles broad, the second to the twelfth are each nine miles, the twelfth and thir- teenth fifteen miles, and the fourteenth includes all the rest of the country The fare for each zone is 10d first class, Sd. second and sd third; while the rates are reduced one-half for parties of workmen.
 What the new system has accom- plished is shown by report just issued by the Hungarian government, dealing with the working of the state railways for the years 1891 and 1892. From 9,0O0,000 passengers carried in 1888, the year previous to the introduction of the zone system, the number has risen to over 2S, ,000, an increase of 216 per cent. This result is almost entire ly due to the new system, the augment ation being six times greater than on the Austrian railways during the same period.
 The receipts have improved to the extent of 40 per cent. The third-class carriages were abolished last year on express trains running beyond the short distances. The growth of the traffic in the first zone by the ordinary trains has been as much as 62T per cent, mostly in the third-class. It is noteworthy that the first and four teenth zones, or the shortest and long est distances, give the largest results, both in the number of persons carried and ip the receipts.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-21
IN MEMORY or ANTHONY j. DREXEL.
MANY FRIENDS OF THE DEAD BANKER AND
PHILANTHROPIsT ATTEND THE SERVICES
IN DREXEI. INSTITUTE.

MANY FRIENDS OF THE DEAD BANKER AND
PHrLANTHRoPIsr ATTEND THE SERVICES
IN DREXEI. INSTITUTE.
Philadelphia. JAN 20-Representative men In
every walk Of life paid tribute to the memory
Of Anthony J. Drexel this afternoon by attend
ing the memorial services in Drexel Institute
which was founded by the late banker and phil
lanthropst The auditorium was crowded with
a select assemblage. but Mr. Drexel's lifelong
able to be present Universal sympathy was
expressed TO- Mr.. Childs in his illness. and the
prayer OF Bishop Potter Of New-York that he
might speedily be restored to health was re-
echoed In every heart.
The opening address was made by James Mac
Alister. LII. d.. president OF the institution. He
paid touching tribute to the departed founder
and dwalt upon the purposes or the institute 10
which Mr.. Drexel had given S3.O0O.0OO. The me-
mortal address was delivered by Bishop Henry
G. Potter OF NewYork The bishop praised the
spotess integrity of the banker. the wisdom or
the citizen. the beneficence and modesty or the
philanthropist and the moral grandeur OF the
true Christian Bishop Whitaker. OF Pennsyl-
vania pronounced the benediction.
Among those present were j. Pierpont Morgan,
Chauncey NJ Depew. George > Bowdoin. Cen
eral g. H. Bristow Joseph II. Choate and Philip
Schuyler OF New-York: Joseph Peabody OF Bos"
ton: BENJAMIN Constant the painter. OF Paris;
the United States Commissioner of Education.
William L. Harris: Governor Pattison. the Secre-
tary of the Commonwealth William F. Harrity;
Adiutant- General Greenland and CHER Justice
Sterrett. Of Pennsylvania: Presidents ID. {. Gil
man OF Johns Hopkins University. and A. +.
Fetterof of Girard College: University Of Penn
sylvania A. Loudon Snowden. ex-Mnster TO
Greece Bishop Cyrus ID. FOss and Mayor stuart.
of Philadelphia.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-21
At THE BROOKLYN THEATRES.

The audiences at the Columbia Theatre this
week will have the opportunity Of seeing THE
Isle OF Champagne" with Thomas Q. Seabrooks
as the merry monarch OF this merrest kingdom
OF the topsy-turvy world The comic opera Is the
Joint production OF Charles a. Byrne and Louis
Harrison. and affords ample opportunity for fun
making. The Original! scenery and cast Will be
presented. and the music and dancing Will have
many attractive features for both eye and ear
'"The Prodigal Daughter Is to be produced
at the Amphion Theatre this week with all the
special features which gave 1t run OF aO nights
in NewYork. The same cast. racehorses, fox-
hounds and scenic effects presented at the pre-
vlous production will be seen. In the company are
Leonard Byrne, Adelaide Prince. jefferson De
Angels and Helen Dauvray.
The Abbey Opera Company. from the Metroroli-
tan Opera House. Will present ''l.ohengrin' at the
Academy Of Music on Tuesday evening The
singers will include Nine Nordca Edward De
Rcszke Mile. Domenech and Slgnors Ancona'
De Vaschctti and Nignas
Nine Modjcska will be seen this week at the
Park Theatre In four plays. supported by OTIS
piay 'Magda," by Herman Sudermann. Will be
presented on Monday and Thursday nights and
nights Macbeth WIN be piaysa' the the Ms sm1iH
on Wednesday afternoon and Friday night
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-21
GOT IN BY WHOLESALE FRIUDS.

FORMAL NOTICE OF CONTEST SERVED on MAYOR
HOPKINS OF CHICAGO BY THE REPUBLICANS.
Chicago. JAN 20 SPECIALIZATION eighteen distinct
charges Of fraud and corruption at the polls formal
contest Of the alleged election of Mayor John L.
Hopkins begun in the County Court to-day.
The statement Of contest was filed this afternoon
by Incorporation Counsel John = Miller, repre-
sentng the Republicans. The charges in the state
ment are of d startling character, and If they can
be proved a fair trial will undoubtedly result in
the declaration by the court that George H. Swift
was lawfully elected Mayor. The charges set forth
In the main that George Il. Swift was duly elected
by a vote OF not less than 10000 legal votes. and
aIlege that John T. Hopkins. whom the certih-
cate OF election was wrongfully issued, did not
ceiye more than 10000 legal votes. IN support OF
this claim II Is proposed to show mat the Demo-
cratic party resorted nearly every KIND OF fraud
known under the election laws To secure the eiec-
Among the charges preferred are Illegal destruc-
and false count In number OF waids anu pre-
cincts; fraudulent voting in number OF precincts
throughout the city, In each OF whech lrrcinc's zen
fraudulent votes were counted for John J.. Hop
kins said ballots having been Illegally prepared
and marked for Hopkins by the judges ana clerks
Of eection the rejection OF ten ballots In each of
such precincts, which properly marked FOR
George h. Swift, and the counting of spoiled bal
lots in the interest OF Hopkins the casting OF bal
cordng to law. thereby permitting what II known
as repeating error In the count OF me Notes by
nrecnct officers: false personating OF voters 10 te
EXTENT of not less Than fifty 10 every preciict IN
tho city i'm favor of the Democratic candidate;
false count and returns to the Election 5oaTd ana
a number of comparatively minor ALLEGATIONS ~
and n is demanded and is prayed that the court
dncl,re George b. Swift duly elected Mayor OF the
city OF Chicago IT, Sl makes on nartI
and the election oiicais VINO are "i'p"o"'e' pan
~ 10
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-21
BTRGLIRS ROB 4 RAILROAD ST1TION.
THEY CARRY THE SAFE OFF TO WOODED
SWAMP. BLOW 1T TO PIECES AND
STEAL THE CONTENTS

THEY CARRY THE SAFE OFF TO WOODED
SWAMP BLOW 1T TO PIECES AND
STEAL THE CONTENTS.
The ticket Offices and the postoffice at the
New-York Ncw-Haven & Hartford Railroad
station AZ Larchmont were broken into Friday
night The safe found yesterday morning
in the woods, 200 yards from the track. blown
to pieces It's contents 5000 in cash and $50 In
stamps were gone. The station is three-quar-
ters of mile from the village. Two stores and
the Larchmont Hotel go yards to the west are
the only houses near II. The postoice cash
and stamps have been kept over night in the
The safe weighed 500 pounds. and one man
could not. therefore. have handled it. The bur-
glars first broke into Robert Pamers carpenter
shop half mile away. and took a crowbar
pickaxe. iron wedges and beetle for driving
them an axe and brace and bit. They entered
the postofiice presumably first by foi ing up "A
window.
A front window of the ticket office in the sta
ton was pried up The door in the partition
separating the ticket Office from the waiting
room was fastened only by spring lock Turn
ing the spring lock. the intruders entered the
waiting room and opened the frcnt door by re-
moving a hasp. The So f. was then moved on It's
rollers through the open doorways upon the front
platform. and loaded a two-wheeled depot
truck. with a frame Ipon which trunks are
moved II then an easy matter TO wheel
the safe through the station pavilion. over the
frozen ground To the edge Of the wooded swamp
There the safe was dumped down an embank
ment With the safe on its back. the door was
perforated many times with brace and bit and a
charge Of powder inserted. The explosion was
heard three-quarters of a mile az ay by the
signal operator. o. Vaudeville. in the Weaver