davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08
Once Was Enough for the Mopl.ev,

Il once went up the Amazon and Orinoco
rivers on an animal capturing expedition
for the late p. 7. Barnum," said Dick Cow
per, an old Snowman. 81 got quite a col
lection of snakes, birds and monkeys. |
hit on novel plan for the capture of the
latter and it worked like charm.
IA monkey is greater imitator than a
Chinaman. He will do anything he sees
done, and that is what gets so many of his
kind into the cage. rugged up an electric
battery and attached it to an apparatus
that would allow score of the simians to
get hold of it. then took party of ma
tives and went into the forest where there
were troops of monkeys. We put the ap-
paratus down, attached the wire and re-
moved the battery to a considerable dis
lance. The natives then took hold of the
apparatus. danced and yelled, then retired.
1.-The monkeys made dash for it. Half
dozen caught hold, and turned on the
current. They began toshriek and souirm,
but the others thought their performance
part OF the programme, and fairly fell
over each other to get hold of the machine.
could have stuck the whole troop if they
could have got hold. We then made de-
scent on them with sacks, and soon had a
score Of them corralled.
But it would only worl; once. We
tried it month afterward at point fifty
miles distant, but not monkey came off
his perch in the trees. They viewed the
proceedings with curiosity, but without
any desire to initiate our war dance around
the machine."-St. Louis Globe Democrat.
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08
Hinfa to Letter WriterA.

A few simple rules should be borne in
mind for guidance, whether in letter or
note In the first place there is the man.
ner of address. Begin any note or letter
to an acquaintance or a person to whom
you write for a favor, an inquiry, an
autograph, ETC., Dear" etc. The Dear"
is a mere matter of social form, as mean
ingless as any commonplace society phrase,
but accepted by the best authorities as
correct. If writing an order to workman
who is to be employed, or if answering
note or letter addressed in the third per
son, use this formula: Miss Tor Mrs.) -
would like A. B. to come here at a. m.
and attend to the carpentering needed, or,
Mrs. A. is in receipt of Mr.. b. IS note OF
the 10Th, and she regrets she is unable to
give him the information desired" 1t is
inelegant to begin any letter 'Friend, :" ETC.,
although adopted by many well educated
people. The Dear" ETC., in such a case
should be used.
More mistakes, however, are made in
signatures, and here would also suggest
few simple rules. Never sign your name
with prefix of any kind. The reason is
obvious. If you sign your letter, 'Yours
truly, Miss Mary Smith," for example, you
make use of title, the Miss" having
nothing whatever to do with your name,
which is your signature. Therefore ETH
quette requires you should sign as, for ex.
ample, "Yours truly, Mary Smith," In the
event of writing to any firm or person who
would in return need to know how to ad-
dress you, put Mrs" or miss" in brack-
cts a little distance to the left of the sigma
ture. In addressing gentleman on bust
ness in purely formal manner write thus
"Charles J. Brown, Esq. Dear SIR" And
in such case always sign, yours respect
fully" etc.-Harper's Young People.
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08
The Decline of the Negro Song.

One of the bad spots in the negro char
acter, which has so much good in it, is that
they are undou btedly not strong in their
domestic affections. The best nurses in the
world, they are indifferent mothers. Their
babies are regarded as in the way, and the
mortality among negro children proves an
appalling carelessness of their lives. Con-
sequently there is not usually deep affec-
ton on the part of the children. They
leave their parents with the utmost readi-
ness, and an occasional letter is sent, either
to ask for money, which they don't get, or
to brag of their success. Naturally the
younger ones, born in freedom, have a
loathing for everything that pertains to
slavery They regard the old slaves with
contempt, and because the younger ones
can read and write they set the older ones
down as being too ignorant to be consid-
cred, forgetting that they were once eff
ficient workers, and averaged superior in
morals and manners to their descendants.
One of the results of this is the dying
out of the rich, melodious negro songs
not the songs of the negro minstrel"
type, which were totally unlike the real
article This is very great pity, as these
songs were wild and charming beyond
comparison. In slavery times the negroes
were encouraged to sing. The wheat was
reaped to the singing Of the reapers. and
the best singer generally headed the row.
The ones who could pick the banjo or
scrape the fiddle were peculiarly priv
ileged.-Boston Transcript.
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08
Crows as Weather Prophe cts.

The belief that two crows are happy
omen and that they appear to warn men
from disaster is very ancient. Alexander
the Great was thus saved in Egypt by two
crows, and King Alonzo would assuredly
have persisted in l147 had it not been for
two crows, one Of which perched on the
PROV and the other on the stern of his
ship, so pointing the prov of the royal
barge safely into port Crows and rocks
are very much alike. 1t is said that when
rocks desert rookery it forebodes the
downfall of the family on whose property
it is.
They are also credited with being good
weather prognosticators. When the wealth
er is about to be very bad they stay as near
home as possible, but when they foreknow
that it will be set fair they start off In the
morning right away to a distance, where
they have an instinct that the food they
need is plentiful. Again, if the rocks are
seen venturing into the streets of town
or village it is sure sign of an approach
ing snowstorm.-All the Year Round.
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08
Kicked the Emperor's Horse.

Prince Bismarck told story of the bat
tletield of koniggratz. The old emperor
then the king of Prussia-had exposed
himself and his staff to the enemy's fire
and would not hear of retreating to a safe
distance. At last Prince Bismarck rode
up to him, saying, Gas responsible minis
ter must insist upon your maiesty's re-
treat to "A safe distance. If your majesty
were to be killed the victory would be Of
no use to u.s."
The king saw the force of this and slowly
ret.eated, but in his zeal returned again
and again to the front. "When | noticed
it," Prince Bismarck went on, II only rose
in my saddle and looked at him. He un-
derstood perfectly, and called out rather
angrily, Yes, am comingl' But we did
not get on fast enough. and at last rode
up to the king, took my foot out of the
right stirrup and secretly gave his horse
an energetic kick. Such thing had never
before happened to the fat mare, but the
move was successful, for she set off in a
fine canter."-Pall Mall Budget.
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08
Educated WOrkingm en-.

Philadelphia is conceded to have the best
educated workingmen that live. One Of
this city's bricklayers has written articles
on Shakespeare's plays that have been
commended by d. Furness. A carpenter
here is deemed an authority ON Horace,
and a man who works in the same shop
with him reads Greek. In great shoe
factory is employed man who won a
prize for New York weekly's leading ar
ticle on the tariff. A local compositor has
written well known life of Caesar and a
member of the cabinet makers union has
translated and edited an edition of Kad
Marx. The granite cutters strike brought
into prominence member Of their union
who is AN accomplished mathematician.
To be conversant with two or three Ian
guages is by no means an unusual thing
for Philadelphia workingman.-Phila-
delphia Record.
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08
VERY Kind of Him.

The clerk in the stove establishment was
trying to sail the Countryman a stove, and
the way he talked it up was worth twice
the salary he was getting.
II tell you what it is" he said, I'm
let you have that stove at SIS, and you
can't get one anywhere else in town like
it for less than SOL"
How do you know l can'tH" asked the
chary old fox from the back lands.
Because there isn't another like it in
town" responded the clerk, with the con-
fdence of a man on the witness stand.
And you have the only oneS'
yes"
And you are only letting me have it
as an accommodation"
Exactly
The cid one patted the clerk on the back
affectionately.
well, young Teller" he said, "I'm as
willin to make sacrifice as you are, and
bein it's you won't rob you of tho only
thing of the kind you have In the world.
Good mornin. Any time you're up my
way stop and take meal with me. Good
by" and with soft, meandering smile
he passed away .-Detroit Free Press
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08

The organization of chimney sweepers
is fast running down, and the business is
being done by tin and roofing shops. The
Order of Chimney Sweepers is very old
one, having been formed over two centu-
ries ago and nearly 100 years ago in the
United States. New York was headquar-
tiers, and the sweep either had credentials
from the society in London or served an
apprenticeship in New York. The cry,
which is so made that few can tell its
meaning, is, 'Sweep, sweep, o. I'm IL
chimney sweep! I'm New York sweep,
or If any one made this cry who was
not n memb Der of the organization, he was
summarily dealt with. The chimney
sweeps at one time cleared on an average
from S. to So day, and when they We're
not going the rounds might be taken for
prosperous business men. Changes were
made in the construction of flues which
materially reduced their income, and the
days of the chimney sweep are very nearly
over. What work there is is done by roof
ers, who hire onprofessionals.- York
Tribune.
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08
For Good Hair and Skin,

OF late years general public interest has
been directed toward the improvement Of
the skin and the renewal of hair growth
to such an extent that many specialists
have Investigated the question scien-
tifically, and medicines and remedies have
multiplied rapidly. The number Of RENE
dies for badness and poor skin is as great
as those promising to reduce obesity, and
it requires some time for the sufferer to ex-
pertinent with the long list of those recon-
mended. In fact skin diseases can only be
cured by certain powerful drugs which
are applied externally, and these always
compose the chief ingredients of the
nostrums that are so widely advertised for
scalp, skin and kindred complaints.
OF the newer remedies for this class of
diseases we have naphthol, which is one Of
the most powerful and safest antiseptics
that we know. 1t is especially valuable in
parasitic skin diseases, and it allays the
itching about as quickly as any drug. It
acts benefcially upon the head when one
is suffering from scalp diseases, and it has
decided tendency to check the loss Of hair
by making the scalp healthy. 1t has a
stimulating effect upon the scalp, and it
not only prevents the loss of hair, but it
has in many cases increased the growth
Convalescents from typhoid and erysipelas
are generally devoid of hair, and naphthol
renews the growth most satisfactorily
Yankee Blade.
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08
Eishx Wise Virginia.

81 have fshed all along the coast from
the St. Johns to the Hudson" said the
irrepressible Captain Lund, who thinks
nothing of taking his river steamboat City
of Jacksonville out to sea when it is blow
ing rifled thousand Founders; "but the fat
test bluefish ever saw were those caught
off Barnegat in the merry month OF Au-
gust. l ran out in Barnegat sneak boat
with friend and we had a fine run Of
luck. The blues were running very large
in the wake of a school of menhaden, and
as for fat, oh myi | tell you, butter was
Dleaginous osculescency." (This is word
found only in Florida dictionaries)
"Well, sir, what do you Think We got
% interested in fishing that we did not
notice where we were going, and when
darkness came down we found ourselves
far out of sight of land and without wind
enough to knock St. Johns river cow
in other words, a dead calm. We did not
mind that so much, for we were on bank
and able to anchor; but when my friend
went to light his anchor lights he found to
his horror that the oil had run out and the
oil can was empty.
"There we were right in the track OF
coastwise traffic and liable to be run down
before morning for want of light! For
half an instant was habbergasted. Then
bright idea struck me-"
"Tap blue" suggested.
"Just the thing" shouted my friend,
who seized the idea at once.
SIN less time than it takes to tell it he
had picked up one Of the largest and latest
of our captures and tapped it w. his pen
knife, and, will you believe it, we got foul
gallons of pure menhaden oil for our lamps
out of that one fish's bellyl
I'VE have some right jolly fish down in
the st. Johns river" said the captain
with far away, homesick look in his star
board eye, "but when it comes to bluefst
New Jersey takes the oil tank. New York
Herald. ~
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08

Here is strange piece of folklore. For
many years, even long before the war, the
fiddle playing and the banjo playing had
been dying out among the negroes, owing
to IA superstition that "de devil is fid-
der" The very old people have noticed
this. The master of the mansion says: SIN
my fathers time, and when l was boy,
there were few regular musicians, and at
parties, unless it was a very grand affair."
lady played the piano, accompanied by a
gentleman on the violin, and monstrous
good jigs and reels they played too. But
when it got too much like work almost
anybody's carriage driver could be sent
for out of the kitchen, who could fiddle
well enough to dance the Virginia reel by.
But when grew up negro fiddlers were
scarce among the plantation hands, except
the professionals who were free negroes.
They have been growing scarcer, owing to
this superstition about old Pluto.
Among the city negroes the piano is the
favorte instrument, as it is so much easier
to acquire certain proficiency on it than
on the violin. In the country, though, it
is generally thought unbecoming, at least,
for a church member to play the violin, II
not actually an auducious communication
with Satin himself. But it involves
neither deadly sin nor any spiritual risk
whatever to play the accordion or the
clap organ" as they call it. The ''cor' jon,
consequently, is very popular instru-
ment. Boston Transcript.
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08

A poor woman, understanding that DR..
Goldsmith was physician, and hearing
of his great humanity, solicited him by
letter to send her something for her hus-
band, who had lost his appetite and was
reduced to most melancholy state. The
good natured poet waited on her instantly,
and after some discourse with his patient
found him sinking with sickness and pow
erty. The doctor told the honest pair that
they would hear from him in an hour,
when he would send them some pills which
he believed would prove efficacious.
He Immediately went home and put ten
guineas into chip box with the following
label; "These must be used as necessities
require; be patient and of good heart" He
sent his servant with this prescription to
the comfortless mourner, who found it con-
tanned a remedy superior to anything Ga.
len or his disciples could ever administer.
Exchange.
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08
Repairing a Trolley Wire.

Every one is accustomed to seeing tele-
graph linemen or electric light linemen
climb a pole to repair wires, and knows
that it is done by means of two sharp spurs
fastened to the inside of the instep 1t is
not every one, however, who knows how
the repairs are made to the trolley wires,
or how they are first fastened in place. The
iron poles prevent any climbing. l was
wondering, while riding on horse car a
few days ago, how the work was done,
when directly in front l saw the most pc
culiar looking kind of a wagon. The
wheels and box were quite similar to any
other heavy conveyance, but built up from
the box was tower about seventeen or
eighteen feet high, on the top of which there
sat lineman. The wagon had stopped d.
rectly under the spot where two wires of the
trolley crossed in the center of the street.
The man with his pinchers quickly fastened
them, and at the same time solved for me
the puzzle Of how the man got there to
make repairs. Eagle
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08
Woman's Work For Women.

Speaking to the subject, "Woman's
Work for Woman" Miss Mary A. Jordan,
instructor at Smith college, said: "When
we look over the field of literature, and
consider the type of women's character
that seems to have made itself felt by men
best able to express it to the world, we
feel severe disappointment. There is a
want of sympathy between the recording
mind of the world and the women best fit
ted to represent their class In the last
few years Thomas Hardy and George Mer-
edith have presented types which they re-
gard as representative, and yet no woman
would be willing to accept them as her
ideal. They represent women as subject
to jealousy, and if they cannot have their
own way unhappy, sometimes even trag-
ic. Something of this, fear, is true, and
II there is work that women have to do
for women it is to teach them so to control
their feelings that they will not demand
to own everything they love. feel fear
for every girl who writes that she is about
to be married and adds, Now am about
to have something Of my own.' feel
like answering, My dear, do not be too
sure In this tendency to jealousy is the
only excuse for the caricatures of our Dor
cas- societies and mothers meetings which
have furnished SO much sport to humor-
lists"
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08
The Boy Always Escapes.

Officers Edmonson and Holden are tell
ing funny story on o man who conducts
an establishment near Tenth and Market
streets. The man became infatuated with
a pretty widow who lives next door to his
place. The two utilized the hydrant hose
by which to converse, for the man was de-
tanned at his place of business and the
widows sewing kept her up stairs. The
policemen say that the two spent good
deal of their time talking through the rub
Der hose. They kept this up until last
Saturday afternoon. 1t was then that
small boy adjusted piece of hose from
the hydrant to the center of the improvised
telephone and watched for the takers to
resume their conversation. The policemen
were standing near when the boy turned
ON the water. The stream struck the man
squarely in the ear, nearly knocking him
down and thoroughly drenching him and
his place of business. The woman, who
had been talking through the other end of
the hose at the time, received the full force
Of the water in her mouth 1t knocked
her down and nearly strangled her 1t
also spoiled her sewing material for that
day. The boy escaped. Cou-
ricr- Journal.
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08
Wonderful Spiders of La Plata.

In chapter on spiders mention is made
OF the many strange and wonderful fea-
lures known in connection with them.
Some spin wonderful complex and beau
tiful web; some live on or in the grounds;
many simulate inanimate objects or death
itself. OF two species belonging to the
same genus, one is green, while another is
like a withered or dried up leaf. The first
when disturbed falls rapidly to the ground,
like fresh green leaf broken from twig,
but the second falls slowly, like a very
light, dried and withered leaf.
Some OF the spiders are very large and
will chase man from thirty to forty wards.
keeping pace with slow trotting horse.
An instance is related where one ran up
the lash OF the authors riding whip to
within three or four inches of his hand
and would have bitten him had he not
thrown the whip away.-Science.
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08

TWAS Cambridge car, and it had stopped
just in front of Beck hall. Mrs. Casey,
who sat near the front door. tackled her
bundle of washing and started to leave by
the front platform. The bundle was rather
large and decidedly awkward to handle,
and when she reached the street it slipped
from her grasp and fell upon one Of the
tracks
She started quickly to recover it, but
sudden apprehension seized her, and she
stopped. Looking at the motorman, she
said doubtfully, IF Oh put me fut on the
track, will Oh how a shock2"
mo, madam" replied the motorman
gravcly, mot unless you put your other
foot on the trolley wire. Boston Budget.
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08

What a pity it is that our girls are
brought up to regard marriage as almost
as inevitable as DEATH 1t handicaps them
from the start in their intercourse with
men. While they always have the feeling
of being on parade for inspection there can
be no naturalness or simplicity. II girls
were taught to regard matrimony as pos
sihle, but not vitable--taught also that
q career in which work, with achievement
is possible to woman; that life without
matrimony may still be life of useful
ness and happiness-I fancy there would
be more ease of manner in the social rela
tons Of men and women and more bene-
fetal friendships between them.
The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-11-08

There are numbers of good things in the
fifth volume of Moltkes memoirs 1t is
told, for instance, that as the kings birth,
days successfully approached, there used
to be bets among the officers and the gen.
eral staff as to how many words Moltke
would use in proposing the toast OF the
day. Some backed nine word speech,
others put their money on eight words.
Moltke's habit was to say, "To the health
of his majesty, emperor and king" or, $50
his imperial majesty's health" In 1a'' y
oyster breakfast was staked on the /. r.
shal's not using more than nine words.
But because he began with the word
Gentlemen" the bet was lost. The loser
comforted himself by saying, He's aging,
is Moltke; he's getting loquaciousp'-Pali
Mall Gazette.